Английский язык. Ознакомительное чтение: Практикум для студентов экономических специальностей

Одобрены на заседании кафедры «Межкультурные коммуникации», протокол №3 от 28.10.2008 г.

Утверждены УМСС 080502.65 «Экономика и управление на предприятии сферы сервиса», протокол №4 от 8.04.2009 г.

Стерина М.Б. Английский язык. Ознакомительное чтение. Практикум
для студентов 1 и 2 курса экономических специальностей / М.Б. Стерина,
Л.С. Маслова, Н.В. Тищук. – СПб.: Изд-во СПбГУСЭ, 2009. – 27 с.

Настоящий практикум предназначен для студентов I-II курсов экономических специальностей. Его задача способствовать развитию навыков ознакомительного чтения по изучаемой студентами специальности. Ознакомительное чтение предполагает общий охват содержания конкретной статьи, умение выделить в прочитанном материале проблемы и пути их решения. Материалом практики послужили статьи, публикуемые на сайте.

Рекомендуется для студентов СПбГУСЭ, а также для всех желающих повысить свой уровень владения английским языком в области экономики. Может быть использован как для занятий под руководством преподавателя, так и для самостоятельной работы.

Составители: ст. преп. М.Б. Стерина;

ст. преп. Л.С. Маслова;

асс. Н.В. Тищук

Рецензент: доц. М.А. Никитина

© Санкт-Петербургский государственный университет

сервиса и экономики

2009 г.

оглавление

1. French economic changes ahead....................................... 4

2. Zimbabwe's $10m banknotes...................................................... 6

3. China economic growth............................................................. 7

4. BA and Virgin to pay for price fixing............................... 9

5. Teacake wrangle.......................................................................... 11

6. Truckers strike worldwide.................................................. 13

7. Germany, Liechtenstein in tax row................................. 16

8. Commodities prices fall......................................................... 18

9. Tax System in Russia.................................................................... 20

10. Monetary and Fiscal Policy................................................ 22

11. Monetary Policy......................................................................... 25

Список литературы........................................................................ 27

1. French economic changes ahead

The economy is one of the most important and urgent issues for Nicholas Sarkozy, France's new President. He focussed on change during his election campaign, but trade unions are expected to strongly disagree with some of the changes he is planning.

There's no doubting the scale of the economic problems facing Nicholas Sarkozy. France's unemployment rate hasn't fallen below 8 percent in a quarter of a century and its economic growth rate during 2006 was the slowest of any nation in the European Union, except Portugal. But the new President has promised change.

He wants to make it easier for businesses to hire and fire workers. Anyone who rejects a job offer will lose their unemployment benefit. The civil service will be slimmed down to help fund big tax cuts for both businesses and individuals. And any time the French work above the thirty-five hour week will be completely tax free.

These measures won't go down well with trade unions – who in the past have organised campaigns of open defiance to force French presidents with plans for painful reform to back down. But Mr. Sarkozy has made it an election pledge that unions will no longer be able to bring the country to a standstill. Workers in key areas like public transport will face new requirements to provide minimum levels of service even during strikes. The unions may not like it – but the new President's entire programme of reform depends on his winning any standoff.

a quarter of a century

twenty-five years – a century is one hundred years

hire and fire

employ and sack or dismiss from a job, e.g. because of poor work, bad behaviour or lack of money within the business

unemployment benefit

money that's paid to people to live on until they find a job

slimmed down

reduced, here, made up of a smaller number of people

won't go down well

will not be popular, seen as positive, easily accepted

open defiance

obvious disobedience, very public refusals to cooperate

to back down

to change their minds, discontinue their plans

to bring the country to a standstill

to completely stop the country from functioning normally

reform

planned changes for improvement

standoff

a tense time during which all negotiations have come to a stop and neither side will compromise

Answer the questions:

1.  On what did Nicholas Sarkozy focussed during his election campaign?

2.  What was the economic growth rate during 2006?

3.  What has the new President promised?

4.  Who will lose the unemployment benefit and why?

5.  And what will be with the French work above the thirty five hour week?

6.  What measures has Mr. Sarkozy taken that unions will no longer be able to bring the country to a standstill?

Find Russian equivalents to the following expressions from the text:

hire and fire, unemployment benefit, open defiance, to bring the country to a standstill.

Translate the following passage.

There's no doubting the scale of the economic problems facing Nicholas Sarkozy. France's unemployment rate hasn't fallen below 8 percent in a quarter of a century and its economic growth rate during 2006 was the slowest of any nation in the European Union, except Portugal