Vocabulary

account for - составлять

in terms of – в плане

reserves - запасы

potassium salts – калийные соли

peat – торф

fuel – топливо

machine building – машиностроение

instrument making - приборостроение

oil refining - перегонка нефти

metal-cutting tools - металлорежущий станки

heavy industry - тяжелое машиностроение

heavy-duty truck – сверхмощный грузовой автомобиль

chemical fiber – химическое волокно

mineral fertilizer – минеральное удобрение

processed foods – бакалейные товары

farmland – обрабатываемая земля

mixed crop and livestock farming – смешанное сельское хозяйство (земледелие и

животноводство)

flax growing – выращивание льна

grains - хлебные злаки

sugar beets – сахарная свекла

Livestock breeding – племенное животноводство

Cattle – крупный рогатый скот

conducts trade – ведет торговлю

long-term development goal – долгосрочный проект развития

encourages domestic manufactures – поощряет отечественного производителя

Belarus has a well-developed economy. Industry accounts for 46 percent of GDP; trade and other services, 41 percent; and agriculture and forestry, 13 percent.

Natural resources. Belarus is relatively poor in terms of natural resources. The country has small reserves of petroleum and natural gas but remains dependent on Russia for most of its oil, gas, and energy. The country has large forest reserves. About one-third of the republic is covered in forest.

Belarus possesses, however, one of the world’s largest reserves of potassium salts. The country also is a world leader in the production of peat, which is used in agriculture and in briquette form as fuel.

Among the other minerals recovered are salt, building materials, quartz sands for glassmaking and small deposits of gold and diamonds.

Industry. Belarus is a highly developed industrial country. The main industries include machine building, instrument making, chemicals, oil refining, electronics, transport vehicles and tractors. Belarus manufactures computers, engineering equipment, metal-cutting tools, and such consumer goods as clocks and watches, motorcycles, bicycles, refrigerators, radios, television sets and others.

Heavy industry is the most highly developed sector of the economy. Machine-building industry is mostly concentrated in Minsk. It makes various types of tractors, heavy-duty trucks, other heavy machinery and electrical equipment.

Chemical industry produces chemical fibers, mineral fertilizes, petrol-chemicals, and plastics. The chief chemical product is potassium fertilizer.

Agriculture. Agriculture accounts for about a seventh of Belarus’ economic output. Belarus has a large amount of farmland. But a short growing season and a lack of fertile soil make farming difficult. Most of the country has mixed crop and livestock farming, with a strong emphasis on flax growing. The country’s principal crops are potatoes, grains (especially wheat, barley, oats and rye), flax, sunflowers, vegetables and sugar beets. Nearly 60 percent of the country’s land area is cultivated. Livestock breeding is another main component of agriculture. Cattle, hogs and sheep are the most important livestock raised in the country.

The agricultural sector in Belarus is dominated by large state (sovkhozy) and collective (kolkhozy) farms. In 1993 private farms began to appear. But the transition to private farms is slow and difficult.

Services. Service industries are industries that produce services not goods. In the recent past these industries were undeveloped in Belarus. Most service-industry workers were poorly trained and underpaid. Today private economic activity is flourishing. Many individuals and families are starting small businesses such as restaurants, barber-shops, dry cleaners and taxi services. Nevertheless, this sector of the economy remains largely underdeveloped.

Foreign Trade. Belarus consumes only 13 percent of the goods produced. A great amount of goods produced by Belarusian industries and agriculture is oriented towards Russia, Poland and Ukraine which remain the republic’s main trading partners. Belarus also conducts trade with Austria, China, Germany, Great Britain, Switzerland, the United States and other countries.

Belarus exports tractors and trucks, machinery, refrigerators, television sets, chemicals, potassium fertilizers, wood and paper products, and meat and diary products.

The nation’s major imports include petroleum, natural gas, industrial raw materials, textiles, rolled metal, rubber, sugar and some consumer goods. Russia, which supplies most of the country’s fuel imports is the most important trading partner.

Economic System. Until independence Belarus was fully integrated into the centrally planned Soviet economy. After gaining the independence most industry continues to be under state management, and agriculture remains collectivized.

A long-term development goal for Belarus is to built an open market-type economy – an economy that interacts freely with other economies around the world. At the same time Belarusian government is sure that market economy cannot solve all the economic problems. In Belarus government controls sale and purchase of land. State regulation controls inflation, encourages domestic manufactures, plans the all national policies in the sphere of resources and technologies.

In Belarus the major systems of energy, transport and communications and the branches which consume the national natural resources are under state control. Special attention is drawn to agriculture.

The economic course of Belarus is toward a socially oriented market economy which combines private enterprise and the modern level of social guarantees (living, health care, education) by means of state regulation.

WORD STUDY

Ex. 1. Study the different meanings of the word following words and use them to translate

the sentences.

a) maintain v 1. поддерживать, сохранять

2. содержать

3. утверждать

maintenance n1. поддержание, сохранение

2. содержание

3. эксплуатационные расходы, стоимость содержания

4. техническое обслуживание и ремонт

1. The state is pledged (связывать обещанием) to maintain full employment.

2. A man may buy a car or some service which helps him maintain his car.

3. Equilibrium will be maintained as long as the spending is exactly matched by an equal volume of injections – investments, government spending and export sales.

4. More and better machines, buildings, tools and equipment are necessary to maintain economic growth.

b) term n1. срок

2. четверть, семестр

3. термин

terms n1. условия

2. отношения

in terms of в плане; с точки зрения

to come to terms - придти к соглашению с кем-л.

1. The president spoke about things he was going to realize during his term of office.

2. It is essential for the future of the country that two opposing sides should come to terms.

3. The academic year consists of two terms.

4. He sees everything in terms of money.

5. What are your terms of delivery?

6. We are on easy terms with them.

7. The activities of people are measurable in terms of payment received.

Ex. 2. Match the words listed below with their definitions.

1. ____ inflation a) land used or suitable for farming.

2. ____ partner b) something that belongs to someone.

3. ____ enterprise c) an ally or companion.

4. ____ expenditure d) the act of production or manufacture

5. ____ property d) something expended, such as money or time.

6. ____ output e) the produce of cultivated plants, esp. cereals, vegetables and

fruit.

5. ____ crop f) a progressive increase in the general level of prices.

6. ____ farm land g) a business unit; a company or a firm.

Ex. 3. Complete the following sentences with the appropriate terms from the list below.

agriculture farming heavy industry forest reserves

service industries trading partner small businesses potassium salts

farmland livestock industrial production

1. Minerals are used in modern ___________.

2. The country has large _________.

3. Belarus possesses one of the world’s largest reserves of _________.

4. _________ is the most highly developed sector of the economy.

5. _________ accounts for about a seventh of Belarus’ economic output.

6. Belarus has a large amount of ________.

7. A short growing season and a lack of fertile soil make _________ difficult.

8. Cattle, hogs and sheep are the most important ________ raised in the country.

9. ________ are industries that produce services, not goods.

10. Many individuals and families are starting ________.

11. Russia, which supplies most of the country’s fuel imports, is the most important ________.

Ex. 4. Find the English equivalents to the following words and phrases.

1. с точки зрения (в плане) природных богатств ________________________________

2. мировой лидер _________________________________________________________

3. высокоразвитая промышленная страна ______________________________________

4. отсутствие плодородных земель ____________________________________________

5. малый бизнес ____________________________________________________________

6. завоевать независимость ___________________________________________________

7. открытая рыночная экономика ______________________________________________

8. создавать равные условия __________________________________________________

9. государственное регулирование _____________________________________________

10. торговый партнер ________________________________________________________

11. контролировать покупку и продажу земли ____________________________________

Ex. 5. Translate the words and phrases in brackets into English.

1. Belarus has (хорошо развитую) economy.

2. The country has small (запасы) of petroleum and gas.

3. Machine-building industry is mostly (сосредоточена) in Minsk.

4. Agriculture (составляет) about a seventh of Belarus’ economic output.

5. ( В недалеком прошлом) service industries were undeveloped in Belarus.

6. Belarus (потребляет) only 13 per cent of the goods produced.

7. Most industries continue to be (под государственным контролем).

8. Special attention (уделяется) agriculture.

9. Today private economic activity (процветает).

10. The market is controlled by various (рычагами).

Ex. 6. Make up sentences with the jumbled words.

1. has / reserves / the country / forest / large.

2. country / now / industrial / is / a highly developed / Belarus.

3. economic activity / today / is / private / flourishing.

4. sale / government / Belarus / purchase / in / controls / of land / and.

5. a world leader / is / the production / the country / of / also / peat / in

Ex. 7. Group the words that follow into six antonymous groups:

cheap high poor rich

employment long private short

expensive low public unemployment

Ex. 8. Match the verbs in column A with the nouns in column B.

A B

to posses business

to manufacture inflation

to cultivate the economy

to start computers

to conduct reserves

to ensure land area

to control manufactures

to stimulate prosperity

to encourage trade

COMPREHENSION

Ex. 9. Select the correct answer.

1. Belarus has vast amounts of

1. most of the minerals used in modern industrial production

2. petroleum and natural gas

3. potassium salts

4. coal

2. The country is a wold leader in the production of

1. peat

2. petroleum

3. gold

4. coal

3. The most highly developed sector of the economy is

1. chemical industry

2. heavy industry

3. food industry

4. textile industry

4. The agricultural sector is dominated by

1. state and private farms

2. collective and private farms

3. state and collective farms

4. private farms

5. What factors make farming difficult?

1. a short growing season

2. a lack of fertile soil

3. soils of only moderate fertility

4. all of the above

6. The transition to private farm is

1. quick

2. easy

3. efficient

4. none of the above

7. A great amount of goods produced by Belarusian industries and agriculture is oriented towards

1. Germany and Italy

2. Great Britain and the United States

3. Russia, Ukraine and Poland

4. China and Austria

8. The Republic of Belarus is forming

1. a mixed economy

2. a command economy

3. an open market- type economy

4. a closed economy

Ex. 10. Do you think the following statements are true or false? Discuss your answers in

pairs.

1. The national economy of Belarus is well-developed.

2. Belarus has vast amounts of most of the minerals used in modern industrial production.

3. The country has large reserves of petroleum and natural gas.

4. The country is a world leader in the production of peat.

5. Belarus is heavily dependent on oil and gas supplies from Russia.

6. Heavy industry is the least developed sector of the economy.

7. The chief chemical product is potassium fertilizer.

8. Agriculture accounts for about a half of Belarus’ economic output.

9. Belarus has a large amount of farmland.

10. The agricultural sector in Belarus is dominated by private sector.

11. The transition to private farms is slow and difficult.

12. Service industries are well developed in Belarus.

13. Belarus consumes most of the goods produced.

14. Great Britain is the most important trade partner of Belarus.

15. Belarusian government is sure that market economy cannot solve all the economic problems.

QUESTIONS

1. Is Belarus reach in natural resources?

2. The country is a world leader in the production of peat, isn’t it?

3. Is Belarus a highly developed industrial country?

4. What are the main industries of the country?

5. What does Belarus manufacture?

6. What is the share of agriculture in Belarus’ economic output?

7. What factors make farming difficult in the country?

8. What are the most important livestock raised in the country?

9. What kind of farms are there in Belarus?

10. Why were service industries underdeveloped in Belarus?

11. Is private economic activity flourishing in the Republic?

12. What are the main trade partners of Belarus?

13. What are the nation’s major exports?

14. What does Belarus import?

15. What should an open market-type economic system ensure?

16. What are the main levers of state regulation?

17. What is a long-term development goal for Belarus?

18. What does Belarus government control?

DISCUSS THE FOLLOWING POINTS IN YOUR GROUP

1. The Belarussian people have not exhausted their spiritual, moral and intellectual potential. They demonstrate their best qualities: wisdom, spiritual soundness, hard will and reason..

2. Belarus is now performing three most difficult transitions: from dictatorship to democracy, from a planned economy to a socially oriented economy, from a satellite state to a sovereign state.

3. Reforming industrial enterprises and their re-orientation to increasing production efficiency and production competitiveness is one of the main tasks of today.

4. We cannot do today without new foreign technologies and direct investments, the solution of our problems may take many years.

GRAMMAR FOCUS

Ex. 11. Translate into Russian. (The Participle II)

1. Put simply, a business process is the set of activities performed to serve a customer.

2. The information obtained is very valuable.

3. The house restored by the Johnsons is quite unusual.

4. Taxes placed on goods and services are known as indirect taxes as opposed to direct taxes

which are placed on income and wealth.

5. The quantity of labour derived from a given stock of population depends upon several factors.

Ex. 12. Complete the following sentences with one of the prepositions.

of in to from

1. A factory plans to sell 10,000 units ______ its product ______ the coming year.

2. It can be seen _______ Table 14-2 that 20 per cent _______ sales, for example, is equivalent

______ 25 per cent of cost.

3. Most _____ the industrialized and less developed countries have experienced rapid rises ____

prices ______ their economies.

4. _____ real life, perfect knowledge about the prices _______ goods and resources is by no

means a free good.

UNIT 10 INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS

Text 1