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I. Give the English equivalents to:

Экономический рост, распределение, потребительские товары, материальные потребности, благосостояние, спад, экономический цикл, блага, капиталистическая система, изобилие, услуги, инвестиции, экономическая деятельность.

II. Find words and expressions that mean:

1. a man who is employed to look after a house and lands (old use);

2. a period of time;

3. a prosperous democratic society;

4. to spend much time in communication;

5. to move violently in a certain direction;

6. fast growth in any sphere of life;

7. deathless and timeless things;

8. to adapt to new conditions.

III. Match the terms with their definitions:

1. Goods

A. the period that is characterized by high unemployment, low prices, low business activity, etc.

2. Services

B. the dividing up of something among a number of people or places

3. Consumable goods

C. the process of giving and receiving by common agreement

4. Production

D. things in everyday use such as food, clothing, and personal services, such as those of doctors, etc.

5. Distribution

E. the work done by an employee, consultant or helper of any kind

6. Exchange

F. all personal movable property other than money

7. Depression

G. the act of using money to obtain profits

8. Investment

H. the act or process of manufacturing something

IV. Divide the text into 4 parts and formulate the main idea of each of them.

V. Answer the following questions:

1. Where does the word “economics” come from?

2. How can the word oikonomos be interpreted?

3. How can you describe a slave society and the modern world in terms of prosperity? Give your own examples.

4. What is the aim of business?

5. What are the three components of business?

6. What is the connection between prosperity and a liberal life? Can you explain your point of view?

7. How did Th. Carlyle characterize economics? Do you think Carlyle’s definition is still applicable?

8. Why is it important for us to change our attitude to material things?

VI. Give a summary of the text. Economic systems: two important distinctions

Economic systems can be distinguished along many lines, but two are most fundamental. The first is: How is economic activity coordinated – by the market or by the plan?

The question does not, of course, demand an “either, or” answer. Rather the choice extends over a wide range from pure laissez-faire to rigid central planning. Society must decide which decisions it wants made in markets by individual businesses and consumers acting in their own self-interests, and which decisions it wants centrally planned so that businesses and consumers act more “in the national interest”.

The second crucial distinction among economic systems concerns who owns the means of production. Specifically, are they privately owned by individuals or publicly owned by the state? Again, there is a wide range of choice and, to our knowledge, there are no examples of nations at either the capitalist extreme where all property is privately owned or at the socialist extreme where no private property whatever is permitted. For example, while most industries are privately owned in the United States, a few are not. Many business owners face restrictions on what they can do with their capital. Automobile companies must comply with environmental and safety regulations. Private communication and transportation companies may have both their prices and conditions of service regulated by the government. Even in China, where large enterprises are publicly owned, anyone who can afford it can own a car, a bank account, or even a small business.

People tend to merge the two distinctions and think of capitalist economies as those with both a great deal of privately owned property and heavy reliance on free markets. By the same token, socialist economies typically are thought of as highly planned, as were those in the former Soviet bloc.

However, while there is an undeniable association between private ownership in a country and the degree to which it relies on markets, it is a mistake to regard these two features as equivalent. Socialism can exist with markets and capitalism can exist with rigid state planning. So, in thinking abstractly about a society’s choice among economic systems, it is best to keep the two distinctions separate.

History holds examples of planned, capitalist economies-such as Germany under Hitler, Italy under Mussolini, and Argentina under Juan Peron. To a much lesser extent, Japan and the other “Asian tigers” have also planned their capitalist economies-apparently with great success.

TASKS

I. Give the English equivalents to:

Экономическая система, невмешательство, жесткое центральное планирование, средства производства, частная собственность, сталкиваться с ограничениями, правила безопасности, предприятие, частное предприятие, общественное предприятие.

II. Answer the following questions:

1. What are the two fundamental distinctions of economic system?

2. Give examples of the capitalist extreme or the socialist extreme?

3. Are all the industries in the US privately owned?

4. Can socialism exist with markets and can capitalism exist with rigid state planning?

III. Complete the following sentences:

1. The first fundamental distinction among economic systems is…

2. The second crucial distinction among economic systems is…

3. Capitalist economies are based on a great deal of…

4. Socialist economies are thought of as…

IV. Match a line in A with a line in B:

A

B

1. Important

1. Account

2. Rigid

2. Business

3. Small

3. Regulations

4. National

4. Market

5. Publicly (privately)

5. Planning

6. Safety

6. Interest

7. Bank

7. Owned

8. Free

8. Distinction

V. Are the following statements true or false? Correct the false ones:

1. There are three fundamental distinctions among economic systems.

2. Most industries are privately owned in the US.

3. Business owners don’t face restrictions on what they can do.

4. In China anyone (who can afford it) can own a small business.

5. Socialism can exist with markets.

6. There are examples of nations who are at either a capitalist extreme or at a socialist extreme.

7. Capitalism can’t exist with rigid state planning.

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