Brazil’s Economy Overtakes UK’s

Pre-Listening Vocabulary

• commodity: something that comes from the earth and is in high demand
• figures: numerical amounts often found in a table
• prediction: a guess or estimate about the future
• league table: a chart that ranks teams, organizations, or other groups
• shift: slight change in position

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Brazil’s Economy Overtakes UK’s

According to a  of economists, Brazil has overtaken the UK as the world’s sixth largest economy. Brazil is a commodity-producing economy that  heavily on its exports to China. Brazil’s population is about three times the size of the UK’s. Figures from the World Economic League Table also  that Asian economies are growing while European economies are falling. The shift in economic power from west to east seems to be related to the  of commodities such as food and energy. The top five economies in 2011 are the US, China, Japan, Germany and France; however, growth predictions suggest that European countries will have very low growth over the next  due to the debt crisis. Russia and India are expected to take France and Germany’s positions of four and five by 2020.

Comprehension Questions

1. What position does Brazil now hold according to the World Economic League Table?
2. What shift is mentioned in this report?
3. What prediction is made for France and Germany?

Discussion Question: Why do you think economies that produce things like food and energy are climbing up the economic league table?

hide Answers

Brazil’s Economy Overtakes UK’s 
According to a team of economists, Brazil has overtaken the UK as the world’s sixth largest economy. Brazil is a commodity-producing economy thatrelies heavily on its exports to China. Brazil’s population is about three times the size of the UK’s. Figures from the World Economic League Table alsoconfirm that Asian economies are growing while European economies are falling. The shift in economic power from west to east seems to be related to the production of commodities such as food and energy. The top five economies in 2011 are the US, China, Japan, Germany and France; however, growth predictions suggest that European countries will have very low growth over the next decade due to the debt crisis. Russia and India are expected to take France and Germany’s positions of four and five by 2020.

1. Brazil now holds the sixth position in the world economy according to the World Economic League Table.
2. The shift in economic power from west to east is mentioned in this report.
3. The report states that France and Germany are expected to take the fourth and fifth positions by 2020.