English for Technical Students. Part 1

ENGLISH

FOR TECHNICAL STUDENTS.

PART 1.

YELKINA D.M.

MOROZOVA E.I.

TUSUR

TOMSK 2011

CONTENT

LESSON 1. FULL-TIME STUDENT

Lead-in.

1. Answer these questions.

1.What famous university of Great Britain is it in the picture?

2.What is the most prestigious university in Russia? Prove your answer.

3.Why did you enter Tomsk State University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics?

Reading.

2. You are going to read a text about further education in the UK. These are words and expressions you will need to know.

3. Fill in the gaps in this text. Each gap represents one word. Use the words from the box. Then listen and check.

In the United Kingdom you (1) __________ study at a college of further education or a university.

A college of further education will (2) __________ students who have completed a minimum of four years (3) __________ secondary school. Most students study full-time (4) __________ colleges also offer day release classes (5)

__________ people employed by local businesses who are given time (6)

__________ work to attend courses. Colleges also provide evening (7) __________

for full-time workers and members of the local community (8) __________ want to study in their spare time.

Most university students will have completed six years of secondary (9)

__________. Some will have completed four years and (10) __________ taken a course at a college of further education.

From a college you can (11) __________ a certificate or diploma. A diploma usually requires a longer period of study (12) __________ a certificate. Universities give degrees. A Bachelor‟s degree takes three to four years of (13) __________. A Master‟s degree usually requires a further (14) __________.

4. Answer these questions.

1.Where can people study in the United Kingdom?

2.What students does a college of further education take?

3.What classes do colleges offer? Who are they for?

4.What students does a university take?

5.What can a student get from a college?

6.What is the difference between a certificate and a diploma?

7.Where can a student get a degree?

8.What is the difference between a Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree?

5. Work with your partner and translate the text into Russian.

Grammar. Present Simple and Present Continuous.

Present Simple is usually used when we talk about regular actions, facts and states. We can also use Present Simple to talk about future connected with timetables.

1.Classes start at 8.50 in our university.

2.We usually have 3 classes a day.

3. We have History on Monday. (Future according to the timetable)

Present Continuous is used when we talk about temporary actions, which are in progress at the moment of speaking or at this period of time. We can also use Present Continuous to talk about future plans and arrangements.

1.This term we are studying Programming.

2.I’m learning to play the guitar in the evenings.

3.I’m seeing the Dean in the afternoon. (Future plan)

6.Use Present Simple or Present Continuous in the following sentences.

1.Tomsk … (have) 6 big universities.

2.Physical Education lesson … (be) after Maths.

3.When I come home from university, I usually … (not do) my homework, I relax.

4.My roommate … (cook) this week and I … (clean) the room.

5.On Monday we … (study) in the afternoon, but on Tuesday – in the morning.

6.I … (work) hard now because I want to pass my exams successfully.

7.This month I … (not go out) a lot, I need to write a course paper.

8.Can you see Mark? He … (sleep) at the lecture!

7. Study this information about two courses and find similarities and differences between them.

Language Study. Comparison and contrast (1)

We can describe similarities like this:

1.Both courses deal with electronics..

2.Like Course 1, Course 2 deals with electronics.

3.Course 2 is similar to Course 1 in that it deals with electronics.

We can describe differences like this:

4.Course 2 is 2 years long but Course 1 is only 16 weeks long.

6.Course 1 is 16 weeks long whereas Course 2 is 2 years long.

8.Write sentences describing similarities and differences you have found using the example structures.

Listening and Vocabulary.

9. Matthew Smith is a student of electronics at a college of further education. Here is his weekly timetable. Try to answer these questions.

1.What time does Matt start in the morning?

2.What time does he finish for the day?

3.What do you think happens between 10.15 and 10.45?

4.What other time does this happen?

5.How often does he have Maths?

6.When is the lunch break?

10.Listen to the interview with Matt Smith and complete the information missing in the table.

11.Now listen again and answer the questions.

1.Why did so many students drop out of Matt’s course?

2.Why does he dislike Communications?

3.Why is it hard to use the indoor stadium?

4.Why is there a problem with his motorbike?

LESSON 2. CONSUMER ELECTRONICS

Lead-in.

1. Name the things you can see at the picture. What do they have in common? What electronic appliances do you have in your home or in the dormitory?

Reading.

2. You are going to read the text about consumer electronics. Check that you understand the following words.

3. Read the information about consumer electronics and write out all electronic items mentioned in the text.

Consumer Electronics

Consumer electronics are electronic equipment intended for everyday use, most often in entertainment, communications and office productivity.

Electronics began at the start of the twentieth century with the invention of the vacuum tube. The first devices for everyday use were radios, followed by televisions, record players, and tape recorders. These devices were large and used a lot of power.

The invention of the transistor in 1947 meant that much smaller, low-powered devices could be developed. A wide variety of electronic devices such as hi-fi units and portable radios became common in the home.

In 1958 that microelectronics began with the development of ICs on silicon chips. This led to a great increase in the use of electronics in everyday items. The introduction of the microprocessor allowed electronics to be used for the control of many common processes.

Microprocessors are now used to control many household items such as automatic washing machines, dishwashers, central heating systems, sewing machines, and food processors. Electronic timers are found in digital alarm clocks, water heaters, electric cookers, and microwave ovens. Telephones use electronics to provide automatic dialing and answer phone facilities. Video recorders and CD players are ones of a lot of existing entertainment devices. Nowadays multimedia entertainment systems and computer-controlled robots are intensively developed.

Almost everybody knows electrical appliances which are based on digital technologies. They are personal computers, telephones, MP3 players, audio equipment, televisions, calculators, GPS automotive electronics, digital cameras and players and recorders using video media such as DVDs, VCRs or camcorders.

One overriding characteristic of consumer electronic products is the trend of ever-falling prices. This happens because of gains in lower labour costs and manufacturing efficiency and automation as manufacturing has moved to lower-wage countries. From year to year the level of selling consumer electronics is constantly rising. Style, price, specification and performance are all relevant.

4. Match the abbreviations and their full forms. Translate them into Russian.

* MPEG = Motion Picture Experts Group