106 Chapter 6

Chapter 6 107

NOTE * a must - something which is necessary or very important Renovation of the laboratory is a must. Реконструкція лабораторії є конче необхідною. * able - clever or skillful, competent She is an able teacher.Вона — здібний вчитель.

Exercise 4. What does it mean to be «a fluent speaker of a foreign language»? Decide ____what a person must/should/can/may/might be able to do. Then study the numerical rating system developed by one of the departments of U.S. State Department. How would you rate your own abilities in English? If you speak other languages, rate yourself as well.

1 — Elementary proficiency

• able to satisfy routine travel needs (hotels, prices etc.);

• able to ask, answer, and understand questions and statements about simple topics related to daily life;

• frequent errors in grammar and vocabulary.

2 — Limited working proficiency

• able to satisfy routine social demands and basic work requirements;

• able to speak with confidence, but not easily, on such topics as current events, personal information, daily job requirements;

• can understand the general meaning of most conversations and speak clearly enough to be understood by all native speakers;

• can use simple basic grammar accurately, but may require help to express more complex ideas.

3 — Minimum professional proficiency

• able to satisfy all normal social and work requirements with fluency and accuracy, as well as professional discussions in a special field;

• can understand all conversations at normal speed;

• vocabulary is broad enough;

• errors in grammar and vocabulary are infrequent and never interfere with understanding;

4 — Full professional proficiency

• can handle any conversation with a high degree of fluency and precision;

• errors in grammar and pronunciation are extremely rare, but still listeners would not assume one to be a native speaker;

• can do informal interpreting to and from the language;

5 — Bilingual proficiency

• complete fluency in the language equivalent to that of an educated native speaker.

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Exercise 5. Choose the correct option.

1.

A: Where's Ann?

B: I'm not sure. She __ at the meeting.

a. is

b. might be

c. must be

d. could have been

2.

A: How does Andy get to the University?

B: I don't really know. He __ the bus.

a. might take

b. takes

c. must take

d. will take

3.

A: It's really cold in here today.

B: Yes, somebody __ the window open.

a. must leave

b. might leave

c. must have left

d. will leave

4.

A: Have you heard the weather forecast?

B: No, but look at those clouds in the sky! I think it ____ rain.

a. could

b. is going

c. should

d. ought to

5.

A: Did Mr. Brown call while I was out?

B: I'm not sure. He __ .

a. might have

b. might

c. did

d. didn't

6.

A: Are you coming with us?

B: I'm not sure. I ___ go the library instead.

a. must

b. will

c. might

d. shall

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7.

A: Can I speak to professor Johnson?

В: She's not in her office, and she doesn't have any more classes today, so she __ home.

a. might go

b. must have gone

c. will probably go

d. would probably go

Exercise 6. Render the following passage into Ukrainian. Pay special attention to linguistic devices denoting probability.

The word «dinosaur» means «terrible lizard». About 150 million years ago there were many kinds of dinosaurs. Dinosaurs have been extinct for 65 million years. Several theories have been proposed about why the dinosaurs disappeared from the face of the Earth.

One theory is the climatic change theory. This theory says that millions of years ago the climate of the world gradually became colder. The cold weather finally resulted in a severe shortage of food for the dinosaurs. The disappearance was directly caused by a shortage of food, and indirectly — by climatic changes. According to this theory, the dinosaurs may have disappeared slowly and gradually.

Evidence has recently been accumulated that this extinction was sudden and was caused by a huge asteroid that hit the Earth. Among the signs is the element iridium released from the asteroid in the impact. The impact would have raised so much dust into atmosphere that sunlight could have been shut out for months. Many species of plants and animals would not have been able to survive. In particular, large animals like dinosaurs could not have taken refuge in caves the way the smaller ones may have.

A still newer idea is based on possible periodicity of 28 million years between mass extinction on the Earth: an undiscovered companion to the Sun comes to the inner part of its orbit, and its gravity then sends a number of comets towards the Earth. Fortunately, the star — for which the name «Nemesis» is unofficially waiting — isn't due back for 15 million years even if it exists.

Scientists continue to debate these theories. In the future, evidence may be found for a new theory.

Exercise 7. Translate the following sentences into Ukrainian.

1. This, of course, does not prove the statement, but it may help to persuade you of its truth.

2. You've got to do your homework.

3. Nobody will dare deny that this is possible.

4. This might make the computations simpler, but this also reduces the usefulness of the theory.

5. Max would rather study languages than biology.

6. You could have at least sent an invitation.

7. A lecturer must be able to explain things clearly.

8. Must you leave so soon?

9. Anything is possible if you dare.

10. Often what is needed has to be greatly modified in the light of what is possible.