Glimpses of history of money

At different periods of time and in different parts of the world many different commodities have served as money. These commodities were: cattle, sheep, furs, leather, fish, tobacco, tea, salt, shells etc. The experts underline that to serve effectively as money, a commodity should be fairly durable, easily divisible, and portable. None of the above-mentioned commodities possessed all these qualities, and in time they were superseded by precious metals.

First they were superseded by silver and later by gold.

When a payment was made the metal was first weighed out. The next stage was the cutting of the metal into pieces of definite weight and so coins came into use.

Paper money first came into use in the form of receipts given by goldsmiths in exchange for deposits of silver and gold coins. After goldsmiths became bankers their receipts became banknotes. That's how the first banknotes came into existence. At first coins were worth their face value as metal. But later token coins of limited value as legal tender were issued. Now smaller denomination coins are made from bronze and are often referred to as coppers. Bigger denomination coins are made from cupronickel and are usually called silver.

1. What commodities served as money in the past?

2. What are the requirements of a commodity to serve as money?

3. Why did precious metals start to serve as money?

4. What precious metal was used first to serve as money?

5. What precious metal was used then?

6. How did coins come into existence?

7. How did paper banknotes come into existence?

8. What coins are called silver?

9. What are coppers?

2. Поставьте глагол в соответствующее время, форму и залог.

1. Please, open the door. Somebody (to knock). 2. Denise was hurt when she (to play) basketball. 3. He hopes he (to find) the clue to this case. 4. A correspondent usually (to visit) a lot of places. 5. What duties you (to have)? 6. This house (to be sold) yesterday. 7. What time he always (to leave) for work? 8. Erich (to hide) the letter before his mother entered the room. 9. Sue (to finish) the housework by the evening today. 10. Vegetables (to be bought) at the greengrocer’s.

3. Раскройте скобки, употребив соответствующую глагольную форму в сложноподчиненных предложениях с придаточным условия или времени. Переведите предложения на русский язык.

1. If the dog keeps barking, the neighbours (to complain). 2. The boss will be angry if you (to arrive) late. 3. You would learn English more easily if you (to study) a little every day. 4. We would have had a party if Alan (to pass) his driving test. 5. You (to wait) until he comes back? 6. If I had found the book, I (to let) you know. 7. Let’s drop at the café after we (to do) the sightseeing. 8. As soon as the lesson (to end), I will go home. 9. I wouldn’t have bought that dress if it (to be) expensive. 10. If they (not to give) him the job, I don’t know what he will do.

4. Раскройте скобки, употребив соответствующий модальный глагол или его эквивалент, переведите предложения на русский язык (can-could-will be able to, may, must-have to-had to, should).

1. I ... swim when I was only 3 years old. 2. ... you tell me the way to Minin square, please? 3. ... I switch on the light? 4. You ... to work hard to master your English. 5. I can’t visit you now but I ... to visit you tomorrow. 6. You ... not be late. 7. I ... to go shopping. We have nothing delicious for dinner. 7. If you want to keep fit, you ... do morning exercises every day. 8. Henry hasn’t come. He ... be very busy. 9. ... you tell me the truth? 10. It ... be interesting for him. He likes such kind of Art.

5. Передайте следующие предложения в косвенной речи и переведите их на русский язык.

1. Jane said to me: «Switch on the light, please.» 2. «I’m so sorry,» said Dan to me. 3. «What are you interested in?» Peter asked Mary. 4. She said: «I’m not joking». 5. He asked «Do you get up at 7?» 6. They asked «Who is this girl?» 7. She said: «Call me back!» 8. She said: «Wake me up at 8!» 9. He asked: «Where do you live?» 10. They asked, «Have you brought a newspaper?» 11. She said: «I can’t help him.» 12. She said «I shan’t visit you tomorrow» 13. He asked: «Where did he go yesterday?» 14. They asked: «Does she smoke?» 15. She said: «Pass me the salt, please!»

Variant 6

1. Прочитайте и переведите текст на русский язык.

What is money?

Money is one of the most important inventions of humankind. Without it a complex, modern economy based on the division of labor, and the exchange of goods and services, would be impossible.

When you buy a candy bar, you may pay for it with a coin or paper note. The storekeeper knows that you will eat candy, and that he never will be able to get it back from you. He also knows that he can eat neither the coin nor the note you gave him. Why does he accept the coin or note in trade for candy? It is because the coin is money.

At first sight answering the question what money is seems obvious; the man or woman in the street would agree on coins and bank notes, but would they accept them from any country? What about checks? They would probably be less willing to accept them than their country's coins and notes. What about credit cards and gold? The gold standard belongs to history but even today many rich people in different parts of the world rather keep some of their wealth in the form of gold than in official, inflation-prone currencies. The attractiveness of gold, from aesthetic point of view, and its resistance to corrosion are two of the properties which led to its use for monetary transactions years. In complete contrast, a form of money with virtually no tangible properties - electronic money -seems to gain in popularity.

2. Поставьте глагол в соответствующее время, форму и залог.

1. I (not/to be) to Rome yet. 2. Sue (to play) tennis yesterday. 3. What film you (to watch) last time? 4. Simon (to paint) a nice picture at the moment. 5. We were not hungry, as we (to have) lunch already. 6. The information (to be given) to me by him soon. 7. When this house (to be built)? 8. We (to work) in the garden at 5 o’clock tomorrow. 9. I (to read) this magazine since morning. 10. She (to laugh) loudly when I came into the room.

3. Раскройте скобки, употребив соответствующую глагольную форму в сложноподчиненных предложениях с придаточным условия или времени. Переведите предложения на русский язык.

1. If you took more exercise, you (to feel) better. 2. If I (to find) a wallet, I would take it to the police. 3. What would you do if you (to win) a million pounds? 4. I will be glad if some of my hopes (to be) realized. 5. He (to come) if you ask him. 6. You (to stay) with mother if I go to phone the doctor? 7. If you need money, why you (not/to get) job? 8. I would have completed the work if you (to help) me. 9. If he had studied hard, he (not/to fail) the exam. 10. If he (to pass) his driving test successfully, he will buy a car.

4. Раскройте скобки, употребив соответствующий модальный глагол или его эквивалент, переведите предложения на русский язык (can-could-will be able to, may, must-have to-had to, should).

1. Pupils ... come to school in time. 2. The child can talk now, but two years ago he ... speak only a few words. 3. ... you tell me the way to the post office, please? 4. I ... to study hard yesterday as I had a difficult exam. 5. People ... not cross the street when the light is red. 6. I can’t come now but I think, I ... to come in an hour. 7. I ... to go to work though I didn’t want to. 8. You ... go to the dentist if you have any problem with your teeth. 9. Take your umbrella with you. It ... rain. 10. ... I have another cup of tea?

5. Передайте следующие предложения в косвенной речи и переведите их на русский язык.

1. Charlie said to Sue: «I am living in London now». 2. Margaret asked Tommy: «When did you see Helen?» 3. Judy said; «I don’t know what Fred is doing». 4. «What will you do?» asked Jim his brother. 5. «Speak up, please,» asked my grandfather. 6. I went to London last year,» said Paul to me. 7. «Don’t go out until it rains»” said Terry to her daughter. 8. «I can ski well,» said Mary. 9. «I want to go away on holidays but I don’t know where to go,» said Sam to Mary. 10. «Clean your teeth every day,» said the doctor to the children. 11. «Do you enjoy soap operas?» said Ann. 12. I asked Erick: «Will you go to the party?» 13. «I must go to work,» said Nick to Nellie. 14. «How do you feel?» she asked me. 15. «Did you meet Mary at the station?» my father asked Pat.

Variant 7

1. Прочитайте и переведите текст на русский язык. Ответьте на вопросы после текста

THE PAYROLL OF A COMPANY

The list of people employed by a company is known by the payroll. The payroll is usually divided up as follows:

­ Monthly-paid staff

­ Weekly-paid staff

­ Hourly-paid staff

Office staff arc either monthly or weekly paid and the money they get is called salaries, which are usually set.

Workers are either weekly or hourly paid or they get set wages. Many companies often operate a bonus system for monthly and weekly-paid staff. The bonus is usually paid against certain work done.

The amount of the bonus payment is worked out from the employee’s job cards.

Hourly-paid staff is usually on the clack. Under this system each worker has a clock number and a clock card. He records his hours of work on the clock card by inserting it into what is literally a clock.

A device in the clock stamps the card with the time. At the end of each week the clock cards are collected by the timekeepers. The cards arc checked and then passed on to the Wages Office. In the Wages Office the wages and overtime are calculated.

When monthly or weekly paid staff works overtime they are also paid overtime.

Employee is sometimes paid in cash or by cheque. But direct payments into the employee's bank accounts arc becoming more and more popular.

As a rule employees get pay advices for the paid period.

The advice states the earnings, all the deductions and the total amount payable. The deductions usually include National Wealth Insurance contributions.

1. On what time basis can different employees be paid?

2. What is the money paid to office staff and workers called?

3. On what basis is bonus paid?

4. Do employees sometimes work overtime? How are they paid then?

5. In what ways can wages and salaries be paid?

6. What way of being paid would you prefer?

2. Поставьте глагол в соответствующее время, форму и залог.

1. Jill often (to use) a dictionary while reading English texts. 2. Tim just (to go) out. I think, he will return in an hour. 3. They (to discuss) this problem when the chief entered the room. 4. What film you (to watch) now? 5. Bread (to be eaten) every day. 6. I think, you (to pass) your exam successfully. 7. Where he (to go) yesterday? 8. The beaches (to be overcrowded) last summer. 9. I (not to be) to any foreign country yet. 10. After he (to have) supper Michael went for a walk.

3. Раскройте скобки, употребив соответствующую глагольную форму в сложноподчиненных предложениях с придаточным условия или времени. Переведите предложения на русский язык.

1. If you (to be) more attentive, you would speak English better. 2. If I (to know) you were coming, I would have baked the cake. 3. He won’t do it if you (not to help) him. 4. He (to act) differently if he had understood the situation. 5. We will go out as soon as the weather (to change) for the better. 6. Mary (to visit) the theatre when she gets the tickets. 7. If it (not to stop) raining, we will not go out. 8. He wouldn’t have had a crash if he (to follow) the rules. 9. I would be glad if you (to come) to my place. 10. If I (to be) a teacher of English, I would speak in class only in English.

4. Раскройте скобки, употребив соответствующий модальный глагол или его эквивалент, переведите предложения на русский язык (can-could-will be able to, may, must-have to-had to, should, to be to, needn’t).

1. - I have a headache. – You … go to the doctor’s. 2. … I borrow your book, please? 3. Terry …swim well when she was 5 years old. 4. Where … the performance to take place? 5 You … go shopping. We have all necessary things at home. 6. You … smoke here. It’s prohibited by the law. 7. We …to walk there as our car was broken. 8. I … to translate his letter myself next time. 9. They … go to the park because they are busy. 10. … you tell me the way to the post office, please?

5. Передайте следующие предложения в косвенной речи и переведите их на русский язык.

1. «Speak up, please,» said the teacher to the student. 2. «Don’t worry about me,» said Nick to his mother. 3. Ann said to her sister: «I have met Tommy in the street today.» 4. John said to Nellie: «I went to Paris last year.» 5. The chief asked: «Did you meet the delegation yesterday?» 6. The doctor asked: «What temperature do you have?» 7. George said: «It was so difficult to win the game.» 8. Terry said to me: «My parents will take me to the next expedition with them.» 9. My friend asked me: «Can you show me your photo?» 10. She said: «I am going to leave for Moscow tonight.» 11. «Are you working today?» asked Jim his friend. 12. «Will you get the tickets to the Philharmonic on Sunday?» asked she her brother. 13. «Why are you so gloomy?» asked Jack his sister. 14. My children said: «We will not do our homework until you buy us ice-cream.» 15. «Were you present at the meeting yesterday?» asked Mary her husband.

Variant 8

1. Прочитайте и переведите текст на русский язык.