Виктория Мороз - Английский язык

Мачнева Л. Ф., Мороз В. В.

Английский язык

Introduction

Данная хрестоматия предназначена для обучения студентов экономических специальностей самостоятельному чтению художественной литературы с последующей работой в аудитории.

Цель данной хрестоматии – ознакомить с произведениями классической и современной английской и американской литературы, расширить лексический запас, освоить правила словообразования и приемы организации и систематизации словаря.

Хрестоматия состоит из 4 разделов и приложения, включающих тексты различной степени сложности, от простых до более сложных, различных жанров, авторов и эпох.

Три основные раздела предваряют свод правил, способствующих лучшему запоминанию и усвоению лексики, ряд приемов, оптимизирующих и систематизирующих этот процесс.

Тексты в разделах сопровождаются упражнениями на развитие навыков работы со словарем, расширение словарного состава как общеупотребительной, так и профессиональной лексики. Раздел обзорных лексических упражнений и приложение с моделями сочетаемости некоторых слов завершают данное пособие.

Хрестоматия знакомит студентов с некоторыми произведениями художественной литературы английских и американских авторов, связанных со сферой их профессиональных интересов, расширяет их кругозор. Многообразные и многочисленные упражнения, таблицы и схемы, постепенное возрастание лингвистической сложности позволяют студентам более полно освоить методы работы над текстом.

1 Learning vocabulary – general advice

What does knowing a new word mean?

– It’s not enough just to know the meaning of a word. You also need to know:

a) what words it is usually associated with;

b) whether it has any particular grammatical characteristics;

c) how it is pronounced.

– Try to learn new words not in isolation but in phrases.

– Write down adjectives together with nouns they are often associated with and vice versa, e. g. royal family; rich vocabulary.

– Write down verbs with the structure and nouns associated with them, e.g. to express an opinion.

– Write down nouns in phrases, e.g. in contact with; shades of opinion.

– Write down words with their prepositions, e.g. at a high level; thanks to your help.

– Note any grammatical characteristics of the words you are studying. For example, note when a verb is irregular and when a noun is uncountable or is only used in the plural.

– Make a note of any pronunciation problems with the words you are learning [1].

Expanding your vocabulary

There are many ways that you can use a dictionary to expand your vocabulary [2]:

What should you do when you come across new words?

When you are reading something in English, don’t look up every new word or expression or you will soon get fed up. Only look up something that is really important for understanding the text. When you have finished reading, look back at what you have read and then perhaps look up some extra words and write down new expressions that interest you.

Similarly when you listen to English don’t panic when you hear some words or expressions that you don’t know. Keep listening and the overall meaning will often become clear.

When you read or listen to English it is sometimes possible to guess the meaning of a word you don’t know before you look up or ask its meaning. Decide first what part of speech the word is and then look for clues in its context or form.

Learning vocabulary – aids to learning

Help yourself to learn by learning associated words together

Learn words with associated meaning together

Learning words together that are associated in meaning is a popular and useful way of organizing your vocabulary study

1 Complete this network for the word CAT. Add as many other bubbles as you like

Learn words with a grammatical association together

2 Here are some groups of words, each of which has a grammatical connection. Can you see what the connection is? What other words could you add to these groups?

a) child tooth ox; b) cut split burst; c) information furniture food.

Learn together words based on the same root

3 Can you add any words or expressions to these two groups?

a) price priceless overpriced

b) handy single-handed give me a hand

Pictures and diagrams can help you learn

Can you draw any picture that would help you remember the following vocabulary?

Word forks are good ways of learning adjectives and verbs

Look at the complete word forks below. Finish the others

Organizing by word-class

When you meet a synonym or an antonym of a word you already have in your book, enter it next to that word with a few notes [1]:

Urban ≠ rural stop=cease (more formal)

Making tables for word-classes is a good idea, since you can fill in the gaps over time. What do you think you may put in the remaining gaps in the table?

2 Part one

2.1 Text 1

Mr. Stern had a small shop. Once his friend called at his shop and noticed a shabby blind on the window in his shop. He said: “Excuse me and don’t get angry with me, but you will have to buy a new blind if you want to have a lot of customers. I recommend you to change the blind as soon as possible as the old one is too bad.”

“Yes, you are right. I know that I have to buy a new blind, but it is very expensive. However, I believe I shall be able to do something.”

Some weeks later his friend visited his shop again, and was very glad to see a new blind. “I see you have got a nice new blind. I think you have paid a lot of money for it!” – “Oh, yes, the blind is rather expensive, but I decided to turn to my customers for help. You see, I put a box in my shop with a notice: “For the blind”. And in this way I got the money to buy this new blind.”

2.1.1 Vocabulary notes

to turn to smb. For help – o6paтиться к кому-либо за помощью

a blind – жалюзи

blind – слепой

2.2.2 Answer the questions

Why did Mr. Stern’s friend recommend him to buy a new blind?

Who helped Mr. Stern to buy a new expensive blind? Why?

2.2 Text 2

A ticket-collector who had worked at the railway station for forty-five years was going to retire. One day he was talking to his friends about his work. He had enjoyed everything: his friends, his manager, the work itself. There was only one thing which he didn’t like in all of it. “What is it?” the friends asked him. “Oh, the passengers, certainly the passengers.”

2.2.1 Vocabulary notes

to retire – уходить в отставку, увольняться

2.3 Text 3

Bill works in a factory, and he usually comes home at half-past six every evening. He came home early last Friday, and he was very angry. He shut the door very hard, went into the living-room and sat down.

His wife was in the kitchen. She came up to her husband and looked him for a few seconds. Then she said to him, “Why are you angry, Bill?”

“Bus tickets cost three pence last week, but now they cost two pence,” he said.

“But that isn’t bad, Bill,” his wife said. “It’s good. Going by bus is cheaper now.”

“Yes, it is,” Bill said, “but I always walk to work in the mornings, and I walk home in the afternoons. Last week I saved six pence every day, but now I save four pence.”

2.3.1 Vocabulary notes

to save – экономить

2.4 Text 4

A rich businessman was dying. Before the death he wanted to tell his partner who was in business with him some important things. So he asked his family to leave him with his partner alone. The rich man thought that his friend George was a reliable partner and a very good friend. When they were alone the man said: “I’m dying, listen please. I’ve always been bad to you. When you were away on business two years ago I took a big sum of money from the safe and never put it back. I disliked you all my life. I sold the secret of your plan to another company for a hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Oh, George, I’m very sorry.” “That’s all right,” said George. “I was not so reliable as you thought I was. It was I who put poison into your tea at lunch yesterday.”

2.4.1 Vocabulary notes

to rely on (upon) – полагаться на к. -л.

Reliable – надежный, заслуживающий доверия

2.5 Text 5

James Rand worked for a company which sold office equipment. He came to Mr. Benson who wanted to open some new offices in New York to offer him the equipment of his company. Benson asked him about the quality of the equipment, the prices and the demand for the goods. After that he told him: “All right. Here is a letter to my New York manager, you can go to him for the order.”

Rand took the letter and went to New York by train. He had talks with the manager and got a very large order on attractive terms. When he came back home he remembered about Mr. Benson’s letter.

He opened the letter and read it. Mr. Benson wrote to his manager: “Get all information from this man but don’t buy his goods.”

2.5.1 Vocabulary notes

equipment – оборудование

demand – спрос

talks – переговоры

on attractive terms – на привлекательных условиях

2.6 Text 6

Peter Robinson is a young Englishman. He lives in London in a small flat and works for a big company. He has been a clerk for two years. Every August he goes on holiday. Some years ago he liked going to foreign countries but now he prefers to spend two weeks at a seaside hotel in Great Britain. Sometimes he rents a room in a boarding house or goes on a camping holiday. This summer he decided to go to Brighton, a famous resort. The weather is usually warm and dry there in the summer season. Peter rented a room in a hotel. The accommodation was very expensive. He sunbathed every morning. In the evening he went to restaurants, night clubs, casinos. He had a very good time. A week later he had no money to pay for his room or to buy lunch. So he sent a telegram to his father: “No money, no funny. Sonny.” Soon he received the answer from his father: “Too bad. Too sad. Dad.”

2.6.1 Vocabulary notes

boarding house – пансион, меблированные комнаты со столом

accommodation – жилье

2.7 Text 7

One afternoon Mr. Wallis who lived far from the centre of London was returning home. It had already got dark when he came to a quiet narrow street with no people or traffic in it. Suddenly a middle-aged man stopped him and asked if he would buy a cat from him. As Mr. Wallis refused to make the purchase the man aimed a gun at him.

“How much does it cost?” asked Mr. Wallis. “It’s not expensive. Five hundred pounds only”, was the reply. So Mr. Wallis had to sign a cheque for five hundred pounds and the man gave him the cat.

Several years had passed since that day. Mr. Wallis decided to go shopping and called at a small shop where he had never been before. He recognized in the shopassistant the man who had sold him the white cat several years before.

Mr. Wallis left the shop and returned a little later. “I’ve brought a white cat. Will you buy it?” smiled he, “It’s one of the lovely kittens of the white cat that you sold me several years ago, I recommend you to buy it”. The shop-assistant understood everything. He told Mr. Wallis that he would pay him for the cat if Mr. Wallis did not tell the police about it and if he never came to the shop again.

“How much does it cost now?” he asked.

“Seven hundred pounds”, was the answer, “because I want to get some interest on my money.”

2.7.1 Vocabulary notes

to make a purchase – делать покупку

to get some interest on (smth.) – получить проценты от (чего-л.)

2.8 Text 8

Last winter Eileen went to New York on business. Her husband went with her as he had never been to New York before. On the last day of their stay in New York they checked out of the hotel in the morning. Eileen’s husband decided to do some sightseeing while she was at her last business meeting.

They agreed to meet at the airport. The plane was leaving at a quarter past nine.

When after the meeting Eileen went out into the street there was much snow everywhere and it was still snowing heavily. She took a taxi but it was just before Christmas and there was a terrible traffic jam. Then the car broke down. Suddenly she remembered there was a subway close to that place – that’s what the Americans call their underground trains to the airport.

When she took a bus from the subway to the airport, it was almost 8.30. It wasn’t far to the airport but it was snowing still heavier and the bus went slowly. When at last she got to the airport she ran to the check-in-desk. There was a large crowd of people. One of them was her husband.

“There was no need to hurry,” he said, “The snow has delayed everything. The plane is late too.”

2.8.1 Vocabulary notes

to check out (ant. To check in – регистрироваться) – платить по счету в гостинице