The Computer Jungle

Though you can make ____ decision on purely economic grounds, buying ____ computer is often more like joining ____ religious cult. Buy ____ Apple, for example, and almost by default you join Apple chairman Steve Jobs in his crusade against IBM. Every machine has its "users' groups" and ____ band of loyal enthusiasts who tout its merits. That makes it all ____ more difficult for ____ uninitiated to decide what machine to buy. Students have ____ huge advantage, however. The computer companies are so eager for students' business (it builds "brand loyalty") that many offer huge discounts.

In the past six months, IBM, Apple, and others have brought out new computers, and ____ fierce competition has forced prices down. Also, time is on your side: next year at ____ time you'll have even more choice and more computing power and features for ____ same price. On ____ other hand, this will probably be true for many years. So for those who need or want ____ computer now, it's a great time to buy one.

Ex. 20. Be ready to use the necessary article in the following texts:

a) Until near... end of... 19th century it was the law in... England that if... man was unable to pay... debt, even... small one, he could be impris­oned. This imprisonment might very well be for... life, as it was impossible for... people in prison to work at their ordinary occupations and so make... money to repay... sum they had borrowed. If they had... friends who could bring them... materials to work with, they might work with their hands, sewing or making... boots, for instance.

... great English novelist Charles Dickens knew... great deal about the debtors' prisons from per­sonal experience, for when he was about ten, his father was imprisoned for debt, and... whole fam­ily had to go arid live with him in... prison be­cause they had nowhere else to live.... mother and... children, however, could leave... place when they wished; but at ten o'clock every evening... great gates were shut for the night, and no one could leave or enter until morning. Dickens de­scribed... life in the debtors' prisons in some of his novels. It was largely because of Dickens' sharp criticism that... English Government was finally forced to do away with... debtors' prisons.

b) At... beginning of... 19th century... little boy was born in... family of John Dickens,... clerk at... office in... Portsmouth, and was named Charles. He had... sister who was older than himself, arid there were several other children in... family. When Charles was seven, he was sent to... school. He was not... strong child. He did not like to play... crick­et or.. football and spent all his free time reading. In 1821... family went to... London, and little Charles left behind him... happiest years of his childhood. His father was in... money difficulties, and... family became poorer and poorer.... boy hadto give up his studios. Mr. Dickens was put into... debtors' prison. Little Charles learned to know all., horrors and cruelty of... large capitalist city. He had to go to work at... blacking factory. He worked there from... morning till... night. When his fa­ther came out of prison, Charles was sent to... school for some time. Soon he got work as... clerk. Then he learned... stenography and became... reporter; in Parliament. In 1836 at... age of 24 Charles Dick-1 en? published his first book. It was... collection of... stories.... title of... book was "Sketches by Boz." There were followed by "Pickwick Papers" and "Ol­iver Twist" and many other famous novels. Charles Dickens is one of... greatest writers of... 19th. century. His novels are now translated into most languages of... world.

c) 'William Shakespeare,... greatest English playwright, was born in 1564 in... Stratford-upon-Avon in... England.... Stratford is... small coun­try town in... farming district near... centre of... England.... Avon, which is... pretty river with... grass and... trees all along its banks, runs through... Stratford, Not much is known of... Shakespeare's father. He was... farmer who, at... different times of his life, sold... meat and bought and sold... wool. He was poor and was often in... money difficulties. Very little is known about... life of his only son William also.... little house in which... great writer was born still stands. It is now... museum. William went to... school in... Stratford. In 1586 he went to... London. Probably... first work he did there was at one of the two theatres that there were in... London at that time. Then he became... actor and soon began to write... plays for... company of actors to which he be­longed. Shakespeare bought... largest house in his home town in 1597, but he did not spend much time there till 1610. He spent... last years of his life mostly in... Stratford, but he often visited... London. He died in 1616.

d) During... American War of... Independence,... commander of... small unit of soldiers was giv­ing... orders to his men about... heavy cannon that they were trying to lift to its place at... top of some fortifications. It was almost beyond their power to lift... weight, and... commander kept shouting... encouraging words.... officer, not in uniform, was passing by, and he asked... com­mander why he did not help... soldiers. Greatly surprised,... man turned round and said proudly: "Sir, I am... corporal!" "Oh, you are, are you?" replied... officer: "I did not know that. I beg your pardon, Mr. Corporal." Then he got off... horse he was riding and, taking hold of... rope that... men were pulling at, he pulled with all his strength. And when... cannon was in its place, he turned to... little great man and said: "Mr. Corporal, when you have... other job like this and have not enough... men, send for your commander-in-chief, and I shall gladly come and help you."... corporal was struck with... astonishment.... man who had helped his soldiers was George Washington.

e) Robert Burns,... son of... small farmer in Ayr­shire, was born on... 25th of... January, 1759. His parents were poor, so that Burns could not get a good education. He worked hard as... plough boy. He was fond of reading and always had... ballad-book before him at... dinner. After... death of his father Robert and his brother and sisters took over... farm together. Working in... fields Burns wrote many wonderful songs. However, things became so bad on... farm, that... poet de­cided to go to... Jamaica hoping to get... job on... plantation there. Luckily some friends helped Burns to publish... book of poems.... book was noticed and praised highly. In 1786 Burns went to... Edinburgh, and his book of poems unlocked... doors of... rich Edinburgh houses to a peasant with such a wonderful talent. In 1788 he married Jean Armour and spent... peaceful and happy year.... rest of his life-story is... tale of... poet's hard­ships.... hard life ruined... poet's health, and on... 21st of... July, 1796 he died at... age of thir­ty-seven.

Lesson 3

The Pronoun

Поиск по сайту: