HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION

FOREIGN LANGUAGE SECTION

ENGLISH
For MATHEMATICS

Compiled by:
HO THI PHUONG
LE THI KIEU VAN

HO CHI MINH CITY, 2003

1
 ENGLISH
For
MATHEMATICS

Compilers:
LE THI KIEU VAN
HO THI PHUONG
Consultant: NGUYEN VAN DONG, Ph.D

HoChiMinh City, September 2003.

2
 CONTENTS

UNIT TEXT GRAMMAR Page

Preface................................................ .................................... 5

– The Internet distance education – Present Simple and

UNIT 1 – My future profession Present Continuous 7
– Arithmetic operations

– The history of personal computing – Present Simple

UNIT 2 – What is mathematics? – Past Simple 13
– Fermat’s last theorem
– Fractions
UNIT 3 – J.E.Freund’s System of Natural – The Present Perfect 20
Numbers Postulates

– Something about mathematical

UNIT 4 sentences – Degrees of 27
– Inequalities comparison
– Mathematical signs and symbols
– Thinking and reasoning in maths
UNIT 5 – Points and lines – ING ending forms 34
– How to find a website for
information you need
– Some advices to buying a computer
UNIT 6 – The Pythagorean property – Modal verbs 40
– Drawing a circle
– Infinitive after
UNIT 7 – Mathematical logic adjectives 47
– The coordinate plane
– Infinitive of purpose
– Ratio and Proportion
UNIT 8 – History of the terms “ellipse”, – Past Participle 55
“hyperbola” and “parabola” – The Passive
– Algorithms
UNIT 9 – What is an electronic computer? – Relative clauses 62
– Probability of occurence
– Sequences obtained by repeated – Conditionals – First
UNIT 10 multiplication. and Zero 69
– Topology
– Some cases of irre–
gular plural nouns.
– Unending progressions

3
UNIT 11 – Mappings – Second conditionals 77
– Why learn mathematics?
– Multimedia – ing / –ed participle
UNIT 12 – Matrices clauses 85
– William Rowan Hamilton
– Some cases of
irregular plural
nouns (continued)
– Mathematics and modern
UNIT 13 civilization – Past Perfect Simple 93
and Continuous
– The derivative of a function and
some applications of the derivative – Adverbs
– Thinking about the use of virtual – Reported speech
UNIT 14 reality in computer war games – Some cases of 102
– Zeno’s paradoxes irregular plural
– George Cantor nouns (continued)
References.......................................... .................................... 161

4
 PREFACE
This course is intended for students of non−English major in the Department of
Mathematics, Ho Chi Minh City University of Pedagogy.
The course aims at developing students’ language skills in an English context
of mathematics with emphasis on reading, listening, speaking and writing. The
language content, mainly focuses on: firstly, key points of grammar and key
functions appropriate to this level; secondly, language items important for decoding
texts mathematical; thirdly, language skills developed as outlined below.
This textbook contains 14 units with a Glossary of mathematical terms and a
Glossary of computing terms and abbreviations designed to provide a minimum of
150 hours of learning.

Course structural organization:

Each unit consist of the following components:

PRESENTATION: The target language is shown in a natural context.

• Grammar question:
Students are guided to an understanding of the target language, and directed to
mastering rules for their own benefit.

PRACTICE:

Speaking, listening, reading and writing skills as well as grammar exercises are
provided to consolidate the target language.

SKILLS DEVELOPMENT:
Language is used for realistic purposes. The target language of the unit
reappears in a broader context.
• Reading and speaking:
At least one reading text per unit is intergrated with various free speaking
activities.
• Listening and speaking:
At least one listening activity per unit is also intergrated with free speaking
activities.
• Writing:
Suggestions are supplied for writing activities per unit.
• Vocabulary:
At least one vocabulary exercise per unit is available.

TRANSLATION:

5
 The translation will encourage students to review their performance and to
decide which are the priorities for their own future self-study.

Acknowledgements:

We would like to express our gratitude to Nguyen Van Dong, Ph.D., for editing
our typescript, for giving us valuable advice and for helping all at stages of the
preparation of this course; to TranThi Binh, M.A., who gave the best help and
encouragement for us to complete this textbook. We would also like to thank Le Thuy
Hang, M.A., who has kindly and in her spare time contributed comments and
suggestions, to Mr. Chris La Grange, MSc., for his suggestions and helpful comments
for the compilation of this text book.
Our special thanks are extended to the colleagues, who have done with their
critical response and particular comments. Also, we would like to thank all those
student–mathematicians who supplied all the necessary mathematical material to
help us write this textbook.

Le Thi Kieu Van

Ho Thi Phuong