- •Предисловие
- •Unit 1 What is it all about?
- •I. Answer the comprehension questions:
- •II.Vocabulary
- •III.Translate from Russian into English:
- •IV. Communicative practice. Situations.
- •Russian Experience
- •In Search of Intellect and Wealth
- •1. Economic environment.
- •2. Economics.
- •3. Economy. Unit 2 Economics and Economy
- •I. Comprehension questions
- •II.Vocabulary
- •III.Translate from Russian into English
- •IV.Communicative practice. Situations
- •Russian Experience
- •Gauging the True Size of Russia’s Economy
- •Russia No longer Among World Market’s Top Players
- •Unit 3 The Oil Price Shocks
- •I. Comprehension questions
- •II.Vocabulary
- •III.Translate from Russian into English
- •IV. Communicative practice. Situations
- •World Experience
- •Cheap Oil! Good news for the world’s consumers, but bad news for struggling producers
- •More Money in Most Pockets
- •Income Distribution
- •I. Comprehension questions
- •II.Vocabulary
- •III.Translate from Russian into English
- •IV. Communicative practice. Situations
- •Russian Experience
- •Shop assistance We’ve all heard of the New Rich in Russia, but what do they spend their money on? John Helmer digs into the latest consumer research and comes up with some unexpected answers.
- •Unit 5 The Role of the Market
- •I. Comprehension questions
- •II. Vocabulary
- •III. Translate from Russian into English
- •IV. Communicative practice. Situations
- •Russian Experience
- •By Roy Medvedev
- •Unit 6 Demand, Supply, and the Market
- •I. Comprehension questions
- •II.Vocabulary
- •III.Translate from Russian into English
- •IV. Communicative practice. Situations
- •Russian Experience
- •Citicorp Invests in Russia
- •Unit 7 What Do Governments Do?
- •I. Comprehension questions
- •II. Vocabulary
- •III.Translate from Russian into English
- •IV. Communicative practice. Situations
- •Russian Experience
- •Russia Has Dropped Out of the Community of Developed Countries
- •Incomes and expenditures.
- •1. Transfer payments
- •2. Social security and unemployment benefits
- •3. Income tax
- •Unit 8 What Should Governments Do?
- •Most of the goods supplied by businesses and demanded by consumers are private goods
- •I. Comprehension questions
- •II.Vocabulary
- •III.Translate from Russian into English
- •IV. Communicative practice
- •Russian Experience
- •State Duma Rejects Welfare Package Again
- •Unit 9 Business Organization
- •I. Comprehension questions
- •II. Vocabulary
- •III.Translate from Russian into English
- •IV. Communicative practice. Situations
- •Russian Experience
- •Common Profile of a Russian Enterprise
- •Unit 10 Market Structure and Imperfect Competition
- •I. Comprehension questions
- •II. Vocabulary
- •III.Translate from Russian into English:
- •IV. Situations and communication practice
- •Russian Experience
- •Russian Tobacco Manufacturers Lie Low
- •Unit 11 Factor Markets: Labour
- •I. Comprehension questions
- •II.Vocabulary
- •III.Translate from Russian into English:
- •IV. Communicative practice. Situations
- •Russian Experience
- •Recruitment in Russia: Still Climbing
- •Insufficient social integration.
- •Working Without Pay
- •Unit 12 Human capital
- •I. Comprehension questions
- •II.Vocabulary
- •III.Translate from Russian into English
- •IV. Communicative practice. Situations
- •World Experience
- •Finding Opportunity in the Global Economy. By Bill Gates.
- •1. Human capital
- •2. Signalling and screening.
- •3. Pay differentials. Unit 13 Coping with Risk in Economic Life
- •I. Comprehension questions
- •II.Vocabulary
- •III.Translate from Russian into English
- •IV. Communicative practice. Situations
- •Russian Experience
- •Reuters Eyes on Russia’s Risks
- •Unit 14 Taxes and Public Spending
- •I. Comprehension questions
- •II. Vocabulary
- •III.Translate from Russian into English
- •IV. Communicative practice. Situations
- •Russian Experience
- •Taxes Higher in Russia Than Elsewhere
- •A Country Where People Pay Taxes
- •Unit 15 Money and Modern Banking
- •I. Comprehension questions
- •II.Vocabulary
- •III.Translate from Russian into English
- •IV. Communicative practice. Situations
- •Russian Experience
- •Savings of “Very Rich” Families (Data of a quality interview)
- •The Battle of the Banks
- •The History of Russian Money (The ruble celebrates its 1000th birthday)
- •Unit 16
- •International Trade and Commercial Policy
- •I. Comprehension questions
- •II.Vocabulary
- •III.Translate from Russian into English
- •IV. Communicative practice. Situations
- •Russian Experience
- •Higher Excise on Imports
- •Contents
IV. Situations and communication practice
1.Some economists consider pure monopoly to be more progressive than perfect competition. According to their opinion its ability to put into effect their profits provides financing for the scientific research . However, others prove that absence of competing firms and the monopolist’s wish to use his existing equipment to the utmost prevent the monopolist from striving to be innovative.
What is your idea about it? Who is closer to reality? Give your opinion.
2. Products can differ in their physical or qualitative parameters. “Real” differences including functional characteristics, material, design and quality are extremely important parts of differentiation of product.
Personal computers, for example, may differ in capacity, software, graphic output and degree of being consumer-oriented. Similarly, one of the fast food chains selling hamburgers pays great attention to the quality of buns whereas its competitors pay special attention to the quality of the hamburger itself. Services and conditions of selling the product are very important aspects of differentiation of product.
a) If you wanted to buy a PC what would you take into consideration?
b) How would you choose the place to eat out if you had to?
3. A supermarket is known for its quality of service. They pack purchases and take them to the customers’ cars.
a) You work as a sales manager for a grocer’s shop nearby. What can you offer in order to attract customers to your shop? Speak in terms of differentiation of product.
b) Simulate a conversation of two neighbours discussing the best place to do shopping at.
4. Differentiation of product may be — to a great extent — the result of unreal differences due to advertising, packing and use of trademarks. When a jeans brand or a perfume brand refers to the name of a celebrity it may affect the demand for this product. The following perfumes are available in Moscow shops:”Maroussia” and “Authentic Maroussia” from Slava Zaitsev; “Alla” and “Alla Pugachova” from Alla Pugachova; “Faina” and “Le Concert” from the “Na-Na” group, “Natalia Darialova Instinct” eau de toilette and others.
a) Which perfume would you choose if any? Why?
b) What other names would force you to buy the product?
5. Under monopolistic competition it is often brand loyalty that forms people’s purchasing patterns. In spite of higher prices they prefer to buy products of certain firms which meet their requirements.
a) If you came to an electronic and appliance store and were offered to buy a VCR and video cassettes which brand would you choose? Would your choice be dictated by your personal brand loyalty?
b) If you were an owner of the kiosk which sells drinks (ice-cream) what would be your special offer?
6. Because differentiation of product encourages an infinite variety of types, styles, brands and degrees of quality of any particular product it promises to give consumers a great advantage to be free to choose and meet their most subtle requirements. But some pessimists warn that differentiation of product isn’t always a mere favour. A rapidly increasing line of products of certain types may reach such a level when the consumer is most likely to find himself at a loss. To make a choice will be a very complicated and time-consuming task. An abundant choice may add spice to the consumer’s life but to a certain extent. A woman browsing from retailer to retailer in order to buy a lipstick may become confused by a multitude of roughly equivalent products. “Revlon” alone offers 157 lipstick tones 41 of which are “pink”! Some observers fear lest the consumer facing an infinite variety of similar products should suppose that higher price means better quality.
a) Could you give some other examples of an abundant choice?
b) Have you ever found yourself in the situation described above?