3. Translate the text. Text 2

• Read the text and choose the correct answer to these questions.

SBS

SBS stands for Siemens Business Services. It is a division of the famous German company Siemens. It is only about five years old but is already responsible for a considerable part of Siemens’ turnover. How? Siemens had the idea in 1995. A whole department of Siemens was at the time responsible for the information and communication activities of Siemens. The idea was to offer this service not only inside the company but outside too. SBS is now one of the world’s leading providers in the area of electronic business solutions and services. Friedrich Froeschl is the CEO and SBS is now an independent division with 33,000 employees in 88 countries and turnover of €5.8 billion. One of its largest customers is the British government. SBS organizes and manages the passports and national savings accounts for Britain. In Europe its main competitors are IBM, Cap Gemini, and EDS. With growth in this market of at least 15% the future looks bright for this German service company.

1.

1. What is the activity of SBS?

a. a electronic engineering

b. printing

с.database management

2. Which company does Friedrich Froeschl manage?

a. Siemens Business Services

b. Siemens

c. IBM

3. One of its largest customers is:

a. EDS

b. SBS

c. the British goverment

4. €5.8 Billion represents:

a. Siemens turnover

b. SBS’s turnover

c. SBS’s profit

5. SBS manages electronic services for:

a. IBM

b. British passports

c. 88 countries

6. SBS is:

a. a branch of Siemens

b. a department of Siemens

c. a division of Siemens

2. What do the following numbers refer to? Make a sentence about each number.

1. 88

2. 5,8 bn

3. 33,000

4. 15

5. 1995

6. 5

3. Translate the text. Text 3

• Read the text and do exercises that follow.

Mannesmann ag

Mannesmann AG has its headquarters in Düsseldorf and employs 116,247 people worldwide. In 1998, the company’s total sales reached DM 37.3 billion (EUR 19 billion). Of the four core business sectors, Engineering accounted for 35% of its turnover, while Automotive and Telecommunications contributed 29% and 24% respectively, with the remaining 12% coming from Tubes.

Max and Reinhard Mannesmann founded the steel tube business in Berlin in 1890 and three years later the headquarters moved to Düsseldorf. Over the next 60 years, it acquired other companies connected with steel tube manufacturing and between 1952 and 1955 it established steel and tube mills in Brazil, Canada and Turkey. During the 1980s the company diversified into new sectors. In 1987, the firm entered the field of automotive technology with the acquisition of Fichtel & Sachs AG. Mannesmann Mobilfunk GmbH, a cellular phone1 company, was set up two years later. Then in 1990, Mannesmann became the first company to develop a private communications network in Germany. Dr Klaus Esser became Chairman in 1999.

The group has undergone major structural changes since the eighties. Overall expansion has shifted from heavy industry to a strong presence in high technology. Activities in the automotive sector have increased dramatically and telecommunications has become a major business sector.