International Specialisation (CIE IGCSE Economics)

Topic Questions

1
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What is specialisation in Economics?

  • Producing a variety of goods and services

  • Focusing on a single economic activity or task

  • Trade with foreign countries

  • Eliminating all forms of competition

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2
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What is one advantage of specialisation in an economy?

  • Increased variety of products

  • Slower economic growth

  • Reduced efficiency

  • Higher productivity

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3
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Bangladesh specialises in textiles and exports them to the world.

Which of the following is not an advantage of national specialisation?

  • Over-dependency on other countries' resources

  • Greater competition may increase productivity

  • Increased exports can result in economic growth

  • Economies of scale

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4
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The two main factors which allow a country to specialise are:

  Factor 1 Factor 2
A More expensive production methods Limited resource availability
B Superior resource availability New production methods
C More expensive production methods Superior resource availability
D Superior resource availability Cheaper production methods

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5
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How does specialisation affect quality?

  • Lower quality goods and services

  • No impact on the quality of goods

  • Higher quality goods and services

  • Decreased demand for goods

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11 mark

The table shows the rice yield in four countries.

country rice yield
(kilos per hectare)

Japan

China

Bangladesh

Thailand

64

53

20

20


What may be concluded from this information?

  • Bangladesh and Thailand produce the same amount of rice.

  • Japan produces more than three times as much rice as Bangladesh.

  • Japan produces the largest amount of rice per hectare.

  • Japan produces the largest amount of rice per person employed.

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2
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Country X specialises in ceramic products.

What challenge might it face if its specialised industry becomes obsolete due to technological advancements in other countries?

  • Enhanced adaptability to changing market conditions

  • Reduced dependency on the specialised industry

  • Difficulty in transitioning its workforce to new sectors

  • Improved global competitive advantage

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3
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How might national specialisation affect a country's workforce skills?

  • Increase the diversity of skills among workers

  • Foster a broad range of transferable skills

  • Lead to a narrow focus on industry-specific skills

  • Enhance overall employability in various sectors

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4
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A country has limited availability of certain natural resources.

How might this influence its choice of industries for national specialisation?

  • It would encourage diversification across industries

  • It might lead to overreliance on sectors which use these resources

  • It would lead to equal distribution of resources across sectors

  • It could promote a balanced approach to economic development

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5
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What is the primary characteristic of regional specialisation?

  • Producing a single type of good for both domestic and international markets

  • Focusing on producing goods that utilise advanced technology

  • Producing goods that cater exclusively to local market demands

  • Engaging in trade activities between regions of a country

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11 mark

What is most likely to discourage international specialisation and trade for an economy?

  • decreasing labour supply

  • decreasing transport costs

  • increasing oil prices

  • increasing trade barriers

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2
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What role do cheaper production methods play in enhancing competitiveness?

  •  They increase costs and reduce competitiveness

  • They have no impact on competitiveness

  • They decrease the quality of goods produced

  • They help reduce costs and improve competitiveness

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3
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Which of the following is a potential disadvantage of national specialisation?

.

  • Increased efficiency and productivity

  • Reduced dependence on global markets

  • Vulnerability to changes in global demand

  • More economic diversification

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4
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What benefit might a country gain from being a global leader in a specific industry?

  • Reduced international competition

  • Increased dependence on multiple industries

  • Greater bargaining power in trade negotiations

  • Greater risk of economic shocks

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5
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How can national specialisation contribute to increased efficiency?

  • By spreading resources across various industries

  • By focusing on producing a limited range of goods

  • By reducing the overall production volume

  • By increasing economic inequality

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