Interview with a Dancer - Listening Comprehension

You will hear a man interviewing a famous ballet dancer. Write down the answers to the questions he asks. You will hear the listening twice for the gist. After you have finished, look below for the answers.   Click on this ballet dancer listening quiz to begin.   How long did she live in Hungary?Where was she born?Why wasnt she born in a hospital?What kind of day was her birthday?Was she born in 1930?Did her parents leave Hungary with her?What did her father do?What did her mother do?Why did her mother travel a lot?When did she begin to dance?Where did she study dance?Where did she go after Budapest?Why did she leave her first husband?Which country was her second husband from?How many husbands has she had? Instructions: You will hear a man interviewing a famous dancer. Write down the answers to the questions he asks. You will hear the listening twice. After you have finished, click on the arrow to see if you have answered correctly. (changed to answers below) Transcript:   Interviewer: Well, thank you very much for agreeing to come to this interview.Dancer: Oh, its my pleasure.   Interviewer: Well, its a pleasure for me as well. Right, well there are lots of questions Id like to ask you, but first of all, can you tell me something about your early life? I believe you are from Eastern Europe, arent you?Dancer: Yes, thats right. I ... I was born in Hungary, and I lived there for all of my childhood. In fact, I lived in Hungary for twenty-two years.   Interviewer: I believe theres a rather strange story that Ive heard about your birth.Dancer: Yes, in fact I was born on a boat because ... because my mother needed to go to the hospital, and we lived on a lake. And so she was on the boat going to the hospital, but she was too late.   Interviewer: Oh, so when your mother went to hospital she went by boat.Dancer: Yes. Thats right.   Interviewer: Oh, and you arrived?Dancer: Yes, on a beautiful spring day in fact. It was the twenty-first of April that I arrived in. Well, around 1930 I can tell you, but I wont be more specific than that.   Interviewer: And, uh, your family? Your parents?Dancer: Yes, well my mother and father remained in Hungary. They didnt come away with me, and my father was a history professor at the university.  He wasnt very famous. But, on the other hand, my mother was quite famous. She was a pianist. Interviewer: Oh.Dancer: She played lots of concerts in Hungary. She travelled around a lot.   Interviewer: So music was ... because your mother was a pianist, music was very important for you.Dancer: Yes, in fact.   Interviewer: From very early.Dancer: Yes, I danced when my mother played the piano.   Interviewer: Yes.Dancer: Right.   Interviewer: And did you, when did you really realize that you wanted to dance? Was it at school?Dancer: Well, I was very, very young. I did all of my school studies in Budapest. And I studied dancing there in Budapest with my family. And then I came to America. And I got married when I was very, very young. I had an American husband. And he died very young, and then I married another man who was from Canada. And then my third husband was French.   Quiz Answers She lived in Hungary for twenty-two years.She was born on a boat on a lake in Hungary.They lived on a lake and her mother was late to the hospital.She was born on a spring day.She was born around 1930, but the date is not exact.Her parents did not leave Hungary with her.Her father was a professor at university.Her mother was a pianist.Her mother travelled to play in concerts.She began to dance very young when her mother played the piano.She studied dance in Budapest.She went to America after Budapest.She left her husband because he died.Her second husband was from Canada.She has had three husbands.

Alcoholism And Its Effects On Society - 1413 Words

Alcoholism and its effects on society The alcohol is a terrible disease that effects not only your own body and mental health but also it effects everybody who surrounds you. By being an alcoholic you are experiencing all different types of problems. It can be either a problem with a lack of money that will bring you to the friends who are going to get tired of it sooner or later, or alcohol will ruin your healthy relationship with your family and your lovely kids. People who are suffering from this disease are usually not successful in anything they are trying to do. Alcohol is simply ruining your life. Alcohol and financial problems We consider an alcohol as a drug that makes you addicted to it really quick.†¦show more content†¦And he/she still will be drinking and enjoying the moment, they are not going to stick around for that long. Maybe after that person wakes next morning sober and will try to say sorry to their friends. They are not going to be there anymore, because they give a chance to change but unfortunately it wasn’t as important as a beer. In other way if that person have a non-drinking company then it will be easier for him to influence all of his friends just to join him or at list one, then to go thru all this treatments. The alcoholic might ruin the whole life of that person, their dreams, future, maybe even a family, just by influencing him to have some shoots with you every other day. Also there have been so many situation where drunk friend was driving his other friends and suddenly he lost control and all of them died. Alcohol and relationship problems Alcoholism are likely to cause harm for anyone in a relationship with the sufferer. People who find themselves in a romantic relationship with an alcoholic may end up making excuses for their lack of attendances or improper conduct at social functions. Family problems, such as arguing, bickering, stonewalling, withdrawal, and generally poor communication can be find in any couple/family who have an alcoholic person. Families rely heavily on one another for support. This includes both financial and emotional support, whichShow MoreRelatedAlcoholism And Its Effects On Society1099 Words   |  5 Pagesall cultures, professions, different ages all over the world. It is well known that alcoholism and the abuse of alcohol cause serious medical, psychiatric, social, economic and legal problems (Potkonjak, J. et al. 2005). Alcohol abuse is one of biggest problems in the United States today. It is not only a problem that affects individuals lives, but is a problem that affects society as whole. Alcoholism is the most widespread form of substances used in the United States that effecting at leastRead MoreAlcoholism And Its Effects On Society1655 Words   |  7 Pagessuch as divorce, death, or a loss of job. 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Multinational enterprises and their CSR initiatives in Nigerian oil sector Free Essays

Abstract Nigeria is a country which is endowed with considerable energy reserves. The oil and gas reserves found are some of the largest in the entire world. Multinational companies have been involved in the exploration and transportation of crude oil and gas in the country. We will write a custom essay sample on Multinational enterprises and their CSR initiatives in Nigerian oil sector or any similar topic only for you Order Now The Niger delta region is the main area where the country’s rich energy reserves are found. The conduct of multinational enterprises in the region has been criticized because of allegations that corruption, bribery, environmental mismanagement, environmental contamination, and human rights abuses are being perpetrated towards indigenous communities. As a consequence, multinational enterprises have engaged in corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives in order to create a better image while serving the needs of local communities. Introduction Nigeria is one of the leading producers of oil and gas in the world. It has oil reserves that are estimated to be around 35 billion barrels while it has 5 trillion cubic meters of gas reserves (Amaeshi et al, 2006: p. 67). Nigeria is a country that has more than 250 ethnic groups with over 500 languages being spoken in the country. Despite its huge energy reserves, the country remains poor with over two thirds of the people living in abject poverty. A total of six multinational organizations are operating in the Nigerian oil and gas sector. These companies are the Royal Dutch Shell, Chevron, Exxon-Mobil, Agip, Total, and Texaco. The Niger Delta region is the main area where the oil exploration and production is being carried out by foreign enterprises (Beauchamp, 2003: p. 92). These foreign enterprises have been criticized for failing to take adequate measures that can alleviate the poverty and suffering of indigenous communities. There have been accusations of corruption, mismanage ment, environmental degradation, oil spills, contaminated water, and other problems in the region. As a consequence, there have been attempts by multinational enterprises to implement corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives in the region. However, the existing literature does not comment upon the different CSR practices of MNCs in Nigeria with respect to the local stakeholders and communities. This study will seek to investigate and assess the efficacy of the ethical practices by the multinational enterprises as they related to the empowerment and betterment of indigenous communities. Research Question The following research questions will be answered in this dissertation: What are the CSR strategies of multinational enterprises in Nigeria What are the practical implications of CSR as it relates to improving the standards of living for local communities Is CSR a genuine attempt to empower communities or is it a marketing strategy by multinationals Research Objectives To study the similarities and differences of the CSR initiatives implemented by multinational enterprises in Nigeria To determine the efficacy of CSR initiatives with respect to community empowerment and development To study whether multinational enterprises in the Nigerian oil sector are genuinely concerned about empowering communities or such initiatives are simply marketing tools to improver the image of multinational enterprises Literature Review Corporate social responsibility is a term used to denote the actions and policies implemented by business organizations that are in accordance with ethical and legal principles. The goal of organizations is to implement self-regulation and align it with the overall business model. The goal is to ensure that organizations can integrate ethics into their business model (Carroll, 2006: p. 76). A series of high profile business scandals in the past decades has meant that governments are now seeking to regulate the business environment through legislation that promotes transparency and accountability. Additionally, the customer segments are highly conscious about the business activities of enterprises because the latter must be able to demonstrate ethical behaviors in accordance with their actions. Alternatively, organizations are seeking to reduce the costs of complying with legislation by implementing CSR initiatives so that they can achieve efficiency and effectiveness. A number of theoretical approaches towards CSR have been developed in order to help organizations take responsibility for their actions while encouraging positive impact upon the environment, consumers, employees, and other key stakeholders. Corporate philanthropy is a CSR theoretical model which calls for providing monetary donations and aid to different communities. Such donations can come in specific areas like social welfare, environment, housing, health, and others (Carroll, 2006: p. 71). The limitations of such a model are that it does not address the root causes of poverty and other problems in local communities. Another theory is that CSR should be combined with the overall business strategy. This theory seeks to help local communities by recruiting locals and training them so that they can upgrade their skills. Enterprises create support for local industries through mutually beneficial relationships. Another theory focuses on creating shared value because it believes that social welfare is directly linked with business success. It recommends organizations to focus on sustainable development as well as a skilled workforce so that efficiency can be attained (Carroll, 2006: p. 79). There is still a gap in the existing literature as to whether CSR can really bring positive benefits to local communities and other key stakeholders. The Nigerian oil sector has been dominated by multinationals which have been accused of environmental degradation, corruption, human rights violations, and other abuses. As a consequence, they have sought to improve this by focusing on corporate social responsibility initiatives. Some studies argue that CSR is a process which involves organizations taking responsibility for their actions and ensuring that they can create a positive impact through their activities on th e environment (Blunt Richard, 2006: p. 169). Other studies have disputed this as they argue that organizations operate on the principle of profit maximization. Research Methodology Qualitative research has been selected for this dissertation because it helps to investigate the reasons behind any particular phenomenon. This is suitable for this dissertation because the aim is to study corporate social responsibility and its efficacy in Nigeria. Quantitative research has not been selected because there is no need for statistics and figures in this dissertation. The data will be collected from primary and secondary sources. Primary data will be collected through a survey that will be sent to top managers of multinational companies working in the Nigerian energy sector. The secondary data will be collected through studies that focus on CSR and its efficacy. References Amaeshi, K, Adi, B, Ogbechie, C Amao, O. (2006) †Corporate Social Responsibility in Nigeria: Western Mimicry or Indigenous Influences?†. No. 39-2006, ICCSR Research Paper Series – ISSN 1479 – 5124, The University of Nottingham. Beauchamp, T. (2003) â€Å"Case studies in Business, Society and Ethics†. 5th ed†. Pearson, Prentice Hall. Blunt, P, Jones, M Richard , D. (2006) â€Å"Managing organizations in Africa†. Walter de Gruyter, pp.169-171. Carroll, A. (2006) â€Å"The Pyramid of Corporate Social Responsibility: Toward the Moral Management of Organizational Stakeholders†. Business Horizons, July-August 1991. How to cite Multinational enterprises and their CSR initiatives in Nigerian oil sector, Essay examples