Student's Book – Dec 2009 (5.9mb) - The Curriculum Project

2.3.4.At the end of the 1980s, India began economic reforms including opening up the country toforeign investment. Economic relations between India and most of the world’s most powerfuleconomic forces are good. Since the reforms began, India’s middle class has grown and so has itsskilled workforce.In May 1998, India carried out nuclear tests. Weeks later, Pakistan did the same. Both tests werecondemned by the international community, and many people were concerned about regionalstability. Reacting to the nuclear activity, America imposed sanctions.India has the third largest reserves of coal in the world as well as oil reserves off the coast. As thecountry develops, however, India cannot keep up with the demand for more energy. Internal oilproduction accounts for only 25 per cent of demand. The need to import such large quantities ofoil and natural gas has influenced India’s political relationships with countries in the region.KEY WORDScollective farm (n) – A farm or a group of farms organised and managed and workedcooperatively by a group of workers under state supervision, especially incommunist countriescorruption (n) – the use of someone’s power or trust for dishonest gain or theaccepting of money by someone in a position of power to do something illegalor immoral.enterprise (n) – a business activityeviction (n) – to force somebody to move off a piece of land or propertyexecute (v) – to kill or to put someone to death as punishmentexport (v) – to send a product to another country for saleinvade (v) – enter or attack a territory by forcelabour camp (n) – a camp for holding prisoners who are forced to do physical labouror workoppose (v) – to argue or fight againststrained (adj) – tense, not natural or relaxedpiracy (n) – the illegal copying, distribution or use of a productseizure (n) – the action of taking hold of something, the capture of somethingexerciseidentifyingmain pointRead through the following outline of the most recent events in China and writeyour own titles for each paragraph. For example, the first paragraph could betitled Economic Change.1.2.In the early 1980s China removed collective farming and allowed private enterprise. Now itis one of the world’s top exporters and foreign investment is very extensive. It is also investingbillions of dollars abroad.Relations with trading partners have been strained because of China’s huge trade surplus andthe piracy of goods. China currently produces large numbers of goods for fairly low prices.Trade partners would like China to increase the value of currency and reduce the number of itsexports.61