English for Business Management - Chapter I: Economics

Chapter I: Economics Unit 1: Economic Activity Text 1.1 Most people work in order to earn their living. They produce goods and services. Goods are either produced on farms, like maize and milk, or in factories, like cars and paper. Services are provided by such things as schools, hospitals and shops. Some people provide goods; some provide services. Other people provide both goods and services. For example, in the same garage, a man may buy a car, or he may buy some service which helps him to maintain his car. The work which people do is called their economic activity. Economic activities make up the economic system. The economic system is the sum-total of what people do and what they want. The work which people undertake either provides what they need or provides them with money. People buy essential commodities with money. Exercise 1 Answer the following questions: Why do most people work? What do they produce? Where are goods produced? What do schools, hospitals and shops provide? What two different things can a man buy in, for example, a garage? What do we call the work which people do? What is an economic system the sum-total of? What two things can work provide for the worker? Exercise 2 Change these sentences in the same way as the example. Both sentences refer to future possibilities. Example: Perhaps he will come. He may come. Perhaps he will buy a car. Perhaps we shall want some more fruit tomorrow. Perhaps they will get the essential commodities soon. Perhaps the service will stop next month. Perhaps the garage will not sell that car to him. Perhaps the economic system belongs to a city, a whole country or the whole world. Perhaps the car does not belong to those people. Perhaps he will buy some service which will help him maintain his car. Perhaps he will see the car when he comes tomorrow. Perhaps he will provide what they need when he comes. Language practice Relative pronouns Relative pronouns do two jobs at once. They are used as the subjects or objects of verbs, like other pronouns; at the same time, they join clauses together, like conjunction. Example: What’s the name of the blond girl? She just came in. What’s the name of the blond girl who just came in? The most common relative pronouns are who, whom, which and that. Who and whom are used for people; which are used for things. Example: I don’t like people who lose their tempers easily. Mexico city, which has a population of over 10 million, is probably the fastest growing city in the world. Whom (which refers to the object of a verb or a preposition) is rather unusual, especially in conversational English. It is generally either left out, or replaced by who or that. It is almost impossible in clauses that end with a preposition. Example: Do you think one should stay faithful to the person to whom one is married? That can often (but not always) be used instead of whom or which, and quite often instead of who. E.g. The trumpet is the instrument that really excites me. She is the only person that understands me. After nouns referring to times and places, when and where can be used to mean at which or in which. After the word reason, why is used to mean for which. Example: Can you suggest a time when it will be convenient to meet? Is there any reason why you should have a holiday? I know a wood where you can find wild strawberries. Whose is a possessive relative word. Example: This is Henry, whose wife works for my brother-in-law. Exercise 1 Combine these pairs of sentences as in the example: Example: The services are useful. The workers provide services. The services which the workers provide are useful. The goods are essential. They need the goods. The schools and hospitals are essential. They provide schools and hospitals. The goods are valuable. He buys the goods. The money buys essential commodities. People can earn this money. The goods and services are very useful. People produce these goods and services. The work is called economic activity. We do this work. The work provides them with money. People do this work. The economic activities make up the economic system. People undertake these economic activities. Change nouns into adjectives Exercise 2 In these sentences, certain nouns are printed in italics. Change them into adjectives which can be used in the blanks. Example: education _______ education + al _______ educational Commerce _______commerci + al _______ commercial These goods belong to the nation. They are therefore _national_______. Minerals are a part of nature. They are therefore __natural______. Schools provide education. They are therefore centers of __educational____ activity. Shops are places of commerce. They are therefore centers of ___commercial___ activity. He does not want anyone else to do this work. He wants to do the work in person. It is his _personal______ concern. Text 1.2 Most people work to earn a living, and produce goods and services. Goods are either agricultural (like maize and milk) or manufactured (like cars and paper). Services are such things as education, medicine and commerce. Some people provide goods; some provide services. Other people provide both goods and services. For example, in the same garage a man may buy a car or some service which helps him to maintain his car. The work which people do is called economic activity. All economic activities together make up the economic system of a town, a city, a country or the world. Such an economic system is the sum-total of what people do and what people want. The work people undertake either provides what people need or provides the money with which they can buy essential commodities. Of course, most people hope to earn enough money to buy commodities and services which are non-essential but which provide some particular personal satisfaction, like toys for children, visits to the cinema. Exercise 1 Decide whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F), and if they are false say why. Most people produce either goods or services. Services are either agricultural or manufactured. Education and medicine are provided by schools and hospitals. Cars and paper are agricultural goods. Paper is non- agricultural commodity. The work which people do is called an economic system. A city has its own economic system. Economic activity is the sum-total of what people do and want. The work people undertake provides them with money, or with what they need. Most people do not want to buy non-essential commodities and services. Exercise 2 In the sentences below replace which with that. When you have done this, re-write all the sentences without either which or that. The meaning remains the same but the sentences become less formal. The goods which they wanted were essential minerals. The schools and hospitals which they provide are essential. The goods which he buys are valuable. The money which the people earned bought many commodities. The goods and services which people produce are very useful. The work which we all do is called economic activity. The work which most people do provides them with money. The economic activities which people undertake make up the economic system of a town, city, country or larger area. The economic system which people belong to is the sum-total of their needs and actions. The work which he undertook was useful but non-essential. Study the words Earn one’s living Maintain (v) Make up (v) Sum-total (n)  Undertake (v) Essential (adj) Commodity (n)   Unit 2: Different economic systems Text 2.1 Not all economic systems are the same. The economic system of the United States is very different from the economic system of the USSR. The American system is based on private enterprise. The Russian system is based on the principle of Karl Marx. Karl Marx is a political economist who lived in the 19th century. The American system is capitalistic, while the Russian system is communistic. The economic ideologies of these two nations differ very much from each other. The economic system of Britain is similar to the American system. Britain has the economic system based on private enterprise and private supplies of capitals. Property in Britain and the United States can be owned by individual citizens. The economic freedom of the citizens of Britain and America is not complete freedom. Citizens must obey the law, but otherwise they can use their time, money and effort as they wish. Exercise 1 Answer these questions, basing your answers on the text. What does the economic system of the United States differ from? What is the American system based on? What is the Russian system based on? When did Karl Marx live? What economic system is the British system similar to? On what two things is the British system based? Who can own property in the United States and Britain? What must British and American citizens obey? What three things can Britons and Americans use as they wish? Exercise 2 Make these sentences passive, as in the example Example: Most people produce goods and services. Goods and services are produced by most people. Some people provide both goods and services. Economists study the economic system. That man owns the house. They will provide shelter and clothes. Economic changes affect our lives. They will maintain his car. The economists explained the economic system. They explained the methods. He told me how the Russian system works. Exercise 3 Here are two lists. The first list contains adjectives. The second list contains nouns and noun phrases. Arrange the words in each list so that the adjectives match the nouns in ways which relate to the text. The first two are done for you. Capitalistic satisfaction Economic Russian system Private necessities Communistic enterprise Political commodities Scientific methods Basic American system Complex economist Essential ideologies Personal range Language practice Description: the use of active and passive Look at these two sentences: A. International traffic is carried by the Transit Network. B. The Transit Network carries international traffic. Both A and B are correct. The choice (A or B) depends on what you want to emphasise: “International traffic” (sentence A) or “The Transit Network” (sentence B). Now look at these two sentences: C. The economic system was based on Marx by them. D. They based the economic system on Marx. C is much better than D. The personal subject “they” does not add any information. In fact, it makes the important information more difficult to see. Exercise 1 Make these sentences passive and omit the agent phrase in the same way as in the example. Example: They based the economic system on Marx. The economic system was based on Marx by them. The economic system was based on Marx. They provided all necessary goods and services. He will supply all the essential commodities. The farmer undertook the work last week, and has just finished it. The men satisfied the economist that they would do the work rapidly. The economist described the whole economic system in a strictly scientific way. The economic system affected the people’s lives in many ways. They studied the supply of both essential and non-essential commodities. The people enjoy a strong economy in that country. The citizens exercise a considerable amount economic freedom. They must obey the law. Word formation - Suffixes When you are reading, you will come across unfamiliar words. It is often possible to guess the meanings of these words if you understand the way words in English are generally formed. Affixes Prefixes + stem + suffixes An English word can be divided into three parts: a prefix, a stem and a suffix. Pre- means “before”; a prefix, therefore, is what comes before the stem. Consider, as an example, the prefix DE- (meaning “reduce” or “reserve”) in a word like demagnetize (meaning “to deprive of magnetism”. A suffix is what is attached to the end of the stem. Consider, as an example, the suffix, -ER (meaning “someone who”) in programmer (“the person who programs”). Both prefixes and suffixes are referred to as affixes. Prefixes usually change the meaning of the word, for example, un- changes the word to a negative. Unmagnetizable means “not able of being magnetised”. Suffixes, on the other hand, change the word from one part of speech to another. For example, -ly added to the adjective quick gives the adverb quickly. Let now consider some suffixes and their usual meanings. Suffixes Nouns verbs adjectives Adverbs -ance -ize -able -ly -or -ate -ible -er -ify -less -ist -en -ic -ness -cal -ism -ish -ence -ive Exercise 2 Form new words from the words listed below. Example: capital ( capitalism ( capitalist ( capitalistic Note: The suffixes -ism = system (noun) -ist = person (noun) -istic = about the system or person (adjective). commune social national real individual Text 2.2 Not all economic systems are the same. The economic system of the USA differs greatly from the system of the USSR. The American system is based on private enterprise with private ownership of the means of production, while the Russian system is communistic and is based upon the principles of Karl Marx, the 19th century political economist. The economic ideologies of these two nations contrast very strongly. Britain is similar to the USA. It has an economic system based on private enterprise and private supplies of capital, which can be defined as surplus income available for investment in new business activities. Property in both USA and Britain can be owned by individual citizens and these citizens exercise considerable economic freedom of choice. They can choose what they want to do and how they want to earn their living, but are not of course entirely free to do as they wish. They must obey the law. Otherwise, however, they can use their time, money and effort as they wish. Exercise 1 Decide whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F), and if they are false say why. The economic systems of the USA and USSR are the same. In the USA the means of production are privately owned. Karl Marx was an eighteenth century economic thinker. The British system is based on the principles of Karl Marx. Because British has a system of private enterprise, we can say that its economy is similar to the American economy. Capital is essentially surplus income used for business activities. Individual citizens in Britain and the United States have complete economic freedom. British citizens can choose what they want to do as long as they obey the law. Exercise 2 Find single words in the first paragraph of the text for which these words could be substituted. a. founded b. possession c. main teaching d. countries Find single words in the second paragraph of the text for which these words could be substituted. a. stores b. described c. extra d. single e. have and use f. selection g. pick h. completely i. follow j. physical power Study the words Principle (n) Economist (n) Capitalistic (adj) Communistic (adj) Ideology (n)  Obey (v) Otherwise (adv) Contrast (v) Surplus income (n) Entirely (adv)   Unit 3: Mixed economies Text 3.1 No state today is completely communistic; no state is completely capitalistic. The various national economic systems tend towards communism or capitalism, and many are difficult to classify exactly. It has been found necessary in many countries to control or regulate national economic conditions. Even the most dedicated free enterprise systems, such as the USA, have felt this need. The under-developed countries of the world are usually interested in control and long-term planning. Such countries as India have had a number of plans guided by the government. India makes a distinction between the public sector of the economy on the one hand and the private sector on the other hand. Such systems, with public and private sectors, are neither communistic nor capitalistic, but are sometimes called mixed economies. Britain today has a mixed economy. In the public sector of British economic life are the nationalized industries like coal and steel, British Rail and BOAC. In the private sector are the majority of the nation’s industries, both large and small. The private sector includes giant companies like ICI and BP and a great number of small family businesses. In 1962 the British government set up an official body to plan national economic policies. This body is called the National Economic Development Council. The members of this council are representatives of the employers, employees and other interested people. Exercise 1 Answer these questions. You may answer either YES or NO. Give your reasons. Quote from the text in support of your answer. Are there any completely communistic states? Are there any completely capitalistic states? Do the various national economies tend towards one or other ideology? Are the various economic systems difficult to classify? Have most countries found economic control necessary? Has the USA felt the same need? Are the under-developed countries interested in control and planning? Has the India had a number of national economic plans? Is the Indian economy based entirely on private enterprise? Does the Indian economy have two distinct sectors? Is the Indian system a mixed economy? Is BOAC a nationalized British industry? Is the ICI a nationalized British Industry? Was the NEDC set up by British government? Are both employers and employees represented on NEDC? Exercise 2 Answer these questions, basing your answer on the text. Why is it difficult to classify many national economic systems? What are the under-developed countries interested in? What are the Indian systems sometimes called? In which sector are the majority of British industries? What did the British government set up in 1962? Exercise 3 Change these sentences by changing certain adjectives into verbs. The new verbs are listed, but not in the proper order. Note that all these verbs are concerned with making something happen. Example: They made the economy regular. They regulated the economy. Complicate; consolidate; liquidate; simplify; nationalize; internationalize; activate; re-activate. They made the subject complex. They made the subject simple. They made the businesses “solid” (by bringing them together). They made the business “liquid” (by breaking it up or dissolving it) They made the economy active. They made the economy active again (or for a second time). They made the industry national (or public). They made the business international. Language practice Suffixes -ify and -cation Exercise 1 Study the table. It shows how words can be formed by adding the suffixes -ify and –cation (with suitable changes in spelling). Example: simple ____ simplify _____ simplification Use the table and the example to help you fill in the blank in the sentences Simple Note Pure Class Clear (= clar-)  ify    ification   NOTE: remember to remove the “e” in simple, note and pure. This plan is not simple enough. We must therefore _______ it. The ______ of plan is essential. The economy of that country belongs in the Marxist group or class. We must therefore ______ it as communistic. The _______ of the economy of that country is not difficult. That water is not pure enough. It is necessary therefore to _______ it. The ________ of the water is a matter of public health. Please send a note