Al-Alsun’s Dept of English

Arabic-English Translation
Freshmen

COURSE CONTENTS

TEXT 1 Inappropriate Hospital Dramas Criticized

TEXT 2 Naples Pizza Protected by EU
TEXT 3
TEXT 4 Singapore Reports Economic Growth
TEXT 5 Iceland Volcano
TEXT 6
TEXT 7 Brazil Elects its First Female President
TEXT 8 Beaches to Reopen after Shark Attacks
TEXT 9
Al-Alsun’s Dept of English
Arabic-English Translation
Freshmen

TEXT 1
Inappropriate Hospital Dramas Criticized

A leading UK hospital manager has strongly criticized the way that

doctors and nurses are portrayed in TV hospital soap operas. They are
unrealistic and provide inappropriate role models. As a renowned NHS
troubleshooter, Antony Sumara is now working with patients and staff
to rebuild trust. But he is exasperated over the way health workers are
portrayed in TV series. Staff are shown regularly flirting and gossiping
while treating patients; eating, drinking and smoking while on duty; and
failing to promote good hygiene. He acknowledges that viewers are not
naive and can separate fact from fiction, but he says these series should
reflect a real hospital rather than what he calls a 'very blurred reality'.
Al-Alsun’s Dept of English
Arabic-English Translation
Freshmen

DICTIONARY HELP

Vocabulary and expressions

exasperated
annoyed, especially because you can do nothing to solve a problem:
He's becoming increasingly exasperated with the situation.

role models
a person who someone admires and whose behaviour they try to copy:
Sports stars are role models for thousands of youngsters.

Troubleshooter
someone who troubleshoots (= discovers why something does not work and tries to
improve it):
He is an important strategist and troubleshooter for the organization.

series
a number of similar or related events or things, one following another
There has been a series of sexual attacks on women in the area.
She gave a series of lectures at Warwick University last year on
contemporary British writers.

a set of television or radio broadcasts on the same subject or using the same
characters but in different situations
The footballer Paul Gascoigne is to host a Channel 4 television series
on soccer skills
a comedy series
I missed the second episode of the series so I don't know what's
going on now.

flirt
to behave as if sexually attracted to someone, although not seriously
Christina was flirting with just about every man in the room.

gossip
to talk about other people's private lives
Stop gossiping and get on with some work.
People have started to gossip about us.

on duty
engaged in one's regular work.
There were only two doctors on duty that night.
Al-Alsun’s Dept of English
Arabic-English Translation
Freshmen
promote good hygiene
encourage people to keep themselves and their surroundings clean to help stop
diseases from spreading

Naïve
(of a person or action) showing a lack of experience, wisdom, or judgement.
The rather naive young man had been totally misled.
(of a person) natural and unaffected; innocent.
Andy had a sweet, naive look when he smiled.

separate fact from fiction

tell the difference between what is based on reality and what is invented or imaginary

blurred
difficult to see
The photograph was very blurred.
The picture on the TV went all blurry.

difficult to understand or separate clearly

Do you agree that male and female roles are becoming blurred?

blurred reality
things (here, TV shows) that have elements of real life along with fantasy, drama or
fiction. It can be difficult for some people to know what is factual and what is not in
these TV shows
Al-Alsun’s Dept of English
Arabic-English Translation
Freshmen

TEXT 2
Naples Pizza Protected by EU

For 25 years, pizza makers in Naples have been trying to get their
product protected, and now it is being granted a TSG, or Traditional
Speciality Guaranteed label by the EU. The head of the pizza makers'
association said the trademark was a great honor. The EU's agriculture
commissioner said Neapolitan pizza was now part of Europe's food
heritage. It means that all pizzerias aspiring to supply the real thing are
supposed to be vetted by a special commission that will check
standards. They include using only San Marzano tomatoes and fresh
buffalo mozzarella cheese. The Italian farmers' association says that half
of Italy's 25,000 pizzerias currently use the wrong ingredients, like East
European cheese or Ukrainian flour. Italy now tops the EU chart for
products that are protected. It has 180, more than Spain or France.
Protected status enables producers to not only boast about their
exclusivity but also charge a premium.
Al-Alsun’s Dept of English
Arabic-English Translation
Freshmen

DICTIONARY HELP

Vocabulary and expressions

head
someone in charge of or leading an organization, group, etc
the head of the History department
the head chef

trademark
a name or a symbol which is put on a product to show that it is made by a particular
producer and which cannot be legally used by any other producer
Velcro is a registered trademark.

heritage
features belonging to the culture of a particular society, such as traditions, languages
or buildings, which still exist from the past and which have a historical importance
These monuments are a vital part of the cultural heritage of South
America.

Pizzeria
a restaurant that sells pizza

the real thing

the original, best or most typical example of something
It's a synthetic material which looks like the real thing.

vet
to examine something or someone carefully to make certain that they are acceptable
or suitable
During the war, the government vetted all news reports before they
were published.
The bank carefully vets everyone who applies for an account.

boast about their exclusivity

express pride in the uniqueness of their product

charge a premium
put the price of something up because it is in some way
special
Al-Alsun’s Dept of English
Arabic-English Translation
Freshmen

TEXT 3


Al-Alsun’s Dept of English
Arabic-English Translation
Freshmen

TEXT 4
Singapore Reports Economic Growth

Much of Singapore's growth has been fuelled by investment and tourism

from overseas. It has positioned itself as a high-end manufacturer. It
makes complex nanotechnology, pharmaceuticals and biotech products
like flu vaccines. Exports of electronics alone were up 49% in June.
Visitors from wealthy neighbors China and Indonesia have flocked to its
two new casino resorts, which opened in April. But Singapore's main
trading partner remains the European Union. Despite austerity
measures imposed by EU governments, exports to the bloc surged 75%
in June. That prompted Singapore's government to raise its annual
growth forecast to a record high of 13-15% for the year.
Al-Alsun’s Dept of English
Arabic-English Translation
Freshmen

DICTIONARY HELP

Vocabulary and expressions

fuel
to supply a system with a substance which can be burnt to provide heat or power
Our heating system is fuelled by gas.
We have a gas-fuelled heating system.
petrol/hydrogen-fuelled cars

Something that fuels a feeling or a type of behaviour increases or strengthens it

The rapid promotion of the director's son has itself fuelled resentment
within the company.
The prime minister's speech fuelled speculation that she is about to
resign.
a high end manufacturer
a producer of sophisticated and expensive goods

nanotechnology
an area of science which deals with developing and producing extremely small tools
and machines by controlling the arrangement of separate atoms

biotech products
industrial items made of living things such as bacteria,
yeasts or biological substances
vaccine
a substance which contains a form that is not harmful of a virus or bacterium (=
extremely small organism) and which is given to a person or animal to prevent them
from getting the disease which the virus or bacterium causes
This vaccine protects against some kinds of the bacteria.

flock
to move or come together in large numbers
Hundreds of people flocked to the football match.
Crowds of people flocked to see the Picasso exhibition.

casino resorts
holiday destinations for gambling

austerity
the condition or policy of living without things that are not necessary and without
comfort, with limited money or goods, or a practice, habit or experience that is typical
of this
The wartime austerity of my early years prepared me for later
hardships.
Al-Alsun’s Dept of English
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Freshmen
The austerities of life in a small rural community were not what I was
used to.

bloc
a group of countries or people that have similar political interests
The European Union is a powerful trading/trade bloc.
the former Eastern/Communist bloc countries

surge
to increase suddenly and strongly
The company's profits have surged.
Al-Alsun’s Dept of English
Arabic-English Translation
Freshmen

TEXT 5
Iceland Volcano

Conditions on the ground immediately downstream of the volcano are

extremely difficult. A lot of ash is falling. Approximately ten centimeters
of volcanic dust has settled on the ground. Visibility is down to just a few
meters and the authorities are using specially modified vehicles,
armored personnel carriers to visit and check on people who remain in
the area. But the top of the ash cloud reaching into the sky has lowered.
It is no longer registering on weather radar and scientists estimate its
maximum height is now around three to four thousand meters. Much
less ash is now being released into the atmosphere compared to the
beginning of this eruption and scientists say they believe the volcanic
activity may now be entering a different phase.
Al-Alsun’s Dept of English
Arabic-English Translation
Freshmen

DICTIONARY HELP

Vocabulary and expressions

erupt
When a volcano erupts, it explodes and flames and rocks come out of it
Since the volcano last erupted, many houses have been built in a
dangerous position on its slopes.

to start suddenly and violently

At the end of a hot summer, violence erupted in the inner cities.
to suddenly express your feelings in a noisy way
The crowd erupted in applause and cheering.
If spots erupt on your skin, they suddenly appear
Two days after he'd been exposed to the substance, a painful rash
erupted on his neck.

eruption
explosion from a volcano

downstream
in the direction a river or stream is flowing
The current carried her downstream.

downstream of the volcano

in the area that is under the cloud from the volcano

volcanic dust
small, fine pieces of material that have been thrown up into the air by the volcano and
are now falling down

visibility
how clearly objects can be seen, or how far you can see clearly, usually because of
the weather conditions
Mist is still causing poor visibility - down to five meters in parts of the
south-east.

specially modified vehicles

cars, lorries, vans, etc. that have been adapted to make them suitable for the
conditions

armored personnel carrier

military-style vehicles made from very strong materials
that are designed to carry people in safety

no longer registering on weather radar

not appearing any more on the equipment used by people who predict the weather
Al-Alsun’s Dept of English
Arabic-English Translation
Freshmen

TEXT 6
Al-Alsun’s Dept of English
Arabic-English Translation
Freshmen

TEXT 7
Brazil Elects its First Female President

Dilma Vana Rousseff was a schoolgirl when Brazil fell under military
dictatorship in 1964, later becoming a key player in a militant group
resisting the dictatorship, for which she was arrested and tortured. Her
name is still engraved on the wall of the prison where she spent three
years. A career civil servant, Rousseff became energy minister when
Lula da Silva took office in 2002. In 2005, after a corruption scandal
brought down key government figures, Lula da Silva made her his chief
of staff, a post she held until March 2010, when she launched her
campaign for the presidency as the Workers’ Party candidate. With
Lula’s 80% approval ratings behind her, few doubted her chances of
success despite a lacklustre campaign. On January the first, Dilma
Rousseff takes over from the most popular president Brazil has ever
known. It won’t be an easy act to follow.
Al-Alsun’s Dept of English
Arabic-English Translation
Freshmen

DICTIONARY HELP

Vocabulary and expressions

key player
important person or leader
militant
active, determined and often willing to use force
The group has taken a militant position on the abortion issue and is
refusing to compromise.

engrave
to cut words, pictures or patterns into the surface of metal, stone, etc
The jeweller skillfully engraved the initials on the ring.
The bracelet was engraved with his name and date of birth.

be engraved on your memory/mind

to be very difficult to forget
That last conversation we had is engraved on my memory forever.

civil servant
a person employed by the government
take office
to start an official job
The minister took (up) office in December.

bring sb down
to cause someone in a position of power to lose their job
This scandal could bring down the government.

launch
to begin something such as a plan or introduce something new such as a product
The scheme was launched a year ago.
The airline will launch its new transatlantic service next month.
A devastating attack was launched on the rebel stronghold.
UK After working for the company for several years she decided to
launch out on her own and set up in business.

to send something out, such as a new ship into water or a rocket into space
A spokesman for the dockyard said they hoped to launch the first
submarine within two years.
to launch a missile

approval ratings
level of popularity
lacklustre
Al-Alsun’s Dept of English
Arabic-English Translation
Freshmen
without energy and effort; uninspiring or jaded
Britain's number-one tennis player gave a disappointingly lacklustre
performance.
Al-Alsun’s Dept of English
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Freshmen

TEXT 8
Beaches to Reopen after Shark Attacks

After a survey by a group of international experts, the beaches at Sharm

el-Sheikh are to reopen, but only after strict new safety measures are in
place. There will be continuous patrols by boats close to shore. Watch
towers are being established along the beaches, manned by professional
divers, equipped with binoculars to scan for any sign of sharks.
Swimmers will have to remain within designated areas, and rules
against feeding sharks or any other sea life are being reinforced. The
international shark experts concluded that recent attacks were carried
out by more than one shark, so waiting until the culprit was caught
seems not to have been an option before opening the beaches, especially
as the peak Christmas season approaches. But tourists may be
understandably nervous and at least some cancellations are reported.
Al-Alsun’s Dept of English
Arabic-English Translation
Freshmen

DICTIONARY HELP

Vocabulary and expressions

patrol
the act of looking for trouble or danger in a building or area
a highway patrol
Three reconnaissance aircraft are permanently on patrol.
binoculars
a pair of tubes with glass at either end that you look through to see things far away
a pair of binoculars

Scan
to look at something carefully, with the eyes or with a machine, in order to get
information
She anxiously scanned the faces of the men leaving the train.
Doug scanned the horizon for any sign of the boat.

designate
to state officially that a place or thing has a particular character or purpose
This area of the park has been specially designated for children.
They officially designated the area (as) unsuitable for human
habitation.

reinforce
to make something stronger
The pockets on my jeans are reinforced with double stitching.
The final technical report into the accident reinforces the findings of
initial investigations.
The garrison is to be reinforced with/by another two battalions of
soldiers.

culprit
someone who has done something wrong
Police hope the public will help them to find the culprits.
a fact or situation that is the reason for something bad happening
Children in this country are getting much too fat, and sugar and
sweets are the main culprits.

peak
the highest, strongest or best point, value or level of skill
Holiday flights reach a peak during August.
Beat the egg whites until they are stiff enough to form firm peaks.
We saw a victory by an athlete at the very peak of her fitness and
career.
understandably nervous
concerned in a way that seems normal after recent events
Al-Alsun’s Dept of English
Arabic-English Translation
Freshmen

TEXT 9
Al-Alsun’s Dept of English
Arabic-English Translation
Freshmen

Keep up the good work!