Ruined Holiday

When we (arrive back) home safely last summer our friends often (ask) us, “How you (enjoy) your holiday?” We (think) the holiday would be good, but it actually (turn into) an absolute disaster, we (have) nothing but trouble.

In the first place, when we (get off) the plane at Malaga we (be) very tired, even though we had a good flight. We (look) for the bus to transfer our tourist group to the hotel, but it (not come). We (wait) until 1 o’clock in the morning and then my husband and I (decide) to take a taxi - and that (cost) us Ј40. Then, to make matters worse, my husband (leave) his wallet in the taxi by mistake. Finally, the hotel (be) terrible. We (cannot sleep) because there was so much noise from the disco downstairs, and it (go on) till about three o’clock in the morning. On top of that, there (not be) any water in the swimming pool for the first three days. We just (lie) on the beach all day and (get) dreadfully sunburnt. After coming back we (go) to the Travel Agency with which we (book) the holiday. The Travel Agent (begin) asking us questions: “You (book) this holiday with us?”, “You really (pay) Ј40 for the taxi?” We (understand) he (not want) to refund our expenses for the taxi.

Exercise 8

Match the following words in (A) with the words in (B). Give Russian equivalents for the resulting word combinations. Consult TEXT A if necessary.

A	B
1 advanced 2 trading 3 sturdy 4 to fall 5 consumer 6 to maintain 7 affluent 8 to preserve 9 to sign 10 to expand 11 crumbling 12 free-market	1 sharply 2 goods 3 relations 4 rapidly 5 independence 6 a treaty 7 nations 8 countries 9 barrier 10 infrastructure 11 consumers 12 economies

Exercise 9

Decide which of these time prepositions completes each sentence: at - for- on - in - by - during - until - to - past - before - after - (nothing).

1 The bank was founded ____ 1990, to be more exact, it was

founded ____ 7th September, 1990.

2 The accountants’ and bankers’ conventions were held ____

the same month.

3 Many New York stores stay open ____ 9 p.m.

4 The annual students’ conference was scheduled ____ Tuesday, April 17.

5 He learnt English ____ 30 weeks.

6 ____ the end of the 1980s the trade between Asian and Pacific

economies constituted almost half of the world’s trade.

7 The conference is going to be held ____ next week.

8 We met him at the station ____ Friday. (BrE)

9 She arrived in New York ____ Wednesday. (AmE)

10 This article was published ____ November, 1995.

12 What are you doing ____ the weekend? - I am not busy ____

Sunday. We can meet ____ 9 o’clock ____ the morning.

1 3 What time is it now? - It’s ten minutes eight (BrE, AmE)

Exercise 10

The language of statistics is essential for any economist. Look through the typical word-combinations to describe economic GROWTH or SLUMP. Make up your own sentences in English describing the economic situation in the area where you live.

a sharp rise in prices/ in unemployment/ in sales

a gradual rise in economy

a slight rise in interest rates

a slight fall in price

a gradual fall in unemployment

a sharp fall (slump) in sales

1 The sales of alcohol 2 Prices of agricultural products 3 The price of oil

increased went up rose grew went down fell dropped decreased

by 30% sharply twofold 2.5 times

last year

The Company

increased raised lowered decreased

spending the price of petrol

by 30% from $15 to $12 a barrel twofold

Note: a salary/ pay raise (AmE), a salary/ pay rise (BrE)

GRAMMAR GUIDE 2

There are three main TENSES in English - Simple Present, Simple Past and Simple Future. By TENSES we understand the relationship between the form of the verb and our concept of time (present, past or future). Each TENSE form can be combined with one of the ASPECT forms or with both. ASPECT expresses the manner in which a verbal action is regarded, for example, as COMPLETE (perfective aspect) or IN PROGRESS (progressive/continuous aspect). This grammar section gives a simple but thorough explanation of the perfect tenses.

Present Perfect: Use the following rule to form the Present Perfect Tense.

Active

subject + has/ have + V₃ (past participle) ...

Passive

subject + has/ have been + V₃ (past participle) ...

question word (except “when”)

+ has/ have + subject + V3 ... ?

The Present Perfect is used to talk about :

1) actions that happened at an indefinite time in the past:

e.g. Over the past three thousand years, the world has changed its

main centre of economic activity many times. (We don’t know

“when” exactly, only a period in the past is indicated).

2) actions and situations which began in the past and have continued until

the moment when we speak:

e.g. England has often preferred to maintain closer relations with its

former colonies around the world than with its European neighbours.

3) actions that began in the past and are still occurring in the present:

e.g. I have lived in this town for 10 years/ since 1985. (I still live in

this town).

e.g. Communism has always been regarded as a decentralized

community-based system where economic life is organized on the principle: “from each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs”. (And it is still regarded as ... )

The adverbs ALREADY, YET, EVER are often used with the Present Perfect Tense:

e.g. The researchers have already recorded the results of the experiment.

e.g. Have you ever travelled abroad?

e.g. We haven’t written our report yet.

e.g. Has the postman been yet?

Remember: The Present Perfect Tense is often used to talk about recent past actions and present results, to talk about actions and situations which have completely finished but are important or interesting now. In other words, there is a link between recent past actions and present results or consequences.

e.g. I have studied English for six years. (Present result: I can speak

English rather well).

e.g. I‘ve seen that film. (Present result: I can tell you the contents

of the film).

Note: The English Present Perfect forms correspond to the Past and Present tense-forms in Russian:

e.g. Our schedule has changed, and we hope it is for the last time. -

Наше расписание изменилось, и мы надеемся, что это в

последний раз.

e.g. How long have you known about that? - Сколько времени вы уже

знаете об этом?

e.g. They have owned their property since 1970. - Они владеют

своей собственностью с 1970 года.

Exercise 11

Put the verbs in brackets into the Simple Past or the Present Perfect.

1 The American automobile designer and manufacturer Henry

Ford (found) the company about one hundred years ago.

2 Last week the company (announce) a drop in profits.

3 How many jobs (have) you since you left school?

4 I (use) a photocopier to make six copies of the contract.

5 Profits in the second quarter (fall) by 50%.

6 When you (apply) for the job?

7 I am tired. I (interview) 12 candidates for the job this morning.

8 (Type) she the letter yet? - No, she (have). - When you (give) her

the letter to type?

9 The manager was away yesterday. He (not discuss) this problem

with the chairman.

10 He already (borrow) the money from the bank.

11 So far this year profits (fall) by 24%.

12 This bank (allocate) $5,000 to promotion for Figure Skating

Championship in 1996.

13 Both computer companies (begin) to make word processing software

two years ago. They (invest) Ј10 million in this business so far.

14 (Work) you ever with statistics? No, I am not a statistician. I (not like)

statistics when I (be) at the University.

15 I (look through) the advertisements in the newspaper, but all of

them offer goods and services I don’t need.

16 (Pay) he his loan with very high interest? - I don’t know exactly. It

seems to me it is about 10%.

17 Jeans sales (go up) in Russia.

18 Last year several private companies (apply) to the bank for credit,

but they (be refused) loans.

19 When you (decide) to place your money on deposit in this bank?

20 You (be dismissed) ever from a job?

GRAMMAR GUIDE 2 (continued)

Past Perfect: Use the following rule to form the Past Perfect:

A

subject + had + V₃ (past participle) ...

ctive

Passive

subject + had been + V₃ (past participle) ...

The Past Perfect is used to indicate:

An action that happened BEFORE another action in the past; usually there are two actions in the sentence and one of the actions is often the result of the previous action, state or event.

e.g. In the Far East, Japan was booming and had become the

second largest economy in the free world.

e.g. The student had gone to the library before he went home.

e.g. He told us yesterday that he had visited the USA in 1996.

Remember: With BEFORE and UNTIL the action in the Past Perfect can emphasize achievement or completion of something:

e.g. Before she got home he had cooked the dinner. - Он приготовил

обед до того, как она пришла домой.

e.g. Before she had got home he cooked the dinner - Прежде чем она

пришла домой, он приготовил обед.

e.g. He didn’t reach the station until after the train had left. - Он

добрался до вокзала после того, как поезд уже ушел.

Exercise 12

Put the verbs in brackets into the Simple Past or the Past Perfect.

1 By the time he (arrive) we (prepare) all the necessary documents

for signing.

2 Although I (study) French for two years, I still (cannot say) much

on holiday in France last summer.

3 Until yesterday I (be) not sure if they ( be picked up) at the airport by

the tour company.

4 They (tell) me last week that he (be given) a pay raise/ rise.

5 We (book) the holiday before we (realize) there was an air

traffic controllers’ strike.

6 We (see) on the news yesterday that he (win) the election.

7 After a morning during which he (stay) mostly at his desk, avoiding

people whom he (not need) to see, Wainwright ( leave) for lunch alone.

He (return) in time to keep an appointment with Vandervoort. (Haily)

8 Why you (not tell) me that he (phone)?

Exercise 13

Translate into English in writing using the vocabulary of TEXT A.

1 Экономический подъем некоторых стран после второй мировой

войны основывался главным образом на производстве и экспорте

потребительских товаров и услуг.

2 Многие страны Европы решили устранить экономические барьеры

между ними на пути к свободному движению людей, товаров,

услуг и денег.

3 Страны “тихоокеанского кольца” развивались после войны очень

быстро, создавая миллионы рабочих мест, расширяя производство

на основе современных технологий и увеличивая свои прибыли за

счет экспорта.

4 Промышленное производство в России в 1996 году сократилось

на 29% по сравнению с 1994 годом.

5 Переходу России от социализма к капитализму мешает спад дело-

вой активности, растущая безработица и неплатежи.

6 Развивающиеся страны третьего мира включают 75% самого

бедного населения земли, но они обеспечивают только 20%

мирового экономического производства.

7 Манипулирование экономикой в 1970-е годы привело многие

страны третьего мира к провалу. Они заняли много средств у

западных банков, но не смогли выплатить свои долги.

Exercise 14

Speak on the topic “World Economy after World War II”. Make use of the additional vocabulary below.

1 the country’s share in the world - доля страны в мировой

trade торговле

2 to decline to/ by ... % - сокращаться до/ на ... %

3 to impose a ban on the imports - вводить запрет на импорт

4 to lift the ban on the imports - снять запрет на импорт

5 liberalization of foreign trade - либерализация внешней

торговли

6 the country has largely benefited - страна извлекла большую

from ... выгоду из ...

7 shortage of foreign currency/ of - нехватка иностранной/ твердой

hard currency валюты

8 to exchange currency - обменивать валюту

9 trading partners - торговые партнеры

10 duties on a wide range of - пошлины на целый ряд

commodities потребительских товаров

11 to sign a long-term trade - подписать долгосрочное торговое

agreement соглашение

12 to promote exports - стимулировать экспорт

13 to expand exports - увеличивать/ расширять экспорт

14 a sharp rise in the demand - резкое увеличение спроса

for imports на импортные товары

15 to occupy the ... place in the - занимать ... место в мире по ...

world as to ...

16 the export prices are stable - экспортные цены стабильны

17 the statistics for ... show an - статистические данные на ... (год)

increase/ a fall/ of ... % in ... говорят об увеличении (падении) на

... % в ...

18 to maintain the price stability - поддерживать стабильные цены

19 trade relations - торговые отношения

20 the exports account for ... % - экспорт составляет ... % от

from the volume of the объема предыдущего года

previous year

GRAMMAR GUIDE 3

For economists, the accurate and appropriate use of numbers is very important. Errors in number use can cause confusion. Because the question of whether to express numbers in figures or in words is difficult for many people. Just as there are certain times when it is more appropriate to use words to state numbers, there are other times when it is more appropriate to use figures.