Unit5
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Bythe1880’stheBritisheconomywasdominantintheworld.
BoththeUSandCanadaovertookBritainineconomyby1900.Germany
BytheendofWorldWarⅡ,BritainhadgoneheavilyintodebtinordertodevelopmanufacturingindustryandborrowedlargeamountsfromtheUSandFrance.Financethewar;Canada.
AnotherreasoninBritishdeclineisthelossofitscolonies,especiallyIndia,whichgaineditsindependencein1947.
Inthe1970s,withthesoaringpriceofoilandhighratesofinflation,Britainwentthroughbadperiod.In1979,theLaborPartyhadtostepdownfromthegovernment.(Theoilpricerisesatthattimeledtoveryhighratesofinflationupto25%;Allthesenegativeeconomicfactsledtoachangeofgovernmentatthenextgeneralelection,in1979,whentheBritishpeoplevotedintheConservativepartyunderMargaretThatcher.)
TheleaderoftheConservatives,MargaretThatcherstartedaseriesofreforms.Anextremeprogrammeofprivatizationwascarriedout,andshewassuccessfulinanall-roundway.(Itseemedinsomewaystobesuccessfulinthatinflationcameundercontrol…Thenegativeaspectwasarapidincreaseinunemploymentrisingtoalmost12%atitsworst.)
Tertiaryindustriesincludebanking,insurance,tourism,agricultureandthesellingofgoods.
Britainhasalargesectorofagricultureproducing11.6%ofitsnationalwealth.Britain’sagriculturalsectorissmallproducing1.4%ofthenationalwealth.
Accordingtothetext,thetertiaryindustryproducesapproximatelytwo-thirdsofthenationalwealth.65%
TheserviceindustryintheUKemploys70%ofthetotalworkforce.
AsamemberoftheWorldTradeOrganization,theUKisplayingaveryimportantroleintheworldtrade.
TheUKisthethirdbiggestinternationalinvestorintheworld.Secondbiggest
Ⅱ
WhichofthefollowingstatementsisNOTtrueabouttheUKeconomy?
C.Therehasbeenaperiodofsteadydecreasingoflivingstandards.
Ithasinfactbeenaperiodofsteadyeconomicgrowthandrapidlyincreasinglivingstandards.
WhichofthefollowingwasNOTthereasonfortherelativeeconomicdeclinesince1945?
D.Britainhadcarriedoutthenationalizationofthebusinesses.
WhichofthefollowinglivestockhasthebiggestnumberintheUK?
D.Sheep
WhereidthebestagriculturallandinBritain?
A.InthesoutheastofEngland.
WhichofthefollowingisNOTacompanyintheenergysector?
B.ICI(ImperialChemicalIndustries)
WhichofthefollowingusedtobethelastindependentcarcompanyintheUK?
C.Rover
Intheaerospaceindustry,whichofthefollowingcountriesisaheadofBritain?
B.TheUnitedStates
Whichcivilairlinewasstartedin1924aftertheFirstWorldwar?
A.ImperialAirways
WhatdidFrankWhittledoin1937?
B.Hedevelopedthefirstjetengine.
Whichcompanybecameanimportantaero-enginemanufacturerafterWWI?
B.RollsRoyce
WhichofthefollowingtwocompaniesmergedintoBritishAerospace?
A.TheBritishAircraftCorporationandHawker-SiddeleyAviation.
Whichofthefollowingcountriesisthelasttocomeoutofrecession?
C.Britain
Ⅲ
Pleasedefine“absolutedeclineandrelativedecline”intheUKeconomy.Howdoestheauthorexplainthereasonsfortheabsolutedeclineandrelativedecline?
AbsolutedeclinemeansitsGDP,employmentrateorothereconomicfactorsarelowerthanthoseinthesameperiodinthepast,whilerelativedeclinereferstothecomparisonbetweendevelopcountries.UKeconomyisstillamongthetopofthesecountries.
Asforthereason,theUKeconomichistoryandcurrenteconomicmeasuresplayimportantrolesinthat.
WhatdidtheConservativepartyunderMrs.MargaretThatcherpromisetodototheUKnationaleconomyin1979?Theword“reform”inthenationaleconomywasalsopopularwhenMrs.MargaretThatcherformedthegovernmentanddecidedtochangetheUKeconomy.Whatwasherradicalreformprogramme?Wasthepragrammesuccessfulaccordingtotheauthor?
Aradicalprogrammeofreform.
What:
reducebureaucracy,lift撤销ignexchangecontrols外汇管制,loosenthebankrules,
Anextensiveprogramofprivatization.
It’ssuccessful.Sincethereform,theeconomygrewsteadilyforfouryearsatratehigher
Whatarethethreemainareasinnationaleconomies?DescribethedevelopmentofeachofthethreeareasintheUKeconomy
Britain''sagriculturalsectorissmallbutefficientproducing58percentofUK''sfoodwithonly2percentofpopulationinthisindustry.FishingisaimportantpartofUK''seconomy,accountingfor5percentofnationalwealth.OffshoredrillingalongwithotherenergysourcesmakesBritainaenergyexportingcountry.AndmanyfamousoilcompaniesarealsoinBritain.
Theindustysectorremainsimportant,Britainisparticularlystronginpharmaceuticals,chemicals,aeroplaceandfoodanddrink,andelectronicindustry.Carindustryismostlyforeignownedand.Ahigh-technologyengineeringindustryhasdevelopedaroundmotorracingbusiness.
Therelativeshrinkingofthesecondindustrygavewaytothegrowthoftheserviceindustrywhichnowoccupies65percentofnationalwealthand70percentofworkforce.Thebankingserviceisespeciallyimportantaccountingfor20percentofbankloansandlargestforeignexchangemarket.TheLondonexchangecentreisoneofthebusiestinthewourld.Advertisingisanotherindustryhighlysuccessful.
TheauthorbelievesthatBritain,likemostdevelopedeconomics,hasseenarelativelyshrinkingoftheimportanceofsecondaryindustryandaspectaculargrowthintertiaryorserviceindustries.Whyisitso?DoyouseeasimilargrowthintertiaryindustriesinChinainthepast20yearsorso?Howdoesthisgrowthrelatetothereformandopeninguptotheoutsideworld?
Redistributionofthelocationoftheglobalindustry?
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