A. Read and translate the text.

1 Under capitalism this is one of the very widespread forms of services. Without insurance, it is difficult to survive and if there is a demand for something, there will be no lack of goods.

2 At a minimum, people insure their dwelling, property, car, and health. In many states, car insurance is mandatory. Insurance payments, as a rule, make up an important part of the family budget. They insure, in reality, almost everything: life, professional activities (inthe event that you make an error), lack of crops in the event of drought, medical expenses, etc.

3 The cost of health insurance, medical and life insurance, depends on your age: the older you are, the more it costs; insurance of professional life depends on your experience, professional work record and your history with malpractice suits^[53]. Analogously, if someone has on one's record several car accidents, his automobile insurance will be more expensive. Besides these factors, they also take your age and sex into account. An increase in insurance payments depends also on an increase in coverage. Typical life insurance, offered by many employers, equals a two-year salary.

4 Insurance of professional life sometimes is so expensive that some businesses go bankrupt from the costs. Insurance companies, nevertheless, do quite well. As a rule, they use their earnings to invest in real estate and often act as construction firms. In this way, they fulfill another important function for society: money for insurance collected from the population participates in socially useful activities and is a boost to the economy.

5 In America, few families do not buy an insurance policy because insurance is, after all, connected to a fundamental aspect of life - caring for health. Nonetheless, there are people who do not buy insurance, medical included, relying on their own health and good luck. For those who cannot dictate their fate, such behaviour is shortsighted and dangerous.

B. Give Russian equivalents to the following words and phrases:

wide-spread form, lack of crops, insurance payments, dwelling, car insurance, mandatory, to go bankrupt, to do quite well, nevertheless, to fulfill the function, connected to everyday life, caring for health, to rely on good luck, dangerous.

C. Find English equivalents to the following phrases:

нелегко прожить, недостатка в товарах не будет, если имеешь на своем счету аварию, учитывать возраст, выступать в качестве застройщиков, таким образом, еще одна функция.