History and Social Science. Учебное пособие

complexities of the modern world and make informed decisions that can improve our lives and societies.

(abridged from Economics vs. Economy – What's the Difference? | This vs. That)

1.Read the text and give the answers to the following questions. 1) What is economics?

2) What does economics examine?

3) What does economy refer to?

4) What’s the main difference between economics and economy?

5) What sub-disciplines does economics encompass?

6) What does microeconomics focus on? What does macroeconomics focus on? 7) What for do economists use models and theories?

8) What can affect economic growth?

9) What does studying both economics and economy help us to gain?

10) Why do we need to understand the difference between economics and economy?

2.Read the text attentively and try to complete the following table with important information. Compare economics and economy due to attributes.

3. Find the Russian and English equivalents to the following words and phrases.

Let’s discuss!

These are the cases for you to organize the discussions or conferences. Use any sources to find the information and think over the answers, then prepare small talks for each question and present them before your groupmates.

1)What famous economists do you know? What are they famous for? What ideas did they introduce?

2)What is microeconomics and macroeconomics? Who are mercantilists and physiocrats? Who are the inspirers of these two economic theories?

3)What are supply and demand? What is profit? Expenses? Competition? What is free market?

4)Can you explain the following economic terms: inflation, deflation, default, stagnation, loss of value, taxes?

Text II.

A Brief and Fascinating History of Money

Some of the earliest currencies were objects from nature. A notable example is cowrie shells, first used as money about 1200 BCE. Although they may seem a pretty random choice, the shells had a number of advantages: they were similar in size, small, and durable. While the mollusks that produce the shells are found in the coastal waters of the Indian and Pacific oceans, the expansion of trade meant that even some European countries accepted cowrie shells as currency. Shells in the form of wampum (tubular shell beads) were used as money by Native Americans. Another currency from nature was whale teeth, which were used by Fijians. And the people of Yap Island (now part of Micronesia) carved huge disks of limestone that eventually became currency and remain part of the island’s culture.

Counterfeiting

Counterfeiting dates to the invention of money. Even wampum was the target of counterfeiters. Forgery proved such a huge problem around the world that harsh penalties were enacted. Chinese currency from about the 14th century carried the warning that counterfeiters would be decapitated, and England was known for punishing perpetrators by burning them at the stake.

Coins

While the use of metal for money can be traced back to Babylon before 2000 BCE, standardized and certified coinage may not have existed until the 7th

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century BCE. According to many historians, it was during this time that the kingdom of Lydia (in present-day Turkey) issued the first regulated coins. They appeared during the reign (c. 610–c. 560 BCE) of King Alyattes and were made of electrum, a natural mixture of gold and silver. Crudely shaped like beans, these coins featured the royal symbol, a lion. Alyattes’ son, Croesus (reigned c. 560– 546), reformed the kingdom’s currency, introducing silver coins and gold coins. Soon such currency began appearing elsewhere.

Leather money

About the 6th century BCE leather and animal hide began to be fashioned into currency. Early ancient Rome reportedly used this type of money. It was also found in such areas as Carthage and what is now France, and Russia is believed to have used leather money into Peter the Great’s reign (1682–1725 CE). The Chinese emperor Wudi (reigned 141–87 BCE) created currency out of skins from his personal collection of white stags. It was fringed and decorated with elaborate designs.

Paper money

Given that paper is widely believed to have originated in China, it is fitting that that country introduced paper currency. This innovation is widely thought to have occurred during the reign (997–1022 CE) of Emperor Zhenzong. It was made from the bark of mulberry trees (so, in a sense, money really did grow on trees). By the late 18th and early 19th centuries, paper money had spread to other parts of the world.

Credit cards

While credit has existed for ages, the first universal credit card was not introduced until 1950. That year Americans Ralph Schneider and Frank McNamara founded the Diners Club. Other cards were soon created, and in 1959 American Express debuted a plastic card. We have IBM to thank for the magnetic stripe on credit cards, which was introduced in the 1960s to contain account information. Because of the stripe, merchants no longer needed to make phone calls to obtain authorization from credit companies. In the 1990s, cards began to have chips embedded in them to encrypt their information, providing even greater security. Other changes involved account balances. In the beginning, credit card users were required to pay the full balance at the end of the month. Eventually, American Express allowed consumers to carry balances and other credit companies quickly followed.

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Bitcoins

Bitcoin is a digital currency system created in 2009 by an anonymous computer programmer or group of programmers known as Satoshi Nakamoto. The currency is not issued by a central bank and is not regulated, though a decentralized network of computers keeps track of transactions. Users of Bitcoins are anonymous, known only by their digital wallet ID. The value of Bitcoins is determined by bidding, similar to the way stocks are valued. Bitcoins are created in a process called mining. This involves a race between computers to solve complex math problems and thus verify blocks of transactions. While that may sound easy, it isn’t. It’s estimated that nearly seven trillion attempts may have to be made before a solution is discovered. In the end, the owner of the winning computer gets newly created Bitcoins, and the system is made more secure.

(Abridged from A Brief (and Fascinating) History of Money | Britannica)

1. Read the text and give the answers to the questions.

1)What were the earliest currencies?

2)What countries used these earliest currencies?

3)What punishment was used for money counterfeiters?

4)When and where did the first coins appear?

5)What material were the first coins made of?

6)What was depicted on the first coins and why?

7)What material was used for money in Ancient Greece, Carthage and even Russia and China?

8)When and where did the paper money appear?

9)When and where was the first credit card introduced?

10)What contains the account information on the card?

11)What provided the greater security to the card in 1990s?

12)What invention made it possible for cards to spread everywhere?

13)When did bitcoin appear and who was the inventor?

14)What is the process of creating a bitcoin?

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2. Find the Russian and English equivalents to the following words and phrases.

Let’s discuss!

These are the cases for you to organize the discussions or conferences. Use any sources to find the information and think over the answers, then prepare small talks for each question and present them before your groupmates.

1)What do you prefer – to pay in cash or by a credit card? Why? What are the advantages and disadvantages of paying in cash and by card? How many cards do you have? How much money do you have in your pocket or purse?

2)What materials were used for money? What images are usually printed on banknotes and carved on the coins?

3)What are the most prestigious professions? What professions will disappear in the future? What new professions have appeared during the recent few years?

4)Are you good at planning your budget? Do you save money? What for? How much money do you need to live without problems? Do you think it is important to study economy in your everyday life?

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GRAMMAR REVISION VI

Verbs, Adjectives, Nouns with prepositions

1. Use the prepositions in the box below to complete the sentences.

1)Susan is interested ____ studying Economics and is going to attend a prestigious college abroad.

2)The neighbors living above us are responsible ____ the communal accident and we will make them pay for the repairs.

3)Alex apologized ____ Alice ____ not being able to pick up her in the airport.

4)The young couple asked me to take a picture ____ them in front of the Louvre.

5)Guess what! I’ve met Ann in the park. I haven’t heard ____ her since our latest New Year’s celebrating.

6)Kate is jealous ____ her friend Helen as she got two tickets for the concert of their favorite pop group.

7)In is very convenient to live close ____ the place of studying or working.

8)Let’s forget ____ our conflicts and become friends.

9)There is a need ____ more buses in our city.

10)Dmitri Mendeleev is famous ____ creating the Table of Periodical Elements.

11)I’m pleased ____ your warm words and presents.

12)My son couldn’t fall asleep because he was excited ___ going to Disneyland the next day.

2. Choose the correct preposition.

1)Look after/at this flower. Isn’t it beautiful?

2)It was very kind to/of you to drive us to the airport.

3)Jason arrives in/at New York in two hours. Are we going to meet him?

4)William had a bad dream about/of zombies last night.

5)My father was furious with/about my sister for choosing the wrong boyfriend.

6)Paula is a very sensitive girl. She cares for/about other people’s feelings.

7)I’m sorry for/with telling your secret.

8)It is impolite of/to ask women about how old they are.

9)Stop shouting at/to me! I’ve already told you it was not me who had broken your car.

10)I wonder what relationship are there between/with you two?

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3. Choose the correct item for each point. Translate the sentences into Russian.

1)It was very _____ Larry to throw a surprise birthday party for Jane.

a)nice of

b)optimistic about

c)disappointed with

2)Amelia is so ____ drawing that she has decided to study art at university.

a)bad at

b)upset about

c)good at

3)Who did the police ____ robbing the corner shop?

a)charge with

b)complain to

c)warn about

4)Nick was ____ school yesterday because he had a temperature.

a)absent from

b)worried about

c)satisfied with

5)We ate at a wonderful restaurant which is quite ____ the locals.

a)keen on

b)popular with

c)nice to

6)____ the hurricane, all schools in the area were closed for three days.

a)According to

b)Due to

c)In connection with

7)You shouldn’t ___ breaking your CD player.

a)apologize to Emily

b)rely on Emily

c)blame Emily for

8)Mr Grayson was ____ his new assistant as she was extremely impolite to the customers.

a)bored with

b)furious with

c)satisfied with

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9)Amy saw an advertisement for a secretarial position and decided to ____ it.

a)apply for

b)aim at

c)answer to

10)The criminal was ____ fifteen years in prison.

a)damaged to

b)sentenced to

c)agreed to

4. Underline the correct preposition.

1)If you are fed up for/with doing the housework, hire a cleaner.

2)Sarah succeeded to/in winning first prize for her science project on history of Ancient Greece.

3)Spiders don’t frighten me, but I’m really scared with/of snakes.

4)Michael accused Isaak of/about breaking into his computer files.

5)What was Janet so upset at/about this morning?

6)The antique shop was full of/with old pictures of Italian painters.

7)The employees got a rise because their boss was satisfied with/about their work.

8)To/With our relief, the teacher hasn’t pay attention to our being late.

9)Being an only child can have its advantages. On/In the other hand, it can be lonely in times.

10)At/By the time they got to the station, the train had already left.

Modals

1. Fill in the blanks with can or can’t.

1)She is a small baby. She …… eat meat, but she …… drink milk.

2)A cat …… climb up a tree, but a dog ……

3)John is very short. He …… play basketball very well.

4)We are very hungry, so we …… eat a lot of sandwiches.

5)We …… sleep in the bedroom but we …… sleep in the bathroom.

2. Fill in the blanks with can / can’t or must / mustn’t.

1)We …… (not / pick) the flowers in the park.

2)Mike is nine months old. He …… (not / eat) nuts.

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3)I’m sorry but we …… (not / come) to your party tomorrow.

4)It’s late. I …… go now.

5)You …… stop at a red traffic light.

6)Footballers …… (not / touch) the ball with their hands.

3. Use must / mustn’t / have to or (not) have to.

1)I can stay in bed tomorrow morning because I ……work.

2)Whatever you do, you …… touch that switch. It’s very dangerous.

3)You …… forget what I told you. It’s very important.

4)We …… leave yet. We’ve got plenty of time.

5)We …… take an umbrella. It’s not going to rain.

6)This is a secret. You …… tell anybody.

7)This train doesn’t go to London. You …… change at Bristol.

8)In many countries men …… do military service.

4.Fill in the blanks using (not) have to / must (not) / can / could. 1) George has traveled a lot. He …… speak four languages.

2) I can’t sing now but I …… sing very well when I was a child. go to work.

3) Many students in Turkey …… wear uniform when they go to school. 4) I’m sorry I couldn’t come yesterday. I …… work late.

5) You’ve been coughing a lot recently. You …… smoke so much. 6) You have a bad headache. So, you …… go to bed early.

7) I can’t swim very far these days but ten years ago I …… swim from one side of the lake to the other.

8) It isn’t permitted to speak Turkish during the lessons. So, you …… speak Turkish.

5.Fill in the blanks with must (not) / can (not) / (not) have to / needn’t.

1)You …… park in that street. It is not permitted.

2)Look at George. He is working very well. He …… be ill.

3)There’s someone at the door. I’m expecting Paul. It …… be Paul.

4)Ali’s car is here. He …… be here.

5)The baby is asleep. You …… shout.

6)You’ve got plenty of time. You …… hurry.

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7)I can’t get any answer from my telephone. It …… be out of order.

8)Tom has just given me a letter to post. I …… forget to post it.

6. Use a suitable present or past modal auxiliary.

1)He …… play chess when he was young.

2)You …… drive a car when you are 18.

3)…… I ask you a question?

4)She …… be 25. She looks older than that.

5)My car didn’t work this morning. So, I …… walk to the office.

6)He …… (be) home, but we didn’t telephone him.

7)He doesn’t know the answer. He …… (study).

8)I can’t find the house. I …… (write) down the address.

9)She is very sleepy. She …… (stay) up very late last night.

10)I …… go for a walk later. It depends on the weather.

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