an upward trend (a rising trend)

1
an upward trend (a rising trend)
2
a downward trend (a falling trend)
3
to skyrocket
4
to surge
5
to soar
6
to jump
7
to peak/reach a peak
8
to drop
9
to plummet
10
to crash
11
to tumble
12
CHANGING DIRECTION - to bottom out
13
to recover
14
to rebound
15
to hit a record low
16
to hit a record high
17
to remain stable
18
to remain constant
19
to stabilise
20
a dramatic fall
21
a substantial increase
22
The amount of INCREASE can also be indicated
using these verbs

• to halve (1/2) a decrease
• to double (x2)
• to triple/to treble (x3)
• quadruple (x4)
• to increase tenfold (x10)
• to increase twelve times (x12)

23
Boom and bust

• A boom is when there is rising demand, and other
  indicators are strong.
• Stagnation is when the economy is growing slowly,
  or not at all.
• Stagflation is when slow growth is combined with
  prices that are increasing fast.
• Recession is a period when there is negative
  growth, a period when the economy is producing
  less. A slump is a very bad recession. A
  depression is a very bad slump.

24
Look at the following graph and put one of the
numbers next to the given words
(a) trough (b) erratic movements (c) a gradual rise (d) to level off (e) a dramatic fall (f) fluctuations (g) to reach a peak (h) a sharp recovery (i) a gradual fall (j) a plateau (k) to take a plunge (l) a steady increase (m) to leap downwards (n) a decline (o) to soar
9
5
3
13
2
12
6
14
8
1
7
10
15
11
4
25
Look at these headlines and say whether the
statements about them are true or false.
F
T
T
F
T
F
T
T
26
Complete the paragraph with these prepositions
OF, TO, BY, AT, UNDER, FROM

• At the end of April, sales stood ____ 150m,
  having risen ____ a previous low point ____ just
  ____ 100m. Over the next couple of months they
  rose steadily to reach a peak ____ 190m. They
  then fell sharply ____ 35m towards the end of
  July, but crept up again in August ____ 160m.

AT
FROM
OF
UNDER
OF
BY
TO
27
No change in Eurozone ratesRead the newspaper
extract. Fill in the blanks with IN or OF.

• The European Central Bank has left interest
  rates unchanged despite worries over the German
  economy. The last time there was a fall ___
  interest rates was on 10 May, when the bank
  announced a cut ___ 0.25, bringing the key
  interest rate for the Eurozone countries to 4.5.
  The decision came hours after official figures
  showed a surprising increase ___ employment in
  Germany. Analysts had been forecasting a rise ___
  55,000 but the official figures reported an
  increase ___ 18,000, taking the total to just
  under four million. The ECB is also facing the
  problem of a sharp increase ___ Eurozone
  inflation. The increase ___ 0.3 has pushed the
  annual rate to 2.9, compared with a target ___
  2.

IN
OF
IN
OF
OF
IN
OF
OF
28
Choose the correct words.

1. There was a slightly/slight rise in profits last
   month.
2. We rose/increased our profits slightly/slight
   last month.
3. There was a sharp fall in/of our sales last
   quarter.
4. Our sales fell by/of 6 last quarter.
5. We fell/recovered our market share last quarter.
6. Our share price hit/beat a low/down last month,
   but it has since recuperated/recovered and now
   stands at/in 3.89.

29

• Our share price reached/met a top/peak in May,
  but its fallen back since then.
• Inflation is increasing slow/slowly at the
  moment, in/by about 1 a year.
• There is a slow/slowly increase in/of the rate of
  inflation, of/by about 1 a year.
• Operating profits went from 2.5m to/until 3.1m.
• Dividends paid to shareholders raised/rose by 6.
  Last year they fell/cut.
• This year we raised/rose dividends to
  shareholders. Last year we fell/cut them.

30
Decide whether the underlined words indicate an
upward movement (?), a downward movement (?), or
no movement at all (?)

1. Shares have been stagnant recently.
2. There has been a collapse in the number of
   orders.
3. Imports have plunged recently.
4. Home sales have skyrocketed.
5. Imports have slipped again.
6. Prices soared in the previous quarter.

31
DRAW GRAPHS USING THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION

• After a sharp rise, sales levelled off during the
  period September-November, when they plunged
  again at the end of the year.
• Despite a rise in May the situation worsened
  again in June and prices slumped once more to
  another all-time low at the end of July.
• Prices went up steadily during the period
  September-November, before plunging yet again at
  the end of the year.
• After a three-year period of stability, the level
  of investment rose suddenly.
• Since the late 1990s, immigration has been rising
  in most OECD countries. This followed a sharp
  downturn from the start of the decade.
• In 2001 sales in our region reached a peak of
  24,000 units after which they slumped suddenly to
  9,000 in the following year.

32
DRAW GRAPHS USING THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION

• At the end of June, sales stood at 76m, having
  fallen from a previous all-time high of 136m in
  May.
• After a sharp drop in 2000, orders recovered for
  twelve months and then plummeted again in 2002.
• Prices started to bottom out in March and crept
  up until the end of April when they plummeted
  again.
• Prices remained stable in July and August and
  even went up steadily during the period
  September-November before plunging yet again at
  the end of the year.
• The share price reached a peak before falling a
  little and then maintaining the same level.
• Euro-Disney shares have slipped back to 113p.

33

• Sales crashed last week following a slight rise.
• After being stagnant for two years, share prices
  reached a peak in 2003 after which they plummeted
  quite unexpectedly.