Imagine that you are preparing a project with your friend. You have found some interesting material for the presentation and you want to read this text to your friend. You have 1.5 minutes to read the text silently, then be ready to read it out aloud. You will not have more than 1.5 minutes to read it.
Money has played an important role in every civilization. It has taken various forms and has changed many times over the centuries. The first form of payment was the exchange of goods. People usually exchanged animal skins and meat, fruit and vegetables, clothes and precious stones. In the 7th century ВС the first coins appeared. They were usually made of silver or gold and their value depended on the amount of metal in each coin. With time, coins became very popular and many countries produced their own currency. The introduction of paper money – banknotes – in the 17th century was the beginning of banking systems in many European countries. Since then, banks have offered a wide range of services like loans, bank accounts and many others. Today, people pay for things in different ways: they pay in cash, by cheque or by credit card. The last one, it seems, is the most convenient form of payment. Many people believe that one day money in the form of coins, banknotes, cheques and magnetic cards will totally disappear and that all buying and selling will be done via the Internet.