To some, what, such an, a certain extent

1. В некоторой степени вы правы.

2. В какой степени ему можно верить?

3. Ковер был грязный до такой степени, что невозможно было по­нять, какого он был цвета.

4. В определенной степени я согласен с вами.

VI. Find in the text English equivalents for the following

играть заметную роль; формировать среду; сокращать расходы на... (2 вар.); сократить размеры прибыли; переживать подъем; переживать тяжелые времена; прийти в упадок; доходы падают (2 вар.); нести убыт­ки; состояние экономики; иметь большое значение для бизнеса в целом;

отсюда, естественно, следует; лишать возможности; результат действий;

не выполнять обязательств по уплате.

VII. Answer the questions

1. What does the economy comprise?

2. What's a boom in the economy? What characterises the state of the economy at that time?

3. What happens when the economy moves into a recession?

4. What are " bad debts"?

5. What happened to some banks in the early 1990s and why?

VIII. Translate using all the active possible

1. Состояние экономики (экономической среды) имеет большое зна­чение для успешной деятельности фирм.

2. Когда экономика находится на подъеме, то фирмы продают больше товаров, что ведет к получению больших прибылей и процветанию.

3. Упадок экономики характеризуется сокращением объема производ­ства и сбыта продукции. Отсюда, естественно, следует, что доходы пред­приятий снижаются и они несут убытки.

4. Результатом деятельности всех субъектов производства (групп об­щества) является формирование той или иной экономической среды в которой развивается бизнес.

5. У фирмы не было возможности увеличить расходы на рекламу в результате чего она потеряла часть рынка сбыта.

MEASURING ECONOMIC ACTIVITY (ИЗМЕРЕНИЕ ЭКОНОМИЧЕСКОЙ АКТИВНОСТИ)

There are a large number of statistics produced regularly on the operation of the world's major economies. The UK's economy is no exception in this respect. You will probably have noticed that often the headlines in newspapers or important items on television news programmes relate to economic data and the implications for individuals and businesses. A prime example of this occurs when interest rates are increased: the media responds by highlighting the adverse effects on businesses with debts and householders with mortgages.

Data is provided on a wide range of aspects of the economy's operation. Statistics are available to show.

* the level of unemployment

* the level of inflation

* a country's trade balance with the rest of the world

* production volumes in key industries and the economy as a whole

* the level of wages

* raw material prices, and so forth.

The main statistics illustrating the economy's behaviour relate to the level of activity in the economy. That is, they tell us whether the economy is working at fall capacity using all or nearly all, available resources of labour, machinery and other factors of production or whether these resources are being under-utilized.

The unemployment figures for the economy give an indicator of the level of activity. As the economy moves towards a recession and a lower level of prosperity it is likely that unemployment figures will rise. An alternative measure of the level of activity is national income statistics, which show the value of a nation's output during a year. Economists use the term Gross National Product to describe this data. Changes in the level or trends of such key data have great significance for businesses, as we shall see later.

There are numerous sources of data on the economy of which we can make use. The government publishes much through the Treasury, Department of Trade and Industry, the Bank of England and the Department of Employment. The Central Statistical Office, which was established during the Second World War, publishes about half of the government's economic data.

Much of this is contained in its annual publication, " The Annual Abstract of Statistics". It also publishes the equally valuable " Social Trends" annually. Additionally, private organizations, such as the banks, building societies and universities, publish figures on various aspects of the economy's performance.

Economic statistics are presented in many forms, the most common being graphs and tables. Although these statistics can be valuable in assisting managers, they should be treated with some caution when predicting the future trend of the economy and thus helping the business to take effective decisions.