BRITISH ECONOMY

BRITISH ECONOMY

Britain lives by manufacture and trade. For every person employed in agriculture eleven people are employed in mining, manufacturing and building.

Britain has very few natural resources and mostly depends on imports. Its agriculture provides only half the food it needs. The other half and most of the raw materials for its industries such as oil and various metals (copper, zinc, uranium and others) have to be imported. Britain also has to import timber, cotton, fruit and farm products.

Britain used to be richly forested, but most of the forests were cut down. The greater part of land is used for cattle and ship breeding, and pig raising. Among the crops grown on the farms are wheat, barley and oats. The fields are mainly in the eastern part of the country.

In the XIX century Britain had a leading position in the world as manufacturer, merchant and banker. After World War I Britain began expanding trade in new engineering products and electrical goods.

The crisis of 1929-1933 brought about mass unemployment, which reached its peak in 1932. Britain’s share in the world industrial output decreased. After the crisis production and employment increased in world trade and as a result of the extensive armament program.

During World War II Britain’s economy was fully employed in the war effort. Massed raids of German planes on British industrial centres caused considerable damage to Britain’s industry. Great Britain is no longer the leading imperialist power it used to be.

Britain produces high quality expensive goods, which has always been characteristic of its industry. Britain mostly produces articles requiring skilled labour, such as precision instruments, electronic equipment, chemicals and high quality consumer goods. Britain produces and exports cotton and woolen goods, leather goods, and articles made of various kinds of synthetic (man-made) materials.

The original basis of British industry was coal-mining, and the early factories grew up not from the main mining areas. Glasgow and Newcastle became great centres of engineering and shipbuilding. Lancashire produced cotton goods. There appeared a tendency for industry and population to move to the south, particularly to the London area. Great progress was made in the development of new industries, such as the aircraft, automobile, electronic industries and others. A number of atomic power reactors were made. Great emphasis was made on the development of the war industry.

VOCABULARY:

1. be employed in agriculture (industry)- быть занятым в сельском хозяйстве, промышленности.

2. employ- нанимать кого-либо

3. mining- горно-добывающая промышленность

4. manufacturing- обрабатывающая промышленность

5. manufactured goods- промышленные товары

6. row materials- сырье

7. industry- промышленность

8. cotton- хлопок

9. cattle- крупный рогатый скот

10. sheep- овца

11. pig- свинья

12. breed (bred)- разводить (животных)

13. crop- сельскохозяйственная культура

14. wheat- пшеница

15. barley- ячмень

16. oats- овес

17. merchant- купец, торговец

18. demand for- спрос на

19. engineering- машиностроение

20. bring about- приводить к чему-либо

21. unemployment- безработица

22. industrial output- выпуск промышленной продукции

23. decrease- уменьшать что-либо

24. article- изделие, товар

25. require- требовать чего-либо

26. skilled labour- квалифицированный труд

27. consumer goods- товары широкого потребления

28. make progress- делать успехи

29. make emphasis on- делать упор на что-либо

30. heavy industry- тяжелая промышленность

31. light industry- легкая промышленность

32. labour productivity- производительность труда

33. make a discovery- делать открытие

34. distribute- распределять что-либо

35. enterprise- предприятие

36. research work- научно-исследовательская работа

37. plant- завод

38. branch- отрасль промышленности

39. expand trade- расширять торговлю

40. trade- торговля

41. natural resources- природные ресурсы

42. provide- обеспечивать

43. copper- медь

44. timber- строевой лес

45. forest- лес

46. goods- товары

47. reach- достигать

48. share- доля

49. increase- увеличиваться

50. used to be- был когда-либо

51. power- мощь, власть

52. precision instruments- точные инструменты

53. wool- шерсть

54. grow up- расти

55. appear- появляться

56. development- развитие

57. aircraft industry- авиационная промышленность

58. war industry- военная промышленность

59. atomic power reactors- атомные реакторы

60. tend to do smth.- иметь тенденцию делать что-то

TRANSLATE INTO ENGLISH:

1. Англия - крупная страна.

2. Она имеет высокоразвитую промышленность. (highly-developed)

3. Большая часть людей занята в промышленности.

4. Великобритания имеет не много полезных ископаемых.

5. Британия производит товары, требующие квалифицированного труда.

6. Традиционными отраслями британской промышленности являются машиностроение, текстильная и угольная промышленности. (engineering, textile industry)

7. Кризис приводит к безработице.

8. На эти товары большой спрос.

9. Кто сделал это открытие?

10. Фирма достигла больших успехов.

11. Россия богата природными ресурсами. (is rich)

12. Моя сестра разводит овец.

13. Наша фирма делает упор на развитие производительности труда.

14. Выпуск промышленной продукции уменьшился.