Владимир Аракин - Практический курс английского языка 1 курс

There are 18 faculties at our University which train teachers in many subjects:

Russian, Literature, Mathematics, Physics, Geography, Chemistry, Biology,

Foreign languages and others. Many well-known professorsteach at our

University.

We have good libraries and reading-rooms and for those who go in for sports

there are good gymnasiums and a stadium.

At present we have quite a lot of work as we have English practice, Grammar

and Phonetics, Linguistics, History of our native land and other subjects. There is

an English speaking club at our faculty. It gives us a good opportunity to master

the language,but I don't take part in it yet. I'm working hardat my

pronunciation. There is a good language laboratory at our faculty where we work

with cassette-recorders. It helps us to find out our mistakes and to get rid ofthem

in the shortest possible time.

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So that's the latest news about myself. Please write to me about your life and

studies.

My best regardsto your parents.

Yours, Ann.

TEXT 2 A TELEPHONE CALL

Alex is about to ring up a friend of his. He picks upthe receiver,and dialsthe

number. The first time the line is engagedbut then he gets through.

A: Bob?

B: Speaking.

A: This is Alex. Hello, old chap. Haven't heard from you for ages. How are

you ?

B: Oh, hello, Alex. I'm fine, thanks.

A: Wonderful, I hear you passed all your entrance examswith excellent marks.

So you are a student now, aren't you? B: Well yes, and you?

A: I wasn't so luckyat the exams, in fact. I only got good marksin the main

subjects: physics and maths.

В: I wonder if you find it difficult to study mathematics?

A: Rather. I spenda lot of time doing my home assignment. But I'm not at all

sorry. You 'vegot to work hard to make good progress.

В: Do you have time to go in for sports ?

A: Yes, of course, I joined the University sports society, as I'm fond of skating,

skiing and tennis.

B: As for me, I'm a member of our English speaking club. I've joined our

drama society and the choir. They say I'm rather good atboth singing and

acting.

A: Good, isn't it? Hope to see you some day. Will you invite me to your club?

B: Sure.

A: By the way, I've got a new telephone number. It is now 235...

B: Just a second. I must have a pen to put it down. Yes? A: So I repeat 235-60-

57. I'll be expecting your call. Bye-bye. B: So long, then.

VOCABULARY NOTES

angry adj сердитый, раздраженный, разгневанный; angern; to be angry

with smb.сердиться на кого-л., е. д. Shewas angry with me because I was late.

silence n тишина, молчание; silent adj тихий, молчаливый; Keep silent!

Соблюдайте тишину! е. д. Keep silent, I can't hear anything!

to leave school(no article!) оканчивать школу; Cf. to go to school, to go by

bus, to go to bed

entrance n вход; entrance examsвступительные экзамены; Ant. exit; enter

vt; Syn. come vi; Ant. leave vt, e. g. He entered Room 5. Come in!

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mind n разум, ум, память; vt помнить; иметь в виду; следить за собой, за

своими словами; возражать, иметь что-л. против;

to make up one's mind = to decide; Never mind! Ничего, неважно. To my

mind. По-моему.

exam(ination) лэкзамен; examine vt проверять, экзаменовать; examiner л

экзаменатор; to take an exam держать, сдавать экзамен; to pass one's exam

выдержать, сдать экзамен, е. д. Не took an exam in Geography but he didn't pass

it.

mark л оценка, отметка; to give a mark поставить оценку; a mark for an

answer оценка за ответ; a mark in a subject оценка no предмету, e. g. He got a

satisfactory mark in Physics. The teacher gave me a five for my answer yesterday.

train vt тренировать; to train teachers готовить учителей

one can't help (doing smth.) нельзя не нельзя удержаться от чтобы не е.

д. I couldn't help smiling, the child was so funny.

admire vt восхищаться, любоваться; admiration л, е. д. We all admire your

singing. The people looked at the actress in admiration.

It goes without saying. Само собой разумеется, е. д. It goes without saying

we help those who need our help.

proud adj гордый; pride л;to be proud of smth. гордиться чём-л., e. g. We are

all proud of our country.

subjects (учебные) предметы: Literature литература, Mathematics (Maths)

математика, Physics физика, Geography география, Chemistry химия. Biology

биология, a Foreign language иностранный язык, Linguistics языкознание

professor л профессор, преподаватель; scientist л ученый (чаще в области

точных наук); science л наука; scientific a d j научный; research worker научный

работник

to go in for увлекаться, заниматься, e. g. The students of our group go in for

sports.

opportunity л возможность, e. g. This is a good opportunity to help them.

to master the language овладеть языком

hard a d j / a d v тяжелый, трудный/тяжело; усиленно; Cf. hard work, to work

hard at smth.; hard-working трудолюбивый, старательный

to get rid of отделаться, избавиться, e. g. I can't get rid of my mistakes.

best regards to ... большой привет; Syn. Remember me to ...

receiver л телефонная трубка

to pick up the receiver поднять трубку

to hang up положить трубку

dial vt набирать (номер); dial л диск

the line is engaged (free) линия занята (свободна); to engage занимать. Hold

the line, please. He вешайте трубку.

to get through дозвониться; Are you through? Вы разговариваете? Вы

слышите?

lucky adj удачный, счастливый, е. д. I know him, he is always lucky. Ему

везет.

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spend (spent, spent) vt тратить, расходовать, е. д. Не spends much money on

books. I spend much time on my English.

to make (good) progress делать успехи, е. д. We hope to make good progress

in English.

They say ... Говорят .... e. g. They say it is going to be cold.

to be good at smth. (or at doing smth.) удаваться, получаться, быть

способным к е. д. She is very good at singing.

TOPICAL VOCABULARY

Telephone Talk: a telephone-booth; a call-box; insert a coin in the slot;

buzz, buzzing sound; long-distance call; to be disconnected (to be cut off); to get

the wrong number; St. Petersburg is on the wire.

Letter Writing:

Opening greetings

(on the left-hand side of the page)

Dear Sir (Dear Madam), Dear Mr. Brown,

My dear sister, Dearest Mother

Corresponding polite endings

(on the right-hand side of the page)

Yours truly; Yours faithfully Yours very truly; Respectfully yours

Affectionately yours Your loving daughter

PHONETIC NOTES

To make speech more expressive we do not always stress all the notional

words in a sentence. Sometimes we make one or two words more prominent than

the others. The word which is most important in the sentences is often marked by

logical stress while the words following it remain unstressed or half-stressed as

they do not introduce anything new, but refer to something already known.

e. g. There is an \ English 'speaking xclub at our faculty. \ We, 'students, are

xproud of this fact.

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Compare:

I beVgan to pre'pare for my tentrance e'xams to the .University.

And later:

I should V like to 'show you the 'main xbuilding of our

University.

EXERCISES

I. Transcribe the following words and explain the reading rules:

angry, exams, mind, mark, Russian, admire, hard, proud,sports, find, tape,