English for Specific Purposes: Social Sciences (II)

Oricat ar parea de neobisnuit, ideea unui astfel de manual apartine studentilor mei. S-a nascut in timpul seminariilor, din discutiile purtate cu ei pe marginea multor subiecte de interes pentru toti: cum putem asimila activ o limba straina, de ce gramatica si de ce nu, cum pastram ce am achizitionat de-a lungul timpului, cum perfectionam ceea ce am acumulat si cum adaugam ceva nou unui bagaj de cunostinte divers, sedimentat in decursul anilor anteriori de studiu al limbii engleze.

Trebuie sa marturisesc aici ca entuziasmul lor a fost de-a dreptul contagios: rezultatul vi se infatiseaza, mai mult sau mai putin, acum, in prezentul demers. An de an, am incercat sa inteleg ce trezeste, de fapt, curiozitatea studentilor mei si am incercat sa adaptez materialele de studiu si temele de discutii sferei lor de interes.

Necesitatea unui astfel de suport de curs pentru seminariile de limba engleza destinate studentiilor facultatilor de comunicare, stiinte politice, administratie publica, relatii internationale, jurnalism etc. - pentru care materialele de studiu sunt extrem de limitate, reduse de cele mai multe ori la instrumente de lucru de genul dictionarelor – este, fara indoiala, de netagaduit.

Lucrarea de fata se orienteaza cu prioritate catre aceste domenii de studiu, prin textele actuale, alese cu precadere din sfera politicului si a libertatii presei, precum si prin tematica abordata in dezvoltarea vocabularului specific acestor zone de interes.

Conf.univ.dr. Silvia Osman 

In loc de cuvant inainte /5

Unit 1

1.1  Reading Skills: The Psychology of Dreams Activities (I) – Sigmund Freud /11

1.2  Building Vocabulary/15

1.3  Vocabulary Practice: Synonyms /20

1.4  Grammar Skills: Focusing on Structures /22

1.5  Trivia: The Nuclear Family /23

1.6  Reading Comprehension Skills/24

1.7 Portfolio: Is the ethos of the traditional family at risk nowadays?/25

1.8 Communication Skills: Conversation, the Heart of Communication / 25

Unit 2

2.1   Reading Skills: The Psychology of Dreams Activities (II) – Sigmund Freud /26

2.2    Building Vocabulary/30

2.3    Vocabulary Practice: Synonyms /35

2.4    Grammar Skills: Affixation – Prefixes and Suffixes /38

2.5    Trivia: New York, NY /41

2.6    Reading Comprehension Skills/42

2.7  Portfolio: The City That Never Sleeps / 43

2.8  Communication Skills: What is a Conversation? / 43

Unit 3

3.1    Reading Skills: The Psychology of Dreams Activities (III) – Sigmund Freud/44

3.2    Building Vocabulary/48

3.3    Vocabulary Practice: Synonyms /52

3.4   Grammar Skills: Phrasal Verbs (I) /54

3.5    Trivia: The Women Suffrage Bill/57

3.6    Reading Comprehension Skills/58

3.7 Portfolio: Why do we need to vote?/ 58

3.8 Communication Skills: Seven Ways to Improve Your Conversation/ 58

Unit 4

4.1    Reading Skills: The Psychology of Dreams Activities (IV) – Sigmund Freud/61

4.2    Building Vocabulary/65

4.3    Vocabulary Practice: Synonyms /71

4.4    Grammar Skills: Phrasal Verbs (II)/73

4.5    Trivia: Megapolises /75

4.6   Reading Comprehension Skills/76

4.7 Portfolio: Living in Urban Areas/77

4.8 Communication Skills: WASP – Welcome/ 77

 Unit 5

5.1 Reading Skills: The Higher Circles (I) – C. Wright Mills /79

5.2    Building Vocabulary/84

5.3   Vocabulary Practice: Synonyms /89

5.4    Grammar Skills: Phrasal Verbs (III) /91

5.5    Trivia: Job Insecurity Climate /92

5.6    Reading Comprehension Skills/94

5.7 Portfolio: Are We Europeans?/ 94

5.8 Communication Skills: WASP – Acquire / 95

Unit 6

6.1   Reading Skills: The Higher Circles (II) – C. Wright Mills /96

6.2    Building Vocabulary/100

6.3    Vocabulary Practice: Synonyms /106

6.4   Grammar Skills: Making Inferences and Restating /108

6.5    Trivia: The Human Memory /108

6.6     Reading Comprehension Skills// 110

6.8 Communication Skills: WASP – Supply/110

Unit 7

7.1  Reading Skills: The Mars and Venus Question/112

7.2   Building Vocabulary/114

7.3   Vocabulary Practice: Synonyms /117

7.4   Grammar Skills: A Basic Review on Redundancy /119

7.5  Trivia: World Population/120

7.6  Reading Comprehension Skills/121

7.7 Portfolio: Is it right?/ 121

7.8 Communication Skills: WASP – Part/ 122

Unit 8

8.1 Reading Skills: Dark Order Out of Chaos. From the Chalice to the Blade (I) –Riane Eisler /123

8.2  Building Vocabulary/127

8.3  Vocabulary Practice: Synonyms /133

8.4  Grammar Skills: Idioms and Fixed Expression – General/135

8.5   Trivia: Robert Panara /138

8.6    Reading Comprehension Skills/140

8.7   Portfolio: How much is enough? /141

8.8  Communication Skills: Finding Common Ground Is Not Always Simple /141

Unit 9

9.1    Reading Skills: Dark Order Out of Chaos. From the Chalice to the Blade (II) – Riane Eisler /142

9.2    Building Vocabulary/145

9.3    Vocabulary Practice: Synonyms /152

9.4   Grammar Skills: Idiomatic Expressions. The Six Senses /154

9.5   Trivia: The Nobel Prizes/156

9.6   Reading Comprehension Skills/157

9.7 Portfolio: A Nobel Prize Winner / 157

9.8 Communication Skills: The Ladder of Inference / 157

Unit 10

10.1 Reading Skills: Dark Order Out of Chaos. From the Chalice to the Blade (III) – Riane Eisler /159

10.2 Building Vocabulary/162

10.3 Vocabulary Practice: Synonyms /165

10.4 Grammar Skills: Miscellaneous Idiomatic Expressions/167

10.5 Trivia: Noah Webster/ 170

10.6 Reading Comprehension Skills/ 171

10.7 Portfolio: On the News/ 171

10.8 Communication Skills: Summarizing/ 172

Unit 11

11.1 Reading Skills: Dark Order Out of Chaos. From the Chalice to the Blade (IV) –Riane Eisler /173

11.2 Building Vocabulary/176

11.3 Vocabulary Practice: Synonyms /180

11.4 Grammar Skills: Idioms Connected with Praise and Criticism /182

11.5 Trivia: Manipulating the Body/ 183

11.6 Reading Comprehension Skills/185

11.7 Portfolio: Teamwork / 185

11.8 Communication Skills: Interrupting/ 185

 Unit 12

12.1 Reading Skills: The Need to Belong (I) – Roy F. Baumeister /186

12.2 Building Vocabulary/191

12.3 Vocabulary Practice: Synonyms /199

12.4 Grammar Skills: Idioms Connected with Beliefs and Opinion /201

12.5 Trivia: Noise /202