Dialogue. (Simona and Berg work in a large supermarket

(Simona and Berg work in a large supermarket. Berg is the Manager and Simona is the Head Buyer.)

Berg I'm so glad you had this business trip. I also would have liked to go but it's a problem for me to get away. Tell me everything about your business trip.

Simona It was really great, Berg. It was worth looking over the operations of the store. It's very well organized and I believe we should consider adopting some of the methods.

Berg Is it really so?

Simona Absolutely. Berg, their computer system is remarkable.

Berg Can you tell me more about it?

Simona Oh, sure. First, they've replaced their cash registers with special terminals.

Berg What for?

Simona They record on tape the department number, classification of items, amount of sale and name of salesclerk for each sale.

Berg Do you think we really need all that information on tape?

Simona We put on the same information on our sales checks.

Berg Yes, but in cases of exchanges we need to know all that.

Simona And for other things too.

Berg Well?

Simona For inventory control, for example. During the night, the tapes containing the information are fed into the computer.

Berg And then what?

Simona Every morning the computer prepares reports on the sales of the day before, classified by department and buyer.

Berg So, it is possible to have almost instant records.

Simona You are right. The inventory is kept up to date automatically. Imagine, how efficient we could be.

Berg It is great. But I think with the help of a computer we could offer more personal services to our customers.

Simona What do you mean?

Berg Having such up-to-date records and complete inventory we could keep records of birthdays and anniversaries and have gift suggestions based on customer records, and a million of other things.

Simona Don't hurry. Let's get going on first things first.

Active Vocabulary

Head Buyer начальник отдела снабжения магазина

to adopt methods внедрять методы

terminal терминал, вывод, конец, граница

to feed the information in the computer закладывать информацию в компьютер

to date вычислять подсчитывать

Vocabulary Practice

Exercise 1. Change the sentences according to the model.

Model: I was worth looking over the operations of the supermarket. I was worth looking them over.

1. They picked out the new merchandise.

2. They talked over the new software.

3. The manager tried out new sales checks.

4. She filled out the payroll form.

5. They took down the statistical data.

6. She put off her work.

7. He had to look over the new program.