II. English Usage.

Exercise 3. Read the text about learning foreign languages. Fill in each gap only one word from the list on the right.

Why We Study Foreign Languages

Many people in our country study foreign languages. School pupils are required to learn one or two......(1) languages. These are most commonly English. German, French or Spanish. They study foreign languages to read and understand books in the original and to be able to......(2). Speaking is considered by many as the main objective of language.....(3). The knowledge of spoken language will help you to express your......(4) and feelings, to give and......(5) information, to say what you want to say. to listen and understand recorded tapes.

Studying foreign languages ........(6) the native language, makes it clearer, more flexible and expressive. Study of foreign languages is not only the......(7) of intellectual vitality. Nowadays it becomes an absolute...... (8) for any good specialist - an engineer, an artist, a doctor or an architect. He must read much of a special.........(9) literature in foreign languages to be well........(10) in his field of knowledge.

enriches foreign informed international learning necessary necessity opinions receive

scientific sign speak writing

Exercise 4. Express your ideas and opinions in the essay «How English Can Help You Today and in the Future». (200-250 words)

KEY: Ex.1: 1)d 2)b 3)e 4)f 5)g 6)j 7)a 8)c 9)h 10)i

Ex.2: 11)holiday 12) tap 13) railway 14) lift 15)postman 16) cinema

17)metro/underground 18) autumn 19)toilet 20)wardrobe

Ex 3: 1)foreign 2)speak 3)learning 4)opinions 5)receive 6)enriches 7)sign

8)necessity 9)scientific 10)informed

Test 12. (intermediate level)

Section I. Reading. Read the text and do the exercises.

Conversation Books (After Jerome K. Jerome)

Three English gentlemen were going to spend a few weeks in Germany. As they did not know a word of German, they decided to buy an English-German conversation book and first try it at some London shops. They wished to see if it could really help them in Germany.

George said: «My idea is to go to London early on Wednesday morning, and spend an hour or two going about and shopping with the help of this book. I would like to buy a pair of bedroom slippers. I want to try this sort of talk and see how the foreigner feels when you talk to him in this way». I found it an interesting idea. In my enthusiasm I offered to accompany him. We went to our friend Harris, showed him the book , and offered him to go with us. He examined the book and said: «But if George says to any bookmaker the things that are put down here, he will not need our moral help; he will need to be sent to the hospital».

Then George got angry. «But I am not a foolish boy. I shall select from the more polite and less

irritating speeches».

At last, Harris agreed to go with us. and our start was fixed for early Wednesday morning.

We went to a small boot shop. It was one of those shops that display their goods everywhere. The shop was a storage of boots. The man, when we entered , was opening a new case full of boots. George raised his hat, and said : «Good morning». The man did not even turn round. I did not like him from the first. He said something which was perhaps: «Good morning», and went on with his work. George said: «I have been recommended to your shop by my friend. Mr X».

The answer to this in the book was : «Mr X is a worthy gentleman ; it will give me the greatest

pleasure to serve a friend if his». What the man said was : «Don't know him; never heard of him». This was not the answer we expected. The book gave three or four methods of buying boots; George had selected the most polite of them centered round «Mr X». You talked with the shopkeeper about this «Mr X», and then, when friendship and understanding had been established . you began to speak about your desire to buy boots, «cheap and good». But with this unpleasant man it was necessary' to come to business with brutal directness. George left «Mr X» , and turning back to a previous page, took another sentence. It was not a good selection. George said : «One has told me that you have here boots for sale».

For the first time the man looked at us. He spoke slowly, in a thick voice. He said : « What do you think I keep boots for - to smell them?» He was one of those men that begin quickly and got more angry as they go on. «What do you think I am», he continued, «a boot collector? What do you think I'm keeping this shop for- my health? Do you think I love the boots, and can't part with a pair? Do you think I hang them about here to look at them? Where do you think you are - in an international exhibition of boots? What do you think I am - a prize idiot?»

I have always said that these conversation books are practically useless. We could not find the right answer in the book from beginning to end. I must say that George chose the best sentence that was there, and used it. He said : «I shall come again when, perhaps, you have more boots to show me. Till then, good bye». With that we went out.

Exercise 1. Comprehension. Choose the best answer.

1) Three gentlemen were going to spend a few weeks in.......

A) France B)Germany C) Russia

2) They decided to buy......because they didn't know the foreign language.

A) a computer B) an English-German dictionary C) an English-German

conversation book

3) The three friends wanted to try their experiment in....

A) a shop B) a restaurant C) a theatre

4) So George entered the......, and said to the man : «.....»

A) the restaurant, ...... «How about a nice cup of coffee before gala dinner?»

B) the shop.........«Good morning»

C) the theatre....... « Where's the cloak­room?»

5) But the man.....

A) suddenly pushed him

B) didn't even turn round and look at him

C) could not help laughing looking at George

6) George wanted to continue the conversation saying,.....

A) that Mr X had recommended him to come here

B) that his wife had recommended him to come here

C) that one young lady had recommended him to come here

7) The man answered that he did not know........

A) that young lady B) George's wife C) MrX

8)The friends......

A) were very glad hearing that

B) didn't expect that answer

C) expected to hear that

9) George wanted to go on talking , but the man got angry because......

A) George asked him a foolish question about selling boots

B) George asked him a foolish question about selling theatre tickets

C) George asked him a foolish question about cooking tasteless dishes

10) At last the friends decided .

A) to buy a pair of nice boots

B) to buy three theatre tickets

C) to go out saying «Good bye»

Exercise 2. Vocabulary. Explain the meaning of each phrase in other words: in every sentence one word or phrase is underlined. From the three choices given (a,b,c), you should choose the one, which can he substituted for the underlined word or phrase without changing the meaning of the sentence.

11)I shall select from the more polite and less irritating speeches.

A) pleasant for other people

B) making people angry or impatient

C) expressing sorrow

12) It was one of those shops that display their goods everywhere

A) buy B) show C) design

13) The shop was a storage of boots.

A) a place to keep things B) a place to pay for things C) a place to exhibit things

14) The answer to this in the book was : «Mr X is a worthy gentleman

A) he is able to fit into any situation

B) he is good at and enjoys managing people

C) he is respected by other people

15) Do you think I love the boots, and can't part with a pair?

A) can't collect boots B) can't buy a lot of boots C) can't give away all my boots

Exercise 3. Grammar and Writing. Reported Speech. When three men came back home, they began discussing their experiment. Rewrite the sentences in indirect speech.

16) George said: «My idea is to go to London early on Wednesday morning»

17) George said: «I have been recommended to your shop by my friend, Mr X».

18) What the man said was : «Don't know him; never heard of him».

19) «What do you think I am», the man continued, «a boot collector'?

20) He said : «I shall come again when you have more boots to show me.