The high price of diamonds is a triumph of the commercial clout

and marketing genius of De Beers, the South African conglomerate

that has an 80% stake in world diamond supply. By strictly regulating

the mining and distribution of diamonds, De Beers has managed

To keep prices artificially high. And by turning the diamond into

A universal symbol of romance it has prevented secondhand diamonds

From flooding the market and forcing prices down. Even in times of

hardships people are reluctant to part with their diamonds. De Beers

Knows that if they did part with them, the market would be saturated

Overnight.

World supply of diamonds has consistently outstripped demand, so

logically diamonds should be cheap. If not for De Beers, the world’s

greatest cartel, they would be. But such has been the power of De

Beers that even a glut of diamonds, massive stockpiling, chronic cash

Flow problems and political uncertainty have been unable to loosen its

stranglehold on the $60 billion world diamond market.

(From «Business Matters» by Mark Powell)

Diamonds are.

A rare

B valuable

C expensive

D precious stone

Diamonds would be almost worthless if not for their.

A sentimental value

B clarity

C cut and shape

D resale value

The increased price of diamonds is due to.

A Siberia mining industry

B De Beers marketing

Strategies

C mass distribution

D it being a rare mineral

Diamonds have become a widespread representation for.

A freedom

B hardships

C marketing

D romance

Www.e-ranok.com.ua

Variant 27

Since supply of diamonds is high, diamonds should be.

A inexpensive

B costly

C out of stock

D contained

6. What is De Beers?

A A market.

B A symbol of romance.

C A diamond.

D A company.

2 Complete the text with the words from the box.

Photograph water images world ideas

Set wanted different artists create

Today, artists can make whatever kind of art they want. A painting

Might be as realistic as a (1), or it might look like smears

And splashes across the canvas.

In the middle of the 1800s, France was considered the most important

Place in the (2) for art. One reason for that was the

Academy, a government organization with a strict (3) of

Rules about art. To be accepted by the Academy, an artist had to be

Very talented. Artists also had to paint exactly the way the Academy

(4) them to. How could an artist be creative if he or she

Was told what to (5)?

Each year, the Academy had an exhibition of the art they had decided

Was the best. In 1864, a group of (6) who did not get

Into the show became frustrated. They felt that their paintings were not

Bad; the paintings were just (7). After complaining to the

Government, these artists were given their own show. The Impressionists

Wanted to explore other (8). They were more interested

In trying to show movement and the bright colours of daylight. For

Example, if you move your hand quickly in front of your face, it looks

Blurry. To the Impressionists, it was more real to show these blurry

(9) than it was to paint a scene frozen like a photograph. It

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