Angličtina na celý týden / 1.

New Year

Different countries and cultures celebrate the New Year in different ways. Many countries still follow the lunar calendar, meaning that their New Year often starts in late January or February. New Year celebrations for some countries (like China, Vietnam, and Korea) last for up to two weeks!
In the US, many people attend or throw New Year parties. They drink champagne, dance, and cheer at the stroke of midnight.
In Scotland, homeowners open the front door at midnight to let in the New Year, and open the back door to let out the old year.
In Colombia, families make a rag doll called “Mr. Old Year.” They dress it in old clothes and stuff it with things that the family doesn’t want anymore. Then,at midnight, they set the doll on fire, to rid themselves of all the bad thingsof the previous year.

Glossary

• the lunar calendar – lunární kalendář
• to last – trvat
• to attend a party – účastnit se večírku
• to throw a party – pořádat večírek
• the stroke of midnight – úder půlnoci
• a rag doll – panenka z hadrů

to (get) rid of – zbavit se

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Quotation

What may be done at any time will be done at no time. (Scottish proverb)

Co můžeš udělat kdykoli, neuděláš nikdy. (Skotské přísloví)

Glossary

• quotation – citát
• at any time – kdykoliv
• at no time – nikdy

may be done, will be done
Text nám nabízí dva příklady tzv. pasivního infinitivu použitého po modálním slovesu, tzn. infinitiv musí být použit bez “to”.

Passive infinitive
(to) be + past participle
Pasivní infinitiv je tvořen infinitivem pomocného slovesa BE a třetím tvarem (minulým příčestím) významového slovesa.

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How we sp end our time I

Time, it seems, is what we’re all short of these days. Perhaps that is also why there are thousands of studies every year into how we spend our time and how we could spend it better and more efficiently. Some of the results are really startling. Did you know for example that…?

• Although people all around the world are working longer and longer hours, we also have a lot more leisure time than ever before in history.
• After sleeping and working, watching TV is by far the most popular leisureactivity all over the world. For instance, the British watch more TV than anyother nation in Europe, but, surprisingly enough, they also read more. The vast majority, over eighty-five percent, regularly read newspapers,and nearly fifty-four percent regularly read books.

Glossary

• to be short of – mít něčeho málo/nedostatek
• a study into – studie o
• efficiently – efektivně
• startling – překvapivý
• leisure time – volný čas
• by far – zdaleka
• for instance – například
• surprisingly – překvapivě/kupodivu
• the vast majority – drtivá většina

All around the world…

Český výraz “na celém světě” lze v angličtině vyjádřit více způsoby.
Zde uvádíme několik příkladů:
all around the world
all over the world'
in the whole world'
worldwide
in the world as a whole

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Action and state verbs

Read the examples and complete the rules.

Action verbs

My wife manages EU projects. She’s managing two important projects at the moment.
My friends travel a lot. This month, Peter is travelling more than usual.
Peter often has business lunches. He’s having lunch with a client at the moment.

State verbs
My wife understands what people want. She is understanding what people are wanting .
She knows the market situation very well. She’ s knowing the market situation very well.
My wife has an appointment in Bratislava today. She is having an appointment in Bratislava today.

Glossary

• to complete – doplnit
• a rule – pravidlo
• an action verb – dějové sloveso
• to manage – vést/řídit
• a state verb – stavové sloveso
• an appointment – schůzka

Verbs which express an action or activity, e.g. bring, arrive, manage, travel, work, are used in both simple and (1)…………. tenses. They are called action verbs.

Verbs which express a state, e.g. understand, believe, know, want, be, like, are not normally used in (2)…………. tenses. They are called state verbs.

Some verbs, e.g. have, see, look, taste, think, are used in both simple and (3)…………. tenses. They express either an action or a state.

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A few useful tips on learning vocabulary

Read the tips and think about your own ways of learning vocabulary.

1. When you read something in English, write down every unknown word and look it up in a dictionary.
2. Write a new word in a sentence on a card. On the back of the card, write the translation of the word. Then use the translations to test yourself regularly.
3. Write new words in a list and write the translation next to each word.
4. When you meet a word you don’t know, try to guess what it means.
5. Put words into topic groups when you write them down. For example, words to do with travel, entertainment, work, and so on.
6. Don’t write down vocabulary, but read a lot and learn new words that way.
7. Write words in a vocabulary notebook. Carry it around with you and try to learn at least ten words a day.

Glossary

• a way – způsob
• unknown – neznámý
• to look (it) up – najít/vyhledat
• regularly – pravidelně
• a list – seznam
• to guess – odhadnout/uhádnout
• a topic – téma (zde tematický)
• a notebook – poznámkový blok
• at least – alespoň

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Greetings, meeting people

Match the phrases 1-9 to their appropriate responses a-i

1. How’s work?
2. How are you?
3. Pleased to meet you.
4. I haven’t seen you for ages!
5. How are things going?
6. Please, call me Paul.
7. How do you do.
8. Nice to see you again!
9. Hello, you must be Marco.

a. And you must call me Anna.
b. Not too bad thanks. A bit hectic.
c. Everything’s going fine thanks. What about you?
d. Yes, that’s right.
e. Pleased to meet you, too.
f. It’s good to see you again, too.
g. Very well thanks. And you?
h. No, I’ve been away a lot recently.
i. How do you do.

Glossary

• appropriate – vhodný/příslušný
• response – odpověď

Key:

1. How’s work? b. Not too bad thanks. A bit hectic.
2. How are you? g. Very well thanks. And you?
3. Pleased to meet you. e. Pleased to meet you, too.
4. I haven’t seen you for ages! h. No, I’ve been away a lot recently.
5. How are things going? c. Everything’s going fine thanks. What about you?
6. Please, call me Paul. a. And you must call me Anna.
7. How do you do. i. How do you do.
8. Nice to see you again! f. It’s good to see you again, too.
9. Hello, you must be Marco. d. Yes, that’s right.

How do you do. How do you do.

Navzdory poměrně rozšířené mylné představě nemá tato fráze celkem nic společného s tím, jak se máme. Je to vcelku bezobsažná fráze používaná ve formálních situacích – optimální odpovědí je pouhé její zopakování druhou stranou.

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Joke

It’s time…'

Even though he could not tell time, my three-year-old grandson was wearing a watch when I visited. Later, when I was putting on my coat to leave, I asked him what time it was. He looked at his watch blankly, then brightened. “It’s time for you to go,” he answered triumphantly.

Glossary

• even though – ačkoliv
• to put on – obléknout si
• blankly – bezvýrazně
• to brighten – rozzářit se

Past simple and past continuous

When I was putting on my coat to leave, I asked him what time it was.
Když jsem si před odchodem oblékal kabát, zeptal jsem se ho, kolik je hodin.

Tato věta z textu na předchozí straně nám ukazuje typické užití obou časů – minulý čas průběhový (past continuous) vyjadřuje okolnost děje vyjádřeného minulým časem prostým (past simple) ve větě hlavní. V našem případě se objevuje ještě třetí sloveso – was, které je rovněž v minulém čase v důsledku posunu času podle pravidel časové souslednosti. Všimněte si pak zejména překladu jednotlivých slovesných tvarů.

 

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