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.
Ex.10.Look at the following Latin words. They may be helpful in your work with thetexts on Economics and Business.
| e.g. | exempli gratia | for example |
| i.e. | id est | that is |
| etc. | et cetera | and so on |
| viz. | vide licet | Namely |
| c | Circa | about, around (time) |
| v | Vide | See |
| et al | et ali | and others |
| per se | in itself | |
| qua | As | |
| vice versa | the reverse | |
| ad hoc | for this particular purpose | |
| vs | versus | Opposed |
| via | 1.through | |
| 2.with the help of | ||
| per capita | per head | |
| ceteris paribus | other things equal | |
| ad valorem | according to value |
Ex.11.What do the following words have in common and what do they differ in?
Matter, problem, dilemma, trouble, alternative, predicament, difficulty.
T E X T 1
Read the following text. Define its main topic. Divide the text into logical parts. Give the title to the text and to each part. Explain the meanings of the words and phrases which have been highlighted.
The study of economics would be incomplete without an understanding of the nation’s role in the world economy. The study of the world economy is known as “international economics”. International economics embraces two broad areas of interest: international trade and international finance. World trade has been gaining increasing significance among nations. Why do nations trade? The answer is that nations have different quantities and qualities of economic resources and different ways of combining them. As a result, each country can produce certain goods more efficiently, or at relatively lower costs, than others. This idea can be stated somewhat differently. Imagine a world consisting of only two countries, each producing the same goods. Under such circumstances, the alternative or opportunity cost to each country of producing more of one good is the amount of the second good that must be sacrificed. In view of this, which of the two goods should the countries produce? The answer is that each should specialize. When two parties engage, the sacrifice that each makes to obtain something from the other is called the “terms of trade”. For example, in order to buy a book, you might have had to give up five visits to the movies. Your terms of trade, therefore, are 5 movies = 1 book. The terms of trade for a given transaction equal the number of units of goods that must be given up for one unit of goods received by each party to the transaction. Or in other words, terms of trade are defined as the ratio of the prices of its export commodity to the price of its import commodity. Despite the fact that trade is of great importance for each nation, all countries impose restrictions of one form or another to protect some of their domestic industries. The restrictions may be of several types: tariffs, import quotas, nontariff barriers. Tariffs are customs duties or taxes imposed by a government on the importation of a good. Tariffs may be (1) specific, in the form of a tax per unit of the commodity, or (2) ad valorem, based on the value of the commodity. Import quotas are laws that limit the number of units of a commodity that may be imported during a specified period. Nontariff barriers are any laws or regulations, other than tariffs, that nations impose in order to restrict imports. For instance, to “protect the health and safety” of their citizens, many countries establish higher standards of quality for various kinds of imported goods than for similar goods produced domestically.
Ex.13.Insert the missing words given below.