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Задание 1. Прочитайте текст и ответьте на вопросы.

Is Volkswagen bold or stupid? Across France, workmen have been busy scrapping off 10,000 billboard advertisements for its new Golf following furious complaints from the Catholic Church. In a series of posters, the German carmaker’s model was likened to a religious revelation; one that showed Jesus at the last supper recommending the car to his disciples.

VW’s agency DDB Needham doubtless thought its advertising was ironic and extremely up-to-date.

After the Catholic Church threatened to sue to obtain reparation for the damage suffered by Christians, the agency and the carmaker confessed to their sins and agreed to remove the ads.

European consumers are exposed to hundreds of commercial messages a day, but the vast majority of these are ignored, so ads which shock have become more popular with advertisers. It is believed that these ads force consumers to listen to their message. But some adland thinkers argue that it’s a little more complicated than that.

Virginia Valentine, director of advertising’s foremost cultural analysis company, Semiotic Solutions, argues that brands can no longer expect consumers to take sales messages at face value. Consumers challenge everything they are told, she believes, and will prefer brands that give them something back, rather than the old-style `here’s our product ain’t it great!’ philosophy which has been dominated advertising since its inception. Thus ads can deal with social issues and refer to the news agenda these days.

The ad agency, however, may well have done. The VW campaign might look like a marketing disaster, but increasingly ad agencies are selling to clients not simply their ability to write ads but their ability to write ads that generate PR. Some clients ask all agencies pitching for their business to demonstrate their ability to garner extra publicity.

A deliberately shocking ad is the simplest way to get additional media coverage, and even if the media coverage is negative, it can still help to sell the product.

1) What didn’t like the Catholic Church on VW’s posters? In a series of posters, the German carmaker’s model was likened to a religious revelation; one that showed Jesus at the last supper recommending the car to his disciples.

2) What did VW’s agency think about its advertising? VW’s agency DDB Needham doubtless thought its advertising was ironic and extremely up-to-date.

3) Did the agency and the carmaker confess to their sins? The agency and the carmaker confessed to their sins and agreed to remove the ads.

4) Do consumers ignore ads they see every day? European consumers are exposed to hundreds of commercial messages a day, but the vast majority of these are ignored, so ads which shock have become more popular with advertisers.

5) Is it believed that shocking ads force consumers to listen to their message, isn’t it? Yes, it is.

6) What was the old-style philosophy of advertising? Consumers challenge everything they are told, she believes, and will prefer brands that give them something back, rather than the old-style `here’s our product ain’t it great!’ philosophy which has been dominated advertising since its inception.

7) What do some clients want to demonstrate? Some clients ask all agencies pitching for their business to demonstrate their ability to garner extra publicity.

Задание 2. Найдите в тексте эквиваленты следующих слов и выражений:

Жалобы — complaints, ученик – a disciple, возмещение — damage, признаваться – to confess, заставлять to force, передовой, — advanced, начало — beginning, рекламное агентство – ad agency, выглядеть, look like, намеренно — deliberately.

Задание 3. Найдите в тексте слова, соответствующие данным определениям:

• a large sign used for advertising; billboard
• an event, experience etc that is considered to be a message from God; revelation
• harm caused to someone’s emotions or mind; suffer
• someone who buys and uses products or services; client
• a type of product made by a particular company, that has a particular name or design; brand
• someone’s level of skill at doing something; qualification
• to take or collect something, especially information or support. to get

Задание 4. Раскройте скобки, используя формы активного или страдательного залог:

• The letter WAS POSTED a week ago and it ARRIVED yesterday.
• The message HAS JUST BEEN RETURNED.
• A group of investigators HAS ALREADY BEEN SENT to the scene to carry out an initial assessment.
• The boat SANK quickly but fortunately everybody RESCUED.
• The committee ANNOUNCED the names of the Nobel Price winners.
• While I was on holiday, my camera WAS STOLEN from my hotel room.
• The first laser WAS PRODUCED in 1960.

Задание 5. Прочитайте приведённый ниже текст. Преобразуйте слова, напечатанные заглавными буквами после пропусков, обозначенных номерами 1–6 так, чтобы они грамматически и лексически соответствовали содержанию текста.

It all started in 1865. A group of Frenchmen were having dinner in one of the most 1FASHIONABLE (FASHION) restaurants near Paris.

They talked about the democratic changes in the USA and wanted to support the American people. After a short 2DISCUSSION (DISCUSS) they agreed on an original idea.

The idea was suggested by Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi, a sculptor and 3DESIGNER (DESIGN). He said they could make a statue of a woman holding the torch of freedom.

It was an ambitious project and it was 4POSSIBLE (POSSIBLE) to complete it quickly.

It actually took 21 years for this idea to become a reality. The French people raised money to build the statue, and, 5FINALLY (FINAL), in 1886, it was ready.

On July 4, 1886 the United States received their 6 AMAZING (AMAZE) gift – the Statue of Liberty!