to require – requirement

to educate – education

to communicate – communication

to possess – possession

to inform – information

to imagine – imagination

to establish – establishment

to immigrate – immigration

to correspond – correspondence

to transport – transportation

science – scientific

practice – practical

profession – professional

technology – technological

government – governmental

reason – reasonable

Italy – Italian

origin – original

culture – cultural

Exercise III. Transform as in the model:

to study at least one foreign language – I am going to study at least one foreign language.

to read and understand books in English; to use French for a practical purpose; to get a good job in the field of foreign trade; to talk to my Italian friends in their mother tongue.

Text Study

Text A. Why We Study Foreign Languages

Read and translate the text.

Learning foreign languages is a strong requirement of modern life. Every educated person should be able to speak at least one foreign language – English, German, French, Spanish, Italian or any other one. There are many reasons why we begin the study of a foreign language. One of them is to be able to communicate with other people who use this language. If we know the language of a foreign country, we can talk to its people and understand what they are saying to us. It is interesting to read and understand foreign newspapers, magazines and books in the original. We can also see and understand films in foreign languages without any help.

Knowledge of a foreign language is truly something that opens up the whole new world to the one who possesses it. It is like the ship bearing explorers to new continents. And it is not surprising that a lot of intellectuals all over the world want to know as many foreign languages as possible. But the study of foreign languages is not only the sign of intellectual vitality. Nowadays it becomes an absolute necessity for any good specialist, working in any branch of science, to read much of a special scientific literature in foreign languages to be well informed in his field of knowledge.

Making business nowadays also means knowing foreign languages because of the growing international business contacts.

Learning foreign languages is compulsory in all secondary and higher schools in our country. We study English. It’s a very popular language and one of the major languages in the world. English is spoken and studied all over the world by more than 700 million people.

And today it is impossible to imagine that in Shakespeare’s time only a few million people spoke English and it was unknown to the rest of the world. English has become a world language because of its establishment as a mother tongue outside England, in all the continents of the world. This exporting of English began in the 17^th century with the first settlements in North America and continued by massive immigration in the 19^th and 20^th centuries. This growth of population in the United States has given the English language its present standing in the world.

People who speak English fall into one of three groups: those who have learned it as their native language; those who have learned it as a second language in a society that is mainly bilingual; and those who use it for a practical purpose – administrative, professional or educational. One person in seven of the world’s entire population belongs to one of these three groups. Incredibly, but 75% of the world’s mail and 60% of the world’s telephone calls are in English. English has become the language of international communication, international business, business correspondence and literature, diplomatic relations and education, and so on. Nearly 80% of scientific writing is in English and it is the international language of pop culture. Good knowledge of English can help us get a good job in many fields, such as science and technologies, foreign trade and banking, international transportation, government, teaching, etc. With English you don’t lag behind the time and feel quite well in today’s multilingual society.

Exercise I. Match English and Russian equivalents.

Exercise II. Choose the right word or word combination.

1. Every educated person should be able … at least one foreign language.

a) to tell; b) to say; c) to speak.

2. Learning foreign languages is a strong … of modern life.

a) demand; b) requirement; c) necessity.

3. … of English began in the 17^th century with the first settlements in North America.

a) exporting; b) importing; c) expansion.

4. With English you don’t lag behind …

a) the group; b) the friends; c) the time.

Exercise III. Complete the sentences according to the text.

1. If we know the language of a foreign country … .

2. Knowledge of a foreign language is truly … .

3. And it is not surprising that … .

4. Nowadays it becomes an absolute necessity … .

5. English is spoken and … .

6. English has become a world language … .

7. People who speak English … .

8. English has become the language of … .

Exercise IV. Fill in the gaps with the prepositions: of, in, to, into, in, with, over.

1. A lot of intellectuals all … the world want to know as many foreign languages as possible.

2. Nearly 80% of scientific writing is … English.

3. In Shakespeare’s time only a few million people spoke English and it was unknown … the rest of the world.

4. People who speak English fall … three groups.

5. One person … seven of the world’s entire population belongs to one of these three groups.

6. English has become a world language because … its establishment as a mother tongue outside England.

7. … English you don’t lag behind the time.

Exercise V. Answer the questions on the text.

1. What are the reasons of learning foreign languages?

2. Why is it necessary for a scientist to know a foreign language?

3. How many people study and speak English all over the world?

4. What’s the number of people who spoke English in Shakespeare’s time?

5. When did exporting of English begin?

6. What are the three groups of people who speak English?

7. In what spheres is English practically used?

8. Can good knowledge of English help you get a more payable job?

Exercise VI. Think and answer.

1. How well do you know English?

2. Do you read English books or newspapers?

3. Do you speak English after classes?

4. Will good knowledge of English help you get a good job? In what field are you going to work?

Exercise VII. Discuss in pairs or in groups.

With English you don’t lag behind the time and feel quite well in today’s multilingual society.

Text B. The Main Differences of American and British English

Read, translate and summarize the text.

American and British English have some differences in many aspects of the language. Having them in mind you would feel quite confident in understanding Americans. So the main differences of American English in pronunciation are: 1) the pronunciation of r in all positions, e.g. part, first, corner; 2) the pronunciation of words like ask, half, last, dance, France with [æ]; 3) they pronounce words like shop, hot, stop, problem, modern with a back [ʌ] sound;
4) words like tune, news, dew are pronounced without [j]; 5) some words have a different pronunciation, e. g. advertisement [aı], neither [i:], either [i:], tomato [eı].

The principal differences in spelling are: Am. – or (Brit. – our) in words like neighbor, color, honor, labor; Am. – er (Brit. – re) in words like center, theater; -se instead of –ce in words like offense, defense, license; and one –l in words like traveler, canceling; a number of words are spelt differently, e.g. program, tire, catalog (Brit. – programme, tyre, catalogue).

The most striking differences in grammar are the use of will in the future tense in all persons including the 1st (I will be disappointed); do with have in all its functions except as auxiliary (Do you have time now? I don’t have any brothers or sisters); the verbs get and prove have the forms gotten, proven, and so on.

The most important differences in the vocabulary are the following: railway carriages are called cars, shops are called stores. Government is administration, corn means maize, secondary schools are high schools, where the English say all right, Americans say O.K., good-bye is so long, autumn is fall and the underground is called the subway. Shop assistants are called clerks, trams are street-cars, petrol is gas, lorries are called trucks, taxis are cabs, tins are cans, and flats are called apartments. Where the British say I think or I suppose the Americans say I guess or I reckon. A common answer to thank you is You are welcome. A universal word is the verb fix, which can be used for almost anything (to fix the fire, the clock, one’s hair, the tire, etc).

We hope, the information was not only interesting for you, but useful as well.

Exercise 1. Discuss in pairs or in groups.

Is it important for you (for a successful businessman) to know these differences?

UNIT 2

State Systems of Great Britain and the Republic of Belarus

Section І. State System of Great Britain

Vocabulary Study

1. appeal [ə΄pi:l] – апелляция;

Court of Appeal – Апелляционный суд.

2. to appoint [ə´pɔɪnt] – назначать (на пост);

to make appointments – делать назначения.

3. authority [ɔ:´θɔrɪtɪ] – власть, полномочие.

4. to belong [bɪˈlɔŋ] – принадлежать.

5. to elect [ı΄lekt] – избирать.

6. to govern [´gʌvən] – управлять;

government [´gʌv(ә)mənt] – правительство.

7. legislation [ֽledʒɪs´leɪʃən] – законодательство.

8. legislative [´ledʒɪslətɪv] – законодательный.

9. to limit [΄lımıt] – ограничивать.

10. majority [mə´dʒɔrɪtɪ] – большинство.

11. monarch [´mɔnək] – монарх.

12. to nominate [´nɔmɪneɪt] – назначать на должность.

13. to pass [pɑ:s] – принимать (решение, резолюцию);

to pass the law – принимать закон.

14. power [´pauə] – власть, полномочие.

15. vote [vəut] – голос, to vote – голосовать;

majority vote – большинство голосов.

16. a peer [pıə] пэр – высшее дворянское сословие;

a life peer – прижизненный пэр.

17. top church officials [´tɔp ´tʃə:tʃ ə´fıʃəls] – высшее духовенство.

18. hereditary [hı´rədıtərı] – наследственный.

19. juditiary [d_зu:´dɪʃərı] – юридический.

20. general elections – всеобщие выборы.

21. executive power [ɪg´zekjutɪv] – исполнительная власть.

22. to head [hed] – возглавлять.

23. senior [´si:njə] – старший.

24. home policy [ֽhəum ´pɔlɪsɪ] – внутренняя политика.

25. foreign policy [ֽfɔrɪn ´pɔlɪsɪ] – внешняя политика.

26. residence [´rezıdəns] – резиденция.

27. day – to – day – повседневный.

28. to implement [´ımplıment] – внедрять, воплощать.

29. the Lord Chancellor [ֽlɔ:d ´tʃa:nsәlә] – Лорд Канцлер.

Exercise I. Read the following international words and guess their meaning. Mind the stress.

´monarchy, ´industry, ´Prime ´Minister, ´Parliament, ´absolute, ´Cabinet, ´office, ´leader, ֽConsti´tution, ´principle, ´document, o´fficial, ´residence, ´Ministry, ´secretary.

Exercise II. Memorize the following pairs of derivatives: