3 Practice B
Model answers:
(a) An increase in the tax on tobacco led to a fall in cigarette consumption.
(b) Rising demand for MBA courses led to tighter selection criteria being used.
(c) Lower fuel prices resulted in higher profits for freight companies.
(d) Bad weather in the Brazilian coffee-growing region caused a significant rise in coffee prices.
(e) The company’s bankruptcy was due to careless accounting.
(f) The drop in share prices was caused by a steep rise in unemployment.
(g) Hiring extra staff was due to winning a new contract.
(h) A significant rise in profits was owing to the sharp depreciation of the dollar.
4 Practice C
(a) due to/owing to/produced by/because of/as a result of
(b) caused by/produced by/created by
(c) due to/because of/resulting from/caused by
(d) owing to/due to/because of
(e) lead to/cause/produce/result in/create
(f) results in/produces/causes/leads to
(g) results in/produces/causes/leads to
5 Practice D
Model paragraph:
An increase of 25% in the price of oil would have numerous results. First, it would lead to
sharp rises in the cost of transport and freight, thus affecting the price of most goods. Clearly,
businesses for which fuel was a significant proportion of their costs, such as airlines, would
find it difficult to maintain profitability. Another consequence would be a reduction in oil
consumption as marginal users switched to alternative fuels, such as gas, or made economies.
There would also be increased investment in exploration for oil, as the oil companies attempted
to increase supply, and this in turn would stimulate demand for equipment such as oil rigs.
Finally, there would be a number of more localised effects, for instance a change in demand
from larger to smaller and more economical vehicles.