Чтение онлайн

to accomplish завершать, заканчивать

to waste тратить попусту

to lean склоняться, наклоняться, опираться (на что-л.)

shovel лопата

to wipe вытирать

brow лоб

to stick втыкать, вставлять

dirt грязь, почва, земля

to be sick болеть

to come along идти следом, подходить

Hold it! Постой! Подожди!

that don't mean разг that doesn't mean

A mathematician, an accountant and an economist apply for the same job. The interviewer calls in the mathematician and asks, «What do two plus two equal?»

The mathematician replies, «Four.»

The interviewer asks, «Four, exactly?»

The mathematician looks at the interviewer incredulously and says, «Yes, four, exactly.»

Then the interviewer calls in the accountant and asks the same question, «What do two plus two equal?»

The accountant says, «On average, four – give or take ten percent, but on average, four.»

Then the interviewer calls in the economist and poses the same question, «What do two plus two equal?»

The economist gets up, locks the door, closes the shade, sits down next to the interviewer and says, «What do you want it to equal?»

Words and Expressions:

job работа, рабочее место

applicant соискатель, претендент на рабочее место

mathematician математик

interviewer интервьюер, проводящий собеседование

to call in вызывать (в кабинет)

to equal равняться, быть равным

exactly точно

incredulous недоверчивый, скептический

percent процент, проценты

to lock запирать (дверь)

shade жалюзи, шторы

to apply for подавать заявление о приеме

What do two plus two equal? Чему равняется два плюс два?

on average в среднем

give or take ten percent плюс-минус десять процентов

to pose a question задавать вопрос, ставить вопрос

A company chairman was given a ticket for a performance of Schubert's Unfinished Symphony. Since he was unable to go, he passed the invitation to the company's Quality Assurance Manager. The next morning, the chairman asked him how he enjoyed it, and, instead of a few plausible observations, he was handed a memorandum which read as follows:

1. For a considerable period, the oboe players had nothing to do. Their number should be reduced, and their work spread over the whole orchestra, thus avoiding peaks of inactivity.

2. All twelve violins were playing identical notes. This seems unnecessary duplication, and the staff of this section should be drastically cut. If a large volume of sound is really required, this could be obtained through the use of an amplifier.

3. Much effort was involved in playing the demi-semiquavers. This seems an excessive refinement, and it is recommended that all notes should be rounded up to the nearest semiquaver. If this were done, it would be possible to use trainees instead of craftsmen.

4. No useful purpose is served by repeating with horns the passage that has already been handled by the strings. If all such redundant passages were eliminated, the concert could be reduced from two hours to twenty minutes.

In light of the above, one can only conclude that had Schubert given attention to these matters, he probably would have had the time to finish his symphony.

Words and Expressions:

productivity производительность (труда)

chairman президент

ticket билет

performance исполнение

unfinished неоконченный

symphony симфония

invitation приглашение

plausible вероятный, правдоподобный

memorandum меморандум, служебная записка

as follows следующим образом

considerable значительный

oboe муз. гобой

to reduce сокращать

to spread распределять, рассредоточивать

orchestra оркестр

to avoid избегать

peak пик, вершина

inactivity бездействие, отсутствие активности

violin скрипка

identical идентичный, подобный

note нота

duplication удвоение, дублирование

staff адм. штат, персонал

drastically решительно, круто

volume объем

to obtain получать, приобретать, достигать

amplifier усилитель

effort усилие

to involve вовлекать, вводить

semiquaver муз. шестнадцатая (нота)

demi-semiquavers муз. тридцать вторая (нота)

excessive избыточный