Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSESPOLITICAL SCIENCES, INTERNATIONAL
RELATIONS AND JOURNALISM
VOL. I
2
3
EDITURA UNIVERSITARÃBucureºti
SILVIA OSMAN ANAMARIA POPA
ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSESPOLITICAL SCIENCES, INTERNATIONAL
RELATIONS AND JOURNALISM
VOL. I
4
Colecþia Geografie
Colecþia FILOLOGIE
Redactor: Gheorghe IovanTehnoredactor: Ameluþa ViºanCoperta: Monica Balaban
Editurã recunoscutã de Consiliul Naþional al Cercetãrii ªtiinþifice (C.N.C.S.) ºi inclusã de ConsiliulNaþional de Atestare a Titlurilor, Diplomelor ºi Certificatelor Universitare (C.N.A.T.D.C.U.) în
categoria editurilor de prestigiu recunoscut.
© Toate drepturile asupra acestei lucrãri sunt rezervate, nicio parte din aceastã lucrare nu poatefi copiatã fãrã acordul Editurii Universitare
Copyright © 2013Editura UniversitarãDirector: Vasile MuscaluB-dul. N. Bãlcescu nr. 27-33, Sector 1, BucureºtiTel.: 021 – 315.32.47 / 319.67.27www.editurauniversitara.roe-mail: [email protected]
Distribuþie: tel.: 021-315.32.47 /319.67.27 / 0744 EDITOR / 07217 [email protected]. 15, C.P. 35, Bucureºtiwww.editurauniversitara.ro
Descrierea CIP a Bibliotecii Naþionale a RomânieiOSMAN, SILVIA English for Specific Purposes. - Bucureºti : Editura Universitarã, 2014 3 vol. ISBN 978-606-28-0045-1 Vol. 1 : Political Sciences, International Relations and Journalism / SilviaOsman, Anamaria Popa. - ISBN 978-606-28-0046-8
I. Popa, Anamaria
811.111
DOI: (Digital Object Identifier): 10.5682/9786062800468
5
În loc de cuvânt inainte…
Oricât ar pãrea de neobiºnuit, ideea unui altfel de manual aparþinestudenþilor mei.
S-a nãscut în timpul seminariilor, din discuþiile purtate cu ei pe margineamultor subiecte de interes pentru toþi: cum putem asimila activ o limbã strãinã,de ce gramatica ºi de ce nu, cum pãstrãm ce am achiziþionat de-a lungul timpului,cum perfecþionãm ceea ce am acumulat ºi cum adãugãm ceva nou unui bagajde cunoºtinþe divers, sedimentat în decursul anilor anteriori de studiu al limbiiengleze.
Trebuie sã mãrturisesc aici cã entuziasmul lor a fost de-a dreptul contagios:rezultatul vi se înfãþiºeazã, mai mult sau mai puþin, acum, în prezentul demers.An de an, am încercat sã înþeleg ce trezeºte, de fapt, curiozitatea studenþilormei ºi am încercat sã adaptez materialele de studiu ºi temele de discuþii sfereilor de interes.
Necesitatea unui astfel de suport de curs pentru seminariile de limbaenglezã destinate studenþilor facultãþilor de comunicare, ºtiinþe politice,administraþie publicã, relaþii internaþionale, jurnalism etc. - pentru carematerialele de studiu sunt extrem de limitate, reduse de cele mai multe ori lainstrumente de lucru de genul dicþionarelor – este, fãrã îndoialã, de netãgãduit.
Lucrarea de faþã se orienteazã cu prioritate cãtre aceste domenii de studiu,prin textele actuale, alese cu precãdere din sfera politicului ºi a libertãþii presei,precum ºi prin tematica abordatã în dezvoltarea vocabularului specific acestorzone de interes.
Structura unitarã a întregului material îºi propune sã dezvolte aptitudinimultiple, menite sã conducã în timp la dezvoltarea unui model de studiuindividual, de stimulare a unui proces de învãþare continuã, fãrã de careperfecþionarea achiziþiei unei limbi strãine este, din pãcate, imposibilã.
Fiecare capitol conþine un text de specialitate ºi unul de culturã generalã.Textul de specialitate este izvorul vocabularului, a cãrui desluºire este
necesarã studenþilor facultãþilor de comunicare ºi relaþii publice, ºtiinþe politice,administraþie publicã, relaþii internaþionale, jurnalism ºi nu numai, pentruabordarea – cu prioritate – a materialelor de cercetare destinate studiului
6
individual pentru celelalte materii curriculare, a cãror sursã de provenienþã ainformaþiei este de expresie engleza. Pentru a veni în întâmpinarea studentuluidornic sã se perfecþioneze, definiþiile termenilor necunoscuþi sunt date – înmarea lor majoritate – în limba englezã.
Textul de culturã generalã aduce un plus de culoare ºi are menirea de aîntãri aptitudinile de înþelegere a textului citit la prima vedere, prin întrebãrilevizând conþinutul acestora.
Noþiunile de gramaticã, prezente succint în fiecare capitol, sunt menitea aduce un plus de informaþie ºi noþiuni practice privind structurile limbiiengleze, expresiile idiomatice ºi sinonimia ºi sunt dublate de exerciþii aplicative.
Temele de portofoliu sunt opþionale, destinate în special celor care învaþãscriind. Subiectele selectate se pliazã dupã opþiunile studenþilor ºi reflectã, înmarea lor majoritate, interesul manifestat de aceºtia pentru diferite tematiciale contemporaneitãþii: dialogul permanent asupra “problemelor cetãþii”, alemodernitãþii noastre – a condus la identificarea temelor pentru eseurile propusela finele fiecãrui capitol.
Comunicarea este – în mod cert – indispensabilã lumii în care trãim.Comunicând transmitem, oferim ºi primim poate bunul cel mai de preþ:informaþia. Cuvântul “comunicare” vine din latina – “communis” înseamnãcomun, împãrtãºit ºi face parte din aceeaºi familie de cuvinte cu comuniune ºicomunitate. Nu putem însã avea o comunitate a informaþiei, pânã când nureuºim sã o împãrtãºim ºi celorlalþi, care trebuie sã o vadã, sã o perceapã, sã oînþeleagã la fel ca ºi noi. Cu atât mai mult în cazul în care informaþia ne survineîntr-o limbã strãinã! Iatã, de aici, necesitatea includerii în structura fiecãruicapitol a unui punct destinat comunicãrii, punct care îºi propune sã rãspundãunor întrebãri relativ simple, precum Ce este comunicarea? sau Cumcomunicam eficient?
Încerc sã închid astfel un cerc al studiului limbii engleze, cerc (oricât arpãrea de incomplet la prima vedere) pe care îl desenez în jurul prototipuluistudentului la comunicare, administraþie publicã, relaþii internaþionale, ºtiinþepolitice, jurnalism etc. dornic sã ºtie mai mult ºi sã se perfecþioneze continuu.
Vã invit sã vã bucuraþi de informaþia cuprinsã în acest volum ºi sã vãdoriþi sã deveniþi mereu mai buni!
Silvia Osman
Bucureºti, August 2014
7
Contents
În loc de cuvânt înainte ............................................................................................... 5
Unit 1
1.1 Reading Skills: US Constitution and Government (I) ......................................... 111.2 Building Vocabulary ........................................................................................... 131.3 Vocabulary Practice: Synonyms ........................................................................ 161.4 Grammar Skills: Focusing on Structures ........................................................... 181.5 Trivia: The Nuclear Family ................................................................................. 191.6 Reading Comprehension Skills .......................................................................... 201.7 Portfolio: Is the ethos of the traditional family at risk nowadays? ...................... 201.8 Communication Skills: Conversation, the Heart of Communication ................. 21
Unit 2
2.1 Reading Skills: US Constitution and Government (II) ....................................... 222.2 Building Vocabulary ........................................................................................... 242.3 Vocabulary Practice: Synonyms ........................................................................ 262.4 Grammar Skills: Affixation – Prefixes and Suffixes ......................................... 292.5 Trivia: New York, NY ......................................................................................... 322.6 Reading Comprehension Skills .......................................................................... 332.7 Portfolio: The City That Never Sleeps ................................................................ 342.8 Communication Skills: What is a Conversation? ............................................... 34
Unit 3
3.1 Reading Skills: The European Union .................................................................. 353.2 Building Vocabulary ........................................................................................... 403.3 Vocabulary Practice: Synonyms ........................................................................ 433.4 Grammar Skills: Phrasal Verbs (I) ..................................................................... 453.5 Trivia: The Women Suffrage Bill ........................................................................ 483.6 Reading Comprehension Skills .......................................................................... 493.7 Portfolio: Why do we need to vote? .................................................................... 493.8 Communication Skills: Seven Ways to Improve Your Conversation ................ 49
8
Unit 4
4.1 Reading Skills: How Europe Nearly Lost Ukraine ............................................. 524.2 Building Vocabulary ........................................................................................... 554.3 Vocabulary Practice: Synonyms ........................................................................ 574.4 Grammar Skills: Phrasal Verbs (II) .................................................................... 594.5 Trivia: Megapolises ............................................................................................. 614.6 Reading Comprehension Skills .......................................................................... 624.7 Portfolio: Living in Urban Areas ......................................................................... 634.8 Communication Skills: WASP – Welcome ........................................................ 63
Unit 5
5.1 Reading Skills: No More Shirking ..................................................................... 655.2 Building Vocabulary ........................................................................................... 675.3 Vocabulary Practice: Synonyms ........................................................................ 725.4 Grammar Skills: Phrasal Verbs (III) .................................................................. 745.5 Trivia: The Federal Reserve System ................................................................... 755.6 Reading Comprehension Skills .......................................................................... 765.7 Portfolio: Are We Europeans? ............................................................................. 775.8 Communication Skills: WASP – Acquire .......................................................... 77
Unit 6
6.1 Reading Skills: Losing the Plot ........................................................................... 786.2 Building Vocabulary ........................................................................................... 806.3 Vocabulary Practice: Synonyms ........................................................................ 826.4 Grammar Skills: Making Inferences and Restating ........................................... 846.5 Trivia: The Human Memory ............................................................................... 856.6 Reading Comprehension Skills .......................................................................... 866.7 Portfolio: Should history stand in the way of progress? ..................................... 876.8 Communication Skills: WASP – Supply ............................................................ 87
Unit 7
7.1 Reading Skills: The European Neighborhood Policy and the Euro-AtlanticPartnership (I) ....................................................................................................... 88
7.2 Building Vocabulary ........................................................................................... 937.3 Vocabulary Practice: Synonyms ........................................................................ 957.4 Grammar Skills: A Basic Review on Redundancy ............................................ 977.5 Trivia: World Population ..................................................................................... 987.6 Reading Comprehension Skills .......................................................................... 997.7 Portfolio: Is it right? ............................................................................................ 1007.8 Communication Skills: WASP – Part ................................................................. 100
9
Unit 8
8.1 Reading Skills: The European Neighborhood Policy and the Euro-AtlanticPartnership(II) ....................................................................................................... 102
8.2 Building Vocabulary ........................................................................................... 1058.3 Vocabulary Practice: Synonyms ........................................................................ 1078.4 Grammar Skills: Idioms and Fixed Expression - General .................................. 1098.5 Trivia: Charles Ives ............................................................................................. 1128.6 Reading Comprehension Skills .......................................................................... 1128.7 Portfolio: How much is enough? ......................................................................... 1138.8 Communication Skills: Finding Common Ground Is Not Always Simple ........ 114
Unit 9
9.1 Reading Skills: The European Neighborhood Policy and the Euro-AtlanticPartnership (III) .................................................................................................... 115
9.2 Building Vocabulary ........................................................................................... 1179.3 Vocabulary Practice: Synonyms ........................................................................ 1199.4 Grammar Skills: Idiomatic Expressions. The Six Senses .................................. 1219.5 Trivia: The Nobel Prizes ...................................................................................... 1239.6 Reading Comprehension Skills .......................................................................... 1249.7 Portfolio: A Nobel Prize Winner ......................................................................... 1249.8 Communication Skills: The Ladder of Inference ............................................... 125
Unit 10
10.1 Reading Skills: The Iron Lady – Margaret Thatcher .......................................... 12610.2 Building Vocabulary ........................................................................................... 13010.3 Vocabulary Practice: Synonyms ........................................................................ 13310.4 Grammar Skills: Miscellaneous Idiomatic Expressions ..................................... 13510.5 Trivia: Noah Webster .......................................................................................... 13710.6 Reading Comprehension Skills .......................................................................... 13810.7 Portfolio: On the News ........................................................................................ 13910.8 Communication Skills: Summarizing ................................................................. 139
Unit 11
11.1 Reading Skills: An American Invasion – Coffee Clash ...................................... 14011.2 Building Vocabulary ........................................................................................... 14211.3 Vocabulary Practice: Synonyms ........................................................................ 14411.4 Grammar Skills: Idioms Connected with Praise and Criticism ......................... 14611.5 Trivia: The Wright Brothers ................................................................................ 14711.6 Reading Comprehension Skills .......................................................................... 14811.7 Portfolio: Teamwork ........................................................................................... 14911.8 Communication Skills: Interrupting ................................................................... 149
10
Unit 12
12.1 Reading Skills: Reluctant US Returns to Iraq Frontline – Amid HumanitarianCrisis ..................................................................................................................... 151
12.2 Building Vocabulary ........................................................................................... 15612.3 Vocabulary Practice: Synonyms ....................................................................... 16112.4 Grammar Skills: Idioms Connected with Beliefs and Opinion ......................... 16312.5 Trivia: Noise ......................................................................................................... 16412.6 Reading Comprehension Skills ........................................................................... 16512.7 Portfolio: Pollution in Urban Areas ...................................................................... 16612.8 Communication Skills: Showing that you are paying attention .......................... 166
Unit 13
13.1 Reading Skills: Gaza Timeline: From Samson and Delilah to Israeli –Palestinian Fighting .............................................................................................. 167
13.2 Building Vocabulary ........................................................................................... 17013.3 Vocabulary Practice: Synonyms ......................................................................... 17213.4 Grammar Skills: Idioms Connected to Money - Buying, Selling and Paying .... 17513.5 Trivia: Horace Mann ............................................................................................ 17713.6 Reading Comprehension Skills ........................................................................... 17813.7 Portfolio: Sayings and Quotes .............................................................................. 17913.8 Communication Skills: Cultivating Ease ............................................................. 179
Unit 14
14.1 Reading Skills: Gaza – Israel Conflict: What Is the Fighting About? ................. 18114.2 Building Vocabulary ........................................................................................... 18514.3 Vocabulary Practice: Synonyms ......................................................................... 19014.4 Grammar Skills: Idiomatic Expressions – Success, Failure and Difficulty ........ 19214.5 Trivia: Rainforests ................................................................................................ 19514.6 Reading Comprehension Skills ........................................................................... 19614.7 Portfolio: Learning a Foreign Language .............................................................. 19714.8 Communication Skills: Ask Quality Questions ................................................... 197
Unit 15
14.1 Reading Skills: Freedom of the Press ................................................................... 19914.2 Building Vocabulary ........................................................................................... 20714.3 Vocabulary Practice: Synonyms ......................................................................... 21114.4 Speaking Skills / Managing a Conversation: Business and Negotiation Skills ... 21314.5 Trivia: The Geyser ................................................................................................ 21614.6 Reading Comprehension Skills ........................................................................... 21614.7 Portfolio: Natural Phenomena .............................................................................. 21714.8 Communication Skills: Why do conversations go wrong? ................................. 217
Appendices ................................................................................................................... 220
11
Unit 1
“Heaven and Earth never agreed better to frame a place forman’s habitation.”
– Captain John Smith, 1607
1.1 Reading Skills
••••• Previewing: Research shows that it is easier to understand what youare reading if you begin with a general idea of what the passage isabout. Previewing helps you form a general idea of the topic in yourmind.
• To preview, read the title (if there is one), then the first sentence ofeach paragraph and the last sentence of the passage. You should dothis as quickly as possible: remember that you are not reading for spe-cific information, but for an impression of the topic.
THE U.S. CONSTITUTION AND GOVERNMENT (I)
The United States of America has a written constitution, which sets outthe principles of government. Drawn up in 1787, it has so far been changed oramended twenty-six times. The first ten amendments, known together as theBill of Rights, set down such basic rights as the freedom of speech, of religionand of the press.
To ensure that no individual or group has too much power, the Constitutionshares power among three groups, the executive (the President), the legislative(Congress) and the judicial (the courts), in such a way that each has a certainauthority over the others (a system of checks and balances).
The President represents the country as Head of State but also has realpolitical power. Elections for President are held every four years and noPresident may own office for more than two terms.
Presidential candidates are chosen by the political parties either throughPrimaries (direct elections) or at state conventions or caucuses (meetings ofparty representatives), depending on the state.
12
Congress consists of two houses, the Senate (to which each state electstwo senators for a period of six years) and the House of Representatives, inwhich the number of representatives from each state depends on its population.Bills cannot become law until they have been passed by both houses, and ifthey are not passed by a two-thirds majority they can still be vetoed by thePresident. Bills must not conflict with the constitution.
The Federal government is responsible only for matters of nationalimportance, such as foreign affairs, trade and defence. The governments of theindividual states are responsible for all other matters.
The Courts. Federal judges are appointed by the President and confirmedby the Senate. The highest court, the Supreme Court, has the power to judgewhether a law passed by the government conforms to the constitution andwhether the President has acted constitutionally. If it judges that the President’sbehaviour has been unconstitutional, he or she may be impeached (accused ofa crime against the State).1
The President and Vice-President are both elected for a term of fouryears. The President has a good deal of authority. He has an annual salary andan annual allowance for travelling expenses. The Vice-President takes the placeof the President in case a substitute is needed; ordinarily he acts as presidingofficer of the Senate without a vote, except in the case of a tie.
The Cabinet is made up of the heads of the government departments.The President with the approval of the Senate appoints the members of theCabinet; they are his official advisers and help him in carrying out his policies.Their term of service is generally the full four years that the administrationlasts. They are responsible to the President for their official acts, and Congresshas no power to remove them.
Congress meets once a year in December and continues in session forseveral months. The upper house of Congress is the Senate. There are twoSenators for each State in the Union, elected for a term of six years. The lowerhouse, the House of Representatives, is composed of Representatives electedfor a term of two years. They elect a presiding officer, known as the Speaker,from among them. The number of Representatives from each State is inproportion to the population - some States have only one, while others have
1 From Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, Oxford University Press, 1995
