Discuss the following issues asking and answering questions like those given below

Read the text and comment on the issues at stake. Discuss the points which seem disputable. Give your own examples of common noun phrases relevant to the search terms displayed on the Net.

The distinction between predicating and referring can be given a price. The most successful new corporation in this century so far is Google, which made its fortune by actually selling noun phrases. The problem with earlier Internet portals was that no one knew how to make money from them: users hated the banner ads and seldom clicked through to the advertisers. There is a saying in advertising that half of every ad budget is wasted, but no one knows which half – most people who see an ad have no interest in the product or service. The Google guys, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, had the brainstorm that the words people type into a search engine are an excellent clue to the kinds of things they might buy, making a search engine a good matchmaker for buyers and sellers. So together with the results of an untainted Web search, Google displays a few commercially sponsored sites relevant to the search term at the edges of the screen. Companies pay for this privilege by bidding in a continuous auction for the terms most likely to send eyeballs to their site. You will be intrigued to learn that plurals cost more than singulars. Digital camera can be bought for seventy-five cents a click, whereas digital cameras fetches a dollar and eight cents. The advertisers know that the plural is more likely to be typed by people who are planning to buy a digital camera, though they don’t know why. The reason is that a phrase like digital camera is generic, and is likely to be typed by someone who wants to know how they work. A plural like digital cameras is more likely to be referential, and typed by someone who wants to know about the kinds that are out there and how to get one.

After S.Pinker

1.2.8. Generic or referential? Use proper determiners (an indefinite article, a definite article, no-article, a possessive, a quantifier) to complete the following sentences.

1. … book covers … wide range of … topics.

2. … excess baggage has … price.

3. … production and … demand are … coherent issues.

4. Are you scrupulous in … filing?

5. … mathematically sophisticated reader should note that … algorithm is … special case of … following procedure.

6. … search engine is … good matchmaker for … buyers and sellers.

7. In advertising they bid … continuous action for … terms attracting … users’ … attention.

8. Google displays … commercially sponsored sites relevant to … search term at … edges of … screen. Is it what is called … untainted Web search on … part of … advertiser?

9. … people planning to buy … something often apply to … Net.

10. … distinction between … predicating and … referring is inherent in … language.

11. Do you have … interest when you see … ad on … computer screen? Do you often get interested in … product or service?

12. Why are … words … people type into … search engine … excellent clue to … kinds of … things they want to buy?

1.2.9. Noun Substitution: Synonyms. Varying synonyms we slightly change the entire meaning. Substitute the italicized nouns by their synonyms choosing them from the given hints.

1. Lack of money is the generally held explanation of business failure.

shortage (of)

funds

clarification, simplification, description

lack of success in commerce, non-success in trade

2. Ongoing professional training implies permanent assessment of one’s achievements.

instruction, tuition, education

evaluation, rating, estimation

attainments, accomplishments

3. In the circumstances it looks impossible.

in the situation, in the present conditions, in the state of things, in the state of affairs (formal)

4. Nobody was brave or stupid enough to raise the subject of merging with another of the high street banks. That might sound quite an assertion.

issue, question, topic

declaration, contention (formal)

5. Just for curiosity, Jess turned her head and looked at the picture.

inquisitiveness, (just) out of interest, (just) because of her own inherent nosiness (informal); painting, drawing, sketch, oil painting, watercolor, print, canvas

6. The journalist’s main contention is that lawyers’ priority implies protecting the rights of law-abiding people in the first place.

reporter’s, correspondent’s, newsman’s/newswoman’s, columnist’s, reviewer’s

argument, claim, stand, position

prime concern, first concern, most important consideration, most pressing matter, matter of great important, primary issue

well-behaved, lawful, righteous [raıt∫əs], honest

persons, individuals, humans, citizens, subjects, electors, taxpayers, residents, (general) public, public at large

first of all

7. The ultimate test for determining the success of a system is its practical results.

eventual, final, concluding, furthest

trial, experiment, pilot study, try-out, check, examination, assessment, evaluation, probe, screen, assay (technical, testing a substance)

favorable outcome, positive result

structure, organization, method, methodology, technique (but not methodicalness – working style)

empirical, hands-on, pragmatic, real, actual, applied, experiential, experimental

outcome, consequence, out-turn, product, fruit

8. Much of public speech is characterized by the use of empty phrases incompatible with realities of everyday life.

marked, identified, specified

mention, involvement

unsuited to, inconsistent with, at odds with, out of keeping with, different to, differing from

actuality, truth

9. In my opinion, there is too much emphasis on the secondary problem.

as I see it, in my view, to my mind, according to my way of thinking, from my standpoint, personally, in my estimation, in my judgment, if you ask me

prominence to, importance to, significance to, stress on, weight to, attention to

subordinate, minor, peripheral, lower, lower-level, marginal

10 The legitimate rights of people to personal safety are to be a matter of prime concern for the state.

welfare, well-being, protection, security

priority, primary issue

11. Beautiful sounding phrases or expressions are often used in the formulation of basic social principles.

phrases or expressions that seem beautiful

12. Standard incantations are continually resounding in the media.

repeated words (statements, descriptions), resounding words (statements, descriptions), spells

being mentioned and talked about a lot

13. Certain arguments are difficult to counter.

some contentions, particular lines of reasoning

answer, respond to, parry, hit back at

14. What is happening to human rights under the new dispensation?

administration

1.2.10. Are you a good matchmaker? Match up the given statements and responses to them. You may also give your own ones.

e.g. Performance-related fees are stimulating. – Bloody assessments!

Statements:

1. There is usually too much one-sided emphasis in any lawyer’s contentions.

2. Some contentions are difficult to counter.

3. A tree is known by its fruit. Hence the ultimate test for determining the success of a project is its practical results.

4. A priority is a matter of prime concern.

5. Isn’t curiosity a vice?

6. Beautiful sounding phrases are often inconsistent with realities of life.

7. Resounding statements in the media often produce the opposite effect to what they are originally meant for.

8. We like to see a fresh, achievement oriented attitude in our team player.

9. Kate likes to ground her rating of people in basic data.

10. What a resounding success!

11. His phone started to buzz. Fishing it out of his pocket Ben stared at the screen.

12. Scoring points with the right man, eh?

13. – Going to a party?

– What? This?

14. You’ve got to do what the editor says or else…

Responses: Inquisitiveness, as I see it. Common knowledge. An international number.

Grim reality. Professional techniques. Which is a fluid thing. Sorry, habit. Predictable reaction. Poor choice of words. [ Important meeting. Got to look my best. ] Assessments all over. Great achievement. Brutal honesty. No bylines and no cash.

1. Do you do experiments? (make experiments, conduct ~) Is experimentation an ongoing procedure in research? A continuing process in your work? Do you experiment to test your hypothesis? Your working hypothesis? What is the ultimate try-out for confirming your working hypothesis? Is ongoing assessment part of your research procedure? Are you to provide convincing arguments to support your working hypothesis? What does your final contention rely on? Is it hard to hit back at your opponents’ contentions? Do you believe that the proof of a hypothesis should await the favorable outcome of controlled trials? What do you give more emphasis to when providing grounds for your approach being true?

1.2.12. Subtle nuances of meaning of a word we never look up in a dictionary: develop your vocabulary skills learning and saying things.

1. “A course is a course, of course”. Does it sound like an empty tautology to you? What would you choose as a description of “course”? What can be a synonym of “course”? Isn’t it connected with a particular subject, an individual class or a series of lessons in a particular subject? If “course” means all these, we can define “course” as a set of meetings between a teacher and his or her students, during which they learn about a particular subject. In American English they prefer “class” instead of “course’.

Sticking to British English we would say:

Are you doing a course of English? Are you taking a course on / in linguistics?

Have you enrolled on the course of computer programming?

Sticking to American English we would say:

Are you doing an English class? (a series of classes in a particular subject used instead of “course”)

Do many students attend an additional class on computer science?

A course can also be associated with a program (AmE). A program implies a set of study or a period of study relating to a particular area of study, especially a student’s main area of study.

Students following the academic MS course are to take a state exam in English. Or

Students taking ….

2. How many courses are you taking right now? Which course is most relevant, in your opinion? Are you following a degree-level course? What is the degree you are going to gain? Does an MS imply entry qualifications for a PhD course? Are you doing any course in humanities (arts)?

3. What are some other meanings of the word “course”? “Course” also implies “time”, “development”, “process”, “plans”, “direction”, treatment” and even “meal”. Study the examples and specify the meaning of the word “course” in each:

1) In the course of our study we discovered that the diffraction pattern was complex.

2) During the course of our discussion we argued about the link between quantum theory and gravity.

3) It is surprising that quantum effects might add to the whole course of improving tests of general relativity.

4) In the normal (natural, ordinary) course of events a PhD student gains their degree by the end of the course.

5) Let things take their course.

6) As long as the team stays on course the prospects look fine.

7) Your opponents will go to any lengths to make you change course.

8) Of course this is a sensible course of action.

9) It’s most unwise to take a course of antibiotics for a banal cold.

10) What is the main course? What’s on the menu?

4. Describe a few things by means of “course” used variously of “the course of our study”, “in the course of events”, “stay on course”, etc. Let your utterances be relevant to something meaningful to you.

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