みなさんは「マイクロファイナンス」という言葉をご存じですか。2006年にノーベル平和賞を受賞したグラミンバンクという銀行は、「マイクロファイナンス」の考え方に基づき、一般的な銀行には無いサービスを行なって、発展途上国バングラデシュの経済発展を支える一翼を担っています。それはどういうものなのでしょうか。一緒に読んで考えてみましょう。

次の語句に最も適切な定義や同義語を選んで記号で答えましょう。

1. Traditional (a) a thing/things owned by someone

2. Collateral (b) an asset, such as home or car owned by someone who wants to borrow money

3. Property (c) to make something protected from danger or risk

4. Secure (d) based on a way of thinking used by a particular group for a long time

Reading Page:

https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/a-23-2006-10-22-voa2-83130147/126272.html 

(1) What does Grameen Bank do? 

(a) lending large amount of money to many people.

(b) lending big amount of money to mid-size companies. 

(c) lending small amount of money to poor people. 

(d) lending small of amount of money to people with different income levels. 

(2) What is NOT true about borrowing money in the Grameen Bank? 

(a) Borrowers only need to promise to return the loan.

(b) Borrowers need to give their land to the bank if they cannot repay. 

(c) Almost all borrowers return money. 

(d) A property is not needed for borrowing the money. 

(3) Choose the best answer from the following statements.

(a) Grameen’s bank serves Native Americans for many years.

(b) The United States offered money to the Grameen bank to support poor people.

(c) The Washington CASH lends money to a large organization such as farming community.

(d) A similar system of Grameen’s bank can be seen in other countries.

(4) What is NOT true about the Grameen bank?

(a) The Grameen bank mainly gives money to poor women. 

(b) On average, one loan is about one million dollars in the Grameen bank.

(c) Borrowers of the Grameen bank is more than 5 million people. 

(d) Many awards are given to students in need each year. 

(5) Choose the best answer from the following statements.

(a) Grameen bank has made partners in 52 countries.  

(b) Muhammad Yunus believes that credit is the right human should have.

(c) The economist thinks that a system of credit is not a solution of ending poverty.

(d) Millions of people in the United States received assistance from micro-financing organizations such as Grameen bank. 

Asking for, making and responding to suggestions

このユニットでは、提案（意見）を求めたり、それに応えたりする方法について学びます。

Readingで紹介されている「マイクロファイナンス」のような、「貧しい人を自立させるような経済的支援の仕組み」について、日本などの他地域に広めていくためにはどうすべきか考えて見ましょう。

(1) 日本語で意見を言ってみよう。

(2) 英語で意見を聞き、応えてみよう。