大学英语四(综合教程)第五单元

大学体验英语四（综合教程）

Unit 5Business Ethics

Listen and Talk

Lead in

Japanese companies have started to refine their ethics programs and internal control structures. Some 55% of them have established a corporate code of conduct, ethics guidelines, compliance (S1) and other such documents, 37% have a department or division dedicated to ethics and compliance issues, and 43% (S2) hold ethics-related training programs targeting employees.

A growing number of Japanese businesses have taken steps to reinforce oversight functions, for example by engaging independent outside directors. In 1997, Sony Corporation took the (S3) of cutting its executive board from 38 to 10 directors while introducing the new post of executive officers. Other companies including Omron and Kobe Steel followed suit, and by 2000 about 240 businesses had reportedly made similar (S4) reforms.

Even so, the image of companies portrayed by the market and the general public (S5) far from ethical. For example, in a survey of students' views of the Japanese business community, conducted in autumn 2000, 68% of the respondents agreed that "Honest companies are not (S6) while dishonest companies are making profits"; 63% believed that " There is hardly any information as to which companies are (S7) , "; 84% believed that " (S8) "; and 62% agreed that "many companies believe it's worth engaging in unlawful practices." If this is the new generation's perception of reality, it means that (S9) . Certainly, companies whose business performance has deteriorated as a result of scandals (S10) . But such efforts are not long-lasting if a company fears they will reduce its competitiveness.

Key:S1 manuals S2 periodically S3 initiative S4 structural S5 remains S6 rewarded S7 honest S8 Penalties against scandals are too lenient S9 Japanese companies have little incentive to tackle ethical and compliance issues internally S10 have made greater efforts to deal with ethical and compliance issues

Passage A: The Moral Advantage—How to succeed in business by doing the right thing

2. Decide whether each of the following statements is true or false based on information in the passage. Write "T" for true or "F" for false in each blank.

1. You can't cheat your customers forever without being noticed by people.

True False

2. Seeking moral advantage is a new method to think about business honesty.

True False

3. Honesty in businessmay help make profits at last.

True False

4. The author thinks that seeking for profits may inevitably cheat people or be dishonest in business.

True False

5. Skepticism had the idea that "no cheating, no business” in business trade.

True Fasle

6.Other famous experts may have different ideas about business and think the morality is essential part in business.

True False

7. Columbus, a character in the Philip Roth’s play, believes that no businessmen are honest.

True False

8. The modern media often describes the business as a dishonest deed.

True False

9. Different people have different ideas about the business morality and each explains business morality at his/her angle.

True False

10. Business morality is far different from morality in daily life.

True False

Answer: 1) T 2) T 3) T 4) F 5) T 6) T 7) T 8) T 9) T 10) F

3. Answer the following questions with the information from the passage.

1. What is the cynical attitude toward business morally? And what is the skeptical one? Moneymaking is inevitably tainted by greed, deceit, and exploitation./Behind every great fortune lies a great crime.

2. Why does the author mention The Bible in paragragh 8?

To show that immoral moneymaking goes back a long way.

3. How do the contemporary media define business?

as greedy, corrupt and ruthless.

4. What do Stephen Covery and Tom Peters think of business morality?

Moral virtue is essential for success in business.