1. Entrepreneurs come in all shapes and sizes. Some have become very wealthy and well known, such as Andrew Carnegie who built a successful steel company in the 1800s and Mary Kay Ash who founded Mary Kay Cosmetics. Most entrepreneurs, however, are involved in much smaller ventures, but all entrepreneurs have many things in common.
2. Entrepreneurs have the ability to see a business opportunity where others do not. In other words, they recognize an existing or potential demand for which there is no supply. Most of all entrepreneurs possess a willingness to take risks and an ability to learn from the mistakes that they make.
3. A classic story of entrepreneurial success is that of Charles Barrow. In 1933 Barrow found himself out of work. To support his family, he took whatever odd jobs he could find, but he had a brilliant business idea. He wanted to create a compelling board game in which people could live the fantasy of acquiring land, houses, and hotels which they could rent or sell to fellow players. Recalling a vacation he had once taken in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Barrow named the real estate featured in his game after places in that region. He called the game Monopoly.
4. Although many people told him he was wasting his lime, Barrow
spent months developing Monopoly. He then took his game to Parker Brothers, a leading board game company, which rejected the game because it found 52 flaws in it. Undaunted, Harrow corrected every one of the flaws. Then, with help from a friend who was a primer, he produced several Monopoly sets, which he tried to sell to local stores.
Finally, after weeks of pounding the pavement, a Philadelphia department store agreed to buy 5.000 of the Monopoly sets. The store sold all of the games so quickly that Parker Brothers reconsidered and agreed to produce the game. Within a year, more than 800.000 sets were sold, and soon Charles Barrow became a millionaire. Since that time, some 100 million sets of Monopoly have been sold worldwide.
Ex. 1 Decide whether the information is: True False Not stated
Only few people can become entrepreneurs.
Ex. 2 Decide whether the information is: True False Not stated
Entrepreneurs are not afraid of taking risks.
Ex. 3 Decide whether the information is: True False Not stated
Looking for opportunities entrepreneurs are interested in supply.
Ex. 4 Decide whether the information is: True False Not stated
Charles Barrow crossed the Atlantic a number of times.
Ex. 5 In what paragraph (1, 2, 3, 4) is there the following information?
Some entrepreneurs became very rich.
Ex. 6 In what paragraph (1, 2, 3, 4) is there the following information?
There were many defects in Barrow’s prototype game.
Ex. 7 Answer the question: What makes a person an entrepreneur?
· doing many odd jobs.
· working at an enterprise.
· the readiness to take risks and not to be discouraged by difficulties.
· the desire to become a millionaire.
Ex. 8 What is the main idea of the text?
· There are many people who want to become entrepreneurs.
· There are many people who can’t be entrepreneurs.
· Entrepreneurs are hard-working, adventurous and self-employed.
· Entrepreneurs are common people working at enterprises.