Here are some options we could discuss for investing €50,000: - Buy a property and rent it out for income. We'd need to consider location, rental demand, property management responsibilities. - Open a high-interest savings account. Rates are low now but it's safe and liquid. We wouldn't earn much but we wouldn't lose money either. - Invest in stocks through low-cost index funds to gain long-term growth. The market usually increases over time but there is risk of short-term losses. We'd need to choose funds carefully. - Start a small business. More risky but high potential returns. We'd need a solid business plan and be prepared to work hard to make

1. 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?

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

3. 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

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

5. 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
123,000
(5) __________ new jobs had been
created in July.

6. Germany
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.

7. Japan
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.

8. 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.
338,000 57,000
(15) _______. It also reported that (16) ______ jobs,
18-21
3.2% held by those aged (17) _______ were paid
£4.10
below (18) ________ an hour.

9. 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 b) if she requires in-house training.
delivery by Friday
3 They won’t be able to c) I’ll have to go to another supplier.
fulfil our order
4 It’ll cost her another £2,000, d) we’ll give you a good discount.

10. 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 g) if you sign up for another 12 months.
Chinese speakers
8 Unless you can pay in cash h) I’ll take the house off the market.

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

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

13. 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)

14. Causes and effects
Match the effects on the left with the causes on the right.
EFFECT CAUSE
1 Sales of soft drinks increased by
1 Sales of soft drinks increased by a) as a result of the stronger euro
Euro.
22% last month
22% last month
2 EU exports to the USA fell
2 EU exports to the USA fell b) due to a strike at the Toulouse
slightly last month
slightly last month plant.
plant
3 Production fell by 150,000 units
3 Production fell by 150,000 units c) because of shortages in the
to 700,000 in June
to 700,000 in June oil.
supply of oil
4 Heating costs rose by 10% in
4 Heating costs rose by 10% in d) because of a heat wave.
d) because of a heat wave
the last quarter
the last quarter
5 House prices went up slightly last e) as a result of increasing
month
last month competition and internet telephony
Internet telephony.
6 Telecom’s profits fell by 18.4%
last year f) due to the fall in interest rates.
rates

15. 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.