17140 young greeks and the debt crisis

Exercise 1. Discuss the following questions with your partner, your group, or your class.
Exercise 1. Discuss the following questions with your partner, your group, or your class.
1.
1. Which
Which age
age groups
groups are
are worst
worst affected
affected by
by unemployment
unemployment in
in your
your country?
country?
2.
2. Do
Do you
you know
know people
people who
who have
have recently
recently lost
lost their
their jobs?
jobs? How
How do
do they
they get
get by?

by?
3.
3. Do
Do people
people leave
leave your
your country
country to
to find
find work
work in
in other
other countries?
countries? Where
Where do
do they
they go?
go? What
What sort
sort of
of jobs
jobs do
do they
they
get?
get?
4.
4. Are
Are there
there many

many immigrant
immigrant workers
workers in
in your
your country?
country? What
What sort
sort of
of jobs
jobs do
do they
they do?
do?
5.
Do
you
know
what
the
expression
“run
for
the
hills”
means?
5. Do you know what the expression “run for the hills” means?
Exercise
Exercise2.2.Read
Readthe
thearticle

articleand
andfill
fillininthe
themissing
missinginformation
informationininthe
thetable
tablebelow.
below.

Name

Age

Previous Job / Studies

Present Job

Moved from…

Moved to…

Giannis Pantoulis
Evi Papadimitriou
Evgenia Tsakili
Exercise 3. Answer the following questions from the text.
Exercise 3. Answer the following questions from the text.
1.
1. How
How do

do the
the Greeks
Greeks feel
feel about
about their
their government’s
government’s efforts
efforts to
to reduce
reduce the
the country’s
country’s debt?
debt?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
2.
2. The
The financial
financial crisis
crisis could
could also
also have
have aa positive
positive effect
effect according
according to
to Evi
Evi Papadimitriou.
Papadimitriou. What
What isis that?

that?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
3.
3. What
What countries
countries or
or regions
regions are
are many
many young
young Greeks
Greeks now
now trying
trying to
to emigrate
emigrate to?
to?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
4.
4. When
When was
was the
the last
last time
time aa large
large number
number of
of Greeks

Greeks left
left their
their country?
country? What
What kind
kind of
of jobs
jobs did
did they
they mostly
mostly do
do
abroad?
abroad?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
5.
5. How
How many
many Greeks
Greeks posted
posted their
their resumes
resumes with
with Europass
Europass last
last September?
September?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

6.
6. What
What types
types of
of professionals
professionals are
are most
most in
in demand
demand by
by the
the United
United Kingdom
Kingdom and
and Germany?
Germany?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Exercise 4. Match the underlined words in the text with the definitions below and solve
Exercise 4. Match the underlined words in the text with the definitions below and solve
the crossword.
the crossword.
Across
Across
3.
3.
5.
5.
8.

8.
9.
9.
10.
10.

to
to give
give someone
someone too
too much
much to
to deal
deal with
with at
at one
one time
time (v)
(v)
to
to leave
leave your
your country
country in
in order
order to
to live
live in
in another
another country

country (v)
(v)
not
not happening
happening often
often or
or regularly
regularly (adj)
(adj)
making
making money
money (adj)
(adj)
aa short
short document
document describing
describing your
your education,
education, previous
previous
jobs,
jobs, etc.,
etc., that
that you
you give
give an
an employer
employer when
when you
you are

are
applying
applying for
for aa job
job (n)
(n)

Down
Down
1.
not
1.
not true
true or
or real
real (adj)
(adj)
2.
to
2.
to persuade
persuade someone
someone to
to do
do something
something or
or go
go somewhere
somewhere
by

by offering
offering them
them something
something exciting
exciting (v)
(v)
3.
someone
3.
someone whose
whose job
job is
is to
to buy
buy and
and sell
sell shares
shares in
in
companies
companies for
for other
other people
people (n)
(n)
4.
the
4.
the act
act of

of saving
saving or
or rescuing
rescuing something
something (such
(such as
as aa
business)
from
money
problems
(n)
business) from money problems (n)
6.
to
6.
to increase
increase faster
faster and
and faster
faster (v)
(v)
7.
to
7.
to change
change the
the direction
direction of
of something

something to
to its
its opposite
opposite (v)
(v)


/>
Stockbroker Giannis Pantoulis
never imagined himself crouching
in the dirt tending to grapevines in
a small town in central Greece.
But that, he says, was before the
financial crisis caused
unemployment to spiral and
major cities such as Athens to
descend into chaos with daily
protests and increased violence. "I
could foresee that the massive
bubble of fake growth, prosperity
and wealth would one day burst
and I wanted to get out before it
happened," said Pantoulis, 40.
Two years ago, he packed his wife,
their two children and all their
possessions into a truck and made
the 50-kilometre trip from the
northern port city of Thessaloniki
to Katerini. Looking down at his
wine-stained hands, Pantoulis

admits the journey has not been
easy and the business will take
years to become profitable. But
he does not regret the move.
"Initially everyone thought I was
crazy to move back to my father's
town and take up winemaking,
but now they too are seeing that
the big cities have nothing to
offer," said Pantoulis. "Our
politicians have failed us," he said.
"I am not the only one who has
had enough -- others are also
looking to leave." Pantoulis is part
of a growing number of Greeks
returning to their ancestral
villages to take up farming, as the
country struggles with its most
serious economic crisis since
World War II.

"As more and more people lose
their jobs they are looking for a
stable line of work and cheaper
lifestyle ... something which will
put food on the table, and farming
offers this," said Dimitris
Michaelidis from the Young
Farmers Association of Greece.
"We are having a hard time

keeping up with all the requests
for information from people
asking about what crops grow the
best in a given area," he said.
Evi Papadimitriou, 30, is among
the estimated 60,000 Greeks who
have joined the farming
community in the past two years,
reversing the trend of migration
to the cities. Papadimitriou
struggled to make ends meet after
studying marketing in Athens,
working at odd jobs unrelated to
her field, before deciding to
return to her parent's town of
Arta, in north-western Greece, to
start her own snail farm business.
"I could no longer afford to stay in
Athens ... so I took the risk – if I
make just enough to cover what I
need to live on I will be happy,"
said Papadimitriou. She believes
the economic crisis may turn out
to be a good thing as more and
more young people will be forced
to move to the countryside,
bringing abandoned villages and
towns back to life.

return. Others were lured back by

Greece's economic success after
joining the euro and jobs opening
up as Athens prepared to host the
2004 Olympic Games.
According to Europass, which
provides employers and
employment agencies with
resumes of mainly young people
from all over Europe, 13,300
Greeks sent in their resumes in
September, compared to 2,200
the same month in 2008. More
than 63 per cent where under the
age of 30.
"I could not get a job here and I
just do not see things getting any
better for several more years to
come," said biologist Evgenia
Tsakili, 27, who found work as a
laboratory researcher on the
eastern Mediterranean island of
Cyprus.
An October seminar on Australia's
migration policy and visa
procedures organized by its
embassy in Athens caused its
website to be backlogged with
thousands of applications.

In Frankfurt, officials at the World

Council of Hellenes Abroad, a
group that represents and assists
the Greek diaspora, said they have
been swamped with requests for
information on employment in
Many educated, young Greeks are Germany. "Every day we get calls,
now also seeking to emigrate to
the majority of which are young
the United States, Australia, other professional people between 30parts of the Europe or the Middle 35 years old who are unemployed,
The government's efforts to
East. More than five decades ago, seeking our advice and help about
reduce Greece's massive debt and hundreds of thousands of poor
working in Germany," Giorgos
qualify for international bailout
farmers and blue-collar workers
Amarantidis from the council said
loans have been met with anger
left Greece to seek a better life
in a phone interview. He
and disappointment as Greeks
abroad, most of them working in
estimates that 4,000 people have
endure cuts to salaries, pensions
factories or restaurants.
emigrated to Germany in the last
and benefits amid rising costs.
three months, the majority
During the prosperous 1980s and without finding work. "Greek
1990s, a large number opted to
doctors are being lured to the

United Kingdom and Germany is
asking for technical professionals
such as engineers," said
Amarantidis, who emigrated to
Germany in the mid-1980s.

"Young Greek people are coming
here terrorized by the state that
Greece is in and for their future,"
he said. "They tell us that they
have no trust in the country's

system and that they will not go
back."
ATHENS, Oct 31, 2011

[text taken from ]

ANSWER
Exercise KEY
1. Discuss the following questions with your partner, your group, or your class.
Exercise 1. Discuss the following questions with your partner, your group, or your class.

1.
1. Which
Which age
age groups
groups are

are worst
worst affected
affected by
by unemployment
unemployment in
in your
your country?
country?
2.
Do
you
know
people
who
have
recently
lost
their
jobs?
How
do
they
2. Do you know people who have recently lost their jobs? How do they get
get by?
by?
3.
Do
people
leave
your

country
to
find
work
in
other
countries?
Where
3. Do people leave your country to find work in other countries? Where do
do they
they go?
go? What
What sort
sort of
of jobs
jobs do
do they
they
Name get?
Age Previous Job / Studies
Present Job
Moved from… Moved to…
get?
Giannis4.
40 immigrant
stockbroker
winemaking
business
Katerini
Are

workers
What
of
they
4.Pantoulis
Are there
there many
many
immigrant
workers in
in your
your country?
country?
What sort
sort
of jobs
jobs do
doThessaloniki
they do?
do?
5.
the
means?
Evi Papadimitriou
30 what
snail
business
Athens
Arta
5. Do

Do you
you know
know
whatmarketing
the expression
expression “run
“run for
for the
the hills”
hills”farm
means?
Evgenia Tsakili
27
biologist
laboratory researcher
Cyprus
Exercise
Exercise2.2.Read
Readthe
thearticle
articleand
andfill
fillininthe
themissing
missinginformation
informationininthe
thetable
tablebelow.
below.

Exercise 3. Answer the following questions from the text.
1. How do the Greeks feel about their government’s efforts to reduce the country’s debt?
They feel angry and disappointed as they endure cuts to salaries, pensions and benefits amid rising costs.
2. The financial crisis could also have a positive effect according to Evi Papadimitriou. What is that?
More and more young people will be forced to move to the countryside, bringing abandoned villages and
towns back to life.
3. What countries or regions are many young Greeks now trying to emigrate to?
The United States, Australia, other parts of the Europe (such as the UK, Germany) or the Middle East.
4. When was the last time a large number of Greeks left their country? What kind of jobs did they mostly do
abroad?
Exercise
Match
the
underlined
words
ininthe
text with
the definitions below and solve
More
than 4.
five
decades
ago.
They mostly
worked
factories
restaurants.
Exercise
4. Match
the

underlined
words
in the
textor
with
the definitions below and solve
the
crossword.
5. How
many
Greeks
posted
their
resumes
with
Europass
last
September?
the crossword.
13,300
Across
Across
6. What types
of professionals
are mostdeal
in demand
by the United
Kingdom and Germany?
3.
to

3.
to give
give someone
someone too
too much
much to
to deal with
with at
at one
one time
time (v)
(v)
technical
professionals
asin
engineers.
5.
leave
your
in
to
another
5. Doctorsto
toand
leave
your country
country
in order
ordersuch
to live

live
in
another country
country (v)
(v)
8.
8.
9.
9.
10.
10.

not
not happening
happening often
often or
or regularly
regularly (adj)
(adj)
making
making money
money (adj)
(adj)
aa short
short document
document describing
describing your
your education,
education, previous
previous

jobs,
jobs, etc.,
etc., that
that you
you give
give an
an employer
employer when
when you
you are
are
applying
applying for
for aa job
job (n)
(n)

Down
Down
1.
not
1.
not true
true or
or real
real (adj)
(adj)
2.
to
persuade

2.
to persuade someone
someone to
to do
do something
something or
or go
go somewhere
somewhere
by
by offering
offering them
them something
something exciting
exciting (v)
(v)
3.
someone
3.
someone whose
whose job
job is
is to
to buy
buy and
and sell
sell shares
shares in
in
companies

companies for
for other
other people
people (n)
(n)
4.
the
4.
the act
act of
of saving
saving or
or rescuing
rescuing something
something (such
(such as
as aa
business)
business) from
from money
money problems
problems (n)
(n)
6.
to
6.
to increase
increase faster
faster and
and faster

faster (v)
(v)
7.
to
change
the
direction
7.
to change the direction of
of something
something to
to its
its opposite
opposite (v)
(v)


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