Uchebnik_lakhotyuk_mikhaylova

TOMSK POLYTECHNIС UNIVERSITY

LANGUAGES AND CULTURES

Recommended for publishing as a study aid

by the Editorial Board of Tomsk Polytechnic University

Draftsmen

L.A. Lakhotyuk, O.V. Mikhailova

Tomsk Polytechnic University Publishing House

2010

ФЕДЕРАЛЬНОЕ АГЕНТСТВО ПО ОБРАЗОВАНИЮ Государственное образовательное учреждение высшего профессионального

образования

«НАЦИОНАЛЬНЫЙ ИССЛЕДОВАТЕЛЬСКИЙ ТОМСКИЙ ПОЛИТЕХНИЧЕСКИЙ УНИВЕРСИТЕТ»

ЯЗЫКИ И КУЛЬТУРЫ

Рекомендовано в качестве учебного пособия Редакционно-издательским советом Томского политехнического университета

Составители

Л.А. Лахотюк, О.В. Михайлова

Издательство Томского политехнического университета

2010

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УДК 811.111-25(075.8) ББК Ш 143.21-923.4

L24

Языки и культуры: учебное пособие / сост.: Л.А. Лахотюк, L24 О.В. Михайлова; Национальный исследовательский Томский

политехнический университет – Томск: Изд-во Томского политехнического университета, 2010. – 216 c.

Пособие предназначено для студентов2 курса всех уровней, обучающихся в Институте инженерного предпринимательства по углубленной программе «General English». Предлагаемые в пособии аутентичные тексты для чтения и аудирования, тесты и упражнения способствуют формированию языковой, коммуникативной и социо-культурной компетенций.

УДК 811.111-25(075.8) ББК Ш 143.21-923.4

Рецензенты

Кандидат педагогических наук доцент кафедры английской филологии ТГУ

Е.В. Житкова

Кандидат филологических наук, старший преподаватель кафедры гуманитарных, социально-экономичексих и естественно-научных дисциплин Томского филиала Кузбасского института ФСИН

М.А.Сидакова

© Составление. ГОУ ВПО «Национальный исследовательский Томский политехнический университет», 2010

©Лахотюк Л.А., Михайлова О.В., составление, 2010

©Оформление. Издательство Томского политехнического университета, 2010

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Chapter 1. UPGRADE YOUR ENGLISH!

(1) Questionnaire:

1.1 Interview your group-mates.

1.How long have you been learning English?

2.When did you begin?

3.Where did you begin learning English?

4.Have you passed any examinations in English?

5.If so, which ones?

6.Have you ever visited an English-speaking country?

7.If so, which one?

8.Are you going to take any examinations?

9.If so, when?

10.Do you ever use your English?

11.If so, on what occasions?

12.Have you read any books in English?

13.Have you ever seen any films in English?

14.Have you heard any records in English?

15.How would you describe your level of English?

16.Is your written English better than your spoken English, or vice versa?

17.What do you hope to achieve by studying English?

18.How important are these things for you? (Number them 1-4)

19.Do you use a dictionary while reading?

20.If so, is it monolingual or bilingual?

21.How useful do you find it?

22.Do you enjoy learning English?

23.If so, why? If not, why not?

(2) LEARNING A LANGUAGE

2.1 Read the article quickly. Choose the best answer. The article is aimed at:

a)people who speak English, but want to learn another language.

b)people who want to learn or are learning English.

c)people who want to learn English without going to classes.

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If you want to learn a new language, the very first thing to think about is why. Are you just fed up with speaking English when on holiday? 1 ___a)___ Or perhaps you're interested in the literature, films or music of a different country and you know how much it will help to have a knowledge of the language. Whatever your reasons, there is a lot of truth in this old Czech saying:

You live a new life for every new language you speak. If you know only one language, you live only once.

Assuming you know what and why you want to learn, how are you going to do it? 2 _____ And traditional classes are an ideal start for many people. They provide structure, support and an environment where you can practise under the guidance of someone who (usually) has an excellent knowledge of the language. But nowadays there are many more possibilities:

·The Internet - there are hundreds of websites with exercises including audio and even videos. And many are absolutely free. 3 ______

·Think of all the ways you can use your current interests to learn a language. 4 ______ Buy a CD of songs in the language and read the lyrics. Don't expect to understand everything, just enjoy getting used to the language.

·Love reading? Readers - novels written or adapted especially for language learners - are available for all language levels. And research shows that reading is a highly effective way of improving your language ability.

·Take every opportunity you can to use your language - whether chatting with another language learner or ordering a meal in your local, say Italian, restaurant. The staff in my local hairdresser’s shop is Lebanese and many of them are learning English. Every day they have an 'English hour' when they all speak English to each other, rather than

Arabic.5_____

We all lead busy lives and learning a language takes time. You will have more success if you study regularly, so try to establish a routine.6 ______

Becoming fluent in a language will take years, but learning to get by takes a lot less!

Many people start learning a language and soon give up. "I'm too old," they say. Yes, children do learn languages more quickly than adults, but research has shown that you can learn a language at any age.7 ______ I've also heard people worry about the mistakes they make when learning. Well, relax and laugh about your mistakes and you're much less likely to make them again.

Learning a new language, at any age, is never easy.8 ______ And you’ll be amazed by the positive reaction of some people when you say just a few words in their own language. Good luck!

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2.2 Read the article and fill in the gaps 1-8 with sentences a) – i). There is one extra sentence you don’t need.

a)Do you need it for a practical reason, such as your job or your studies?

b)And learning is good for the health of your brain, too.

c)But with some work and dedication, you will make progress.

d)Try searching for a few key words and prepare to be amazed by the results!

e)It doesn’t matter if you haven’t got long.

f)Or, if you can, join an evening class.

g)It’s difficult at times, but they have great fun!

h)Are you a music lover?

i)Well, most people learn best using a variety of methods.

Vocabulary to be remembered

1.whatever your reasons

2.to establish a routine to do something

3.to take every opportunity you can to do something

(3)Speaking from experience

3.1 Listen to 6 students talking about what helps them improve their English. Write the number of each student (1-6) in the correct gap.

-makes an effort to use a dictionary to check the F … meaning of new vocabulary

-tries to enjoy studying English.

3.2 Which of the different points the students make do you think is: o The most sensible?

o The easiest to do?

o What is the key to success, in your opinion?

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3.3 Share your experience.

How much, do you think, depends on a linguistic feeling?

(4) Quiz. Test your aptitude for learning a foreign language.

4.1 Write your answers on a piece of paper, and then add up your score to find out how good a language learner you are.

1. Learn the following Samoan words (Samoa is in the South Pacific):

Did you find this task:

a.easy and fascinating?

b.very difficult?

c.not easy: the words look the same?

d.so boring you did not even try?

2. Exhausted after swimming the river Fred decided to get some sleep, but the boolles made it impossible, and even the smoke from his camp fire didn’t

3.Someone asks you the way in very bad English. When he/she doesn’t understand your reply, do you

a) say it again but louder? b) get irritated and give up? c) draw him/her a map?

d) find out if he/she speaks another language you know?

4.Here is a new language:

ek kum chuchu – the train is coming ek namas chuchu – the train is very big

nek kum niva chuchu – the train isn’t coming ek chuchu – it’s a train

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How would you say “it’s not a train’?

a)nek chuchu niva

b)ek niva chuchu

c)nek niva chuchu

d)don’t know

5.How many foreign languages can you greet someone in?

6.Your boss tells you that you have been chosen to go on a six-month course to learn a completely new language. Do you

a) look for another job?

b) say they’ve chosen the wrong person? c) worry a bit but reckon you’ll cope

d) long to get started?

7.You go to an evening class to learn a language. The class lasts 2 hours a week. List the sorts of practice you might do on your own at home.

8.How good are you at expressing yourself in your own language, both in speaking and in writing?

a) I always put into words exactly what I want to say b) I don’t know

c) It depends on the situation

d) People sometimes say I am not clear.

9.When did you last read a book for pleasure in any language?

a)yesterday

b)I can’t remember

c)last week

d)last month

10. Have you got

a)a bilingual dictionary (English into your language )?

b)a monolingual dictionary (EnglishEnglish )?

c)both a bilingual and a monolingual dictionary?

d)no dictionary at all

11. Read through this list of words, then write down as many of them as you can without looking.

pin church identify luxury accelerate carefully miscalculate occasional anxious knot daffodil impertinent

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