Text B. Internal management

1. The internal management of the company is regulated by a document called the articles of association. Although these need not be registered (except for companies limited by guarantee), they must conform to an authorized pattern. They detail rules about such matters as when and at what notice meetings must be held; members' voting rights, and the size of majority required to pass resolutions; issuing of shares; and the appointment, powers, and removal of directors. Under the Companies Act every public company must have at least two directors, and every private company, at least one. A director need not be a member (that is, a shareholder), but details of any shares he holds must be registered. He is not an employee of the company, but may be paid for his work as long as the members of the company agree to this. He has a duty to exercise a reasonable standard of care and not to make secret profits from company business. If he holds an interest in another firm with which the company is doing business, the law requires him to declare that interest at a board meeting (meeting of the directors).

1. The law also requires a limited company to keep accounting records at its registered office, including entries of receipts and payments and a record of assets and liabilities. These records must be open to inspection at any time by the company's directors and secretary, and a copy must be sent to the registrar each year. A profit and loss account, together with a financial report by the directors and a report from an independent auditor (inspector), must be put before a general meeting of the company's members every year. Breaking these regulations may result in criminal prosecution.

3. Another possible cause of criminal prosecution is insider trading. This means using inside knowledge to gain private profit when buying and selling company shares. Directors and employees of companies are often in a position to know if a company's shares are likely to rise or fall long before ordinary shareholders. As a result, they could make profits by buying or selling before everybody else, or by selling their special information. In 1990, a New York stockbroker was imprisoned for this offence. The crime was not even recognized in English law until 1967. The 1985 Company Securities (Insider Dealing) Act lays down a maximum penalty of two years imprisonment, but the recent discovery of how widespread this practice is means the penalty is likely to be increased as a deterrent.

2. Выпишите из текстов английские эквиваленты следующих слов и выражений: мировой рост экономики; правовая практика регулирования деловых отношений; обладать знаниями об основных правовых принципах; законы, непосредственно касающиеся вашего бизнеса; штрафы или приостановление деятельности; судебные решения, вынесенные на основе принципов общего права; внутреннее управление компании; устав организации; право голоса, распространяющееся на членов компании; получать тайный доход от бизнеса компании; закон требует; заявлять о собственных интересах на общем собрании директоров; составлять бухгалтерские отчеты в письменной форме; опись имущества; нарушение правил; уголовное преследование.

3. Найдите и выпишите из текста A 3 предложения, содержащие инфинитив. Определите формы и функции инфинитива. Переведите предложения на русский язык.

4. Найдите и выпишите из текста B 3 предложения, содержащие причастие. Определите формы и функции причастия. Переведите предложения на русский язык.

5. Найдите и выпишите из текстов A и B 3 предложения, содержащие герундий. Определите формы и функции герундия. Переведите предложения на русский язык.

6. Переведите письменно 2 абзац текста A и 1 абзац текста В.

7. Напишите аннотацию к тексту, используя следующие клишированные словосочетания (3-5 предложений): the precis deals with …; the abstract is devoted to …; the work is concerned with … (bears on …, gives explanation of …, is intended to demonstrate certain phenomena, is designed to provide some information about …); the subject of the paper under review is …; the author touches upon the problem of …; … is (are) described; special attention is given (paid) to …; the chief aim (main purpose) of the work is …; the main result of the work is … (that it has given a clue to …).

8. Составьте свое жизнеописание (C.V.), используя образец на стр. 29.