Would you ever take out a loan What

Would you ever take out a loan? What are the pros and cons of borrowing money from: family and friends? your bank? a venture capital group?

Advantages Disadvantages Shares - Loan may have to be secured - Prepared to lend to small start-up companies - Want 2% for management fee + 20% of the profits - No interest to pay Venture capital - Not always prepared to lend money to new or small companies - No surprises Bank loan - Fixed interest rates for a fixed number of years - Can be taken over - Listed companies have to pay a lot to meet financial reporting standards

Dealing with figures Before you listen, check you know what these words mean. 1 surplus (n) a) change frequently 2 fluctuate (v) b) not growing or developing 3 stagnant (adj) c) the situation where some people do not have work 4 productivity (n) d) more of something than is necessary 5 unemployment (n) e) the rate at which goods are produced

USA What do you know about the current economic conditions in these countries? Germany Japan UK

America The Federal Reserve announced it would 0. 25% drop its key interest rate by (1) _____ 4. 25% to (2) _____. This is the second drop in interest rates in the last six months. 2. 1% Productivity grew by (3) _____ 3. 9% in the third quarter, with (4) ____ in the first six months. Employers reported (5) 123, 000 _____ new jobs had been created in July.

Germany’s job growth was stronger than expected in March. Unemployment fell by 183, 000 (6) _____ to 4, 370, 000. Its trade surplus grew again in the first quarter to (7) € 18. 4 billion up 0. 4% over the previous _____ quarter. The German car industry reported 750, 000 that a record (8) ____ vehicles were exported in the first three months.

Japanese industrial production increased 0. 7% slightly by (9) _____ and employment fell by (10) ____ to 2, 890, 000 last 195, 000 year. The yen remains strong at 111 (11) _____ yen to the dollar. Bank lending rose by 2. 4% in the year to April, the fastest increase in the last 5 (12) _____ years.

The UK 2. 1 million Jobs in the service industry rose to (13) _____ last year while jobs in manufacturing fell by 315, 000 (14) _______. The National Statistical Office reported that the number of jobs paid below the national minimum wage has increased to approx. 57, 000 338, 000 (15) _______. It also reported that (16) ______ jobs, 18 -21 3. 2% held by those aged (17) _______ were paid £ 4. 10 below (18) ____ an hour.

First conditional Match the beginning on the left with the correct ending on the right. 1 If you decide today a) unless we pay in advance. 2 Unless you can guarantee delivery by Friday b) if she requires in-house training. 3 They won’t be able to fulfil our order c) I’ll have to go to another supplier. 4 It’ll cost her another £ 2, 000, d) we’ll give you a good discount.

First conditional Match the beginning on the left with the correct ending on the right. 5 We’ll upgrade your phone, e) I won’t be prepared to sell to you. 6 If you pay the asking price, f) if we open an office in Hong Kong. 7 We will need to employ Chinese speakers g) if you sign up for another 12 months. 8 Unless you can pay in cash h) I’ll take the house off the market.

Look at the topics below and discuss your options. An aunt of yours has died and left you luxury villa in the Bahamas. You are planning a fourweek holiday to the USA. You are both unemployed and want to set up a company together.

Look at the topics below and discuss your options. You are going to live on a desert island for three months. Decide what to take with you. You have been asked to organize a one-day festival / event for teenagers in your area. You run an organization which helps families who live in poor parts of the world. You have a monthly budget of € 10, 000 for a new project.

Contrastive stress Read the sentences below with the correct word stressed. 1 a) Sorry, but I ordered a glass of red wine. (not white wine) b) Sorry, but I ordered a glass of red wine. (not a whole bottle) 2 a) Mario doesn’t want to talk about the problem, Pete. (he wants to talk about the solution) b) Mario doesn’t want to talk about the problem, Pete. (Julia is the person who wants to talk) 3 a) I don’t think their turnover will fall. (but maybe our turnover will) b) I don’t think their turnover will fall. (but their profits might fall) 4 a) I didn’t ask you to finish the report by Friday. (Tom asked you) b) I didn’t ask you to finish the report by Friday. (I asked you to finish the accounts)

Causes and effects Match the effects on the left with the causes on the right. EFFECT CAUSE 1 Sales of soft drinks increased by 22% last month a) as a result of the stronger euro Euro. 2 EU exports to the USA fell slightly last month b) due to a strike at the Toulouse plant 3 Production fell by 150, 000 units to 700, 000 in June c) because of shortages in the oil. supply of oil 4 Heating costs rose by 10% in the last quarter d) because of a heat wave 5 House prices went up slightly last month 6 Telecom’s profits fell by 18. 4% last year e) as a result of increasing competition and internet telephony Internet telephony. f) due to the fall in interest rates

Discussion Imagine you and your partner have € 50, 000 to invest. Discuss the best ways of investing this money and present your ideas to the class.