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20-Page Handout + MP3 + 8 Online Quizzes on Goldman Sachs

GAMES:

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• Missing words
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Goldman Sachs is a global investment banking and securities firm. It also deals in investment management and other financial services. Most of its clients are institutions, governments, pension funds and very wealthy people. It was founded in 1869 by a German immigrant to New York Marcus Goldman. His son-in-law Samuel Sachs joined the firm in 1885 and their company became Goldman-Sachs. They joined the New York Stock Exchange in 1896 and have been a major force on it ever since. The company’s website says it highly values its employees: “Our principal assets are our people, capital and reputation. We are committed to maintaining a culture of diversity, integrity and strong business principles.” The company usually only employs those with MBAs from leading business schools. Its annual revenues are in excess of $50 billion.

1. BRAINSTORM CHAT: Write all the words you can think of about Goldman Sachs on the board or on a piece of paper. Talk about these words with your partner(s).

2. GOLDMAN SACHS MORNING: Each student pretends to be an employee of Goldman Sachs. They walk around the class and talk about the company and their job.

3. RUMOURS: Each student writes down a pretend rumour about Goldman Sachs. They then walk around the class and talk to other students about their rumour.

4. GOOD AND BAD: Brainstorm good and bad things about Goldman Sachs and write them on the board. Students talk about these in pairs.

5. TRUE OR FALSE: Students find out several facts about Goldman Sachs. They write these down and add the same number of things about the company that are false. Students test each other on which of their points are true or false.

6. FACTS: In groups, students write down as many facts as they can about Goldman Sachs. The winner is the group with the most facts. Teacher may wish to have groups share their facts to make sure they are real.

  LISTENING / READING GAP FILL

Goldman Sachs ______________________ banking and securities firm. It also deals ______________________ and other financial services. Most of its clients are institutions, governments, ______________________ wealthy people. It was founded in 1869 by a German immigrant to New York Marcus Goldman. His son-in-law Samuel Sachs ______________________ and their company became Goldman-Sachs. They joined the New York Stock Exchange in 1896 and have been a major ______________________. The company’s website says it highly values its employees: “Our principal assets are our people, ______________________. We are committed to ______________________ diversity, integrity and strong business principles.” The company usually only employs those with MBAs from leading business schools. Its annual ______________________ of $50 billion.

  PUNCTUATE THE TEXT AND ADD CAPITALS

goldman sachs is a lgaobl investment banking and tescriuise firm. it also deals in investment management and other financial services. most of its lcestni are institutions, governments, pension funds and very thewaly people. it was founded in 1869 by a german immigrant to new york marcus goldman. his son-in-law samuel sachs joined the firm in 1885 and their company became goldman-sachs. they joined the new york stock exchange in 1896 and have been a jaomr force on it ever since. the company’s website says it highly levusa its employees: “our principal aetsss are our people, capital and reputation. we are committed to maintaining a culture of ritdyeisv, integrity and strong business principles.” the company usually only spleoym those with mbas from leading business schools. its annual revenues are in seexsc of $50 billion.

  UNJUMBLE THE WORDS

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  INSERT THE VOWELS

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  PUNCTUATE THE TEXT

Goldman Sachs is a global investment banking and securities firm It also deals in investment management and other financial services Most of its clients are institutions governments pension funds and very wealthy people It was founded in 1869 by a German immigrant to New York Marcus Goldman His son-in-law Samuel Sachs joined the firm in 1885 and their company became Goldman-Sachs They joined the New York Stock Exchange in 1896 and have been a major force on it ever since The company’s website says it highly values its employees “Our principal assets are our people capital and reputation We are committed to maintaining a culture of diversity integrity and strong business principles” The company usually only employs those with MBAs from leading business schools Its annual revenues are in excess of $50 billion

  CHOOSE THE CORRECT TENSE

Goldman Sachs .......... (be) a global investment banking and securities firm. It also .......... (deal) in investment management and other financial services. Most of its clients .......... (be) institutions, governments, pension funds and very wealthy people. It was .......... (found) in 1869 by a German immigrant to New York Marcus Goldman. His son-in-law Samuel Sachs .......... (join) the firm in 1885 and their company became Goldman-Sachs. They .......... (join) the New York Stock Exchange in 1896 and have .......... (be) a major force on it ever since. The company’s website .......... (say) it highly values its employees: “Our principal assets .......... (be) our people, capital and reputation. We are .......... (commit) to maintaining a culture of diversity, integrity and strong business principles.” The company usually only .......... (employ) those with MBAs from leading business schools. Its annual revenues .......... (be) in excess of $50 billion.

  REWRITE WITH SPACES

GoldmanSachsisaglobalinvestmentbankingandsecuritiesfirm.Italsodealsininvestment
managementandotherfinancialservices.Mostofitsclientsareinstitutions,governments,
pensionfundsandverywealthypeople.Itwasfoundedin1869byaGermanimmigrantto
NewYorkMarcusGoldman.Hisson-in-lawSamuelSachsjoinedthefirmin1885andtheircompanybecameGoldman-Sachs.TheyjoinedtheNewYorkStockExchangein1896andhavebeenamajorforceonit
eversince.Thecompany’swebsitesaysithighlyvaluesitsemployees:“Ourprincipalassets
areourpeople,capitalandreputation.Wearecommittedtomaintainingacultureof
diversity,integrityandstrongbusinessprinciples.”Thecompanyusuallyonlyemploys
thosewithMBAsfromleadingbusinessschools.Itsannualrevenuesareinexcessof$50billion.

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  CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD

  PROJECT GOLDMAN SACHS

Part 1. Your mission is to increase the profits and sales of Goldman Sachs. Complete this  table with your project partner(s):

Part 2. Change partners and look at their project. Suggest improvements. Ask for advice on your project:

Part 3. Make a presentation on your project. Give it to the class. Vote the best projects.

  GOLDMAN SACHS – ROLE PLAY 1

  GOLDMAN SACHS – ROLE PLAY 2

  JOB INTERVIEW ROLE PLAY

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  DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

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  GOLDMAN SACHS SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about Goldman Sachs in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.

When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

• Now return to your original partner and share and talk about what you found out. Change partners often.
• Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

  WRITING 1 – SPEED WRITING

Write anything about Goldman Sachs for 10 minutes. Show your partner your paper. Correct each other’s work.

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  WRITING 2 – LETTER OF COMPLAINT

Write a letter to Goldman Sachs. Complain about one of its products. Ask for a refund. Show your partner your paper. Correct each other’s work.

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  WRITING 3 – LETTER OF APOLOGY

Write a letter of apology to the customer. Explain why you cannot give a refund. Show your partner your letter. Correct each other’s work.

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  HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. INTERNET INFO: Search the Internet and find more information about Goldman Sachs. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about Goldman Sachs. What have they done recently? What are their plans? Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

4. GOLDMAN SACHS POSTER Make a poster about Goldman Sachs. Make sure you sell the company to the public.  Show it to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your posters.

5. MY GOLDMAN SACHS LESSON: Make your own English lesson on Goldman Sachs. Make sure there is a good mix of things to do. Find some good online activities. Teach the class / another group when you have finished.

6. ONLINE SHARING: Use your blog, wiki, Facebook page, MySpace page, Twitter stream, Del-icio-us / StumbleUpon account, or any other social media tool to get opinions on Goldman Sachs. Share your findings with the class.