Steven Jobs the Guardian Article - tenses

The Guardian Profile: Steve Jobs By Duncan Campbell Jobs is a co-founder of Apple, the man behind the astonishing success of the computer animation firm Pixar – of Toy Story and Finding Nemo fame – a billionaire regarded as a visionary in the industry. Born to an Egyptian Arab father and an American mother in Green Bay, Wisconsin, 49 years ago, Steven Paul was adopted soon after his birth by Paul and Clara Jobs, who lived in Santa Clara, California. After completing high school in California, Jobs went north to Reed College, in Portland, Oregon, but dropped out after one term. Back in California, he became a regular at the Homebrew Computer Club, along with another young man, five years his senior, with his own visions of the future; Steve Wozniak. In 1976, when Jobs was 21, he and Wozniak started their own business, the Apple Computer Company, in Job’s family garage. With a mission to produce affordable computers, the pair were on their way. The almost instant success of Apple I and its sister Apple II l launched their careers. By the age of 25 Jobs was worth 165 million dollars. Apple was the first landmark in Job’s career but by 1985 he was on his way out after John Sculley, who had joined the company from Pepsi-Cola, decided it was time to drop the pilot. Four years later Jobs returned with another computer company, NextStep, which never achieved the success of Apple but reminded people that he was far from finished. What was later hailed as Job’s second coming started with his involvement in Pixar, the animation company he bought from Star Wars director, George Lucas. The hit movie Toy Story instantly established it as one of the key players in Hollywood, a success only added to with the release of Finding Nemo. Pixar made Jobs a billionaire. His triumph there also reminded people of his ability to predict the technological future. Apple asked him to return. He came back in 1997 and within a year the ailing company was once more making handsome profits. His latest venture may turn out to be the most influential. Since the emergence of high-speed Internet the music industry has complained that it is being brought to its knees by the pirates of downloading. The dream of hundreds of companies has been a way to harness the desire for music on the Internet and turn it into profit. Jobs believes that iTunes is the answer. But then Jobs does not believe in underselling his companies. “This will go down in history as the turning point for the music industry.” he told Fortune magazine at the launch of iTunes in the USA. Journalists who have followed Job’s career have also seen another side of his personality when he has walked out of interviews, irritated and angry at the line of questioning and refusing intrusions into his personal life. He is not known for his patience. “We can’t have a heroic figure without a single flaw,” was the assessment of David Plotnikoff, writing a profile earlier this year in the local paper. “Jobs…gives the impression that he is extremely arrogant. And it is so obvious, actually, that most people cannot overlook that. with Jobs it’s never enough to say ‘we’re right on this and they’re wrong’. No, it was always ‘we’re right on this, and they’re idiots’.” But Plotnikoff added: “There is simply no way the Mac could have been born without that supreme confidence. If there has been a theme to Jobs’ success it has been his genius, as it were, for finding other geniuses and promoting their brilliance.” Try to answer the following Questions and highlight the answers in the text: Why were the following dates important? 1976? 1985? 1997? What was Steve Jobs’ first success? What made him… A millionaire? A billionaire? Why did he leave Apple? Why did he come back? How long did it take to turn Apple round? Why does Jobs believe his latest venture will be a turning point for the music industry? Why do you think Steve Jobs is successful? Discuss these Questions regarding the text. In paragraphs 3, 4, and 7 which tense is mainly used and why? Tense? Why? Find examples of the Present Perfect in paragraphs 8 and 10 and say why it is used. Present Perfect Examples? Why? In paragraphs 9 and 11 find examples of the present simple and say why it is used. Present Simple Examples? Why? Forming the present simple: I / you / we / they He / she / it Forming the present continuous: I You / we / they He / she / it Forming the past simple: I/you/he/she/it/we/they Forming the present perfect simple: I / you / we / they He / she / it Write an article on TOYS”r”US© for a business magazine. Use the notes below, putting the verbs in brackets into appropriate tenses. THE COMPANY One of the world’s largest toy retailers (sell) merchandise through more than 1.500 stores. 685 toy stores in the US, 605 international toy stores and 216 BABIES”r”US© stores. HOW THE COMPANY STARTED 1948 Charles Lazarus (begin) business for children only. (set up) first baby furniture store Washington D.C. 1957 Lazarus (open) first toy supermarket. 1978 TOYS”r”US© (become) public company. RECENT EVENTS (open) Times Square main store New York 2001. Recently (lose) number one US position to Wal-Mart. Significantly (expand) video merchandising in US stores. (evolve) into a multibillion dollar business. WHAT THE COMPANY IS DOING NOW (try) to regain number one position from Wal-Mart. Now (focus) on BABIES”r”US©. (work) hard to be number one baby product specialist store chain in the world.