О пути повышения эффективности подготовки обучающихся к ЕГЭ по английскому языку
статья по английскому языку по теме

Е. Г. Блинова

   О пути повышения эффективности подготовки обучающихся к ЕГЭ по английскому языку

Цель ЕГЭ по английскому языку: оценка уровня сформированности коммуникативной компетенции. Итоговая аттестация выпускников школ,   призвана установить соответствие между реальным уровнем сформированности у школьников иноязычной коммуникативной компетенции и требованиями современных образовательных стандартов.

Одна из задач учителя - найти способы оптимизации процесса обучения и повышения эффективности подготовки обучающихся к ЕГЭ. На ЕГЭ проверяется уровень знаний и умений по следующим аспектам: аудирование, чтение, лексика и грамматика, письмо, говорение в монологической и диалогической формах. В связи с этим видится целесообразным подбор упражнений, заданий, тестов, объединенных между собой тематически. Практика показывает, что такой подбор создает условия для усвоения тематической лексики, увеличивая многократность повторения; разнообразие заданий, предъявляемых в формате ЕГЭ и имеющих общий тематический компонент, оптимизирует развитие основных компетенций. Ниже приводится пример подбора заданий, тематически объединенных учебной темой «Развитие науки и техники» и подтемами «Возможности Интернета», «Интернет и досуг», «Интернет и бизнес».

READING

1. You are going to read the article about the use of computers. Eight sentences have been removed from the article. Choose from the sentences A-I the one which best fits each gap (1-7). There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use. There is an example at the beginning (0).

Key parts of sentences are in italics to help you with some questions.

The Computer and its Uses

Few industries have changed so much in such a short time as the computer industry, and the pace of change shows no sign of slowing. The computer now has a role in almost every aspect of modern life, and has radically affected the way people work, play, study and organize their lives.

As we enter the 21st century, computers are influencing ways of teaching and learning, as access to computers in schools is becoming more widespread and varied. 0 - H In a teaching mode, computers provide a wide variety of information and practice materials. They can also play a testing role in a range of subjects including Maths, English and Modern languages. The one-to-one interaction students have with the computer, along with the immediate response to their answers, help to promote independent learning.

1 - ___ In the fact-changing world of business, employees are being physically removed from the workplace and the proximity of their colleagues, while remaining virtually connected via telephone, and the Internet. Laptop computers enable business-people who travel to have an access to important information at the touch of a key. 2 - ____

Computers are used to solve time-consuming data-management problems, such as payroll calculations, keeping stock records, bank account transactions, airline reservations, and scientific and engineering computations. Computers are also important in the collection, organization, storage, retrieval and interpretation of information. 3 - _____

In the film industry, computers are used to create graphics for scenes which have been inconceivable in the past. This technique was used for films like “Jurassic Park” where the incredibly realistic scenes of dinosaurs were all computer-generated.

4 - _____ Additionally, computer technology enables the training of pilots in flight simulators. Not only do these create the illusion of flying but they are safer and cheaper than training staff in aeroplanes.

In the home, the computer has become a great source of entertainment with the introduction of interactive Virtual Reality programs which are available on CD-ROM or through the Internet. They enable people located in different places to come together and interact with one another in real time using speech, sound and 3-D animated graphics. 5 - ___

Nowadays, computers come equipped not only with a mouse, but also a host of different devices. Such components are essential if you are to spend any time on-line, whether it is playing games or researching any number of topics on the Internet. 6 - _____ It is possible to explore sites on anything you are interested in, or even chat with celebrities, experts and others who share your interest. Keep up with the latest news, fashions and reports. Look up facts on everything from who invented the plane to where to go on holiday.

In the future, today’s technology will probably become obsolete as machines become more powerful. 7 - _____ The development of smaller machines will mean it will be possible to condense all the written knowledge in the world into devices the size of a child’s notebook. All human knowledge will literally be at your fingertips.

VOCABULARY

1. Match expressions from list A with single word equivalents from list B

A

1. made to sell for a profit                     a) effect

2. from the time that                              b) affect

3. influence                                            c) avoid

4. of the present time                             d) gossip    

5. to influence or change                       e) confidential

6. even, yet                                            f) violent

7. to keep away from                             g) still

8. to dislike greatly                                h) contemporary

9. to talk about other people                  i) since

10. intended to be treated as private      j) society

11. characterize by or acting with

      extremely rough physical force       k) commercial      

12. all the people                                   i) hate

USE OF ENGLISH

1. For questions 1 – 17, read the text below and think of the word which fits each space. Use only one word in each space.

The Internet: How It Affects Us (1)

We live in a multi-media society. How (1)______the Internet affect our lives? It can be very helpful to people (2)_________ carefully choose websites (3) _______ they visit. The Internet (4) _________ increase our knowledge of the outside world; there (5) _____ much high-quality information that can help us understand many fields (6) _____ study: science, medicine, the arts and so on. In (7) _______ global network you can find any information in (8) ________ few minutes. Otherwise, you would have (9) _______ search for the necessary information in directories, libraries or over the telephone (10) ______ a long time.

The Internet (11) ______ already revolutionized the way we live and work. But these are still the early days (12) _____ the Internet. We don’t know how (13) _______ it is still changing the world. The Internet is (14) _______ up-to-date wonder. (15) _____ the proverb says: “Nothing seems wonderful, once you get used to it”, that is (16) _____ the Internet fails to astonish us any (17) _______

   2. Read the text. Use the word given in capitals at the end of each line in the form that fits  the space in the same line.

The Internet: How It Affects Us (2)

One of the most (1) _______________               VALUE

functions of the Internet

is its (2) ____________ function.                        INFORM

The Internet keeps people

informed about current events,

as well as about the (3) ___________                  LATE

(4) _______________ in science and                  ACHIEVE

culture. You can even

find out how to pass from the

(5) ________________station                            GROUND

to the house of your girl friend,

who (6) ________________ moved                   RECENT

to London.

Recently a system of

(7) _____________ learning became                DISTANT

(8) ____________. You can study                    POPULARIZE

foreign languages and even

study in universities. An individual

(9) ________________ programme                 EDUCATE

can be developed

(10) ______________ for you.                         ESPECIAL

The Internet is also (11) __________               WIDE

used in business.

Thanks to the Internet, we have

rapid (12) ______________                            CONNECT

with partners from all corners

of the world. You can

even conduct (13) ______________,               NEGOTIATE

hear and see your contracts,

and (14) ______________ graphic and           CHANGE

textual information.

3. Complete this text using the correct word from the box. Use each word once only. There is an extra word which you do not need to use.

The Internet: How It Affects US (3)

wide  opportunities  violence  similar  choice  addiction  absence  need              already  almost

The most negative effect of the Internet might be people’s (1) ______ to it. People often feel a strange and powerful (2) ______ to spend time on the network. Addiction to computer screen is (3) ________ to drug or alcohol addiction: people (4) ______ never believe they are addicted.

One more disadvantage of the Internet is the (5)_________ of informational control. Children receive (6)_________ access to pornography site and sites with (7)________ and promoting hate.

From that, how much we know about the Internet depends on the (8) ________ we make and how effectively we use the (9) ____________ of the Internet in our time.

GRAMMAR

1. Read the text. Use the verb in brackets in the correct form

A Polite Computer

Computers can solve difficult problems. One day a famous general (give) 0  was given a computer which (be) 1 ______ able to solve complicated questions about war. The War Office also (send) 2 ________ an expert to fix the Computer. The general (think) 3 _________hard about an important military problem for quite a long time and the computer (bring) 4 _______________ at the

right moment to help the general. It (take) 5 _____________ the general ten minutes to set the problem. “The enemy just (open) 6 ______________fire from the south”. The general wanted to know what the results (be) 7 _____________ if he (attack) 8 ____________the enemy or if he (withdraw) 9 _____________ his army. The computer (start) 10 ___________ (work) 11 __________ at once. While the computer (operate) 12 _______________ by the expert, the general (watch) 13 ____________ the screen (flash) 14 ______________. At last the answer (receive) 15 ______________. “Yes”. The general’s face (grow) 16 _______________ dark red. He shouted at the top of his voice: “Yes, what?” The computer (get) 17 _________ down to work again. “Yes, sir!”. It (be) 18 ______ half an hour later when the next answer (come) 19. _____________ “Yes? Sir!”    

LISTENING

1. Listen to an interview with Dorothy Duncan, who has just established an internet-based business. Put her actions into chronological order.

a). She carried out research on the internet to assess the commercial potential of the business.

b). She couldn’t find a retailer of pet goods in the UK.

c). She trades 24 hours a day on an international basis.

d). She developed a range of products for her customers.

e). She couldn’t buy anything to show how much she loved her pet.

f). She found the right suppliers.

g). She realized that there was a good business opportunity.

h). She got her pet ferret.  

DISCUSSION

1. Discuss the article from the newspaper “English” “What is the Internet today?” and find out which ideas about the Internet you would (wouldn’t) support. Follow the instructions.

    ENGLISH. № 2/2005,  page 5

What Is the Internet Today?

The Internet is the world largest computer net work. It appeared in our country not many years ago. People can find a lot of useful information, and give information about themselves there. But why do people want to be “on the Internet”?

It seems to me that people like to do it because they can feel freedom on the Internet. But what does this freedom of the Internet include? Firstly it is equality. It does not matter what your race or age or nationality or wealth is, you can post your massage to the Internet and you will be heard. You will find your allies and enemies there. And this is the freedom to express your opinion, which is next to the freedom of choice. On the Internet you can choose information to your own taste or need. Nobody can make you look at something that you do not need and do not like. If you do not like something, you just type another address and in a second you are already there where you want to be.

And now about the games: there are “tons” of very useful games, which will help you to understand the economy of the city, improve your language skills and vocabulary, or at least give you better skills in using the “mouse”

There is also a freedom of movement. There are no borders on the Internet and you can travel all over the Internet without any prohibitions. If you need some information about some foreign country, you can get it. You do not need any visas to explore web sites in foreign countries.

Also you can vote on the Internet. There are a lot of questionnaires where you can    express your attitude towards something. So the main principles of democracy are kept on the Internet.

The fact is that we can use all these resources for our educational purposes. And, as I have previously said, anyone can find information of his own choice. The Internet makes it easier to find books or articles, and now even to listen to and watch famous people.

Now teachers, students, professors, scientists, and lawyers use the Internet to search for useful information because it is the fastest and the most convenient way to do it. We can get data for our research in just seconds after pushing a few buttons. This is no small deal, since entire books can be transferred through the Internet in a matter of minutes.

But unfortunately there are some problems concerning the Internet. I think that it is not good that internet users communicate only with the people on the Internet. They stop talking with their relatives and friends because they have only virtual friends. So the Internet destroys real human communication.

Maybe someone’s interpersonal communication was destroyed, but now technology can give us an opportunity to communicate with our relatives and friends as if we are in the same room. People can be close to each other even being on different continents. And if a person is mentally normal, he/she will never prefer communication with computer to relatives.

In the conclusion I’d like to say that the Internet will help to develop our education level due to its democracy and freedom. And after the people find out what freedom is, they will develop it in their country.

1). Give the author’s definition of the word “Internet”.

2). Find out what the author says about the present day popularity of the network.

3). The author tries to persuade us that the reason of its popularity is freedom. What kind of freedom is meant here? Firstly, just enumerate the points.

4). Complete the sentences showing the author’s opinion:

Equality means that…

the freedom to express yourself gives you an opportunity to …

the freedom of choice gives you every chance to…

the freedom of movement breaks down the borders…

  5). We often hear that computer games are just waste of time. The author seems to have a different opinion. What is it?

6). The author insists that the Internet is helpful for educational purposes. What reasons does the author give?

7). The author finds some problems concerning the Internet. What are they?

SPEAKING

1. Express your personal idea of what the Internet today is and give your reasons.

Say

if you’ve got access to the Internet at home,

if you use the Internet for your studies,

if it is helpful in any way in your leisure time,

if  the Internet gives you freedom,

if the Internet saves your time.

WRITING

1. This is part of your pen friend’s letter. Right a personal letter to your pen friend in the UK.

KEY:

READING

0 - H   1 - E   2 - G   3 - D   4 - A   5 - F   6 - B   7 - C

VOCABULARY

1 - k   2 - i   3 -a   4 - h   5 - b   6 - g   7 - c   8 - l   9 - d   10 - e   11 - f   12 - j  

USE OF ENGLISH

The Internet: How It Affects Us (1)

1 - does   2 - who   3 - which / that   4 - can   5 - is   6 - of   7 - the / this   8 - a   9 - to   10 - for   11 - has   12 - of   13 - much   14 - an   15 - as   16 - why   17 - more / longer  

The Internet: How It Affects Us (2)

1 - valuable   2 - information   3 - latest   4 - achievements   5 - underground   6 - recently   7 - distance   8 - popular   9 - educational   10 - especially   11 - wide                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   ly   12 - connections   13 - negotiations   14 - exchange    

The Internet: How It Affects US (3)

1 - addiction   2 - need   3 - similar   4 - almost   5 - absence   6 - wide   7 - violence   8 - choice   9 - opportunities

GRAMMAR

A Polite Computer

1 - was   2 - sent   3 - had been thinking   4 - was brought   5 - took   6 - has opened   7 - would be   8 - attacked   9 - withdrew   10 - started   11 - to work / working   12 - was being operated   13 - watched   14 - flashed   15 - was received   16 - grew   17 - got   18 - was   19 - came

LISTENING

1 - h   2 - e   3 - b   4 - g   5 - a   6 - d   7 - f   8 - c

TAPESCRIPT

Presenter: Setting up your own business can be a fulfilling experience. And if you can turn a hobby into a career, there’s a good chance you can enjoy it as well! Professional photographer Dorothy Duncan’s life changed when she acquired her pet ferrets, Pingo and Pongo. Hello, Dorothy!

Dorothy D: Hello!

Presenter: Could you tell our listeners how it all started?

Dorothy D: Yes, with pleasure! I found that I couldn’t buy anything to show how I love my ferrets. A search on the internet didn’t show any online shops in England or Scotland and I saw a gap in the market which could be exploited, and I thought: ‘What an opportunity!’ I decided to start my own business and set up a website - and I haven’t looked back.

Presenter: … And the result is PetFerrets, a web-based retail business that also serves to promote ferrets as fun and loving pets!

Dorothy D: It might seem add, but I thoroughly researched the commercial potential of the business. I did lots of research on the internet and became aware of who pet ferret owners are.

Presenter: And what did you do after that?

Dorothy D: Gradually, I developed a range of products that are beautiful and appealing and the sort of things people can use every day. It includes mugs, T-shirts, calendars, tie clips and other items, all presented in a light-hearted way. The website has a fun feel. There are lots of little jokes about ferrets and there are all sorts of snippets of information for ferret owners. The people I sell to have a great sense of humor and love animals, and what I do combines both business and celebrating ferrets as pets.

Presenter: Did you have any problems?

Dorothy D: I had difficulties with finding the right suppliers. A lot of businesses are not geared up for small orders. Their minimum order might be £500 or more and some of my orders are just for £20, or something like that. … It’s been a lot of effort and I couldn’t have done it without the internet.

Presenter: And how did you use it?

Dorothy D: I used the web to locate suppliers for each item and then asked if they would handle small orders. Now I can trade 24 hours a day on an international basis, just me and a couple of ferrets! Goods are sent by first class post, and packages are sent out with: ‘Sent by Ferret Express’ stickers. Without the internet, I would not have the business, and I would not have customers in America, Denmark and Germany.

Presenter: Did you have anyone to help you?

Dorothy D: I had some outside help - advice from Business Link in Edinburgh and I got £600 from Trade Partners Scotland. But it’s largely been my own effort. It’s like creating a brand from scratch.

Presenter: It’s entirely possible to do it all yourself and you have so much more control. It’s amazing what you can do if you think through your business from the branding to the packaging, how you send out your products and customer service.  Does your business make you a lot of money?

Dorothy D: I wouldn’t say that. PetFerrets is not very profitable at the moment, but I’m keen on develop. I’m going to publish a series of children’s stories called Ferret Fairy tales and I’m currently looking for a publisher. The books have tested well with children - in fact, the idea came from one of my young customers. I thoroughly enjoy the work and the contact with other ferret lovers. It’s a business that’s got legs, but it’s also got a tail!