Episode 131

EPISODE 131
LEVEL A2

READING COMPREHENSION

 

Japanese recession may hurt global economy.

Japan has gone back into recession. Analysts are thinking this will affect the global economy. Japan’s economy unexpectedly shrank for the second quarter in a row, meaning it is in recession. Figures showed that the economy would grow by 2.1% in the last quarter. Instead, gross domestic product (GDP) fell by 1.6%. Economists say the fall is because of an increase in sales tax. Japanese people are cutting back more and are simply not spending.
World leaders are worried Japan’s recession could hurt the global economy. British leader David Cameron said there could be a second global economic disaster. He said he saw „red warning lights” because of worldwide „instability and uncertainty”. He added: „The Eurozone is teetering on the brink of a possible third recession.” He added that emerging markets were slowing down and this was hurting the possibility of growth.

 

Exercise 1

Match the words to form correct collocations:

1. to go back (on your spending)
2. to be down
3. to grow in recession
4. to cut by 5 %
5. to slow back into recession

 

Exercise 2

Find in the text words which mean:

1. światowa gospodarka
2. kwartał
3. podatek obrotowy
4. katastrofa gospodarcza
5. światło ostrzegawcze
6. rynki wschodzące

 

Exercise 3

Complete the phrases with missing prepositions:
by / for / in / into / of / on

1. to go back ______ recession
2. ______ the second quarter ______ a row
3. to be ______ recession
4. to grow ______ 5 %
5. an increase ______ sales tax
6. ______ the brink ______

 

I know English idioms

This lesson’s reading text lists such an idiomatic expression: “a red warning light”.
It’s not difficult to find its Polish equivalent, which would be: “czerwone światło ostrzegawcze”.
What do YOU think can be a red light warning workers against bad condition of their company?

 

Phrasals, phrasals…

The last sentence of this lesson’s text says:
“He added that emerging markets were slowing down and this was hurting the possibility of growth.”
It lists a useful phrasal verb: “to slow down”, which can be understood as “zwalniać” (np. tempa). How then would you say: “przyspieszać”? The answer is simple: “to speed up”!

 

Grammar corner…

 

In this lesson’s reading text we are to deal with descriptions of trends. To talk about trends we may use a variety of verbs, some of which appeared in our text: go (up/down), shrink, fall, cut, slow (down). But to describe trends correctly we need to use these verbs in the right tense, mostly referring to the past!

 

Exercise 4

What are the three forms of these verbs:

1. go _____________ _____________
2. shrink _____________ _____________
3. grow _____________ _____________
4. fall _____________ _____________
5. cut _____________ _____________
6. slow _____________ _____________

 

GLOSSARY

recession – recesja
hurt – zaszkodzić
global – globalny, światowy
economy – gospodarka
to go into recession – popaść w recesję
to affect – mieć wpływ, odbić się (na czymś)
unexpectedly – niespodziewanie
to shrink – skurczyc się
quarter – kwartał
in a row – z rzędu
figures – dane liczbowe
to grow – rosnąć, rozwijać się
instead – w zamian
gross domestic product – produkt krajowy brutto
increase – wzrost
sales tax – podatek obrotowy
to cut back – ciąć, obniżać
economic – gospodarczy, ekonomiczny
disaster – katastrofa
red warning light – czerwone światło ostrzegawcze
worldwide – ogólnoświatowy
instability – niestabilność
uncertainty – niepewność
to teeter – balansować
brink – krawędź
emerging market – rynek wschodzący
to slow down – zwalniać
growth – wzrost, rozwój

 

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