Введение

Данное учебное пособие предназначено для работы со студентами 3-го и 4-го курсов. Целью настоящего учебного пособия является развитие умений и навыков устной и письменной коммуникации, а также совершенствование понимания научно-популярных текстов.

Данное учебное пособие состоит из Введения, 10 глав, текстов для дополнительного чтения и библиографического списка. Каждая глава содержит текст для основного чтения, поурочный терминологический словарь, комплекс текстовых, лексических и грамматических заданий и упражнений.

В данном учебном пособии реализуется обучение различным видам речевой деятельности (чтению, аудированию, говорению, письму).

Система разноплановых лексических и грамматических заданий и упражнений обеспечивает многократное повторение и эффективное усвоение лексического материала, грамматических конструкций, характерных для научно-популярных текстов, и развивает умения и навыки использовать языковой материал в новых речевых ситуациях.

Тексты учебного пособия высоко информативны, они отражают современные тенденции развития в области различных технологий.

Данное учебное пособие ориентировано на формирование и развитие лингвистических, социолингвистических и профессиональных компетенций выпускников УГАТУ.

Unit I. World’s first flying car makes its debut

Useful words and phrases

to take off – взлетать

roadable – способный ездить по дороге

to win an award – получать награду

an inspiration – вдохновение

to strive for – стремиться, бороться, прилагать усилия

to fold up – складываться

a breakthrough – прорыв, достижение

problem-free - беспроблемный

WARM-UP

• When do you think people will see the first flying car?

• Please, think about advantages of a flying car and its possible spheres of appication?

I. Read the text

The world’s first flying car took to the skies on March 18. Its name is the Transition, because it can switch between the road and the sky. The car that looks like a plane took off from a small airport in New York. The “roadable aircraft” is from a Boston based company called Terrafugia, which means “escape from land” in Latin. The designer and Terrafugia CEO Carl Dietrich has spent the past decade working on the project. In 2006 he won a $30,000 design award from the Massacheusettes Institute of Technology. He said his inspiration was to do something about America’s crowded highways and airports. Dietrich said: "This flight is a symbol of a new freedom in aviation. It's what enthusiasts have been striving for since 1918."

The two-seater Transition can take off and land at airports and drive on any road. The US government said it is officially a light sport aircraft and not a car. The flying car has wings that fold up for use on the road. It is around 5.8 metres long and 2 metres wide. Terrafugia hopes to start selling the Transition in 2011. The selling price will be between $150,000 and $200,000. There are already more than forty orders for it. Dietrich is excited about the Transition’s future. He told reporters: "This breakthrough changes the world of personal mobility. Travel now is becoming a problem-free land-air experience.” It is not yet clear whether traffic police or air traffic control will handle the dozens, perhaps hundreds or thousands of flying cars.

II. Comprehension check

1. Answer the following questions

a. What is a “Transiton”? What does this word mean?

b. Who is the designer of the first flying car? What can you tell about him and his project?

c. Is the first flying car expensive? Is it already available? Do you think it will be popular?

d. What are the technical characteristics of the Transition?

e. What is the main advantage of the first flying car?

f. Can there be any problems for police to handle flying cars?

2. Look through the text and find the sentences expressing these ideas

a. The designer decided to create his “roadable aircraft” because of busy highways and airports.

b. The Transition is huge.

c. The public are really interested in the Transition.

d. A lot of time has been spent on the Transition project.

e. Some things about the “roadable aircraft” are still not clear.

3. Check your memory. Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall how they were used in the text. Make up your own sentences with 2 of these words

skies switch based decade crowded symbol

seater fold orders personal free dozens

4. Give the Russian/English equivalents for the following words and phrases

a. a flying car, a roadable aircraft, an inspiration, crowded airports, wings that fold up, the government;

b. переходить/переключаться, взлетать, приземляться, награда, свобода в авиации, легкий спортивный самолет, беспроблемный, прорыв.

5. Make up 3 sentences with any 3 words and phrases from Ex. 4. Ask your groupmates to translate them on the spot

III. Discussion

1. Do you like seeing advances in technology? Complete the table. Talk about what you wrote with your partner(s). Discuss what we got in the group. Try to use modal verbs when writing down your ideas, for example: The first household robot can save time. It may change people’s daily life indeed, because we won’t have to spend most part of our free time on household routine.

First	Advantages	Life-changing because…
Flying car
Time machine
Space resort
No sleep pill
Wrinkle-free cream

2. Team work: Team A strongly believes that flying cars can be dangerous and are a bad idea; Team B strongly believes that flying cars are great and save lots of time. Give your reasons. You have 10 minutes for discussion

IV. Grammar Focus (Tense use)

1. Define the tenses of the verbs and explain their use

a. I don’t like getting up in the morning. I am not an early bird.

b. My grandmother usually calls us and asks: “Who am I talking to?”

c. My friend started learning Spanish 2 years ago. She has already made great progress.

d. Please, be quiet. The child is sleeping.

e. “When are you going to finish cleaning up your room?” “Ok, mum, I’ve already done it.”

f. Charly left school when he was sixteen. He has been working since that time.

g. The boss won’t be at work tomorrow. He is going to take part in a professional seminar.

h. “What were you doing yesterday from 9 till 11 p.m.?” – the police officer asked.

i. I didn’t go to the beach yesterday because the sea was too stormy.

j. “Have you ever tried Chineese food?” “No, but I’m going to do it tonight.”

2. Look through the text and specify the tenses of the underlined verbs. Please, explain their use

3. Choose the right variant

a. Anna is in England now. She is staying/stays with her friends who are owning/own a farm.

b. We decided/have decided to get married. We will celebrate/are going to celebrate the wedding next summer.

c. Thomas Edison started/was starting work when he was/had been 12 years old.

d. Our friends look for/are looking for a nice flat to rent at the moment. They want/are wanting a cheap one.

e. Unfortunatelly one of the football players has broken/broke/had broken his leg while he had/was having/has been having a training match.

f. I’m very busy. I didn’t go/haven’t gone/haven’t been going out for 3 months.

g. The trip was really wonderful, but there was/were/had been some administrative problems: the manager booked/had booked the wrong room for us and we didn’t have/hadn’t/hadn’t had enough space.

h. The weather forecast isn’t very optimistic – it will rain/is going to rain. I am thinking/think I will take/am going to take an umbrella.

i. Have you ever jumped /Did you ever jump with a parachute? – No, it’s too extreme for me.

j. I will forgive/am forgiving/ am going to forgive him if he will call/call/calls me.

4. Put the verbs in the correct form

a. Your birthday party …( to be) the last time I really … (to enjoy) myself.

b. I … ( to drink) coffee. Would you like a cup of coffee? – Thank you, I … already (to have) one.

c. My groupmates … (to talk/not) much at the moment, as they … (to do) a test.

d. We … (to have) a new neighbour. She … (to invite) us to her place. I … (to go/ not) as this time I … (to work) in the evening.

e. Once when I… (to swim) in the Red Sea I … (to see) a small shark.

f. You … (to like) Internet chats? - Oh, no, I … (to prefer) real communication.

g. I promise I… (to send) you a postcard when I … (to come) to Las Vegas.

h. We … (to arrive) at work and … (to find) that somebody … (to break) in the office during the night.

i. The manager … (to want) to talk to Diana because she … (to be/not) at work since Monday and it … (to be) Friday today.

j. My younger brother (to like/not) reading. He … (to read) one book for a week and he … (to cover) 15 pages so far.

HOMEWORK

1. Make a report about different breakthroughs of the past two decades that changed your life. What would you do without these breakthroughs?

2. Write an article about the Transition flying car. You can include imaginary interviews with people who are for and against it or who have already had a test-drive

Unit II. Internet helps families stay more in touch

Useful words and phrases

to bring closer – сближать

to stay in touch – оставаться на связи

an envelope – конверт

a stamp – марка

to wait for a change (here) – ждать сдачи

WARM-UP

1. Which of these things are most useful to you? Rank them in order and substantiate your point of view

_____  envelopes and stamps _____  fax _____  SMS _____  chat

_____  mobile phone _____  e-mail _____  telephone answering machine _____  web cam

2. In pairs decide if you are connected. Are you in a regular contact with people? Complete the table below. Share what you wrote with your partner(s)

Who?	How often?	How?	Why?
Best friend
Parents
Boyfriend/girlfriend
Teachers
Anyone else ____

I. Read the text

Much has been said about how anti-social the Internet and mobile phones are. The truth is however, according to new research, communication technology is bringing people closer together. A study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project found family members are keeping in regular contact today more than ever before. And this is all due to e-mail, chat, our cellphones and SMS messaging. It makes sense. Years ago, it took a long time to write a letter, then find an envelope and go to the post office to buy a stamp and post it. Today we write mails while we wait for our change in the store and they’re sent instantly. Free Internet telephone calls also help us to stay in touch more often and for longer. Everyone’s at it, from five-year-olds to grandparents.

According to the Pew survey, technology has a very positive effect on communication within families. Researchers asked 2,252 adults whether new technologies had increased the quality of communication with their family. F ifty-three percent said it increased communication with family members they did not live with, two per cent said technology decreased this. Numbers were similar for those living in the same house as their family. The project director Lee Rainey said: "There's a new kind of connectedness which is being built inside of families with these technologies”. Survey co-author Barry Wellman agreed: "It used to be that husbands went off to work, wives went off to a different job or else stayed home…and the kids went off to school…and not until 5:30, 6 o'clock did they ever connect," he said.

II. Comprehension check

1. Say whether these sentences are true (T) or false (F)

a.	Communication technology is reuniting people separated at birth.	T / F
b.	Family members are in more regular contact today than ever before.	T / F
c.	You often needed a stamp to keep in contact years ago.	T / F
d.	Many of our parents’ parents now keep up with technology.	T / F
e.	Technology has had a very negative effect on family communication.	T / F
f.	2% of a survey said technology worsened family communication.	T / F
g.	Families are building network connections inside their homes.	T / F
h.	A researcher said families only used to communicate in the evenings.	T / F

2. Match the beginning of the sentence with its end

a. Internet and mobile phones f. modern technologies improve communication

b. People use e-mail and cell phones g. a new type of relations inside families

c. It’s still difficult to say whether h. help people to stay in touch

d. Communication technologies build i. to send messages instantly

e. People of different age use the Internet j. and cell phones to communicate

3. Put the correct words from the table below in the above article

(1) ____ has been said about how anti-social the Internet and mobile phones are. The (2) ____ is however, according to new research, communication technology is bringing people closer together. A study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project found family members are keeping in (3) ____ contact today more than ever before. And this is all due to e-mail, chat, our cellphones and SMS messaging. It makes (4) ____. Years ago, it took a long time to write a letter, then find an envelope and go to the post office to buy a stamp and post it. Today we write mails while we wait for our (5) ____ in the store and they’re sent instantly. Free Internet telephone calls also help us to stay in touch more often and for longer. Everyone’s at (6) ____, from five-year-olds to grandparents.

According to the Pew survey, technology has a very positive (7) ____ on communication within families. Researchers asked 2,252 adults whether new technologies had (8) ____ the quality of communication with their family. Fifty-three percent said it increased communication with family members they did not live with, two per cent said technology decreased this. Numbers were similar for (9) ____ living in the same house as their family. The project director Lee Rainey said: "There's a new kind of connectedness is being (10) ____ inside of families with these technologies”. Survey co-author Barry Wellman agreed: "It used to (11) ____ [that] husbands went off to work, wives went off to a different job or else stayed home…and the kids went off to school…and not (12) ____ 5:30, 6 o'clock did they ever connect," he said.

1.	(a)	Most	(b)	Many	(c)	Lot	(d)	Much
2.	(a)	true	(b)	truth	(c)	truly	(d)	truthful
3.	(a)	regular	(b)	regularly	(c)	regulation	(d)	regulations
4.	(a)	sensation	(b)	senses	(c)	sense	(d)	senseless
5.	(a)	changed	(b)	changing	(c)	change	(d)	changes
6.	(a)	them	(b)	it	(c)	that	(d)	these
7.	(a)	effect	(b)	affect	(c)	affection	(d)	ill effect
8.	(a)	increases	(b)	increasing	(c)	increase	(d)	increased
9.	(a)	them	(b)	those	(c)	ones	(d)	these
10.	(a)	building	(b)	builder	(c)	build	(d)	built
11.	(a)	been	(b)	being	(c)	be	(d)	was
12.	(a)	until	(b)	yet	(c)	since	(d)	as

III. Vocabulary work