Task 4. Speak about problems of modern youth.

 

Task 5.Do the test.

1. The Department of Education has issued new national guidelines for science teachers:

a) instructions b) institutions

c) instruments d) installments

2. Our office can provide information in the local area.

a) given b) give

c) glad d) glance

3. The cost of household goods and services fell.

a) obligations b) subscriptions

c) objects d) subjects

4. The company is to engage a new sales director:

a) enable b) enhance

c) empower d) employ

5. The king had friends on whom he bestowed land and privileges:

a) gave b) give

c) given d) gavel

6. The measures taken should considerably enhance the residents' quality of life.

a) improvise b) improve

c) impure d) improved

7. She will be honoured for her work in promoting friendship between two countries.

a) praised b) prayed

c) practiced d) preached

8. Never forget that we live in the multicultural environment.

a) socialism b) capitalism

c) society d) communism

9. The interview was conducted by telephone.

a) do b) gone

c) did d) done

10. The two sides have yet to show their willingness to reach an agreement.

a) negotiate b) nest

c) neglect d) narrow

Answer key:

1 a; 2 b; 3 c; 4 d; 5 a; 6 b; 7 a; 8 c; 9 d; 10 a;

 

THEME 5. ECONOMY: BASIC PROBLEMS.

ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION

Основные проблемы экономики. Защита окружающей среды

 

5.1. The economy of Great Britain

 

Text 1. The economic format

 

Economy is a system by which a country's trade, industry and money are organized; the whole of a country's business, industry, trade and the money that they produce.

1. The UK has an independent, developed, international trading economy. The country emerged from World War 2, as a military victor but with a debilitated manufacturing industry, and it took 40 years to improve its competitiveness significancy (in 1973 Great Britain joined the EC).

2. The UK now ranks among the top industrial countries in growth rates, productivity and competitiveness (the USA, Japan).

3. Resources

The extraction of iron-ore has decreased, other important metals are tin & rink. Non-metallic minerals are sand, limestone, chalk, slate, clay, celestite which are used in construction.

By contrast, the UK has larger energy resources: oil, natural gas & coal (decreased in importance), the discovery of oil in the North Sea led to the rapid development of oil exploitation.

4. Branches of National Economy

1) Agriculture: 2 % employed in agriculture. The most important farm crops are wheat, barley, oats, sugar beets, potatoes & rapeseed (veg. oil). The main livestock products are derived from cattle, calves, sheep lambs, pigs & poultry,

2) Forestry. More than 8% of the United Kingdom's land area is devoted to productive forestry. Conifers & broad-leaved trees are planted. Britain imports 90 % of its timber needs from Scandinavia & Russia. Private woods comprise 56% of the total forest area in GB.

3) Fishing. The UK is one of Europe leading fishing countries. It has two-thirds self-sufficient in this sector. The kinds of fish are cod, haddock, plaice, mackerel and shellfish (lobsters, crabs, oysters), trout and salmon.

4) Industry. Coal mining has declined and the energy sector has been transformed in oil & natural gas. The bulk of electricity is produced in steam power station.

5) Manufacturing. The most important manufacturing industries are engineering: food, beverages and tobacco and textiles, clothing, footwear and leather.

6) Construction. Construction has grown at a faster rate than manufacturing. About one-third of the labour force in construction is self-employed. More than half of all construction work is the remainder on repair and maintenance.

7) Services

The most remarkable phenomenon characterizing the economy of the UK is the growth of service industries: hotels, catering, air travel and other leisure-related activities, distribution (retailing) & finance; business-support services, e.g. computing systems, softwear, management consultancy, advertising, market research, provision of exhibition and conference facilities are involved in service industry.

8) Finance.

Financial institutions are banking, insurance, building societies, the Stock Exchange, shipping and commodity markets.

London has continued to grow in size and influence as a centre of financial activity worldwide. Capital flows, foreign exchange and securities trading have increased. That's why a large number of foreign banks are represented there.

9) The Bank of England

All commercial banks are supervised by the Bank of England, which has the sole right to issue bank notes in England & Wales (banks in Scotland & Northern Ireland have limited rights to do this). The Bank of England licenses retail banks, merchant banks, discount houses and other British or foreign, banks.

10) Trade

The UK has to export and import more because of:

1) the limitation of its natural resources

2) the demands of rising living standards

British exports are: machinery, road vehicles, computers, electrical and electronic goods, oil, iron, steel, organic chemicals.

British imports are: machinery, foodstuffs, road vehicles, transport equipment, petroleum, clothing, textiles, paper, paper products.

Retail trade is conducted through shops, co-operative stores, supermarkets and hypermarkets.

Wholesale trade is mostly carried out in London.

11) Transportation

In the pattern of transport the British use automobiles, local buses, air traffic, rail network, double – decker buses, underground (tube), taxi, channel tunnel.

A lollipop lady at a zebra crossing patrols and allows children to cross the road.

12) Communication includes: British Telecom, British Broadcasting Corporation (the BBC) as the mother of information services, Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA), daily, weekly newspapers.

13) From the English to the American century.

The USA became the world’s leading nation – the richest, the most prosperous, the most modern, the highest technologied – only because Great Britain, the 19^the workshop of the world, seemed to falter in its economic growth.

14) Co-operation is an actual economic reality, continuing to respond to society's present and future needs and concerns.

15) The main economic regions: 1) Southern England, 2) the Midlands, 3) Lancashire, 4) Yorkshire, 5) Northern England, 6) Wales, 7) Scotland, 8) Northern Ireland.

 

Text 2. Economic regions

The whole country consists of eight economic regions.

The South Industrial and Agricultural Region (Southern England).

This region is the most important in the country in terms of industry, agriculture and population. This is themost densely populated area in the UK. This region includes all the south of.England both the South East and the South West. The South is a region of various industries and of intensive agriculture. At the centre of everything is the city of London (lakefort). It is the biggest port in the country. London is a typical capitalist city with allthe social problems.

The other towns andcities of this region: Oxford (98,000), Cambridge (90,000) and Luton (164,000).

The South is the main agricultural region of Great Britain (dairy farming is developed; oats, barley and wheat are principle cereals).

East Anglia is extremely flat, and it is dominated by agriculture (Cambridge, Norwich). Now it is best known as a farming region. This region produces sugar-beet, potatoes and celery as well as cereals. A lot of fruit is grown in this area too.

The Midlands is situated in the centre of Great Britain. The Midlands has been one of the Britain's leading industrial region and now it is one of the chief industrial areas in the UK.

Birmingham (998,200) is Britain's second largest city and the industrial capital of the Midlands. Thiscity is a major producer of consumer goods and services.

Coventry (310,000) is the centre of the British motor industry.

Leicester and Nottingham are leading centres of the knitwear industry.

Derby is an important producer of aircraft engines.

Agriculture: fanners breed dairy and beef cattle, sheep. The principle crops are barley, wheat,potatoes and sugar beet, gardening production of vegetables and flowers.

Lancashire. This region is situated on the western slopes of the Pennines.

Manchester is the centre of a textile industry.

Liverpool is Britain's leading port.

Agriculture: cattle, sheep, poultry; potatoes, cabbage, peas.

Yorkshire. This region is situated to the east of the Pennines.

Sheffield produces wide range of steel goods.

Leeds' (709 000) main industry is themanufacture of clothing, and engineering is also important.

Bredford (462 000) is the leading centre of woolen manufacture.

Northern England is situated between Lancashire and Yorkshire in the south and Scotland
in the north. Most important cities are: Newcastle-upon-Tyne (the principle centre of the North-East).
Sunderland(a seaport, a centre of ship-building and engineering industry) and Teesside (the leading
iron and steel manufacturing areas in Britain).

Agriculture: sheep rearing, beef cattle and dairy cattle predominate.

Scotland is thenorthern part of Great Britain. Its most important industries are: coal mining, iron industry and ship-building.

Glasgow (715,000) is Scotland's largest city and the centre of ship-building trade.

Edinburgh (438,700), the capital of the country, is the centre of government, political, cultural and commercial life.

Agriculture: farming in Scotland is best described as mixed. Barley, oats, turnips, potatoes are grown. Sheep, beef and dairy cattle are reared.

Northern Ireland. As in other parts of Great Britain, basic industries of N.I. have declined, and new industries have appeared, such as electronics, electrical engineering, chemical industry.

Belfast (400,000) is a major centre of textile manufacture, ship-building, aircraft production, electronical engineering, food processing.

Wales is a mountainous country. Wales is the main area of industrial activity. Coal mining the iron and steel industries are long developed Ulster.

Cardiff (280,000) is the modern capital of Wales and is also the main business centre.

Swansea is an important container-port and Newport is a coal exporter.

Agriculture: sheep raising, dairy and beef cattle. Oats and root crops are grown mainly for fodder. Tourism is mainly concentrated in the northern coastal strip.