1. Look up the pronunciation of the following words:

Navajo, Apache, burial, enhanced, unique, personnel, flood, euphemism, ethnocentric, pejorative, scenic, colonel

2. Give English equivalents:

требовать внимания к ч.-л., выявлять ошибки, жертвовать ч.-л., прове­рить значение слова, унаследовать, иметь одинаковое звучание, грубая ошибка, мешать пониманию, улучшенный вариант, вызвать подозрение, обидеть, осознавать.

Reproduce them in situations from the text.

3. Give Russian equivalents:

to brand smb., to make for smth, ponderous, to obscure an idea, to modify a word, to cause confusion, descendants, ancestors, to presume, to assume, redundant words, excessive words, to imply.

Use them in situations of your own.

4. Translate in writing:

1) Beyond avoidance of stereotypes, there is an ongoing controversy about what constitutes "politically correct" language.

2) Like redundancies, excessive words impede understanding and readability.

3) The section Too Many Numbers

5. Give synonyms:

inconsiderate, irrelevance, frequently, massive, significant, powerful,

innovative.

6. Give antonyms:

careless, acceptable, appropriate, similar, to impede, integrated, awareness, supporter

7. Answer the questions:

1) What does professional writing require?

2) What may happen due to spelling errors?

3) What does "gobbledygook" consist of?

4) How can the usage of jargon baffle the readers?

5) Should the subject and the words that modify it become separated in a sentence?

6) What are the most common mistakes in the meaning of words?

7) Why is it important to proofread a copy even after it has been corrected by a spell-checker program?

8) What is another gross error in writing?

9) Can excessive words impede understanding?

10) Why should a writer be very carefull with figures?

11) What words are often overused?

12) How can gender bias be avoided?

13) What words are preferable to describe both men and women in the workplace?

14) What is called "politically correct" language?

8. Paraphrase the italicized words:

1) Gobbledygook and jargon are often seen in news releases about high-tech products, giving the uninitiated reader a baffling message.

2) Here are two examples of "overstuffed sentences" and their remedied versions.

3) Use numbers sparingly in your writing.

4) Some terms (...) don't exactly trip off the tongue.

5) ... much of our language is geared to the use of the word "man".

6) Writers are using terms like "Asian-American" instead of the now pejorative "Oriental".

9. Explain the difference between

chalk and chock

sole and soul

comma and coma

10. Make up sentences using the homonyms from the list given in the section Sound-alike Words.

Translate them into Russian.

11. Look up the definitions of the word "sophisticated".

Give sentences to illustrate them.

12. Find in the text the words which may be used when speaking about

1) the positive charge of the message;

e.g. accuracy and clarity of communication, etc.

2) the negative points of it

e.g. to obscure ideas, a baffling message, etc.

13. Find in a Russian newspaper or magazine article the examples of

1) jargon and gobbledygook

2) poor sentence structure

3) wrong words

4) redundancies

5) too many numbers

6) politically incorrect words

14. Find in the text the sentences

where Participle I and Participle II are used.

Translate them and explain the usage of the Participles.

15. Insert prepositions:

1) Errors.....your writing will brand you.....careless, unprofessional, and

inconsiderate.....your audience.

2) Professional writing requires attention.....detail and repeated review.....your

draft to catch all potential errors.

3) "Gobbledygook" consists.....ponderous words and phrases that obscure simple

ideas.

4) (...) military campaign resulted.....the internment.....9.000 Navajo and Apache

Indians.

5) However,.....a little thought, you can come..........appropriate titles.

6) writers should be sensitive.....words that may offend individuals or groups.

7) Still others object.....the word "disabled".

8) American companies now refer....."international" sales.