(6) Many alcoholics have lived through difficult childhoods, divorces, and professional disappointment.

(7) Even so, these _________ are not good predictors of who will become an alcoholic.

(8) In a recent study, children of alcoholics were found to be four times as likely as children of nonalcoholics to be alcoholics. This ___________ has led researchers to believe there is a genetic link in alcoholism.

Like other European languages, academic English makes use of Latin abbreviations and expressions. You must have also met some of them while reading Russian academic texts, where such expressions are easy to notice, because they are often written in the Roman alphabet. In English texts, such expressions (rather than abbreviations) are sometimes given in italics.

Did you know that per in percent or kilometers per hour is a Latin preposition that originally mean through or by? Per is also used in the Latin expression per se meaning through / of / by itself, and hence, ‘intrinsically.’

Although education conveys important economic benefits, it is also valuable per se.

As this example shows, Latin expressions are often set apart from the English language text by italics.

Did you know that all the following abbreviations derive from Latin? How many do you know? How many can you give the full form for?

e.g. i.e. NB a.m .p.m. P.S. etc. A.D. et al.

Below are the lists of abbreviations and expressions that you may use while writing in English.

Task 9. Read the sentences paying attention to Latin abbreviations and expressions. Check yourself whether you understand/ remember their meanings.

1. The in vitro packaging system developed for recombinant DNA appears to bring the cloning of unenriched DNA.

2. Although knowledge of foreign languages is practically important, it is also valuable per se.

3. History knows several examples when countries were ruled by de facto kings.

4. Chemical processes usually flow in vivo quicker than in laboratory conditions.

5. Mastery of genre and styles conventions liberates the ego of a writer and provides him/her with the tools of self-expression.

6. You may find Errata in the section "Announcements" of the journal.

7. While some scholars argue that conceptual systems do not exist a priori, others think that social groups, within which individuals function, are determined by and interact with prior "systems."

8. To elaborate a new decision, the committee gathered for an ad hoc meeting.

9. For this trip, per diem expenses must not exceed $40.

10. Per capita income is an important economic category.

11. Minerals get their names from various sources; e.g., alexandrite was named for Alexander I of Russia.

Home assignment: Vocabulary in Use Units 2, 7.

Do you always know whether to use a, an, the, or no article at all? Although there are rules to help you, there are also a lot of exceptions and a lot of fine distinctions to be made, so learning to use articles accurately takes a long time. However, to really master article usage, you should also read a great deal, notice how articles are used, and make notes.

Before we look in more detail at how the English article system works, it is worth checking which areas of the system you can use confidently and which you are less sure about. That will help you focus on the relevant section of the unit; you may not need to study all of the sections.

Below are two short tests of English article use, for you to assess how confident you are that you can get the answers right.

Decide in each case whether the underlined numbered space should be filled with THE, A, AN or ZERO (no article).

Test 1: New rules for Everest climbers

Expeditions on _(1)_ Mount Everest will be more closely monitored than before from _(2)_ next year, according to _(3)_ BBC. _(4)_ Nepalese officials say that for _(5)_ first time, _(6)_ government team will be located at _(7)_ base camp. They will monitor and help _(8)_ expedition teams, coordinate _(9)_ rescues and protect _(10)_ environment. _(11)_ change follows _(12)_ embarrassing incidents on _(13)_ slopes of _(14)_ world's tallest mountain, including _(15)_ fight between _(16)_ sherpas and _(17)_ mountaineers.