IV. А) Выполните копр №1.

b) В следующих предложениях подчеркните герундий и инфинитив. Переведите предложения на русский язык.

1. Consumer spending is seventy percent of the economic activity in the United States.

2. Commercial properties face two serious problems: falling prices and refinancing.

3. After the recession jobs have continued to disappear, though at slower rates.

V. Прочитайте и устно переведите на русский язык весь текст.

Перепишите и письменно переведите абзацы 3, 4.

Auction History

1. The word “auction” is derived from the Latin augere which means “to increase” or “augment”. In an auction each consumer makes a bid for the product, and the highest bid wins. The exact date and time that auctions were first organized is not exactly known. Historians agree on one thing - auctions have been around for a very long time.

2. In the 5^th century, the Greeks held auctions to sell women for the purpose of marriage. The Romans were the first to organize sales of goods at auction. The Chinese used auctions to sell surplus property to raise money for their religious leaders and temples.

3. The Вritish organized regular auctions of books and art in the 1600’s. In some parts of England during the 17^th and 18^th centuries “auction by candle” was used for the sale of goods and leasehold. This auction began by lighting a candle after which bids were offered in ascending order until the candle burnt out. The high bid won the auction. In the late 17^th century auctions came to be held in coffeehouses and taverns throughout London. Such auctions were held daily, and catalogues were printed. In the early 18^th century the great auction houses were created: Sotheby’s and Christie’s. English auction is also known as an open ascending price auction. This type of auction is the most common form of auction in use today.

4. Over the years auctioneering has been progressing and changing, and today it remains more popular than ever. Mostly everything can be sold by auction: antiques, household items, automobiles, land, livestock, designer clothes, etc. Auctioning is becoming more and more common on the World Wide Web, and auctioning websites have become very big business.

VI. Определите, являются ли приведенные ниже утверждения:

a) истинными (true)

b) ложными (false)

c) в тексте нет информации (no information)

1. The Greeks were the first to organize sales of goods at auction.

2. In Вabylon auctions of women for marriage were held annually.

3. Women were auctioned for marriage in the 5^th century.

Занесите свои ответы в таблицу:

1	2	3

VII. Прочитайте абзац 2 и ответьте письменно на вопрос:

Who used auctions to sell surplus property to collect money for their leaders?