English Language Course for Beginers(Curs Limba Engleză pentru Începatori) by Marius Vasile


























 Text: Meseria care imi place (2)
 Vocabular (2)
 Conversatie (3)
 Vocabular
suplimentar (3)
 Timpul trecut (4)
 Verbul “a fi” si “a avea”
la trecut (5)
 Exercitii (5 – 6)
 Role-play:
Ce slujba ai? (7)
 Zodiac –
Varsatorul (8)
 Cuvinte
incrucisate (8)
 Proverbe (8)
 Gluma (8)





I like my secretarial work. I had the chance to find this job at the Starling Co. – a company trading in shirt co-ordinates. To get this job I had to attend a two-year secretarial course and so I got the diploma, my suitable qualification for the job.
The company is a small one. It has about 50 employees. Mr. John Spencer is our managing director. Helen Young is the personnel manager and Fred Lampoon is the sales manager. Margie Brown is our merchandiser. I am Mary Lean and I was hired as a personnel secretary to Mr. John Spencer.
The brief of my job is to be at the office 15 minutes before 9:00 a.m. I open the mail about 9:30, then I have to take shorthand in the managing director’s office for an hour or so. I make the coffee and do most of the typing, and of course, I answer the phone. I usually go to the telex room after lunch break. I make tea at four, and from four to five I fax the letters or do the filling. I am not a watchclocker, and therefore, I never leave the office on the dot.
Mr. Spencer says I am an efficient and helpful secretary. Of course, I have to be polite. I can organise my job quite well. I speak two foreign languages fluently.
I do the petty cash reporting each week. The money I add up comes in my report to my under four headings: travels, postage, stationary and sundries (all others). Mr. Spencer always wants to know what the petty cash is spent on. You see I don’t find my secretarial work boring. I really enjoy it.




to add up [æd] v. = a aduna, a însuma
to attend a conference [ə‘tend] v. = a participa la o conferinţă
boring [‘bo:riɳ] adj. = plictisitor
brief [bri:f] s. = fişa postului
chance [‘tæns] s. = şansă
course [ko:rs] s. = curs
efficient [i‘fiənt] adj. = eficient
to enjoy [in‘djoi] v. = a-i plăcea, a se bucura
to fax [fæks] v. = a transmite prin fax
to file [fail] v. = a îndosaria, a clasa
filing [‘failiɳ] s. = îndosariere
to find [faind] v. = a găsi
further instructions [‘fə:rər ins‘tʌrknz] = instrucţiuni noi (suplimentare)
heading [‘hædiɳg] = coloană, poziţie, antet
helpful [‘helpful] adj. = săritor
to hire [‘haiər] v. = a angaja
to leave [li:v] v. = a părăsi
managing director = director general
merchandiser [‘mətəndaizər] s. = funcţie, persoană care se ocupă de procurarea şi prezentarea mărfurilor pentru desfacere
personnel manager [pərsə‘nel] = director de personal
petty-cash [‘petikæ] = cheltuieli mărunte
polite [pə‘lait] adj. = politicos
postage [‘pəustidj] s. = tarif poştal (cost cu)
to report [ri‘po:rt] v. = a raporta
reporting [ri‘po:rtiɳ] s. = raportare
sales [seilz] = vânzări
sales manager = director de vânzări
secretarial [sekri‘tæriəl] adj. = de secretariat
shirt co-ordinates [‘ko:ordinets] = accesorii pentru cămăşi, cravate sau batiste
to spend [spend] v. = a cheltui
stationary [‘steiənəri] = articole de papetărie
sundries [‘sʌndriz] = cheltuieli diverse
to take shorthand [‘o:rthænd] v. = a stenografia
trading company = întreprindere de comerţ






Dick: Are you very busy at the office?
Jack: Of course, I am. Yesterday, for example, I had a lot of things to do. In the morning, I had to look through the mail and answer some business letters and telegrams, then…
Dick: Does it take you long to do it?
Jack: No, it doesn’t. Generally that takes me about an hour.
Dick: Do you type your letter yourself?
Jack: No, I don’t. I dictate the answers to a shorthand typist who then types them. Then, I take the letters together with some other papers to the manager’s office, for the manager to sign them. If the manager is engaged or is out, attending a conference or a meeting, I leave the papers with his secretary. Or, sometimes, I have to see the manager to ask him for further instructions.



1. What office furniture do you know?

 notice board
 desk
 chair
 wastepaper bin
 graph
 filling cabinet
 conference table

2. What office equipment do you need?

 calculator
 computer
 fax machine
 photocopier
 telephone
 typewriter

3. What stationary do you need?

 carbon paper
 pencils
 pens
 flimsy
 thick felt-tip pens
 ball points
 reams of typing paper (A4 or quarto)
 paper clip
 ink
 a role of sellotape
 files (quarto)
 rubbers
 rulers
 file holder
 liquid corrector
 glue
 stapler
 staples
 hole-maker
 scissors
 envelop
 stamp
 agenda
 cutter




Timpul Trecut

 Pentru că timpul trecut simplu este un timp narativ, foloseşte-l când vorbeşti despre acţiuni care au avut loc în trecut, fără nici o legătură cu timpul prezent.

Affirmative Interrogative Negative

I verb-2 Did I ? I did not
You verb-2 Did you ? You did not
He verb-2 Did he ? He did not
She verb-2 Did she ? She did not
It verb-2 Did it ? It did not
We verb-2 Did we ? We did not
You verb-2 Did you ? You did not
They verb-2 Did they ? They did not

 Foloseşte adverbe de timp şi spune momentul din trecut:

yesterday ieri during March in timpul lunii martie
the day before yesterday alaltăieri last night noaptea trecută
last week săptămâna trecută last time data trecută
last month luna trecută the other day deunăzi
last year anul trecut two days ago acum două zile
a few days ago acum câteva zile some time ago acum câtva timp

 Forma scurtă pentru negativ este DIDN’T [didnt].

 Hai să conjugăm împreună verbul “to tell” - “ a spune”. Forma de trecut este “told”.

Afirmativ Negativ Interogativ
I told I did not tell I didn’t tell Did I tell? Didn’t I tell?
You told You did not tell You didn’t tell Did you tell? Didn’t you tell?
He told He did not tell He didn’t tell Did he tell? Didn’t he tell?
She told She did not tell She didn’t tell Did she tell? Didn’t she tell?
It told It did not tell It didn’t tell Did it tell? Didn’t it tell?
We told We did not tell We didn’t tell Did we tell? Didn’t we tell?
You told You did not tell You didn’t tell Did you tell? Didn’t you tell?
They told They did not tell They didn’t tell Did they tell? Didn’t they tell?

 Fi atent şi la următoarele exemple:

We signed very important contracts last month.
Our turnover was $2.5 billion last year.
They sold out the whole quantity two hours ago.
Last time I met him at World Trade Centre.
He followed your advice regarding the new products.





 Aşa cum la prezent conjugi verbele “to be” şi “to have” în mod diferit şi la trecut fi atent că acestea sunt verbe speciale.
 Ele nu au aceeaşi formă de trecut la toate persoanele şi în plus când formezi interogativul şi negativul NU foloseşti auxiliarul “DID”.
 Conjugă-le aşa:

Affirmative Negative Interrogative
I was I was not I wasn’t Was I? Wasn’t I?
You were You were not You weren’t Were you? Weren’t you?
He was He was not He wasn’t Was he? Wasn’t he?
She was She was not She wasn’t Was she? Wasn’t she?
It was It was not It wasn’t Was it? Wasn’t it?
We were We were not We weren’t Were we? Weren’t we?
You were You were not You weren’t Were you? Weren’t you?
They were They were not They weren’t Were they? Weren’t they?


Affirmative Negative Interrogative
I had I had not I hadn’t Had I? Hadn’t I?
You had You had not You hadn’t Had you? Hadn’t you?
He had He had not He hadn’t Had he? Hadn’t he?
She had She had not She hadn’t Had she? Hadn’t she?
It had It had not It hadn’t Had it? Hadn’t it?
We had We had not We hadn’t Had we? Hadn’t we?
You had You had not You hadn’t Had you? Hadn’t you?
They had They had not They hadn’t Had they? Hadn’t they?



Exercise #1
Tradu în engleză, conform modelului:
Model: Vă trebuie mult timp ca să răspundeţi la scrisori?
Does it take you long to answer the letters?


1. Vă trebuie mult timp ca să vă scrieţi temele?
2. Vă trebuie mult timp ca să studiaţi textul cel nou?
3. Îi trebuie mult timp ca să bată la maşină toate scrisorile?
4. Ne trebuie mult timp ca să să vizităm fabrica?
5. Îi trebuie mult timp ca să redacteze referatul?
6. Îţi trebuie mult timp ca să traduci articolul din română în engleză?
7. Îi trebuie mult timp ca să parcurgă corespondenţa?


Exercise #2
Scrie forma de trecut a următoarelor verbe:
a) to attend, to surround, to carry, to play, to belong, to obtain, to live, to walk, to need, to visit, to use, to specialise
b) to spend, to breed, to leave, to take, to build, to know, to be, to understand, to have, to begin, to become, to grow, to think, to get


Exercise #3
Tradu în engleză, conform modelului, folosind verbul “to enjoy” urmat de forma în –ing a verbului de conjugat:
Model: Îi place să picteze.
She enjoys painting.

1. Îi place să dactilografieze. 2. Îmi place să fac cafea. 3. Îi place să telefoneze. 4. Le place să se plimbe. 5. Îmi place să mă scol devreme dimineaţa. 6. Vă place să dansaţi? 7. Îi place să joace tenis. 8. Îţi place să bei ceai? 9. Îmi place să citesc. 10. Ne place să jucăm şah.

Exercise #4
Pune următoarele propoziţii la timpul trecut:

1. They have their breakfast at eight o’clock every morning.
2. She has a rest every afternoon.
3. You have a nice dress on.
4. She has a shower every morning.
5. They usually have lunch at a café.
6. We have a walk every evening.


Exercise #5
Pune următoarele propoziţii la interogativ şi negativ:

1. Last year we spend our summer holiday in the country.
2. I knew him very well.
3. Several days ago I bought a new desk.
4. I met him in the street.
5. He showed me round their new flat.
6. They moved into their new house two months ago.


Exercise #6
Pune întrebări pentru care următoarele propoziţii sunt răspunsuri:

1. Last nigh we went to the theatre.
2. I met him yesterday.
3. He rang the bell some minutes ago.
4. The teacher explained us this grammar problem last week.
5. We talked about it some days ago.
6. I wrote him a letter the day before yesterday.
7. Last Saturday, he helped his wife with the housework.
8. This morning the sun rose at six o’clock.
9. Some years ago he worked in a farm.
10. My parents retired on a pension several years ago.


Exercise #7
Tradu în limba română:

”William was duke of Normandy, a province which the Normans conquered in north-western France in the tenth century. They were coming from Norway and Denmark.
A few years before he died, the King of England, Edward the Confessor promised the crown of England to William, but when Edward died an English earl, Harold, took the crown.
This made William very angry and he invaded England in 1066. He killed Harold in the battle that took place at Hastings, defeated the English and became King of England.
The Normans who came to England with Duke William became the new lords, took many of the estates of the English barons and French became the official language of England. It remained so for three hundred years, until the Hundred Years’ War between England and France. Then English became again the official language of England.”

Exercise #8
Tradu în engleză:

1. Nu am fost la nici un curs de engleză anul trecut.
2. Nu au primit nici o scrisoare de la prietenii lor săptămâna trecută?
3. Aceast echipament m-a costat mult.
4. Dna Tramp a uitat numele lor.
5. Ştirile pe care le-am primit ieri au fost foarte bune.
6. Când a învăţat chineza?
7. Soţul meu a renunţat la fumat vara trecută.
8. Ieri dimineaţă m-am trezit devreme.
9. Mi-a vorbit despre planurile lui pe termen scurt.
10. Acum două ore m-am întâlnit cu un fost coleg de şcoală.





1. Who are you?
2. How old are you?
3. What are you?
4. Do you work on a computer?
5. Do you ever attend staff meetings?
6. Who settles you questions (problems)?
7. Who makes your translations (if you need to)?
8. Do you work in a team?
9. Do you like working in a team? Why? Why not?
10. Tell me about the atmosphere in your office.
11. How many bosses do you have?
12. Do you draw up reports or other documents?
13. What else do you usually have to do?
14. Do you have a foreign partner? If not, would you like to have one?
15. What do you like about your job?
16. What do you dislike about your job?
17. Do you think is the perfect job for you?
18. Have you ever thought to become something else?
19. Do you have a hobby related directly to your job?
20. What future plans do you have? (about your job)


Thank you very much!















 AQUARIUS
the Water Bearer, Jan. 20 – Feb. 18 Aquarius, an air sign, is said to be ruled by the planet Uranus. Astrologers consider Aquarians to be brilliant, curious, original, independent, and eccentric. Often concerned with social equality, Aquarians are described as intellectuals who tend to be emotionally detached but friendly.



1 M
E 2 T 3 4
A 5
6 T 7
C
8 H 9
E 10
11S 12
13 14
15 16
17 18 19 20
21
22



If you run after two hares, you will catch neither.
If you sing before breakfast, you’ll cry before night.
Saying is one thing and doing is another.
You cannot eat your cake and have it.
Choose an author as you choose your friend.
Every country has its customs.



Jake: “My wife had a passion for cars. First I bought her an Austin, but she ran into a tree. Then I bought her an Opel, she knocked it against a wall. Finally I bought her a Jaguar.”
Jim: “And did she keep it?”
Jack: “It ate her.”