Words, words, words...

1. In the texts there are many words for professions or positions in social and political life. Find Russian equivalents to them. Look up the unknown words in the dictionary.

Prime minister, politician, research chemist, the First Lord of the Treasury, the Minister for the Civil Service, Rector of the University, a lecturer, a journalist, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Shadow Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, Shadow Chancellor, Chancellor of the Exchequer.

2. Match the words and expressions in A with their synonyms (words with similar meaning) in B.

1. truthfulness	a) to make better
2. to improve	b) honesty
3. to reduce	c) to receive
4. to increase	d) to rise
5. self-reliance	e) confidence
6. to be in tears	f) to cry
7. Chancellor of the Exchequer	g) to try
8. to step down	h) to resign
9. to attempt	i) First Lord of the Treasury
10. to complete	j) to finish
11. to propose	k) control
12. oversigh	l) to cut
13. to gain	m) to suggest

3. Look at the words from the texts in the box and underline the nouns. Which verbs/adjectives go with the nouns? Can you form collocations?

career win business program be elected (to) political office radical hold elections position run role follow Parliament reduce lose take form

4. Complete the following sentences with the collocations from exercise №2.

1. Margaret’s father _______________a grocery__________.

2. Thatcher began her___________ ________ in 1950, when she first _______________for__________.

3. In May 1979 the Conservatives ___________ the ____________.

4. Thatcher’s government _________ a _________ ___________ of privatization.

5. Both politics tried to ________ the________ of government and increase individual self-reliance.

6. Gordon Brown ________ _________ on 27 June 2007.

7. Gordon Brown also _______ the ________ of First Lord of the Treasury.

8. Gordon Brown ________ ________ _ _________ on his second attempt in 1983.

TIME TO SPEAK

Work with a partner and discuss the following questions:

1. Which person has had the most successful political career in your opinion? Why?

2. Do you know any political leader in your country who has made as brilliant a career as that of Gordon Brown or Margaret Thatcher? What has he/she achieved in his/her career? Compare his/her success with that of Gordon Brown or Margaret Thatcher.

TIME TO WRITE

Find some facts about a famous politician, alive, who you admire and write a profile about him/her.

Unit VII. ECONOMY IN BRITAIN

QUESTION TIME

During the days of the British Empire the UK economy was the largest in the world and the first to industrialize, starting the Industrial Revolution. Although it has declined in significance since, the UK is still one of the largest economies in the world by purchasing power parity.

Talk over with you partners:

• What do you know about British economy?

• What are its strong points?

• What British companies do you know?

• Are there any British companies in the Russian market?