REVISION - ENGLISH COURSE

A.    Communication tasks

1.     Write a short letter to Professor Jane Baker of Oxford University to thank her for leading the workshop you organised at the faculty in Bucharest. Mention that you hope to invite her next year to talk about another aspect of the same topic.

2.     A friend recently recommended a holiday company for particular destination. You took his advice and had a wonderful holiday. Write a note to thank him for his recommendation and describe one or two highlights of the holiday.

3.     The local newspaper published an article about your sister recently. Unfortunately, many of the details in the article were incorrect. Write to the editor explaining the inaccuracies and asking for a few lines in next week’s paper to set the record straight.

4.     Write a note inviting a friend to stay for the weekend and suggesting some places you might visit together.

5.     Explain what the two candidates for jobs described bellow ignore:

1. A nineteen years old Romanian was fretting restlessly in the secretary’s office of a firm, nervously biting his nails. He was waiting for his first job interview. When his turn came, however, the secretary said that the interview was off.
2. It was his first Christmas in Jamestown and Dan was very happy. He had received ten confirmation calls to the 60 CVs he had sent to would-be employers. All callers had hung up with “we’ll keep in touch after Christmas”. But Christmas had passed for a long time and Dan is still waiting for his first job interview.

6.     If you were an interviewer, in which order would you ask questions on the issues bellow:

ways of improving company activities

present duties

reasons for applying and educational background

leadership position

7.     Write a letter of application to an advertising company which has published in the local newspaper the specifications for the position of copywriter.

8.     Write a C.V. to be put on the Internet for all those who offer scholarships to the students in social communication and public relations.

9.     Write a letter of application for the job of head of a certain department in a television (mention which one), and enclose your C.V. Be as convincing as possible.

10.  Discuss all the necessary documents to be sent to a firm for employment. Explain why you have to send each of them.

B.     Grammar tests.

B1. Translate into English:

Ar trebui sa-l scrie. Trebuie sa-l scrie. A putut sa-l scrie. Se poate sa-l fi scris. Probabil ca l-a scris. Ar fi putut sa-l scrie. Poate sa-l scrie. Va putea sa-l scrie. Ar putea sa-l scrie. Va trebui sa-l scrie.   S-ar putea sa-l scrie. Ar fi trebuit sa-l scrie. Nu era nevoie sa-l scrie. Nu i s-a permis sa-l scrie.

B2. Translate the following text and comment upon the modal verbs in italic:

Strether hesitated. “No – she’s not well, I’m sorry to have to tell you”.

“Ah”, said Chad, “I must have had the instinct of it. All the more reason then that we should start straight off”.

Strether had now got together hat, gloves and stick, but Chad had dropped on the sofa as if to show he wished he would make his point. He kept observing his companion’s things; he might have been judging how quickly they could be packed. He might even have wished to hint that he would send his own servant to assist.

B3. Provide an alternative sentence beginning with the words in bold:

a.     I think he should leave at once. It’s time …………

b.     John thinks he knows all the answers. He talks as if …………

c.      I would like you to clean the blackboard instead of telling jokes. I’d rather …………

d.     Why didn’t you tell me first thing in the morning? I wish …………

e.     My sister is getting married to a crook. I hope she’ll change her mind. If only…………

f.      John wants to play the piano in order to earn money. He wants to play the piano in order that …………

g.     I will tell him the truth to avoid being punished. I’ll tell the truth for fear that …………

REFERAT: Epifora - repetitie lexicala desprinsa din bocet REFERAT: Popa Tanda, de Ioan Slavici. Caracterizarea personajului principal

h.     Go change that dress immediately! I insist that …………

i.       It would be better for you not to obey the order. You had better …………

j.       How about teaching them a lesson? I suppose …………

B4. Choose the correct form:

1.     What do you usually do in your free time?

1. I am swimming and reading a lot.
2. I go swimming and do a lot of reading.
3. I have been swimming and reading a lot.
4. I am always reading and swimming.

2.     Why do you feel so tired now?

1. I have been working too much recently.
2. We painted our flat.
3. I am being ill so I am receiving treatment.
4. I have got a flu.

3.     Thank you for the lovely dinner. This roast

1. tastes superb.
2. is tasting superb.
3. has superb taste.
4. has been tasting superb.

4.     I wonder … … …to make it.

1. how long it did take
2. how long did it take
3. how long it took
4. how long took

5.     Here you are at last! … … …for you for 35 minutes.

1. I have been waiting
2. I have waited
3. I had been waiting
4. I waited

6.     He … … …to me about his future plans over a year ago.

1. has spoken
2. had last spoken
3. last spoke
4. recently spoke

7.     The parties … … …agreement last week if they had had more time.

1. must reach
2. could reach
3. could have reached
4. might reach

8.     I am sorry I haven’t given you a ring, I … … …too busy over the past week.

1. was
2. have been
3. had been
4. am

9.     It is high time … … …where to go this summer.

1. you will decide
2. you decided
3. you should decide
4. for deciding

10.  If you … … …decide very soon, you will end up staying at home.

1. won’t
2. don’t
3. wouldn’t
4. aren’t to

11.  It’s a pity you didn’t come to England. As you … … …there before, you would have enjoyed every minute of the trip.

1. weren’t
2. haven’t been
3. hadn’t been
4. had been

12.  I … … …her something confidential, but I changed my mind.

1. was to tell
2. wanted to say
3. was going to tell
4. was going to say

13.  … … …half of the villa had burnt down.

1. By the time the firemen arrived
2. By the time the firemen had arrived
3. When the firemen arrived
4. When the firemen had arrived

14.  When you … … …him again you will surely notice the difference in his appearance.

1. see
2. will see
3. are going to see
4. are seeing

15.  He said he … … …to go to the theatre as he had seen Hamlet three times.

1. didn’t want
2. doesn’t want
3. wouldn’t
4. won’t

16.  I … … …that my teeth are in a bad state.

1. told
2. am said
3. have been told
4. have been said

17.  I … … …it was a good idea, but now it is too late.

1. wouldn’t think
2. think hardly
3. don’t think
4. mustn’t think

18.  I wonder what the problem is. The guests … … …come about seven.

1. should
2. ought to
3. should have
4. ought to have to

19.  Your hair is very untidy. You … … ….

1. can have it cut.
2. need have it cut.
3. should have it cut
4. need cutting.

20.  I wish John … … …drink so much at every party.

1. did not
2. does not
3. would not
4. not to

C.     Communication theories.

1.     Write an essay explaining the general pattern of communication and the critics addressed to it.

2.     Explain in an essay the resemblance and the differences between propaganda and persuasion.

3.     Write on two columns the arguments for and against mass culture.

4.     Explain in no more than 100 words the special features of a media institution.

5.     Give the definitions of magazines and newspapers and explain the concepts.

6.     Try to give definitions of radio and television and sustain your opinion about these media.

7.     Try to find interesting data and write down a brief history of one of the media.

8.     Discuss in one page the ethics of media.

D.    Vocabulary practice.

D1. Translate into English:

1.     Profesiile necesita o pregatire speciala. Meseriile necesita munca manuala calificata.

2.     Zidarii, zugravii, geamgii, dulgherii, electricienii, instalatorii si tamplarii lucreaza cu totii sa construiasca o casa.

3.     Economistii sunt specializati in management, marketing, comert, finante sau contabilitate.

4.     La aceste birouri sunt angajati functionari, dactilografe si secretare.

5.     Avocatul apararii s-a intalnit cu avocatul acuzarii si cei doi au hotarat sa ceara schimbarea judecatorului.

6.     Regizorul, actorii si actritele au facut greva pentru ca nu erau platiti suficient.

7.     Mecanicul de locomotiva s-a plans soferului de taxi ca are o munca foarte grea.

8.     Tesatoarea a dus panza croitoresei care a facut o rochie frumoasa si apoi s-a intalnit cu palarierul pentru ca acesta sa faca o palarie potrivita.

D2. Translate into English:

Putine intreprinderi au ca scop comunicarea. Majoritatea intreprinderilor au un alt scop: de a vinde un produs sau serviciu, de a satisface o nevoie sociala, de a realiza planuri sau de a duce unele politici. Si totusi, pentru a face toate acestea, intreprinderile consuma enorm de mult timp, energie si bani comunicand. Oamenii din intreprinderi comunica in multe feluri: de la om la om, discutii in doi, in grupuri neofociale, in sedinte, oral, la telefon, in scris, cu ajutorul calculatoarelor sau terminalelor, prin scrisori si rapoarte. Toate aceste metode alcatuiesc asa-zisa comunicare verbala.

D3. Translate into Romanian and comment upon the following text:

Business writing is a craft, not an art form. Like carpentry and knitting, it can be learnt even by those of us who have no particular artistic skill. As a craft, it has a heavy reliance on formulas, a wide use of graphics, and an intense awareness of purpose and audience. These formulas make the business writer more organised and the information conveyed more easily accessible to the reader. They also help speed possible, the writer won’t wait for inspiration, we’ll have a formula at hand for any information to be transmitted.

D4. Explain the differences between the following verbs:

to declare and to pronounce;

to affirm and to allege;

to explain and to elucidate;

to notice and to perceive.