1) During the World War II, Americans had lived under a controlled economic system: foodstuffs and essential goods were being rationed, wages and salaries had been freezed, ceiling prices had been fixed and strikes had been forbiden. After the war, with the return to free market system, prices quickly increased. At the end of 1946, the consumers were paying nearly twice as much for food and clothing as such items had cost in 1939. 2) Nowadays, a lot of companies are engaging in electronic commerce by means of the Internet. Detailed information about companies’ products is being put on their Web sites, and the customers have an opportunity to compare qualities and prices of goods proposed by different firms. 1) Во время Второй мировой войны, американцы жили в управляемой экономической системе: нормировались продукты питания и товары первой необходимости, заработная плата была заморожена, были установлены предельные цены и запрещены забастовки. После войны, с возвращением к системе свободного рынка, цены быстро выросли. В конце 1946 года, потребители платили почти вдвое больше за еду и одежду, чем за такие же предметы в 1939 году. 2) В настоящее время, многие компании, занимаются электронной коммерцией через Интернет. Подробная информация о продукции компаний предоставляется на их веб-сайтах, и покупатели имеют возможность сравнивать цены и качество товаров, предлагаемых разными фирмами.
"Guinness Book of Records" (1— is) one of the most popular books in the world. It (2 — contains) records of all kinds„ there (3 — are) thousands of them. It all (4 — started) in 1954 when a man (5 — called) Norris McWhirter (6 — published) the Guinness Book of Records for the Guinness brewery — Guinness, by the way, (7 — being) a type of beer. Very quickly the book (8 — became) a best-seller. It (9 — has sold) over 49 million copies so far. And if you (10 — think) that it (11 — is) the English who (12 — are) mad about records, you (13 — are) wrong: the book (14 — has been translated) into 24 languages. There (15 — are) a lot of people all over the world who (16 — seem) to want (17 — to read) about other people who (18— are) faster, fatter, fitter or just madder than they (19 — are). Since ancient times people (20 — have been trying) to break a record. If you (21 — want) to break a record one day, you (22 — will have) to find someone reliable who (23 — would watch) you and then (24 — ask) a newspaper (25 — to write) a report. Then, when you (26 — break) the record, you (27 — should write) to the Guinness Book and (28 — hope) that the day (29 — comes) when your record (30 — is printed) in the newspaper. Your name and photograph (31 — will be placed) in many newspapers and your record (32 — will be translated) into twenty-four languages— in one of the world's famous books. You (33 — could) do it, for example by (34 — walking) on your hands a long way or (35 — singing) the same song over and over again or (36 — doing) any other thing not many people (37 — are able) to do. Why not (38 — try) and (39 — see) what (40 — happens)?
