Никоненко Тамара Петрівна

   A rich businessman was on holiday by the beach in Mexico when a small fishing boat docked nearby with just one man on board. Inside the boat were several large tasty-looking fish. “That’s quite a fine catch”, noted the businessman. “How long did it take you to pull those in?” “Only a little while”, said the fisherman. “So why don’t you stay out fishing longer and catch more fish?” said the rich man. “This is enough to take care of the needs of my family”, replied the fisherman. “But what do you do with all the rest of your time?” asked the businessman. The fisherman said, “I sleep late, I fish a little, I spend time with my wife and play with my children. Then I rest in the afternoon. In the evening, I visit the rest of my family or stroll into the village where I have a drink with my friends. I have a full and busy life”.
   The rich man scoffed. “I have a business degree from one of the best universities in the world. I can help you. If you spent more time fishing, you could buy a bigger boat with the profits you make. With the profits from the bigger boat you could buy several more boats until eventually you would own a whole fleet of fishing boats. Then instead of selling the fish to a middle-man you could sell the fish directly to the processor and increase your profit margin. Eventually, you could open up your own canning factory and become a wealthy business owner. Of course, you would have to leave this village by the sea where you live and move to the capital and maybe even later to another country to manage your business”. “How long would all of that take?” the fisherman wanted to know. “Oh, at least 15 years”, replied the businessman. “But what then?” asked the humble fisherman.
   The businessman laughed and said, “That’s the best part. When the time is right, you can sell your company. You would become rich. You could make millions”. “Millions!” exclaimed the fisherman. “Then what?” “Then you could retire to a little village by the sea”, said the businessman, “where you could sleep late, you could fish a little, spend time with your wife, play with your kids, then rest in the afternoon. In the evening, you could stroll into the village and have a drink with your friends. You see how wonderful things would be!”
Vocabulary
to scoff – насміхатися
profit margin – тут: прибуток
humble – скромний

Task 1
Are these statements true (T) or false (F)?
1. The story took place by the beach in Mexico.
2. The fisherman got a fine catch.
3. The businessman stayed out fishing with the fisherman.
4. The fisherman caught enough fish for the needs of his family.
5. The businessman talked to the fisherman with respect.
6. If the fisherman had a goal to become a millionaire he could have great profits.
7. The fisherman seemed to be interested in the businessman’s advice.
8. The fisherman was indifferent to further life possible after becoming a millionaire.
9. Then the businessman advised the fisherman to repeat all the steps of activity in the reverse order.
10. Finally the fisherman might go fishing again but as a retired millionaire

Task 2. Multiple Choice Questions
Choose the best answer A, B, C, D, to each question.
1. A rich businessman was … 
A. on tour
B. on holiday
C. on a boat
D. on the river bank
2. There were … in the boat.
A. many large fish
B. few small fish
C. several large fish
D. some large fish
3. It took the fisherman … to pull those fish.
A. much time
B. several minutes
C. three hours
D. a little while
4. The businessman suggested that the fisherman.
A. should stay out fishing longer
B. shouldn’t fish any longer
C. should sell the boat
D. should go home
5. The rest of the day the fisherman did everything except …
A. slept late
B. ate fish
C. spent time with his wife
D. played with the children
6. The fisherman had …
A. many children
B. many friends
C. a full and busy life
D. a large canning factory
7. The     businessman could …
A. buy some fish
B. help the fisherman
C. own the whole fleet of fish boats
D. increase his own profit
8. If the fisherman followed the businessman’s advice, he might …
A. have a business office
B. have plenty of free time
C. become a wealthy business owner
D. have a business degree
9. It would take the fisherman … to have everything described by the businessman.
A. five years
B. thirteen years
C. fifty years
D. fifteen years
10. The whole story teachers us…
A. to have a goal in life
B. to one’s life
C. to follow the goals in a strict order
D. to be sure of goals before pursuing them

Сергєєва Г.Б. Підготовка до олімпіад з англійської мови. 8-9 класи.- Х.: Вид. група “Основа”, 2004. – С. 52-55