Teachers - Expanding Powerful Vocabulary - 3a ed

Trend School
Center for Business
Communication
Expanding Powerful
Vocabulary
Third Edition

[ EXPANDING POWERFUL
VOCABULARY –
TEACHER’S GUIDE]


Expanding Powerful Vocabulary

INDEX

In the Classroom
Unit 1 – Technology

03

Unit 2 – Geopolitics

16

Unit 3 – Finance

27

Unit 4 – Environment

36

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EXPANDING
POWERFUL
VOCABULARY
UNIT 1 – TECHNOLOGY

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The Impact of Today's Technology on Work and Society
Teacher’s Note: The objective is to make the students reflect on how modern technology has
impacted on the way we perform simple chores, do business, and interact with our peers, family
and people we don’t know.
"When the life of people is unmoral, and their relations are not based on love, but on
egoism, then all technical improvements, the increase of man's power over nature, steam,
electricity, the telegraph, every machine, gunpowder, and dynamite, produce the impression
of dangerous toys placed in the hands of children."—the diary of Leo Tolstoy (1828 - 1910)

Warm up activity - Modern Times
Teacher’s Notes: Read the paragraph about
the movie and discuss the questions that
follow. The objective is to make students
speak and introduce new vocabulary.

Modern Times is a 1936 comedy film by
Charlie Chaplin that has his iconic Little
Tramp character, in his final silent-film
appearance, struggling to survive in the
modern, industrialized world. The film is a
comment on the desperate employment and
fiscal conditions many people faced during
the Great Depression, conditions created, in
Chaplin's view, by the efficiencies of modern
industrialization. The movie stars Chaplin,
Paulette Goddard, Henry Bergman, Stanley
Sandford and Chester Conklin, and was
written and directed by Chaplin.

Discussion
1. How contemporary is Charlie Chaplin’s “Modern Times”?
2. Discuss Charlie's Chaplin point of view, which was clear: “Unemployment is the vital
question. Machinery should benefit mankind. It should not spell tragedy and throw it out
of work.” (Chaplin Today: Modern Times, 2003).
3. In “Modern Times” the basic hero is trying to face the problems of the 1930’s (years that
followed the "Great Depression"), which are not much different from nowadays problems
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and anxieties. In your opinion what were the problems of the 1930's? How similar are they
to our current problems?

4. Do you think the industrial revolution was necessary? Was it beneficial? How has
employment changed since then? What are the benefits and disadvantages?

Key: (poverty, unemployment, economic inequalities, tyranny of the machine)

Survey
Teacher’s Note: The objective is to show the students how to read for the gist. After they have read
the text and answered the survey, a discussion should be conducted with the new vocabulary
should be used.
By answering surveys we will reflect on how technology has changed our way of performing
simple tasks.
Do you feel safe shopping online?
a) Yes
b) No
A. Read the text below from a critical point of view.
Online shopping has grown at its fastest ever rate in 2006, increasing by an average of £50m per
month in the first ten months of the year. Yet, apparently, many of us are still deeply distrustful of
using the net to buy things.
According to a recent survey, retailers have only touched the tip of the iceberg in terms of
potential online purchases because only half of us have ever shopped online. The problem is that
people just don't trust online shopping sites to keep their sensitive financial information safe.
Have you ever shopped online? If so, do you feel completely safe logging your bank details onto
an internet site, or do you worry that they might not be completely secure?

a) No, I have never shopped online because I prefer to go to real shops
b) No, I have never shopped online because I worry about security
c) Yes, I do shop online, but I worry about security
d) Yes, I do shop online and never worry about security

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B. Read the paragraph and answer the question.
Two children in Spain have been admitted to a mental health institution in Spain to be treated for
an addiction to their mobile phone. The children, aged 12 and 13, were doing badly at school and
lying to relatives to get money to spend on their mobiles. In the UK, 90 per cent of children under
16 own a mobile and one in 10 spend more than 45 minutes a day using it.
Should restrictions be made on children owning mobile phones?
a. Yes, they are unable to moderate their use
b. No, but their mobiles should be restricted in terms of the call time and number of texts
allowed each week
c. No, children should be free to use their mobiles when and where they like
C. Read the text that follows and then answer the question.
The much-heralded robotic revolution is nearly here. Robots are no longer confined to specialist
applications in industry and the military where they are operated by highly trained individuals, but
are being used by ordinary people. For example, robot vacuum cleaners and lawn mowers are
already in many homes, and robotic toys are increasingly popular with children. In Japan, robots
are even being used to take simple measurements such as heart rate readings from elderly
patients.
As robots become more intelligent, they are capable of greater autonomy - they are able to make

decisions without human intervention. On a simple level, this might mean a robot vacuum cleaner
“deciding” when to move from room to room. On a more complex level, it could mean an
autonomous robot in a military context “deciding” whether to use its weapon. Scientists are
urging us to have a public debate about how much autonomy we are prepared to give robots.
How much should we trust autonomous robots?
What do you think?
a. Robots could get out of control, they shouldn't be given any autonomy
b. Autonomous robots should only be allowed to operate in situations where they are under
constant supervision by humans
c. Robots could never be more intelligent than humans and therefore could never be too
autonomous
d. It's not the robots we should worry about, but the people who program them
In recent times, which of the following has had the biggest impact on your life?
a. PC
b. b-Internet
c. c-Mobile phone
d. d-DVD

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Is technology moving too fast?
D. Read the text that follows and then answer the question.
Every year, consumer electronics manufacturers unveil new products with improved ‘cutting edge
technology’. But is this kit really technically superior to its predecessor who was launched just 12
months prior? Or is it, as some insiders say, just the same product with a few cosmetic tweaks?

Many technology-users welcome genuine improvement and innovation. But they resent being
‘forced’ into buying new kit. Dare you buy a new games console only to replace it in a few years
time (together with all your games – again). Is the £300 you just spent on the latest MP3 player
really wise when you know there may be one next year with tons more memory? And why buy a
new PC today when there’s probably a new and improved operating system just around the corner
which will make all your existing software and peripherals redundant?
Are consumer technology developments moving too fast?
a. Yes
b. No

Reading - Living in the Internet Economy
Skim the text that follows. Focus on the words in bold, categorize them according to the parts of
the speech in the box below the text and then complete the chart with their other forms.
The Internet has fundamentally changed the
way we (1) communicate, touching many
lives. Individuals worldwide are taking
classes, shopping for gifts, writing to their
grandchildren, planning vacations, and even
buying their cars using the Internet. The
Internet is driving an Internet Economy that
transcends any single group of people,
companies, or countries.
The Internet has reached farther and faster
than
any
previous
communication
technology. For example, it took 35 years for
radio to reach 50 million listeners. Television
(2) needed 13 years to reach that same

number of people. In comparison, it took the
Internet only four years.
Today, the business, government, and (3)
educational sectors are using the Internet
and changing the way they work through

increase
investment
in
networking
technology. For example, many businesses
within the retail sector have transformed
themselves by using Internet computing for
network (4) commerce and customer care.
Digital assets are taking the place of physical
assets, causing Internet companies to (5)
grow both in presence and in revenue.
Because operating costs are minimal,
products and services can be substantially
less expensive. In addition, governments are
using the Internet to communicate with their
citizens and streamline operations.
Schools are linking to the Internet for
everything from distance learning for college
students to providing access for pupils of all
ages.

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The companies and countries that are (6)
successful in the Internet Economy are those
that can create a network with ease and
respond instantly to changing market
conditions and customer demands.
Customers, suppliers, employees, and
business partners can all collaborate in ways

Noun

Verb

that allow them to be more (7) productive,
rapidly adapt to change, and make (8)
effective decisions. The network is the
essential engine of this new, Internetenabled world.

Adjective

communication

1. to communicate

communicative

a need, necessity

2. to need

needy

education

to educate

3. educational

4. commerce

commercial

Adverb

commercially

growth

to grow

5. growing

success

to succeed

6. successful

production

to produce

7. productive

productively

8. effective

effectively

effect

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Short Presentations
To the teacher: the objective is to make the student(s) speak and use new vocabulary when
delivering the presentation. Make sure they understand the objective of the activity.
A. Read the text you will be assigned; be prepared to deliver a short presentation; make sure you
use the words in bold in your lecture.
Hand-out A

How a BlackBerry Works

by Tracy V. Wilson
When the BlackBerry debuted in 1999, carrying one was a hallmark of
powerful executives and savvy technophiles. People who purchased one either
needed or wanted constant access to e-mail, a calendar and a phone. The
BlackBerry's manufacturer, Research in Motion (RIM), reported only 25,000
subscribers in that first year. But since then, its popularity has skyrocketed.
In September 2005, RIM reported 3.65 million subscribers, and users describe
being addicted to the devices. The BlackBerry has even brought new slang to
the English language. There are words for flirting via BlackBerry (blurting),
repetitive motion injuries from too much BlackBerry use (BlackBerry thumb)
and unwisely using one's BlackBerry while intoxicated (drunk-Berrying). While
some people credit the BlackBerry with letting them get out of the office and
spend time with friends and family, others accuse them of allowing work to
infiltrate every moment of free time.
People describe BlackBerry use as an addiction, and this is why. Not only do
they give people constant access to their phones, they also provide continual
updates to e-mail, calendars and other tools.

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Hand-out B

How the iPhone Works
by Tracy V. Wilson
In January 2007, Steve Jobs introduced the Apple iPhone during his

keynote address at the Macworld Conference and Expo. In its first
appearance onscreen and in Jobs's hand, the phone looked like a sleek
but inanimate black rectangle.
Then, Jobs touched the screen. Suddenly, the featureless rectangle
became an interactive surface. Jobs placed a fingertip on an on-screen
arrow and slid it from left to right. When his finger moved, the arrow
moved with it, unlocking the phone. To some people, this interaction
between a human finger and an on-screen image -- and its effect on the
iPhone's behavior -- was more amazing than all of its other features
combined. And those features are plentiful. In some ways, the iPhone is
more like a palmtop computer than a cellular phone. As with many smart
phones, you can use it to make and receive calls, watch movies, listen to
music, browse the Web, and send and receive e-mail and text messages.
You can also take pictures with a built-in camera, import photos from
your computer and organize them all using the iPhone's software.
In 2008, Apple introduced the second generation iPhone. The new iPhone
can operate on third-generation (3G) cellular networks and has a GPS
receiver. The iPhone also lets you view map and satellite data from
Google Maps, including overlays of nearby businesses. Owners of the
original iPhone got the opportunity to upgrade the software on their
phones.
Instead of using a mouse or a physical keyboard, the iPhone uses virtual
buttons and controls that appear on its screen. This isn't really a new
phenomenon -- touch screens have been part of everything from selfcheckout kiosks to smart phones for years. But the iPhone's touch-screen
is a little different from many of the others currently on the market.
When you touch the screen on a PDA, you typically use a slender, pointed
stylus. The iPhone, on the other hand, requires you to use your fingers. It
can also detect multiple touch points simultaneously, which many
existing touch-screens cannot do.

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Hand-out C

Why are doctors using PDAs?
by John Fuller
Personal digital assistants, or PDAs, and other similar electronic devices
have been around only since the mid-1990s -- though in a short span of
time they've managed to make a big impact on our society and culture. It's
difficult to walk down the street and not see someone talking on a cell
phone or a businessperson organizing a digital calendar. With cell phones,
PDAs and smart phones, you can now make and receive calls, send e-mails
and text messages and access the Internet. Of course, they're not used
simply for business purposes -- you can also take and store digital pictures,
listen to MP3s, watch videos and play games to pass the time.
One area of business in which PDA use has actually seen a steady increase
is the health care profession. To some of us this might seem strange. When
we think of things a doctor carries around, we usually think of clipboards
and stethoscopes, not handheld PDAs. Why would doctors, nurses and
pharmacists use PDAs?
PDAs give health care professionals access to loads of medical information
on the spot.
Doctors, nurses and most professional health care workers have found this
fact extremely beneficial in their practice, and hospitals, doctor's offices
and pharmacies have quickly adapted to the benefits of PDA technology

over the past decade.
Health care providers rely on a staggering amount of information to help
patients. Doctors use reference material from books or print off data from
larger computers to ensure accuracy and provide diagnosis, while
pharmacists do the same to look up drug information. Seeking out this
type of information takes time and wastes resources if it involves printing,
and because of the constant need to update, books can become outdated
in a matter of weeks when new discoveries are made.
If doctors and nurses use PDAs, however, they can carry with them large
tomes of medical reference which they can access on the spot. This allows
them to make quicker decisions regarding diagnoses and medicine
prescriptions, resulting in more time spent on caring for the patient
directly.
In terms of communication and response time, PDAs also have the
advantage over pagers. Whereas using a pager requires a doctor to receive
a page, locate a free phone and call back the number displayed on the
pager, newer PDAs and smart phones allow doctors to communicate
directly.

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Communication Tools
A. Discuss the following questions and then do the vocabulary exercise.
How has IT impacted on small businesses? What are the pros and cons of the use of state-of-art
technology by small businesses? How important is IT within your company?

Vocabulary
B. Match a word from column A with its meaning in column B.
Column A

Column B

1

to get rid of

a

present and ready to use (18)

2

to aim

b

the fact of having been received (15)

3

commodities

c

to profit (9)

4

a piece of pipe

d

to become free from (1)

5

advance

e

to make certain that you know what is
happening (8)

6

find out

f

for or during the night (13)

7

item

g

a bowl-shaped device used for urinating
or defecating (20)

8

keep track

h

by 1/3 of the total (11)

9

to make from sth

i

to intend, to plan or hope to achieve (2)

10 inventory

j

a piece of tube (4)

11 by a third

k

time needed to load and unload a ship,
truck or another vehicle, time to deliver
(12)

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12 turn around time

l

an answer or reaction (16)

13 overnight

m

to obtain knowledge of something (6)

14 at a low rate

n

to go or move forward; to develop or
improve (5)

15 receipt

o

at low cost (14)

16 response

p

a detailed list of all items in a place (10)

17 get the order

q

something which is part of a list or group
(7)

18 available

r

substances or products that can be
traded, bought or sold (3)

19 12 hundred dollars

s

take the request to make, supply or
deliver food or goods (17)

20 white toilets

t

one thousand and two hundred dollars
(19)

C. Mark the statements that follow TRUE or FALSE. If it is false, make the changes to make it
true.
1. Ironbound's owner, Howard Kent, tells the host that for decades he has found ways to use
technology to increase profit. (T)
2. He has always tried to look for ways to treat his small business like a small business. (F)
3. When he first went to business, he used technology to write orders on small pieces of
paper. (F)
4. Because he had many employees, he didn't worry about doing things as quickly as
possible. (F)
5. The most meaningful change in his business was in marketing. (T)
6. Now, with the advance of the computer, they can't find out how much they have in stock.
(F)
7. They know how much they've sold a specific item in a certain period of time. (T)
8. He says they can know when a customer first bought an item. (F)
9. Technology has enabled them to increase inventory by a third. (F)
10. Technology has enabled them to shorten the turnaround time. (T)

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11. By decreasing the inventory they have been able to allocate money according to their
needs. (T)
12. They fax the customers nightly by using SIC codes. (T)
13. Communicating with the customers has become more expensive but more effective. (F)
14. His business has become more profitable. (T)
15. The customer does not see a salesperson any more. (F)
16. According to Howard Kent any small business owner can afford to have a computer and
tailored software. (T)

Technology Crossword Puzzle
A. Now complete the puzzle.

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Across
1. Tiny picture on the screen. (ICON)
4. Extra copy of a document or program. (BACKUP)
5. Get a file from another computer, across a network. (DOWNLOAD)
7. Tiny unit of information storage consisting of an on/off signal. (BIT)
9. Temporary storage on chips. (MEMORY)
12. Communicate with someone on another computer by typing rather than talking. (CHAT)

13. Millions of computers around the world connected by a network of networks. (INTERNET)
15. Tiny dot of light on the screen. (PIXEL)
17. A kind of memory, it holds files and programs only while you're using them. (RAM)
18. Where a column and row intersect on a spreadsheet. (CELL)
19. 8 bits. (BYTE)
22. Part of the Internet that has linked pages of pictures, sounds, video and text. ("You can find it
on the _____.") (WEB)
23. Software program that you use to explore the Web. (BROWSER)
25. The parts of a computer system that you can touch. ("The computer is made up of software
and ______________.") (HARDWARE)
26. Portable diskette that holds 1.4MB of data. (FLOPPY)

Down
2. Also known as a processor, it's the chip that is the most important part of the computer. (CPU)
3. "Takes a picture" of something and digitizes it. (SCANNER)
6. A searchable, organized collection of information. (DATABASE)
8. The programs that run on a computer. (SOFTWARE)
9. Device that connects a computer to a network via a telephone line. (MODEM)
10. Tiny piece of silicon with electronic circuits; the CPU is one. (CHIP)
11. Line or shape on the screen that shows where the next character will go. (CURSOR)
14. Document that organizes data in rows and columns of cells. (SPREADSHEET)
16. Bundle of wires that connects computer parts. (CABLE)
20. A way of counting using the numbers 0 and 1. (BINARY)
21. Website address. (URL)
24. Portable disk that stores about 650MB of "read only" information. (Usually written with a
hyphen in it.) (CD-ROM)

Helpful vocabulary
backup/binary/bit/browser/byte/cable/CD-ROM/cell/chat/chip (integr. circuit)
/computer/CPU/cursor/database/disk drive/download/e-mail/field/floppy disk (diskette)/

gigabyte (GB)/hard disk/hard drive/
/hardware/HTML/icon/initialize/Internet/kilobyte (K)/megabyte (MB)/memory/modem
monitor/network/peripheral/pixel/processor (micro-)/RAM/RAM vs. Hard
disk/record/scanner/software/spreadsheet/URL/USB/ virus/World Wide Web (or Web)

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EXPANDING
POWERFUL
VOCABULARY
UNIT 2 – GEOPOLITICS

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Warm-up – How good is your vocabulary?
To the teacher: the objective of the warm up activity is to introduce the prefix GEO. The first
exercise is about Geography; so have a brainstorm about the meaning of geo-graphy/ geopolitics…
A. What is what?

Island

Isthmus

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

bay
plateau

lake
peninsula

archipelago
cape

gulf
strait

Land surrounded on 3 sides by water
__PENINSULA__
Large group of islands
__ARCHIPELAGO__
A narrow strip of land connecting two larger forms __ISTHMUS____

A narrow passageway connecting two large bodies of water __STRAIT____
A portion of an ocean or sea extending into the land; a partially land-locked sea
__GULF___
A small body of water set off from the main body ____BAY_______
A large body of water surrounded by land _____LAKE_____
Piece of land extending into a large body of water _____CAPE_____
An area of elevated flat land
___PLATEAU_____
Land surrounded on all sides by water, smaller than a continent ____ISLAND_____

B. Geography and language. Geography and Weather Idioms
To the teacher: use cards to match the idioms and their meanings
Idiom
(on) cloud
nine
dig deep
dirt cheap
down to
earth
go downhill

Meaning
extremely happy
look hard for
information
very inexpensive
natural or real
(personality)
get progressively worse

Example Sentence
Andrea was on cloud nine when she bought her new
car.
I had to dig deep to find my old report cards.
The clothes at the thrift shop are dirt cheap.
Lucile is really down to earth for a woman with so
much money.
My grades started going downhill when I got a parttime job.

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Idiom
go with the flow
hit the road
keep one's head above
water
make a mountain out
of a molehill
out of the woods

Meaning
continue in the same
way as others
leave
have just enough

money to live
make a small problem
seem big
clear of danger

over the hill

past middle age

(as) quick as lightning
the tip of the iceberg
take a raincheck

very fast
a small part of a large
problem
accept at a later date

under the weather

ill

Example Sentence
Nobody trained me at work. I just went with
the flow.
It's getting late. We had better hit the road.
It's hard to keep my head above water with
all of these medical bills.
The car only got a tiny dent. You're making a
mountain out of a molehill.

The doctor said my heart is doing better, but
I'm not out of the woods yet.
I knew I was over the hill when I started
needing glasses to read.
Wow! Your shower was as quick as lightning.
The lost tickets were just the tip of the
iceberg.
I'd love to go out for dinner, but can I take a
raincheck?
I was feeling under the weather so I went
back to bed.

Geography and Weather Idioms Quiz
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

The tickets were ___DIRT CHEAP_______ cheap because it was a last minute sale.
I guess it's time I ____HIT THE ROAD_____. I have to go make dinner.
Business has been going ____DOWNHILL____ever since the bad weather started.
On Tonya's 50th birthday we made her a sign that said: ___OVER THE HILL_______
I was ___ON CLOUD NINE______when Doug asked me to marry him.
We'll have to take a ____RAINCHECK______on dinner. My husband has the flu.
The broken window is just the tip of the ____ICEBERG_____We need new brakes and tires
too.

Geopolitics
The prefix GEOThe basic meaning of the prefix geo- is “country or land.” It comes from the Greek prefix geo-,
from the Greek word ge, meaning “earth” in the sense of “ground or land.”
Thus geography (from Greek geo- plus graphia, “writing") is “the study of Earth and its surface
features.” When used to form words in English, geo- can mean either “Earth” or “geography.” For
example, geomagnetism refers to the magnetism of Earth, and geopolitics refers to the
relationship between politics and geography.

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A.

List as many words as you can remember that use the prefix GEO-

____________________

____________________

____________________

____________________

____________________

____________________

____________________

____________________

____________________

____________________

____________________

____________________

Video – The Cold War
Pre-Video Task
To the teacher: The objective of the video is to provide information of what the cold war was all
about. Before watching the video ask the students how much they know about the Cold War; after
watching compare what they said to what is shown in the video. The objective of the activity is
merely informative.
A. Complete the text with the words in the box. When you have finished, read the text to your
teacher.
United States superpowers
technological
race
Soviet Union (USSR) mid

early Cold War
arms

____COLD WAR__________is the term used to describe the state of conflict, tension and

competition that existed between the ____UNITED STATES___ and the ___SOVIET UNION
(USSR)________and their respective allies from the __EARLY___-1940s to the __MID__-1990s.
Throughout this period, rivalry between the two ___SUPERPOWERS______was expressed through
military coalitions, propaganda, espionage, weapons development, industrial advances, and
competitive
____TECHNOLOGICAL___ development, e.g., the space race. Both superpowers
engaged in costly defense spending, a massive conventional and nuclear __ARMS____race, and
numerous proxy wars*
* proxy war= A proxy war is the war that results when two powers use third parties as substitutes for
fighting each other directly.

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Communication Skills - Presenting Information
To the teacher: The objective of this activity is to provide the students with the opportunity to
speak and use new vocabulary related to each subject.
For large classes, divide the class into 3 groups and assign one of the topics to each group. After
answering the questions and watching the video, they should prepare and deliver a presentation
about the topic. This should be a good opportunity for the teacher to work on error correction.
Each subject should be assigned to a different group, e.g. International Trade (Group 1)
In the case of CEP, the student must choose one topic and work in this assignment alone. Help as
little as possible. Allow the use of dictionaries and the Internet, if available. Topic 1 is ideal for
tough PEC students as the video has subtitles (CC).

Topic 1 - International trade

1. What is international trade?
a. International trade is exchange of capital, goods, and services across international
borders or territories. In most countries, it represents a significant share of gross
domestic product (GDP). While international trade has been present throughout
much of history (Silk Road, Amber Road), its economic, social, and political
importance has been on the rise in recent centuries.
2. What is impacting the international trade system?
a. Industrialization, advanced transportation, globalization, multinational
corporations, and outsourcing are all having a major impact on the international
trade system.
3. What is the relation between International Trade and Globalization and why is
International Trade essential to any world power?
a. Increasing international trade is crucial to the continuance of globalization.
International trade is a major source of economic revenue for any nation that is
considered a world power. Without international trade, nations would be limited
to the goods and services produced within their own borders.
4. What is the difference between international trade and domestic trade and in which way
are they similar?
a. International trade is in principle not different from domestic trade as the
motivation and the behavior of parties involved in a trade does not change
fundamentally depending on whether trade is across a border or not. The main
difference is that international trade is typically more costly than domestic trade.

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5. Explain the differences in detail
a. The reason is that a border typically imposes additional costs such as tariffs, time
costs due to border delays and costs associated with country differences such as
language, the legal system or a different culture.
6. Provide one example of the benefits of International Trade.
a. An example is the import of labor-intensive goods by the United States from
China. Instead of importing Chinese labor the United States is importing goods
from China that were produced with Chinese labor.
7. What is International Economics and what is its relation to International Trade?
a. International trade is also a branch of economics, which, together with
international finance, forms the larger branch of international economics.

Video – International Trade and the USA
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Topic 2 - International Treaties
1. What is WTO?
a. WTO - The World Trade Organization (WTO) is the only global international
organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations. At its heart are the
WTO agreements, negotiated and signed by the bulk of the world’s trading nations
and ratified in their parliaments. The goal is to help producers of goods and
services, exporters, and importers conduct their business.
2. What is TAFTA?
a. The Transatlantic Free Trade Area (TAFTA) is a proposed free trade area between
the United States and the European Union (and their related areas, see EFTA and
NAFTA) in reaction to the growing economic power of the People's Republic of
China. It was considered in the 1990s and again in 2007 but no firm plan has been
made. Economic barriers between the two are already low and some efforts to
ease trade have been made, such as the single sky aviation agreement.
3. What is Mercosur/Mercosul/Southern Common Market?
a. Mercosur or Mercosul (English: Southern Common Market) is a Regional Trade

Agreement (RTA) among Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay founded in 1991
by the Treaty of Asunción, which was later amended and updated by the 1994
Treaty of Ouro Preto. Its purpose is to promote free trade and the fluid movement
of goods, people, and currency.

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4. How has the European Union supported the Mercosur?
a. The European Union has favored the strengthening of Mercosur and supported its
initiatives, notably through the Interinstitutional Agreement to provide technical
and institutional support for its newly created structures. In 1995, the EU and
Mercosur signed an Interregional Framework Cooperation Agreement, which
entered into force in 1999.
5. What is the North American Free Trade Agreement?
a. It´s a trilateral trade bloc in North America created by the governments of the
United States, Canada, and Mexico. The North American Free Trade Agreement
(NAFTA) has two supplements, the North American Agreement on Environmental
Cooperation (NAAEC) and the North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation
(NAALC). The agreements came into effect on January 1, 1994. In terms of
combined purchasing power parity GDP of its members, as of 2020 the trade bloc
is the largest in the world and second largest by nominal GDP comparison.

The Kyoto Protocol and the U.S.
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The Market as an Arena for Transnational Politics (Group C)

By Michele Micheletti

December is the season of giving. Streets and shopping windows are decorated in holiday colors,
and Christmas music and spirit fill shopping malls. For retail stores, it is a most lucrative time of
year. Newspaper, television, radio, and now even Internet advertisements try to convince people
that they truly can show their loved ones how much they really care by giving them special gifts at
Christmas time. A particular focus of marketing attention is the younger generation, a group seen
as easy prey for marketing strategists because of their concern over personal appearance and the
social status accompanying brand name clothing, shoes, and other consumer-oriented material
goods. But this characterization does not apply to all young people. The Christmas season is also
when the political consumerism movement gears up for focused action to question the basis of
consumer society. Many young people are involved in this reevaluation of Western consumerdriven society which, at the same time, links them to the lives of people in other parts of the
world—principally the developing world which is increasingly home to “outsourced” production of
consumer goods.
A few holiday seasons ago, BehindTheLabel.com, an on-line advocacy network, put out an urgent
appeal against The Gap, a large clothing chain with stores in several nations that markets its
clothes to young people. It urged consumers not to patronize GAP stores, claiming on its on-line
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slideshow: “The Gap uses sweatshop labor (1), if you buy Gap you do too. Make a difference. Be
the generation that stops sweatshops. Tell your family and friends: Don’t buy me GAP this holiday
season.” In Canada, advocates wearing Santa Claus outfits appeared in shopping malls to call
attention to the effects of our commercial society in other parts of the world. In other countries,
activists against sweatshops have taken to the streets; in the Netherlands, for example, Dutch
protesters dressed themselves as angels to attract consumer attention on a busy public street

lined with clothing stores and asked shoppers to send the company of their choice a Christmas
card asking about its offshore production practices and codes of conduct.
These examples tell the stories of many young people who are conscientious consumers. They use
the marketplace to challenge how we live, work, and do politics in the world today. These young
activists urge us to think about consumer society in new ways by confronting what they consider
to be an ethically blind and consumption-crazed society. They encourage individual consumers to
fight for the rights of workers and animals, and against unleashed free trade, the power of
transnational corporations, and the use of pesticides and genetically modified organisms in our
food. Much of this concern is directed toward the working conditions and environments of people
living elsewhere, reflecting a transnational political awareness that transcends national issues.
Targets for this form of political engagement are not only the policies of young people’s own
governments in the developing world, but also developing countries governments themselves and,
most of all, powerful transnational corporations.
People who use the market in this fashion are political consumers. Formally defined, political
consumerism is the choice of producers and products with the aim of changing ethically or
politically objectionable institutional or market practices. Their choices are informed by attitudes
and values regarding issues of justice, fairness, non-economic issues that concern personal and
family well-being, and ethical or political assessment of favorable and unfavorable business and
government practice.
Political consumerism comes in different forms. Citizens boycott to express political sentiment and
they buycott or use labeling schemes to support corporations that represent values—
environmentalism, fair trade, and sustainable development, for example—that they support.
While not only about environmental, labor, gender and child welfare issues abroad, these
techniques represent one powerful way for young people to express views on global inequalities
and other justice issues.
Through political consumerism, young people can directly confront transnational corporations and
consumer society.
(1) sweatshop = working place in which employees work long hours at low wages under poor
conditions

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Enhancing and expanding vocabulary
1- Using a dictionary explain the differences and/or similarities between the following
underlined words as used in the sentences given.
The merger proved to be very lucrative for both companies.
____________________________________________________________________________

I made very profitable use of time while staying abroad: I became proficient in English.
____________________________________________________________________________
The insurance will not cover your personal goods.
____________________________________________________________________________
Today's news caused frantic trading on the international commodities market.
____________________________________________________________________________
We have lived a period of sustainable economic growth.
____________________________________________________________________________
This system was extremely economical because it ran on half-price electricity.
__________________________________________________________________________
So, legally or illegally they crossed the border.
__________________________________________________________________________
Space will not be the last frontier, it will simply be the next frontier.
__________________________________________________________________________
Washington has imposed heavy tariffs on orange juice from Brazil since 1987.
__________________________________________________________________________
Due to the complexity of the system, many small businesses either go under or drift into

"informality" - a term that is much used in Brazil as an euphemism for tax evasion.
__________________________________________________________________________

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Before buying goods on the Internet, you need to be aware that whilst you may think you have
found a real bargain and have paid fully for the goods some websites may not make it clear that in
addition to the total price you pay, you may also have to pay Customs duty.
__________________________________________________________________________
Politics at CNN has news, opinion and analysis of American and global politics.
__________________________________________________________________________
A policy is a guiding principle used to set direction in an organization.
__________________________________________________________________________
Both companies have had the pleasure of renewing the existent cooperation agreement.
__________________________________________________________________________
The new contract was signed during the Closing Ceremony.
__________________________________________________________________________
Economics is not an exact science.
__________________________________________________________________________
The major part of Brazil's economy depends upon the export of goods to other countries.
___________________________________________________________________________
VI- Consolidation of acquired vocabulary
1- Complete the sentences with the word that conveys the meaning suggested between
parentheses.
aIf we can agree that real estate is only the___TIP OF THE ICEBERG______, then it becomes

apparent that the financial banking system, is in a very precarious position. (the part of the
problem)
bTo a majority of Americans "The Economy" is just a concept, little understood. Most
people have never studied basic __ECONOMICS_______. (the study of how economies are
organized and work)
c"Was John pleased about getting that job?" "Pleased? He was on ___CLOUD NINE_____."
(extremely happy)
dThe Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), in Portuguese: Área de Livre Comércio das
Américas (ALCA), was a proposed ___AGREEMENT______to eliminate or reduce the trade
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