Text d. How to Learn to Read Faster

Several Moscow researchers formed a public group some years ago to deal with the important problem how to teach people to read faster.

The first experiment started in 1970. 30 Muscovites of diverse age and professions formed a group. They were taught by methods based on research done by Soviet psychologists and linguists. The entire group has increased its reading speed roughly three times. The first graduates were invited back for control reading a year later. None of them has lost the ability they acquired.

The scientists reason in this way: Not only the eyes and the brain function when a person is reading. Even though a man reads in silence, a speech process is still taking place. Reading speed depends precisely on how quickly a person speaks. Therefore three units of absorption of information – visual, vocal and auditory – are involved when one reads. Strange as it may seem, you have to break a person’s habit of “speaking” the text to make it possible for him to grasp more quickly the meaning of what he sees. Our speaking speed is not very great – 150 words per minute is the limit.

Professor A.Sokolov, a Soviet psychologist, introduced the term “Inner speech”. This is a soundless, thought conversation which is generated when we think about something, write or read. But “inner speech” differs from proper speech, in that it is, as it were, contracted. Professor Sokolov has shown that, when we read, the words may be replaced by a single image or sketch, or a single short word, which generalized the sentence’s meaning.

How does one learn to do this? It is a two-stage task – one has to stop “speaking” the text and learn to absord it with one’s eyes only. A whole set of methods has been evolved to make the reader stop “speaking”, to inhibit his speech articulation and to take the speech element out of reading. The second stage is to teach the person the ability to grasp the lines in large blocks. It was discovered that it was necessary to economize the movement

of the eyes. According, to the observations made the eyes move

along the lines in leaps. And the text is absorbed at the precise moment when the movement stops. During the leap the eye doesn't see anything. A man trained to read faster manages to see several and not just a single word each time his eyes stop. When a person has developed a certain habit, he can scan the page not horizontal­ly, but vertically, along a line going through the middle of the page. Special exercises are used to develop marginal vision and to induce the ability to read vertically". We now hear of people reading 10,000 to 20,000 words per minute or more.

Enthusiasts of fast reading have noticed that a person who can quickly absorb the text can do more work and his thinking becomes more active.

The flow of information in all fields of knowledge is steadily growing at present. Past reading is one ayailable means of absorbing a great amount of information.

Answer the following questions:

1. What does the term "inner speech" mean?

2. How does inner speech differ from proper speech?

3. What are the two stages of learning a person to read faster?

4. How can you explain the principle of economizing the movements of the eyes?

5. What is the highest possible speed of a fast-reading person?

Read the following annotations to text D in Russian and in English:

Рассматриваются принципы методики обучения быстрому чтению. Указывается на необходимость исключить из чтения элементы проговаривания и добиваться зрительного восприятия больших кусков текста.

The concepts of teaching fast reading are considered. The nece­ssity of taking the speech elements out of reading and grasping the lines in large blocks is pointed out.

Part III

Exercise 1. Translate these sentences into English:

1. Книга - источник знаний.

2. Мы не можем принять это предложение, не обсудив его.

3. Люди, которые испытывают удовлетворение от работы, счастливы.

4. Он взял небольшую сумму денег из банка, чтобы заплатить за операцию.

5. Он перестал писать брату, не объяснив причин.

6. В этом каталоге содержится основная информация о товарах, вы­пускаемых нашей фирмой.

7. Ваш выбор учебного заведения зависит от того, какие надежды вы с ним связываете.

8. Со временем вы поймете значение образования.

9. Я думаю, этот человек достоин уважения.

10. Если вы не будете присутствовать на конференции (attend the conference) , вы можете прислать тезисы (thesis) вашего док- лада.

11. Геологи ищут новые источники полезных ископаемых (minerals).

12. Терпеть не могу, когда ты тратишь деньги на плохие товары.

Exercise 2. Match parts A and В of the sentences. Add one or two sentences to express your own opinion. Use the formulas: "Yes, I agree, "That's right", "I think so", "In a way yes, hut...", "I can't agree", "I don't think so".

А В

1. People developed machines 1. ... his own potentialities and and processes ... the chances of developing them.

2. Every young person should 2. ... giving them your attention know ... and making them feel important.

3. You should choose your work 3. ... simply arriving at work on instead of ... time; it means starting work

on time.

4. Dr. Carnegie states that 4. ... Improves our

"you can make more friends personalities

in two months by ...

5. Being able to enjoy humour... 5. ... being chosen by it.

6. Psychologists tell us that, 6. ... for doing the hard

in general, doing things with labour.

and. for others ...

7. You can make people love you, 7. ... makes life a lot

do almost anything for you easier and much more

by ... interesting.

8. Being punctual is more than 8. ... becoming interested in

other people than you can

in two years by trying to

get other people

interested in you".

Exercise 3. Read the following quotation by Oscar Nilde and do a good translation of it:

"Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing worth knowing can be taught."

Exercise 4. Debate these problems. Give your arguments "for" and "against".

1. Success in life depends upon how successful you were in lear­ning.

2. The future of society depends on the quality and quantity of its educated citizens.

3. Money spent on the brain is never spent in vain.

4. Little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

Exercise 5. Read this joke and act it out before the group.

"How are you in literature?"

"Not good at all".

"Maths, physics, chemistry?"

"No".

"What are you good at then?"

"I don't know. They are my weak ones too".

Exercise 6. Act out the following situations. Use the words and word combinations in brackets as prompts.

1. You are being interviewed for a Job. The most important among

the questions you are being asked is "Why do you want to work?" Give your reasons. (to be straight from school, to have (little) experience in (translating, using a computer, etc.), to need the job for ... reasons, to need a worthy worker, to be taught to do something at school, to give the Job, to be interested in, to be satisfied with, to find this sort of work pleasant).

2. Your younger brother is in his last year at school. He is think­ing of entering a university. Your parents are ready to provide only half the amount of money necessary for paying your brother's future tuition. Give him a good piece of advice where to get the rest of the money. (to earn money in part-time work, many opportunities available to earn money, to have a variety of interests, to do something in the computer (library, cleaning, repairing, translating)line, to be a resposible person).

UNIT FOUR

Topics: Money. Managing Money

Grammar: Gerund

Part I

Preliminary Exercises

Exercise 1. Transcribe and pronounce the following words:

value, frequency, availability, monetary, influence, care, luxuries, opportunities, acquire, financial, awareness, clothes, necessities

Exercise 2. Recognize the words formed according to the pattern. Translate the sentences containing these words into Russian.

Pattern: V + - ment = N

Example: manage + - ment = management

1. A spending plan or budget is a means of money management

2. Making and using a budget is difficult at first and demands de­velopment of good habits in money matters.

3. Modern sport equipment sometimes is rather costly.

4. Any extra money she has for luxuries and entertainment comes from her own earnings.

5. The financial agreement was reached between the parties

6. Full employment is a desirable social goal.

7. The experience of unemployment - of not being able to find a job when you want one - can be painful.

Exercise 3. Say which of the words given below could be explained like this:

1. an action or a state; b) the result of the action.

Use them in sentences of your own. Advertisement, management, equipment, statement, development, payment, employment, enjoyment, announcement, requirement.

Exercise 4. Answer the following questions:

1. What kind of advertisements can one come across in newspapers?

2. What are the biggest scientific achievements in the 20th cen­tury?

3. Do you notice any improvement in your English since last year?

4. What are the requirements for entering the Par East State Technical University?

5. Do you have any habits of money management?

6. Do you usually read the announcements on the notice - board?

7. What arrangements do you usually make for a journey?

8. What appointment would you like to obtain after leaving the University?

Exercise 5. Complete the box where possible. Use your dictionary to check the words you have written. Translate all the words in the box.

verb	- er /- or	- nent	- ing
1. manage
2.		payment
3.			advertising
4.	buyer

Words and word combinations to be remembered:

availability (n) - наличие, доступность

available (а) -имеющийся в наличии, доступный

afford (v) -позволить себе

money (n) - деньги

monetary (а) -денежный

measure (v) - измерять

measure (n) - мера

goods (n) - товар, товары

consumer goods -потребительские товары

cost (v) - стоить

cost (n) - стоимость

costly (a) - дорогой

costs (n) - затраты, издержки

expenses (n) - расходы

earn (v) - зарабатывать

earnings (n) - заработок, заработная плата

earning power - способность зарабатывать

financial resources - финансовые источники

bill (n) - счет, банкнота

benefit (n) - благо, выгода

pay (v) - платить

payment (n) - плата, платёж item (n) - изделие, вид товара

increase (v) - увеличивать, возрастать

needs (n) - потребности, нужды, запросы

luxury (n) - предмет роскоши

necessities (n) - предметы первой необходимости

acquire (v) - приобретать; овладеть

save (v) - экономить, копить, откладывать

waste (v) - растрачивать, тратить впустую

essential (а) - существенный

value (n) - ценность, стоимость

worth (а) - стоящий, имеющий ценность

worthless (а) - не обладающий ценностью

How much is it worth? - Сколько это стоит?

Read Text A and translate it.

Text A. Money

1. Three of the most important personal resources are time, ener­gy, and money. We use time and energy in every phase of everything you do. We use energy even when sleeping, for then body is at work rebuilding itself. Money is not quite so integral a part of our lives: there are things - like sitting on a log - that we can do without it. We do however, live in a world where money is in constant use. We use it to reach many of our goals.

2. Money is a standard of economic value, frequently, the answer to the question "How much is it worth?" can be given in dollars and cents. By itself, however, a dollar bill is worthless. It is dust a piece of paper. It has value because everyone agrees that it has value. People are willing to say that a banana is worth five cents and that a refrigerator is worth $ 200. The person who sells the ba­nana is willing to accept five cents as a payment. The buyer is

willing to pay that much.

3. One reason the seller is willing to accept money for some- thing of more immediate value is that he can keep the money. He can spend it later for something which he wants. Money, then, is not only a measure of value, it is a store of value. It can be kept for future needs. As you must know, person's money resources can either increase or bе depleted.

4. Money is also a measure of price - of how much something

costs. This monetary price is determined bу a number of factors, one of the most important of these is availability. If there is only one or two of an item, it will cost more than if there are seven thousand. The price also depends on how much an item costs to make. If a house costs $ 10.000 to build, you will probably not be able to buy it for $ 6.000.

5. What does money mean to you? Your attitudes toward money in­fluence the way you use it. Money is needed to provide food, clo­thing, shelter, health care, and other basic necessities. For those who can afford it, money can be used for nonessential items, or lu­xuries. Apart from direct material benefits, money can buy opportunities in the. form of education, travel and recreation. As a means of acquiring goods and services, it can confer feelings of safety and security. Some people, in the hope that others will think better of them, buy showy, costly, consumer goods.

6. The years after school present new opportunities and chal­lenges for the management of financial resources. For many, the young adult years will involve new problems of money management. You yourself may be contemplating leaving home for the first

time to attend the University, take a job, join the armed forces, or embark on marriage. Review now your past experience in managing your financial resources. Have you saved to pay your own expen­ses for a trip, to buy your own clothes, books, or hobby equipment? If you have already begun to earn, save and spend, you have pro­bably establish some habits of money management. For a time, you may continue to recieve financial help from your family, even after leaving home. Such help may be your basic financial resource. Yoy may receive stipend for your education. But first and foremost among adult financial resources is earning Power.

Word Study

Exercise 1. Arrange the words into the opposite pairs. Give their Russian equivalents.

Worth, willing, seldom, nonessential, important, costly, unimpor­tant, worthless, frequently, cheap, basic, unwilling, essential.

Exercise 2. Arrange the words into pairs of synonyms and trans­late them.

Necessities, opportunity, costly, needs, to increase, chance,

to go up, eager, to accept, expensive, willing, to take, permanent, energy, goal, constant, power, aim.

basic necessities

t o provide opportunities

health care

material benefits

consumer

t o acquire services

knowledge

nonessential items

luxuries

t o afford education

recreation

costly consumer goods

money

t o manage financial resources

time

people

Exercise 4. After each sentence there is a choice of several words. Pick the word that is closest in meaning to the word under­lined in the sentence.

1. Good money management will help you get the most out of the

money you have. (use, controlling, spending).

2. Poor financial managers lessen their opportunities of economic success. (cases, possibilities, occasions).

3. Money is a means of acquiring a lot of things. (providing, giving, gaining).

4. Learning to live within your financial resources is very im­portant. (means, earnings, power).

5. Expenses depend on your life style. (needs, earnings, spendings).

6. People may save money for acquiring some costly item. (waste, keep, spend).

7. Every family chooses consumer goods it likes and can afford according to its standard of living, (needs, items, benefits).

8. People at the comfort level have enough money for necessities and also have enough left to buy many things that are not necessities. (benefits, luxuries, basic needs).

9. Deciding to buy a new car is an important economic decision. (to afford, to purchase, to acquire).

10. There are many "hidden costs" added to the purchase price of an item. (prices, expenses, benefits).

Exercise 5. Look at the list of words below. The words on the left are from text A. Choose the pairs in which the word or phrase on the right has the same meaning as the word or phrase on the left.

1. basic necessities – needs

2. material benefits – goods

3. a measure - a means

4. to keep for future - to save

5. availability - a store

6. luxuries - nonessential items

7. to be willing - to want

8. to earn - to make one's living

9. consumer goods - goods for everyday use

10. expenses – prices

11. security - being guarded

12. payment – salary

13. to advertise - to publicize

14. safety - being out of danger

15. an item - a thing

16) available - being at one's disposal

17) financial resources - money means

Grammar Study

Exercise 1. Read and translate the following passage paying attention to the Gerund.

Learning to use money wisely isn't easy. Some people waste money without even knowing it. Learning to manage money is like learning to drive a car, because it gets easier as you become more experienced. Managing your money, like driving your car, requires your developing good habits. Good drivers or good managers need not work any harder than the poor drivers or poor managers. They know what to do and do it with the confidence that comes from developing competency in driving - or in managing money.

Exercise 2. Complete the sentences using the Gerund. Use the following verbs as prompts: manage, earn, acquire, waste, pay, buy, save, spend, lose, advertise.

1. Does your job involve ... people?

2. I don't enjoy ... money.

3. He had to postpone ... education in the University.

4. You risk your financial resources.

5. You'd better avoid ... luxuries.

6. I consider ... a very effective means of promoting trade.

7. Have you finished ... for your house?

8. I can't imagine George ... so much money.

9. He admitted ... the car, but denied ... the company money.

Exercise 3. Join two sentences to make one sentence. with the Gerund. Mind using the Gerund after the following expressions:

I t’s no use

I t’s no good

I t’s (not) worth doing smth

It’s waste of money

It’s waste of time

Example: Don't get a taxi. It's not worth it. - It's not worth getting a taxi.

1. Don't smoke. It is waste of money.

2. Don't buy this house. It is not worth it.

3. Don't buy a car if you don't want to drive it. It's no use.

4. Don't waste so much money. It is no use.

5. Den'1 advertise this item. It's not worth it.

6. Don't sell these books if you don't need money. It's no good.

7. Don't buy things you don't need. It's waste of money.

8. Don't read this book. It's rubbish. It's waste of time.

Exercise 4. Complete the following situations using sentences with "be/get used to doing smth".

Example: Bill doesn't have any money. He doesn't find this unusual because he has never had any money. He is used to having no money.

1. Connie earns her own money. She doesn't mind this. She has been earning her money for the last two years. She ... .

2. Connie saves some of her money. She doesn't mind it. She has been saving for the last six months. She ... .

3. He's the boss. He manages people. He's been managing this firm for a number of years. He ... .

4. He is in advertising. He likes advertising. He enjoys it. He...

5. She buys only necessities. She dosn't mind it. She's been saving for travelling and recreation lately. She ... .

6. They plan and control money carefully. They've avoided many fa­mily problems by planning and controlling money. They ... .

Exercise 5. Complete the sentences using active and passive Gerund:

рекламировать товары в известных журналах

1 . They prefer

чтобы их рекламировали в известных журналах

получать образование

2. H e dreams of

чтобы ему дали возможность получать образование

приобретать предметы роскоши

3. S he objected to

когда ей покупают дорогие вещи

оплатит ли он счёта во-время

4. I t depends on

будут ли счёта оплачены во-время

чтобы копить деньги для отдыха

5. T hey don’t mind

чтобы деньги тратить на развлечения

зарабатывать свои собственные деньги

6. H e looked forward to

чтобы ему заплатили за его работу

Exercise 6. Complete the following sentences using the Gerund:

приобрести знания

1. H e takes every opportunity of

заработать деньги

покупать дорогие вещи

2. H e had no cha

оплатить счёта

управлять деньгами?

3. W hat’s you idea of

копить деньги?

рекламировать товары

4. T here are many ways of

экономить деньги

управлять финансовым ресурсами

5. T hey have no experience in

продавать потребительские товары

продавать этот дом

6. W hat’s (his, your, their) reason for

увеличивать цены

Text Study

Exercise 1. Give the main points of the text answering the following questions.

1. What is money?

2. Why does the author say that a dollar hill is worthless

3. Why is the seller willing to accept money?

4. What is monetary price determined bу?

5. What is money needed for?

6. Does money provide only direct material benefits?

7. What-problems of money- management do young adults come across?

8. Have you established any habits of money management yet?

9. What is the most important among adult financial resources?

Exercise 2. Say whether these statements are true or false and give your arguments.

1. Money is a standard of economic value.

2. A dollar bill is quite worthless.

3. The monetary price is determined by a number of factors.

4. Money is needed to provide basic necessities.

5. Money can buy only direct material benefits.

6. The years after school involve new problems of money management.

7. The years after school present new opportunities for the management of financial resources.

Exercise 3. Give some facts from the text to explain the following statements:

1. By itself a dollar bill is worthless because ... .

2. A dollar bill has value because ... .

3. Money is not only a measure of value because ... .

4. Availability is very important among factors which determine the monetary price because ... .

5. The seller is willing to accept money because ....

6. Money is needed because ... .

7. Money can confer feelings of safety and security because ...

8. The young adult years involve new problems of money management because ... .

9. Everybody should establish some habits of money management because ... .

10. Earning power is very important because ... .

Exercise 4. Expand the idea contained in each of the following statements to make a short paragraph by adding details or proofs.

1. We live in a world where money is in constant use.

2. A dollar bill has value because everyone agrees that it has value.

3. Money can buy not only direct material benefits.

Exercise 5. Fill in the numbered blanks from the selection of words given below. The correct choices will complete the sense of the given passage.

You may know a family who seems to have more ( 1 ) problems than the average family. This family is always behind in ( 2 ) bills. Even though the head of the family makes a good ( 3 ), this family is never quite able to catch up in paying ( 4 ). Such family is not living within its ( 5 ). What is meant by "Living within your ( 6 )"? It means the wise use of money you ( 7 )'. Also, it means ( 8 ) no more than you earn, or not buying things for which you cannot ( 9 ).

salary, money, paying, spending, means, earn, pay, bills.

Part II