5.8. Put each of the following words in its correct place in the sentences below.

absolute alleviation Domestic malnutrition

relative sanitation servicing National

1. The figure of a country’s Gross ____ Product will be larger than that for its Gross _____ Product.

2. In countries where food is scarce, ______ is inevitably a major problem.

3. Using overseas aid for debt ______ does not directly help any people who are suffering through poverty.

4. The amount of money earned by someone suffering from _____ poverty will be greater in a rich area than in a poor area, whereas ____ poverty does not take account of a person’s immediate environment.

5. The Child Poverty Action Group does all it can for the ____ of poverty among children in the United Kingdom.

6. Temporary refugee camps usually have rather poor _____ facilities.

5.9. Read the sentences below containing the metaphors of warfare and

some expressions relating to poverty. Explain their meanings in

English and think of any similar Russian expressions.

1. The government is waging war on drunken driving.

2. Paparazzi are besieging the Princess’s home.

3. A major advertising campaign was planned to launch a new cosmetics range.

4. The Brazilian football team routed all the others in the World Cup.

5. The companies are battling to win market supremacy.

6. We have a major fight on our hands if we are to save the company from bankruptcy.

7. It’s time to rally the troops and get them to do some overtime.

8. A lot of artists who only became famous after their deaths spent their lifetimes in penury.

9. It’s a very poor country – over 60% of the population live on /below the breadline.

10. The charity’s main aim is to improve healthcare in impoverished areas of the world.

11. Everywhere in the city you see destitute people living in shop doorways or under bridges.

12. Unfortunately, the number of deprived children in the world is growing, even in so-called rich countries.

13. When we were first married, we were living from hand to mouth.

14. When we were children, money was always tight.

ACQUIRING COMMUNICATION SKILLS

5.10. A) For a long time, man has been taking a head-in-the-sand approach,

eagerly accepting certain myths about environmental and

demographic problems. Comment on the following myths. Think of

other myths of the kind.

Myth 1: Wars, disease, and natural disasters will control population surplus.

Myth 2: Technology and oceans will feed the world.

Myth 3: Man is only using a fraction of the land.

b) Read the facts below and see how they destroy the myths above.

Myth 1:

Fact: In five years of terrible war, population of North and South Vietnam grew by more than 3 million.

Fact: A giant tidal wave killed more than 500,000 in East Pakistan in 1970, but this number was replaced in just 35 days.

Fact: Improved healthcare and modern medicines have lengthened western man’s life-span by two decades since 1900.

Myth 2:

Fact: Green revolution is shot in the arm, but population growth is neutralizing food production giants.

Fact: Oceans are 90% biological deserts, with other 10% in danger of being over-exploited.

Myth 3:

Fact: Much of the land is too hot, too cold, too wet or too dry for agriculture and human habitation.