Добавил:
Опубликованный материал нарушает ваши авторские права? Сообщите нам.
Вуз: Предмет: Файл:

Basic English for Engineering Students. Учебное пособие

.pdf
Скачиваний:
0
Добавлен:
11.08.2026
Размер:
567 Кб
Скачать

f)a worried or nervous feeling about something, or something that makes you feel worried

g)(the situation of being faced with) something that needs great mental or

physical effort in order to be done uccessfully and therefore tests a person’s ability

h)in or to a foreign country or countries

i)young people, both male and female, considered as a group

j)the job or series of jobs that you do during your working life, especially if you continue to get better jobs and earn more money

8. Express your opinion.

1.Do you think you could work at a 3D job?

2.What would convince you to agree to work such a job?

9. Guess what was not mentioned as criteria for jobs ranking.

1.Median salary.

2.Work-life balance.

3.Credit history.

4.Stress level.

5.Previous work experience.

6.Future job prospects.

7.Unemployment rate.

10. A survey lists 5 best and 5 worst jobs in America. Guess the distribution, fill in the table.

truck driver

janitor

lawyer

laborer

nurse

teacher

software developer

cleaner

waiter

administrative assistant

 

 

 

 

 

The best jobs

 

 

 

The worst jobs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://www.thestreet.com/personal-finance/these-are-the-five-worst-jobs-in-america

61

11. Fill in the gaps with proper words (text 3).

Text 3. 3 LABOR MARKET TRENDS TO WATCH FOR IN 2024, ACCORDING TO INDEED’S CHIEF ECONOMIST

Nouns

Verbs

Adjectives and

Adverbs

Prepositions

 

 

participles

 

 

retiree

augment

foreign-born

likely

down

investment

shrink

cautious

only

above

healthcare

cool

guaranteed

roughly

across

economist

counteract

possible

largely

before

job

result

annual

well

over

After the past couple years of soaring competition for workers, rising wages, and sinking unemployment, the U.S. labor market was set up for a cool

(1) _______ in 2023. But cooling down is not the same thing as turning cold: The market (2) _______ cooled from a position of strength, correcting without cratering – and avoiding a dreaded recession.

There are several reasons for (3) ______ optimism that the same trends that helped cushion the job market in 2023 will hold in 2024. As an (4) _______, here are three labor market trends I believe workers should look out for in the year ahead, including which industries will have the most – and the fewest – job openings.

Lower postings, limited layoffs, less quitting. Employers nationwide clearly have jobs to fill. Total U.S. job postings at the end of November were (5)

_______ 25 % higher than they were before the pandemic. However, job postings declined notably throughout the year, ending November down more than 16% from the same period the year before. Part of the decline is very likely because employers have been able to fill many positions. As of October, total U.S. employment was 3 % (6) _______ its February 2020, pre-pandemic peak.

The downward trend in postings was observed (7) _______ most sectors, though some industries fared better than others. As of December 1, sectors with the highest growth in postings over the year (or, at least, the smallest declines) included driving – a segment that experienced a surge in demand as logistics chains normalized in the wake of the pandemic – and a handful of healthcarerelated jobs. Healthcare roles are (8) _______ to stay in high demand as care providers staff up to meet the needs of an aging population and an increase in

(9) _______ in coming years.

Sectors with the biggest declines in postings include software, IT, finance, marketing, and media, all of which experienced an uptick in layoff reports and decreased (10) _______ as the broader economy adjusted to higher benchmark interest rates and bouts of volatility.

Many employers are also reluctant to let go of their current employees, and those employees are more reluctant to leave their current (11) _______. The

62

nationwide layoff rate was just 1 % in October, only barely above record lows of 0,9 %. And after a historic surge during 2021 and 2022, the U.S. quits rate is back to where it was (12) _______ the pandemic. Less quitting means employers may need to fill open roles from the ranks of the unemployed rather than the already employed. In 2024, this could be good news for employers that may no longer need to offer big pay raises to lure candidates away from competitors, helping to further (13)_______ wage growth – a key ingredient in taming inflation. (14) _______ U.S. wage growth, as measured by the Indeed Wage Tracker, was 4 % at the end of November, historically strong but (15) _______ below early 2022 peaks.

Doing more with less. Drawing new workers into the workforce from the ranks of the unemployed and underemployed will also help (16) _______ an aging workforce. The share of the working-age U.S. population aged 65 and up is expected to grow from 17,5 % in 2023 to 20,9 % in 2035, according to official projections. An aging population means the pool of available workers will (17) _______ in the future, even as demand for workers remains high – especially in sectors like (18) _______ that will tend to the needs of an older population.

The prime-age labor force participation rate has risen to high levels (19) _______ the past several years, driven up in large part by drawing previously sidelined workers – including women and workers with disabilities – back to the labor market. Immigration has also helped. (20) _______ workers currently represent almost 20 % of the total U.S. workforce. But there are only so many workers that can be pulled from the sidelines or enticed to move far from home to fill necessary jobs. Going forward, the labor market will need to do more with less, boosting productivity even as the labor force shrinks.

Cautious optimism around issues like ai and inflation. Emerging artificial intelligence technologies may help enable exactly that. Early indications suggest that generative artificial intelligence tools, in particular – tools like ChatGPT that create human-like text, audio, and images – are more likely to (21) _______

most jobs rather than fully replace them. They have the potential to take on repetitive and mundane tasks and free humans to focus on more productive work. The technology also promises to create entirely new jobs.

In 2023, the U.S. labor market showed us that a sustained period of high demand from employers doesn’t have to (22) _______ in sustained high inflation, that wage growth can slow without a spike in unemployment, and that workers who left the labor market can be drawn back. But conditions are weakening, and it’s (23) _______ we are entering a period in which the easiest hurdles on the road to a fabled soft landing have already been cleared, leaving (24) _______ the highest and most difficult for the last mile of the race. There’s a decent case for optimism for 2024, but nothing is (25) _______.

https://www.fastcompany.com/90998750/3-labor-market-trends-to-watch-for-in-2024- according-to-indeeds-chief-economist

63

12. Define whether statements below are true or false.

1.The pandemic had no impact on the labour market.__

2.The author of the article expects medical personnel to stay in demand because of birth rate growth in recent years. __

3.The number of people older than 65 is going to exceed one fifth of all workforce in the U.S. in 2036. __

4.Generative artificial intelligence tools may fully replace human workforce leaving only repetitive and mundane tasks for people. __

5.Finally, the author shows a slight hint of hope for better prospective on the labour market though it is not predestined. __

13. Answer the questions.

1.Why are many employers reluctant to part with their current employees and why the latter are reluctant to leave their work?

2.Which groups of people joined the workforce over the recent decades?

3.What does “Doing more with less” principle means?

4.What are the consequences of the aging of workforce?

5.Which sectors of labour market had the lowest level of declines by the end of 2023?

 

14. Find in texts 1–3 words for these definitions.

 

 

 

1

 

not having enough work to do, working only part time, or

 

 

working in a job that does not use all your skills

2

 

to stop doing something or leave a job or a place

3

 

the sudden fall or failure of a price, market, business, etc.

4

 

a small number of people or things; an amount of something that

 

 

can be held in one hand

5

 

an occasion when a company stops employing someone,

 

 

sometimes temporarily, because the company does not have

 

 

enough money or enough work

6

 

the quality of being full of hope and emphasizing the good parts

 

 

of a situation, or a belief that something good will happen

7

 

a short period of illness or involvement in an activity

8

 

the process of planning and organizing to make sure that

 

 

resources are in the places where they are needed, so that an

 

 

activity or process happens effectively

9

 

a person, product, company, etc. that is trying to compete with

 

 

others, for example, by trying to make bigger sales in a particular

 

 

market

10

 

the money earned by an employee, especially when paid for the

 

 

hours worked

11

 

an increase in the number or amount of something; an

 

 

improvement in a situation

12

 

made by people, often as a copy of something natural

64

13

 

the rate at which a company or country makes goods, usually

 

 

judged in connection with the number of people and the amount

 

 

of materials necessary to produce the goods

14

 

used to refer to something or someone who has been made very

 

 

famous, especially by having many stories written about it, him,

 

 

or her

15

 

the internet, newspapers, magazines, television, etc., considered

 

 

as a group

16

 

to control something dangerous or powerful; to make a wild

 

 

animal domesticated

17

 

to stop someone taking an active and important part in something

18

 

existing or happening in all parts of a particular country

19

 

a need for something to be sold or supplied; a strong request

20

 

to speak, act, or be present officially for another person or people

Unit 8

CULTURE

Vocabulary. Read and remember the following words.

1

to possess

обладать, владеть

2

manifestation

проявление, выражение

3

to refine

усовершенствовать, уточнять

4

cultivation

культивирование, выращивание

5

cursory

беглый, поверхностный

6

insularity

замкнутость, закрытость

7

medium

среда, средство

8

rural

сельский

9

prominence

выдающееся положение, известность

10

affluent

богатый, изобильный

11

conspiracy

заговор

12

embellishment

украшение

13

urbanite

горожанин

14

heritage

наследие, наследство

15

inn

гостиница, трактир

16

to gossip

болтать, сплетничать, распространять слухи

17

landlord

землевладелец, арендодатель, собственник

18

indistinguishable

неразличимый, неотличимый

19

to showcase

показывать, демонстрировать

20

quoits

игра, заключающаяся в метании колец колышек

 

 

или палку

21

to unwind

развеяться, расслабиться

22

pint

пинта, 0,568 литра (британская)

23

legacy

наследие, наследство

24

layout

макет, планировка, оформление

 

 

65

25

homogeneous

однородный

26

familiarity

знакомство

27

to sport

демонстрировать, выставлять на показ

28

to abound

изобиловать

29

overseas

за рубежом, за морем

30

ploughman

пахарь

1. What would you define culture? Try to compose your definition. Then compare with the definitions below.

Culture, behaviour peculiar to Homo sapiens, together with material objects used as an integral part of this behaviour. Thus, culture includes language, ideas, beliefs, customs, codes, institutions, tools, techniques, works of art, rituals, and ceremonies, among other elements. The existence and use of culture depends upon an ability possessed by humans alone. (Britannica)

1)the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively: 20th century popular culture. A refined understanding or appreciation of culture: men of culture.

2)the ideas, customs, and social behaviour of a particular people or society: African-Caribbean culture [count noun] people from many different cultures. [with modifier] the attitudes and behaviour characteristic of a particular social group: the emerging drug culture.

3)(Biology) the cultivation of bacteria, tissue cells, etc. in an artificial medium containing nutrients: the cells proliferate readily in culture. [count noun] a preparation of cells obtained by culture: the bacterium was isolated in two blood cultures.

4)the cultivation of plants: this variety of lettuce is popular for its ease of culture. (Oxford Dictionary)

2.What do you know about British culture? Make up a list of at least 5 items.

3.Read the text 1.

Text 1. CULTURAL LIFE

England’s contribution to both British and world culture is too vast for anything but a cursory survey here. Historically, England was a very homogeneous country and developed coherent traditions, but, especially as the British Empire expanded and the country absorbed peoples from throughout the globe, English culture has been accented with diverse contributions from AfroCaribbeans, Asians, Muslims, and other immigrant groups. Other parts of the United Kingdom have experienced the same social and cultural diversification, with the result that England is not always distinguishable from Wales and

66

Scotland or even Northern Ireland. The former insularity of English life has been replaced by a cosmopolitan familiarity with all things exotic: fish and chips have given way to Indian, Chinese, and Italian cuisine, guitar-based rock blends with South Asian rap and Afro-Caribbean salsa, and the English language itself abounds in neologisms drawn from nearly every one of the world’s tongues.

Even as England has become ever more diverse culturally, it continues to exert a strong cultural influence on the rest of the world. English music, film, and literature enjoy wide audiences overseas, and the English language has gained ever-increasing currency as the preferred international medium of cultural and economic exchange.

4. Answer the questions.

1.How did it happen that current English culture became so diverse?

2.What music genres are mentioned in the text?

3.What traditional English dish is mentioned in the text?

4.What makes the English language popular all over the world?

5.Does the text pretend to be a complete guide to English culture?

5.What influenced the culture of your land? Try to exemplify your point.

6.Complete the text using the phrases from the list below. Read the text 2.

Text 2. DAILY LIFE AND SOCIAL CUSTOMS

Historically, English daily life and customs were markedly different in urban and rural areas. Indeed, much of English literature and popular culture has explored the tension between town and country and between farm and factory. Today, even though the English are among the world’s most cosmopolitan and well-traveled people, ties to the rural past remain strong. Urbanites, for example, commonly retire to villages and country cottages, and even the smallest urban dwelling (1) ____________.

Another divide, though one that is fast disappearing, is the rigid class system that long made it difficult for nonaristocratic individuals to rise to positions of prominence in commerce, government, and education. Significant changes have accompanied the decline of the class system, which also (2)

____________ and between the less affluent north of England and the country’s wealthy south. For example, whereas in decades past English radio was renowned for its “proper” language, the country’s airwaves now carry accents from every corner of the country and its former empire, and the wealthy are likely to enjoy the same elements of popular culture as the less advantaged.

Many holidays in England, such as Christmas, are celebrated throughout the world, though the traditional English Christmas is less a commercial event than (3) ____________. Remembrance Day (November 11) honours British

67

soldiers who died in World War I. Other remembrances are unique to England and are nearly inexplicable to outsiders. For example, Guy Fawkes Night (November 5) commemorates a Roman Catholic conspiracy to blow up the Houses of Parliament in 1605, and Saint George’s Day (April 23) honours England’s patron saint – though the holiday (4) ____________, in marked contrast to the celebrations in Wales, Scotland, and Ireland for their respective patron saints. Indeed, the lack of official celebration for Saint George

contributes to the

ambiguity of “Englishness” and whether it can now

be distinguished

from “Britishness.” The monarch’s official birthday

(5) ____________ and commemorated in the summer by a military parade called Trooping the Colour, which has been celebrated since the 18th century.

English cuisine has traditionally been based on beef, lamb, pork, chicken, and fish, all (6) ____________ and generally served with potatoes and one other vegetable – or, in the case of fish (most commonly cod or haddock) deep-fried in batter and served with deep-fried potato slices (chips). Fish and chips, traditionally (7) ____________, has long been one of England’s most popular carryout dishes. By convention, at least for middle-income households, the main family meal of the week was the “Sunday joint,” when a substantial piece of beef, lamb, or pork was roasted in the oven during the morning and served around midday. In the 1950s and ’60s, however, these traditions started to change. Immigrants from India and Hong Kong (8) ____________, and Indian and Chinese restaurants became a familiar sight in every part of England. By the 1980s, American-style fast-food restaurants dotted the landscape, and the rapid post-World War II growth of holiday travel to Europe, particularly to France, Spain, Greece, and Italy, exposed the English to new foods, flavours, and ingredients, many of which found their way into a new generation of recipe books that (9) ____________.

Other traditional English dishes include scones, kippers, bangers and mash, pie and mash, bubble and squeak, Blood pudding, the Scotch egg, Yorkshire pudding, shepherd’s pie, steak and kidney pie, the Chelsea bun, Welsh rarebit, the ploughman’s lunch, Cornish clotted cream, and (10) ____________. Strawberries and cream and the Pimm’s Cup are the signature dish and drink, respectively, at England’s annual Wimbledon tennis tournament.

a)sticky toffee pudding

b)cooked with the minimum of embellishment

c)had reinforced distinctions between town and country

d)is likely to have a garden

e)arrived with their own distinctive cuisine

f)an opportunity for singing and feasting

g)is also observed nationally

h)is barely celebrated at all in England

i)wrapped in old newspapers to keep warm on the journey home

j)filled the shelves of the typical English kitchen

68

7. Define whether the statements are true or false.

1.There is nothing unusual if a city dweller retreats to the countryside. __

2.All parts of Britain commemorate their patron saint with the same fervor. __

3.Radio used to spread the “proper” language. __

4.The southern and northern parts of England were always of the same prosperity level. __

5.Traditional English cuisine is famous for its intricate and sophisticated dishes. __

6.There was no popular carryout food in England before immigrants introduced shawarma. __

7.Guy Fawkes Night is widely celebrated in the Northern hemisphere. __

8.Nowadays English people in no way can be attributed as tending to isolation on their island. __

9.The monarch’s official birthday is commemorated in summer no matter when he or she was really born. __

10.There hardly are any traditional English dishes besides fish and chips, and Yorkshire pudding. __

8. What are these traditional British dishes and drinks? Describe them. Add some dishes of your country’s cuisine.

Scotch egg

Yorkshire pudding

Fish and chips

Blood pudding

Shepherd’s pie

Steak and kidney pie

Chelsea bun

Welsh rarebit

Ploughman’s lunch

Cornish clotted cream

Sticky toffee pudding

Pimm’s Cup

Scones

Kippers

Bangers and mash

Bubble and squeak

Pie and mash

9. Set the words in order to make sentences.

1.the / decline / significant / changes /of / accompanied / the /system / class / have

2.England / are / other / unique / remembrances / to

69

3.fast-food / by / American-style / the / dotted / landscape / restaurants / the / 1980s

4.most / fish / long / has / been / and / chips / of / popular / carryout / England’s / dishes / one / the / long

5.commonly / country / to / and / cottages / retire / urbanites / villages

10. Read the text 3.

Text 3. UNDERSTANDING BRITISH PUB CULTURE IN 4 EASY STEPS

We all know that pubs, bars, and similar places are a big part of our society. This is where we socialize, relax, and have a drink. However, in British culture, pubs have a special spot in heritage and culture. Whether its English literature and poetry or beyond, throughout the history of the country, inns, and taverns always played a prominent role in British culture. So, why is it so special? What is exactly the British pub culture and what it is made of? Where do its origins stand? Let’s find out everything in 4 easy steps!

Step 1: History & Origins in a Glance

Most of us have heard about British pubs, but not many realize how old they are. Pubs are nowhere near a modern creation as they have been around for thousands of years, just in different names and appearances.

First pubs known as tabernae started to pop up along with the construction of the Roman road. Let’s not forget that ale is a native British drink and after Romans left, the Anglo-Saxons started to establish alehouses that quickly became popular places to not only drink but gossip and more.

By the year 1577, England and Wales already had around 14,202 alehouses, 1,631 inns, and 329 taverns recorded which equals one pub for every 187 people.

However, the modern pubs that we know and love today started in the 19th century with a Beerhouse Act of 1830 which allowed pubs to be purposebuilt, have unique architecture, and stand out from regular houses and competition. Gin houses and palaces were becoming increasingly popular as well which leads us into the next step!

Step 2: Different Types of Pubs & Architecture

If we go back in history, most pubs were indistinguishable from domestic architecture as they were simply a home of the landlord. Today we can see different types of pubs, a chain of pubs, and architectural styles – both old and new.

Here are some of the finest architectural examples of British pubs interior and exterior: Princess Louise – A magnificent pub built between the late Victorian and early Edwardian pub-building boom with an 1891 Victorian interior design. Eastbrook Dagenham – One of the finest pubs built between the two world wars where the aim was ‚fewer but better’. It sports a built-in 1937 in

70