Структура текста

Английский текст, как правило, строится по концентрическому принципу, т.е. ключевое предложение каждого абзаца находится в его начале (реже в конце абзаца). Ключевое предложение выражает основную идею данного отрезка текста, а остальные предложения служат для конкретизации, уточнения и иллюстрирования основного высказывания. Поэтому для увеличения скорости чтения и лучшего понимания прочитанного необходимо научиться выделять в тексте смысловые опоры, т.е. ключевые слова и предложения, с помощью которых можно понять основное содержание любого текста.

Упражнение 13. Прочтите следующий текст и составьте план-конспект его содержания. Выпишите ключевые слова, которые понадобятся вам для краткого пересказа содержания текста.

Alkali

The word "alkali" comes from an Ara­bic word meaning "ashes". People used to make alkalis from the ashes of wood and seashore plants, but now they are made in chemical factories. They belong to a class of chemicals called bases.

Bases are the chemical "opposites" of acids. Acids will react with bases to form water and compounds with the general name of salts. This reaction is called neutralization. Most bases are insoluble solids; the few bases that do dissolve in water are called alkalis and are very important chemicals. Alkalis turn litmus paper blue.

Alkalis usually feel slippery to the touch and have a bitter taste. The strongest of them, called caustic alkalis, are dangerously corrosive and destroy human skin and clothing. They must be treated with great care. The commonest are sodium hydroxide (caustic soda), potassium hydroxide (caustic potash), ammonium hydroxide (household ammonia).

Caustic soda is one of the most important alkalis. It is a white compound and is sold commercially as a solid (in flakes and in sticks) or as a solution in water. Large quantities are used in manufacturing soap and in making rayon. It is also used in the cotton industry to give strength and luster to the cotton fibers.

The main industrial use of caustic potash is in the manufacture of soft soaps. Household ammonia helps to remove grease and is used in bath, sink, and window cleaners. Sodium hydrogen carbonate (bicarbonate of soda) is a mild alkali that is used in baking powder, in carbonated drinks, to relieve acidic bee stings, and in medicines designed to neutralize excessive acidity of the stomach.

Most medicines used to relieve "acid stomach", heartburns, and indigestion contain varying amounts of alkalis.

Контрольно-обобщающие упражнения

Упражнение 14. Прочтите следующие утверждения и выразите свое согласие или несогласие с ними по образцу.

Both concentrated and dilute acids must be used with great care. 1. Yes, that’s true. They really must be handled with care. 2. The word "alkali" means "sour". No, it doesn’t. It means "ashes".

1. Some alkali are corrosive, too.

2. Sulfuric, hydrochloric and nitric acids are called organic acids.

3. Many organic acids take their names from the fruit or substance in which they are found.

4. Most alkalis are water-soluble.

5. Litmus paper turns blue when treated with an acid.

6. Inorganic acids are widely used in industrial chemistry.

7. Alkalis are used in medicinal substances designed to neutralize stomach acidity.

Упражнение 15. Изложите кратко основное содержание любого из текстов упражнений 12 и 13. Используйте следующий образец.

The text is aboat … .

It contains … parts.

The first part deals with … .

Then, … is / are discussed.

Next, … is / are considered.

The text concludes with … .

Упражнение 16. Заполните эту анкету:

First name ………………………………………………………..

Last name (Family name) ………………………………………..

Patronymic ……………………………………………………….

Sex ………………………………………………………………..

Age ……………………………………………………………….

Date of Birth (DOB) ……………………………………………...

Place of Birth ……………………………………………………..

Marital Status ……………………………………………………..

Permanent Address ……………………………………………….

Place of Employment ……………………………………………..

Occupation ………………………………………………………..

Job ………………………………………………………………...

Education ………………………………………………………….

Hobbies/Interests ………………………………………………….

Tel …………………………………………………………………

Fax …………………………………………………………………

E-mail ………………………………………………………………

Упражнение 17. Вспомните названия букв в английском алфавите. Ответьте на вопросы.

Which letters rhyme with A?

Which letters rhyme with B?

Which letters start with the sound [e]?

These letters are often mixed. Do you know them?

A E G H I J Q R U Y V W

Упражнение 18. Прочтите и назовите по буквам имена владельцев этих визитных карточек. Составьте свою визитку по аналогии с образцами, приведенными ниже.

D. C. HUFFMAN, JR. PhD Executive Vice President AMERICAN COLLEGE OF APOTHECARIES PO Box 341266 Memphis, TN 38184 901-383-8119, Fax: 901-383-8882

KAREN WILLIAMS President NATIONAL PHARMACEUTICAL COUNCIL 1894 Preston White Drive Reston, VA 22091 703-620-6390 Fax: 703-476-0904 Main@npcnow.com