Bài 14 — FINANCE: Đầu tư · Thuế & Ngân sách

Chương 14 của truyện dài “Project Aria” — Aster Home Technologies. (Hồi II — Ra thế giới.) 27 từ (mục 4.3 Đầu tư + 4.4 Thuế & Ngân sách trong vocab-list.md). Nhân vật chính: Diane Whitfield (CEO) · Priya Nair (GĐ Dịch vụ DN) · Harold Vance (Chủ tịch HĐQT). Nổi bật: Auri Cortez (kế toán — mê vàng).

Phần 1 — Truyện chêm (học từ qua ngữ cảnh)

Vay ngân hàng xong, Diane vẫn thấy hụt: khoản vay kia chỉ lấp được nửa cái hố Halston. Bà quyết mở cửa mời người ngoài rót vốn.

Trong phòng họp, Diane đứng trước một nhóm shareholder (cổ đông) hiện hữu và vài nhà đầu tư tiềm năng, thuyết trình về khoản investment (sự đầu tư) vào Aria. Một nhà đầu tư kỳ cựu hỏi thẳng: Aria có xứng đưa vào portfolio (danh mục đầu tư) của ông không? Aster tính phát hành thêm stock (cổ phiếu) để huy động tiền, nhưng cổ đông cũ lo giá cổ phiếu loãng ra và dividend (cổ tức) bị cắt. Diane trấn an: bằng sáng chế và thương hiệu Aria là một asset (tài sản) thật; khoản nợ ngân hàng tuy là một liability (khoản nợ phải trả), nhưng nếu ra mắt thành công thì return (lợi nhuận thu về) trên vốn sẽ rất cao, yield (lợi suất) vượt xa gửi tiết kiệm.

Nhưng có người chưa xuôi. Auri Cortez — kế toán mê vàng — càu nhàu rằng thị trường nhà thông minh quá volatile (biến động mạnh), giá cổ phiếu công nghệ fluctuate (dao động lên xuống) từng ngày; “cứ vàng mà ôm cho chắc.” Harold Vance thì nhắc lại nước cờ an toàn: bán cho Neura là “lối thoát tài chính” gọn gàng nhất, khỏi phải mạo hiểm. Diane gạt đi.

Song song, Priya gồng mình với bài toán ngân sách. Sắp hết fiscal year (năm tài chính), cả núi việc thuế ập tới: lo khâu taxation (thuế, việc đóng thuế), chuẩn bị file (nộp) tờ khai, tính phần được deduct (khấu trừ) cùng các khoản deduction (khoản khấu trừ) hợp lệ — vài khoản chi cho R&D thậm chí còn được exempt (miễn thuế).

Rồi tới bản budget (ngân sách). Priya phải allocate (phân bổ) funds (nguồn vốn) cho từng phòng, mà miếng bánh thì bé. Sổ sách năm nay đang deficit (thâm hụt), chưa thấy surplus (thặng dư) đâu; revenue (doanh thu) còn mỏng, profit (lợi nhuận) chỉ nằm ở những con số projected (được dự báo) sau ngày ra mắt. Kết luận của Priya rất rõ: phải cut back on (cắt giảm) mọi khoản không sống còn và frugal (dè sẻn) từng đồng — đúng gu của Auri.

Hết Chương 14. Diane huy động đủ vốn để đi tiếp, nhưng cái giá là một ngân sách bị siết đến nghẹt thở — nhất là ngân sách sản xuất. Ray Osei nhận con số từ phòng Tài chính mà chau mày: mua linh kiện cho cả một dây chuyền Aria với chừng đó tiền thì phải mặc cả tới từng xu. Chương sau (lesson-15): Purchasing — nhà cung cấp, báo giá, đấu thầu, và một mắt xích cung ứng bất ngờ lung lay.

Phần 2 — Bảng tổng hợp từ vựng

⚠️ Bẫy hay gặp: stock = cổ phiếu (cũng = hàng tồn kho trong Manufacturing/Purchasing). asset (tài sản, bên có) ≠ liability (khoản nợ, bên nợ) — hay ra thành cặp đối lập. revenue (doanh thu, tổng thu) ≠ profit (lợi nhuận = thu − chi). surplus (thặng dư) ↔ deficit (thâm hụt) — cặp trái nghĩa. file ở đây = nộp tờ khai (cũng = tệp/hồ sơ). exempt from & deduct from — giới từ cố định. volatile /ˈvɒlətaɪl/ = biến động mạnh (thị trường). projected = được dự báo (số liệu tương lai).

Phần 3 — Bản truyện tiếng Anh (luyện đọc/nghe)

Chapter 14 — Courting the Investors

Even after the bank loan, Diane still came up short: that loan filled only half of the Halston hole. She decided to open the doors and invite outsiders to put in capital.

In the boardroom, Diane stood before a group of existing shareholders and a few potential investors, presenting the investment in Aria. One veteran investor asked bluntly whether Aria really belonged in his portfolio. Aster planned to issue new stock to raise money, but the old shareholders feared their shares would be diluted and their dividend cut. Diane reassured them: Aria’s patents and brand were a real asset; the bank debt was indeed a liability, but if the launch succeeded, the return on capital would be high — a yield far above any savings account.

Not everyone was convinced. Auri Cortez, the gold-loving accountant, grumbled that the smart-home market was too volatile, that tech-stock prices fluctuate by the day — “just hold gold and be safe.” Harold Vance, meanwhile, repeated the safe move: selling to Neura would be the tidiest “financial exit,” with no risk at all. Diane brushed it aside.

At the same time, Priya wrestled with the budget. With the fiscal year ending, a mountain of tax work arrived: handling taxation, preparing to file the return, working out what could be deducted and which deductions were valid — some R&D spending was even exempt from tax.

Then came the budget itself. Priya had to allocate funds to every department, and the pie was small. This year the books showed a deficit, with no surplus in sight; revenue was still thin, and profit existed only in the numbers projected for after launch. Her conclusion was clear: they had to cut back on every non-essential cost and be frugal with each dollar — exactly to Auri’s taste.

Phần 4 — Bài tập TOEIC (tự làm trước, chưa xem đáp án)

Part 5 — Incomplete Sentences

Chọn phương án đúng (A/B/C/D) điền vào chỗ trống.

1. The board debated whether the Aria project was a sound ______ or too great a risk.

(A) taxation
(B) investment
(C) receipt
(D) deficit

2. At the annual meeting, every ______ has the right to vote on major company decisions.

(A) auditor
(B) teller
(C) shareholder
(D) supplier

3. The investor studied the company carefully before adding its shares to her ______.

(A) portfolio
(B) budget
(C) receipt
(D) liability

4. When profits are strong, the company pays its shareholders a ______ on each share.

(A) deficit
(B) mortgage
(C) collateral
(D) dividend

5. Aria’s patents and brand are treated as a valuable ______ on the company’s books.

(A) liability
(B) asset
(C) deduction
(D) deficit

6. A bank loan appears on the balance sheet not as an asset but as a ______.

(A) revenue
(B) surplus
(C) liability
(D) dividend

7. Investors were attracted by the high ______ the project promised compared with a savings account.

(A) yield
(B) budget
(C) receipt
(D) audit

8. Technology stocks can be extremely ______, rising and falling sharply within a single day.

(A) exempt
(B) frugal
(C) projected
(D) volatile

9. The finance team met to decide how to ______ limited funds across the departments.

(A) deduct
(B) allocate
(C) reimburse
(D) fluctuate

10. After heavy spending on the expansion, the company was running a budget ______.

(A) surplus
(B) revenue
(C) deficit
(D) dividend

11. Most of the company’s ______ comes from sales of its smart-home appliances.

(A) revenue
(B) liability
(C) collateral
(D) deduction

12. To survive the tight year, managers were told to take a ______ approach to every expense.

(A) volatile
(B) projected
(C) exempt
(D) frugal

Part 6 — Text Completion

Questions 13–16 refer to the following notice.

INVESTOR UPDATE — Aster Home Technologies Thank you for your interest in Aster. To finance our Halston expansion, we plan to issue new (13)______ to raise additional capital. While the technology sector can (14)______ sharply in the short term, we believe the long-term (15)______ on this investment will be strong. The (16)______ we raise will go directly toward manufacturing and the Aria launch, not toward paying off old debt.

13.   (A) receipts   (B) stock   (C) collateral   (D) invoices
14.   (A) reimburse   (B) allocate   (C) fluctuate   (D) deduct
15.   (A) return   (B) liability   (C) deduction   (D) teller
16.   (A) assets   (B) tellers   (C) receipts   (D) funds

Questions 17–19 refer to the following memo.

MEMO — Year-End Finance As the fiscal year closes, please submit all figures for review. Each department must stay within its approved (17)______ for the next quarter. When we file our tax return, remember that certain research costs qualify for a (18)______, and a few R&D activities may even be fully (19)______ from tax. Accurate records will help us claim everything we are owed.

17.   (A) surplus   (B) budget   (C) dividend   (D) portfolio
18.   (A) liability   (B) revenue   (C) deduction   (D) collateral
19.   (A) volatile   (B) frugal   (C) overdue   (D) exempt

Part 7 — Reading Comprehension

Questions 20–22 refer to the following article.

Marlowe Business Journal — Aster Courts Investors At a tense shareholders’ meeting this week, Aster Home Technologies asked investors to back its Halston expansion. Founder Diane Whitfield argued that Aria represents a rare investment opportunity, promising a strong return once the product launches. Not everyone was convinced: some shareholders worried that issuing new stock would reduce their dividends, and one noted that the smart-home market remains highly volatile. Chairman Harold Vance repeated his view that selling to Neura would be the safer financial choice. Whitfield disagreed, insisting the company can fund its own future.

20. Why did Aster hold the meeting?

(A) To announce a merger
(B) To ask investors to fund the Halston expansion
(C) To pay a special dividend
(D) To sell the company to Neura

21. Why were some shareholders worried?

(A) The product had failed
(B) Taxes would rise
(C) Their dividends might be reduced
(D) The factory would close

22. The word “volatile” in the article is closest in meaning to

(A) unstable and changeable
(B) completely safe
(C) very profitable
(D) slow to change

Questions 23–25 refer to the following report.

Aster Finance — Year-End Budget Report As the fiscal year draws to a close, the finance department has released a sobering summary. Heavy spending on the Halston expansion has pushed the company into a deficit, with no surplus expected until the Aria line begins to sell. Projected revenue for next year is promising, but profit will depend entirely on a successful launch. To control costs, management has decided to cut back on all non-essential spending and adopt a frugal approach across every department. “Every dollar we save now,” Priya Nair told staff, “is a dollar we can put into making Aria a success.”

23. What is the company’s current financial position?

(A) A large surplus
(B) A deficit
(C) Debt-free
(D) Record profits

24. What has management decided to do?

(A) Increase every department’s budget
(B) Pay a large dividend
(C) Hire more staff
(D) Cut back on non-essential spending

25. The word “frugal” in the report is closest in meaning to

(A) wasteful
(B) generous
(C) thrifty
(D) wealthy

Phần 5 — Đáp án & giải thích

Part 5

1. B (investment) — “a sound investment or too great a risk” = sự đầu tư. taxation/receipt/deficit sai nghĩa.
2. C (shareholder) — “every shareholder may vote at the meeting” = cổ đông. auditor/teller/supplier sai nghĩa.
3. A (portfolio) — “adding its shares to her portfolio” = danh mục đầu tư. budget/receipt/liability sai nghĩa.
4. D (dividend) — “pays shareholders a dividend on each share” = cổ tức. deficit/mortgage/collateral sai nghĩa.
5. B (asset) — “a valuable asset on the books” = tài sản. ⚠️ đối lập với liability; deduction/deficit sai nghĩa.
6. C (liability) — “not as an asset but as a liability” = khoản nợ phải trả. ⚠️ cặp asset ↔ liability. revenue/surplus/dividend sai.
7. A (yield) — “the high yield… compared with a savings account” = lợi suất. budget/receipt/audit sai nghĩa.
8. D (volatile) — “extremely volatile, rising and falling sharply” = biến động mạnh. exempt/frugal/projected sai nghĩa.
9. B (allocate) — “allocate limited funds across the departments” = phân bổ. deduct/reimburse/fluctuate sai nghĩa.
10. C (deficit) — “running a budget deficit” = thâm hụt. ⚠️ surplus (thặng dư) trái nghĩa; revenue/dividend sai.
11. A (revenue) — “revenue comes from sales” = doanh thu. liability/collateral/deduction sai nghĩa.
12. D (frugal) — “a frugal approach to every expense” = tiết kiệm, dè sẻn. volatile/projected/exempt sai nghĩa.

Part 6

13. B (stock) — “issue new stock to raise capital” = phát hành cổ phiếu. receipts/collateral/invoices sai nghĩa.
14. C (fluctuate) — “the sector can fluctuate sharply in the short term” = dao động. reimburse/allocate/deduct sai nghĩa.
15. A (return) — “the long-term return on this investment” = lợi nhuận thu về. liability/deduction/teller sai nghĩa.
16. D (funds) — “the funds we raise will go toward manufacturing” = nguồn vốn. assets/tellers/receipts sai nghĩa.
17. B (budget) — “stay within its approved budget” = ngân sách. surplus/dividend/portfolio sai nghĩa.
18. C (deduction) — “qualify for a deduction” = khoản khấu trừ (thuế). liability/revenue/collateral sai nghĩa.
19. D (exempt) — “fully exempt from tax” = được miễn thuế. volatile/frugal/overdue sai nghĩa. ⚠️ exempt from.

Part 7

20. B — Aster họp để “ask investors to back its Halston expansion” = gọi vốn cho mở rộng. (A)/(C)/(D) sai/không nêu.
21. C — cổ đông lo “issuing new stock would reduce their dividends”. (A)/(B)/(D) không đúng.
22. A (unstable and changeable) — “volatile” (market) = biến động, thất thường. completely safe/very profitable/slow to change trái nghĩa/sai.
23. B — “pushed the company into a deficit, with no surplus expected” = đang thâm hụt. (A)/(C)/(D) trái với bài.
24. D — quản lý quyết “cut back on all non-essential spending” = cắt giảm. (A)/(B)/(C) trái/không nêu.
25. C (thrifty) — “frugal” = dè sẻn, tiết kiệm. wasteful/generous/wealthy trái nghĩa/sai.