B. Pre-reading exercises

D.4. Insert the following words into the gaps below.

Revenues/ persuade/ suffer/ deficit/ subsidies/ approve

Mexico's economy ... from structural weakness, which Mr. Fox has so

far been unable or unwilling to address. One challenge concerns the public finances. The central-government budget... is 0.65 % of GDP. Mr. Fox has begun to offer ... to special interests, such as farmers and the textile industry. Although the government... the opposition-controlled Congress to ... some tax increases last year, it remained dangerously dependant on volatile ... .