Britain Part

1. Britain Part The U.K. Economy

2. ※What do you know about British economy? ※Do you know any products that are manufactured in Great Britain? ※Are there any British products that you can find in the Chinese domestic market?

3. I. A relative economic decline 1. U.K.’s economic situation by the 1880s dominant in the world ※1/3 world’s manufactured goods ※1/2 world’s coal and iron ※1/2 world’s cotton ※the amount of British shipping> the rest of the world put together 2. U.K.’s economic situation after WWII(1945) overtaken by Germany and Japan, or even many smaller economies

5. 3. Reasons for this relative decline (1) Heavy debt due to war (2) The lost of its former colonies (3) Military presence in many overseas locations (4) Older factories and equipment (5) Low domestic investment rate & high overseas investment rate

6. Some facts about military cost • 2008 budget for military action in Iraq and Afghanistan: USA: 235.1 billion USD UK: 3.297 billion Pound • During Iraq war, UK government had to spend about 100-200 million pounds per month in Iraq; • After Iraq war, UK was unable to fuel a war of similar scale in five years

7. A list for GDP in 2007 • 1美国139800462802日本52900414803德国32800397104中国3010022805英国2570042430 • 20中国台湾398017520

8. II. The current U.K. economy Three main areas: primary industry secondary industry; tertiary/service industry 1. Primary industry: agriculture, fishing, mining, etc. • Agriculture (farming): • Farming contributed £5.6 billion to the UK economy in 2006. The total area of agricultural land in 2006 was 18.7 million hectares, about 77 per cent of the total land area in the United Kingdom (excluding inland water). • Farming in Britain has changed a great deal in the last 30 years. Farming used to employ a great many people in Britain but nowadays, with machinery, a few people can run a huge farm of thousands of hectares. • Agriculture provides around 60 per cent of Britain's food needs even though it employs just 1.4 per cent of the country's labour force. Britain's agriculture is under pressure to change at the moment. Farmers are under pressure to adopt more environmentally friendly methods such as organic farming. Organic farming does not use artificial chemicals that can damage the environment and human health. Its popularity has grown rapidly in recent years.

9. Different types of farming in Britain • Different types of farming occur in different regions of Britain. This is due to the influence of relief, climate (especially precipitation and temperature), soil type and to an extent closeness to the market. Upland areas generally lend themselves to sheep farming. Flat areas to crop production and wet/warm areas to milk and beef production. • Some parts of Britain have excellent soil for crops, while others are used for cattle, sheep, pigs and poultry.

10. In the south-east of England and the lowlands of Scotland, grain, potatoes and sugar beet are grown. In the north-west of England, Wales and Scotland, farmers keep cattle and sheep. Sheep can survive the cold winters on the hills and moors. In the east of England (East Anglia), wheat, barley and vegetables grow in enormous fields. In the south-west of England, the rich grass is ideal for feeding dairy cows.

11. Principal crops: Wheat(小麦), (the most widely grown arable crop in the UK) Barley(大麦), 0ats(燕麦), potatoes, sugar beet, (The UK is the fifth largest producer of sugar beet) vegetables, oil seed, fruits. Livestock products: poultry, sheep, cattle, milk, meat, eggs, wool. Types of Farming: • Arable(种植业) (growing of crops and cereals)The UK is the fourth largest producer of cereal and oilseed crops in the EU (after France, Germany and Poland) accounting for about 8% of total EU production. • pastoral (畜牧业)(rearing and production of animals including pigs, chickens, hill farming sheep, beef and dairy cattle) • mixed farming (combination of arable and pastoral) • horticulture (园艺)(production of flowers, fruit, vegetablesor ornamental plants) • market gardening (商品蔬菜种植业)(production of fruit and vegetables) • viticulture (葡萄栽培)(grapes).

12. (2) fishing: 55% of the UK demand for fish Scottish ports (3)Energy production: The UK has large coal, natural gas, and oil reserves; primary energy production accounts for 10% of GDP, one of the highest shares of any industrial nation. 3 of the biggest ten companies in Britain are to be found in the energy sector: Shell (half Dutch) British Petroleum (BP) British Gas RTZ, the world’s largest mining company

13. 2. Secondary industry (manufacturing industry) ★pharmaceuticals: GlaxoWellcome (biggest drug company in the world.注：葛兰素威康（Glaxo Wellcome）和史克必成（Smith Kline）强强联合,于2000年12月成立英国葛兰素史克公司。) ★chemicals: ICI (2nd largest paint company in the world) ★food and drink: (Scotch whisky) ★aerospace: 3rd in size in the world ※electronics/car industry: foreign owned Rover BMW ※motor-racing industry: McClaren and Williams ※British Steel: the world’s 4th largest steel company

14. 3. Tertiary industry Financial services: banking, insurance, and business services, account by far for the largest proportion of GDP. Tourism: royal culture and museum culture Retailing: Advertising:

15. Could the financial crisis mean you end up homeless?(from WalletPop UK) Watching daytime TV isn't something I do very often, but This Morning is on in the background as I type. There's a woman called Linda Stout Turner being interviewed who despite having a good job, good skills and looking smart, she found herself homeless. She lives in a night shelter in London. And apparently this is just the tip of the iceberg. How did things get so bad? And, how close are you to being out on the street?Now, it's certainly not the aim of WalletPop to scare everyone into thinking that they'll be out on the street next week, but how much would it take for you to not be able to pay your rent? Three months without a job? Three weeks? And even if you did get another job, could you afford to pay a deposit on a new flat if you were evicted? Losing your home isn't as unfeasible as it once was and it could happen to anyone. It's circumstances like this that aren't as uncommon as we think. There are more and more people becoming homeless, living with friends and in shelters because they've just had bad luck. The woman This Morning interviewed was actually working and at a business school in the evenings to improve her skills. Some of her money was stolen and she couldn't afford her accommodation until payday. She was left with nowhere to live. There's nothing wrong with Linda. Most people associate homelessness with drug or alcohol problems, or mental health issues. The fact is, the government are reporting homeless figures as being down. That's not the case at all, people like Linda Stout-Turner are termed "willingly homeless" so they don't count in these figures.

16. Homeless charity Shelter has seen a 30% increase in people contacting them for help. When people talk about money issues and worrying about whether or not they'll be able to pay the rent, most of the time people pull through, get a new job or change their living circumstances. But is this the only option if you're really down on your luck? You end up in a homeless shelter? Hopefully it won't get that bad, but if it does start to look bleak, what can you do? • Let your bank, your landlord and anyone you owe money to know that you're having trouble. • Make sure you're claiming the benefits you're entitled to. • Let friends and family know that you're struggling - they'll want to help if they can. • Do what you can to get a job and keep busy, it's easy to get depressed if situations get bad. • Look for a cheaper place to live. • Don't cross your fingers and simply assume that everything will work out. Those steps might seem pretty obvious, but if something as simple as losing £50 can put Linda Stout-Turner on the street, a downward spiral can happen to anyone. It's not as uncommon as people think it is, and with more people becoming unemployed, there are more people applying for the jobs you want. Make sure you've got something in the bank if the worst does happen. It's not a case of having something for a rainy day, it could mean the difference between you having a bed for the night in your own home, and sleeping rough.