Answer the questions about the text.
1. What are the two functions of headlines? 2. What are grammatical, lexical and stylistic peculiarities of headlines? The exercises below demonstrate some peculiarities of newspaper headlines in English.
Ex. 1. Certain words are found in newspaper headlines sometimes with a different meaning from that of their normal use. For each of the following “headline words” on the left, find an item on the right with the same meaning (it will help you look at the headlines in exercises 2 and 3 below). A AXE BAFFLED BID BLAST BLAZE CALL CLASH CURB DRAMA ENVOY HIT LEAK LIFT POLL PROBE QUIT QUIZ RAP RIDDLE SEEK SLASH SPLIT STORM TOLL WED WOO a) fire b) close down, dismiss (usually for economic reasons) c) conflict, disagree(ment), fight, fighting d) diplomat, ambassador e) to escape, escape (of secret information) f) exciting or dramatic event g) attempt h) explosion i) affect badly j) remove (restrictions, prohibitions) k) vote, election, public opinion survey l) reduce, reduction, limit m)investigate, investigation n) criticise, reprimand o) leave, depart, resign p) at a loss to explain, mystified q) attract, interest, win the support of r) divide, division s) look for, want, ask for t) mystery u) marry v) angry argument w) total number of dead x) to demand, to appeal, demand, appeal y) question, interrogate, interview z) reduce drastically B BAN BID FLEE FOIL HALT MOVE PLEA OUST C CHIEF HAUL GAG GEMS RIG SWOOP RESHUFFLE a) to prevent b) strong request, call for help, appeal c) to stop d) to force out of office, remove from high position e) to prohibit, prohibition f) to try to attract g) run away from, escape h) action, step, to take action a) jewels b) to falsify c) to rearrange, rearrangement (of senior jobs) d) raid, to raid e) director, high-ranking officer or official f) goods stolen in robbery or taken by police or customs g) to silence, censor, censorship Ex. 2. In headlines certain words are used very often because they are short and sound dramatic. Some of these words are not common in ordinary language or are used in a different sense. Headlines also omit certain words (a, the, some, be, been etc.) and use colloquial expressions, abbreviations and different verb tenses. Explain the following headlines in simple English. A e.g. UK TO SEND MORE AID TO GHANA The United Kingdom is going to send more help to Ghana e.g. STAR TO WED A film star is going to get married. 1. ARMY AXES 3 BASES 2,000 MEN 2. BID TO REACH NORTH POLE FAILS 3. HOTEL BLAST KILLS 8 4. ANIMALS DIE IN ZOO BLAZE 5. US, USSR CLASH OVER ARMS CURBS 6. 3 SAVED IN FLATS BLAZE DRAMA 7. ENVOY ACCUSED OF SPYING 8. TOURISTS HIT BY PILOTS’ STRIKE 9. PM ANNOUNCES MARCH POLL 10. POLICE PROBE MISSING WOMAN RIDDLE 11. TOP SCIENTIST QUITS UK FOR US 12. 3 QUIZZED OVER BOY’S KIDNAP 13. FILM STAR SEEKS DIVORCE 14. AIR FARES SLASHED TO WOO HOLIDAY MAKERS 15. STORM AT UN OVER “SPIES” ACCUSATION 16. EARTHQUAKE TOLL REACHES 27 17. ACTOR TO WED FOR FIFTH TIME 18. CABINET LEAK: CALL FOR PROBE 19. EU SPLIT OVER LIFTING OF TRAVEL CURBS 20. DEAD ENVOY RIDDLE: YARD BAFFLED 21. PM RAPS BBC IN JOBS AXE STORM B 1. EDITORS URGE END TO PRESS GAG 2. INDIA SEEKS US AID 3. GEM SMUGGLERS CAUGHT IN PORT SWOOP 4. BANK RAID CASH HAUL FOUND: 3 CHARGED 5. HEAD QUITS OVER “RIGGED” EXAM RESULTS 6. RAIL CHIEFS RESHUFFLED AFTER BIG LOSSES 7. GOVT DEFEATED IN POLL DRAMA 8. PEER DIES IN FLATS BLAZE DRAMA 9. BLAST TOLL RISING: WITNESSES SOUGHT 10. COMMONS STORM OVER DEFENCE CUTS 11. M-WAY DEATH CRASH: BRITON HELD
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NEWSPAPER HEADLINES
