- •I think and say
- •II read and talk
- •1 Read the words and their translation, memorize them.
- •2 Read and translate word combinations.
- •3 Read the text about the origin and history of money.
- •4 Mark the following statements true or false.
- •5 Answer the questions.
- •III check and improve your vocabulary skills
- •1 Guess the words by their definitions:
- •2 Complete the sentences.
- •3 Fill in proper prepositions.
- •3 Read the text about the dollar sign origin.
- •4 Complete the sentences.
- •5 Read the idioms, find their Ukrainian/Russian equivalents and memorize them.
- •1 Read two short texts and put up questions. Use the words given for starting.
3 Read the text about the dollar sign origin.
The dollar, the standard unit of money in the United States, Canada, Mexico and several other countries, has an interesting story, and so has the $ generally used to represent it.
The word ‘dollar’ comes from German for Thaler, which is an abbreviation of Joachimsthaler. Joachimsthal (Joachim’s dale) is a little town in Bohemia near which, in the beginning of the 16th century, a rich silver mine was discovered. The feudal lords of the town had coins made that, because of their excellence, were soon used all over the Europe. These and similar coins were called Joachimsthalers, or simply Thalers.
Coins of similar value were issued in Spain. They were called ‘pieces of eight’, because their value was divided into eight small coins. All these coins circulated freely in the colonies in both North and South America. In North America they were called ‘dollars’.
When the United States had been formed, the word ‘dollar’ was adopted for its unit of coinage, but the sign for the new coin was that of the old Spanish pieces of eight. This sign showed a scroll, with the words Plus Ultra, waving between the Pillars of Hercules, the gateway between the Mediterranean and Atlantic. Thus the dollar sign has nothing to do with the letter S, nor was it, as some people believe, originally formed by placing a narrow U over an S to form the monogram of the United States.
4 Complete the sentences.
1 The dollar is used mostly in. . . . . . . . . . . . .
2 . . . . . . . . . . . was discovered in the 16th century near Joachimsthal.
3 In Spain the coins were called “pieces of eight” because. . . . . . . .
4 The American dollar sign showed . . . . . . . .
5 The Pillars of Hercules is a . . . . . . . . . . .
5 Read the idioms, find their Ukrainian/Russian equivalents and memorize them.
1The customer is always right.
2 Money does not grow on trees.
3 Penny and penny laid up will be many.
4 A penny saved is a penny gained.
5 Money is the root of all evil.
6 Money makes money.
Y PRACTISE GRAMMAR
REVISION A: QUESTIONS AND TENSES
1 Read two short texts and put up questions. Use the words given for starting.
1
Unemployed painter, John Parrot, received a very pleasant surprise last night. He was at home repairing his car. A man from the lottery came to his house to inform him that he had won 300,000 pounds. He immediately gave his wife a big kiss and took his whole family out for a slap-up meal.
Slap-up – first-class, extremely good
Who. . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..?
When. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .?
Where . . . . . . . . . .. ….?
Who. . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..?
What. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .?
How much . . . . . . . . . .?
What . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ?
Where . . . . . . . . . . .. . .?
2
Customers in BARCLAYS BANK, Heston, received a terrible shock yesterday. People were standing in queues chatting to each other when two masked robbers burst into the bank. 60-year-old Martin Webb suffered a heart attack and was taken to hospital. The robbers escaped with 500 pounds.
Who. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .?
What. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .?
When . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .?
What . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .?
Who . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .?
What . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ?
Where . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. ?
How much . . . . . . . . . . . ?