1. Translate from English into Russian the following words and phrases and find in the text or make up'your own sentences' with the phrases

learning disabilities, specific learning disabilities, the imperfect ability to learn; a universal problem, learning problems; difficulty, severe difficulty, severe difficulty in learning; a language, oral language, spoken language, written language, to use language, to understand language, to learn oral language, to learn reading, writing and doing mathematics; intelligence, normal intelligence; process, psychological process, basic psychological processes, to have a disorder in basic psychological processes; handicaps, perceptual handicaps, visual handicaps, hearing handicaps, motor handicaps; disadvantage, environmental disadvantage, cultural disadvantage, economic disadvantage; brain injury, brain dysfunction, dyslexia, developmental aphasia, mental retardation, emotional disturbance.

П. Find in the text English equivalents to the following Russian phrases

трудности в обучении, тяжелая степень нарушений, интеллект в норме, специфические расстройства в обучении, расстройство, рас­стройство восприятия, проявляться, недостаточная способность, моз­говая травма, мозговая дисфункция, нарушение зрения, нарушения слуха, нарушения моторики, умственная отсталость, эмоциональные нарушения, неблагоприятное воздействие окружающей среды, нега­тивные экономические и социальные факторы

Ш. Put in the missing prepositions.

1.... learning disabilities is a universal problem that occurs ... all cultures and countries in the world. 2. Some children have severe difficulty ... in learning oral language, reading, writing or doing mathematics. 3. The term «children with specific disabilities» means those children who have a disorder... one or more of the basic psychological processes. 4. The disorder may manifest itself... imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell or to do mathematical calculations. 5. The term «children ... specific learning disabilities does not include children who have learning problems which are primarily the result... visual, hearing or motor handicaps. 6. There is a growing concern for children with learning disabilities.

4. Find in the text and give “look up and say” answers to each of the following questions

50. Is learning disabilities a universal problem? 2. In all cultures there are children who have severe difficulties in learning despite the fact that they seem to have normal intelligence, aren’t there? 3. What does the term «children with specific learning disabilities» mean? 4. Does this term include children who have learning problems which are primarily the result of visual,

hearing or motor handicaps, of mental retardation, ofemotionaJ disturbance, or of environmental, cultural or emotional disadvantage? 5. What may a disorder in one or more psychological processes manifest itself in?

V, Read and translate

THE STORY OF THE BOY WHO «COULD DO BETTER»

Episode 9

It is like a miracle as our son discards his old behaviour patterns. Now he begins to understand what he has to offer and what he can receive in return. He gets high grades and has a place of honour on the weekly “gold board”. More praise rains down on him for effort and achievement, producing a zest for yet more learning. His peers voted him House Captain in his second term. Thus emerges a person who is growing in affirmation and trust, and in knowledge and stature.

TEXT 10 LEARNING DISABILITIES PART II

The enigma of the youngster who encounters extreme difficulty in learning, however, is not new. In fact, some of the world’s most distinguished people had unususal difficulty in certain aspects of learning.

Nelson Rockefeller, who served as vice president of the United States and govemer of the state of New York, suffered from severe dyslexia, which is extreme difficulty in learning to read. His poor reading ability kept him from achieving good grades in school, and the affliction forced him to memorize his speeches during his political career.

Albert Einstein, the mathematical genius, did not speak until age three. Until he was seven, he formulated each sentence silently with his lips before speaking it aloud. School work did not go well for young Albert. He had little facility with arithmetic, no special ability in any Qther academic subject, and great difficulty with foreign languages. One teacher predicted that «nothing good» would come of him. Einstein’s language disabilities persisted throughout his adult life. When he read, he heard words. Writing was difficult for him, and he communicated badly through writing. In describing his thinking process, he explained that he rarely thought in words; it was only after a thought came that he tried to express it in words at a later time.

These persons of eminence fortunately were somehow able to find appropriate ways of learning, and they successfully overcame their initial failures. Many youngsters with leading disabilities are not so fortunate. They need help.