1972-11-23 — Page 27

育教僑華頁三第張七第 P八十月十年子壬屬系 WAH KIU Y

YAT P

1913英文中學會考試題預習專欄

WAAN AMBA

經濟及公共事務科 (四)

Economic & Public Affairs

Exercise No. 4

Question: (1) Describe briefly the development of our monetary system, and point out the pros and cons of our present form of money,

Answeri

In primitive times the in- habitants of the earth led simple: independent lives. Their economic Bystem was one that was complete- ly different from that of ours today. We call their system sub- sistence economy. They hunted, fished and later grew crops and made things all by themselves. There were no doctors, dentists, lawyers, bus-conductore or such specialists as we have now.

The people were all very simple-minded. Their needs were few and could be easily satisfied. They needed no inventions and they depended on no one. Everybody had. to work on his own and get what he wanted. Money to them of course, would be useless, and so they need -ed no money.

As the years passed by, people began to think that it would be better for them if they could ex¬

hange their goods and services with one another. It would enable each person to enjoy what the others produced. This idea of ex- changing goods for goods rapidly spread, and people began to like the idea. With the introduction and application of division of labour, the idea was accepted by everyone in the civilized world, Thus from subsistence economy, people had developed it into the barter economy. But they soon dis- covered that this system presented e number of difficulties.

Firstly, it was always dif- Ticult to find the right person who was willing to exchange his goods for something else; provided this person needed the product: that was offered to him, he would be reluctant to give away what he produced.

Secondly, it was also always difficult for two persons to: agree to the rate of exchange be¬ tween their goods, for there was no standard measurement for the: value of goods, as there were standard measurements for weight. and length. For instance how many fish would a fishmonger think reasonable to exchange for how many pounds or pork from a butcher?

Thirdly, how were wages to be paid? Most people had difficulty in employing workers, unless the workers were willing to accept! the type of goods their employers produced as payment of their ser vices. This difficulty got worse. When a worker was employed by one who did not produce goods but pro- vided a service such as that of a dentist. How would he be paid then?

Finally, the problem of future insecurity could not be solved. It would be unthinkable if one had to store up eggs, rice, pigs, goats and vegetables in one 's home for use when he reached old age!

So the great thinkers and rulers got together to solve these problems which existed under the barter economy. Eventually every-. body agreed that there should be a medium of exchange to be used by everyone.

The idea was an excellent one. and no doubt, would be able to solve some of the problems caused by the barter economy. At differ ent times and in different places, many things had been used as the medium of exchange such as sea- shells, goats and gold-dust. Later it was found that this medium of exchange could also act as a unit of account, a a measure and store of value, thus solving all the problems created by the barter. system.

This medium or exchange is called money and we can, therefore. -be said to be working and living

under the money economy. Today through the development of our economic studies and practices we have dispensed with the old forms

銀日僑筆

of money, and instead, we are now using cheques, legal tender, cred- it cards, postal and money orders, and among them there are advantages and disadvantages.

Cheques compared with legal tender are safer and more conveni- ent to use especially when large sums of money are involved. It is for instance, to send

quite t is crossed) by.

a cheque

post to a friend. One does not have to carry large bundles of dollar-notes and bags of coine when going to make purchases of large. commodities such as motor cars. A cheque is all one needs to. bring along. Cheques save the time. that may be wasted in counting and checking how much money there is when legal tender is used, and they also save effort that is re- quired in carrying legal tender around.

But it has been known that unscrupulous people often write out cheques even when they do not have money in the bank, Though writing out false cheques is a criminal offence, it is more dif- ficult to prevent than to detect it. Thus, it is for one's own protection that one does not re-. ceive a cheque from a complete. stranger..

For small sums of money, it is wise to use legal tender, for in that case one can save the stamp duty which is required in all cheques, and also when using. legal tender one is certain of its acceptance by anyone. But legal tender is unsafe and is inconveni- ent to carry around. It may be lost, stolen or robbed. It would also look ridiculous if one carries two baskets of bankotes to go shopping! Most employers today. open current or saving accounts. for their staffs to eliminate the difficulties found in the use of legal tender

Most people today do not carry cheques or legal tender when they go to certain places. They carry credit cards, which may be considered as a means or defer-

rea payment. If a person is cred- itworthy (that is to say he is “ trustworthy and he is solvent) a commercial enterprise (such as a restaurant, a hotel or a depart. ment store) is willing to issue. him what is known as a credit card so that whenever he makes use of the firm he needs only to sign for the bills presented to him. At the end of the month, he is then call- ed upon to pay for the amount he has spent. Thus, credit cards are regarded as money, and they are.. becoming increasingly popular They can also solve the problem. of tipping!:

Question:(2) How important is the Governor to Hong Kong?.

Answer

• The Governor is not just a figure head, as the Queen of England is. He 19 chiefly respon- sible for the progresë, develop- ment and improvement of Hong Kong in the fields of education, hous- ing, health, and economy, he is also responsible for the mainten ance of peace and good order in Hong Kong, as well as the mainten -ance of good diplomatic relations with the neighbours of Hong Kong.

The Governor rules Hong Kong on behalf of Her Majesty, the Queen, for a period of five years, at the end of which he may be

· reappointe” again, depending on his health and his popularity with the people of Hong Kong and those in the Commonwealth Office.

It is therefore apparent that if a person is appointed to rule Hong Kong and 11 he does not know, previous to his appointment the conditions that exist in the country, he would turn out to be a useless ruler, He may even hamper the progress that has been going on in the country since the administration of his predecessor.

The Governor formulates policies for the country. His. policies are primarily aimed at improving the lives of the Ditizens by raising educatione L standards, eliminating, poverty and introducing employment opport

nities and better medical faci Lities for everyone. As we do not expect him to possess accurate and specialized knowledge of all natters affecting his administrav- Lon, he is free to appoint eminent experts in various fields to serve

6日三廿月一十年二七九一屡公年一十六國 民華中

四期星

as his advisers. He has therefore a legal adviser (the Attorney-

General), a financial adviser (the Financial Secretary), a military adviser (the Commander, British Forces) an adviser on Chinese affairs (the Secretary for Home Affairs), an adviser on Government; affairs (the Colonial Secretary): and 6 prominent citizens from the various communities. His advisers are grouped together to form his "Cabinet known as the Executive Council.

The policies of the Government. are essentially the policies of the Governor. Should any policy. prove to be bad, the Governor is lopically the person to whom all criticisms are directed. He alone

carries the blame. Thus, anyone. Occupying the governorship of Hong Kong should be a man of great in- tellect, wisdon and understanding: he has to possess organizational and leadership abilities. It is he who leads the country from streng- th to strength. His importance is reflected by the great deference and respect the citizens give him.

The Governor makes laws for the country. It is not wrong to say that the laws of Hong Kong are the Governor's laws. Again he may need expert advice in his work as Hong Kong's lawmaker. He has there -fore the legislative Council to guide and assist him. If the Gover -nor thinks that certain things - need to be improved, he may pass a law. For instance if the problem of juvenile delinquency in the country deteriorates, it is neces- sary for him to pass a law to in- troduce harsher punishment as a deterrent. The enactment of the Emergency Regulations in 1967 be- cause of the disturbances that occurred in the year is another example of the necessity of pass- ing a law. On the other hand, it may be necessary to repeal a law when it does not serve the purpose for which at was originally passed. Again, we see that in 1969, the Governor repealed the Emergency. Regulations, when there were signs of the return of the community to normal conditions.

The Governor's policies are. carried out by the Civil Service, that organization that is made up of the Government departments. His instructions are conveyed from his chief spokesman, the Colonial Secretary, to the heads of the various departments, and these heads, in turn, pase his instructions down to their men.

To ensure that his instruct- 1ons are carefully and loyally carried out, the Governor has to review the work and progress of each department from time to time. He holds discussions with heads of the various departments occas sionally, and in so doing he also makes known his wishes and thoughts.

It goes w

without saying that the Governor must take an interest in the wor

work of the ordinary citi

zen, for the progress of the country does not depend on the work of the Government alone, or any one individual, but everyone, Thus to show his interest in the work of everyone, the Governor will try to give as much encoura gement to the work of the citizens Of course if it is possible he would like to meet every citizen, but we know as well as he does, that he can't, so that the most the Governor can do is, say, attend an exhibition at the City Hall, visit the Hong Kong Univer sity or make a speech at a public ceremony. In the period of his rule, thousands of citizens in Hong Kong will no doubt be able to see him. Thus, we can say that the Governor is also an important social figure.

The Govemur 19 also an . important figure because it is he who has the greatest influence. over the way public revenue is to be used by the Government depart- ments in carrying out the various activities. The Governor can also decide whether there should be any increase in the taxes in accordance with the advice of the Financial Secretary, and also of course with the advice and consent of the Legislative

The Governor, moreover, is empowered by Article XIV of letters Patent to "constitute and appoint all such Judges, Commissioners, (and) Justices of the Peace," whenever he thinks necessary. He, however, has to consult the Chief

1973英文中學會考試題預習專欄檯

英文科 (五)

English Language. (5)

Composition conta...

Where there is a will, there 1s a way where there is a begin- ning, there is an end. And this week, we shall deal with how to end an essay?

In your plan, you have already decided on how to expand the "body" of the essay and bring 10 to a climax May be some of you have faced the problem of not knowing "when" to end and not so much "how" to end. Under examinat- ion conditions, you must realize that time is limited, Do not wait until the last few minutes and rashly end a piece of work which you have taken so much time and trouble to write. An abrupt or inappropriate ending could cause. your work to lose its unity and become a flop. To avoid doing so, judge your time carefully, leave. sufficient time to check your work and so avoid losing unnecesm sary marks.

various ways of

There are ending an essay

Stories should be endea with either a happy or a sad ending Never leave your readers guess -ing as to what has become of it all!

Some stories may have a morală behind it and so the ending should be used to expound om this. But caution should be paid here. Do not try to moras lize the world.

Descriptive essays require aomi sort of rounding off at the end. Often a general opinion of the scene or wish for it to) happen or even an avid outbact of colour may be used."

Expository and factual essays require a stronger ending. Usually an opinion or conclus- fon could be draw and used as such

Argumentatives are often most difficult to conclude. Remember you must not antagonize the reader. Try not to be the judge. but be judged. Do not be harsh in your advice" for you are in no position to do so.

Imaginative essays g you a

chance to go into a world of fantasy and imagination. Try to make it sound plausible or evem

probable.

There are a rew phrases you may find u useful in your endings. Through practice, find out how

• enőt could be used and may be they will come in handy when you are stuck for worlds for your last paragraph.

1. And so they

ii, let it not be thought, however

iii. later on,

iv. Finally

v. Do not think that vi. On conclusion, vii. Consequently, viii. At last,

ix.

In the end,.

Xx

We must take as a datum the fact that ...

Xi.

No one can view the world with complete impartiality but it is possible.

xii. Now, in putting everything in

subjection before you, I hope.

Complete each at the above, chink of each as the ending of a composition.

Justice on his appointment these people to ensure that only the best qualified are appointed.

The importance of the Gover nor, can thus be compared to that of the head of the family, for his policies and his work are aimed at improving the conditions of the country, as the family head! works to raise the family in a happy and healthy environment.

Exercise No.5. (1) How far is it true to say that market structures affect the "supply" of a commodity?

(2) Why is it justifiable to include entrepreneur as a factor of production?