Some Advice on How to Learn English

There are some rules of memory

1. We acquire 10% of information when we read.
We acquire 20% of information when we listen.
We acquire 30% when we see.

We acquire 90% when we teach others.

2. It is necessary to repeat the material you’ve learnt every three days. If you do

not repeat the material within three days most of the information vanishes as if

you never learnt it.

3. It’s best to memorize material before you go to bed. You'll memorize it more quickly.

4. It's very useful to listen to the material you are learning. There are a lot of words in English which are not pronounced according to the rules of reading.

II. Заполните пропуски, используя следующие предлоги:

а) from d) within c) on d) without (2) e) for f) before g) in

1. A student’s native language has a great effect…him.

2. Each language is the best language…the people who use it.

3. To learn new words…grammar is like to build a house…a plan.

4. The most difficult thing for a student when he begins to learn a foreign language is to understand that a foreign language is very different… his language.

5. If yon don’t repeat the material…three days most of the information vanishes as if you never learnt it.

6. It is best to memories material…you go to bed.

7. Reading books… the original will help you to learn a foreign language.

 

III. Cоставьте возможные словосочетания из данных слов:

1. foreign	a) times
2. to increase	b) a foreign language
3. to acquire	c) structures
4. to repeat	d) a house
5. many	e) language (2)
6. to study	f) information
7. grammatical	g) the vocabulary
8. native	h) the material
9. to build	i) new words
10. to work	j) hard

 

IV. Соедините цифры со словами, к которым они относятся:

1. We acquire 90% of information	a) when we listen.
2. We acquire 30% of information	b) when we see.
3. We acquire 20% of information	c) when we teach others.
4. We acquire 10% of information	d) when we read.

 

V. Закончите предложения, выбрав верный вариант:

1. Each language is the best language	a) to build a house without a plan.
2. When you learn a foreign language	b) most of the information vanishes.
3. It is best to memorize material	c) for the people who use it.
4. To learn new words without grammar is like	d) before you go to bed.
5. If you don’t repeat the material within three days	e) you must repeat new lessons many times.

 

TEXT C

LEARNING ENGLISH VOCABULARY

I. Прочтите текст и укажите, какие утверждения соответствуют тексту Т (True), а какие нет – F (False):

1. Vocabulary is one of the main elements in learning a foreign language.

2. If you know grammar perfectly you can speak a language without words.

3. The best way to memorize English words is to put them down on sheets of paper.

4. If you start learning a language you should take some easy-reading book with essential vocabulary at the end of it.

5. It is better to watch more films in English without subtitles.

6. While learning English it is advisable to keep in mind synonyms and antonyms.

7. It you don’t train your vocabulary, you’ll soon start to forget it.

 

Vocabulary is one of the main ele­ments in learning a foreign language (others are pronunciation, grammar and spelling). Even if you know grammar perfectly you won't be able to speak a language without words. Now we are going to observe some ways and me­thods of learning English vocabulary.

Most learners memorize English words and word combinations putting them down with their Russian equi­valents on sheets of paper. Usually their pockets are full of these sheets of paper, which they are looking through pronouncing something while going to work or to another place in public transport (the drawback is that you can't learn these words when driving). Some peo­ple prefer to stick long lists of English words on the walls in different places in their flats (e.g. in the kitchen or in the toilet). But one day such learners discover that there are a lot of paper sheets in their pockets, bags, and even the flat and they decide to get rid of them. The main draw­back of this way of learning English vocabulary is that language learners tend to forget the words as quickly as they learn them because, as a rule, they don't use them in practice. So, if you learn the words in such a way, train them.

Another way to learn English vo­cabulary is reading. If you start learn­ing a language take some "easy-reading" book with essential vo­cabulary at the end of it. Don't be lazy and look up into the dictionary. The more often you run into a word, the more chances you have to pick it up. If you are an intermediate student or something, try to read interesting arti­cles from newspapers and magazi­nes — they are written in modern language and contain a lot of useful expressions.

Try to watch more films in Eng­lish — but with subtitles, so that you could read the moments in the speech of actors you can't understand. While watching take some notes with useful words and expressions. Having watched the film several times you will certainly memorize them.

But what are the methods of learn­ing English vocabulary? Here are some of them.

Try to learn not only one word, but the whole word family (e.g. for­tune — fortuity — fortuneless — (un-)-fortunate — (un-)fortunately), as you learn not only words but the ways they are built.

There is a very effective technique called a "spider activity": you draw a circle, put some main word into it and then find in the dictionary or while reading a text the words semantically close to it.

If you want to learn more adjec­tives the following technique can help you: choose a word, e.g. "tree", then write the alphabet and for each letter find some adjectives which could cha­racterize this word: A — apple-tree, amazing, astonishing etc.

It's also advisable to keep in mind as many synonyms as you can. They enrich your vocabulary, make your speech more diverse and help you with translating. But don't forget about the rules of words combination. For exam­ple, you can say «I'm ill'» but you can't say «My head is ill». Instead of that you should say «I have a headache» or «My foot/arm hurts». Learning words in opposite pairs can also be effective: you can auto­matically recall some word when it's necessary through the antonym.

In conclusion I'd like to say that if you really want to learn as much of English vocabulary as possible have patience and work hard. Remember that no teacher can learn it for you. Besides, if you don't train your vocab­ulary, you'll soon start to forget it. So, communicate with native speakers. And the last thing — learn to think in English, put your ideas into words, it really helps.

 

II. Выберите английский эквивалент для следующих русских слов:

1. совершенно, отлично

a) perfect b) perfectly c) perfection d) perfectibility

2. произносить, выговаривать

a) pronunciation b) pronouncement c) pronounce d) pronounced

3. учащийся, ученик

a) learn b) learning c) learned d) learner

4. необходимый, весьма важный

a) essence b) essential c) essentiality d) essentially

5. содержать

а) contain b) container c) containment d) contaminate

6. целесообразный

a) advice b) advisable c) advise d) adviser

7. предпочитать

a) preferable b) preference c) prefer d) preferably

 

III. Подберите синонимы для следующих слов:

1. drawback	a) to select
2. to start	b) for instance
3. chance	c) disadvantage
4. to take notes	d) list
5. to choose	e) opportunity
6. for example	f) to make notes
7. to put down	g) to write down
8. sheet	h) to begin

 

IV. Заполните пропуски, используя следующие предлоги:

a) with b) on (2) c) in (2) d) about

1. You should write the words with their Russian equivalents … sheets of paper.

2. While learning new words try to use them … practice.

3. Some people like to stick lists of English word’s … the walls in different places in their flats.

4. English newspapers and magazines are written … modern language.

5. Don’t forget … the rules of words combination.

6. The more you communicate … native speakers the sooner you will learn to speak English well.

7. The most important thing while learning English is to think … English.

 

V. Найдите в правой колонке русский эквивалент для английских словосочетаний:

1. as a rule	a) в заключении
2. to run into something	b) рисовать круг
3. several times	c) как правило
4. to get rid of something	d) наклеивать листья
5. useful expressions	e) обогащать словарь (словарный запас)
6. to draw a circle	f) наткнуться на что-либо
7. interesting article	g) несколько раз
8. in conclusion	h) интересная статья
9. to stick lists	i) избавляться от чего-либо
10. to enrich the vocabulary	j) полезные выражения

TEXT D

ENGLISH AS A WORLD LANGUAGE

I. Прочтите текст и укажите, какие утверждения соответствуют тексту Т (True), а какие нет – F (False):

1. About 400 million people speak English as their first language.

2. About 20 million people use it a second language.

3. In Shakespeare’s time a lot of million people spoke English.

4. English has become a world language because it was used as a mother tongue outside England, in all the continents of the world.

5. English is the language of business, technology, aviation, sport and pop music.

6. All world’s periodicals are in English.

English is one of the most widespread, languages on Earth. About 400 million people speak English as their first language. About the same number of people use it as a second language. It is the language of business, technology, aviation, sport and pop music. 75% of the world's mail and 60% of the world's telephone calls are in English. 60% of the world's radio stations broadcast in English and more than half of the world's periodicals are in English. It is an official language in 44 countries.

Today, when English is one of the major languages in the world, it is difficult to realise that in Shakespeare's time, for example, only a few million people spoke English. The other nations of Europe didn't think it was important, and it was unknown to the rest of the world.

English has become a world language because it was used as a mother tongue outside England, in all the continents of the world. This exporting of English began in the 17th century, with the first settlement in North America. Above all it is the massive immigration in the 19th and 20th centuries and the great growth of population in the United States that has given the English language its present position in the world.

There are three groups of people who speak English: those who speak it as their mother tongue language; those who have learned it as a second language; and those who are forced to use it for a practical purpose - administrative, professional or educational. One person in seven of the world's population belongs to one of these three groups.

II. Заполните пропуски, используя следующие предлоги:

a) to (2) b) of (2) c) in (2) d) with

1. More than half of the world’s periodicals are … English.

2. In Shakespeare’s time English was unknown … the rest of the world.

3. This exporting of English began … the 17^th century.

4. The great growth … population in the United States has given the English language its present position in the world.

5. One person in seven of the world’s population belongs … one of these groups.

6. About he same number … people use it as a second language.

7. The exporting of English began … the first settlement in North America.

 

 

III. Найдите в правой колонке русский эквивалент для английских словосочетаний:

1. widespread	a) главным образом, в основном
2. belong	b) тот же самый, одинаковый
3. growth of population	c) поселение
4. broadcast	d) родной язык
5. above all	e) широко распространённый
6. the same	f) современное положение
7. mother tongue	g) быть вынужденным что-либо делать
8. settlement	h) вести радиопередачу
9. present position	i) принадлежать
10. to be forced to do something	j) рост населения

 

IV. Заполните пропуски следующими словами:

a) first b) second c) foreign

1. In India, English is a … language.

2. In New Zealand, English is a … language.

3. In France, English is a … language.

4. In Russia, English is a … language.

 

V. Закончите предложение выбрав верный вариант:

1. English is an official language	a) widespread languages on Earth.
2. There are three groups of people	b) has given the English language its present position in the world.
3. English is one of the most	c) in 44 countries.
4. English has become a world language because	d) who speak English.
5. There are some people who are forced	e) it was used as a mother tongue in all the continents of the world.
6. The massive immigration in the 19^th and 20^th centuries and the great growth of population in the United States	f) to use it for a practical purpose – administrative, professional or educational.

 

UNIT II ECONOMICS

TEXT A

GREAT ECONOMISTS

THE FATHER OF ECONOMICS

ADAM SMITH AND THE WEALTH OF NATIONS

I. Прочтите текст и укажите, какие утверждения соответствуют тексту Т (True), а какие нет – F (False):

1. «The Wealth of Nations» written by Adam Smith was published in 1776.

2. In Smith's opinion, the land was the only source of wealth.

3. Smith believed that economy would work best if it functioned without government regulation.

4. Business firms produce only those products that consumers want and produce them at the highest possible cost.

5. Under the «invisible hand» Smith meant the economic forces that we today would call supply and demand.

6. Smith used the metaphor of the «invisible hand» to explain why all society benefits when the economy is free of regulation.

7. It was Adam Smith who compared the two economic forces to the blades of scissors.

8. Alfred Marshall explained the economic events in terms of the equilibrium market price resulting from the interaction of supply and demand.

 

Seventeen seventy-six, the year that we associate with the signing of the Declaration of Independence, also marked the publication in England of one of the most influential books of our time, The Wealth of Nations. Written by Adam Smith, it earned the author the title "The father of economics."

Smith objected to the principal economic beliefs of his day. He differed with the physiocrats who argued that land was the only source of wealth. He also disagreed with the mercantilists who measured the wealth of a nation by its money supply, and who called for govern­ment regulation of the economy in order to promote a "favorable balance of trade. "

In Smith's view, a nation's wealth was dependent upon production, not agriculture alone. How much it produced, he believed, depended upon how well it combined labor and the other factors of production. The more efficient the combination, the greater the output, and the greater the nation's wealth.

The heart of Smith's economic philosophy was his be­lief that the economy would work best if left to function on its own without government regulation. In those cir­cumstances, self-interest would lead business firms to produce only those products that consumers wanted, and to produce them at the lowest possible cost. They would do this, not as a means of benefiting society, but in an effort to outperform their competitors and gain the greatest profit. But all this self-interest would ben­efit society as a whole by providing it with more and better goods and services, at the lowest prices.

To explain why all society benefits when the economy is free of regulation, Smith used the metaphor of the "invisible hand":

The "invisible hand" was Smith's name for the eco­nomic forces that we today would call supply and de­mand, or the marketplace. He disagreed with the mercantilists who called for regulation of the economy.

Instead, Smith agreed with the physiocrats and their policy of "laissez faire," letting individuals and businesses function without interference from government regula­tion or private monopolies. In that way, the "invisible hand" would be free to guide the economy and maxi­mize production.

The Wealth of Nations goes on to describe the princi­pal elements of the economic system. In a famous sec­tion, Smith demonstrated how the division of labor and the use of machinery in­creased output.

Similarly, other sections dealing with the factors of production, money and international trade are as mean­ingful today as when they were first written.

You can see, therefore, that Thomas Jefferson's Dec­laration of Independence and Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations have more in common than a birthday. More importantly, both contain some of the best descriptions of the principles upon which our political and economic systems are based.