Saturday, November 27, 2010

Surge in Christmas shopping




This week’s article is discussing the current surge in shopping because of the nearness of Christmas. Read the article and answer the following questions, have a discussion with your teacher in class about this topic.

1.Does Christmas have this effect in your country?
Write a short email to a friend in the UK telling them about Christmas shopping in your country.  Add it as a comment or mail it to me.
2. Where are people getting the extra money for all this shopping from?
3. What does the word lacklustre mean? Explain it as a comment in this blog.
4. What will happen to shop sales in the New Year according to the article?
5. Why does Samuel Tombs think people are shopping so much now?

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Herd mentality

This weeks word of the week is herd mentality. In our article the author puts forward the idea that investors following each other when investing has cost them hundreds of pounds in lost profits.
Read the Telegraph article and then discuss the following points in class or with a colleague in English.

  1. The article states that following the herd means investors often buy at the top of the market and sell at the bottom. Explain to a non financial person why this causes them a problem.
  2. Why do you think the herd mentality exists?
  3. In the article Colin Maclean is recommending buying shares in companies with overseas exposure. Why is this?
  4. Read the paragraph which starts "Robert Burdett of..." and decide what type of investment Robert is recommending. Write a short paragraph to explain his recommendation.

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Flagging Means Declining in strength; weakening:



Our article this week is features Wolfgang Schaeuble's attack on America's quantitative easing policy.Read the article and:-

Why is Herr Schaeuble so againsthttp://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=5447842808563114257 this policy? Do you agree with him? What should the USA do to stimulate its ecomony?

Write an email to Herr Schaeuble saying why you agree with him or not, post it to this blog or get your teacher to correct it for you.

Write an email to the US finance minister explain what you think they should do in the current economic situation,post it to this blog or get your teacher to correct it for you.

Have a good week