Unit 8. Gr. Britain economy. How it all started

The end of the 18th century witnessed some of the most profound political changes in British, history. These changes included the loss of the American colonies in 1776 after a seven-year war and the revolutions in agriculture and industry.

The Industrial Revolution is the name given to the period beginning in the second half of the 18th century in which industry was transformed from hand-work at home to machine-work in factories. The driving force behind this development was the increase in population and the consequent increase in demand for products. This was only made possible, however, by a series of inventions such as the steam-engine.

The Industrial Revolution in Victorian Britain entered its second stage: new industries were developed, new factories were built, Britain's products were exported all over the world. And it was during Queen Victoria's reign that Britain became known as «the workshop of the world».

Life in the new factories and towns was one terrible hardship. Men, women, and children worked fifteen or sixteen hours a day in dangerous, unhealthy conditions for poor wages and lived in dirty slums. At the same time, the working classes were becoming organized. In the last quarter of the century, there was a massive increase in trade unionism. Parliament was forced to come to terms with the new social conditions. The Reform Act of 1832, which granted the franchise to tenants of land, was followed by other urgently needed social reforms: the creation of the police force; free compulsory education (1870); legal recognition of trade unions.

World War I was followed by a period of severe hardship. It was a time of great social unrest and mistrust between the various classes. Unemployment was high, wages low and there were numerous strikes, including a General Strike in 1926 by all the unions in an unsuccessful attempt to stop the owners of the coalmines cutting miners' wages.

The Great Depression of the 1930s actually began with the collapse of the American financial markets (the Wall Street crash) in 1929. In Britain unemployment reached huge proportions: over three million people, out of a total workforce of 14 million, were out of work.

World War II had cost Britain more than a quarter of its national wealth. After the war the Labor government, using the planning experience gained during the war, nationalized the railways and the coal, steel, shipbuilding, gas and electricity industries, and extended the social services provided by the state to include such things as insurance against unemployment, sickness and old age, and free medical care for everyone (NHS, National Health Service). This legislation came to be known as the Welfare State.

There then followed a period of economic growth and prosperity. During the 1950s, there was a period of massive growth in the private sector, above all in the newer industries, particularly car and aircraft production, and wages increased by 40%. Most families could now afford a car, fridge, and a television set, and people began to talk of an affluent society. By the start of the 1960s, however, production was beginning to slow, while wages and prices continued to rise.

The main problems faced by the Government were economic, and it adopted the severest measures, including wage freezes and a 14% devaluation of sterling, in an unsuccessful attempt to overcome the difficult economic situation. And it was not until the International Monetary Fund began a rescue operation at the end of 1976 that a dramatic recovery got underway. This recovery was also due to the high levels of oil production reached in the North Sea.

Margaret Thatcher - the Iron Lady, as she was called - was elected Prime Minister in 1979, and the Thatcher «revolution» started and dominated the decade. Budgets throughout the 1980s have reduced income tax, and state-owned facilities such as water and British Gas have been handed over to voters. Britain has enjoyed great possessions of knowledge, wealth, and communications. Mrs Thatcher once said she wanted Britain to make a return to Victorian values. In many respects, the country has. Most significant is Mrs Thatcher's creation of a new breed of Briton. Using the driving forces of greed and selfishness, Mrs Thatcher appealed to many voters for the simple reason that they wanted more money in their pockets, more home ownership, more of everything. And after a decade of Thatcherism people have really become better off.

Notes and Commentary

Victorian Britain - Великобритания времен королевы Виктории Queen Victoria - королева Виктория (1819-1901); правила Великобрита­нией с 1837 г. по 1901 г.

General Strike - Всеобщая забастовка 3-13 мая 1926 г.; была орга­низована для поддержки шахтеров

the Great Depression - «великая депрессия», наступившая после биржевого краха на Уолл Стрит в Нью-Йорке; кризис, охвативший США в тридцатые годы прошлого столетия

the Wall Street crash - биржевой крах на Уолл Стрит в Нью-Йорке the Labor government-правительство, образованное после побе­ды на выборах партии лейбористов - одной из двух крупнейших партий Великобритании

the National Health Service (NHS) - Государственная служба здра­воохранения Великобритании

the Welfare State - ряд мер, принятых лейбористским правитель­ством (1945-1951) и обеспечивших социальную защиту всех слоев населения (пенсии, пособия по безработице и болезни, бесплатное об­разование, бесплатную медицинскую помощь и т.д.)

the International Monetary Fund - Международный валютный фонд Margaret Thatcher (the Iron Lady) - Маргарет Тэтчер (род. 1925). ли­дер консервативной (Conservative) партии Великобритании (1976-1990), первая женщина - премьер-министр (1979-1990)

 

EXERCISES

Exercise 1. Match the English words with their Russian equivalents.

1. agriculture (n)

2. hand-work

3. machine-work

4. demand (n)

5. steam-engine

6. product (n)

7. wage (n)

8. trade unionism

9. tenant (n) (of land)

10. trade (s) union

11. unemployment (n)

12. strike (n)

13. owner (n)

14. coalmine (n)

15. financial (a)

16. market (n)

17. social services

18. insurance (n)

19. legislation (n)

20. economic (a)

21. production (n)

22. affluent society

A. рынок

B. сельское хозяйство

C. социальное обеспечение

D. производство

E. физический труд

F. механизированный труд

G. профсоюз

H. богатое общество (общество всеобщего благоденствия)

I. арендатор (земельного участка) J. безработица

К. угольная шахта

L. законодательство; свод законов

М. заработная плата (работников

ручного труда)

N. экономический

О. профсоюзное движение

Р. паровой двигатель

Q. товар

R. финансовый

S. забастовка

Т. спрос

U. страховка; страхование V. владелец

Exercise 2. Find the Russian equivalents of the following.

To overcome a difficult economic situation; insurance against unemployment, sickness and old age; a terrible hardship; Victorian values;

to cut wages; free medical care; to reduce income tax; a period of economic growth and prosperity; to dominate the decade; a new breed of Briton.

Exercise 3. Find the English equivalents of the following.

Обязательное бесплатное образование; расширить систему соци­ального обеспечения; развивать промышленность; движущая сила; высокий уровень безработицы; низкий уровень заработной платы; значи­тельный рост частного сектора; национальное богатство; добыча нефти.

Exercise 4. Translate in written paragraphs 2 and 3 of the text beginning with the words «Life in the new factories...» and ending with the words «... legal recognition of trade unions». When translating, please keep in mind the norms of the Russian language.

Exercise 5. Fill in the correct word or phrase from the list below. Use the words or phrases only once.

Legal; social reforms; rescue; to become; free; political changes.

1....better off

2.... recognition

3. to witness...

4. a... operation

5.... medical care

6.... urgently needed

Exercise 6. Fill in the correct preposition.

1) to complain... something

2)... an unsuccessful attempt

3) to begin... the collapse

4) to hand... to voters

5) to be... of work

6) to come... terms

7) increase... demand

 

Exercise 7. Say whether these sentences are true or false and explain why. Rewrite false statements to make them true.

1. During Queen Victoria's reign, Britain did not export its goods all over the world.

2. At the end of 1976, the International Monetary Fund helped Britain overcome the difficult economic situation.

3. In the 1950s, British people did not have enough money to buy a car, fridge, and a television set.

4. In Victorian Britain, life in the new factories and towns was extremely interesting and joyful.

5. After World War I the economic situation in Britain was very difficult.

Exercise 8. Choose all the expressions that are appropriate in answering the questions.

1, The Industrial Revolution

2. The period after World War II

 

The National Health Service, the Labor government, the second half of the 18th century, legal recognition of trade unions, free medical care for everyone, the franchise to tenants of land, nationalization, all over the world, insurance against old age and sickness, more than a quarter of Britain's, increase in demand for products, national wealth, dirty slums, prosperity, the Welfare State, the Great Depression, fifteen or sixteen hours a day, Queen Victoria, the creation of the police force, free compulsory education, the workshop of the world, machine-work, the Industrial Revolution, hand-work, dangerous, unhealthy conditions, a series of inventions, the steam-engine.

Exercise 9. Look through the text again and write down ways to describe what Margaret Thatcher's policy was like. Use the vocabulary of the text.

Exercise 10. Ask six questions on the text (in written form). Exercise 11,

A Say what the text is about. Comment on the content of the text (orally). B. Present the general idea of the text in five-six sentences in written form.

UNIT 9. MADE IN BRITAIN

You now know that Britain used to have many manufacturing industries, but since the Second World War its service industries, especially banking and retailing, have expanded. Heavy industries, including steel manufacture

ad shipbuilding, have been replaced by high-technology manufacturing idustries, such as aero plane engine manufacture and Pharmaceuticals.

In Britain, there are only a few successful large companies, but very many uccessful small companies. Many of them appeared in the 1980s. it was at hat time that small businesses began to increase rapidly. At the end of 1990 officially there were a total of more than 1.5 million small businesses, though he real figure, including the «black economy», was probably nearer two million. However proportionately there were 50 per cent more in West Germany and the United States, and about twice as many in France and Japan.

Unfortunately, many small businesses fail to survive, mainly as a result of poor management, but also because, compared with almost every other European Community member, Britain offers the least encouraging conditions. But such small businesses are important not only because large businesses grow from small ones, but also because over half the new jobs in Britain are created by firms employing fewer than 100 staff.

The large companies invest a lot of money in research and development (R & D) to find new and better, usually high-technology, products. Glaxo is Britain's leading pharmaceutical company and is one of the largest in the world. It tries to find and make new medicines that can cure or reduce the effects of disease. BP (British Petroleum) is at present the second-largest company in Europe. It is involved in oil and gas exploration, oil refining and the manufacture of petrochemical products. It is investing money in making cleaner petrol.

Successful small manufacturing companies in the UK often make expensive products. These companies are successful because they use first-class materials, have excellent quality control and the workers are proud of what they make. Such companies include J. Barber & Sons, the Morgan Motor Company, Quad Electro acoustics, Wilkin & Sons. J.Barber & Sons makes waterproof jackets. Originally designed forfishermen and farmers, these waterproof jackets are now fashionable in cities throughout Europe and the US. The Morgan Motor Company produces elite cars. Quad Electro acoustics is well-known for its expensive but high-quality loudspeakers and hi-fi equipment. Wilkin & Sons makes jams which British people cannot do without,

Notes and Commentary

European Community - Европейское сообщество («Общий рынок»); основано в 1957 гору, Великобритания стала членом сообщества в 1973 году.

EXERCISES

Exercise 1. Answer the questions.

1. Are there many successful large companies in Britain?

2. What began to increase rapidly in the 1980s?

3. Why are those small manufacturing companies in the UK, that make expensive products, successful?

4. Unfortunately, many small businesses fail to survive, don't they? Why do they fail to survive?

Exercise 2. Match the English words with their Russian equivalents.

1.	retail (n)	A.	высокие технологии
2.	retaW (a)	B.	работник
3.	retail (v)	C.	работодатель
4.	small business	D.	малый бизнес
5.	black economy	E.	продавать в розницу
6.	management(n)	F.	розничная продажа
7.	large business	G.	производить
8.	employ (v)	H.	теневая экономика
9.	employee (n)	I.	контроль качества
10.	employer (n)	J.	крупная компания
11.	high technology	K.	розничный
12.	quality control	L.	нанимать на работу
13.	produce (v)	M.	управление; менеджмент

Exercise 3. Find the Russian equivalents of the following.

First-class materials; hi-fi equipment; to cure or reduce the effects of disease; to increase rapidly; to do without something; research and development to find new high-technology products; the least encouraging conditions.

Exercise 4. Find the English equivalents of the following.

Ведущая компания; больше половины новых рабочих мест; вкла­дывать много денег в проведение исследовательских работ и разви­тие; создавать рабочие места; плохое управление, приблизительно в два раза больше компаний; выпускать дорогие товары.

Exercise 5. On a separate sheet of paper, translate from English into Russian Paragraphs 2 and 3 of the UNIT beginning with the words «In Britain, there are only...» and ending with the words «... fewer than 100 staff». When translating, please keep in mind the norms of the Russian language.

Exercise 6. Fill in the correct word or phrase from the list below. Use the words or phrases only once.

Successful; poor; small; large businesses; to survive: economy.

1)... business

2) black...

3)... management

4)... grow from small ones

5)... small companies

6) to fail...

Exercise 7. Fill in the correct preposition.

1.... present

2. to invest money... R&D

3. to be well-known... expensive hi-fi equipment

4. to design... someone

5. to be proud... something

6. to do... Wilkin & Sons jams

7. about twice... many

8. to be involved... exploration

9. to replace... something

Exercise 8. Say whether these sentences are true or false and explain why. Rewrite false statements to make them true.

1. There are less people who work in service industries than in manufacturing industries in Britain.

2. Because of various economic problems, retailing and banking could not develop at the end of the last century.

3. The goods, which British small manufacturing companies make, areverу expensive.

4. Large companies do not invest money in R&D.

Exercise 9. Choose all the words that are appropriate in answering the questions.

A. What does Glaxo make?

B. What does BP manufacture?

C. What does the Morgan Motor Company produce?

Elite cars, high-quality loudspeakers, petrochemical products, new medicines, hi-fi equipment, petrol jams, waterproof jackets.

Exercise 10. Look through the text again and write down ways to express what each of the following companies is involved in.

A. Quad Electro acoustics

B. Wilkin & Sons

C. J Barber & Sons

Exercise 11. From the text, select those facts and ideas concerning small businesses (in written form).

Exercise 12.

A. Say what the text is about. Comment on the content of the text (orally).

B. Present the general idea of the text in five-six sentences. Do it in written form.