English Learning Guide

Competency 1
Unit 2: Maths
Workshop 1
Centro de Servicios Financieros- CSF
Name: Cohort: Date:

Training program: Instructor:

BASIC MATHS OPERATIONS (ADDING/SUBTRACTING/MULTIPLYING)

MONEY, CURRENCY EQUIVALENCE

This workshop attempts to help you strengthen your Math skills in English, by using the language in
the development and understanding of some basic math operations, talking about currencies around
the world and how to convert from one to another one.

Objective: from the development of this workshop, you will be able to talk about currencies and do
some math operations in English.

1. Answer the following questions:

- What do you know about the basic Math operations? Mention them, which one is your
favorite?
- When is it common to use Math? Give some examples.
- Which basic Math operation is difficult to you?

2. Skills practice: do the following activities to practice the learnt vocabulary and English structures.

2.1. LISTENING PRACTICE: video about basic math vocabulary

Before watching the video, make a word search with the following words:

operations, addition, multiplication, calculation, math symbols, equals, plus, minus, times, divided by,
add, subtract, divide, multiply, be good/bad at math

Watch the video and identify the vocabulary.

Read and write the results to each one the exercises below1. Choose 10 of these exercises and record them.

1
Taken from https://www.education.com/worksheet/article/missing-operations/ used by SENA for GC-F -005 V. 01

academic purposes, exclusively.

English Learning Guide
Competency 1
Unit 2: Maths
Workshop 1
Centro de Servicios Financieros- CSF

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van

2.2. READING PRACTICE: Read the article

THE U.S.A. DOLLAR

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has suggested that the U.S. dollar could be losing its
status as the world's most important currency. Mr Lavrov said that because the U.S. has
imposed economic sanctions on countries like Iran, Turkey and Russia, these countries could
start conducting international business in their own national currencies instead of the dollar. In
addition, countries that have had trade tariffs
imposed on them by GC-F -005 V. 01
English Learning Guide
Competency 1
Unit 2: Maths
Workshop 1
Centro de Servicios Financieros- CSF
the U.S. could also do trade in their own currencies. This could include the global economic
superpower China ditching the dollar. China is already setting up trade deals in its own
currency. Experts say the U.S. dollar could lose its position as the international reserve
currency.

The U.S. dollar replaced the British pound as the international reserve currency in the 1920s.
Since then, most international trade has taken place using the dollar. Today, when China buys
oil from Iran, it pays in U.S. dollars. This means more U.S. dollars flow out of the U.S. than
flow in. The effect of this is the U.S. has a currency deficit as its dollars are in the bank
accounts of other countries. Mr Lavrov said: "I'm confident that the grave abuse of the role of
the U.S. dollar as a global reserve currency will result over time in the weakening and demise
of its role." China's currency the yuan is emerging as an alternative trading currency. Africa's
most populous nation Nigeria has already started trading using the yuan.

2. 2.1 SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.

1. Suggested a. serious

2. Status b. doing

3. Imposed c. specialists

4. Conducting d. standing

5. Experts e. consequence

6. Replaced f. shortfall

7. Effect g. indicated

8. Deficit h. substitute

9. Grave i. applied

10. Alternative j. took over from

2.2.2 Multiple choice exercise

2
Taken from https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1808/180819-the-dollar.html used by SENA for
academic purposes, exclusively.

GC-F -005 V. 01
 6) What was the international reserve currency
1) What is the name of Russia's foreign before the dollar?
minister? a) the British pound
a) Anna Netrebko b) the French franc
b) Sergei Lavrov c) the rouble
c) Boris Yeltsin d) gold
d) Vladimir Putin 7) What might China buy from Iran and pay for in
2) What did the USA impose on Turkey, Iran dollars?
and Russia? a) cars
a) financial ultimatums b) gold
b) taxes c) carpets
c) economic sanctions d) oil
d) conditions 8) What does the USA have because so many
3) What could countries like Turkey and Iran dollars flow out of the country?
use instead of the dollar? a) a trade surplus
a) oil b) a big bank
b) gold c) a currency deficit
c) the Euro d) fiscal reform
d) their own currencies 9) What did the article say is emerging as an
4) What could the economic superpower alternative trading currency?
China do to the dollar? a) the Euro
a) print it b) gold
b) ditch it c) the British pound
c) buy it d) the Chinese yuan
d) invest it 10) Which country has already started trading in
5) Who said the dollar could lose its position as China's currency?
the reserve currency? a) India
a) experts b) Nigeria
b) the IMF c) Japan
c) the World Bank d) Turkey
d) Russia's president