IGCSE Economics: Money and Banking System Core Knowledge | IGCSE经济：货币与银行体系核心知识

📚 IGCSE Economics: Money and Banking System Core Knowledge | IGCSE经济：货币与银行体系核心知识

Money and banking are among the most frequently tested topics in the CIE IGCSE Economics examination. This article sets out the core definitions, functions and key analytical chains that students need in order to succeed.

货币与银行是 CIE IGCSE 经济考试中最常出现的主题之一。本文系统梳理了学生需要掌握的核心定义、经济功能和关键分析链条，帮助大家更好地应对考试。

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1. The Functions of Money | 货币的四大职能

In economics, money is any asset that is generally accepted in exchange for goods and services. It is important to understand that money is not the same as income or wealth. Income is a flow of earnings over time, while money is a stock of accepted financial assets that can be used as payment.

在经济学中，货币是指广泛被接受用于交换商品和服务的资产。需要特别注意，货币不等同于收入或财富。收入是某一时期内获得的流量，而货币是可用于支付的存量资产。

Medium of exchange | 交换媒介

Money allows goods and services to be bought and sold directly. It removes the unwieldy “double coincidence of wants” problem that exists under barter. With barter, both parties must want exactly what the other person offers at the same time. Money solves this in a simple and efficient way.

货币使商品和服务的买卖可以直接完成。它解决了以物易物制度下“需求的双重巧合”难题。在以物易物中，双方必须同时需要对方所提供的东西。货币以简单高效的方式解决了这一问题。

Unit of account | 计价单位

Money provides a common unit in which prices, wages and debts can be measured. This makes it easy to compare different goods, keep accounts and make rational economic decisions. For example, if a textbook costs £20 and a coffee costs £2, the relative value is obvious.

货币提供了一个共同的计量单位，用来衡量价格、工资和债务。它使人们能够方便地比较不同商品、记账和做出理性的经济决策。例如，如果一本教科书价格为20英镑，一杯咖啡价格为2英镑，那么两者之间的相对价值就一目了然。

Store of value | 价值贮藏

Money enables purchasing power to be held from one period to another. Workers can therefore save part of their income for future spending. Inflation weakens this function because it reduces what a given sum of money can buy. People must save in forms that at least preserve real value if they wish to avoid this loss.

货币使购买力能够从一个时期保持到另一个时期。因此劳动者可以把部分收入储蓄起来，用于未来消费。通货膨胀会削弱这一功能，因为它降低了一定金额货币能购买到的商品量。如果人们希望避免价值损失，就需要选择能保持实际价值的储蓄形式。

Standard of deferred payment | 延期支付标准

Money is used in contracts that involve borrowing and lending. When a debtor borrows money, the size of the debt is stated in money terms, and repayment is expected in money. This supports credit and makes the timing of payments more flexible.

货币被用于借贷合同之中。债务人借款时，债务的规模以货币单位表示，并约定以货币偿还。这为信贷活动提供了基础，也使支付时间更加灵活。

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2. Characteristics of Good Money | 良好货币应具备的特征

For money to perform its functions well, it must have several desirable characteristics. The CIE IGCSE syllabus expects candidates to explain at least five of them.

为了使货币能够良好地履行其职能，它必须具备若干理想特征。CIE IGCSE 考纲要求考生能够解释其中至少五个特征。

• Durability | 耐久性

  Money must not wear out quickly because it is handled constantly. Coins and notes are made from materials designed to last for many years.

  货币必须耐磨耐损，因为它会被频繁使用。硬币和纸币由设计用于长期使用的材料制成。

• Portability | 便携性

  Money must be easy to carry and transfer. Heavy and bulky forms of money would discourage trade and slow down transactions.

  货币必须便于携带和转移。如果货币过重或体积过大，就会阻碍交易并降低支付效率。

• Divisibility | 可分割性

  Money must be divisible into smaller units so that goods of different prices can be bought. A currency system based on pounds and pence, or dollars and cents, offers this flexibility.

  货币必须能够分割成更小的单位，以便购买不同价格的商品。例如英镑和便士、美元和美分等货币体系都具有这种灵活性。

• Uniformity | 统一性

  Notes and coins of the same value must be identical in purchasing power. If some £5 notes were worth more than others, people would not trust them.

  相同面值的纸币和硬币必须具有完全一致的购买力。如果某些5英镑纸币比其他5英镑纸币更值钱，人们就不会信任这种货币。

• Scarcity | 稀缺性

  The supply of money must be limited in relation to the demand for it. If too much money is created, its value falls and inflation erodes all of its important functions.

  货币的供给相对于其需求必须是有限的。如果货币被创造得太多，其价值就会下降，通货膨胀会损害货币的各项重要职能。

• Acceptability | 普遍接受性

  Money must be willingly accepted by sellers, employers and lenders. Legal tender laws help to guarantee acceptability, but public confidence is just as important.

  货币必须被卖方、雇主和贷款人自愿接受。法定货币法律有助于保障其接受性，但公众信心同样重要。

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3. Forms of Money | 货币的形式

Modern economies use several types of money. In the IGCSE examination, you must distinguish cash, bank deposits and near-money assets.

现代经济体使用多种形式的货币。在 IGCSE 考试中，你必须区分现金、银行存款和准货币资产。

Form 形式	Definition 定义	Example 例子
Coins and notes 硬币和纸币	Physical cash issued by the central bank. It is legal tender and is the most liquid form of money. 由中央银行发行的实体现金。它是法定货币，也是流动性最强的货币形式。	£10 note, £1 coin 10英镑纸币，1英镑硬币
Bank deposits 银行存款	Balances held in current or savings accounts. They can be transferred by debit card, cheque or bank transfer. 存放在活期账户或储蓄账户中的余额，可通过借记卡、支票或银行转账进行支付。	Current account balance 活期账户余额
Near money 准货币	Liquid assets that are not a direct medium of exchange but can be converted into cash quickly without much loss of value. 不能直接用于支付，但能以较小价值损失迅速转换为现金的流动性资产。	Fixed deposits and treasury bills 定期存款和国库券

Narrow money usually refers to notes, coins and quickly spendable bank deposits. Broad money is a wider measure that also includes less liquid deposits. Whatever the measure, the money supply affects inflation and interest rates in the economy.

狭义货币通常指纸币、硬币和可即时使用的银行存款。广义货币是更宽泛的指标，还包括流动性较低的存款。无论采用哪种指标，货币供给都会影响通货膨胀和利率。

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4. The Functions of Commercial Banks | 商业银行的职能

A commercial bank is a financial institution that accepts deposits from households and firms and uses those funds to make loans. In most countries, commercial banks operate for profit.

商业银行是吸收家庭和企业存款，并利用这些资金发放贷款的金融机构。在大多数国家，商业银行以盈利为目的运营。

Accepting deposits | 吸收存款

Banks provide a safe place for customers to store money. Deposits can be held in current accounts for everyday spending, savings accounts for planned future use, and fixed deposits for longer periods.

银行为客户提供安全的资金保管场所。客户可以将资金存放在活期账户用于日常支出，存入储蓄账户用于未来计划支出，或存入定期账户用于更长期限。

Making loans and overdrafts | 发放贷款和透支

Banks lend money to households and firms, charging interest to earn profit. Loans include mortgages, car loans, personal loans and business investment loans. An overdraft allows a customer to spend more than the account balance, up to an agreed limit

Published by TutorHao | IGCSE Economics Revision Series | aleveler.com

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