Студопедия

КАТЕГОРИИ:


Архитектура-(3434)Астрономия-(809)Биология-(7483)Биотехнологии-(1457)Военное дело-(14632)Высокие технологии-(1363)География-(913)Геология-(1438)Государство-(451)Демография-(1065)Дом-(47672)Журналистика и СМИ-(912)Изобретательство-(14524)Иностранные языки-(4268)Информатика-(17799)Искусство-(1338)История-(13644)Компьютеры-(11121)Косметика-(55)Кулинария-(373)Культура-(8427)Лингвистика-(374)Литература-(1642)Маркетинг-(23702)Математика-(16968)Машиностроение-(1700)Медицина-(12668)Менеджмент-(24684)Механика-(15423)Науковедение-(506)Образование-(11852)Охрана труда-(3308)Педагогика-(5571)Полиграфия-(1312)Политика-(7869)Право-(5454)Приборостроение-(1369)Программирование-(2801)Производство-(97182)Промышленность-(8706)Психология-(18388)Религия-(3217)Связь-(10668)Сельское хозяйство-(299)Социология-(6455)Спорт-(42831)Строительство-(4793)Торговля-(5050)Транспорт-(2929)Туризм-(1568)Физика-(3942)Философия-(17015)Финансы-(26596)Химия-(22929)Экология-(12095)Экономика-(9961)Электроника-(8441)Электротехника-(4623)Энергетика-(12629)Юриспруденция-(1492)Ядерная техника-(1748)

Golden billion




2.8.

5.20. a) What is poverty? Work in a small group and brainstorm this question. b) Read the text below and discuss the evolution of poverty from early civilizations till now.


In order to reduce poverty, the causes of poverty must be fully understood. This can be difficult, because throughout history, poverty has been the natural economic state of human societies. Before 1700, most persons within a civilization lived on little to no income and fought daily for basic needs in order to survive. Life expectancy was low and high infant mortality rates were normal. Human innovation fueled the population surge seen throughout the world in the middle of the 18th century. For example, the agricultural and industrial revolutions freed many from the pangs of poverty; however, much of the world was still left behind. The industrialization of many western countries employed systems of capitalism which created incentives for citizens to manufacture goods. For the most part, the governments of these countries furthered economic growth by fostering trade and creating lenient tax laws, so business owners were allowed to keep a large percentage of their own profits. In addition, most of the countries had rights to private property and bankruptcy laws to further entice entrepreneurs.

Poverty is incredibly hard to define. The supposed causes and consequences are potentially endless, and the analysis can become exceedingly complex. Over the past few decades alone, the definition of poverty has broadened immensely. In the most literal sense, poverty is having an income level below a set amount. However, throughout history, the definition has been expanded to reflect social aspects of poverty, including a person’s ability to afford basic needs and life expectancy.

Poverty came to the forefront of world politics in the 1970s as a result of numerous publications and a speech to the World Bank governors by Robert MacNamara in 1973. In addition, the definition of poverty expanded to not only include citizens unable to afford basic needs in the form of nutrition levels and subsistence, but also those unable to maintain socio-economic standards set by a given country. The definition of poverty continued to broaden beyond economic means and began to include social criteria such as access to healthcare and life expectancy.

Poverty continued to become increasingly more complex throughout the 1980s and into the 1990s. For the first time, there was a focus on factors that were known to increase the effects of poverty, such as drought. In addition, many were beginning to expand the use of gender roles when defining poverty. For all practical purposes, poverty was beginning to be synonymous with lack of livelihood. In fact, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) created the idea of human development: “the denial of opportunities and choices... to lead a long, healthy, creative life and to enjoy a decent standard of living, freedom, dignity, self-esteem and the respect of others.” Poverty has now become much more encompassing than a lack of income.

 

5.21. Ethiopia represents the entire continent of Africa, which has subsisted in a state of poverty and economic lethargy for most of its existence. A lot of programs have been launched to alleviate poverty in this particular country which always suffers from draughts, civil unrest and famine. One of the recent initiatives is The Millennium Development Goals (the MDGs), which are a set of objectives to eliminate poverty and its symptoms by the year 2015. Work in a group and discuss the key aims of the MDGs: first, range these goals according to their importance; second, think of possible measures to achieve each of these goals.

 

 


ACQUIRING COMMUNICATION SKILLS

- eradicate extreme hunger and poverty;

- achieve universal primary education;

- promote gender equality and empower women;

- reduce child mortality;

- improve maternal health;

- combat HIV/AIDC, malaria and other diseases;

- ensure environmental sustainability;

- develop a global partnership for development.

 

 

5.22. Work with a partner. Read the facts below and discuss them.


· Every minute of the day twenty-four people die because they do not have enough food to eat. Three-quarters of them are children under five.

· Water is the main support of life, however, it often brings death in the third World. Two out of three Africans cannot get clean water to drink. Dirty water is the cause of three quarters of all illness there.

· Another cause of death is failure of the food crops because there is not enough rain.

· However, one of the main causes of Africa’s problems is war. Often the weapons come from rich countries such as the USA or South Africa. In the past, poor African countries borrowed too much money from rich countries, and now they are struggling to pay this money back, usually with no success. This is why they have no money for food, education and healthcare. Russia often acquits African countries of their debts. Do you think other countries should follow suit, or that this practice won’t help?

 

 
 
5.23. a) Energy has always been a very important issue for poor countries, but recently the problem of energy safety has become vital for developed countries as well. In the light of this, the idea of alternative energy sources has come to the global forefront. Read the passages below and think of any disadvantages to the solutions described. b) Work with a partner and discuss which solution you think is more effective and acceptable and why. Discuss your opinions in class.

 

 


Passage 1:

The nuclear fuel we use is uranium, a resource which is not only plentiful but logical since there is no other day-to-day use for it. It is also extraordinarily efficient: two uranium pellets the size of sugar cubes will meet the electricity needs of one person for an entire year.

Passage 2:

Today the Centre for Alternative Technology produces almost all the electricity it needs using the wind, the sun and water. Water supplies about 55% of the electricity, the wind supplies 25%, and 10% is from solar energy. A diesel generator provides the rest.

 
 
c) Answer the following questions.


1. What difficulties might arise when trying to persuade people to use alternative sources of energy?

2. What changes in the energy supply would you agree to if you thought it would make a difference to the environment?

3. Do you think there is too much emphasis on environmental issues in the media? Why do you think so? Can media help in solving environmental problems?

 

5.24. Read the following citations about nature, war and poverty and comment on each. Which one do you like best? Why?


Citations about nature, war and poverty:

1. Seen from within, nature is a war of living powers of will. (Karl Heim)

2. [Nature is] an infinite pleasure-ground, where all may graze, and where the more bite, the longer the grass grows, the sweeter is its flavour, and the more it nourishes. (Thomas Henry Huxley)

3. [Nature is] the background and theatre of the tragedy of man. (John Morley)

4. [Nature is] nothing but the existence of the divine omnipotence. (Immanuel Kant)

5. [Poverty is] the discoverer of all the arts. (Apollonius)

6. [Poverty is] the wicked man’s temper, the good man’s perdition, the proud man’s curse, the melancholy man’s halter. (Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton)

7. Poverty consists in feeling poor. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

8. [Poverty is] a great wealth. (Epicurus)

9. [Poverty is] a great enemy to human happiness; it […] destroys liberty, and it makes some virtues impracticable, and others extremely difficult. (Samuel Johnson)

10. To have nothing is not poverty. (Martial)

11. [War is] a biological necessity of the first order. (Friedrich von Bernhardi)

12. [War is] the highest perfection of human knowledge. (Daniel Defoe)

13. [War is] that condition which uses man’s best to do man’s worst. (Harry Emerson Fosdick)

14. [War is] part of God’s world order. (Helmuth von Moltke)

15. [War is] the business of barbarians. (Napoleon)

16. [War is] an art. (Plato)

17. [War is] a series of mathematical problems, to be solved through proper integration and coordination of men and weapons in time and space. (Georgi Zhukov)

18. [War is] an adventure which kills off the best while preserving the unfit. (Irwin Van Grove)




Поделиться с друзьями:


Дата добавления: 2014-12-27; Просмотров: 627; Нарушение авторских прав?; Мы поможем в написании вашей работы!


Нам важно ваше мнение! Был ли полезен опубликованный материал? Да | Нет



studopedia.su - Студопедия (2013 - 2024) год. Все материалы представленные на сайте исключительно с целью ознакомления читателями и не преследуют коммерческих целей или нарушение авторских прав! Последнее добавление




Генерация страницы за: 0.014 сек.