- Did you see 'Much Ado about Nothing?' during our trip to Humdrum?
- Yes, It was all right but not really worth the money I paid for the tickets.
- Why? What was wrong?
- Well, to begin with, the theatre itself is nothing special, just an ordinary modern building.
- And the actors?
- They are quite famous, but last night they gave just a lacklustre performance as in any amateur theatre.
- What about the cafe you visited afterwards?
- I have seen better service, though can't really complain. A mediocre establishment, nothing more.
- And the hotel? Did you enjoy your stay there?
- It is advertised as a four-star hotel, but is not really up to scratch. The rooms are bare and lacking some facilities.
- Did you visit the art gallery as well?
- Yes, but it was not what I expected. Some third-rate paintings by local artists. Nothing to write home about.
- Was the tour well-organised in general?
- I should say it's rather patchy. Good in some respects, but wanting in others.
Ex. 17
1. The reader may glean a sence of community life by perusing local newspapers and magazines. 2. When Mrs Smiths husband committed suiside she put it down on the press having hounded him to death and sued them for tongue-in-cheek treatment of their family life and the night-club brawl in which he defended her honour. 3. In a bid to elicit an angry response the journalist tried to impugn the minister's reputation, but the letter replied with a truism, forcing the journalist to spend an inordinate amount of time re-hashing the story, which was consigned to page 9 anyway. 4. Some journalists admit, that they write for themselves and the 'readersip' is just a 'nebulous crew for them'. 5. Although the story merited public attention, the editor decided it merited just a short one-paragraph pionter. 6. The trenchant criticism and the publication of numerious exposees has impugned the reputation of the then president Eltsin. 7. Many journalists dream of a latitude for fair comment, the ability to tug at the readers' heartstrings and the power to jar readers' stereotypes. 8. The readres are presented with a smorgasbord of stories in every newspaper, but the problem is, that some have become so jaded, that they stretch credulity and the newspaper is thus considered as pap.
Chapter 5
Ex. 1
to flutter | трепетать (о сердце) |
to arouse one’s curiosity | пробуждать чьё-либо любопытство |
to grasp | понять, схватить основную идею |
hot air | пустая болтавня, похвальба |
inaudible | невнятный, неотчетливый, неслышный |
to be adept at smth. | быть знающим, опытным, сведущим в чем-либо |
to fumble the main point | нечетко выражать основную идею |
to be at stake | быть поставленным на карту |
snappy intro | лаконичное введение |
compelling subject | захватывающая, интересная тема |
to plough through smth. | корпеть над работой |
to plough beyond a tangled lead | продвинуться дальше замысловатого введения |
poignant | резкий, колкий (о словах, замечаниях) |
provocative | провоцирующий, вызывающий |
enlightening | разъясняющий, проливающий свет |
to ponder on/over smth. | Размышлять над чем-то |
A run-up | подготовительная работа, период |
soul-wrenching climax | кульминация, полная трагизма; душераздирающая кульминация |
arty cravings | претенциозные стремления |
meticulously packaged | тщательно, педантично проработанный, составленный |
to become jaded | пресытиться |
to occur at one’s fingertips | случиться в поле зрения кого-то |
a fickle customer | непостоянный, ненадежный клиент |
an inscrutable customer | загадочный, непонятный клиент |
a succinct language | сжатый, краткий, лаконичный язык |
an avid reader | заядлый читатель |
a supersonic reader | читатель, просматривающий только фотографии и заголовки, для того чтобы ознакомиться с содержанием газеты |
a large type | крупный шрифт |
a province | область, сфера деятельности |
a deluge of words | поток слов |
cluttering details | подробности, загромождающие текст |
a ‘run-on’ sentence | вводное предложение |
an irksome fact | банальный факт |
to lure smb. to smth. | завлечь, заманить кого-то куда-то |
obscure | невнятный, невразумительный, неясный |
a flamboyant pop-star | яркий, заметный исполнитель |
judicious | разумный, благоразумный, здравомыслящий |
an eloquent language | убедительный, выразительный язык |
an overriding point | важнейший, доминирующий вопрос |
to clog up the intro | нагромождать введение |
to be germane to smth. | быть уместным в чем-либо |
minutes of meeting | протокол встречи |
a circuitous route | окольный обходной путь |
preconceived ideas | предубеждения |
preconceived ideas are rampant in the newsroom | предубеждения – частное явление в отделе новостей |
Exercise 5:
1.Direct lead 2. Delayed lead 3. Summary lead 4. Quote lead
5. Question lead
Exercise 7: deluge i);lure c); province e); clog up k); to fumble a); hot air f); at stake b); plough through h); ponder d); muck about j); attribute g).
Exercise 8: 1)a lot of date– a deluge of data; 2) loafing – mucking about; 3) cramming – clogging up; 4) wading through – ploughing through; 5) sphere – province; 6) reflect on – ponder; 7) floundering around – fumbling; 8) ascribe – attribute; 9) tempting – luring; 10) hazarded – at stake; 11) chattering – hot air.
Exercise 9: 1) poignancy; 2) compulsion; 3) provoke; 4) avidity; 5) ponderosity; 6) fickleness; 7) irksome; 8) obscurity; 9) enlightenment; 10) rampage.
Exercise 12: 1. deliberated; 2. ruminate on; 3. brood over; 4. cogitating; 5. mulling over; 6. mused; 7. meditating.
Exercise 13: 1. to arouse one’s curiosity, to flutter; 2. meticulous; 3. to be at stake; 4. to be adept at; 5. to plough through; 6. poignant criticism; 7. to ponder on/over; 8. to lure; 9. judicious; 10. in an eloquent way; 11. poignant comments, absolutely germane to; 12. overriding points, the minutes of meeting; 13. the preconceived way of bearing testimony.
Chapter 6
a blunder | грубая ошибка, промах, просчёт |
gibberish | невнятный, непонятный, бессвязный |
to tell a yarn about smth. | рассказывать байки о чем-либо |
a premise | исходное условие |
slash-and-stitch approach | прием «лоскутного одеяла» |
salient | заметный, яркий, бросающийся в глаза |
gist | суть, сущность |
to provide supportive quotes and background for the accident | предоставлять опорные цитаты и историю происшествия |
to be anchored in facts and opinions | быть подкрепленным фактами и мнениями |
pinnacle | пик, вершина |
to delve | изучать, тщательно исследовать, рыться, копаться (в книгах, документах) |
a mind-numbing quotation | скучная, неинтересная цитата |
a fledgling reporter | начинающий репортер |
repetitive / repetitious | многословный, скучный |
flagging of smth. | маркировка; упоминание ч.-л. |
to mull over | обдумывать, размышлять |
to scribble a rough outline | набросать ориентировочный, приблизительный план |
to flip through something | пролистать, бегло просмотреть ч.-л. |
to compile a list of contacts and questions | составить список контактов и вопросов |
admonition | замечание, указание; настоятельный совет, наставление |
transitional device | связующий прием |
seamless transition | незаметный переход |
to cobble together | делать что-то на скорую руку |
cohesion | единство, сплоченность |
to devise effective transitions | придумывать, составлять оригинальные связующие выражения |
to draw together the threads of various arguments | соединить различные элементы |
retrenchment | сокращение; ограничение |
a kerbside interview | интервью, взятое на обочине дороги |
to jeopardize an investigation | поставить расследование под угрозу |
to locate a witness | найти свидетеля |
to cross-check information | проверять информацию |
to put facts and opinions in a contiguous series of paragraphs | последовательно излагать факты и мнения абзац за абзацем |
defamation | клевета |
incriminating | осуждающий, обвинительный |
to overhaul | совершенствовать |
cutting-edge | передовой, современный |
to spawn | создавать в большом количестве |
fraught with smth. | наполненный чем-либо |
a fallback | альтернатива, запасной вариант |
conflict-based story | история, основанная на конфликте, противоречии |
disparate | несравнимый, несопоставимый, несоизмеримый |
a down-to-earth journalist | разумный, практичный журналист |
Exercise 3: Lead Par – Summary of the event; Par 1 – important details; Par 2 – the history of the story; Par 3 – additional information about the theme of the article; Final Par - Background or progress of investigation.
Exercise 6: A. slip, B. howler, C. blunder, D. misprint, E. error, F. typo, G. inaccuracy, H. mistake.
Exercise 8:
The highest part of something | The most important or strongest part, event or point of something | |
pinnacle | - | + |
apex | + | + |
summit | + | - |
peak | + | + |
height | - | + |
climax | - | + |
top | + | + |
Exercise 11: 1) 1. slander/defamation; 2. defamation/libel; 3. libels; 4. libels; 5. slandered; 2) 1. fallback; 2. substitute; 3. fallback; 4. alternative; 3) 1. cohesion; 2. cohesion; 3. coherence; 4. cohesion; 5. coherence; 4) 1. desparate; 2. disparate; 3. disparate; 5) 1. peruse; 2. wade through; 3. flip through
Exercise 12: 1. premise of success; 2. to be anchored in facts and opinions; 3. gist; gibberish; 4. delving; 5. a fledgling reporter; to cross-check information; 6. to mull over; 7. retrenchment; 8. cutting-edge media; to overhaul; 9.to locate a witness; 10. to be fraught with; incriminating facts; libel.
Chapter 7
an ornate style | витиеватый стиль |
vigorous English | энергичный, живой английский |
to strive for smth. | стремиться к ч.-л. |
euphony | благозвучие |
ambiguity | неясность, неопределённость, двусмысленность |
a contrived sentence | неестественное, натянутое предложение |
a hackneyed language | избитый язык |
a journalese | газетный штамп |
fatuous | бессмысленный, глупый |
superficiality | поверхностность |
bloated stories | раздутые истории |
to detract from smth. | отвлекать от ч.-л. |
discord | разногласие, противоречие, расхождение во взглядах |
to jar | раздражать, действовать на нервы |
intimidating | пугающий |
equitable | беспристрастный, непредубежденный |
to dismantle information structures | разрушать информационные структуры |
to laud the conversational language | превозносить разговорный язык |
emendation | улучшение, изменение, исправление (текста литературного произведения) |
to wend one’s way | прокладывать путь |
an arcane business | темное дело (тайный, скрытный; темный, загадочный) |
to liken | уподоблять, сравнивать |
dexterity | ловкость, быстрота, сноровка |
litmus test | лакмусовая реакция |
uniformity | единообразие; согласованность |
a tenet | принцип, доктрина, догмат |
to conform smth. to smth. | согласовывать ч.-т. с ч.-т.; приводить к соответствию |
to stifle | подавлять, сдерживать |
lengthy words | длинные слова |
to comprehend | понимать |
to deter from smth. | удерживать от ч.-л. |
to ensue | происходить вследствие ч.-л.; получаться в результате ч.-л. |
brevity | сжатость, краткость |
to glean | собирать, тщательно подбирать (факты, сведения, по мелочам, обрывкам) |
to espouse | поддерживать (дело, идею), отдаваться (к.-л. делу) |
to slant the news | тенденциозно, предвзято освещать события |
Exercise 4: 1. euphonious; 2. journalese; 3. detractors; 4. discordant; 5. dexterously; 6. laudable; 7. conformity; 8. lengthen; 9. deterrent; 10. espousal.
Exercise 8: 1) 1. strives; 2. Craving 3. are striving; 4. crave for;
2) 1. vague / obscure; 2. obscure / vague; 3. ambiguous; 4. vague;
3) 1. strained; 2. contrived; 3. contrived; 4) 1. deter; 2. stifle; 3. abstain; 4. deter; 5) 1. ensued; 2. succeeded; 3. supervene; succeeds.
Exercise 9: 1. The simplicity of narration helps readers to assimilate hard for comprehension information but for that all deprives journalists of an opportunity to gain expressiveness and euphony. 2. While writing an article dedicated to any significant affair new collocations and neologisms are often coined due to journalist’s language dexterity. 3. Superficiality of the coverage of the event brought about tension and ambiguity. 4. Participation of representatives of various scholar schools in the project will be a source of additional knowledge and experience, will bear a hand in resolving discords and provide an equitable view from outsider’s viewpoint on our research. 5. The use of such a number of quotes only jars on readers and detracts from the significance of describable events. 6. Television lauds the new ruler as a strategist. 7. To achieve clarity and precision of wording as well as to eliminate language and style failings a few emendations were made in text. 8. The substance of the tenet “business purpose” implies the point that any deal in which tax minimization occurs must pursue some object. 9. A well constructed plot, therefore, must neither begin nor end at haphazard, but conform to aforementioned principles. 10. Publishing the slanted version of the event occurred neither ensued the politician’s rating increase nor received any espousal among his proponents.
Exercise 11: Ernest Hemingway
Chapter 8
Ex. 1
to breach (a law) | нарушать (закон); |
to misappropriate | незаконно присвоить, завладеть |
to tip off | информировать о случившимся или предстоящем событии |
rein | контроль |
to give free rein to smth. | предоставить свободу действий |
mileage | польза, выгода |
a shenanigan | махинация |
a ‘white-collar’ crime | преступление, совершаемое служащими |
to follow hunches | следовать интуиции, предчувствию |
pecuniary interest | денежный, финансовый интерес |
insolvency | банкротство |
an electoral roll | список избирателей |
to canvass smth. | анализировать, обсуждать, дискутировать о чем-либо |
a prime example | яркий, показательный пример |
a gauge of public moods | способ оценки общественного мнения |
as cocooned from the public as politicians | такой же закрытый от общественности, как политики |
to joust with smb./smth. | соперничать с кем-либо/чем-либо |
grassroots | широкие массы, простые люди |
a diminution | уменьшение, спад, снижение |
to do utmost | сделать всё возможное |
to portray the government in a positive light | изображать правительство в выгодном свете |
an aggrandizement | увеличение, расширение |
to deflect criticism | противостоять критике |
to head off criticism | предотвращать критику |
to turn the tables on smb. | выйти на кого-то, повернуть ситуацию на кого-то |
out of thin air | из ниоткуда, из ничего |
interminable | бесконечный, беспредельный |
compliant | податливый, покладистый, уступчивый |
savvy | сообразительный, толковый, смышленый |
a sustenance | поддержка, помощь |
a sound-bite | короткий отрывок, фраза из речи |
tunnel vision | узкий кругозор, ограниченность, узость взглядов |
a set piece | эпизод |
a bombshell | ошеломляющая новость, сногшибательное известие |
off the cuff | без подготовки |
a ghostwriter | фактический автор, тайно работающий на другое лицо |
multi-faceted | многогранный |
a blueprint | план, программа |
to intimidate | пугать, запугивать, устрашать |
a no-go | безвыходное положение, тупик |
to win kudos | получить почёт, всеобщее признание и уважение |
a retribution | наказание, расплата, кара |
an exemption | освобождение |
abysmal | глубокий, бездонный, неизмеримый |
to lodge the Freedom of Information application | ссылаться на закон о свободе слова |
to withhold information | утаивать, скрывать информацию |
Exercise 3: 1. true [p.165]; 2. false [p. 166]; 3. false [p.166]; 4. false [p.168]; 5. true [p.168]; 6. true [p.170]; 7. false [p.172]; 8. false [p. 178].
Exercise 4: 1.diminution; 2. self-aggrandizement; 3. compliant; 4. sustenance; 5. retributive; 6. exempt; 7. abysmally; 8. insolvency.
Exercise 6: 1. off the cuff; 2. turned the tables on; 3. do its utmost; 4. tunnel vision; 5. are giving … free reins to; 6. sound-bites; 7. the ghostwriter; 8. to win kudos; 9. white-collar crimes; 10. no-go.
Exercise 7: 1.multi-faceted; 2. shenanigans; 3. breach; 4. pecuniary; 5. misappropriated; 6. jousted; 7. savvy; 8. bombshell.
Exercise 9: 1. follow hunches; 2. tipped off; 3. canvassed; 4. prime examples; 5. deflect; 6. head off; 7. lodged; 8. withhold; 9. intimidate; 10. interminable.
Exercise 10: (1) – 3; (2) – 5; (3) – 7; (4) – 2; (5) – 4; (6) – 6; (7) – 1.
Exercise 11: (1) – embodiment; (2) – indomitable; (3) – visionary; (4) – endowed; (5) – be attributed; (6) – made provision; (7) – public service; (8) – dynamic progression; (9) – an overseer advisory board; (10) – suspend; (11) – substituting; (12) – conducive; (13) – rendered; (14) – withhold any award; (15) – overrule the recommendations.
Exercise 12: 1. Reports on breaches of laws, robberies, misappropriation of property and funds, petty white-collar crimes and other illegal shenanigans are usually covered in a news bulletin. 2. Journalists are often tipped off about a perpetration of a crime ahead. 3. A major role in news search is played not only by visiting libraries, examination of state and federal handbooks, annual reports, register books, advertisements, archives, holding information on immigration, sessions of the court, insolvencies and dissolution of companies, but also by contact with grass-root readers. 4. Under the government of any country, state or city there are public relation practitioners, who are ready to do utmostto portray high-ranking figures and civil servants in a positive light. 5. A blueprint of performance considerably simplifies journalist’s work provided that a speaker doesn’t decide to change his theme and speak off the cuff. 6. Activists often run a risk of destroying their careers, meanwhile a journalist having taken an advantage of their services can win kudo. 7. All this data should be checked, most of the facts are suspected to have appeared out of thin air. 8. The all-encompassing presentation deflected all accusations against the would-be scientist of tunnel vision. 9. Tax exemption, an increase in social benefits served as a true state aid for low-income families. 10. The other part of the seminar was dedicated to canvassing the role of vested interests in the context of interethnic relations and social indentity.
Chapter 9
Ex.2
Fraught with legal danger; strive for accuracy; to divulge the identity of the source; to vouch for; to build rapport; divisive issues; one common ploy of politicians; to canvass public statements; evasive interviewee; to gnaw at confidence; to ignore barbs; newsworthy individuals; to be more lenient to; to sidetrack to other issues/ subjects; to draw on emotion; consensual interview; to have a knack for asking questions; a sound bite; to skew; to slant; to piggyback on popular issues; defamatory questions; innocuous topic; to center on; to bar from doing something; to blend into any crowd; to keep track of; an even-handed tone; a well-timed telephone call, to suppress any mention.
Ex. 6
1. Every journalist must strive for accuracy, fairness and disclosure of all essential facts.
2. Journalists should always consider a source’s track record: Have they been reliable? Will others vouch for them?
3. Journalists might be reluctant to lose reliable sources’ goodwill by sticking to formalities.
4. For the source, anonymity can be a golden opportunity to ‘get even’ with an enemy while not having to take public responsibility for comments.
5. It can be difficult to keep track of who has said what.
6. This method can be used with media advisers who fob off general questions.
7. If the reporter picks up quickly on evasion, the interviewee may realize the tactic is pointless.
8. This can gnaw at the confidence of inexperienced reporters.
9. The expectation is that a journalist will blend into almost any crowd.
10. You mean you knew all the time and never let on?
11. Television interviews can border on the theatrical.
12. I do not know why we should be barred from trading to those places.
13. Take the other person fully into account, then remember and make sense of what that person heard and saw.
Ex. 8
1.A 2. B 3. D 4. B 5. A 6. C 7. D 8. B
Ex. 9
1. hindered 2. blocked 3. intervene 4. obstructed 5. barred 6. impeding 7. intervene 8. barred 9. obstruct 10. hinders
Ex. 12
1 false 2 false 3 true 4 true 5 false 6 true 7 false 8 false
Ex. 15
The interview is the most effective news-gathering tool but not necessarily the most trustworthy. Answers can differ depending on who is asking the questions and in what way. Often people will feel under no obligation to answer questions, especially when they have something to hide, at other times they are genuinely fearful of the public spotlight. They will lie, withhold the truth, or tell a portion of the truth. A journalist should develop his own ‘lie detector’ tests by asking difficult and ambivalent questions to which he already knows the answers. Quite often A journalist stumble upon more difficult situations when the interview takes on an emotional dimension. Sometimes people will move heaven and earth to get their name in the newspaper, while others are just as forceful in trying to suppress any mention. A journalist is neither a friend nor a foe. He must not reach personal conclusions; he should also avoid expressing his opinion. He should feel the atmosphere and the interlocutor and be able to probe before asking difficult questions. You should be wary of recording devices. Some people become hostile having felt that their voice is being recorded. Thus even the most eloquent person can become tongue-tied. In this case everything depends on the journalist: he can start a small talk to disarm an angry interviewee by an observation or a joke. This is not the complete list of obstacles a journalist can com across while interviewing however everything depends on his skills and personal qualities.
Chapter 10
Ex. 3
To relish doing smth; to clear a hurdle; to undergo a change; gratifying; vitriol; mind-numbing; to loom; formidable; to dole out; have smb on; a shelf life; to linger on; a cursory glance; to peruse; crucial; to confer with; to be under the umbrella; well-honed; have a foot in both camps; to spike; a rookie; a slick writer; to collate; against a backdrop of; a constraint; to be akin to; fulcrum
Ex. 10
1. fulcrum 2. akin 3. habitat 4. spin doctor 5 mixed blessing 6 slick 7 well-honed 8 have a foot in both camps 9. liaises with 10.confer with
Ex. 13
1 extricate itself 2 expunge 3 excluded 4 extricate 5 expunge
Ex. 15
1 scanned 2 scrutinized 3 caught a glimpse 4 caught sight 5 inspect 6 cast a cursory glance 7 peer 8 scrutinize
Ex. 17
1. My partner and I, we work like hell. We expect everybody else to do the same. Sink or swim!
2. The buck stops right here at the White House.
3. ‘See here,’ he exclaimed suddenly, looking sharply at the musician and deciding to take the bull by the horns, ‘you are in a quandary the same as I am, if you only stop to think.’
4. I loved even your so very British talent for hiding your head in the sand when you can no longer avoid the ugliness before your eyes.
5. I'm generally in favour of what you propose, but not enough to stand up and be counted.
6. He has had to shoulder the responsibility of his father's mistakes.
7. He's very clever at passing the buck to someone else.
8. Sort out all your problems once and for all!
Ex. 19
The nature of newspapers has undergone enormous changes over the last period of time. The move to online news has forced to shift focus from bare facts to their analysis and discussion. Reporting has started to appeal to a broader audience. It may lead to the dumbing down of journalism in general. However, according to many experts, the problem of contemporary journalism is that it heavily influenced by advertising interests of media companies. Although really good journalists can strike a balance. Now journalism and PR are uneasy bedfellows. PR practitioners outnumber journalists. Many journalists turn into PR agents.Clever men hire public relations people to plant stories then pay to the lawyers and then feed them to the others. Many PR agents(former journalists) know how to manage, cajole and manipulate the media because they are from the media. Therefore there arise ethical and other problems that may hinder progress. Sometimes we can talk about understaffing although pr specialists have invisible desks in newsrooms. They reside in lifestyle sections. Here they produce thinly disguised advertorial that will later disrupt the reputation.
Chapter 11
Ex. 2
Watchdog;hot tip; tip-off; to diffuse; a rich trove of information; divulge; intrepid adventurer; sought-after duty; to fall through; brawl; to embitter public debate; diehard; of no avail; warring factions; to inflame a situation; to insulate oneself; a sounding board; make a nuisance of oneself;
Ex. 6
1. Roads 2. Plants 3. Flowers 4. The centre 5.light 6. up in the air
7. Playing cards 8. The theatre
Ex 8
(1) 1. Foolhardy 2. adventurous 3. foolhardy 4. reckless 5. intrepid
(2) 1. enhance 2. intensifying 3. heightened 4. Aggravate 5. intensified
(3) 1. disclosed 2. divulge 3. betray 4. revealed 5. divulge
Ex 11
To be successful, a journalist must develop a genuine interest in public policy. Their interests need to span everything from education, politics, and health to sports, business, and music. All knowledge does not come from books and academic circles. If you are determined to become a journalist, you must be alert to the world around you. You must read newspapers and magazines which encapsulate the week’s news events. It is also important to keep abreast of news bulletins. Apart from mundane research tools there are confidential contacts that you must obtain. Networking with a variety of sources is a reporter’s lifeline. Some sources will provide e telephone number on the proviso it is not shared with other journalists. It is of utmost importance to forge strong relationship with your informers and add new contacts to your contact book. Being neat and organized will help you a lot: no journalist wants to be fumbling through a telephone book or disorganized scraps of paper looking for an elusive telephone number. Working in this field you are exposed t stress. Emotions are contagious therefore try to insulate yourself from negative feelings. Sometimes you will be “the honest broker” between warring factions. In this case try not to inflame the situation. Time management is the most important thing. You can spend hours researching and formulating questions to no avail. Don’t panic, Try prioritizing to ease the stress.
Chapter 12