Vocabulary

to hinder - препятствовать

transition - переход

challenge - вызов

huge supply - огромный запас

to increase - увеличивать

achievement — достижение

to advance - продвигать

a lack of... - недостаток, отсутствие

to increase - увеличивать

to advance - продвигать

Task 1. Find in the text English equivalents for the words and word combinations below.

Государственный контроль; плановая экономика; политика (дея­тельность); экономическая активность; быть полным трудностей; оче­видно; иметь большие запасы; требуемые для поддержки современной промышленной экономики; рабочая сила; препятствовать эффективно­му использованию ресурсов; финансовый кризис; потребительский спрос; играть важную роль; отпугивать отечественных и зарубежных инвесторов.

Task 2. Find in the text

a) synonyms for the following words and expressions:

problem, difficulty; stock, store; (to) interfere with, (to) hold back; ef­fective; significant;

b) opposites for the following words and expressions:

old-fashioned; rich; expensive; exclude; domestic investors; tiny.

Task 3. Find positive and negative features of Russian economy. Put

them down in a table

RUSSIAN ECONOMY
Positive Features (+)	Negative Features (-)

Task 4. Translate into English.

1. Если бы эта компания обладала значительным потенциалом для роста, то ей бы удалось выжить во время кризиса.

2. Работа нашей фирмы основана на доверии, эффективности и ус­пехе.

3. Что нам нужно сделать, чтобы улучшить имидж компании?

4. Потребительский спрос значительно вырос к концу этого года.

5. Отсутствие планов на будущее - отсутствие будущего.

Task 5. Finish the following sentences with your ideas.

1. Our life is full of challenges, for example...

2. To have a great potential for growth a national economy should...

3. There are many factors which hinder the growth of a national econ­omy...

4. Natural resources help to achieve considerable successes in economic development, because...

5. Market economy is more efficient than planned economy because...

Task 6. Read and decide whether these statements are true or false.

1. The Soviet Union had a centralized state control almost over all means of production, exchange, distribution and investment.

2. Today Russia still has planned economy.

3. Russia has huge supplies of the most valued natural resources.

4. Russian economy has declined considerably since the financial crisis of 1998.

5. Since 2000 investment and consumer demand have a great influence on the development of Russia.

Task 7. Read the text and find the answers.

1. What type of economy was the Soviet Union a pure example of?

a) market economy;

b) mixed economy;

c) planned economy.

2. What are the main features of planned economy?

a) a centralized state control almost over all means of production, ex­change, distribution and investment;

b) no role of the government in the management of the economy;

c) some resources are controlled by the government whilst others are used in response to the demands of consumers.

3. How can you characterize the main problems of modern Russian economy?

a) interaction of the government and private sector in solving economic problems;

b) absence of private enterprises, low competition, large-scale govern­ment intervention;

c) a weak banking system, a poor business climate, corruption, a lack of trust in institutions, old infrastructure that often hinders efficient utilization of natural resources, etc.

Task 6. Find additional information and make a dialogue about the differences of Russian and Chinese economies.