Developing Skills For Language Acquisition (A Practical Course in English Language For 2nd Year Students)

Associate Professor Steluta Stan, PhD
Dunarea de Jos University of Galati Faculty of Letters
Developing Skills for Language Acquisition

(A Practical Course in English Language for 2nd Year Students)
Associate Professor Steluta Stan
CONTENTS
1 Tenses of the Indicative - Exercises 5 2 Reading Comprehension and/or Writing 17 2.1 Romanian Sources 17 2.2 English Sources 24 2.2.1 Lyrics 24 2.2.2 Issues of Todays Society
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2.3 Text Correction 37 3 Listening Comprehension and/or Speaking 38 3.1 Topics for Conversation 38 3.2 Documentaries and Films 41 4 Final Tasks and Tests 42
Developing Skills for Language Acquisition 5
1 TENSES OF THE INDICATIVE

I. Rewrite each of the following sentences so that the meaning stays the same; use Present Tense Simple and/or Continuous. James has the irritating habit of borrowing money from people and never returning it back. James is... I have made arrangements to eat out with my office mates tonight. I... We are forced to use only cold water today as the hot water pipe in the basement is being fixed. We... My cousin is used to driving to school as she really hates public transportation. My cousin usually... What about celebrating our deal? How... I really have no clue whose car this is. I really have no clue who... The eldest son starts mowing the lawn whenever I drop by my neighbour's. Whenever... My family are planning to spend this summer vacation in Austria. My family... She is at the doctor to have her tonsils removed. She is... Your entire house smells of fish. There... II. Circle the underlined phrase which best completes each sentence. Tills gibbets soup tastes/is tasting delicious but mother is tasting/tastes it again just to make sure it is not too salty. I love/am loving spending my free time partying and as far as this party is concerned I love/am loving every minute of it.
Associate Professor Steluta Stan, PhD He is so weird; he hears/is hearing things day and night but when I send him on an errand he doesn't hear/is not hearing me. The judge hears/is hearing the key witness tomorrow morning and I don't see/am not seeing why, as to my mind, it's not the right time. I hear/am hearing from Tim a lot these days and he is keen on learning whether Mary sees/is seeing his father. Thalia thinks/is thinking it right not to sell her car yet but her father thinks/is thinking of doing it behind her back. My little son looks/is looking at that clown and is telling me that he looks/is looking very funny. Jane smells/is smelling the roses her boyfriend has just given her and she is happy as they smell/are smelling very nice. I don't mind/am not minding if your sister minds/is minding our little daughter while we are away as we've got nobody else to do it. Janice considers/is considering moving into a new flat this winter but her parents don't consider/are not considering it prudent to let her do as she wishes. III. Rewrite each of the following sentences so that the meaning stays the same and paying attention to Past Tense Simple, Past Perfect Simple and Past Perfect Continuous. Do not alter the capitalized words in any way. Terry would ride to the lake every summer to meet her boyfriend! TO My cousin had the irritating habit of borrowing our car and returning it with no gas. ALWAYS When the team arrived at the hotel they learnt that their rooms had been cancelled. BY I had been in front of the cinema for two hours when he finally arrived. WAITING Food in Romania wasn't always as expensive as that. USE Last year we intended to spend our New Year's Eve in Vienna but something unexpected came up and we had to cancel. WERE We haven't seen our neighbours so happy for quite some time. SINCE Terry locked the front door and then left for school. BEFORE 8 Developing Skills for Language Acquisition
Associate Professor Steluta Stan, PhD Mary said, "It isn't my fault that he has lost his money gambling. THAT He had planned to take his wife out on her birthday. WAS They came to Israel in 1990, and five years later the bombing raids started. FOR They haven't visited Egypt since 1998. LAST The little girl started feeling sick when she was two years old; ten years later she was not cured. BY In 1990 they were having a new house built. UNDER Sheila was playing in the sandpit; a stranger came and threatened her. WHILE IV. Put each verb in brackets into a suitable past tense form. And yet it (be) perfectly true that she (have) a dreadful night. Even after Mrs. Penniman (leave) her she (have) no sleep; she (lie) staring at the uncomforting gloom, with eyes and ears filled with the movement with which her father (turn) her out of his room, and of the words in which he (tell) her that she was a heartless daughter. Her heart (break); she (have) heart enough for that. At moments it (seem) to her that she (believe) him and that to do what she (do) a girl must indeed be bad. V. Rewrite each of the following sentences, so that the meaning stays the same and using Present Perfect and Past Tense. Do not change the words in capitals in any way. 1. The last time I saw a good movie at the cinema was a few years ago. FOR 2. The door bell has just rung. NOW 3. Yesterday he was in the swimming pool for two hours. FOR 4. She has got accustomed to being driven to school lately. USED 5. They have never left their children alone at home. FIRST 6. They arrived from the airport 30 minutes ago. BEEN 7. It is six days since I last heard from my children who are in Brazil. FOR
Associate Professor Steluta Stan, PhD 8. This couple got married in the registry office not long ago. RECENTLY 9. My teacher hasn't seen her daughter since her marriage. SINCE 10. They say they will never pay for a package tour again. LAST 11. This is the first time I have visited Buckingham Palace. BEFORE 12. The boy has eaten all the food in his plate. HAS 13. They spoke only English from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. yesterday. FOR 14.1 got beeped just now. JUST 15. Yesterday she was hospitalized as she was ill. BEEN VI. Rewrite each of the following sentences so that the meaning stays the same. Pay attention to all means of expressing future time. Do not alter the capitalized words in any way. 1. They have arranged to meet their son's teachers tomorrow. MEETING 2. John intends to get a scholarship next year. IS 3. When this academic year ends, our principal is already 50. HAVE 4. The family living next door are on the point of leaving on a trip to the mountains. VERGE 5. She is about to get married to the man of her dreams. TO 6. They have made arrangements to sell this flat by the end of the month. ARE 7. Next week Tom is sure to be driving about Paris to clinch some deals for his company. BE 8. The plane is scheduled to take off at noon. OFF 9. My cousin has arranged to leave by the 10:15 train tomorrow morning. IS 10. If you look at the clouds in the sky you can tell that rain is close. GOING 11. Will the writer finish his novel by Christmas? WRITING 12. The coach with Romanian tourists is bound to reach Budapest tomorrow evening. DUE 13. Her intention is to become the manager of her department this year. IS
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Associate Professor Steluta Stan, PhD 14. Next week I will be sent to the construction site to interview people. BE 15. She is having an appointment with her lawyer tonight. IS VII. Correct any mistakes you find in each of the following sentences. Tick the correct ones. 1. When I will finish my homework, I will go out and play. 2. Before she will take pills she goes to the doctor. 3. By the time they will have retired they have worked in this office for 25 years. 4. Look at the dark clouds! It is going to rain! 5. Next week I'll be looking for this book in all the bookshops in the town, I promise. 6. It isn't long before the boy's parents will realize that he is a drug addict. 7. By the time she has taken the entrance exam, she has studied everything she needs. 8. Some friends of my brother's spend this weekend with us. 9. You will be having to improve your drawing skills if you really want to become a designer. 10. The students finish their projects by mid July. 11. The new academic year is starting on September 15th. 12. Unless she will not stop lying to people, she will soon feel rejected. 13. If you will be in her shoes what do you do? 14. She will be driving her Mercedes while he will be walking to work this time next year. 15. By the time the train will pull in at this platform all of us will have arrived.
2 Translation exercises
I. 1. Plou. Developing Skills for Language Acquisition 11
Associate Professor Steluta Stan, PhD 2. In Anglia plou des. 3. Plou de dou ore. 4. A plouat. 5. A plouat de la 3 la 5. 6. Ploua cind am ajuns la Ploiesti. 7. Plouase cind am ajuns. 8. Ploua de trei zile cind ne-am intors de la munte. 9. Credeam ca a plouat. 10. Credeam ca plou. 11. Eram sigura ca va ploua. 12. Sora mea mai mare e cu patru ani mai in varsta decit mine. 13. Ai citit ultima carte a lui Coelho? 14. Ultimul roman al lui Sadoveanu se numea "Cantecul Mioarei". 15. Nici nu apucasem sa ma dezbrac ca m-au si chemat inapoi la birou. 16. Nici nu terminase bine de gatit ca a si intrat sotul ei pe usa. 17. Nici nu apucase sa se culce ca si-a adus aminte ca nu si-a facut lectia la engleza. 18. Mi-a spus ieri ca azi implineste 30 de ani. 19. Profesorul spunea ca vineri s-au implinit 100 de ani de la moartea scriitorului. 20. Cand trebuie sa-ti inapoiez cartea? 21. Cu cat mai curand, cu atat mai bine. 22. Cine mai vine la ziua ta? 23. Ion si cu fratele lui cel mai mare, care e foarte nostim. 24. Cu cit vom fi mai multi, cu atat ne vom distra mai bine. 25. Pe masura ce inaintam in padure ni se facea tot mai frica. 26. Mie imi place foarte mult James Joyce. 27. Si mie la fel. 28. La ce distanta de Bucuresti este Lacul Snagov? 29. Sunt vreo 40 de km pana la Snagov. 30. A venit cumnata ta de la Cluj? 31. A venit ieri si a stat la mine intre 3 si 7. 32. Petrica e la tine? 33. Da, e (aici) la mine de la ora doua. 12 Developing Skills for Language Acquisition
Associate Professor Steluta Stan, PhD 34. Nu, a venit la mine pe la doua, dar a plecat in citeva minute. 35. A spus ca se va ntoarce cel mai tarziu pana la ora 7. 36. Si-a scos palaria din cap si si-a pus-o pe masa. 37. Paltonul de pe pat e al tau? 38. Ia-l de aici si du-l dincolo. 39. la florile de pe masa. 40. Si-a scos cheia din buzunar si a bagat-o in broasca. 41. Stinge lumina in dormitor. 42. Azi dimineaa erau 4 grade sub zero. 43. Pe la zece erau 2 deasupra lui zero. 44. Sunt zece km de la ferma lui pana la gara cea mai apropiata. 45. Cate minute mai avem/au mai ramas pana la statia urmatoare? 46. Sedinta a inceput la 12 noiembrie 1980, ora 11 fara un sfert dimineata. 47. Eram foarte grabit in dimineata aceea. 48. Universitatea din lasi e mai veche decat cea din Cluj. 49. Sa fi stiut cine suna la usa, nu deschideam. 50. Daca nu ma gaseste acasa, va reveni pe la 9. 51. Mi-a spus ca daca va citi cartea pana luni mi-o va inapoia chiar in ziua aceea. 52. Sa fi stiut/ Daca stiam ca nu vine cu trenul acela, nu-l asteptam ieri degeaba trei ore la gara. 53. Nu e film in oras pe care sa nu-l fi vazut. 54. Nu-mi aduc aminte daca ne-am cunoscut. 55. Indiferent ce (va) spune el, eu tot plec la munte. 56. Daca n-as fi uitat cum il cheama, m-as fi adresat lui. 57. M-a intrebat daca stiu cand s-a nascut Obama. 58. Isi aduce cineva aminte cand a murit Jerome K. Jerome? 59. Desi pare atat de tanar, trebuie sa stii ca a implinit ieri 90 de ani. 60. Vorbea de parca ar fi fost englez. II.
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Associate Professor Steluta Stan, PhD 1. Desi de obicei George merge cu tramvaiul la serviciu, astazi merge cu masina lui, caci are o intalnire importanta si vrea sa se asigure ca nu va intarzia. 2. Fluviul Dunarea isi are izvorul in Germania si se varsa in MareaNeagra. 3. Autorul spune despre personajele sale ca sunt copii fidele ale diferitelor tipuri de oameni din societatea anilor '90. 4. Pentru a face acest tort trebuie sa aveti: oua, faina, fructe, stafide, frisca, zahar. Spargeti ouale, separati galbenusul de albusuri, amestecati zaharul cu galbenusurile pana obtineti o pasta omogena apoi adaugati cacao, etc. 5. Va dam cuvantul nostru ca acceptam oferta dvs. chiar daca el zice ca nu facem bine si ca avem numai de pierdut prin semnarea acestui acord. 6. Regele intra in sala insotit de regina si de suita acesteia; cei doi se aseaza la cate un capat al mesei, iar damele de/companie ale reginei raman undeva in fundal. 8. Pentru a pune masina in miscare calci ambreiajul, scoti din viteza si pornesti motorul; apoi bagi in viteza intaia cu ambreiajul calcat si ridici progresiv piciorul de pe ambreiaj, in timp ce accelerezi putin. 9. La fizionomie seamana din ce in ce mai mult cu mama sa, desi, comportamental tinde sa-l copieze pe tatal sau. 10. Baietelul lor intotdeauna da de bucluc atunci cand tatal sau nu poate sa vina sa-l ia de la scoala si vine acasa singur, pe jos. III. 1. Va veni cu siguranta si ziua in care cei asupriti se vor rascula impotriva asupritorilor. 2. Va fi oare timp sa vizitam tot Muzeul Britanic cat si Galeria Nationala? 3. In aceasta seara, participantii la raliu si vor conduce masinile timp de opt ore fara intrerupere. 4. Pana se va pensiona la anul in iunie, domnul Smith va fi lucrat 35 de ani in acest birou si va fi economisit peste 20 000 de dolari.
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Associate Professor Steluta Stan, PhD 5. Cei doi tineri indragostiti planuiesc sa se casatoreasca civil in vara aceasta, iar religios in toamna. 6. Te rog sa nu atingi stiva de carti de literatura, caci se misca si vor cadea toate pe podeaua care nu a fost inca spalata. 7. Diseara plec la Milano cu avionul de 8:30, iar seful meu pleaca maine dimineata cu masina la Budapesta, caci are rau de inaltime. 8. Mai bine nu ai iesi din casa, caci se vede clar ca se apropie furtuna, iar daca nu ma asculti te vei imbolnavi in mod sigur si vei fi nevoit sa nu iesi din casa cateva zile bune. 9. In seara asta o sa-mi scot sotia la restaurant si o sa ne distram caci aniversam cinci ani de la nunta. 10. Saptamana viitoare pe vremea aceasta voi zbura spre Atlanta, unde urmeaza sa vorbesc cu editorul meu despre cartea pe care am de gand sa o public la anul. IV. 1. In prima jumatate a lunii acesteia m-am intalnit cu John cand se ducea la spital cu bunica lui, iar in a doua jumatate a lunii m-am intalnit cu fratele sau care venea de la aeroport. 2. Telefonul a sunat adineauri, dar n-am apucat sa raspund, caci am ajuns la el prea tarziu. 3. Varul nostru tocmai s-a mutat in casa noua si ne-a dat aceasta veste adineauri. 4. leri am scris la noul meu roman sase ore dar nu am terminat inca capitolul respectiv. 5. Il cunosc de zece ani si in tot acest timp nu m-a dezamagit niciodata, dar ieri mi-a facut bucata. 6. L-ai auzit vreodata pe ziaristul acesta spunand gogomanii? Da, l-am auzit chiar de curand, dar aseara la emisiunea lui Tuca a spus cele mai mari prostii pe care le poate spune un om. 7. N-am fost niciodata la Paris, dar mi se tot repeta in ultima vreme ca daca ai fost o data, sigur vei merge si a doua oara. 8. Tocmai am terminat de ascultat CD-ul pe care il ascult de 50 de minute; este pentru prima data cand ascult un CD de la un capat la altul fara sa-l intrerup. Developing Skills for Language Acquisition 15
Associate Professor Steluta Stan, PhD 9. Este pentru ultima data cand iti spun sa te apuci de invatat; iti tot spun lucrul asta de la inceputul semestrului. 10. Adevarul este ca el nu si-a vazut sora de cand aceasta s-a maritat si s-a mutat la Toronto cu sotul si cu socrii ei. V. 1. Cunosti de mult membrii familiei Smith? Nu, ii cunosc cam de o luna si ceva si mi-au facut o impresie buna pana in prezent, deci nu cred ca e cazul sa ne facem griji. 2. Locuim in Londra de 25 de ani si trebuie sa ne mutam intr-un oras de provincie, caci preturile au crescut foarte mult in ultimul timp, iar noi fiind pensionari cu greu facem fata cheltuielilor lunare. 3. In ultimul timp a fost o epidemie de rubeola printre colegii de clasa ai copiilor mei, dar acestia nu sunt expusi riscului de a contacta boala, caci ambii au avut-o deja. 4. Nu a vazut in viata ei un concert de Craciun asa de minunat si de aceea sper din tot sufletul ca acesta sa nu fie unica ocazie cand vede asa ceva. 5. Cineva le-a spart casa vecinilor nostri, iar ei nu s-au dus inca la politie sa dea declaratie. 6. Zona este supravegheata de politie de cateva zilevpentru ca s-a primit un telefon anonim amenintand ca in ambasada este o bomba. 7. Inca n-am citit toate piesele lui Harold Pinter caci nu le-am gasit, si de aceea, de cateva zile le caut pe la toate librariile. 8. Centralista incearca sa-mi faca legatura cu Madridul de azi diminea si nu a reusit inca ,pentru ca liniile sunt ocupate. 9. Vecinul de deasupra bate cuie in pereti de azi dimineata, astfel innebunindu-si vecinii care tocmai au hotarat sa-i faca reclamatie la primarie pentru deteriorarea avutului public. 10. Mike mananca de jumatate de ora si nu s-a oprit inca, si spune ca va continua sa manance pana se va satura. VI.
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Associate Professor Steluta Stan, PhD 1. Monica avea ora de dans impreuna cu prietenele ei, iar Doru isi facea.temele la limbi straine ieri dupa amiaza. 2. Din masina vedeam cum picura apa din copacii care margineau drumul catre cabana. 3. Poteca pe care mergeau turistii serpuia printre copacii inalti si desfrunziti de la capatul padurii si se intersecta cu un parau a carui apa cristalina curgea clipocind la vale. 4. Domnul Smith dormea bustean cand a fost trezit brusc de taraitul telefonului; asta l-a speriat nespus, caci tocmai visa ca este pe malul marii Mediterane stand.la soare. 5. Cand eu eram student mergeam sa studiez la biblioteca si stateam cate 8 ore pe zi, caci acasa nu aveam materialele necesare pregatirii examenelor. 6. In anul 1993, sora mea se pregatea pentru examenul de admitere la ASE si rezolva cate 70 de probleme la matematica pe zi. 7. Joi, cand m-am intalnit cu Marius din intamplare.se ducea grabit la banca sa ceara un imprumut pentru ca avea de gand sa-si cumpere o masina de spalat. 8. - M-ai chemat? - Da, ma intrebam daca ai putea oare sa-mi tii locul maine, pentru ca trebuie sa stau acasa sa am grija de copil. 9. Cand eu eram inca la liceu, el lucra ca hamal in gara sau era zilier pe unde putea. 10. Copii dormeau si parintii lor citeau si se uitau la televizor, cand brusc cineva le-a sarit in casa pe geam. VII. 1. Marcel s-a alaturat demonstrantilor care marsaluiau deja de trei zile numai atunci cand a fost intru totul de acord cu cererile lor. 2. Ciocnirile'dintre palestinienii si israelienii din fasia Gaza incepusera cu mult inainte de intalnirea presedintelui american cu primul ministru israelian.
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Associate Professor Steluta Stan, PhD 3. Bombardierelor americane li s-a cerut sa loveasca numai tintele dinainte, alese inainte ca trupele britanice si franceze sa le promita ajutorul. 4. Maiorul american conducea raiduri aeriene de trei ani, cand, dintr-o data, i s-a spus ca altcineva va comanda atacul din noaptea aceea. 5. Violentele dintre cele doua grupari adversare au inceput numai dupa trei luni de amenintari cu bomba din partea grupului militant islamic, desi in decursul acestor trei luni avusesera loc convorbiri pentru rezolvarea sjtuatiei de criza. 6. Numai dupa ce a stat trei ani in inchisoare in tara sa, s-a hotarat sa ceara azil politic, in Franta. 7. Locuia intr-o zona in care se patrula zi si noapte, pentru ca toata lumea se astepta ca acel loc sa se transforme in zona de lupta dintr-o clipa in alta. 8. Se faceau presiuni asupra inamicului pentru a depune armele de doua saptamani, cand acestia au fost incoltiti si in cele din urma fortati sa se predea.
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2 Reading Comprehension and/or Writing 2.1 Romanian Sources

A. Fuga de realitate din istoria pacientului roman
1. Grandomania si victimologia Cele doua deliruri coautoare ale iluziei colective romanesti au un adversar foarte incomod: istoria. Nu reusim, adica, sa desfacem, rational, suma evenimentelor trecute, in istoria binelui si in istoria raului romanesc. Izbutim, in consecinta, altceva: sa ne plasam intro zona pur fantasmatica, intr-un romanism inventat care reclama un destin superior, dar e vulnerabil in fata istoriei reale, si la bine si la rau. Lucram cu ideea generala si nediferentiata de istorie, pe care am convertit-o intr-un recitativ nevrotic, intr-un fel de a vorbi obsesiv si circular despre patimile romanilor. In aceasta formula, totul e cunoscut si adjudecat, surprizele sint imposibile, revizionismul critic (atitudine sau actiune care are drept scop revizuirea unei legi, a unui tratat) e un pacat capital care duce, direct si prin huiduieli, la excluderea din fraternitatea sentimentala romana. In acest univers straniu si compact, societatile romanesti succesive intra in sala si vad acelasi film, o coproductie culta si populara care ruleaza fara intrerupere si isi impinge audienta spre confortul mistic al citorva concluzii uluitoare. Intre ele, convingerea ca lumea e fixa sau, mai bine zis, e fixa de cind au aparut in istorie romanii. Caci ei si numai ei au parte de repetitia eterna a schemei istorice fixe in care: vecinii sint invidiosi, rivnesc si trec, inevitabil, la rapt, strainii mai departati nu ne inteleg si rateaza, astfel, sansa de a se umaniza, iar oamenii locului pregatesc, intre agresiuni si injustitii fara comparatie, un model de viata ca un ospat cumpatat, pe care lumea il va descoperi cindva, spre propria izbavire. Cu alte cuvinte, nu sintem intelesi, desi lucram, dezinteresat si din vechime, la binele lumii. Fuga de si din realitate e primul indiciu al tulburarilor de personalitate. In istoria grupurilor sociale si nationale, acelasi comportament semnaleaza o nemultumire profunda, o constiinta incarcata sau incapabila sa se mai exercite. Ce avem, deci, sa ne reprosam, ce ne irita, de fiecare data cind ne grabim sa consimtim, Developing Skills for Language Acquisition 19
Associate Professor Steluta Stan, PhD ajutati de istorici sau intr-o discutie de terasa, ca: romanii au stat in calea barbariei, s-au deprins cu vitejia in singuratate, au ramas in urma, pentru ca au pus pieptul in apararea Occidentului nerecunoscator (care a profitat, spre a-si inalta catedralele), sint un popor talentat cum putine altele (caci au dat marile scoli de medicina, actorie, inginerie petroliera si altele), fara a primi recunoasterea cuvenita? Read and write a 1-page comment. Choose two sentences and translate them. 2. 18502007: Loteria Nationala cu noroc Obisnuiti sa repetam recensamintul caragialesc al ciclurilor de nenoroc istoric (cinci secole la turci, trei la unguri, unul la fanarioti), ratam priza directa a situatiilor frecvente si fecunde in care romanii nu au fost perdantii, ci beneficiarii istoriei. Intre 1850 si 2007, istoria binelui romanesc e foarte activa. In numai 150 de ani, istoria lucreaza cu o acceleratie suspecta de pro-romanism. Statul roman apare (tirziu, dar nu mult mai tirziu decit constructiile politice belgiana, italiana, germana), devine stat national integral, supravietuieste catastrofei comuniste si e reintegrat in marele circuit occidental, prin admiterea in NATO si in UE. Ce ne scapa, in analiza acestui segment istoric de modernizare abrupta, e gradul de participare extraordinar al istoriei, uluitoarea ei amabilitate constructiva, favoritismul desantat cu care imprejurarile fac jocul romanilor si al aspiratiilor lor latente (daca nu cumva dau nastere, macar partial, acestei agende). Fortele istorice, pe care ne-am obisnuit sa le blestemam, lucreaza de 150 de ani, virtos, in folosul Romaniei. In fiecare din aceste momente, centrul de densitate istorica, motorul schimbarii de epoci si institutii, se deplaseaza spre Est, suficient de aproape de bazinul national romanesc. Astfel, la jumatatea secolului al XIX-lea, chestiunea orientala devine prima problema a Europei. Razboiul Crimeii (18531856) aduce Occidentul in mijlocul atelierului istoric romanesc. Primul Razboi Mondial incepe foarte rau si ameninta cu dezagregarea statului roman. Insa noua gravitatie istorica europeana (care impune suflul democratiilor nationale, de mase, si sfarima imperiile multinationale) intoarce din drum degringolada romaneasca. Razboiul sfirseste neverosimil si teatral, cu alinierea unei constelatii suta la suta favorabile Romaniei. Acest final socant pare ilogic numai pentru ca ascunde noua logica plurala si democratica a istoriei europene. Epilogul sadeste, intr-un spatiu germanic frustrat si surclasat de modernizare, saminta din care vor incolti, dupa 20 de ani de fermentatie, resentimentul si catastrofa nazista. La celalalt capat al Europei, sfirsitul razboiului desfigureaza grav ierarhia de stat rusa si elibereaza, in plin haos, energia criminala a bolsevismului Read and write a 1-page comment. 20 Developing Skills for Language Acquisition
Associate Professor Steluta Stan, PhD Choose one sentence and translate it. 3. Prea mult est, prea mult vest, prea putin centru Statul national roman e, deci, in acelasi timp consolidat si fragilizat de efectele Primului Razboi Mondial. Epoca politica de aur a natiunii romane incepe si continua intr-un amestec de exuberanta si anxietate. Statul e masiv, dar ramine prins, alaturi de intreaga Europa Centrala si de Est, in clestele ruso-german. E o presiune insuportabila pentru un stat constituit prin ricoseul fericit al istoriei si aproape lipsit de crestere organica interna. Rezultatul e o slabiciune constitutiva care se hraneste, asa cum ghicise Caragiale, din moravuri (adica din principala forta de manifestare prepolitica, acumulata de romani, ca populatie intirziata in subjugare) si avanseaza, sub forma coruptiei politice, intr-un cadru de stat imitativ si improvizat. Faimoasa si glorificata perioada interbelica e un interval istoric mult mai nesigur decit se crede si are, de fapt, datele de baza ale unei crize in dezvoltare. La capatul ei, Romania atinge abisul istoric, in imprejurari, din nou, mult mai complicate decit variantele prezentate de istoria oficiala comunista sau de primul val istoriografic postcomunist. Ambele discursuri vad in invazia sovietica si in dictatura impusa ulterior principalul agent si principalul eveniment istoric. Ceea ce e exact, dar incomplet. Caci esecul statului roman democratic si caderea in comunism au fost insotite de un fenomen care a lucrat la mare adincime si a impus o regresie istorica grava, inca neincheiata. Pe scurt, dezvoltarea istorica a Romaniei a revenit la stadiul prepolitic, intoarsa din drum de vechea noastra problema culturala. Astfel, Romania a intrat in al Doilea Razboi Mondial cu handicapul unei fracturi nevindecate. Modernizarea nu a reusit sa atenueze sau sa resoarba falia care trece prin centrul teritoriului national si desparte provinciile romanesti in doua mari zone atasate de polaritati diferite: est si vest. Transilvania si arcul intracarpatic in zona de presiune culturala germana. Moldova si spatiul extracarpatic in zona de interes si presiune rusa. In momentul in care aceste doua forte s-au ciocnit, Romania a pierdut si a avut, apoi, de recuperat teritorii pe ambii versanti (german si sovietic). Plasata, practic, intr- un cumplit mat istoric, Romania intra in razboi, alaturi de forta germana, pentru a recupera teritoriile rapite de forta rusa. Agenda e in mod fundamental contradictorie. Sfirsitul razboiului surprinde Romania in pozitia complet inversa, alaturi de forta rusa, in incercarea de a recupera teritoriile rapite de forta germana. Episodul e adesea folosit pentru a ilustra inconsecventa tipic romaneasca, iar memoria istorica germana il rumega si azi ca proba definitiva a nefericitei lipse de caracter estice. Poate ca e asa. In orice caz, altceva e infinit mai important. Odata cu episodul amintit reapare, devastator, in istoria noastra marele handicap de dezvoltare national-politica. Read and write a 1-page comment. Choose two sentences and translate them. Developing Skills for Language Acquisition 21
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B. Ca la noi, la nimenea (sau istoria Romaniei prin straini, pentru copii)

1. E Romania, intr-adevar, o tara de neinteles? Asa se zice. Aceasta plingere transanta bintuie cu o frecventa folclorica si domina, de fapt, din capul mesei, o dezbatere pe care o invita la disparitie. Ideea dupa care Romania nu poate fi descifrata e un bun egal impartit de gura lumii si de opinia educata. Studiile academice ale ONG-urilor, editorialele grele ale presei cotidiene si vorba din popor sint de acord: Romania e ceva de pomina si inexplicabil. Asa e Romania: fara sens si fara leac. Multiplicata in nenumarate variante si drapata in cele mai surprinzatoare camuflaje, ideea e asezata solid in gindirea publica. Exemplele vin unul dupa altul. Iata, de pilda, studiile docte care masoara datele si evolutiile politico-economico-electorale ale tarii. Aproape toate reclama declinul, scandalul si contradictiile necontenite ale unei lumi pe care nu indraznesc sau nu reusesc sa o explice. Concluzia implicita a acestei literaturi stimabile si perplexe e, bineinteles, zadarnicia. Tiparele de vot, nivelul coruptiei de stat, preferintele de consum radio-tv, lipsa desavirsita de interes pentru cultura inalta si deruta scolara, toate aceste date circula cu girofar si sirena prin sondaje si rapoarte. In lipsa unei explicatii minime, ele conduc, prin repetitie persistenta, la impresia de stagnare, de realitate data si incurabila. Citeva din temele de mare frecventa ale editorialelor sint parte a aceleiasi miscari spre concluzii inutilizabile. De aproape 20 de ani, comentariile de presa si opiniile comentatorilor tv acuza regulat si martial: instabilitatea politica, scandalul politic asurzitor, lipsa de preocupare pentru problemele reale si convergenta tuturor partidelor si a politicienilor care sint, in cele din urma, o apa si un pamint. Intonatia difera: e mult mai teatrala. Dar concluziile observatiilor de presa repeta, practic, ideile generale ale studiilor academice: Romania e in ghearele citorva procese statice. Nimic nu e nou, nimic nu se schimba si nimic nu explica aceasta predilectie nationala spre paralizie. Romania e locul unei catastrofe si nu duce lipsa de fotografi. Read and write a half-page comment. Choose one sentence and translate it. 2. Blestemul nu da rau Interesant, acum un an, toata aceasta enorma presupozitie pesimista a fost pusa in dubiu de ipoteza si de speranta intr-un moment istoric de ruptura. Romania urma sa fie admisa in UE si toata lumea s-a grabit sa presupuna sau mai degraba sa invoce prefacerea miraculoasa a Romaniei. Ce nu s-a putut face cu mijloace interne se va putea, desigur, cu mijloacele din afara, neromanesti. Dupa primul nostru an european, aceasta forma de Developing Skills for Language Acquisition 23
Associate Professor Steluta Stan, PhD speranta superstitioasa a cazut, iar concluzia sceptica despre unicitatea negativa a Romaniei a reaparut, intarita: o tara cu doua fete, locul unui paradox insuportabil, in care una vorbim si alta facem, spatiul in care, asa cum se stie, avem toate cite sint necesare vietii democratice dar nimic nu merge. Tot e adjudecat si tocmai acest lucru demonstreaza ca Romania e asa cum e: o tara ciudata si, in cele din urma, de neinteles. Nimic nu se misca si, fiindca nimeni nu stie sau nu poate afla de ce, concluzia e ca avem o tara fara egal. De doua ori, fara egal: o data prin damnatie, caci Romania, spre deosebire de aproape orice alt loc pe pamint, e o soarta, nu un stat, si isi confirma traiectoria transformind fiecare clipa viitoare intr-un prezent asemanator pina la identitate cu trecutul. Lumea de miine are toate sansele sa fie copilul demult infiat de lumea de ieri. A doua oara, Romania acestor observatii e unica prin caracterul ei special: ceva, nu se stie ce, a dat romanilor un fel de a fi cu totul si cu totul aparte, o capacitate de a fi altfel si deosebiti, un mister pagubos si, in acelasi timp, innobilat de splendoarea citorva kitsch-uri care vor sa inchipuie o traditie ilustra: doina, dorul, risu-plinsu, latinitatea intr-o mare slava. Sintem deci, damnati, dar speciali. Purtam un blestem care doare, dar nu da rau. Sintem pierduti si, in acelasi timp, daruiti. Defecti si fascinanti. Cum am ajuns la aceste concluzii istorice si de ce intirziem in ele? De unde scepticismul si de unde atit agnosticism declarat si suficient? De unde aceasta credinta difuza si solida in filozofia lui ca la noi la nimenea? Read and write a 1-page comment. Choose one sentence and translate it. 3. Invatati engleza prin revolutii De ce aceasta comparatie imposibila? Foarte pe scurt, pentru ca in ciuda diferentei categorice de dezvoltare politica si profunzime democratica, cele doua cazuri au puncte comune si spun ca procesele istorice nu sint privilegiul unei natiuni. Oricit de mare distanta care separa flancul vestic de flancul estic al Europei, deosebirile sint numeroase si evidente, asemanarile sint mult mai putine, dar revelatoare. Mai intii faptele, intr-un rezumat extrem de schematic. Istoria secolului al XVII-lea englez e, de la un cap la altul, istoria disputei intre doua formule de guvernare, intre doua regimuri si cai de evolutie istorica, intre Monarhie si Parlament. Conflictul de principii opune ideea primara de libertate individuala si absolutismul monarhic. E, bineinteles, o ciocnire irezolvabila, care conduce, din 1639, la razboaie civile neinchipuit de singeroase. Armatele Parlamentului si ale Coroanei se ciocnesc in batalii si campanii numeroase si schimbatoare. Rebeliunea parlamentara e, insa, implacabila si, in 1648, doboara monarhia, scurtindu-l de cap pe regele Charles I. Oliver Cromwell devine conducator absolut (Lord Protector) si instaureaza, practic, un regim sever de dictatura parlamentara. Pina in 1660, cind monarhia revine si Charles al II-lea (fiul lui Charles I) urca pe tron. In sfirsit, in 24 Developing Skills for Language Acquisition
Associate Professor Steluta Stan, PhD 1688, secolul marii tulburari engleze se incheie cu invazia lui Wilhelm de Orania, care apare din Olanda, preia tronul si stabileste cadrele inca in vigoare ale monarhiei britanice si protestante. Ce e de retinut din aceasta suita de evenimente cruciale? In primul rind, jocul de sisteme. Simplificind mult, Parlamentul se opune absolutismului monarhic, invinge, monarhia revine si rezultatul e Marea Britanie asa cum o cunoastem astazi: o monarhie parlamentara. Numai ca aceasta notiune duala nu e ce pare. Monarhia si parlamentul guverneaza simultan si inegal. Evenimentele care au decis, intre 1631 si 1688, acest aranjament au un inteles in istoria formala si un cu totul alt inteles in istoria de facto. Monarhia a fost practic sterilizata in cursul razboaielor civile ale secolului al XVII-lea. Chiar dupa restauratia care a adus-o, iar, la putere, monarhia a trebuit sa accepte situatia creata anterior. Ideea dupa care Anglia putea fi, din nou, o monarhie absoluta nu mai avea nici o sansa. Monarhia a revenit, dar nu a mai putut opera nici o modificare intr-un sistem politic si de drept deja decis in cursul razboaielor civile anterioare. Monarhia nu avea cum sa mai dicteze si a trebuit sa se adapteze. In esenta, rezultatul acestui compromis este aliajul constitutional britanic de astazi: un sistem cu aparenta formala a unei monarhii si cu baze legale republicane. O republica parlamentara care prefera sa nu isi spuna pe nume, dar functioneaza fara rival in interiorul unei monarhii. In citeva cuvinte: un stat cu dubla cetatenie, o tara cu doua regimuri simultane unul aparent si unul functional. Aceasta situatie derutanta nu a impiedicat exercitarea directa si continua a democratiei. Important e, insa, cu totul altceva. Cazul englez ajuta neasteptat de mult la cercetarea istorica a statelor cu probleme de vizibilitate si identitate constitutionala, a acelor state care traiesc realitati simultane si contradictorii. Romania e un exemplu tipic, iar raportarea la Anglia lamureste citeva din problemele puse, indeobste, pe seama caracterului ultralocal al mentalitatilor si institutiilor. Ce e, deci, de retinut din comparatia aparent absurda cu istoria secolului al XVII-lea englez? Read and write a 1-page comment. Choose two sentences and translate them. 4. Ce nu ne pindeste Asadar, nimic nou in destinul aparent special al lumii romanesti. Ceea ce nu vesteste un armistitiu si nu promite calmul istoriei viitoare. Problemele ramin si cea mai serioasa dintre ele e rezultatul direct al lipsei de substanta a revolutiei formale din 1989 si al excesului de succes al revolutiei comuniste. Enuntata in citeva cuvinte, aceasta problema suna in felul urmator: istoria viitoare a Romaniei nu e pindita de nici o rasturnare sociala. Nici o acumulare de energie colectiva, nici un curent de opinie, nici o colectie de idealuri coerente si subversive nu a incoltit si nu creste pentru a pune, la un moment dat, in dubiu cursul vietii interne a Romaniei. Nici o clasa, nici un grup, nici o suita de convingeri nu si-a pierdut Developing Skills for Language Acquisition 25
Associate Professor Steluta Stan, PhD rabdarea. In viata de zi cu zi, aceasta absenta e marcata de lipsa exasperanta de evenimente care stabilesc sau fondeaza ceva insemnat si transmisibil. Durata medie a evenimentelor e suborara, iar intinderea intentiilor si rezistenta proiectelor bate, arareori, un sezon. Cind ati avut ultima oara senzatia ca asistati la aparitia unui lucru pe care il vor intelege si apara copiii dumneavoastra? Read and write a half-page comment. Choose one sentence and translate it.
C. Suntem din ce n ce mai tmpii

Nivelul IQ-ului scade cu repeziciune, din cauza colii, societii i mass media. Lucrul este observat chiar de unul din intelectualii romni, Andrei Cornea, chiar din turnul de filde unde vieuiete elita; deci fenomenul este att de rspndit, nct a ajuns pn-n stratosfera intelectual. Citii-i articolul i dai-i dreptate lui Simone Weil, care scria n testamentul ei, LEnracinement, c trim une poque dont le caractre dominant est la btise (pentru anglofoni: o epoc al crei caracter dominant este prostia). Nu e vorba de a nu fi citit nite cri, de a nu avea o minim cultur general, de a nu nelege o aluzie la Hegel sau un cuvnt rar nu. E vorba de operaiuni raionale elementare, de baz, pe care tinerii notri nu mai sunt capabili s le fac. i nu e vorba de tnrul de rnd, ca s zic aa, dei i acela ar putea fi mult mai destupat dect este. E vorba de posesorii de licene, i chiar de masterate sau de doctorate. i nu e vorba numai de un fenomen endemic, romnesc. Se pare c e ceva globalizat. Citii forumurile i blogurile i plngei Sau rdei de nivelul sczut pn la inexisten, al ideilor i preocuprilor. Se pare c e o problem cu capacitatea noastr de a abstractiza, de a gndi abstract. Suntem prea literaliti. Nu suntem n stare s nelegem dect imediatul concret. Nu putem trage o concluzie mai general, sau aplica o teorie. Un eveniment la ordinea zilei ne absoarbe complet, pn la urmtorul eveniment, care-i ia locul. Trim intelectual literal de pe o zi pe alta. E interesant cum fenomenul e sincron creterii explozive a posibilitilor de memorare i comunicare. Acum putem comunica mai bine i mai mult ca oricnd, dar nu mai avem ce. i mai e interesant titlul articolului lui Cornea: Sensul fals al realitii. Conteaz forma, patalamaua la mn, nu fondul, capacitatea intelectual. i se simte Nu mai vorbesc de potenialul uria de manipulare oferit de aceast prostie generalizat Read and write a half-page comment. 26 Developing Skills for Language Acquisition
Associate Professor Steluta Stan, PhD Choose two sentences and translate them.
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2.2 English Sources
2.2.1 Lyrics
"Life Is Wonderful", Jason Mraz It takes a crane to build a crane It takes two floors to make a story It takes an egg to make a hen It takes a hen to make an egg There is no end to what I'm saying It takes a thought to make a word And it takes some words to make an action It takes some work to make it work It takes some good to make it hurt It takes some bad for satisfaction La la la la la la la life is wonderful Ah la la la la la la life goes full circle Ah la la la la la la life is wonderful Al la la la la It takes a night to make it dawn And it takes a day to make you yawn brother And it takes some old to make you young It takes some cold to know the sun It takes the one to have the other And it takes no time to fall in love But it takes you years to know what love is It takes some fears to make you trust It takes those tears to make it rust It takes the dust to have it polished Ha la la la la la la life is wonderful Ah la la la la la la life goes full circle Ah la la la la la la life is so full of Ah la la la la la la life is so rough Ah la la la la la la life is wonderful Ah la la la la la la life goes full circle 28 Developing Skills for Language Acquisition
Associate Professor Steluta Stan, PhD Ah la la la la la la life is our love Ah la la la la la It takes some silence to make sound It takes a loss before you found it And it takes a road to go nowhere It takes a toll to make you care It takes a hole to make a mountain Ah la la la la la la life is wonderful Ah la la la la la la life goes full circle Ha la la la la la life is wonderful Ha la la la la la life is meaningful Ha la la la la la life is wonderful Ha la la la la la life it is...so... wonderful It is so meaningful It is so wonderful It is meaningful It is wonderful It is meaningful It goes full circle Wonderful Meaningful Full circle Wonderful Wonderful World, Louis Armstrong I see trees of green... red roses too I see em bloom... for me and for you And I think to myself... what a wonderful world! I see skies of blue... and clouds of white Bright blessed days... dark sacred nights And I think to myself... what a wonderful world! The colors of a rainbow... so pretty in the sky Are also on the faces... of people going by I see friends shaking hands... saying how do you do Theyre really saying... I love you. I hear babies cry... I watch them grow Theyll learn much more... than Ill never know And I think to myself... what a wonderful world! The colors of a rainbow... so pretty in the sky Are there on the faces... of people going by I see friends shaking hands.....saying how do you do Theyre really saying I love you. I hear babies cry... I watch them grow You know their gonna learn Developing Skills for Language Acquisition 29
Associate Professor Steluta Stan, PhD A whole lot more than Ill never know And I think to myself... what a wonderful world! Yes I think to myself... what a wonderful world! Youth of Today, Amy Macdonald Maybe if you were some spearheaded guy I would listen to what you have to say But you're just some incapable figure Thinking you're bigger than me, but you're not Yet you don't know a thing about the youth of today Stating your opinion making it ring in my head all day And you say, "My children weren't the same" "My children's children they're the ones to blame" And you say, "In my day we were better behaved" But it's not your day no more... And we are the youth of today Change our hair in every way And we are the youth of today We'll say what we wanna say And we are the youth of today Don't care what you have to say at all And maybe if you had a true point of view I would listen to you But it's just your one sided feelings They keep getting in my way And you don't know a single thing about the youth of today Stating your opinion making it ring in my head all day And you say, "My children weren't the same" "My children's children they're the ones to blame" And you say, "In my day we were better behaved" But it's not your day no more... And we are the youth of today Change our hair in every way And we are the youth of today We'll say what we wanna say And we are the youth of today Don't care what you have to say at all And you say, "My children weren't the same" "My children's children they're the ones to blame" And you say, "In my day we were better behaved" But it's not your day no more... And we are the youth of today Change our hair in every way 30 Developing Skills for Language Acquisition
Associate Professor Steluta Stan, PhD And we are the youth of today We'll say what we wanna say And we are the youth of today Don't care what you have to say at all
2.2.2 Issues of Todays Society
Legalization or decriminalization of prostitution

http://liberator.net/articles/prostitution.html Introduction Women have not always been able to escape the role of housewife or gain a political voice. Only in recent human history have women been able to obtain relative equality. They have been able to make great gains through a considerable amount of achievements, no need to list here. Yet to this day, men and women have specialized roles within societies, differing only slightly in some countries and greatly in other countries. Cultural Differences Each culture deals differently with heterosexuality. Most cultures encourage monogamy, while countries like Saudi Arabia have adopted polygyny. Even within societies that safeguard or promote monogamous relations, there are allowances for citizens to have many types of sexual relations. People can remain monogamous to one person at time or date multiple partners simultaneously. People can have open marriages (a.k.a. swinging) or exist within monogamous relationships and be covertly promiscuous (Hughs, 1990). There are also people who frequent prostitutes regardless of the law. When we examine sex as a trade, the combination of philosophy, cultural precedence, religious influence and politics made each country select how to handle it in its own way. In Singapore, sex for money is open and commonplace. Denmark women can be legal prostitutes so long as it is not their sole means of income. Canada, France and Mexico allow it. Prostitutes must be contained within brothels in the Netherlands, unlike within England and Wales where prostitution is limited to individual providers. Israel, the historical stage for the Bible, allows it, too. Meanwhile, the United States has Developing Skills for Language Acquisition 31
Associate Professor Steluta Stan, PhD made prostitution illegal (misdemeanor) in all states, except certain counties of Nevada (Decriminalize Prostitution Now Coalition, 2000). Sex Within Monogamous Societies Sex sometimes becomes a bartered service even within the sanctity of marriage. One provides sex for love, while another provides love for sex. Someone else finds warmth and attention within the act of sex. Like ants who send chemical messages to each other to convey both intricate and basic messages, sex becomes part of that type of communication even within civilized relationships (Pines, n.d. & Malick, n.d.). It is also a healthy outlet, too. We may not be animals who forage in forests but our desire for sex, or at least the actions, thoughts and feelings that come with it, are deeply part of whom we are. A primal desire must not be ignored or suppressed, but instead managed. Within the sanctity of marriage, balancing acts must be performed to ensure each member of the team is getting what he or she needs. From cleaning the house, buying new furniture, displaying one's affection and releasing stress, sex gets caught up in the mix and can sometimes become a bargaining chip. It is as normal as doing a favor or performing an act of kindness, when one is not in the mood. Much like when a chore must be done, one may choose or not choose to do it, depending on extenuating circumstances or immediate pressing demands. Sex, like everything else, is up on the table for 'sale' within marriage and other relationships. It is not a foreign concept to anyone who has ever been in a sexual relationship over an extended period of time. Usually there is no direct exchange of money, but natural exchanges in a give-and-take situation do occur when things are normal and healthy. So long as there are no heavy demands and freedom of choice exists, sex is a commodity of sorts. Benefits of Legalization Currently most everywhere in the United States, our legal system penalizes prostitutes and their customers for what they do as consenting adults. Money is still spent on law enforcement efforts to catch prostitutes and their customers. Once caught, justice departments have to process these people through very expensive systems. What are the end results? Police personnel and courtrooms are overburdened with these cases, having little or no impact on prostitution. The prostitutes and their customers pay their fines and are back to the streets in no time in a revolving door process. Catch and release may work for recreational fishing but it has no deterring affect on prostitution. Making prostitution legal will allow the act to be managed instead of ignored. Pimps and organized crime figures, who regularly treat their workers on subhuman levels, would no longer control women. In some countries, prostitute rings buy and sell women on the black market, force their women to comply through violence and create unhealthy working conditions. When prostitutes operate 32 Developing Skills for Language Acquisition
Associate Professor Steluta Stan, PhD independently and in secret, many times they become abused by their own customers. Legalizing prostitution would prevent underground prostitution that occurs today. When men want to pay for sex, they find prostitutes. These people work in massage parlors, escort services, strip bars and modeling agencies or still work corners as traditional streetwalkers. There are legitimate parlors, dating services, bars and agencies but of the hundreds that exist within newspaper classified advertisements and telephone directories, there are a large number that provide sexual services. A routine search through Google's Internet news engine for 'prostitution' routinely reveals connections between prostitution and these falsetto agencies (Google, 2004). It is estimated that 100,000 to 3 million teens are nearly invisibly prostituted per year in the United States (Walker, 2002). If we allow prostitution to remain hidden from view and basically invisible to the law as it is today, we allow a number of teens to be swept up into prostitution every year. When adult women decide to exchange money for sex, it is a personal choice open to them under the philosophy of a free, democratic society. When troubled minors who do not yet have the social survival skills decide to prostitute, they are often manipulated by opportunists who exploit these teens, typically leading to horrific ends. Legalizing prostitution will help prevent these instances through regulation. Legalized, regulated prostitution has many benefits. Encounters can happen within controlled environments that bring about safety for both the customers and the prostitutes. Prostitutes would no longer be strong-armed by pimps or organized crime rings. Underage prostitution would be curtailed. There would also be health-safety improvements. [Return to top.] Government can help its citizens. It makes practical sense to monitor prostitution and what better way is there to monitor it than by legalizing it and regulating it? Legalization would require prostitutes to undergo regular medical examinations. STDs would be prevented from being spread as well as other communicable ailments like hepatitis and tuberculosis. It would also reduce gender violence, allow women to escape prostitution, if they so choose, and prevent women from becoming infertile as a consequence to obtaining certain STDs (Gavin, 2001). http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/13505/how_the_legalizati on_of_prostitution.html?cat=9 One problem in criminal justice today is prostitution, a crime that is only illegal because of the Victorian aged puritanical values of the nation. Since people are free to do whatever they wish with their bodies as long as it doesn't involve money for sexual activities, it makes for prostitution to be illegal. A primary goal of laws against prostitution is to deter women from becoming prostitutes but Developing Skills for Language Acquisition 33
Associate Professor Steluta Stan, PhD though the criminalization of the act is an attempt to punish prostitutes, it overlooks the reasons why some women go into such a dangerous type of work or lifestyle. If prostitution was legalized, it could be regulated, which would help the women immensely. The women who work the streets usually do it out of desperation, and the least that the government can do is to help them stay safe. Since prostitutes are socially and legally required to hide their activities, determining the number of American women who engage in prostitution is not easy. Most calculations range between 230,000 and 350,000, but numbers as high as 1,300,000 have been estimated. Either way, a significant number of women currently engage in various forms of prostitution. There are different levels of prostitution, from higher class call girls to streetwalkers. Call girls tend to have higher levels of education, more control over their lives and usually come from privileged backgrounds. They also make substantially more money than streetwalkers. Streetwalkers are the lowest form of prostitution and the women are likely to be controlled by pimps as well as be subjected to violence more so than other classes of prostitutes. It is painstakingly clear that there is a need for regulation of prostitution. Most people see decriminalization, rather than legalization, is for the most part the correct approach. Legalization usually means some form of state-regulated prostitution, while decriminalization means the removal of laws prohibiting prostitution. Some opponents of prostitution advocate decriminalization for prostitutes, but continued laws against for pimps and johns (Lucas, 1995). Arresting prostitutes is definitely an ineffective way to halt prostitution. It also victimizes women. Since most streetwalkers do it out of desperation, putting them behind bars doesn't provide them with the help they need at all. State and local governments have spent thousands of tax-payer dollars in law enforcement efforts to eradicate it with little success. If prostitution is decriminalized, those tax dollars could be put towards something better for the community, or to help prostitutes and other people in need. Also, it would curb the harassment, stigmatization, and violence against prostitutes. Decriminalization of prostitution and the regulation of pimping and pandering offers a chance for the women to gain some control over their work. It would make it easier to prosecute those who abuse them, and with the stigma against prostitution lifted, they may have an easier time getting health care and bargain for the rights that they deserve. Decriminalization allows for the possibility to reduce the level of danger that is prominent in the lives of prostitutes (Meyer, 1993). Legalization of prostitution would take the above further a step. Not only would innocent women who desperately need help stay out of jails, the government may help them out greatly with regulation requirements. They can help the women stay safe, and rates of violence and sex crimes against prostitutes can decrease 34 Developing Skills for Language Acquisition
Associate Professor Steluta Stan, PhD dramatically. Many things can be implemented to help these women, such as licensing for both the women and the pimps, mandatory STI checks for both prostitutes and their customers, health care services or insurance, and brothels. The licensing should be fairly strict and have many regulations of things such as pay, screenings of customers and the prostitutes, as well as hygiene and other mandatory business guidelines. Also the brothels would have to register every prostitute who was working there, and be susceptible to random check ups by the government or local officials. In essence, it should be run just like any other business.
Homosexuality and gender identity

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homosexuality Homosexuality refers to romantic or sexual attraction or behavior among members of the same sex, situationally or as an enduring disposition. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is considered to lie within the heterosexual-homosexual continuum of human sexuality, and refers to an individuals identity based on those attractions and membership in a community of others who share them. Homosexuality is widely encountered in the animal kingdom. Among humans, the prevalence of homosexuality is difficult to determine accurately; studies suggest between two and twenty percent of the population exhibit some degree of homosexual sensibility, though in many earlier cultures homosexual relations were prevalent. Throughout history, individual aspects of homosexuality have been admired or condemned according to various societies' sexual norms. When praised, those aspects were seen as a way to improve society; when condemned, particular activities were seen as a sin or a disease, and some homosexual behavior was prohibited by law. Since the middle of the 20th century homosexuality has been gradually delisted as a disease and decriminalized in nearly all developed countries. However, the legal status of homosexual relations varies widely by country and there remain jurisdictions in which certain homosexual behaviors are crimes with severe penalties including death. Many homosexual people hide their feelings and activities out of fear of disapproval or aggression; they are commonly said to be closeted. Disclosing one's homosexual or bisexual orientation is known as coming out (of the closet). Efforts toward emancipation of homosexuality as it is currently understood began in the 1860s; since the mid-1950s there has been an accelerating trend towards increased visibility, acceptance, and civil rights for lesbian, gay and bisexual people. Nevertheless, heterosexism and homophobia persist, and in particular young people subjected to it are at greater risk of socialization difficulties including suicide. Currently the most Developing Skills for Language Acquisition 35
Associate Professor Steluta Stan, PhD common adjectives in use are lesbian for women and gay for men, though some prefer other terms or none at all. Choice vs. innate The American Psychological Association, American Psychiatric Association, and National Association of Social Workers stated in an amicus brief presented to the Supreme Court of the State of California: "Sexual orientation has proved to be generally impervious to interventions intended to change it, which are sometimes referred to as reparative therapy. No scientifically adequate research has shown that such interventions are effective or safe. Moreover, because homosexuality is a normal variant of human sexuality, national mental health organizations do not encourage individuals to try to change their sexual orientation from homosexual to heterosexual. Therefore, all major national mental health organizations have adopted policy statements cautioning the profession and the public about treatments that purport to change sexual orientation." The Royal College of Psychiatrists stated that it "shares the concern of both the American Psychiatric Association and the American Psychological Association that positions espoused by bodies like the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH) in the United States are not supported by science. There is no sound scientific evidence that sexual orientation can be changed. Furthermore socalled treatments of homosexuality as recommended by NARTH create a setting in which prejudice and discrimination can flourish," and added that "The best evidence for efficacy of any treatment comes from randomised clinical trials and no such trial has been carried out in this field." The APA also writes that "most people experience little or no sense of choice about their sexual orientation". In a joint statement with other major American medical organizations, the APA says that "different people realize at different points in their lives that they are heterosexual, gay, lesbian, or bisexual". The American Psychiatric Association (APA) has stated "some people believe that sexual orientation is innate and fixed; however, sexual orientation develops across a persons lifetime". A report from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health states: "For some people, sexual orientation is continuous and fixed throughout their lives. For others, sexual orientation may be fluid and change over time". Gender identity The earliest writers on a homosexual orientation usually understood it to be intrinsically linked to the subject's own sex. For example, it was thought that a typical female-bodied person who is attracted to female-bodied persons would have masculine attributes, and vice versa. This understanding was shared by most of the significant theorists of homosexuality from the mid 19th to early 20th centuries, such as Karl Heinrich Ulrichs, Richard von Krafft-Ebing, Magnus Hirschfeld, Havelock Ellis, Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud, as 36 Developing Skills for Language Acquisition
Associate Professor Steluta Stan, PhD well as many gender variant homosexual people themselves. However, this understanding of homosexuality as sexual inversion was disputed at the time, and through the second half of the 20th century, gender identity came to be increasingly seen as a phenomenon distinct from sexual orientation. Transgender and cisgender people may be attracted to men, women or both, although the prevalence of different sexual orientations is quite different in these two populations (see sexual orientation of transwomen). An individual homosexual, heterosexual or bisexual person may be masculine, feminine, or androgynous, and in addition, many members and supporters of lesbian and gay communities now see the "gender-conforming heterosexual" and the "gender-nonconforming homosexual" as negative stereotypes. However, studies by J. Michael Bailey and K.J. Zucker have found that a majority of gay men and lesbians report being gender-nonconforming during their childhood years. Richard C. Friedman, in Male Homosexuality published in 1990, writing from a psychoanalytic perspective, argues that sexual desire begins later than the writings of Sigmund Freud indicate, not in infancy but between the ages of 5 and 10 and is not focused on a parent figure but on peers. As a consequence, he reasons, homosexual men are not abnormal, never having been sexually attracted to their mothers anyway. Social construct Because a homosexual orientation is complex and multidimensional, some academics and researchers, especially in Queer studies, have argued that it is a historical and social construction. In 1976 the historian Michel Foucault argued that homosexuality as an identity did not exist in the eighteenth century; that people instead spoke of "sodomy", which referred to sexual acts. Sodomy was a crime that was often ignored but sometimes punished severely (see sodomy law). The term homosexual is often used in European and American cultures to encompass a persons entire social identity, which includes self and personality. In Western cultures some people speak meaningfully of gay, lesbian, and bisexual identities and communities. In other cultures, homosexuality and heterosexual labels dont emphasize an entire social identity or indicate community affiliation based on sexual orientation.[36] Some scholars, such as David Green, state that homosexuality is a modern Western social construct, and as such cannot be used in the context of non-Western male-male sexuality, nor in the premodern West.
The Equality of the Sexes. Different but equal

http://chestofbooks.com/religion/christianity/Science-Life-Living/IVThe-Equality-Of-The-Sexes.html Developing Skills for Language Acquisition 37
Associate Professor Steluta Stan, PhD The masculine and feminine elements, exactly equal and balancing each other, are as essential to the maintenance of the equilibrium of the universe as positive and negative electricity or the centripetal and centrifugal forces, the laws of attraction which bind together all we know of this planet whereon we dwell and of the system in which we revolve. (Elizabeth Cady Stanton) The anomaly and free (Emily P. inequality of the sexes in the human race is a disastrous in creation due to the artificial barriers against the full development of woman's moral and mental powers. Collins)
No one can dispute the fact that the position of woman has changed very decidedly in the English-speaking countries of the world, in the past twenty-five years. While many will declare that she has gained materially in all things which go toward a more advanced civilization, there are others who look upon the changes with disfavor, not to say antagonism, unfavorable opinions coming at times from quarters least expected. Nikola Tesla, in an article in The Century, deplores the condition arising from the new order of things: Society life, modern education and pursuits of women, tending to draw them away from their household duties and make men out of them, must needs detract from the elevating ideal they represent, diminish the artistic creative power, and cause sterility and a general weakening of the race. It is singular how advanced a mind may be in one direction and how behind the times in another. The statement made by Tesla in his otherwise remarkable article seems born of a prejudice coming from the belief in man's superiority over woman. Notwithstanding my great admiration for the writer, I must say this statement is weak in the extreme, if not absolutely false. One naturally expects a judicial utterance from a scientific mind that is supposed to weigh the evidence in the case. In viewing any subject from an impartial standpoint, one must look beyond the present conditions and consider the case in all its bearings. Suppose great wrong and injustice are found; in the righting of those wrongs, in abolishing the injustice, there must inevitably follow a certain amount of friction and discord until society has readjusted itself to the new conditions. And the more complex the wrongs the greater will be the temporary disturbance of social conditions; but the final outcome is no less sure and no less to be desired. The onlooker who sees nothing except that which has taken place on the surface, and compares that with previous conditions, may find apparent reason for believing the old order of things better than the new. Nevertheless, in the most highly civilized countries, women enjoy the greatest amount of freedom. Would the United States or England care to go back and take lessons from Turkey or Persia in regard to women? Are the women 38 Developing Skills for Language Acquisition
Associate Professor Steluta Stan, PhD of England and America any the less womanly because of their greater freedom and their consequent greater intelligence? If, therefore, we acknowledge a little liberty as a good thing, why should not more of it be still better? The Master said, the truth shall make you free. Was this freedom meant for man alone, or was woman to have some share in it? The Declaration of Independence affirms that all are born free and equal. If there is any truth in this statement, why should men turn later and repudiate it, denying to women equality and the same rights and privileges that men enjoy. No, gentlemen. The day is certainly coming when no right or privilege looked upon by man as his sole prerogative shall not be as fully and freely enjoyed by woman. Some day in a free country right not might shall prevail. In the meantime, unrest and controversy must engender friction and disorder until the new order becomes thoroughly established. But should the social friction of a generation be allowed to stand in the way when we are trying to work out the highest welfare of the human race? In the larger freedom which has come to woman there can be nothing which in the end will prove in any way detrimental to the well-being of the race. The highest development on any plane of life is attained only when there is perfect freedom. Resistance offered to freedom of natural thought and action in the life of man hinders and dwarfs growth and brings about abnormal conditions of mind and body. And that which in any way retards the highest development of woman interferes to exactly the same degree with the natural growth and development of man. The sinner and the one sinned against are both made to suffer because of the violation of the law of growth. The conservative mind considers any innovation which sets aside the old order of things as being contrary to the law of orderly progression; but if the opinions of the conservative mind were considered as final there would be neither growth nor development, simply stagnation - inaction - death. Let us point out a few instances in which the new order of things is preferable to the old, and which will in the end prove beneficial to men and women alike. Not only this, but it will have a very decided effect on the generations to come. Just a word as to former conditions and the belief still retained in the minds of many people of the present day. The Bible student will quote the Apostle Paul to make good the old order; the scientific mind will dwell on the physical limitations and put forward the thought that the principal office of woman is the reproduction of the race; while the mind that is neither Biblical nor scientific will try to show that there have been but few great women in original or creative thought in the world, and therefore a great woman is an abnormal production of Nature. All this is on a par with nine-tenths of the reasoning that is now in vogue in opposition to the continued advancement and freedom of woman. But these arguments, and a thousand more like them, would not be sufficient to justify the slavery of woman from time immemorial to the present, for we can not in all truth and candor say that woman has been, or is, free. Granting that a greater degree of freedom has Developing Skills for Language Acquisition 39
Associate Professor Steluta Stan, PhD come to her, we still contend that nothing short of absolute equality of the sexes will fulfill the eternal law of right. When men pride themselves on intellectual development, do they realize that a development of heart is quite as important as a development of head? Is not he who has developed both head and heart a more complete man than the one who has developed only the intellect? And if this is true of a man is it not equally true of a woman? It would be true of woman to-day if the advantages so freely given to the men had not been withheld from her. In spite of opposition and all the disadvantages women labor under, they are insisting on rights and privileges denied them in the past. In this they are not always successful. The chivalry of many of our college undergraduates is far from what it might be. Coeducation is frowned upon by nearly all young men in college who are yet in their adolescence, and who have not yet lived out the savagery of bygone ages; but why the heads of colleges and universities should be dictated to by the students is more difficult to explain, save on the ground that many college men, through having formed the habit of drawing their opinions from the subconscious mind - the storehouse of accumulated knowledge - are sometimes prone to see the vital questions of the day in the light of past conditions, therefore in only a partial way, because of the automatic action of their minds.
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2.3 Text Correction

Identify and correct the mistakes in the following texts: 1 Perhaps the most important person in his life was his mother. A beautiful woman who devoted her life to her family. She had married his father when she was quiet young. Not quite eighteen. And hardly out of high school. As a result, her plans too enter college had to be deferred for a while. Its all a metter of priorities, she said. Filling that she was in love and wanted to start a family. Ill get back to my schooling one day, she told her friends. She did. Allthough it took over fifty ears. 2 There are some people who cant seem to concentrate in a quiet room. Its too quite, they complaint. They seem to thrive on some level of noice, and so while theyre studying, they turn on the radio or the television set. Theyre parents, not understanding the situation, may ask, Whats going on here ? Youre never going to be able to do your assignment with all that noice ! Yet its precisely the noice that helps them to do the homework. A radios music provides the accompaniment to start the days work. As my friends brother once said, Everyone has the right to choose his own place to work. Whats important is that the professors assignment gets completed. 3 Their are many reasons for students to go too college. First of all, college has a definite effect on our lifes, since its a place were we are exposed to people of diverse backgrounds and also too many different branches of learning. Then too, at college students have a choise of extracurricular activities to attend and to farther theyre interests and abilities. All considered, people should follow the advise of those who advocate a college education. 4 We have been told that there has always been a generation gap between the old and the young. As a result, communication between children and parent is at best difficult. My own mother often tell me that when she was young she could not discuss many important subject with hers parents and so she relied on her few close friend for these discussion. Yet today she does not fully understand why it so difficult for me too bridge this gap and communicate openly. She fill that now it diffrent, and she is more Developing Skills for Language Acquisition 41
Associate Professor Steluta Stan, PhD understanding than either of her parents was. Oh well, let see what happens when I have childs.
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3 Listening Comprehension and/or Speaking 3.1 Topics for Conversation

It is better to build bridges not walls. Figure out the message and share it with your team. Its better to know something about many things than everything about one thing only. If you have enough will, you can move the mountains but if youre smart, you leave them there. Illustrate with examples. If you are used to thinking that stress is something that makes you worry, you have the wrong idea of stress. Stress is many different kinds of things: happy things, sad things, allergic things, physical things. Many people carry enormous stress loads and they do not even realize it! When you take responsibility for another persons actions, CHANGES occur in your life over which you have little or no control. Taking responsibility for another persons actions is a major stressor. Find an example to illustrate. Describe the model person for you, the person you are trying to be. Do not ignore the flaws that are part of anyones charm. People say its hard to do the right thing. Others say that what is hard is to know what the right thing is, and once you know it, its hard not to do it. If you agree, find an example to illustrate. If not, do the same.
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Associate Professor Steluta Stan, PhD How and to what extent do you think that money and power influence people? Do you have such an example? Is knowledge enough to make a good professional or it takes more than that? If yes, what? If no, why not? Which do you think are the most relevant traits of character that make a person accepted by the smaller or larger community s/he is part of? You see a man and a woman, about the same age, sitting on a bench, each at one end of it. What kind of story does this trigger in your mind? What do you think stimulates young people nowadays? What principles regulate their attitude toward life and work? Is there anything left for the new generation to say, do or decide? Do they even think of it or they are just trying to adjust the best they can to what the previous generations have created for them? Do you think that communication is really necessary or it has become only a clich? In either case, give arguments to support your answer. Comment on: Take advantage of/ Seize every moment in your life as if it were the last. Give pros and cons. What are the main objectives that the educational system in Romania has in view, and to what extent do you consider them appropriate for the demands of the labour-market? Were you to have the power to change something, what would you change? Some day, Ill List some of the plans you have made for yourself and name the methods you think you will use to accomplish them. Suppose you had the chance of having three wishes fulfilled. Which were those?
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Associate Professor Steluta Stan, PhD If you were to change something in your life, what would you change and why? We all have pecadillos/small faults that our intimate friends tolerate. What are yours? Name three qualities you think a successful career would require and three flaws that one should avoid so as to succeed. Remember one instance when you had to make an important decision. What was it and what helped you make the right one? People say it is of utmost importance to always tell the truth. If you agree to that, give reasons. Could you name at least one instance when telling the truth would have been worse than not telling it or telling a lie? I wish the world were a better place is something you have, probably, heard at least once in your life. If you had the divine power of changing three (since this is said to be a magic number) things (courses of events, political decisions, etc.), which would be those?
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3.2 Documentaries and Films

A. Zeitgeist is a documentary film about (alleged or not) social myths, in 3 parts: 1. The Greatest Story Ever Told, questioning religions as original god-given stories, and arguing the Christian religion is mainly derived from other religions, astronomical facts, astrological myths and traditions, in turn derived from or sharing elements with other ones; 2. All the Worlds a Stage, about several 9/11 conspiracy theories (either orchestrated or allowed to happen attacks in order to generate mass fear, initiate and justify the war on terror, provide a pretext for the curtailment of civil liberties, and produce economic gain) and 3. Dont Mind the Men Behind the Curtain arguing that three wars of the USA during the 20th cent. were waged purely for economic gain by international bankers. Choose any one part of the documentary and contradict or reinforce 1 of the authors lines of argument. B. Freedom Writers is the story of a young, new and excited schoolteacher and a new integration program that puts at-risk and unteachable students of all backgrounds and races in classes together. It is also about doing the right thing. What the students begin to write in their diaries is an odyssey against ignorance, intolerance and negative forces present in their own lives, which is meant to open their eyes and teach them how to become the heroes of their own stories. Choose any one narrative element (Erins or any of the students actions/reactions, event, words) and elaborate on it.
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4 Final Tasks and Tests
I. Choose the most suitable option: 1. The Smiths for Brasov by the 9 oclock train as they have already made plans for that. a) are leaving c) will go b) are going d) will be leaving
2. By the time they their destination, their grandson a week before. a) reach/will have been born c) reach/will be born b) reached/has been born d) reached/had been born
3. Your daughter so shy if you the time to talk to her along the years. a) wouldnt be/found c) wouldnt be/would find b) werent/would find d) wouldnt be/had found
4. If you repeatedly their offer, of course they . a) will reject/will give up c) would reject/ would give up b) are rejecting/give up d) have rejected/have given up
5. It was not until he that she on him that he left her. a) had realized/has been cheating b)has realized/has cheated c) realized/ had been cheating d) had realized/had been cheating 6. Not until , taken to the hospital.
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Associate Professor Steluta Stan, PhD a) had the police arrived/was the victim b) arrived the police/the victim was c) the police arrived/the victim was d) the police had arrived/was the victim 7. By the time the writer 50, he famous. a) turns/will have become c) has turned/has become b) will turn/will become d) will have turned/has become
8. Unless you learning English and computer operating, you to get a well-paid job. a) dont start/will not be able b) start/dont be able c) start/will not be able d) dont start/dont be able 9. She told me that she on us when they came to town if they enough time. a) would call/had had c) will call/will have b) will call/had d) would call/ had
10. He for Timisoara as soon as he his project. a) is leaving/will finish c) was leaving/ had finished b) is leaving/will have finished d) leaves/had finished
11. Unless you my advice, you your way. a) dont follow/dont find c) wont follow/wont find b) follow/wont find d) will follow/wont find
12. She has just told me that she him for two months now but she to marry him. a) is seeing/isnt meaning meant c) has been seeing/doesnt mean b) has been seeing/hasnt d) saw/didnt mean
13. As soon as I the paper, I promise I it to you. a) finished/will send b) have finished/will send c) will have finished/will send d) will finish/will send 14. He has told me that he me the paper as soon as he it. a) will send/will finish c) will send/has finished b) would send/has finished d) has sent/will have finished
15. He let me know that he me the first draft as soon as he it. a) will send/has had c) will send/has had 48 b) would send/had had d) would send/would have
Associate Professor Steluta Stan, PhD 16. If it for his determination and hard work when he was only a poor boy, his family so rich today. a) werent/wouldnt be c) hasnt been/wasnt b) hadnt been/wouldnt have been d) hadnt been/wouldnt be
17. The students said that unless some teachers their way of seeing things, there any notable progress. a) will not change/wont be c) changed/wouldnt be b)didnt change/wouldnt be d) will change/wont be
18. No sooner from the serious illness she for ten years, than her husband died. a) had she recovered/suffered b) did she recover/has suffered c) had she recovered/had suffered d) did she recover/suffered II. Comment in a 3,000-word paper upon: Each human being is born as something new, something that never existed before, and yet as something following a pattern. They are born with all they need to win at life. Each person in their own way can see, hear, touch, taste and think for themselves. Each has their own unique potential their capabilities and limitations. Each can be a significant, thinking, aware and creatively productive person in their own right a winner. The words winner and loser have many meanings, but few people are one hundred per cent winners or one hundred per cent losers. Its a matter of degree. (Muriel James and Dorothy Jongeward Born to Win) III. Choose any of the three issues illustrated by the texts in 2.2. and write a 2,000-word essay. IV. Choose any one of the conversation topics suggested in 2.3 and write a 1,000-word essay.
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Developing Skills For Language Acquisition (A Practical Course in English Language For 2nd Year Students)

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Developing Skills For Language Acquisition (A Practical Course in English Language For 2nd Year Students)

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Associate Professor Steluta Stan, PhD

Dunarea de Jos University of Galati Faculty of Letters