Денис Шевчук - Английский для экономистов (учебник английского языка)

Positive Economics

– the study of what is, and how the economy works.

Normative Economics

– the study of how the economy should be, from society’s standpoint.

Ex. 1. To show that you understand the words given above, choose the best word to complete the following sentences. Add noun, verb or adverb endings if necessary.

1. Home … is a subject studied at school and college in which students are taught how to run a house well and efficiently.

2. New England’s … is still largely based on manufacturing.

3. All Western … are competing against each other.

4.These businesses contribute hundreds of millions of pounds to the … of the country.

5. I switched off the lights as an … measure.

6. If you make …, you take action in order to save money, by not spending it on unnecessary things.

7. You’ll have to travel … class.

8. Buy our new … packs of 100.

9. If you are really going to buy a car, we’ll have to … on other things.

10. In his works he explains the ideas of the great English … J.M. Keynes.

11. She thought of herself as an … wife.

12. This system was extremely … because it ran on half-price electricity.

13. What has gone wrong with the … system during the last ten years?

14. The book is very … written, but very warm.

15. … is the oldest of social sciences.

Ex. 2. Look at the following derivatives. Use your knowledge of English and logical reasoning to explain the meaning of each word below.

system, systematic, systematically, systematize, systemic

Use these words in the following sentences .

1. The police made a .... search of the building.

2. You need some … in your work if you want to succeed.

3. I wish they’d organize themselves more … .

4. … insecticides spread all through a plant and kill any insects that feed on it.

5. This method helps … the information received.

Ex. 3. Add appropriate words where there are blanks in the sentences below and you’ll get the definitions of the words in bold. Some words can be used in their different meanings.

imply, convey, standpoint, overall, range, scarce, free, available, utility, rate, output, environment, artifact, discretion

1. The … is the total set of outside forces surrounding and shaping the behaviour of the organization and its members.

2. To … information, ideas, feelings, etc. means to cause them to be known or understood by someone.

3. Someone or something that is … is not restricted, controlled by rules, customs, or other people.

4. An … is an object that is made by a person.

5. The … of something is the total area or extent within which it can operate effectively, and beyond which it is no longer effective.

6. If something is …, there is not very much of it, and there may be enough for those who want or need it.

7. If something is …, you can have it or use it without paying for it.

8. If you … people or things, you arrange them in a line or in lines.

9. If you … that something is the case, you suggest that it is the case without actually saying so.

10. The … at which something happens is the speed at which it happens over a period of time.

11. The … of something is how useful and practical it is.

12. … is used to describe a situation in general, including everything but not considering the details.

13. The … of taxation is the level of it.

14. If something is …, you are able to use it or obtain it.

15. A … is an important service such as water, electricity, or gas provided for everyone.

16. If you … something highly, you consider that it is important.

17. Someone who is … is not busy and is therefore free for you to talk to.

18. A … is a particular way of looking at or thinking about an event, situation, or idea.

19. Someone’s … is the amount of something that they make or produce.

20. … is the quality of behaving in a quiet and controlled way without drawing attention to yourself or giving away personal or private information.

Ex. 4. Give synonyms to the following words. Be ready to give your own examples to show the difference in their meanings.

Affect, effect, aggregate, change, demand, allocate, borrow, income, seek, require, fair, refer to, scarcity, ultimate, restrict.

Ex. 5. Give the opposite meaning to each word. Make up your own sentence with each word.

Push, appear, diverse, lend, facilitate, available, output, fair, increase, completely, complicate.

Ex. 6. Consult the dictionary and find the root words to the following:

Help, participate, contribute, allocate, mean, equitable, prevent, assemble, perform, imply, consider, scarce, benefit, value, societal, vary, certainly, compete.

Ex. 7. Make the following words negative.

Regard, responsible, desirable, respective, checked, doubt, certainty.

Ex. 8. Read the following definitions. Can you guess the word they all refer to?

1. A company or a business.

2. Something new, difficult, or important that you do or try to do.

3. A system of business, especially one in a particular country.

4. The ability to think of new and effective things to do, together with an eagerness to do them

(You can find the word in text 1, paragraph 1).

Now check your understanding. Insert the missing words. Translate the sentences into Russian .

1. He said he had doubts about the whole … .

2. This has done much to damage national … .

3. They are known to be the men of …, energy, and ambition.

4. I admire their … in trying to start up a new business.

5. This company is one of the largest … of this kind.

Ex. 9. Study the following words and word-combinations. What are their Russian equivalents?

to aim at, to arrange (for), game plan, to go ahead, a means to an end, on purpose, to set up, to tackle, to take action (on), to take steps, to take the initiative.

Translate the following sentences into Russian.

1. Our products are aimed at working mothers.

2. Let’s arrange for a meeting now. How about Friday, nine o’clock, your office?

3. OK, so we have arranged for finance and now we can go ahead with marketing.

4. The game plan for this morning’s meeting is to finish ordinary business in the first half hour, then take time out for coffee, so that, in the second half, we can zero in on the all-important question of new product development.

5. We use special offers in order to attract bigger orders – in other words, as a means to an end.

6. We have to reduce our overhead expenses. This will lead to job losses in some departments – an unpleasant fact, I’m afraid, but the end justifies the means.

7. Although everyone has to be at the meeting on time, the chairman will be a few minutes late, as usual, He does this on purpose, just to let everyone know who’s who in charge.

8. The company was set up ten years ago.

9. The government is doing all it can do to tackle the problems of housing and unemployment.

10. We need to take firm action, now, on the reduction in our market share – before matters get worse.

11. In the course of the next day or so, we shall be taking steps to put our plans into action.

12. For this job, we’re looking for someone with a go-ahead attitude, a self-starter, someone who’s prepared to take and maintain the initiative.