Tekhanova_V_Topics_for_discussion_Uch-met_pos

2. Such ... metals as manganese and nickel are absent in Britain, a) pure b) rare c) mere d) black

3. The deposits of lead and copper are ... .

a) little b) small c) rare d) significant

4. British economy depends on imported ... .

a) raw materials b) rock salt c) common salt d) brown coal

5. About 80 per cent of the population in Britain is ... .

a) rural b) urban c) young d) old

4.Completethesentences.

• .

1.The head of the state is ....

2.In reality the country is governed by ... .

3. ... separates Great Britain from the continent.

4.The economy of Great Britain is dependent on ... .

5.The country has become self-sufficient in energy with ... .

6.... have been worked out.

5.Say whetherthe following statements are true orfalse.

1.About 80 per cent of the population of the UK is rural.

2.The UK is rich in natural resources.

3.The British economy is greatly dependent on imported raw materials.

4.The amounts of coal and zinc are small.

5.Great Britain is not self-sufficient in energy.

6.The UK is governed by the Queen.

6.Answerthefollowingquestions.

1.Where is Great Britain situated?

2.How many countries does the UK consist of?

3.What is the territory of the UK?

4.What is the population of the UK?

5.Who rules and who governs the country?

6.What minerals are found in Great Britain?

7.Why is the British economy dependent on imported raw materials?

7. Getreadytodiscussthefollowing.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is reigned by the Queen. How do you understand the phrases 'British kings reign but don't rule' and 'Monarchy is a mere formality'?

Text В

ReadTextВusingthedictionaryanddothefollowingtasks.

1.Thinkofthetitletothetext.

2.Make up 5-6questionsofdifferenttypes. 3.Giveashortsummaryofthetext.

Traditionally the British like to live independently in their own houses. No wonder their favourite saying is "An Englishman's home is his castle". In recent years the percentage of people who have their own houses has increased greatly.

Most British people obtain their home in one of three ways. The majority, about two thirds, buy their own houses or flats. About 10 per cent of the population live in flats or houses which they rent privately from another person or organization. The majority of the remaining 25 per cent live in accomodation that is owned by, and rented from their local council. Council houses (or flats), as these are called, are available to everyone, but in many areas there are long waiting lists, and the homes go to the most needy people. In the past few years it has become possible for council house tenants to buy their property from the local authority at a fairly cheap price — this is determined by taking into account how much rent the person has paid to the council over the years.

Homes in Britain are relatively expensive, although prices vary from area to area. They are most expensive in the London area and cheapest in northern England, parts of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

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UNIT 7

BRITISH ECONOMY

PRE-READING ACTIVITIES

1.Practisethepronunciationofthefollowingwords.

finance [fai'nsens], insurance [т'/иэгэпв], vehicle ['vinkal], sugar ['Jogs], pharmaceutical [,fa:ma'sju:tikl], deficit t'defisit].

2.Memorizethewords.

1.strength n — сила

2.space а — космический

3.account (for) v — насчитывать

4.insurance n — страхование

5.motor vehicles — транспортные средства

6.aircraft n — самолет, авиация

7.GDP — ВНП

8.crop n — урожай, сельскохозяйственная культура

9.wheat n — пшеница

10.Pharmaceuticals n — лекарства

11.sophisticated а — сложный

12.vulnerable а — уязвимый

13.offset v — компенсировать

14.surplus n — излишек

15.decline и — приходить в упадок

16.freight n — перевозка грузов

17.vital а — жизненный

3.AnswerthefollowingquestionsbeforeyoureadTextA.

1.Is Great Britain rich in natural resources?

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Britain exports aerospace equipment, machinery, motor vehicles, petroleum, chemicals, Pharmaceuticals, sophisticated electronic equipment.

The national economy of Great Britain is vitally dependent on foreign trade. With the loss of the colonies the economy has become vulnerable to balance-of-payment problems and trade deficit has become a typical pattern of Britain's overseas trade. But the trade deficit is often offset by a surplus of the so-called invisible trade, due to earnings of the country from international travel, tourism, freight and financial services.

POST-READING ACTIVITIES

1.Matchthewordsonthelefttothoseontheright.Make 10wordpartnershipsandtranslatethemintoRussian.

2.FindinthetexttheEnglishequivalentsforthefollowingRussiancollocations.

1)ведущее место занимает тяжелая промышленность;

2)кроме вышеупомянутых отраслей; 3) на обслуживающую индустрию приходится 2/з ВНП; 4) сельское хозяйство эффективно, так как оно основано на современной технологии;

5)они специализируются как в выращивании зерновых, так и в разведении скота; 6) Британия полностью обеспечивает себя молоком, яйцами, мясом, картофелем и пшеницей;

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7) зависит от внешней торговли; 8) дефицит торгового баланса компенсируется излишком от так называемой невидимой торговли.

3.Choosethebestalternativetocompletethesentence,

1.British agriculture ... nearly two-thirds of the country's

food.

a) accounts b) applies c) supplies d) involves

2. Steel, coal production and shipbuilding ... in Britain, a) declined b) increased c) improved d) advanced

3. Many British farms specialize both in ... and animals, a) milk b) meat c) wool d) crops

4. Service industries, manufacturing and construction ...

for about 93 per cent of Britain's GDP.

a) account b) engage c) supply d) provide

5. The trade deficit in Britain is ... by a surplus of invisible trade.

a) accounted b) declined c) offset d) supplied

4.Completethesentences.

1.Manufacturing has always been ... .

2.British agriculture is based on ... .

3.Britain imports ... .

4.British exports include ... .

5.British farmers specialize in ... .

6.Trade deficit has become ... .

5.Saywhetherthe followingstatementsaretrueorfalse.

1.Agriculture has been a traditional economic strength of Great Britain.

2.Service industry accounts for about one-third of the GDP.

3.More than 70 per cent of British workers are employed in the chemical industry.

4.Britain is self-sufficient in wheat and potatoes.

5.The national economy of Great Britain is dependent on foreign trade.

6.Britain imports aerospace and electronic equipment.

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6.Answerthefollowingquestions.

1.What industries are developed in Great Britain?

2.Does service industry occupy an important place in Britain's economy?

3.What do British plants produce?

4.What can you say about farming in Britain?

5.What is the main problem in the British economy?

6.How is the trade deficit offset?

7.Getreadytodiscussthefollowing.

The national economy of Great Britain is dependent on foreign trade. How do you understand the term 'balance-of-trade deficit'?

Text В

ReadTextВusingthedictionaryanddothefollowingtasks.

1.Thinkofthetitletothetext.

2.Make up 5-6questionsofdifferenttypes. 3.Giveashortsummaryofthetext.

Despite unemployment in financial businesses, the weak performance of the Stock Market and European competition, London has retained its status as a global financial centre.

Many major financial institutions have their headquarters in London, with branches throughout Britain. The City of London, with its banks, insurance houses, legal firms and financial dealers' offices, has always been a centre of British and world finance.

Many City institutions were founded in the 17th and 18th centuries such as the London Stock Exchange and the Bank of England.

The London Stock Exchange is one of the world's busiest stock exchanges. It is a market for buying and selling shares and listed stocks.

The Bank of England is the country's central bank. It issues nearly all of the country's bank-notes. It handles the nation's official foreign-exchange operations and manages its gold and foreign-exchange reserves.

The Foreign Exchange Market is also based in London.

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•

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

PRE-READING ACTIVITIES

1.Practisethepronunciationofthefollowingwords.

legislative ['led&islativ], executive [ig'zekjutiv], judicial [d3u:'dijal], court [ko:t], fertile [lf3:tail], creative [kri:'eitiv], encourage [

2.Memorizethewords.

1.legislative а — законодательный

2.executive а — исполнительный

3.judicial а — судебный

4.constitute v — составлять

5.vest v — облекать (властью), наделять

6.court n — суд

7.abound v — изобиловать

8.timber n — лесоматериал, лес

9.non-ferrous а — цветной (о металле)

10.vast а — обширный

11.fertile а — плодородный

12.creative а — творческий

13.affluent а — богатый, обильный

14.encourage v — ободрять, поощрять

3.AnswerthefollowingquestionsbeforeyoureadTextA.

1.Where is the United States situated?

2.Is the USA rich in natural resources?

3.What is the ruling political party in the USA nowadays?

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Text A

Read TextA and fulfill the tasks which follow.

The United States of America

The United States of America is a federal republic. It is situated in North America and consists of 50 states and the District of Columbia, the seat of the national government. The capital of the USA is Washington. The total area is about 9.4 million square kilometres. The population is over 260,000. Stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, the USA borders on Canada in the North and on Mexico in the South.

The USA has a favourable geographic position. It is rich in natural resources. Its territory possesses over 100 kinds of various minerals. It abounds in oil, coal, non-ferrous metals, iron-ore, timber. Vast areas of fertile land allow the country to develop its agricultural production.

A vital role in the formation of the population of the United States was played by the immigration. The USA is inhabited by people of numerous nationalities. Whites constitute about 84 per cent, blacks about 12 per cent, Asians — 3 per cent, Hispanics — 9 per cent and Native Americans about 1 per cent.

The United States has three separate branches of government: the legislative, executive and judicial. The legislative power is concentrated in the Congress. The executive power is represented by the President. The judicial power is vested in the Supreme Court and a system of federal courts.

The two major political parties are the Democratic Party and the Republican Party.

As a result of the creativity, initiative and hard work which free enterprise has encouraged, the USA has become one of the most affluent nations in the world.

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POST-READINGACTIVITIES

1.Matchthewordsonthelefttothoseontheright.Make10wordpartnershipsandtranslatethemintoRussian.

2.FindinthetexttheEnglishequivalentsforthefollowingRussiancollocations.

1) общая площадь; 2) граничит на севере с Канадой; 3) законодательная, исполнительная и судебная власть; 4) благоприятное географическое положение; 5) населены людьми разных национальностей; 6) коренные американцы составляют менее 1 % ; 7) обширные площади плодородных земель; 8) свободное предпринимательство; 9) в результате творчества и инициативы; 10) одна из самых богатых стран.

3.Choosethebestalternativetocompletethesentence.

1. The ... power in the USA is concentrated in Congress,

4. Free enterprise ... initiative and creativity, a) obtains b) vests c) offsets d) encourages

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