Role play

Imagine you are speaking with an English businessman. Ask him a few questions about:

• English newspapers

• English radio

• English television programmes

Tell him what television programmes you like.

Unit forty eight

Financial news

Text

Here is an item on financial news published by The Financial Times which some participant read:

DOLLAR AND POUND RISE

The dollar and the pound resumed their advances of 1996 against the yen and the D-Mark yesterday.

The US currency was helped chiefly by the US stock and bond markets, which rebounded from Thursday's falls.

The dollar was also boosted by US construction spending for November, which rose where a fall had been forecast. The figures added to the evidence of recent weeks that the American economy has resumed stronger growth. " The US deceleration is probably coming to an end", said Mr. Peter von Maydell, senior currency economist at UBS in London.

The dollar gained 1, 5 pfennigs against the D-Mark and YO.5 against the yen to close in London at D.M. 1.557 and Y11.2. But the Tokyo market remained closed for the National Holiday.

Sterling rebounded 2.8 pfennigs against the D-Mark after losing 3 pfennigs on Thursday. With trading thin, dealers say that one sale of GBP 50m worth of D-Marks sent sterling about a pfennig higher.

The pound closed in London at DM2.635 to the German cur­rency and USD 1.692 to the dollar. It gained on strong consumer credit data and on rising oil prices

Sterling has been the strongest major currency over the Holiday period appreciating almost 2 per cent.