Chávez rules out economic package in Venezuela - English Exercises

Exercises for understanding and learning new vocabulary from the reading

Level: Advanced

Aim: Encourage the English speaking and increasing the vocabulary

Chávez rules out economic package in Venezuela

 RULE OUT= To remove from consideration; exclude

He promised to crack down on speculators

The Venezuelan president said that he will fight against speculation, after the devaluation of the bolívar

Economy
In a first direct reference to the devaluation of the Venezuelan currency, which took effect on January 1, President Hugo Chávez said that he will deal with any speculative outbreak.

In his column Chávez's Lines, the Venezuelan head of state said: "I warn all speculators: We will bring them to heel. We will not be soft on them."

He added that Venezuela's inflation closed at 26.9 percent in 2010 "significantly lower than estimated by traitors." He said that dissenters avoid referring to speculation "for which they are responsible: the way in which the monopoly capital, headed by (Venezuela's main business association) Fedecámaras, raises prices, thus disregarding economic rationality and mocking the people."

Several economic analysts have warned about the impact on inflation that the decision to eliminate the preferential exchange rate of VEB 2.6 per US dollar could have, more so when the government is expected to increase the VAT, among other economic measures. This preferential rate was used to import essential goods, such as food and medicine.

Chávez said in his column that in the last days of December, "the media sewers have spread a catastrophic version of 2011."

The Venezuelan president said that these sectors "have taken a harsh stance" towards the unification of the exchange rate at VEB 4.30 per US dollar, "a measure intended to simplify the exchange rate system. What do the traitors say? (They say) that we are creating the conditions to implement a neoliberal economic package. They are embarking on a strategy of lying shamelessly to generate confusion."
Translated by Gerardo Cárdenas
January 2011

Reference: http://english.eluniversal.com/2011/01/03/en_eco_esp_chavez-rules-out-eco_03A4924293.shtml

               

Verbs / phrasal verbs

present	Past
Crack down on	Cracked down on	To act more forcefully to regulate, repress, or restrain.	Tomar medidas energéticas contra alguien
Crack	Cracked	To break or snap apart	agrietar
Snap	Snapped	To break suddenly with a brisk, sharp, cracking sound.	Romperse, quebrarse
Mock	Mocked	To treat with ridicule or contempt; deride.	Burlarse o mofarse de.
Warn	Warned	To notify or apprise in advance	advertir
Deride	Derided	To ridicule	ridiculizar
Embark	Embarked	To go aboard a vessel or aircraft, as at the start of a journey.	Embarcar(se)
Lie	Lied	1-To present false information with the intention of deceiving.	mentir
Lie	Lay - Lain	2-To be or place oneself at rest in a flat, horizontal, or recumbent position.	Tenderse, acostarse

Phrases:

To bring somebody to heel	Entrar o poner en vereda a alguien en venezuela: poner en cintura al alguien
Harsh stance	Posición fuerte

Nouns:

Dissenter	Disidente		Vessel	Buque
Traitor	Traidor		Aircraft	Avión
Sewer	Cloaca, alcantarilla		Speculator	Especulador

Adverbs:

Shamelessly

descaradamente

Exercise 1

Match the words from the box (a-l) with their corresponding place in the statements.(1-11)

a-     lied b-    crack down c-     sewers d-    apprised e-     derided f-     traitor

g-     dissenters h-     preferential exchange rate i-      deceive j-      snapped k-    lay l-      speculators

1-     Whenever it rains in this city, the ______________ always overflow and we can not walk along the streets.

2-    The new law will punish the ____________ if they do not respect and follow the government doctrines.

3-    He will be seen as a __________ to the Democratic cause.

4-    The unification of the  _____________  __________    _____           will not be viable because it will increase the prices of medicine and food.

5-    The dead body ________ face down floating into the pool.

6-    The little boy stretched the rubber band until it ____________.

7-    They ___________ his investigations as childish.

8-    The government will ________  ____________ the ______________ if they raise the prices.

9-    If you want to pass this exam, you must work hard so do not _________  yourself thinking that you can.

10-She ______ to the teacher by saying that she had been sick. We all knew that she wasn´t.

11-  I wasn`t _________ of that meeting. That was the reason why I didn`t show up.

Reference:

www.thefreedictionary.com

www. Wordreference.com

Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary

http://www.eluniversal.com/

                                                

The government warned the country that three measures

are going to be  enacted.

a-The increase of the added value tax

b-The unification of the preferential exchange rate

c-The increase of the bank debit tax

1- Do you think they are implementing a soft neoliberal economic package?

2- Is the cost of living going to be seriously affected by?

3- Are you afraid about the inflation and speculation?

4- Do you think there could be disturbances among the inhabitants?

5- What do you think it is going to happen within the next days?

Among the possible answers, the following could be one for number 4

There could be riots, food shortages, looting if the inflation raises up and people don´t have enough money to supply themselves their lack of food.

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