Answer the questions to the text

1) In what way is the character of modern trade changed under the influence of the new high-tech goods?

2) Why is so much attention paid now to monitoring systems and maintenance of the equipment used?

3) Why is it impossible to sell high-tech equipment otherwise than on a system basis?

4) What are the new forms and methods of trade nowadays?

5) How is the work of newly-set up R & D centers organized and why? What is the effect of this work?

6) In what way do the new forms and methods of trade effect after-sale servicing?

7) What is new in the field of advertising?

5. Read the text and retell the contents in Russian

Territorial and Administrative Division of Government in the United Kingdom

In Great Britain the county, or shire, is the principal subdivision of the country for political, administrative, judicial, and other purposes. Counties are used in England and Wales but have been replaced by other administrative units in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Before the Norman Conquest of the 11th century, the chief unit of local government in England was the shire, which had originated in the Saxon communities of the 5^th century. Each shire was ruled by an ealdorman (alderman), but after the 11^th century his functions were taken over by the shire-reeve, or sheriff, who was appointed by the king. By the 14^th century a county court, composed of several justices of the peace, or magistrates, had developed to help the sheriff administer the county. Over the centuries these crown-appointed magistrates gradually became the primary administrators of counties. Each county also became the constituency for the elections of knights of the shire, or county members of Parliament.

This system of county government, with centrally appointed justices of the peace holding legislative, judicial, and executive powers, became inadequate in the 19^th century as the suffrage was extended, government services expanded, and industrial cities continued to grow. To remedy this undemocratic system, the Local Government Act of 1888 established county councils, with members elected by local residents, to take over the legislative and executive duties of the magistrates. The act also replaced the historic counties with new administrative counties, which often had different boundaries. The act also created about 60 county boroughs; these were cities that were given county powers in order to better provide local government services.

The Local Government Act of 1972 reorganized the county system again; 47 new counties contained all urban as well as rural areas in their boundaries, and each county was subdivided into several districts, which numbered almost 300 in all. A British county provides police and fire services, education, social-welfare services, public transport, traffic regulation, consumer protection, libraries, and some highways and parks. The county council is the general governing board of a county; it is a large body, with 50 to 100 popularly elected members, and much of its basic administrative work is delegated to committees.

Outside the United Kingdom, the system of county government was adopted, with variations, in most of the countries settled from Britain. In Canada, however, the county system never became universal; where it exists, the county councils are generally much smaller than in England. New Zealand has had county councils since 1876. In Australia the administrative unit is generally called the shire, though the name county is used for larger areas.

(From the Encyclopaedia)

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