ENGLISH NEWS

Part 5
Unit 21
Speaking and Speech
Lexical Database

Language Registers and Variants

mother tongue / native language = language one learns since early childhood
foreign language = language of another country
standard English = variant of the English language used on the radio or TV (sometimes called
BBC English for that reason)
slang = argou
double Dutch = incomprehensible jargon

The tone makes the music: SOFT

humming = sound like that of bees in a hive, or somebody singing softly with the moth shut
whisper = words uttered (at somebodys ear) in a very low voice
soothing = comforting, calming you down

The tone makes the music: LOUD

shriek = loud, high pitched cry (like that of a terrified woman)

howl = the sound of a big animal (wolf, lion) or of a violent natural element (storm, rough
sea)
bellow = deep roaring sound characteristic of a bull, deep shout (like that of an angry man)
screech = loud, high pitched cry (synonym of shriek)

Public speech

rhetoric = the art of speaking convincingly

lecturer = university professor delivering lectures
spell-binder = speaker capable of charming his audience
rabble rouser = speaker capable of stirring his listeners to mutiny

Talk, talk, talk!

to chat = to have an easy talk

controversy = dispute, argument
to debate = to deliberate, to ponder
to question = to ask, but also to doubt
allegation = groundless statement
to retort = to answer back

Parliament debates

to resume = (false friend!) to start again

to cut short = to stop somebody who is speaking
to slip in a word = to barely be able to say something
to go blank = to forget what you were going to say
booing and hissing = Rom. huiduieli i fluierturi
to barge in = to impolitely enter a discussion uninvited
disruption = interruption

Synonyms and Antonyms

to convince
to persuade
to give a persuasive speech
to talk somebody into doing something
to disclose
to reveal
to admit
to confess
to flatter
to prize (usually unsincerely)

to dissuade
to talk somebody out of doing something
to conceal
to hide, to deny
to humble, to humiliate

Idioms

to talk through somebodys hat = to talk nonsense

to talk down to somebody = to talk with condescendence
to talk shop = to talk nonsense
to talk something out = to analyze thoroughly
to talk somebody around = o change somebodys ideas about a topipc

Grammar

If Clause

Future situation

II Present situation
III Past (unaccomplished situation)

Main Clause
FUTURE
Eg. I will take the course
PRESENT CONDITIONAL
Eg.I would take the course
PAST CONDITIONAL
Eg.I would have taken the course

Unit 22
Advertising and Consumption
Lexical Database

Advertising

If - Clause
PRESENT
if I am interested in it.
PAST TENSE
if I were interested in it.
PAST PERFECT
if I had been interested in it.

catchword = word that draws your attention

entice = temptation
eyewash = misleading advertisement
to brainwash = to make the customer buy something blindly
to bludgeon the customer = to insist excessively on advertising
subliminal message = indirect message, slipped between the lines

Means of advertisement

sticker = adhesive foil to be attached on the car, door, window, etc.

leaflet = small piece of paper containing basic information (Rom. flutura)
folder = cardboard container for sheets of paper (Rom. map)
hoarding = billboard = banner = large panel or plastic sheet for the display of
advertisements in public places, such as alongside
highways or on the sides of buildings.
sign = (among many other things) a board or display with the name of a store, placed above
the entrance door, usually.
jingle= short refrain used in radio advertisements
trade fair = exhibition where various producers display their merchandise and conclude
contracts

Types of stores

wholesale store = store where merchandise is sold in bulk

retail store = store where merchandise is sold by the item
discount store = store selling products at a low price
deli-store= store selling exquisite foods (delicatessen)
stationery = store selling paper and office stuff
off-license = store selling alcoholic beverages in bottles or cans
hardware store = store selling household goods or tools
DIY store = store selling tools and materials (DIY = Do It Yourself)

Inside the store

shelves, racks = stands on which merchandise is being displayed

department, section = sector of a supermarket where specific goods are sold
grocery cart (Am.) = trolley (Br.) = wheeled basked for carrying the merchandize with, inside
the
velvet = catifea
satin = satin

Antonyms

pleased, satisfied displeased, dissatisfied

wealthy, rich, affluent, well-to-do poor, needy, penniless
affordable, cheap, inexpensive expensive, costly
choosy, picky, whimsical decided, determined

Idiomatic phrases

an ugly/rough customer = a mean guy

an awkward customer = an embarrassing guy

an odd/queer customer = a strange guy
it costs the earth = it is very expensive
it costs an arm and a leg = it is very expensive
at all costs = by any means
GRAMMAR
Reported Speech
Main Clause

Previous

Secondary clauses
Simultaneous

Hary says

he liked yesterdays
movie

Harry said

he had liked the

he liked that movie
movie of the day before.

he likes this movie

Future
you will like
tomorrows movie.
you would like the
next days movie.

Basic principle: when the Verb in the main clause is in the Past Tense, the verbs in the
Secondary clauses should be one step towards the past, as compared to the same clauses
introduced by a verb in the Present Tense.
Unit 23
Industry, Agriculture and Production
Lexical Database

Industrial branches

heavy industry = industrial branch producing metal, machinery and equipment

light industry = industrial branch producing clothing and footwear
mining industry = industrial branch extracting coal or iron ore
food industry = industrial branch producing edibles (foodstuff)
manufacturing industry = industrial branch producing finished household goods
civil engineering = industrial branch constructing roads, bridges, buildings
electronic industry = industrial branch producing TV sets, radio sets, DVDs, etc.

Agricultural activities and their results

cereal growing = wheat, (sweet) corn / maize, barley, rye, oats, rice
vine growing = grapes and wine
cattle breeding = beef, veal, animal by-products (leather, etc.)
beekeeping (apiary) = honey, pollen, wax, propolis
dairy farming = milk, butter, cheese and eggs
fish farming = fish and roe (Rom. icre)

smith compounds

blacksmith = someone working with iron, making horseshoes, for instance (Rom. fierar)
goldsmith = someone working with gold, making jewelry (Rom. aurar)
gunsmith = someone in charge with the maintenance and repair of guns (Rom. armurier)
locksmith = skilled mechanic capable of repairing locks and other such devices.

Types of soil

field = farmland = area meant for cultivation

furrow = cultivated area (Rom. ogor)
topsoil= the upper part of he land (where seeds are being planted) (Rom. strat germinativ)
idle land = wasteland = piece of uncultivated land
fallow land = piece of land, not cultivated for a long time (Rom. prloag)
barren land = piece of land that cannot carry almost any kind of plant (Rom. teren arid)
meadow = piece of land on which grass is growing (mainly used as a pasture)

Agricultural tools

spade = hrle
rake = grebl
shovel = lopat
wheel barrow = roab
combine harvester = combin

Handicraft tools

hammer = ciocan
screwdriver = urubelni
pliers = clete
wrench = cheie fix
hand saw = ferstru de mn
plane = rindea

Idiomatic phrases

the black sheep = the shame person in a family

its a chicken and egg situation = its a situation with no solution (Rom. cine a fost mai nti,
oul sau gina?)
to lead a dogs life = to have a tough life
to have other fish to fry = to have something better to do
to kill two birds at one stone = to solve two problems at the same time
pigs might fly = never
to call a spade a spade = to speak directly

Grammar

Uses of the Infinitive

1. The Accusative + Infinitive
E.g. I believe him to be a real expert in the matter.
2. The For to constructions

E.g. It is important for her to be on time there.

3. The Split Infinitive
E.g. I would like to more than compensate for this helping hand.
Unit 24
Human Relationships
Lexical Database

Friendship

close friends = bosom friends = real, very good friends

kindred spirit = soul mates = said about people who seem to have been destined to be together
pen friend = pen pal = a friend you keep in touch with mainly by mail
male/female bonding = complicity among men/women
childhood friend = someone who has been your friend since childhood
Love
platonic love = love not involving sexual relationships
to have a crush Obachelor girln somebody = to dote on somebody = to love somebody madly
a blind date = a date with someone you have never seen before

People involved

bachelor = single man = unmarried man

bachelor girl / single girl = unmarried woman
spinster = old maid (old unmarried woman)
fianc = logodnic
fiance = logodnic
bride = mireas
(bride)groom = mire
best man = Rom. cavaler de onoare
maid of honor = domnioar de onoare
matron of honor = doamn de onoare

Types of human relations

closeness = the quality of having similar likes and dislikes

affinity = to have a liking for somebody
devotion = the quality of being devoted to somebody
sympathy = liking
trustworthiness = the quality of being trusted by people
enmity = an attitude of hostility
reprobation = feeling of anger towards somebody, as a result of his/her acts
nuisance = annoyance = said about a person who is inconvenient, annoying, or vexatious
wickedness = the characteristic of being wicked by nature

Traits of character

egocentric = egotist = someone who acts as if he is the bellybutton of the world

selfish = egoist = someone who does not care about the others
selfless = unselfish = someone who thinks of others firs, and then of himself
unassuming = self-effacing = modest = someone who always keeps a low profile
boaster = braggart = someone who likes to show off by exaggerations his own qualities or
deeds
scorn = despise = a feeling of contempt or disdain for somebody, considered to be unworthy
sneer = the facial expression of scorn
sly = cunning = treacherous = person who is characterized by a deceiving, artful conduct

Feelings

to resent = to have hard feeling towards somebody

to have a fancy for = to feel sympathy and attraction for
to abhor = to detest, to dislike violently
to be keen on = to want badly to do something in particular

Idiomatic phrases

a fair-weather friend = a person who shows friendship only under favorable circumstances
our dumb friends = our pets
puppy love = (ironically) beginning of love
a pet hate = someone you love to hate
to fly off the handle = to lose your temper
to foam at the mouth = to be mad at
to be all the rage = to be the latest fashion

Gramar

The use -ing forms of verbs

1. The Accusative + Participle
E.g. He looked at her sleeping.
2. The Nominative + Participle
E.g. The student was seen reading in the library.
3. The Absolute Nominative
E.g. The professor having left, students went for a coffee.
4. The Absolute Participle
E.g. Generally speaking, we enjoy school.
5. The Gerund
E.g. Do you mind my smoking in here?
Unit 25
Games People Play
Lexical Database

Cards signs:

diamonds = Rom. caro

spades = Rom. cup
clubs = Rom. trefl
hearts = Rom. pic

Names of some cards:

ace = Rom. as
king = Rom. pop, rege
knight / jack = Rom. valet / juvete
queen = Rom. dam / regin

Poker card combinations

pair = Rom. pereche

brelan / three of a kind = Rom. brelan / trei buci
flush = Rom. culoare
quads / four of a kind = Rom. car / patru buci
straight flush = Rom. chint
royal flush = Rom. chint royal

Chess objects

the chessboard = Rom. tabla de ah

the pieces = Rom. piesele

Chess pieces

pawn = Rom. pion

knight = Rom. cal
bishop = Rom. nebun
rook = Rom. tur
queen = Rom. regin
king = Rom. rege

Game ending

stalemate = Rom. pat

checkmate = Rom. ah mat

Backgammon elements

the checkers / men / pieces / stones / counters = Rom. puluri

the points / pips = the colored triangular areas on which the pieces are being placed
the dice = Rom. zarurile

Backgammon terminology

blot = Rom. chioar (a single checker on a pip)

hit = checker that is put out by being replaced by one of the opponents checkers.

on the bar = the state of a checker of being temporarily out

to be gammoned = to have been defeated before you managed to get any checker out.
to be backgammoned = to have been defeated while you still have checkers on the bar.

Grammar

Uses of the Past Participle

TO BE + Past Participle = The Passive Voice
E.g. He was seen smoking again.
TO HAVE + Past Participle = The Perfective constructions
E.g. I have noticed her.
When I called, he had left the office.
By the time you arrive, I will have left.
TO HAVE + BEEN + Past Participle = Perfect Passive
E.g. They have been noticed sneaking out.