B) Read the text with the help of a dictionary.

1. The food industry is a very ancient industry. Branches dealing with fish and meat, bread products were well developed. Olive oil and honey were widely sold and bought. Butter was also an ancient food. Cheese was manufactured thousands years ago. Milling and baking were also developed widely. Food industry was introduced in full with the growth of the processing industries, improvement in food machines, transportation, refrigeration, storage and packaging.

2. Nowadays the technological processes and raw materials are wide and varied. The modern food enterprises use heat and refrigeration, high pressure and deep vacuum, electric energy and radiation. Many processes and operations are mechanized in order to reduce manual processing. The assortment of products of the food industry is wide and varied. Bread and macaroni, meat and fish products, milk and butter, canned foods, vitamins, sugar and sweets, tea and beer and wine and many other items are produced in our country. At present the share of the food industry in Russia exceeds a half of food turnover of the country. More than 30 subsections incorporating over 18.000 enterprises are involved in food production. They employ 1,400,000 people. As to the location, the food industry tends to keep either to sources of raw materials or to end users. The food industry is a priority domain of the life support. That is why prices for foodstuffs grow faster under the inflation than in other sectors.

3. Special attention has always been paid to development of the food industry, because social stability much depends on procurement of people with food products. New food manufacturing plants were built, fixed assets of the reconstructed enterprises were considerably upgraded, and construction of the new workshops and repairs of the workshops and administrative and utility rooms were fulfilled. Annual growth rate of output by the food industry was 2,5–5%.

4. Structural changes in the public economy affected the food industry. At first recession of the production was caused by low competitiveness of local food products in comparison with cheap but not the best imported goods. Liberalization of the international trade has negatively affected development of the sector giving the way to the market to the large-scale import of many food products. But the conditions of the national food industry have changed since then.

According to international organizations, at least 70% of demand must be covered by local production. Since the early 1990s food production share was approximately 76%. The progress made in the food industry induces development of the agriculture and related sectors. The food industry as the sector of economics involves a lot of resources into market: land, materials, financial and human resources.

Exercise 3. Find the Russian equivalents for the following:

liberalization of the international trade, structural changes in the public economy, workshops and administrative and utility rooms, social stability, involves a lot of resources into market, special attention has always been paid to, prices for foodstuffs grow faster, to keep either to sources of raw materials or to end users.

Exercise 4. Find the English equivalents for the following:

обрабатывающая промышленность, машинные аппараты, заморозка, хранение, упаковка, сырье, ассортимент, консервированные продукты, наименование, продукты питания, уделять внимание, спад (снижение), конкурентоспособность, конечный потребитель, спрос.

Exercise 5. Complete the sentences.

1. Branches of food industry … were well developed.

2. Nowadays … are wide and varied.

3. At present … of the food industry in Russia … a half of food … of the country.

4. As to the location, the food industry … either to sources of … or to…

5. According to …, at least 70% of … must be covered by…

Exercise 6. Put the verbs in the brackets into the correct tense and form.

1. Olive oil and honey widely (to sell) and (to buy).

2. Cheese (to manufacture) thousands years ago.

3. Special attention (always / to pay) to development of the food industry.

4. Many processes and operations (to mechanize) in order to reduce manual processing.

5. Bread and macaroni, meat and fish products, and many other items (to produce) in our country.

6. Recession of the production (to cause) by low competitiveness of local food products.