Английский язык для студентов университетов. Чтение, письменная и устная практика (стр. 24 из 42)

15. В обучении ему не нужно прикладывать никаких усилий — он всё хватает на лету.

Exercise 26

An old Chinese saying states that "a picture is worth a thousand words". With a partner discuss each of these pictures. Answer the questions below.

1. What has happened? Why do you think so?

2. What is happening now? Why do you think so?

3. What is going to happen? Why do you think so?

Exercise 27

I. Read and translate the story.

Distractions are a problem Barbara has to deal with when she is supposed to be studying. She spends too much time on the phone. She intends to concentrate on her homework, but finds herself talking to friends or writing lettere instead of reading up for seminars, taking notes or writing essays. It is hard for her to say, 'No, I can't do this or go there. I have to study.' Her homework often suffers because she procrastinates. When she studies in her room, it is full of distractions. Her phone, radio, tape player and her cat are there. She finds herself daydreaming, answering the phone, listening to tapes or petting the cat. She is often disturbed by family members. It is easy to see where all her time goes — not to studying. Now she is letting the answering machine do its job. She puts the cat out before she starts to study. Her homework is now done before everyone gets home from work.

II. Find the English equivalents for the following.

Решать проблему; тратить время на что-либо; сконцентрироваться на чём-либо; готовиться к семинару; делать пометки; писать эссе; откладывать со дня на день; мечтать; её часто отвлекают; время уходит; приходить домой с работы.

III. Speak about your distractions. Use the patterns from the text:

1) Barbara is supposed to be studying.

2) Barbara has to deal with a problem.

3) Barbara finds herself talking to friends instead of reading up for seminars.

4) Barbara is often disturbed by family members.

Exercise 28

1. Read and translate the story. Answer and discuss in class the questions below. Continue the story.

It took a couple of weeks for classes to get settled, and then we got down to the nitty-gritty. As homework began pouring in, and tests loomed on the horizon, I realised that my study skills were very poor and that it was going to be a challenge in itself to teach myself to study. I experimented with several tactics, trying to find out what would work for me. I started out in the bedroom with the door closed, but it seemed the phone was always ringing. I managed to get my work done, but I was not pleased with this frustrating situation. Later I tried going outside and preparing somewhere in the yard. I ended up chatting with a neighbour, petting her dog. Cleariy, something had to be changed. As my workload increased, so did my frustration. Quite by accident, however, I found the solution to my problem ...

II. Find the English equivalents to the Russian words and phases.

На это ушла пара недель, прийти в норму, засесть за что-либо, повседневная работа, наваливаться, маячить, слабые навыки, вызов, экспериментировать с чем-либо, обнаружить, начинать (разг.), удаваться, оканчиваться, удручающая ситуация, выходить из дома, болтать, работа накапливалась, разочарование, совершенно случайно, решение проблемы.

III. Answer the questions and express your opinion on the following.

1. What advice would you give to a friend of yours if he or she had to deal with the problem of distraction?

2. What tactics do you personally choose to get yourself organised and sit down to work?

3. Discuss in class the problem of getting oneself organised and concentrated when doing one's homework.

Exercise 29

The passages below are the beginnings of different stories. Finish the stories, using the vocabulary from the text and the topical vocabulary.

'Finally, the summer ended and college began. Carol dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt, slung her book bag over her shoulder and set out for her first class ...'

'Thomas is sitting in the dining-room looking at the mess strewn around. He calls this his office. The table is covered with an assortment of books, pens, and papers. Hanging on the back of a chair is his black leather book bag. He is finally a college student ...'

'The term is coming to a close. I look upon it with sadness. I will miss my teachers and the friendships I have made ...'

'I am looking forward to the next term, but I also get nervous thinking about my new classes. Each term the classes will get a little harder and more challenging. I hope I am up to all those new challenges. I love to learn, but I still have a little fear of failing...'

Exercise 30

Read and translate the passage. Answer the questions below.

Most people who have trouble with schoolwork don't lack intelligence — instead. Rather, they are trapped by their own attitudes towards the work. One attitude that gets in many students' way is the "I can't do it" syndrome. Instead of making an honest effort to do the work, the "I can't do it" type give up before they begin. Then there's the "I'm too tired" excuse. Students with this problem give in to the temptation to nap whenever there is work to be done. Another common excuse for low achievement is "the instructor is boring". These students expect every course to be highly entertaining and claim they can't be expected to learn anything otherwise.

1. What do you think of the "I can't do it" type?

2. What do you think of the "I'm too tired" type?

3. What do you think of the "I'm too bored" type?

4. Are there people of any of these types among your friends or classmates?

5. What type are you? Why?

6. What would you say about your attitude towards studies?

7. Can you think of some more types?

8. What are common excuses for low achievements in this country?

9. Can you imagine an exemplary student? Speak about exemplary students and ordinary ones.

Exercise 31

People like to learn differently. Some people learn better by listening, white others need to see the information. Your answers to the questions below may give you some idea of how you prefer to learn. When you have finished, compare your answers with those of other people in your class.

1. Do you prefer to learn by listening to the teacher's lecture? (Yes or No)

2. Do you prefer to learn by reading and studying your textbooks? (Yes or No)

3. Do you prefer to learn by studying or working with other people? (Yes or No)

4. Do you prefer to study by yourself? (Yes or No)

5. Do you like to ask the teacher questions? (Yes or No)

6. When you study for a test, you read your notes, don't you?

7. When you study for a test, you read your notes aloud, don't you?

8. When you study for a test, you rewrite your notes, don't you?

9. Do you like to memorize facts? (Yes or No)

10. Do you like to think about ideas? (Yes or No)

Exercise 32

Respond to the statements. Work in pairs.

1. Teachers prefer dull students to bright ones. They are easier to manage.

2. You know what students are like nowadays! They are getting less and less intelligent every day.

3. To my mind, colleges shouldn't provide students with general knowledge. Emphasis should be placed on professional skills.

4. I don't think it is important for students to learn how to work with dictionaries.

You may need the following phrases to express your surprise:

You don't say so!

You must be joking!

You can't be serious!

Go on (with you)!

Exercise 33

Challenge the following statements. Give your reasons.

1. When you don't understand your teacher's explanation you don't ask to explain again because this is very embarrassing.

2. When you are really too sick to go to class you go anyway. It would be rude not to go.

3. When you feel that you are not doing well in a course, you stop going to class because you don't have time to do the work.

4. If you have the feeling that the teacher doesn't like you, you do the best you can do under the circumstances.

5. If you don't like to answer or ask questions in class you ask to speak to the teacher and explain your shyness.

Exercise 34

Discuss college life in this country. Use these questions as a guide for your discussion.

1. What do students wear to college?

2. How do students get to college?

3. How do students know which class to go to?

4. How do students greet the teacher?

5. How does the teacher greet the students?

6. How do students address the teacher?

7. When does the term begin?

8. How long does it last?

9. How long is the college day?

10. Who decides what a student will study?

11. Who decides which students will attend college?

Exercise 35

Find out how colleges and universities in this country have changed since your teachers were students. Ask your teacher to tell you about what it was like when he or she was at college. Present an oral report on changes in Russian colleges and universities.

Exercise 36

Match the English idioms in the left column with their Russian equivalents in the right column. Illustrate the meanings of the English idioms by your own examples.

1. to go into details А. начать с азов

2. to drum something into В. как дважды два — четыре

somebody's head

3. a brain twister С. куриные мозги

4. two and two make four D. синий чулок

5. a stumbling block Е. вдаваться в подробности

6. the key word F. головоломка

7. the brain of a pigeon G. легко даваться

8. to come easyH. ключевое слово

9. to start from scratchI. камень преткновения

10. a blue stockingJ. вдолбить что-либо в голову

Exercise 37

Translate the proverbs into Russian and comment upon them.

1. A man is never too old to learn.

2. Education covers a lot of ground but it doesn't cultivate it.

3. Live and learn.

4. By doing nothing we learn to do ill.

5. Better untaught than ill taught.

6. Brevity is the soul of wit.

7. Dot your i's and cross your t's.

Exercise 38

Translate the following quotations and comment upon them.

'A university should be a place of light, of liberty and of learning.

Benjamin Disraeli

'Knowledge is a city, to the building of which every human being brought a stone.'

Ralph W. Emerson

'Knowledge is power.'

Francis Bacon

'Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers.'

Alfred Tennyson

Exercise 39

Role Play. "A Talk in the Living-Room".

Setting: The Richardsons' house.

Situation: A group of students gather at Richardsons' on their vacations. They used to be classmates once. Now they are all students of different colleges and universities. In the evening they are sitting in the living-room near the fireplace and speak about their college life, sharing experiences.

Characters:

Card I—II — Sarah and Terry Richardson. They have in vited everyone to their house. They are a sister and brother and go to a technical college. Sarah hates it and Terry loves it.

Card III—IV — Dora and Laura. Two medical school students. They have just had their professional experience in a hospital and compare studies and real life.

Card V — Harry, a student of the chemical faculty at the university. He failed to pass his exams in spring and is going to take them in autumn.

Card VI — Barbara, a student of the French department of the faculty of foreign languages at a university. She has won a personal grant for success in studies.

Card VII—VIII — Barry and Jerry, two friends who do economics at the university. Both are enthusiastic learners and like to speak about their future speciality.

Card IX — Flora, a student of an art school. She likes her drawing classes but does not like any of her other subjects.

Card X—XI — Clarry and Nora, students of a music school. In school years they used to be friends because they played in a school orchestra. They are thinking of creating a pop-group of their own.

Card XII — Lany. He was expelled from the faculty of Maths for missing classes and is dreaming of getting back.

WRITING

Exercise 1

Prepare to write a dictation. Learn the spelling of the words and phrases in bold type from Introductory Reading and the words from exercise 1 on page 208.

Exercise 2

Write an essay on one of the following topics.

1. Our College Life Needs Changes.

2. Some Advice for College Students.

3. Why (Psychology/Sociology/...) Is So Popular with Students.

4. I Would Put Myself in the Group of (Diligent/Lazy/...) Students.

5. Education Reform. To Be or Not to Be?

Exercise 3

The world is changing, and many people feel that college will have to change to keep up. Make a list of the ways college may be different in response to these changes in the year 2025. Use these ideas to write a letter from a student in the year 2025, telling a grandparent about his or her first day at college. Begin it like this:

Note:

Letters may be personal or business. We will consider the layout of a personal letter. It consists of the date, the greeting, the opening paragraph, the middle paragraphs, the closing paragraph, the closing proper and signature, and sometimes a postscript. Below is a sample outline of a letter to a friend.

1 September, 1999

Lesson 9 CHARACTER AND APPEARANCE

INTRODUCTORY READING AND TALK

Appearances are deceptive. It is a common truth; practically everyone has met at least someone whose character and appearance differ radically.

When one sees a tall, broad-shouldered youth, one expects him to be strong-willed and brave. One thinks: 'A model to follow!' How often a good-looking individual turns out to be petty, weak-willed or even cowardly. Then one thinks: 'A mediocrity!'

At the same time everyone knows that a lot of great people were of a poor build: short and fragile. It did not stop them from displaying intelligence and courage. Ingenuity does not depend on one's complexion or constitution.

Plump or fat people create an impression of generous and kind personalities. Strangely enough, not rarely they may be thrifty or even greedy. One usually thinks: 'A scrooge!'

On the other hand, thin or slim nervous ladies often tend to be lavish. They like to buy and never think twice when they pay. One thinks: 'I would call her open-handed and Mother would call her a spendthrift'. Yes, mothers are always stricter in judgements.

Has it ever happened to you that you come to an important office and see an important boss? You immediately evaluate his looks: 'Round-faced, small narrow eyes, dimples on the cheeks and an upturned nose. What a kind-hearted person! A simpleton!' You tell the boss of your troubles and expect immediate help. But the boss appears to be rude, harsh and wilful. You never get your help and think: 'A stone heart and an iron fist'.

When someone sees a delicately built pretty blonde with curly hair, blue eyes, a straight nose and a high forehead, one is inclined to think that the beauty is intelligent and nice. It may be disappointing to think later 'What a stupid, capricious, impolite bore!'