Activities

• Read the following remarks and respond to them immediately (as in the conversa­ tion).

• Is Miss Wilson expecting you?

• Could 1 have your name?

• Miss Wilson is in conference. Would you mind waiting?

• She'll be free in about 31) minutes.

• Would you like to sec someone else who can deal with the matter?

• Would you like to make an appointment with her for some other time?

• Docs Miss Wilson have your telephone number?

• Make up yaur own conversation for the situation, changing the circumstances the way you like.

Role-play

Situation: Work together in groups of three or four. Imagine you have been asked for proposals from the local government organising a campaign for the cleaner city. Think about:

• The ecological problems of the city;

• The ecological problems which concern you most;

• The particular difficulties the authorities may encounter;

• Your suggestions about how to solve the problems;

• What will happen if the problems are not solved.

Discuss your ideas in groups, and come to a joint decision. Be prepared to present your ideas at a meeting with the local authorities and to justify your ideas.

II.

World Trends. Globalisation

¹ a) Read and translate the text, b) Answer the comprehension questions to the text.

Text a

"Arguing Against Globalisation Is Like Arguing Against the Law of Gravity"

More and more often the term "globalisation" is used to describe the current trend in the development of mankind. Cross-border trad­ing is growing, companies are getting global, capital markets are be­coming international.

Globalisation is a process in which individual national economies increase their links with others, which leads to their greater interde­pendence. However, this process is causing heated debate. On the one hand, it is obvious that globalisation will lead to the growth in world trade in goods and services; it will mean greater movement of jobs and capital across borders, it will bring about an increase in foreign direct investment and technology transfer between countries. The availability of global finance and lower trade barriers will be, additional advantages benefiting businesses.

Globalisation is an opportunity to expand international standards in law, social development and human rights. Globalisation is seen by many people as a force for social change that will help to close the gap between the rich and the poor, the industrialised north and the devel­oping south.

There are fears, however, that globalisation driven by market forc­es, does not guarantee that participants will benefit equally from in­creased prosperity. Globalisation may bring with it some job destruc­tion in individual economies, lower wages particularly for less skilled workers. There is no guarantee that countries will maintain economic stability in the whole system in the interest of all national economies.

Globalisation, like any other large process is changing the way of life to which we are accustomed and it may have painful consequences.

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Unit 6

II. World Trends. Globalisation

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