Unit 11

LIMITED COMPANY (CORPORATION)

Vocabulary

Переведите и выучите слова.

Обратите внимание на произношение интернациональных слов, переведите их без словаря.

Per son (n); per sonal (a); re gister (v); regist rat ion (n); se parate (a); sepa rate (v); re sidence (n); re side (v); stra tegy (n); stra te gic (a); ef fect (n); ef fec tive (a); ef fec tiveness (n); ex treme (a); ex trem ely (adv); ac tive (a); ac ti vity (n); con tract (n); po licy (n).

Text

A corporation differs from other legal forms of business in that the law considers it to be an artificial being, having the same rights and responsibilities as a person. A corporation is a company that is publicly registred, so that it acquires a legal existence separate from that of its owners. It can continue functioning despite the death or withdrawal of any of its owners. As a corporation, a business can buy and sell assets in its own name, make contracts, defend itself in court or be taken to court. Such a business becomes a separate legal entity. The members of a corporation are liable for its debts up to a limited amount. If a corporation goes bankrupt, the creditors can claim only the assets ofthe company.

In order to form a corporation according to the U.S.laws, it is necessary to obtain a corporate charter by the state in which the business resides. Each state has its own requirements and fees for the issuance of charters. The cost for incorporating a small business usually ranges from $500 to $1, 500.

Each person who owns stock in a corporation becomes its co-owner. A share of ownership is represented by a stock certificate given in return for providing some capital for the company. These shares provide the holder with voting rights at the company’s annual general meetings. The Directors develop the company's policy and establish strategic goals which must be implemented by the executive officers appointed by the Board. The executives provide day-to-day management of the company.

It should be noted that the corporation is the most effective form of business organization for raising money capital. Through organized stock exchanges, corporations can obtain the financial resources of extremely large numbers of people. Therefore it is easier for them to expand in size for their operations. Limited liability is another advantage that attracts investors. The stockholders can share in the company's profits, which are distributed to them in the form of dividend, while it is not necessary for them to take an active part in management. Furthermore, since stock is transferable, stockholders are free to sell their stock аt any time and receive the market value for it.

Ответьте на вопросы к тексту.

1. Does the text refer to Britain or to the U.S.A? How can you see it?

2. Why is a corporation legally separate from its owners? (Compare that with the sole proprietorship.)

3. What economic and legal functions can a corporation perform?

4. What is the liability of stockholders for the debts of the corporation?

5. What document must a corporation obtain?

6. Who are the owners of a corporation?

7. What does a stock certificate represent?

8. What rights do shares provide?

9. Who appoints executive officers?

10. How does a corporation obtain financial resources?

11. How do stockholders share in the profits of the corporation?

12. What benefits can shares bring to their holders?

Перестройте предложения, используя пассивный залог.

1. Stockholders invest a certain capital in the corporation.

2. Companies issue shares in proportion to the investment.

3. Shareholders elect the Board of Directors at the general meeting.

4. The Directors appoint the CEO and other executives.

5. You can profitably sell the shares of a success­ful company.

6. You won't lose your personal assets in case of the company liquidation.

Выступите в качестве переводчика в интервью.

• Как называется Ваша компания и где она располагается?

• I am happy to present my company, RSL Communications, Ltd. We are headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda, and have executive offices in New York. Actually we are a global company serving customers on five continents in 20 countries.

• He могли бы Вы вкратце описать ассортимент продукции и услуг, предлагаемых Вашей компанией?

• We offer a broad range of international and domestic telephone services directed primarily to small and medium-sized businesses. We have voice, facsimile and basic data transmission services. We also offer pre-paid calling cards, PC-to-phones and phone-to-phone Internet telephony service. And we have plans to introduce voice mail, video-conferencing, and international directory assistance in the near future.

• У Вас много конкурентов в отрасли. Каковы Ваши преимущества, что отличает Вас от других фирм?

• The fact that we are global gives RSL a lot of advantages. But honestly, the first thing that comes to mind is cost, because we control the price by owning the switches on both ends of a call. The second thing is quality of service. Besides, one of our products is voice-over-the-Internet telephony which is a lot cheaper than traditional telephony.