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1.Read the text. Divide it into logical parts. Find the topic sentence of each

part.

2.Give Russian equivalents to the following English word combinations: to be spoken interchangeably, bilingualism, to result in language mixture, to have much in common with smth., abstract and literary words, principles of word formations, interaction between the languages, russified form of the Old Church Slavonic language, to tend, to be used exclusively in dialects, to experience a rapid decline, to be in use, over the course of centuries, to a lesser extent, the Defense Language Institute, learning difficulty, native English speakers, immersion instruction, to achieve intermediate fluency, "hard target" language.

3.Give English equivalents to the following word combinations: славянский,

индоевропейская семья, с точки зрения, разговорный язык, украинский, бело- русский, восточнославянская группа, исчезнуть, играть важную роль в форми- ровании современного русского языка, болгарский, с различными значениями, словарный состав, литературный стиль, находится под влиянием западных языков, греческий, латинский, польский, голландский, немецкий, француз- ский, финно-угорский, тюркский, персидский, арабский, овладеть языком.

4.Make up a plan of the text in the form of questions.

5.Retell the text, using expressions given in Task 3.

Text 9. Mongolian language

The Mongolian language consists of a group of dialects, spoken in various parts of Central Asia, which are related to other Altaic languages, such as Turkic (Turkish, Uzbek, Kazakh), Manchu-Tungus (Manchu, Goldi, Evenki), and Korean. Mongolian languages are divided into two main groups: western Mongolian, or Oirat, particularly Kalmyk; and eastern Mongolian, which include Ordos, Kharchin, Chakhar, Buryat and Khalkha. Between World Wars I and II about 500,000 Mongols were living in various parts of Asia. At mid-century there were approximately 1,500,000 Mongols in Inner Mongolia. Buryat Mongolian is spoken by about 300,00o persons around Lake Baikal. Mogol, which is spoken in Afghanistan, Monguor, which is spoken in Kansu province, and Dagur, which is spoken in Manchuria, contain many archaic features. About 1,500,000 persons understand Khalkha Mongolian easily.

The pronounciation of Mongolian is comparatively simple. A characteristic feature is the existence of both long vowels and short vowels, i.e., der (‘pillow’) and deer (‘above’), toso (‘butter’) and tooso (‘dust’), khana (‘wall’) and khaana? (‘where?’). Another basic feature is called vowel harmony, the essence of which is that a single word may contain either back vowels only (a, o, u) or front vowels only (e, ö, ü). Initial accent is a common feature in the pronounciation of most words.

Mongolian is an agglunative language group; the use to which a word is put is indicated by means of suffixes. Verbs have about 30 possible formative suffixes, and nouns have seven regular declensional suffixes. In declensions the suffixes are the same for all nouns, modified only by the requirement of vowel harmony.

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Mongolian is an agglunative language group; the use to which a word is put is indicated by means of suffixes. Verbs have about 30 possible formative suffixes, and nouns have seven regular declensional suffixes. In declensions the suffixes are the same for all nouns, modified only by the requirement of vowel harmony. Note following example: gar (nominative ‘hand’), gariin (‘of the hand’), garta (‘in the hand’), garüg (accusative ‘hand’), garaas (‘from the hand’), garaar (‘by means of the hand’), gartay (‘along with the hand’). Each suffix has only one function, e.g., Khalkha akhanartan (‘to his elder brother’): akha (‘elder brother’), -nar (a plural suffix), -ta (dativ suffix), and –n (possessive ending ‘his’). There are no prepositions but only postpositions, e.g., uula deer (‘on the mountain’): uula (‘mountain’) and deer (‘on’); usan dotoro (‘in the water’): usan (‘water’) and dotoro (‘in’); tšinii orondo (‘instead of you’): tšinii (genetive ‘of you’) and orondo (‘instead’). Mongolian has no grammatical gender, and there is little distinction in form between the use of words as nouns or adjectives.

The syntax is characterized by a strict word order. The verb is the last element in a sentence or clause. Note the following sentences: aawa namaig surguulid yawuulawa (‘father sent me to school’), aawa (‘father’), namaig (‘me’), surguulid (‘school’), -d (dative suffix), yaw- (‘to go’), -uul (causative suffix), and –awa (past tense suffix); tši yawawal bi haniladž yawayii (‘if you go, I’ll go with you’), -wal (conditional suffix), bi (‘I’), hanila- (to accompany), -dž (auxiliary verb suffix), yawa- (‘to go’), and –yii (voluntative suffix); Ulaan Baatart suusaar önöödör tawan džil boldž baina (‘it is now five years since he has been living in Ulaan Bator’), Ulaan Bator (‘Ulaan Bator’), -t (dative suffix), suu- (‘to reside’), -saar (subsequent time suffix), önöödör (‘today’), tawan (‘five’), džil (‘year’), bol- (‘to become’), -dž (auxiliary verb suffix), bai (‘to be’), and –na (present tense suffix).

The Mongolian alphabet was received from the Uigur, a Turkic people, in the 13th century. The latter took it from the Sogdians, an Iranian people. The Sogdian alphabet was an adaptation of a Semitic alphabet (Aramaic). The Mongolian alphabet was written vertically downward. After 1941 the Cyrillic alphabet was introduced into the Mongolian People’s Republic (Outer Mongolia). It contains additional letters to indicate the front vowel sounds ü and ö. It is now the official alphabet in the Mongolian People’s Republic.

1.Read the text. Divide it into logical parts. Find the topic sentence of each part.

2.Give Russian equivalents to the following English word combinations: Turkic, Turkish, Korean, at mid-century, approximately, Inner Mongolia, to contain many archaic features, agglunative language, by means of suffixes, declension, vowel harmony, postpositions, to be written vertically downward, Cyrillic alphabet.

3.Give English equivalents to the following word combinations: состоять из,

группа диалектов, Центральная Азия, относиться к алтайским языкам, подраз- деляться на, особенно, включать, озеро Байкал, понимать какой-либо язык легко, произношение, глагол, существительное, предлог, прилагательное, до- полнительные буквы, официальный алфавит.

4.Make up a plan of the text in the form of questions.

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5. Retell the text, using expressions given in Task 3.

Text 10. British English

British English, is the broad term used to distinguish the forms of the English language used in the United Kingdom from forms used elsewhere. The Oxford English Dictionary applies the term to English "as spoken or written in the British Isles; especially the forms of English usual in Great Britain", reserving "HibernoEnglish" for the "English language as spoken and written in Ireland".

There are slight regional variations in formal written English in the United Kingdom. For example, although the words wee and little are interchangeable in some contexts, wee (as an adjective) is almost exclusively written by some people from some parts of northern Britain (and especially Scotland) or from Northern Ireland, whereas in Southern England and Wales, little is used predominantly. Nevertheless, there is a meaningful degree of uniformity in written English within the United Kingdom, and this could be described by the term British English. The forms of spoken English, however, vary considerably more than in most other areas of the world where English is spoken, so a uniform concept of British English is more difficult to apply to the spoken language. According to Tom McArthur in the Oxford Guide to World English, "For many people . . . especially in England [British English] is tautologous," and it shares "all the ambiguities and tensions in the word British, and as a result can be used and interpreted in two ways, more broadly or more narrowly, within a range of blurring and ambiguity."

English is a West Germanic language originated from the Anglo-Frisian dialects brought to Britain by Germanic settlers from various parts of what is now northwest Germany and the northern Netherlands. The resident population at this time was generally speaking Brythonic—the insular variety of continental Celtic which was influenced by occupation by the Romans. This group of languages (Welsh, Cornish, Cumbric) cohabited alongside English into the modern period, but due to their remoteness from the Germanic languages, influence on English was notably limited. However, the degree of influence remains debated, and it has recently been argued that its grammatical influence accounts for the substantial innovations noted between English and the other West Germanic languages. Initially, Old English was a diverse group of dialects, reflecting the varied origins of the Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms of England. One of these dialects, Late West Saxon, eventually came to dominate. The original Old English language was then influenced by two waves of invasion; the first was by language speakers of the Scandinavian branch of the Germanic family; they conquered and colonised parts of Britain in the 8th and 9th centuries. The second was the Normans in the 11th century, who spoke Old Norman and ultimately developed an English variety of this called Anglo-Norman. These two invasions caused English to become "mixed" to some degree (though it was never a truly mixed language in the strictest sense of the word; mixed languages arise from the cohabitation of speakers of different languages, who develop a hybrid tongue for basic communication).

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Cohabitation with the Scandinavians resulted in a significant grammatical simplification and lexical enrichment of the Anglo-Frisian core of English; the later Norman occupation led to the grafting onto that Germanic core of a more elaborate layer of words from the Romance branch of the European languages. This Norman influence entered English largely through the courts and government. Thus, English developed into a "borrowing" language of great flexibility and with a huge vocabulary.

1.Read the text. Divide it into logical parts. Find the topic sentence of each part.

2.Give Russian equivalents to the following English word combinations: to distinguish, Hiberno-English, interchangeable in the context, to be used predominantly, a meaningful degree of uniformity, within a range of blurring and ambiguity, West Germanic language, the resident population, the insular variety of continental Celtic, Welsh, Cornish, Cumbric, to cohabite alongside English, to develop a hybrid tongue, basic communication, significant grammatical simplification, lexical enrichment, core of English, great flexibility, huge vocabulary.

3.Give English equivalents to the following word combinations: широкознач-

ный термин, значительно варьироваться, тавтологичный, использоваться и ин- терпретироваться двумя способами, шире и уже, происходить из, быть под влиянием, оккупация римлянами, удаленность от германских языков, слой слов, европейские языки,

4.Make up a plan of the text in the form of questions.

5.Retell the text, using expressions given in Task 3.

Text 11. American and British English differences

Written forms of British and American English as found in newspapers and textbooks vary little in their essential features, with only occasional noticeable differences in comparable media (comparing American newspapers with British newspapers, for example). This kind of formal English, particularly written English, is often called "standard English".

The spoken forms of British English vary considerably, reflecting a long history of dialect development amid isolated populations. Dialects and accents vary not only among the countries of the United Kingdom, England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, but also within these individual countries.

There are also differences in the English spoken by different groups of people in any particular region. Received Pronunciation (RP) has traditionally been regarded as proper English; this is also referred to as "BBC English" or "the Queen's English". The BBC and other broadcasters now intentionally use a mix of presenters with a variety of British accents and dialects, and the concept of "proper English" is now far less prevalent.

An unofficial standard for spoken American English has also developed, as a result of mass media and geographic and social mobility, and broadly describes the

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English typically heard from network newscasters, commonly referred to as nonregional diction, although local newscasters tend toward more parochial forms of speech. Despite this unofficial standard, regional variations of American English have not only persisted but have actually intensified, according to linguist William Labov.

Regional dialects in the United States typically reflect the elements of the language of the main immigrant groups in any particular region of the country, especially in terms of pronunciation and vernacular vocabulary. Scholars have mapped at least four major regional variations of spoken American English: Northern, Southern, Midland, and Western. After the American Civil War, the settlement of the western territories by migrants from the east led to dialect mixing and levelling, so that regional dialects are most strongly differentiated in the eastern parts of the country that were settled earlier. Localized dialects also exist with quite distinct variations, such as in Southern Appalachia and New York.

British and American English are the reference norms for English as spoken, written, and taught in the rest of the world. For instance the English-speaking members of the Commonwealth often closely follow British English forms while many new American English forms quickly become familiar outside of the United States. Although most dialects of English used in the former British Empire outside of North America are, to various extents, based on British English, most of the countries concerned have developed their own unique dialects, particularly with respect to pronunciation, idioms and vocabulary. Chief among other English dialects are Canadian English, based on the English of United Empire Loyalists who left the 13 Colonies, and Australian English, which rank third and fourth in number of native speakers.

1.Read the text. Divide it into logical parts. Find the topic sentence of each part.

2.Give Russian equivalents to the following English word combinations: to vary little in their essential features, occasional noticeable differences, Received Pronunciation, to be regarded as proper English, the Queen's English, vernacular vocabular, to map regional variations of spoken English, dialect mixing and levelling, to be strongly differentiated, in the rest of the world,

3.Give English equivalents to the following word combinations: письменные формы британского и американского английского языка, значительно изме- няться, отражать длительную историю развития диалекта, среди стран Соеди- ненного Королевства, дикторы, разнообразие британских акцентов и диалек- тов, распространенный, социальная мобильность, Содружество Наций, уни- кальные диалекты, произношение, характерные обороты, канадский англий- ский, империя, австралийский английский.

4.Make up a plan of the text in the form of questions.

5.Retell the text, using expressions given in Task 3.

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Quiz I

1.How many continents do you know? Name them.

2.What are the English equivalents of the following American words: canned food, cigar store, telephone booth, apartment, store. 5

3.What languages are spoken in a) Switzerland, b) Holland, c) Denmark, d) Sweden, e) Norway?

4.Two areas far apart from each other have the name of Georgia. What are they?

5.Here are three London streets: a) b Bond Street, b) Fleet Street, c) Baker Street. Why are they well-known?

6.What is the meaning of the expressions: to eat somebody out of house and home, to keep a stiff upper lip, to take something in one’s stride, to give somebody a Roland for an Oliver, Roman holiday, Romeo error, Swan of Avon, Wizard of the North, Hobson’s choice, a skeleton in the cupboard, to ride for a fall; to send to the chair, to lose face, to face the music, to twiddle one’s thumbs, to die with one’s boot on.

7.Who presides in: a) The House of Commons, b) The House of Lords.

8.What do the following abbreviations stand for: U.K., P.M., M.P., TUC, B.A.

9.There are two well-known monuments in London bearing names borrowed from Greek mythology. What are they called? Where do they stand?

10.What is the English for the following French words and phrases: fait accomplit, comme il faut, tour de force. 3

Quiz II

1.Name the rivers that flow through the following cities: a) Paris, b) London, c) Rome, d) New York, e) Washington.

2.What are the English equivalents of the following American words: railroad, mailman, mailbox, baggage, cable.

3.What is Downing Street in London known for?

4.Where is Manhattan? What is the origin of the name?

5.What does the name Lochinvar [´lokinva:] suggest to you?

6.What is the meaning of the expressions: to bury the hatchet, to burn one’s bridges (boats), to wash one’s hands (of), good Samaritan, Judas kiss, Pyrrhic victory, Man Friday, caviare to the general, at (on) the Greek calends, punic faith, to live in Queer Street, to take something with a grain of salt, to draw the wool over smb.’s eyes; to pay the piper; put that in your pipe and smoke it; to blow one’s own horn.

7.Can you name the five boroughs which compose the city of New York?

8.What do the following abbreviations stand for: M.A., C.F., R.A.S., M.B.,

M.D.

9.Who was the President of the USA during the Civil War? How did he die?

10.What is the English for the following French words and phrases: fait accomplit, comme il faut, tour de force, a contre coeur, marriage de convenance, chercher la femme, poste restante.

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Quiz III

1.What is the longest river in the world? What is the largest river in the world?

2.What are the English equivalents of the following American words: baggage car, shoe store, pants, guy, high-ball.

3.a) In what part of London does the Monument stand? b) Who designed it? c) When and why was it erected?

4.By whom and when was the South Pole discovered?

5.Give the name of the first permanent English settlement in the New World. b) Where did its name come from?

6.What is the meaning of the expressions: the golden touch, a white man’s burden, John Bull (John Bullish), to go to the wall (the weakest go to the wall), milk and honey, to milk a bull, the milk of human kindness, to out-Herod Herod, to have an ace up one’s sleeve, to bring down the house, there will be hell to pay, to keep a weather eye on smb.; attic salt; salad days; white elephant; to warm a viper in one’s bosom.

7.By whom and when was the North Pole discovered?

8.What do the following abbreviations stand for: M.O., C.O., UNO, NATO,

S.C.

9.a) Which is the most fashionable part of Hyde Park? b) Name the track reserved for horse riding. c) Where does the name come from?

10.What is the English for the following French words and phrases: force majeure, a livre ouvert, affair de coeur, mauvais ton, voila tout

Quiz IV

1.Where is the Poet’s Corner? Whose names does it recall?

2.Give English equivalents of the following American words: date, street-car, sidewalk, subway, ticket-office.

3.Name a famous English artist, the First President of the Royal Academy of Art founded in London in 1768.

4.What is the centre of the theatre district in a) London, b) New York?

5.a) Where is New England? b) What states is it composed of? c) What period of American history is it associated with?

6.What is the meaning of the expressions: to smile on the wrong side of one’s face; to be nobody’s fool; to bark up the wrong tree; to eat one’s words; never say die; touch and go; touch wood; a touch of the sun; ships that pass in the night; take the Queen’s (King’s) shilling; dutch bargain; a little bird told me; to go to the wall; to walk upon egg-shell; to drive a nail into one’s coffin; to bring smb. down a peg.

7.In one of the finest cities of Italy there is a bridge that bears a poetic name. There is also a bridge in one of England’s oldest universities and a passageway of the same name in an American city. Name a) the cities and the university, b) the bridge and say how it was formerly used.

8.What do the following abbreviations stand for: GOP, VIP, GOM, PO, c/o.

9.a) Name the first rallying point of the War of Independence. b) Name the place where the Declaration of Independence was adopted.

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10. What is the English for the following French words and phrases: joi de vivre, faux pas, fin de ciecle, a coup sur, bouton d’amour.

Quiz V

1.What famous English artist painted the portrait of the Duchess of Beaufort? Where is the painting exhibited?

2.Give English equivalents of the following American words: pullman, elevator, pavement.

3.Which London streets have names denoting the kind of wares that used to be sold there?

4.According to legend a beautiful widow slew an Assyrian general, to rescue her countrymen. Name a) the woman, b) the general, c) the opera and the picture in the Hermitage based on the legend.

5.Name two famous brothers, grandsons of an outstanding scientist, one of whom is an eminent biologist, the other a prominent British author.

6.What is the meaning of the expressions: to pull a person’s leg; as thick as thieves; to cut no (not much) ice with smb.; write it on ice; to tread (skate) on thin ice; a blessing in disguise; to be at a loose end; to be on one’s hind legs; bird of passage; to quarrel with one’s bread and butter; to be on the rocks; take it or leave it; to do the trick; the golden key; thick as thieves; to kick smb. upstairs.

7.a) How many states are there in the United States? b) How many states were there originally when the Union was formed?

8.What do the following abbreviations stand for: p.t.o. (P.T.O.), p.s. (P.S.), B.C., A.C., A.D.

9.What is the name of the street in New York famous for its theatres and entertainment? B) What name is applied to other theatres?

10.What is the English for the following French words and phrases: au fond, a tout prix, bon vivant, beaux yeux, a propos.

Quiz VI

1.Here are the nicknames of two American states: a) the Valentine State, b) the Mother of Presidents. Name the states and explain why they have been nicknamed so.

2.What are the English equivalents of the following American words: line, crackers, ale, living room.

3.There is a monument to Duke of Wellington in Hyde Park. By what name is it known? What metal was it cast from?

4.1. What streets in London are associated with a) the medical world, b) the world of finance? 2. What are the names of the Four Inns of Court and what do they do?

5.Where is Appomatox Court House? What historic event took place there?

6.What is the meaning of the expressions: from the horse’s mouth; red herring; the upper crust; the villain of the piece; a tight corner; to eat humble pie; “Will a duck swim?”; at the eleven hour; it’s (it isn’t) my funeral; to have a rod in the pickle

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(for) smb.; to sit pretty; on the horns of a dilemma dressed to kill, doctor Fell, Justices’ justice, penny wise and pound foolish.

7.There is an ancient column 202 ft. in height in Fish Street Hill in London, dating back to the 70’s of the 17th century. a) What is it called? b) Who designed it? c) In commemoration of what event was it erected?

8.What do the following abbreviations stand for: IQ, coed, G.P., G.A., G.I.

9.What was Bunhill Fields?

10.What is the English for the following French words and phrases: bel esprit, par excellence, point d’honneur, au naturel.

Quiz VII

1.a) Who invented the first phonograph? b) What words were used for the first recording?

2.There are four Art Galleries in London. Name them and say what they are known for.

3.Name the only American state where French is a second language.

4.How and when were the first Negro slaves imported into America?

5.a) What memorial commemorates Queen Victoria’s Consort? b) Where was it erected?

6.What is the meaning of the expressions: Mutual Admiration Society; to drop a brick; to give a person the cold shoulder; to draw in one’s horns; a drug on the market; Box and Cox; neck or nothing; to sink or swim; to hit the ceiling; to make a hit; to hit the (right) nail on the head; to laugh on the wrong side of his mouth (or other side of his face); to get the right end of the stick; to give smb. the lie; to keep the pot boiling; channel fever; Richmond in the field.

7.What institution was called the House of Burgesses?

8.What do the following abbreviations stand for: P.W., FBI, CIA, S. Yd, D.A., S.C., SALT.

9.Where is Long Island?

10.What is the English for the following French words and phrases: A discrertion, profession de foi, quantite negligeable, en passant.

ANSWERS

Quiz I

1.Six: Europe, Asia, Africa, America, Australia, the Antarctic.

2.tinned food, tobacconist’s, call box, flat, shop.

3.a) French and German, b) Dutch, c) Danish, d) Swedish, e) Norwegian.

4.Georgia is an independent state; one of the Southern states in the USA.

5.A fashionable shopping street, b) the street of the Press, Publishing houses, editorial offices, etc., c) the street where Sherlock Holmes is supposed to have lived.

6.to eat up everything in the house, to ruin somebody (Shakespear, Henry IV, Part II, Act II, sc. 1); to be brave, not to lose heart, not to give in; to do something with ease, without any effort; to take something for granted; ‘to give tit for tat’, ‘to retaliate’ (Roland and Oliver, his friend, are heroes of French medieval legends,

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brave knights – crusaders; Roland wanted to measure his strength against Oliver, but the latter proved his equal and none of them won the fight); Public shows were arranged in ancient Rome on holidays to let people watch gladiators fight in the arena; hence the expression meaning enjoyment at the expense of others (Russ. удовольст- вие за счет чужих страданий); ‘believing that a person is dead when he is alive’; Shakespear’s nickname (Stratford on Avon is his home town); Walter Scott’s nickname (though he wrote in English he was born in Scotland, in Edinbourough); ‘an offer that must be taken, there being no choice’ (Thomas Hobson, 1544-1631, owned a stable and horses for hire in Cambridge and required each of his clients to take the horse nearest to the door); ‘something a family is trying to conceal, a family secret’ (the phrase was coined by W.M.Thackeray in The Newcomers, Ch. 55); ‘to ride a hourse recklessly’, (fig.) ‘to act in a reckless way, regardless of the possible danger, to be the cause of one’s own undoing’; ‘to execute in the electric chair (by electrocuting)’; ‘to be discredited or humiliated, to suffer loss of prestige’, the phrase is generally used with reference to relations between countries; ‘to meet a crisis or criticism boldly, without flinching’; ‘to be idle’; ‘to die of violence’.

7.a) The Speaker, b) Lord Chancellor.

8.United Kingdom, Prime Minister, Member of Parliament, Trade Union Council, Bachelor of Arts.

9.a) Achilles statue in Hyde Park, a monument given to the nation by the women of Britain. It was made of melted-down guns used by the Duke of Wellington in his battles. b) Eros – the Greek god of love, son of Aphrodite – in Piccadilly Circus.

10.Something accomplished; proper (applied to the way one behaves); a feat of remarkable skill reluctantly; marriage of convenience.

Quiz II

1.a) Seine b) Thames c) Tiber d) Hudson river, Harlem river, East River e) Potomac river.

2.Railway, postman, letter box, luggage, telegram.

3.The official residence of the Prime Minister (№10) and the Foreign and Colonial Offices, hence, symbolically the British Government.

4.Part of New York City. The island was bought by the Dutch from a tribe of North Indians – Manhattoes – who originally lived there and gave the island their name.

5.A brave and fearless knight, hero of Scottish folklore; the hero of W. Scott’s

Marmion.

6.to stop quarrelling, to become friendly (an Indian custom to bury the hatchet when making piece); to do smth. which makes a change in the original plans impossible (Roman generals sometimes burnt the bridges after crossing a river to make retreat for the troops impossible or burnt the boats after the landing of the troops); the words were allegedly said by Pontius Pilate, the Roman procurator of Judea, who sanctioned the crucification of Jesus Christ. Having yielded to the demands of the priests, Pilate nevertheless claimed he was not responsible and, to prove he was in-

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