Semester 4, Lesson 8 (53)

BANKS

 

I. Read the following words and word combination and learn their meanings by heart:

Savings ['seiviNz] bank - ощадна каса; savings - заощадження; a source [sL:s] of credit ['kredit] джерело кредитування; a depositor [di'pozitq] вкладник, депозитор; a depository [di'pozitqri] скарбниця, сховище; a withdrawal [wiz'drLql] зняття, вилучення, a commercial bank - комерційний банк; a loan [loun] позика; a letter of credit (L/C) - акредитив; a trust [trAst] траст, трест; trustee [trAs'ti:] опікун, довірена особа; minors ['mainqz] підлітки, неповнолітні; a goldsmith ['gouldsmiT] ювелір; entrust [in'trAst] довірити, доручити; an interest ['intrist] відсоток; interest-free - безпроцентний; integrity [in'tegriti] цілісність, чесність; to take into consideration [kqn,sidq'reiSn] брати до уваги; offer ['Ofq] пропозиція, пропонувати; a connection [kq'nekSn] зв'язок; to give notice ['noutis] повідомляти; the Middle Ages - середньовіччя; a choice [COis] вибір.

 

II. Read and translate text 20:

TEXT 20                                           BANKS

Banks are among the most important financial institutions. The way in which a bank is organized and operates is determined by its objectives. There are different banks. They may be classified according to different services they perform.

Savings banks. These are institutions which accumulate savings in small accounts. They are also valuable sources of credit for businesses. Savings banks, as a rule, invest their funds in long-term credit instruments. That is why, most savings banks require their depositors to give notice before a withdrawal.

Commercial banks. In most countries commercial banks serve as a depository of funds and a source of credit. To-day they are active in giving short-term loans to business.

Commercial banks also deal in foreign exchange and letters of credit.

Investment banks. They do not accept checking deposits. They promote industry through the sale of large issues of stocks to investors.

Trust companies are such financial institutions which administer funds or property for the benefit of others. They serve as trustees for property or guardians of minors, or agents for stocks. In a word, they manage business in the interests of others.

The banking system of modern times is very complex.

If we go back as far as the Middle Ages we can find some banking practices too.

The goldsmiths made fine things out of gold and silver. They kept those precious things in strong-boxes. Soon some people began to come to them to entrust money to the goldsmiths. Later on some goldsmiths found themselves in possession of large sums of money. Some of goldsmiths didn't want to keep money idle. They began to lend it at interest. At the same time the goldsmiths kept some part of money to meet possible withdrawals. It was an early step in the development of banks.

The most important thing in the choice of a bank is its integrity. The size and the type of the bank must be taken into consideration too.

If you are going into business, there is an advantage for a small business to place an account in a small bank. The staff of such a bank know each customer and can estimate your business better.

However, there are the advantages of a larger bank. It is true, that dealings with a large bank are more impersonal. But, it is also true, that a large bank can offer more facilities. Large banks can make a loan at more favourable interest rate. They can also make as large loan as it is desired.

In any case, selecting a bank people learn as much information about the reputation of a bank as possible.

 

III.        Retell the text according to the following questions:

1. What are the main types of banks? 2.What institutions are savings banks? 3.What is the function of commercial banks? 4. How do investment banks function? 5.What is a trust company? 6.When and where can some banking practices be found? 7. What is the most important thing in the choice of a bank? 8. What bank would one prefer doing small business? 9. Are there any advantages of a large bank? 10. How can one learn about the reputation of a bank?

 

IV.      Try to repeat a tongue twister several times, as quickly as possible, without stumbling or mispronouncing:

 

When you write copy you have the right

to copyright the copy you write.

 

V.      Learn the following groups of:

a) synonyms:

To accumulate - to store, to promote - to support, valuable - precious, benefit - profit, estimate - appraise, desire - wish, property - capital, to invest - to deposit, to perform - to do, to go back - to return, choosing - selection, size - dimension, loan - credit, integrity - fairness, practice - method, quantity - amount.

b) antonyms:

To deposit - to withdraw, complex - simple, long-term - short-term, advantage - weakness, favourable - infavourable, to accept - to give, true - false, better - worse, minors - adults.

 

VI.    Fill each blank in the text with the correct word or phrase. Choose from the following list:

Withdraw, cash dispenser, issued, debited, slip, credit transfer.

Banks offer many services to businesses and their customers. Here are some of the most common:

Many people now have a card which enables them to              money from a              . You feed your card into the machine and key in your PIN (personal identification number) and the amount of the money you want. If you have enough in your account, the money requested will be            to you up to a daily limit. Your account is automatically             for the amount you have drawn out. If you have several bills to pay, you can do this by          . You write once cheque for the total sum involved, fill in a           for each bill and hand everything to the bank cashier.

 

VII.   Match the words with the correct definition from the list below.

Top management, staff, commercial bank, organization chart, chief executive officer, audit, board of directors, branch banking.

1.      Committee elected by shareholders to set the bank's policy and oversee the bank's performance.

2.      Most common and most unrestricted type of bank, allowed the most latitude in its services and investments.

3.      Chart showing the interrelationship of positions within an organization in terms of authority and responsibility.

4.      Banks that offer a full range of services from multiple locations, inclu¬ding a head office and one or more branch offices.

5.      Key problem in an organization who make most important decisions.

6.      Inspection of the accounting records and procedures of any reporting entity by a trained accountant, for the purpose of verifying the accuracy and completeness of the records.

7.      Personnel in an organization.

8.      Member of staff who has ultimate management responsibility for an organization. He reports directly to a board of directors.

 

VIII.  Read and translate the meanings of the following terms. Translate the sentences with them.

Check - l)is (banking) (US) cheque; 2) is a slowing down or stopping; 3) is an inspection or examination of the condition of something; 4) is (US) a bill issued in a restaurant.

1. He usually uses banking cheques. 2. Public spending has been held in check. 3. All our machines are given regular checks. 4. Ask the waiter for the check.

Deposit - 1) is a sum of money paid into a bank or savings account; 2) is a payment of part of a larger sum to be paid later, especially to prevent the goods being sold to someone else; 3) is a sum of money paid when borrowing or hiring something and given back if the item is returned undamaged.

1. He makes a regular deposit of $100 per month. 2. You are advised to deposit your valuables in the hotel safe. 3. I'd like to make a deposit. 4. Time deposits include savings certificates and small certificates of deposit. 5. The U.S. Treasury also maintains deposits at the Fed, for the Fed is the government's principal bank. 6. It is necessary to pay a 10% deposit to secure the goods.

Interest rate - is the cost of borrowing money expressed as a percentage

of the capital borrowed.

1. The new interest rate is 11.5%. 2. Interest rate is relation between the payment received by a lender of money and the amount of money lent, expressed as a percentage per period of time.

Guarantor - is a person who promises to be responsible for or to repay another's debt.

1. The bank will give us a loan, but we have to find a guarantor First. 2. A guarantor in respect of an overdraft granted to an infant was held not liable to the bank when the infant failed to repay the loan.

Balance - is the difference between the total of money coming into (credits) and money going out of (debits) an account; the amount needed to make these totals correspond.

1. My bank statement shows a balance of $ 150. 2. A country, like a person, also must balance its accounts. 3. The official settlements balance is the sum of the current account balance and the capital account balance.

 

IX. Translate the following extract in written form:

Banks perform the widest range of functions in the economy and consequently any modern full-service banking institution should provide the widest variety of services.

Banks may be defined as firms producing and selling financial services. Their success or failure hinges on their ability to identify the financial services of public demands, produce those services efficiently, and sell them at a competitive price. The service menu (вибір послуг) of banks does not і remain unchanged as new services are constantly being introduced and developed by commercial banks. Many of them offer a combination of wholesale and retail banking. The former provides large scale services (послуги, які надаються великим фірмам) to the corporate sector. The latter mainly provides smaller scale services (послуги малим фірмам і населенню) to the general public.

 

X.      Look through the excerpt before filling the spaces with necessary words.    Translate the text into Ukrainian.

 

organization, board of directors, departments, services, responsibilities, markets, offers, serve, top management.

If a bank is owned and controlled by a holding company, its shareholders elect a ...(1) to oversee bank and nonbank firms allied with the same holding company. Selected members of this board of directors ... (2) on the bank's board as well. The key problem in such an ...(3) is span of control, with ...(4) often knowledgeable about banking practices, but less informed about the products and ...(5) offered by other subsidiary companies. Moreover, because the bank itself ...(6) so many different services in both domestic and foreign ...(7), serious problems may not surface for weeks or months.

 

XI.    Read text 21 and answer the questions:

1. What are main functions of a bank?

2. How are banks usually organized?

TEXT 21                            BANK ORGANIZATION

 

The way in which a bank is organized and operates is determined by its objectives. The first and most important function of a central bank is to accept responsibility for advising the government on the making of the country's financial policy, and then to see that it is carried out. The aim of commercial banks is to earn profit. Over the years banks have developed organizational forms, or structures, designed, to perform these various roles and to supply the services their customers demand.

Banks are usually organized to follow their functions and supply the services demanded by them as efficiently as possible. Moreover, because larger banks generally play a wider range of roles and offer more services a bank's size is also a significant factor in determining how banks are organized.

The large banks possess some potential advantages over small and medium-size banks. Because the largest institutions serve many different markets with many different services, they are better diversified, both geographically and by product line, to withstand the risks of a fluctuating economy. They also possess the important advantage of being able to raise financial capital at relatively low cost and the professional expertise to focus that new capital on the most promising loans and business acquisitions.

The oldest and most common banking organizations in the United States are unit banks. They offer all of their services from one office though a small number of services (such as taking deposits or cashing checks) may be offered from limited-service facilities, such as drive-in windows, automated teller machines (ATM) and retail store point-of-sale (POS) terminals that are linked to the bank's computer system.

 

XII.   Individual work: learn the meaning of words describing change on the market.

 

to increase = to become large or higher

to shoot up = to increase in number or size very quickly

to rize = to increase, become higher

to take off = to start being successful or popular

to improve = to get better

to pick up = to improve

to recover = to get better, improve

to grow = to get bigger

to expand = to get bigger, larger

to fall = become smaller in size or number

to slump = to drop suddenly

to shrink = to become smaller

to decline = to become worse or smaller

 

 XIII. A. Mix and match

 

1. increase                               a. to increase in number or size very much

2. shoot up                              b. to improve

3. take off                                c. to change continuously

4. pick up                                d. to become larger or higher

5. fall                                       e. to start being successful or popular

6. slump                                   f. to drop suddenly

7. level off                               g. to stop falling or rising

8. fluctuate                               h. to become smaller in size or number

 

                B. Complete the sentences with the words below:

 

1. Costs have _______slightly on the project. We will exceed the budget.

2. The number of rejects _____ dramatically. We will have to invest in new machines.

3. Sales are finally beginning to _________. We should hit our target next quarter.

4. Work should ____________ in the autumn. That’s traditionally our best time.

5. Sales _____________ by ten per cent in the last quarter. We need a new advertising campaign.

6. Demand ____ due to the hot weather. People use a lot less electricity in summer.

7. Costs are ____ after steep increases. We expect them to start falling next quarter.

8. Prices have _____________ a lot recently. We hope they will stabilize soon.

 

Pick up; fluctuated; levelling off; take off; increased; slumped; shot up; fell

 

XIV         A.  Mix and match.        

1. rise                                     a. to reach the lowest point before improving

2. recover                               b. to increase, become higher

3. expand                                c. to get better, improve

4. grow                                   d. to reach the highest point before falling

5. shrink                                 e. to get bigger, expand

6. decline                                f. to get bigger, grow

7. peak                                    g. to become worse or smaller

8. bottom out                          h. become smaller

 

            

           B. Complete the sentences with the words below:

1. Costs have ____ steadily over the last year. This is due to higher transport costs.

2. The dollar has _____ slightly against the euro. We are back at last year’s rate.

3. We are currently ______ at a phenomenal rate. We expect to be bigger than our main competitors next year.

4. The popularity of our products continues to _____    . They are becoming a must-have among young people.

5. Our market share has _____ to less than twenty per cent. We need new products.

6. Interest has _________. We need to regenerate interest through new advertising.

7. Tourist numbers ________ in August. We are usually full for the whole month.

8. We think prices have __________ . We expect to see  small  increases soon.

 

Shrunk, peak, declined, expanding, recovered, bottomed out, risen, grow