2.2. Переведите диалог и ответьте, верны или неверны следующие утверждения:

1. Copernica invests most of its capital in Information Technology.

2. Christoph Wiesenthal says it is more risky to invest in older companies than in start-ups.

3. Top scientists do not usually have a good understanding of business.

III Modals of possibility

3.1. Посмотрите на примеры и заполните правила:

- Michael Laine hopes that he will complete a space elevator by 2018.

- Things will not be easy.

- Laine thinks the construction will cost between $7 and $10 billion.

- Nine out of ten ventures won’t make any return.

- In future, you may be able to take an elevator to space.

- The elevator could deliver one million kilos of material per year.

- Some people might be interested in the new product – but not many.

- They may not finish the construction on time.

1. We use will / may to make predictions that we feel certain about.

2. We usually use will / may after think, hope and expect.

3. We use the modal verbs _________, __________ and __________ to make predictions that we are uncertain about and to express possibility.

4. The contraction he’ll is the same as _________ __________ .

5. The contraction won’t is the same as _________ ___________ .

3. 2. Образуйте предположения, используя положительную или отрицательную форму модальных глаголов: will, may, might или could.

1. In 2020, most people work from home (certain). 2. Most meetings take place via video (uncertain). 3. That means there is much less traffic on the road (certain). 4. Electric cars are common (uncertain). 5. People have more free time. (uncertain). 6. You carry your medical details on a chip under your skin (certain). 7. There isn’t enough oil to meet world demand (uncertain).

3.3. Заполните текст, используя модальные глаголы will, may, might или could.

Ted Foster hopes that he ¹_______be the first person to provide a private shuttle service to the moon. He’s currently working on the designs and expects that the first model ²__________ be ready to fly by 2020. He has already raised $50 million, so building a prototype ³_________ (not) be a problem. But he can’t be sure of raising enough money to complete the project: that ⁴___________ be much more difficult. Ted thinks the price of a ticket ⁵____________ be around $150 000 per trip. However, the price ⁶________ be as much as $250 000 per trip. At this price, it seems that there ⁷ __________ (not) be much demand for the service. Investors are worried that they ⁸___________(not) see a big return on their investment.

3.4. Обозначьте каждую фразу как: уверенный (certain), вероятный (probable), маловероятный (possible) или невероятный (impossible).

• It’s possible that ….

• I don’t think it will …..

• I expect it will ….

• I’m sure it will…..

• I think it’s unlikely……

• It will probably …..

• This will definitely …..

• It may / It might / It could ….

3.5. A Распределите каждое выражения по соответствующим колонкам. Переведите.

I’m quite sure I should think that I expect that

I’m confident that The chances are that I shouldn’t think that

I doubt if I’m quite sure that I doubt very much whether

Definitely ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… …………………...

Probably ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… …………………..

Probably not I doubt if … ……………… ……………… ……………… …………………..

Definitely not ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… …………………

B Сопоставьте предложения из колонки А с предложениями из колонки В, имеющие одинаковое значение.

A 1. I’m quite sure they will sign the deal. 2. The chances are that we’ll win the contract. 3. I doubt if they will sign the deal. 4. We will definitely win the contract. 5. I should think they will sign the deal. 6. I’m quite sure they won’t sign the deal. 7. I doubt if we’ll win the contract. 8. I doubt very much whether we’ll win the contract.

B a They are unlikely to sign the deal. b They definitely won’t sign the deal. c We probably won’t win the contract. d We’re very unlikely to win the contract. e We’ll probably win the contract. f We are certain to win the contract. g They are likely to sign the deal. h They are certain to sign the deal.