Unit Review & Progress Test

Unit review — Finance, Investment & Risk

Al finalizar esta unidad, deberías ser capaz de participar en debates complejos sobre economía, gestión de riesgos y estrategias de inversión utilizando un léxico especializado y preciso. Habrás desarrollado la capacidad de expresar opiniones matizadas, evaluar escenarios hipotéticos y utilizar estructuras gramaticales avanzadas para reportar declaraciones o realizar actos de habla directos (performatives).

Asimismo, deberías sentirte cómodo utilizando el lenguaje para argumentar a favor o en contra de decisiones financieras, así como para estructurar informes o presentaciones profesionales. El objetivo es que hayas pasado de un inglés general a un nivel de competencia profesional (C1) que te permita navegar entornos de negocios internacionales con confianza.

Grammar consolidation

Part 1: Sentence Transformation Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using the word given. Do not change the word given. You must use between three and six words.

1. "I promise to pay you back next week," said Mark. (PROMISE) Mark ________ the money back next week.

2. "I'm sorry I missed the deadline," she said. (APOLOGISED) She ________ the deadline.

3. "You should invest in gold," the advisor said to me. (ADVISED) The advisor ________ in gold.

Part 2: Error Correction Identify and correct the error in each sentence. Some sentences may require changing the verb form or word order.

4. The CEO suggests that the company to diversify its portfolio immediately.
5. He denied to have known about the fraudulent activity before the audit.
6. I suggest that we should to postpone the merger until next quarter.

Part 3: Controlled Rewriting Rewrite the sentences using the word in brackets to maintain the same meaning.

7. "I'll take the responsibility for this loss," the manager said. (TOOK) The manager ________ for the loss.

8. "It's a pity we didn't hedge against inflation," he remarked. (REGRETTED) He ________ against inflation.

9. "You must sign the contract now," the lawyer insisted. (INSISTED) The lawyer ________ the contract immediately.

10. "I'm not sure if this is a good investment," she said. (DOUBTED) She ________ a good investment.

Vocabulary activation

Task 1: Collocation Match Match the verbs (1-4) with the nouns (A-D) to form common financial collocations.

1. To mitigate | A. volatility
2. To yield | B. risk
3. To weather | C. returns
4. To hedge | D. a crisis

Task 2: Word Formation Complete the sentences by changing the form of the word in CAPITALS.

5. The sudden ____ in stock prices caused widespread panic. (FLUCTUATE)
6. We need to conduct a ____ analysis before committing capital. (FEASIBLE)
7. The company's ____ growth was driven by aggressive acquisitions. (EXPAND)
8. There is a significant ____ of losing the initial investment. (LOSE)

Task 3: Register Choice Choose the most appropriate word for a formal C1 business report to replace the underlined informal word.

9. The company's profits went up significantly last year. a) increased | b) surged | c) climbed

10. We need to look at the potential risks more closely. a) examine | b) see | c) check

11. The merger was stopped due to regulatory issues. a) halted | b) put an end to | c) cancelled

12. The investor decided to pull out of the deal. a) withdraw | b) leave | c) quit

Integrated skills task

Reading Text

The recent volatility in global markets has prompted many seasoned investors to reconsider their long-term strategies. While high-risk assets like cryptocurrencies have attracted significant attention, the fundamental principle of risk management remains unchanged: diversification. Diversification is not merely about spreading capital across different sectors; it involves balancing asset classes to mitigate the impact of market downturns.

However, some analysts argue that in an increasingly interconnected global economy, traditional diversification may no longer provide the safety net it once did. When systemic risks arise, correlations between different asset classes often increase, meaning they all fall simultaneously. This "contagion effect" poses a significant challenge to modern portfolio theory. Investors are now faced with the dilemma of seeking high yields in a low-interest-rate environment while attempting to protect themselves against unpredictable black swan events. Success in this climate requires not just financial literacy, but also emotional discipline and a robust understanding of global macroeconomic trends.

Writing Task

Instrucciones: Basándote en el texto anterior, escribe una respuesta de entre 180 y 220 palabras. Debes realizar una crítica de los argumentos presentados. ¿Estás de acuerdo con la idea de que la diversificación tradicional es insuficiente? ¿Qué otros factores debería considerar un inversor moderno? Utiliza vocabulario de nivel C1 y estructuras gramaticales avanzadas.

Speaking checkpoint

1. Compare: Compare the advantages of investing in physical assets (like real estate) versus digital assets (like cryptocurrency).
2. Speculate: How might the rise of Artificial Intelligence affect the stability of the global financial markets in the next decade?
3. Evaluate: Evaluate the statement: "Risk is an essential component of growth; without it, there is no profit."
4. Justify: If you were managing a large pension fund, would you prioritise capital preservation or high-yield growth? Justify your choice.
5. Compare: Compare the emotional stress of a professional trader with that of a long-term "buy and hold" investor.
6. Speculate: Imagine a global economic recession occurs next year. How would this change the way young professionals approach their careers and savings?

Self-assessment rubric

Answer key

Grammar consolidation 1. promised to pay 2. apologised for missing 3. advised me to invest 4. suggests that the company diversify (or: should diversify) 5. denied knowing 6. suggest that we postpone (or: suggest postponing) 7. took the responsibility 8. regretted not hedging 9. insisted on signing 10. doubted it was

Vocabulary activation 1. 1-B, 2-C, 3-D, 4-A 2. 5. fluctuation, 6. feasibility, 7. expansive, 8. loss 3. 9. b (surged), 10. a (examine), 11. a (halted), 12. a (withdraw)