Tashkent i

Now what about the ugly animals? A word that people often use to describe a cane toad is ugly! Other words include fat, noisy and disgusting. They are also as big as footballs! The Quessnsland Government brought cane toads to Australia to eat cane beetles. Unfortunately cane toads can`t fly but cane beetles can. Now the toads are more of a problem that the beetles. Hundreds of thousands are born every year. The toads eat everything including rare Australian animals. The toads are also poisonous to eat. Animals that eat them die. There are a number of types of crocodiles found in northern Australia, ranging from the potentially dangerous saltwater crocodiles to smaller, shyer, harmless varieties.

They have got snakes too although fears of the poisonous types are largely exaggerated. They are generally shy, creatures, only too ready to avoid trouble. The taipan and the tiger are worth keeping away from.

That is only a small selection on the creatures of the country. Others include penguins, turtles, seals and possums.

SPORTS IN AUSTRALIA

A lot of Australians think you shouldn`t worry too much about life. But some things in life are really important and to many Australian men, one of these things is sport. It`s something they don`t joke about. Sport matters. In pubs, clubs and even at work you`ll often find men who can talk about only one thing-sport.

Australians are lucky. They have a perfect climate, and endless amount of land. They have wonderful waves for surfers on their beaches. They also have a strong wish to win. Put these together and you get a lot of good sportsmen and women. In fact, Australia has a very high number of world champions, in all kinds of sports, for a country of only 16 million people.

Around the country you`ll find plenty of apportunities for golf, squash, tennis, trail riding (horse of motorcycle), fishing and so on. Surfing is almost a religion for many Australians who follow the waves around the country and there are a number of important surfing contests. 

 You`ll find football of assorted types including the unique Australian Rules Football. Then, there`s motor racing and motorcycle racing, horse racing, yacht racing, cricket matches and lots more.

The best thing, of course, is to play sport yourself. But if you can`t, or you don`t want to, than you can watch other people doing it. Every year, more than 100,000 people go to the final of Australian Rules Football. Crowds of more than 90,000 watch the big cricket matches against India, Pakistan, New Zaeland and England.

There are sport happenings and holidays in Australia year round. Here are some of them. In February there`s Regatta Day with boat races and other water activities. In june in Darvin the Bear Can Regatta takes place when there are boat races for boats constructed entirely out of beer cans – there are plenty of those in the world`s beer drinking capital.

In August in the Northern Territory camel racing is on in Alice Springs and then the Apex Rodeo is held, one of the biggest rodeos in Australia – the town fills up with cowboys.

Meanwhile in Sydney, Australians biggest race takes place with 25,000 competitors running the 14 km from Hyde Park to Bondi Beach in the city ace. It was a public holiday in Victoria but the whole country shuts down for the three minutes or so which the race takes.

In December the Sydney – Hobart Yacht Race starts on the 26 th, a fantastic sight as the yachts stream out of the harbour and head south.

NEW ZEALAND

New Zealand is an island country in the Southwest Pacific Ocean. It was about 1600 km southeast of Australia and about 10 500 km southwest of California. New Zealand belongs to a large island group called Polynesia. The country is situated on two main islands- the North island and the South island – and several dosen smaller islands. Most of the smaller islands are hundreds of kilometers from the main ones.

Wellington is the capital of New Zealand and Auckland  is the largest city. English is the official language of New Zealand and is spoken throughout the country. Many native people speak their own language, Maori, in addition to English.

The country once belonged to the British Empire. Today it is an independent member of the Commonwealth of Nations, an association of Britain and a member of its former colonies.

New Zealand is a constitutional monarchy. The British Monarch, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, is the monarch of New Zealand. She appoints a governor general to represent her but the governor general has little power. The legislation, prime minister, and cabinet run the national government.

British gave New Zealand a constitution in 1852, when it was a British colony. But through the years the New Zealand legislature has changed almost all its provisions Today, the nation has no written constitution.

The first people who settled in New Zealand were a brown-skinned people called Maoris. They came from Polynesian islands located northeast of New Zealand. The country was discovered by Europeans in 1642, but they did not start to settle in the islands until the late 1700`s. Today most New Zealanders are descendants of the early Eiropean settlers. Maoris make up about 12 % of the country`s population. New zealands has one of the highest standards of living in the world. For many years, the economy of the country depended largely on agriculture. Today agriculture manufacturing, and service industries are all important to the economy. New Zealand`s economy depends on trade with many countries – Australia Britain, Japan and the United States.

NEW ZEALAND WAY OF LIFE

New Zealand has a high standart of living. New Zealanders eat more butter and meat per person than do the people of any other country. The government`s medical program provides excellent health care. About 70% of New Zealand people own their homes. Almost every family has a car.

Most New Zealanders live in single-family houses with small vegetables gardens. In the larger cities, some people live in high – rise apartment buildings. Almost in very New Zealand home there are refrigerators, wash machines, and other modern electrical appliances. But air conditioning and central heating are rare because the weather rarely becomes extremely hor or extremely cold. In summer, New Zealanders prefer to windows open. In winter, fireplaces or electric heater keep the homes warm.

Although about four fifths of New Zealand`s population lives in urban areas, cities are uncovered. Traffic jams seldom occour, even in downtown areas. Large cities have excellent restaurants, milk bars, theatres, concert halls, and other places of intertainment. City life in New Zealand tends to be rather quiet. However it is changing in larger cities where international tourism is developing rapidly.

Near a fifth of New Zealand`s people live in rural areas in some of them, small settlements are linked by good roads. But in other areas, rancher`s nearest neighbours may live kilometers away. Some ranchers live almost in isolation. Newertheless, most farms and ranches have electricity. Many farm families run their farms with little or no hired help.

SAINT VALENTINE`S DAY

St.Valentines Day has roots in several different legends. One of the earliest popular bymbols of the day is Cupid, the Roman good of Love, who is represented by the image of a young boy with a bow and arrow.

Three hundred years after the death of Juses Christ, the Roman emperors still demanded that everyone believe in the Roman gods. Valentine, a Christian priest, had been thown in prison for his teachings. On February 14, Valentine was beheaded. The night before he was executed, he wrote the jailer`s daughter a farewell letter signing it, “From Your Valentine”.

Another legend tells us that this name Valentine, well-loved by all, wrote notes from his jail cell to children and friends who missed him.

February 14 was also a Roman holiday, held in honour of a goddess. Young men randomly chose the name of a young girl to escort to the festivities.

St. Valentine`s Day in now a day for sweethearts. It is the day that you show your friend or loved one that you care. You can send candy to someone you think is special. Or you can send roses, the flower of love. Most people send “valentines”, a greeting card named after the notes that St.Valentine wrote from jail. Valentines can be sentimental, romantic and heartfelt. They can be funny and friendly. If the sender is shy, valentines can be anonymous.

Americans of all ages love to send and receive valentines. Handmade valentines are created by cutting hearts out of coloured paper. Valentines can be heart-shaped, or have hearts the symbol of love, on them. In elementary schools, children make valentines for their classmates and put them in a large decorated box, similar to a mailbox. On February 14, the teachers open the box and distribute the valentines to each student. After the students read their valentines, they have a small party with refreshments. You can write a short rhyme inside the heart:

Roses are red,

Violets are blue,

Sugar is sweet,

And so are you!

Or you can buy valentines with messages in them. If you are shy, you can sign it, “Your Secret Admirer”.

TABLE MANNERS

Good table manners avoid ugliness. All rules of table manners are made to avoid it. To let anyone see what you have in your mouth is offensive. So is to make a noise. To make a mess in the plate is disgusting. So there are rules how to behave yourself at the table:

Do not attract undue attention to yourself in public.  

When eating, take as much as you want, but eat as such as you take. Never stretch over the table for something you want, ask your neighbour to pass it. Take a slice of bread from the bread-plate by hand, don`t harpoon your bread with a fork.

Never read while eating (at last in  company).

When a dish is placed before you do net eye in suspiciously as though it where the first time you had seen it, and do not give the impression that you are about to sniff it. Chicken requires special handling. First cut as much as you can, and when you can`t use knife or fark any longer, use your fingers.

The customary way to refuse a dish is by saying, “No, thank you” (or to accept, “Yes, place”). Don`t say “I don`t eat that stuff”, don`t make faces or noises to show that you don`t like it.

In between courses don`t make bread-balls to while the time away and do not play with silver.

Do not leave spoon in your cup when drinking tea or coffee. Do not empty your glass too quickly-it will be promptly refilled. Don`t put liquid into your mouth it is already full.

Don`t eat off the knife.

Vegetables potatoes, macaroni are placed on your fork with help of your knife.

In your food is too hot don`t blow on it as though you were trying to start a campfire on a damp night.

Try to make as little noise as possible when eating. And, finally, don`t forget to say “thank you” for every favour or kindness.

ELEKTRONIC MONEY

What are electronic payments and what are their advantages? How can consumers use electronic money?

Why is online banking growing?

Is online banking safe?

Thirty years ago, some predicted we were on the verge of a cashless society. Paper currency and checks would join the Edsel and the black-and-white television as antiquated symbols of the past. Consumers would embrace a new alternative for making payments: electronic money. As it turned out, consumers have been reluctant to give up on currency and checks.

In recent, years, however, consumers seem to be changing their minds. Cash and checks are still widely used.

Currency, is used for the vast majority of payments, mainly for smaller purchases. And checks are the payment choice for about 10 percent of transactions each year. But the percentage of transactions done electronically is growing dramatically. The important role of electronic can be seen by looking at the value of payment transactions. Electronic payments account for more then 90 percent of the dollar value of transactions.

This growth is made possible by electronic payment networks, which move funds in and out of accounts using electronic messages. Electronic payment systems range from the now-familiar automated taller machines (ATM) to Internet bill payments. This essay discusses the different types of electronic payment system and look at the future of electronic money.

APPEARANCE AND MANNERS

When we speak about somebody`s figure, face, hands feet we mean his or her appearance. A person may be tall, middle-sized or short, thin plump. A face may be round, oval or square. In summer some people may have freckles on their faces. Old people, have wrinkled faces.

People`s hair may be long or short, thin or thick, good or bad, straight or curly. If it is long it is often plaited. Its colour may be black or fair, chestnut or red. Old people have grey hair.

Eyes may be large or small. They maybe or different colour: grey, green, black, or hazel (brown). Cheeks may be rosy plate (if a person is ill), plump or hollow (if a person is very ill). Some people have dimples in their cheeks when they smile.

Women usually have their hair done at the hairdresser`s. The manner of walking is called the walk (gait). One`s step may be: light, heavy, firm. Old people often shuffle their feet, have a shuffling gait.      

MARGARET THATCHER

Margaret Thatcher (Margaret Rabins) was born in 1925. Her father had a grocer`s shop but he was also very interested in local politics. Margaret was good student and won a scholarship to Oxford to study. Chemistry. Then she worked as a research chemist until she met and married Denis Thatcher, a successful businessman. Then she decided to study law. She was already involved in politics and gave up law when she was elected to the Parliament in 1959. From 1970 to 1974 she was Secretary of State for Education. In 1975 she became leader of the Conservative Party which was the Opposition. In 1979 she beat the Labour Party and took office as Prime Minister, Britain`s first women Prime Minister.

Thatcher privatized publicly-owned industries and made cuts in state education, hospitals and welfare benefits. In early 1980`s, Britain was facing unemployment, inflation, problems of Northern Ireland. In 1982, Britain became involved in an undeclared war against Argentina in the Falkland Islands. After the victory in the Falklands she had an image of a strong, authoritative leader. In the 1983 election campaign, she won with a large majority of votes. In 1987 she won her third term as Prime Minister defeating the Labour Party which suffered from loss of votes due to the newly formed alliance with Liberal.

On November 22, 1990, Mrs.Thatcher resigned. The “Iron Lady” who believed it was her destiny to reshape the British nation shed tears as she made the historic announcement. Three men were candidates for the post of Prime Minister. John Major was to win.

INTERNATIONAL PAYMENTS

Many people in the U.S regularly send money to family and friends living in other countries. In 2002, remittances to Latin America totaled more than 32 $ billion. Until recently, almost all of these payments were sent electronically through companies with agents located near both the sender and receiver. More and more other companies are offering similar, services. Some financial institutions have introduced programs that allow someone in the U.S to put money into an account that can be acressed at an ATM in another country by the recipient. These services are often available to everyone, even people who don`t have an account at the financial institution. In the last several years, the number of companies competing for this business has grown and the cost of sending money internationally has begun to fall. The central banks of the U.S and Mexico recently announced plans to set up an ACH system between the two countries, which should make sending money to Mexico even less expensive.

STORED – VALUE CARDS

One electronic payment method that is becoming increasingle popular  is the stored-value card. Stored-value cards provide a convenient substitute for cash and checks. The cards contain a magnetic strip that records dollar balance. A variation on this system is the smart card, which contains a computer chip that records information about the card`s balance, usage and other data. The card`s balance is either predetermined or established by the consumer when the card is purchased. The dollar value of each transaction is deducted until the balance reaches zero. Some stored value cards can be reloaded with money out special terminals and are reusable.

Most of these cards are referred to as “closed-system” cards. That means the cards can be used only for certain transactions in specific locations. Public transit systems in many large cities use these cards, as do some universities and retailers. Consumers can purchase stored-value cards in many locations for use at public telephones. Stored value technology is even on many toll roads and highways to allow cars to quickly pass through toll stations.

Not all stored-value cards work on closed systems. Some, such as payroll cards and gift cards, work just like debit cards, and can be used anywhere debit cards are accepted. Each time the consumer makes a purchase using the card, or withdraws money from an ATM, money is deducted from an account holding the card`s value for the consumer.

CONSUMER RESISTANCE

Electronic money is increasingly popular. Nevertheless, many consumers are relucted to abandon cash and checks.

Some consumers hesitate to use electronic banking because a canceled check provides proof of payment However, checks are not the only proof of payment. The receipt provided by retailers as part of any electronic transaction also performs a similar function.

In addition, many financial institutions now offer a service where they will keep an electronic copy of all canceled checks on their computers. This eliminates the need for a consumer to store old checks. In this type of system, an image of the canceled check is often returned with the depositor`s account statement rather than the actual piece of paper. This reduces storage problems for the consumer and handling casts fot the financial institution. And if the consumer needs a copy of a cancelled check for proof of payment, the financial institution can provide a valid, legal copy that works the same way as a canceled check.

Electronic transactions also appear on the regular statements that consumers receive from their financial institutions. Automated deposits and payments and ATM and depit transactions, all appear on the statement. It should be checked for accuracy, just as checks are verified. Errors should be brought to the attention of the financial institution, which must work with the consumer to resolve any errors.

THE BANKING SYSTEM OF UZBEKISTAN

The banking system in Uzbekistan in currently built on a two-level system. The first is the Central Bank of the Republic of Uzbekistan, a state bank for both issues and reserves which is a legal entity its own charter approved by the Parliament (Majlis) of the Republic. As such, it is accountable to Parliament and is independent other executive and managing bodies of state authority.

The Central Bank interacts with both national and central banks of other states on the basis of interbank agreements. It is made up of the central body itself, plus 14 regional bank offices functioning in administrative center around the country. Its key tasks are the implementation of state monetary policy, including stable money supply, credit, financing and monitoring the some currency`s purchasing power.

Between 1992-1996 the Bank`s focus was on mutual collaboration with foreign credit organizations and attraction investment and credit resources into the country. The Bank also functions as a key link international financial organizations such as the IMF, IBRD, IAD and the Asian Development Bank.

The second level of the banking system includes:

a) The joint stock Commercial Uzpromstroybank, responsible mainly for credit to and financing of capital investments to industry, transport and communication, the building industry, trade, etc.

b) The National Bank of Foreign Economic Activity, created to increase co-operation with foreign business organizations, to facilitate export growth and currency receipts;

c) The State Commercial Bank for private savings and loans;

d) Commercial banks, set up with foreign capital to undertake business credit and financing. They are independe organizations which can lend to the limit of their resources but which can, if required, also receive credit from the Central Bank (Such banks are currently the most active participants in the securities market). Banks can deal in various financial products including shares, bonds, deposit certificates (offered by seven banks as short term securities) and derivatives and, in a real sense, are perceived both as private traders and as formative entities of the Uzbek banking system. They can now set up branches, affiliates or other forms of representation.

On June 1, 1996, there were so commercial banks and more than 3,700 branches, 85 % of which were the State Commercial Bank`s. 22 banks (73%) were joint stocks companies and 8 (27%) were limited companies, include two joint and to private banks. All 30 have a licence to deal with private deposits, 17 with currency operations (11 of them, general licenses, 6, domestic). The over all volume of all capital issues in circulation in autumn 1996 was 6,580,000 million soums, including 81,5 % shares, IOU (bills of exchange) 16,1% and deposit and saving certificates 24 %.

Since April 1994 the Uzbek Republican Currency Exchange has held weekly auctions of $ US and the rate of exchange of the som has been set as a result. From October that same year, all currency payments have also beer made in som. In order to develop the internal currency market the mechanism for turning the som into a firecly convertible currency has been set up, although not yet put into operation. (It should be stressed that this a major concern for existing foreign investors). The Central Bank meanwhile has a list of priority goods and raw materia for which immediate conversion of soms into fereely converted currency is permitted through outhorized banks an has granted them, in addition, special outlets for exchanging som into hard currency.