Svetlana Flemming - Colloquial Russian - The Next Step in Language Learning

stroj ‘system, structure’)

Exercise 7

See if you can figure out the meaning of these verbs.

peredeĺyvat; / peredeĺat;; nadstraívat; / nadstroít;; dopiśyvat; /

dopisa´t;;

osma´trivat; / osmotre´t;;

predvi´det; (perfective only);

peredu´myvat; / peredu´mat;; vydu´myvat; / vy´dumat;; predskaźyvat;

/ predskaza´t;;

nadsma´trivat;

(imperfective only); dohi´tyvat; /

dohita´t;.

Exercise 8

Examine some Russian web-sites (see some examples, shown opposite page).

Molode¨'nyj portaĺ OM.Ru

1 What is the site devoted to?

2 What is the significance of its name?

3 What are the interactive features of the site?

4 What additional services does this site provide?

Informaciońno-spra´vohnyj centr

1 Give three kinds of information supplied by the site.

2 Give three advantages of the way the site operates.

Internet

|

263

1111

2

3

4

5

6

7

8111

9

10

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

20111

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

30

1

2

3

4

5

Portaĺ Moda.Ru & Fashion.Ru

6

7

1 How often is the site updated?

8

2 Who can post information on the site?

9

3 What level of expertise does it need to access the site?

40

4 What additional service does the site provide?

1

421111

264

|

The Internet

Language points ♦

Some commonly confused verbs

‘To use’

ispoĺ;zovat; (impf., only) (+ acc. ) is a good general verb meaning

‘to use’:

Nado ispoĺ;zovat; vse sre´dstva v bor;be´ pro´tiv

terroriźma.

It is necessary to use all means in the struggle against terrorism.

Na´wa klińika ispoĺ;zuet lu´hwie dosti'eńiq

medicińy.

Our clinic uses the best medical advances.

On vse¨ vre´mq ispoĺ;zuet menq´ v svoi´x ceĺqx.

He always uses me for his own ends.

poĺ;zovat;sq / vospoĺ;zovat;sq (+ inst. ) means ‘to make use of’ as well as ‘to enjoy’ and ‘take advantage of’ and is commonly used with the nouns in the examples below:

Q vsegda´ poĺ;zu[s; slovare¨m.

I always use (make use of ) a dictionary.

Q du´ma[, vam na´do vospoĺ;zovat;sq uslu´gami ageńtstva.

I think that you should use / make use of the services of an agency.

On poĺ;zuetsq bol;wi´m avtorite´tom srediśvoi´x kolleg.

He enjoys great authority among his colleagues.

Note also: poĺ;zovat;sq uspe´xom ‘to enjoy success’: Poĺ;zuqs; slu´haem, q xoteĺ by vy

ŕazit; svo[´

blagodaŕnost;.

Taking advantage of the occasion, I should like to express my gratitude.

Note also: poĺ;zovat;sq vozmo´'nost;[ ‘to take advantage of the opportunity’.

Upotreblq´t; / upotrebi´t; (+ acc) translates ‘to use’ in certain specific contexts:

Mno´gie molody

é l[´di upotreblq´[t narko´tiki.

Many young people use drugs.

Internet

|

265

1111

Lu´hwe ne upotreblq´t; \´to slo´vo, ono´ pohti ne

2

upotreblqétsq v ruśskom qzyke´.

3

It is better not to use that word; it is almost never used in 4

Russian.

5

Primenq´t; / primeni´t; (+ acc. ) means ‘to apply, employ, use’: 6