10.

EUROPEANS LIVING TOGETHER

I. Work in groups and answer the following questions about the European Union.
1. What is the population of the EU?
2. How many members does the EU have at present?
3. What is the largest EU country? What about the smallest?
4. What year marks the starting point of the EU?
5. How many founding members are there?
6. When did Romania join the EU?
7. What is the EU policy regarding education and training?
8. Which is the EU country with the highest level of unemployment?

II. Read the following text to check your predictions:

The European Union needs no introduction. Over half a century, it has brought political stability and
economic prosperity to its citizens. It has created a frontier-free single market and a single currency, the euro.
It has reunited a fractured continent. The European Union is a major economic and commercial power and
the world’s biggest donor of development aid to poorer countries. Its membership has grown from six to 28
nations, bringing the EU’s population to nearly half a billion. The size of the countries varies
widely, with France the biggest and Malta the smallest.
Not all European countries are, or wish to be, EU members — but the Union welcomes
membership applications from any democratic European country. It maintains close and friendly relations
with all its neighbours, both in Europe and around the eastern and southern shores of the Mediterranean.
Though richly diverse, EU countries are united in their commitment to peace, democracy, the rule
of law and respect for human rights. They seek to uphold these values in Europe and beyond, to build and
share prosperity, and to exert their collective influence by acting together on the world stage.
The EU began life in the 1950s as the European Economic Community with six founding members
— Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. They created a new way of coming
together to manage their joint interests, based essentially on economic integration. They were joined by
Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom in 1973, Greece in 1981, and Spain and Portugal in 1986.
Unification of Germany in 1990 brought in the Länder from eastern Germany.
In 1992, a new treaty gave more responsibilities to the Community institutions and introduced new
forms of cooperation between national governments, thus creating the European Union as such. The EU was
enlarged in 1995 to include Austria, Finland and Sweden.
The Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and
Slovakia joined in 2004, followed in 2007 by Bulgaria and Romania. Croatia joined in 2013. Two more
candidates, Turkey and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, have applied for membership.
Life expectancy in the European Union is rising. Those born in 1960 could expect to survive to the age of 67
(men) and 73 (women). For babies born in 2004 the figures are nearly 76 for men and 82 for women.
By way of comparison, figures from the United Nations show that babies born between 2000 and
2005 in Somalia, one of the world’s poorest countries, can expect to live until the age of 46 (men) and 49
(women). As regards birth rates, in 1960, most women in the EU had two or more children. In
statistical terms, there were more than 2.5 children per woman. By 2004, the total
fertility rate had fallen to about 1.5 children per woman. France and Ireland have the
highest fertility rates at slightly under two children per woman. The lowest (less than
1.25) are in the Czech Republic, Latvia, Poland and Slovakia.
With fewer young people, the EU workforce is shrinking. Fewer workers will have to support more
and more pensioners. The number of over-80s is forecast to reach 6.3 % of the population by 2025. To boost
the working population, Europe needs more people of working age to take jobs, to have them retire later, to
get more women to work, to update workers’ skills through life-long learning programmes and to promote
targeted immigration. More babies would also help.
The standard of living in the EU varies. GDP per inhabitant is highest in Luxembourg and lowest in
Bulgaria. The EU is striving to narrow the gap between its rich and poor members, strengthen the European
economy, make it more competitive and create more jobs so we can all enjoy a better quality of life. As it is,
GDP growth is currently faster in the poorer countries than in the other member states.
Standards of living can also vary from region to region within a single country. In some regions of the
EU, GDP per inhabitant in PPS is less than 50 % of the EU-28 average. In the most prosperous regions it can
be more than 25 % above the EU-28 average.
The EU has created so-called Structural Funds to help even out these differences by improving living
standards in poorer regions. Over 35 % of the EU’s budget is used to boost the economies of these regions,
and in turn strengthen the EU as a whole.
The EU’s ambition is to become the world’s most dynamic knowledge-based economy. That means
investing heavily in research (the source of new knowledge) and in education and training, which give people
access to that new knowledge. Particularly important is training the workforce in information technology
skills, and providing easier and faster access to the Internet for schools, businesses and people at home.
A thriving economy needs people to stay in work longer and to learn new skills throughout their
working lives. ‘Lifelong learning’ is the watchword. In the EU, the number of adults taking part in learning
activities has been rising — reaching 9.6 % of people aged between 25 and 64 in 2016.
Education is the key to success — for individuals and for the EU as a whole. The subjects Europeans
choose to study tend to differ according to their gender: more men choose science, computing and
engineering, while more women choose the arts, humanities and law.
Europe needs well-qualified people in all walks of life. In particular, it needs more women in
professional careers, and more scientists (of both genders) to carry out vital research.
On the whole, the less educated you are, the more likely you are to be unemployed. If you have
completed ‘tertiary’ education (e.g. a university degree course), your risk of being out-of-work is less than
half that of someone who never got beyond primary or lower secondary schooling.
Employment and the creation of more and better jobs for its citizens are top priorities for the
EU. The Union must also help provide equal opportunities, so that everyone who wants to can work.
The aim is to raise the number of people of working age with jobs to the level of 70 % of the working-
age population by 2015.
As to jobs, in the 1950s, more than 20 % of the EU’s population worked in farming and around
40 % in industry. Since then, employment in agriculture and industry has fallen while the number of
jobs in the services sector has soared. By 2010, more than two thirds of jobs in the 25-nation EU were
in the services sector. The figure for agriculture was 5.0 % and for industry 27.9 %. Recent figures show
that, while employment levels continue to rise in services and fall in agriculture, the number of
industrial jobs has remained relatively stable.
In June 2018, 64.3 % of people of working age in the EU-28 had jobs. The level was highest in the
Czech Republic and lowest in Greece. It is also different for men and for women.
In all EU countries, women earn (on average) less than men. The gender pay gap is widest in
Estonia and Cyprus, where women earned 25 % less than men in 2015. It is narrowest (4 %) in Malta.
The EU is the main exporter in the world and the second biggest importer. The United States is the EU’s
most important trading partner, followed by China. In 2015, the EU accounted for 18.1 % of world exports
and 18.9 % of global imports.
The European Union is also an important trading partner for less developed countries, most of whose
exports enter the EU duty-free or at reduced rates of duty. This preferential access to the EU market is aimed
at boosting the economic growth of poorer countries around the world.

III. Read the text again to find words/ phrases for the following explanations:
1. without borders;
2. one that contributes something, such as money, to a cause or fund;
 3. the principle that all people and institutions are subject to and accountable to law that is fairly
applied;
4. to support or defend;
5. common interest;
6. the number of years that an individual is expected to live as determined by statistics;
7. all the people working or available to work, as in a nation, company, industry, or on a project;
8. to increase; raise;
9. the total market values of goods and services produced by workers and capital within a nation's
borders during a given period; the English equivalent for PIB;
10. to exert much effort or energy;
11. to make level or straight;
12. an occupation, profession, or social class;
13. the educational level following the completion of a school providing a secondary education;
14. to rise, fly, or glide high and with little apparent effort;
15. a participant in an ongoing business relationship.

IV. Complete the following table with the corresponding nationality and language spoken in the
European countries given

EU Member Countries Nationality Language

Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Croatia
Cyprus
The Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Ireland
Italy
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
The Netherlands
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
The United Kingdom
Candidate countries
The former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia
Turkey
Iceland
Potential candidate
countries
Albania
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Kosovo
Montenegro
Serbia

V. Fill in each gap with a word derived from the word given:
1. COMMERCE
a. The decision has been made on a purely ...............................basis.
b. It was that TV .................................. that made me buy that product.
c. This magazine is a very good example of an interesting and also ...................... successful publication.
2. NEIGHBOUR
a. I can always pay him a visit because he lives in the ............................... .
b. Ukraine has recently had difficulties with the .........................countries.
c. I have always liked that part of the country because it has given me a ........................feeling.
3. SURVIVE
a. The doctors said it was a miracle that he ........................ .
b. In these areas, every day is a fight for ................................. .
c. This child is the famous singer’s only ......................descendant.
d. He is the only ……….. of the 1935 winning team.
4. STRONG
a. He is a ...............................person, always achieving what he wants.
b. The European Union and the Member States must become ……………… involved in policies aimed at
promoting energy efficiency.
c. We need someone who has the ……………….to take on a difficult job.
d. Specialists consider that aerobic exercise …………………….the heart.
5. COMPETE
a. She demonstrated special .............................in dealing with the issue.
b. All her peers agree that she is a very ................................employee.
c. We have to choose between the ..............................priorities of industry, health and education.
d. We are all aware of the fierce ........................existing in the field where we operate.
e. All our .............................................are also bidding for the contract.
f. Many firms are struggling to survive on a highly ..........................market.
6. TRAIN
a. The clinic is run by specially ......................................medical staff.
b. The firm recruits ten ..........................accountants a year.
c. The ..................................we invited to enhance our communication skills comes from Norway.
d. Next month, all employees are given ......................................in business ethics.
7. KNOW
a. The accountants denied all ............................of the events.
b. The manager is extremely .........................about business and finance.
c. The documents were delivered to his last ...........................address.
d. As I could conclude from his speech, he has all the ........................to achieve this job.
8. EMPLOY
a. All ........................................in this company have to work shifts.
 b. During the interview, the ..............................offered to pay for my rent.
c. After graduation, she found ................................with a local finance company.
d. He is in the red because he has been ...................................for more than six months.

VI. Insert the necessary articles (definite, indefinite or zero):

Romania is a South-Eastern country of ……..1……..Europe, with …….2….. population of almost
23,000,000 inhabitants and ……3……… area of 237,500 square kilometres. The capital of ….4…..Romania
is Bucharest, one of …..5……… most interesting cities in the country, situated in …..6….. South part of
Romania. Bucharest is also called "little Paris", because of …….7…….. many French influences of the last
century, when the most frequently spoken foreign language in Romania was …….8……French.
The national day of Romania was established for the 1 st of December. It was the day when …..9…….
three parts that once were apart came together and formed the country as it is today.
The official language is …….10…….Romanian, a Neolatin language, related to the other Latin
languages in Europe, such as Italian, Spanish, French and Portuguese.
The main religion in Romania is Orthodoxism (around 87% of the population), followed by
Catholicism (5% of the population). …….11…… domestic currency in Romania is the 'Leu', but it is usual
that banks and other institutions work with the USD or with the Euro (……..12….. official currency for most
of the countries in Europe).
Romania boasts great biodiversity and unspoiled ecosystems. ……..13….. vast territories of ….14…..
Danube Delta, the big number of large carnivores and the huge wooded expanses in ……..14……..
Carpathians are among the most significant and best known aspects of Romania’s natural wealth. Natural and
semi-natural ecosystems stand for about 47% of …….15…… country’s area, 783 types of habitat having
been identified and defined.
Wildlife diversity is attested by existing populations of wolf, bear, chamois and lynx, considered
among ……16…….rarest in Europe, and also by vast unspoiled forest and alpine habitats associated with the
Carpathians. Approx. 5600 bears, accounting for 60% of ………17….. European brown bear population,
approx. 3000 wolves or 40% of the European wolf population, and approx. 1500 lynxes (40%) could provide
……18…… basis for reintroducing these species in other zones of Europe.
On ……19….. territory of Romania 3700 plant species have been identified, of which 23 have been declared
……..20……..nature monuments, 74 are extinct, 39 are endangered, 171 are vulnerable, and 1253 are rare.

VII. Name the corresponding country for the following descriptions:

1. It has many areas below sea level as well as polders, land reclaimed from the sea. Its biggest port,
Rotterdam, is on the Meuse River.
2. This country, as well as its capital, is bisected by the Danube River. The country also contains one of
the largest European lakes, Lake Balaton.
3. It contains the northernmost point of mainland Europe and is known for its irregular, jagged coastline.
4. This country's capital was chosen simply for its central location: it is not on a major river or other
waterway like most European capitals.
5. This country, known for its wine, is located between Romania and Ukraine.
6. This country has the westernmost point on the European continent.
7. This country in the Julian Alps has the largest caves in Europe.
8. This country's capital is a natural stronghold at the conjunction of the Alzette and Petrusse rivers and
is home to the European Court of Justice.
9. This is the largest country completely in Europe, not counting Russia.
10. This country contains the town of Bastogne, critical during the World War II Battle of the Bulge. The
battle mostly took place in this country.