Read the text The traditional economy

Read the article without a dictionary, try to retell it.

At leisure

Grammar exercises

VI. Change these word combinations using possessive case
(§ 2), translate them. Practice the use of nouns in possessive case: the
invention of the scientist, the research work of the post-graduate, the
discovery of the inventor, the ability of the man, the abilities of the men,
the training of the student, the examination of the doctor.

VII. Supply the correct forms of the verb s (§11). Translate the sentences.

1. They (to start) making the preparatory investigation two years ago.

2. Why … you (to increase) the cost of training?

3. Since last year the allowance (to pay) at the new rates.

4. The question of goods delivery (to settle) already.

5. She (to prove) to be an efficient economist.

6. After long discussion sellers and buyers (to agree) to sign a new contract.

Word origin BUDGET: Just a little bag

French merchants of the Middle Ages carried their money around in a bougette, or «little bag», a word that descended from the Latin bulge, «a leather bag». The English word «bulge» comes from the same source. Belly is a very distant relative too, al though that’s not so obvi ous, but they all have the idea of «swelling» in them. When a storekeeper made up his budget in those days he opened his bag to find out his resources and counted the cash.

2. Translate the proverbs, think of Russian equivalents, give a
situation using them.

— Better late than never.

— The cat would eat fish and would not wet her feet.

3. A glimpse of Great Britain
Language is not fixed forever

Some books, maybe even some teachers, give the impression that language is fixed, that there is one right way to say something. But language isn’t like that. Even relatively simple things like saying ‘hello’ to your friends. Language always changes — less than ten years ago nobody talked about texting, sending an SMS, spam emails blogs, search engines, and many other terms that we all use nowadays. These words are necessary now because of technology — that has changed.

But language also changes because people enjoy being inventive with language. We would get bored saying the same things in the same way forever.

Unit 3

Pre-text exercises

1. Find the transcription of new words in a dictionary, try to read
them fluently:

Society, employer, salary, subsistence, enough, division, characteristic, drawback, survive, environmental, disaster, drought, disease.

2. Word- building
Compile and translate:
proper a. + -ty →
accommodate υ. + -tion →
hunt n. + -er →
tradition n. + -al →
survive υ. + -al →
environ υ. + -ment →
practical a. + -ly →
equal a. + -ly →
know υ. + -ledge →
protect υ. + -tion →

It’s hard to imagine our lives without coins, banknotes and credit cards. Yet for most of human history people lived without money. For thousands of years human societies had very simple economies. There were no shops, markets or traders. There were no employers, paid workers or salaries. Today, we call this kind of economy the traditional economy, and in some parts of Asia, South America and Africa this system still exists.

People who live in a traditional economy don’t have money because they don’t need it. They live lives of subsistence. That means they hunt, gather or grow only enough food to live. There is almost no surplus in the traditional economy, and there is almost no property. Families may

own simple accommodation, but land is shared by all the tribe. Economic decisions are taken according to the customs of the tribe. For example, every family may need to give some of the crops they grow to the tribal leader, but keep the rest for themselves. They don’t do this because it makes economic sense. They do it because the tribe has always done it. It’s simply a custom.

Custom, also, decides what jobs people do in the traditional economy. People generally do the jobs that their parents and grandparents did before them. Anyway, there aren’t many jobs to choose from in the traditional economy. Men are hunters, farmers or both. The woman’s place is at home looking after children, cooking and home-making. This division of labour between men and women is another characteristic of the traditional economy. Whatever the work is and whoever does it, you can be sure it’s hard work. This is because traditional economies have almost no technology. Physical strength and knowledge of the environment are the tools for survival.

Like any other economic system, the traditional economy has its benefits and drawbacks. Probably the biggest benefit is that these are peaceful societies. People consume almost everything they produce and own practically nothing. They are equally poor. For all these reasons, war is almost unknown in these societies.

However, people who live in traditional societies are among the poorest people in the world. Because custom decides what people do, nothing in these societies ever changes. Because there is no technology, people depend on nature to survive. They have no protection from environmental disasters like droughts and floods. They are always in danger of hunger and disease.

But the traditional economy is in danger itself. There are only a few examples left on the planet. In 100 years from now, it may have disappeared forever.

Words:

it’s hard — трудно salary — жалование

coin — монета to exist — существовать

subsistence — прожиточный whatever — что бы ни …

минимум whoever — кто бы ни…

to mean — значить environment — окружающая среда

surplus — излишек property — собственность

to own — владеть tool — орудие

custom — обычай survival — выживание

tribe — племя benefit — выгода

to look after — заботиться drawback — недостаток

division of labour — разделение to consume — потреблять

труда

Post-text exercises

Working on the text

I. Find the answers in the text:

I. Can we imagine our life without money, banks, credit cards? 2. What kind of economy do we call traditional economy? 3. Does this system exist now? Where? 4. Were there many jobs to choose in the traditional economy? 5. What benefits and drawbacks were in the traditional economy? 6. Why were wars unknown in societies with the traditional economy? 7. What was the division of labour between men and women? 8. Why were these societies very poor? 9. They depended on nature to survive. Why was it so? 10. What will be with these societies in future?

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