Useful terms and expressions

1. to sway – 1) оказывать влияние, управлять 2) колебаться

2. stock market – фондовый рынок, рынок ценных бумаг

3. to swing (swung, swung) – колебаться, менять направление

4. housing market – рынок жилой недвижимости

5. housing crisis – кризис на рынке жилой недвижимости/жилищный кризис

6. to shift – 1) изменять, меняться 2) перемещать, переносить

7. shift – 1) сдвиг, изменение 2) перемещение, перенос

8. market shift – изменение конъюнктуры рынка

9. sentiment – настроения, ожидания

10.consumer sentiment index – индекс потребительских настроений ожиданий

11. business sentiment index – бирж. индекс общего состояния экономики

12. to affect –1) влиять, воздействовать, сказываться на 2) отрицательно сказаться, нанести ущерб, негативно повлиять

13. to gain back – вернуть утраченные позиции, отыграть

14. gains – доходы

15. losses – убытки

16. to revise(upwards/downwards) – пересмотреть (в сторону повышения/понижения)

17. spending rate – уровень расходов

2. Do the following statements agree with the information given in the article?

TRUE

FALSE

NOT GIVEN

1. The recent stock market shifts in the US were caused by bleak economic reports from Europe.

2. The Dow Jones Industrial Average soared on the news that the debt crisis could finally be coming to a close.

3. Since May, the Dow has plunged 1,000 points but rallied almost all the way back.

4. The swings were unnerving investors because many of them had put all their money at stake.

5. Investors should act promptly upon receipt of the single negative data point.

6. According to Lisa Kirchenbauer, the most relevant indicators are those which track consumer behavior, because consumer spending accounts for two-thirds of US economy.

7. Unemployment rate is the most accurate measure of the country’s economic health.

8. Political situation in the country affects consumer expectations and consequently consumer spending.

9. According to Dawal, there is a negative relationship between the growth rate of real GDP and the rate of government spending.

10. The week economic data from Europe entailed business spending cuts in the USA.

3. Which of the following statements better conveys the key message of the article?

1. Economic indicators can deeply affect stock market performance and lead to big losses or gains for investors.

2. The most important indicators are tied to consumer, government and business spending rates.

3. A single data point can sway markets, but long-term trends are the key.

4. In the consumer-driven economy, the most relevant indicators are tied to consumer behavior.

Exercise № 4.

Suggest the Russian for the following word combinations.

stock market fluctuations, market shift, business spending rate, to experience big gains or losses, to affect stock market performance, to sway the market, consumer behavior, consumer expectations, unemployment numbers, shrinking consumer demand, manufacturing new orders, to boost the economy.

Exercise № 5.

Give English equivalents to the following word combinations.

стимулировать потребительский спрос, высокий уровень потребительских расходов, пересмотреть важнейшие экономические показатели, определять/выявлять долгосрочные тенденции, корректировка с учетом сезонных колебаний, промышленный индекс Доу Джонса, влиять на потребительские настроения/ожидания.

READING AND SPEAKING II.

Read the article and do the assignments that follow.