Read the text. Say what new things you have learned from the text. Make up 3questions to the text. Working in pairs ask and answer the questions.

British economics.

Britain lives by manufacture and trade. For every person employed in agriculture eleven people are employed in mining, manufacturing and building. The UK is one of the world’s largest exporters of manufactured goods.

Apart from coal and iron ore, Britain has very few natural resources and mostly depends on imports. Its agriculture provides only half of 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 ore 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 to make more room for cultivation. The greater part of land is used for cattle and sheep 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 past centuries Britain secured a leading position in the world as manufacturer, merchant and banker. After World War 1 the world demand for the products of Britain’s traditional industries – textiles, coal and machinery – fell off, and Britain began expanding trade in new engineering products and electrical goods.

During World War 2 Britain’s economy was fully employed in the war effort. Massed raids of German planes on British industrial centers caused considerable damage to Britain’s industry. World War 2 brought about a further weakening of Britain’s might.

Britain produces high quality expensive goods. 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 synthetic materials.

The original basis of British industry was coalmining, and the early factories grew up not far from the main mining areas. Glasgow and Newcastle became great centers of engineering and shipbuilding. Lancashire produced cotton goods and Yorkshire woolens, with Sheffield concentrating on iron and steel. Birmingham developed light engineering. 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.

UNIT 3