Enterprise, My English Reader, Class VIII, DAV Board, The Best Solutions – Section – B

Section – B

B.1. Read the following information about five of the world’s most successful companies.

Answer – Read the table carefully.

B.2. Discuss with your partner the questions given below.

1. Which of these companies or their products exist in your country? Are they very successful?

Answer – Yes, most of these companies exist in India (or my country) and are very successful.

• Coca-Cola is extremely popular and has a large market share in the soft drink industry.
• Nike is widely sold in sportswear outlets and through online shopping.
• Levi Strauss (Levi’s) jeans are considered a premium clothing brand, especially among youth.
• American Express operates in financial services like credit cards and is used by business professionals.
• Hard Rock Cafe is present in major Indian cities like Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru, and is known for its food and music-themed ambience.

2. What else do you know about these companies?

Answer –

• Coca-Cola has expanded its product line to include fruit juices, bottled water (Kinley), and diet sodas.
• Nike sponsors global athletes and sports teams, making it a powerful brand in the fitness industry.
• Levi Strauss has a reputation for high-quality, durable denim and is often considered a symbol of American culture.
• American Express is known for exclusive customer benefits, reward points, and premium credit cards.
• Hard Rock Cafe also has a collection of music memorabilia and sells branded merchandise like T-shirts and mugs.

3. Can you think of three other successful companies?

Answer – Yes!

• Apple Inc. – known for iPhones, iPads, and MacBooks.
• Samsung – popular for electronics and home appliances.
• Tata Group (India) – operates in multiple sectors like steel, IT (TCS), automobiles (Tata Motors), and retail.

4. State one common feature of the success of these enterprises.

Answer – Innovation and customer-centric approach are common in all these companies.
They identified a unique need or gap in the market, introduced high-quality or creative solutions, and consistently maintained strong branding and customer loyalty.

B.3. Read an interview with the Chairman and Managing Director of a successful private company, Mr Akhil Kumar and know his views on various issues.

Summary in English: Success Comes To Those Who Will And Dare

The interview highlights the factors behind a company’s success. These include challenging conventional beliefs, building strong strategies, encouraging ordinary people to achieve extraordinary results, and constantly improving infrastructure and skills. An ideal company should reflect society’s needs, be dynamic, and offer quality and affordable products. Indians have the potential to meet global standards with their talent and resources. For recruitment, qualities like responsibility, sincerity, communication skills, and job expertise are essential. The youth are advised to be confident, creative, value-driven, and enterprising to ensure success.

सारांश (हिंदी में):

यह साक्षात्कार एक कंपनी की सफलता के रहस्यों को उजागर करता है। सफलता के लिए पारंपरिक सोच को चुनौती देना, मजबूत रणनीति बनाना, साधारण लोगों से असाधारण कार्य करवाना, बुनियादी ढाँचे और कौशल में निवेश करना आवश्यक है। एक आदर्श कंपनी समाज की ज़रूरतों को दर्शाती है और समय के अनुसार बदलती रहती है। भारतीयों में वैश्विक मानकों को हासिल करने की पूरी क्षमता है। चयन के लिए जिम्मेदारी निभाने की क्षमता, ईमानदारी, संवाद कौशल और विशेषज्ञता जरूरी है। युवाओं को आत्मविश्वासी, रचनात्मक, मूल्यों से युक्त और साहसी बनने की सलाह दी जाती है ताकि वे सफलता प्राप्त कर सकें।

Word Meanings

MCQs (Multiple Choice Questions)

1. What is considered a key factor in a company’s success according to the passage?
   a) Advertising
   b) Building strong strategies ✅
   c) Outsourcing
   d) Copying competitors
2. What does the speaker look for while recruiting professionals?
   a) Only academic degrees
   b) Personal appearance
   c) Responsibility and communication skills ✅
   d) Family background
3. What kind of society should an ideal business reflect?
   a) Traditional
   b) Western
   c) Contemporary ✅
   d) Historical
4. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a quality for youth to have?
   a) Enterprise
   b) Self-confidence
   c) Creativity
   d) Rich family background ✅
5. Which Indian contribution proves Indians can meet global standards?
   a) Bollywood
   b) Traditional arts
   c) Hi-tech software companies in Silicon Valley ✅
   d) Classical music

Short Questions and Answers

1. What are some of the major factors behind a company’s success?
   Ans: Challenging conventional wisdom, building strong strategies, inspiring people, developing infrastructure, and creating opportunities are key factors.
2. Describe the qualities of an ideal business company.
   Ans: It reflects the needs of society, adapts to change, brings out the best in employees, and offers quality and affordable services.
3. Do Indians have the ability to meet global standards? Why?
   Ans: Yes, Indians have the talent, creativity, physical resources, and a large market, and examples like Indian software companies prove this.
4. What are some important traits looked for during recruitment?
   Ans: Responsibility, experience, sincerity, commitment, communication skills, and job expertise.
5. What message is given to the youth in the interview?
   Ans: Youth should be confident, innovative, value-driven, and enterprising to achieve success in life.

B.4. List at least four points under each heading as enumerated in the text.

(a) Factors responsible for the success of Mr. Kumar’s company

• Challenges conventional wisdom
• Builds sound strategies
• Gets ordinary people to do extraordinary things
• Invests in infrastructure
• Imparts confidence and competence
• Excels in all aspects
• Creates new opportunities

(b) Qualities of an ideal business company

• Reflects the urges of contemporary society
• Brings out the best in professionals, managers, and workers
• Keeps changing and adapting with time
• Provides quality products and services at affordable cost
• Enables people to access key resources and opportunities

(c) Reasons for India’s ability to compete in the global market

• Availability of physical resources
• Presence of talent and creativity
• A large domestic market
• Technology development systems
• A vibrant democracy
• Success stories of Indian tech companies globally

(d) Quality traits of eligible professionals

• Ability to shoulder responsibility
• Prior experience
• Sincerity of purpose
• Commitment and communication skills
• Congeniality (pleasant personality)
• Multi-disciplinary job expertise

B.5. Tick (✓) the groups of words that best explain the given expressions.

(a) Challenging conventional wisdom —

obeying forefathers

changing ideas and practices according to changing times

generation gap
Answer – changing ideas and practices according to changing times

(b) Building sound strategies —
evolving solid and substantial plans

creating plans that appear big

implementing plans

Answer – evolving solid and substantial plans

(c) Investing in infrastructure —
spending for providing basic facilities

having a huge structure for the company

investing and saving in banks

Answer – spending for providing basic facilities

(d) Reflects the urges of the contemporary society —
serves the society by making new products

portrays a picture of the society

understands and serves the needs of the present society

Answer – understands and serves the needs of the present society

(e) A large domestic market —
a market which provides products of domestic use

a market to sell one’s products in one’s own country

good marketing opportunities

Answer – a market to sell one’s products in one’s own country

(f) Multi-disciplinary skills —
combining several usually separate branches of learning or fields of expertise

a disciplined person

a variety of skills making a person disciplined

Answer – combining several usually separate branches of learning or fields of expertise

B.6. HOTS

According to Mr Kumar, the youth of India can be successful if they adopt certain qualities of head and heart. Pick those qualities out and fill them in the given spaces.

Successful youth of India should be:

• Enterprising
• Self-confident
• Creative
• Innovative
• Value-driven
• Focused on continuous learning
• Committed to capacity building
• Guided by good deeds and ethics

B.7. Life Skills

In the interview, Mr Kumar reveals the secret of his success as an entrepreneur. Which one quality do you value the most and would like to adopt in your life?

Quality I value most and want to adopt:

I value “the ability to turn creativity and innovation into continuous learning and capacity building”. This quality inspires me to never stop growing, learning, or adapting. It’s important to think differently, seek new knowledge, and improve my skills regularly. These efforts will help me face challenges confidently and succeed in life.

B.8. You are a member of ‘Young Group’, which has decided to start a business. Discuss the points given below.

Group Activity – Business Planning

(a) Decide on an interesting business to start. For example, a dance club, a health club, a music store, or a hair salon.

A Music Café – a blend of live music and food.

(b) What do you have to do in order to succeed in that business? Use the questions given below to identify at least five different factors.

• What are the most important things you need in order to run this business?
• How important is the name of the business?
• Do you think the location of the business is important?
• How important is an advertising or publicity plan?

To succeed, we need:

• Essentials: A good venue, quality instruments, seating, food menu, licenses
• Name importance: A catchy name attracts customers
• Location: Must be near youth hubs or colleges
• Advertising: Posters, social media, influencer tie-ups
• Other factors: Unique musical themes, weekend events, customer feedback

(c) Now design a plan for your business. Consider these factors—

Business Plan