MARKET LEADER Premier Website Lessons 22 June 2018

PRE-INTERMEDIATE INTERMEDIATE

Marketing, Products Cultures

Starting up
• What products do people usually buy when they are preparing to have a baby? Use your dictionary if
you don’t know the word in English.

Vocabulary 1 – parents and babies

Match the words (1-5) with the best meaning (a-e). Use your dictionary if necessary.

1 reproduction c
2 maternal …..
3 nappies …..
4 infant formula …..
5 birth …..

a Related to mothers
b Food for babies
c The process of people making more people by having babies
d The act of having a baby
e Soft paper or cloth worn by a baby

Vocabulary 2 – increase and decrease

Which bold words below mean went up? Which mean went down? Use your dictionary if necessary.
1 The price of baby-related shares jumped.
2 The nappy-makers’ share price surged by 10 per cent.
3 The number of births fell in 2017.
4 Shares in Rastar Group climbed 2.6 per cent.
5 The stock market was off 0.7 per cent.

Reading 1
Read through the article quickly. Tick (✓) the two ideas that are true, according to the article.

[ ] China is planning to change its law that limits the number of children couples can have.
[ ] The Chinese government has introduced new rules about product safety.
[ ] In the near future, the average family in China will probably have three or more children.
[ ] The price of shares in companies that make baby products has increased.

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Baby-related shares jump on report China could end

birth limits
Chinese companies that make 1baby-related products jumped on Tuesday after Bloomberg reported the
country was considering removing all limits on the number of children a family can have by the end of
this year.
Bloomberg reported on Monday that Beijing had commissioned research on the possible outcome of
scrapping nearly 2four-decade-old controls on reproduction, with a decision expected as soon as the
fourth quarter. 3China’s ruling Communist party allowed all couples to have two children from 2016,
abandoning the 4one-child policy which had been in place since 1979. However, the change in policy
appears to have not had the desired effect, as the number of births fell in 2017 compared to the previous
year.
Shanghai Aiyingshi, a retailer of maternal and baby supplies jumped 10 per cent on Tuesday while
Xiamen Yanjan New Material, the maker of materials used in nappies, also surged by 10 per cent.
Meanwhile, crafting products maker Cre8 Direct jumped 6.6 per cent and toymakers Goldlok Toys and
Rastar Group climbed 3.7 per cent and 2.6 per cent, respectively.
Beingmate Baby & Child and Sanyuan Foods, makers of infant formula and food, both gained 2 per cent.
The CSI 300 of Shanghai and 5Shenzhen-listed stocks was off 0.7 per cent.

© The Financial Times Limited. All Rights Reserved.

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MARKET LEADER Premier Website Lessons 22 June 2018
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Marketing, Products Cultures

Grammar 1 – noun combinations

Find a noun combination in bold in the article to match each definition.

a ….. the government of China

b ….. shares that are sold on an exchange in China
c ….. things that babies use, such as nappies and infant formula
d ….. laws that have existed for forty years
e ….. a rule about reproduction

Grammar 2 – noun combinations

Choose the most suitable noun combination.
1 2
Despite recent changes in the law, China still has few two’s child / two-child families. After the birth limit
3
/ limit of birth was raised to two in 2016, the number of children / childnumber born actually decreased.
4
However, with talk of the law ending, companies that produce supplies of babies / baby supplies have
5
seen an increase in share price, and the effect has been seen among toy’s makers / toymakers as well.

Reading 2
Choose the best word or phrase to complete each sentence, according to the article.

1 China’s government ….. laws limiting the number of children parents can have.
a) may remove c) says it won’t remove
b) has promised to change

2 Right now, Chinese parents can legally have ….. .

a) one child c) three children
b) two children

3 From 2016 to 2017, the number of babies born in China ….. .

a) decreased c) increased
b) remained the same

4 The share prices of companies that make baby-related products has gone up ….. , according to the
article.
a) by 2.6 to 10 per cent c) an average of 3.7 per cent
b) more than 10 per cent

5 Baby-related stocks have gone up, and stocks in general have ….. .
a) remained the same c) fallen slightly
b) also increased slightly
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Further discussion
Do you think laws limiting the number of children are a good idea or a bad idea? Explain your answer.

Group work
Work together to answer these questions.

1 Imagine that the government announced new laws to protect the environment: rules against using
plastic bags, laws stopping car use in city centres, tax cuts for people who keep gardens. What
businesses do you think might see an increase in share price as a result?
2 Do you think people in your country would accept the environmental laws described in question 1?
Why or why not?
3 Do you think the environmental laws described in question 1 would be good for society? For the
economy? Why or why not?

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ANSWER KEY
Vocabulary 1
1 c 4 b
2 a 5 d
3 e

Vocabulary 2
1 up 4 up
2 up 5 down
3 down

Reading 1
China is planning to change its law that limits the number of children couples can have.
The price of shares in companies that make baby products has increased.

Grammar 1
a 3 d 2
b 5 e 4
c 1

Grammar 2
1 two-child 4 baby supplies
2 birth limit 5 toymakers
3 number of children

Reading 2
1 a 4 a
2 b 5 c
3 a

Further discussion (possible answers)

At a time of growing population and serious environmental problems, limiting reproduction may be a good
idea. However, in some places, a reducing population causes problems, too. If the average age
increases, there will be fewer people in the work force and this may affect the economy. Also, many
families decide to have no children, so perhaps others should be given the freedom to have as many as
they choose.

Group work (possible answers)

1 This situation could be good for companies that make cloth grocery bags or any kind of non-plastic
packaging. It might also be good for bus and train companies, and possibly bike manufacturers.
Garden supply shops would also benefit.
2 Students’ own answers
3 Students’ own answers

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