Яков Аракин - Практический курс английского языка 2 курс

5. Write a paragraph describing the picture on pp. 114-115. Try your hand at various

topic sentences that help to hold the unity of the paragraph.

LABORATORY EXERCISES (II)

1. Listen to the text "Some More Glimpses of London."

2. Listen to the dialogue "Sightseeing". Repeat the text in the intervals and record your

versions.

Compare your version with the original and correct your pronunciation mistakes if any.

3. Translate the sentences into English, check them with the key.

4. Listen to the test "Behind the Scenes" or some other text on the topic "London".

Discuss the text in class.

5. Listen to the "Sonnet Composed upon Westminster Bridge". Mark the stresses and

tunes. Learn it by heart.

CURIOSITY QUIZ FOR EAGERS

1. Why is the clock on the Clock Tower of the Houses of Parliament called "Big Ben"?

2. What is the "Cenotaph"? Where can it be found? What is the origin of the name?

3. The security of the Tower of London is mainly the responsibility of the Yeomen

Warders or "Beefeaters" as they are popularly called. What is the origin of the word

"Beefeater"?

4. What is the "Union Jack"? What does it look like? What is its origin? Where and

when can it be seen?

5. Name five of the numerous bridges which cross the Thames. Show them on the map

of London and comment on their names.

6. What is "Soho"? Where is it situated? What are its peculiar features?

UNIT FOUR

I SPEECH PATTERNS

1. Mother is hardly ever able to have a treat like that.

a) They are hardly ever able to go sightseeing.

One is hardly ever able to get tickets for this show.

We are hardly ever able to talk to each other alone.

He was hardly ever able to catch the 6.30 train home.

b) You'll hardly be able to get to the British Museum today before the closing hours.

She will hardly be able to get over her fear of heavy traffic.

2. Father was afraid that Mother might take cold if she came.

I thought that she might spoil her complexion if she went on smoking.

He said we might be late if the bus didn't come soon.

Edward hoped he might meet the girl again if he came every day to the street she lived in.

The policeman told the boy he might be run over if he was careless when crossing the street.

3. We all felt that if would never do to let Father stay home.

It will never do to underline words in a library book.

It will never do to throw cigarette-ends on the floor.

Why are you shouting at the top of your voices?

It will never do. You have treated her very badly.

Rudeness will never do.

The boy said it would never do for a young girl to use so much make-up.

4. That kept Mother busy for a little while.

At night I always keep my window open.

They never keep their door shut.

Keep your feet warm or you'll catch cold.

He kept his room scrupulously clean.

She told the child an interesting story to keep him awake.

Keeping the child warm is not the same thing as keeping him healthy.

EXERCISES

I. Paraphrase toe following, using some of the patterns above:

P a t t e r n 1 : 1. It is not often that our mother goes to the theatre. 2. It is not often that

our students can listen to native English speech. 3. She very seldom can afford to get herself a new

dress. 4. They cannot afford to spend their holiday at the seaside. 5. He can never refuse helping his

comrades.

P a t t e r n 3 : 1. It is bad manners to stare at people. 2. The teacher said it was impolite

and rude to hand in homework written carelessly. 3. "I say, Turner, I don't like the way you treat your

comrades. It's too bad." 4. My mother said that it was too bad to let her do all the work alone. 5. It is

wicked to hurt animals. 6. "You have come unprepared again. It is unpardonable," said the teacher.

II. Describe toe following situations in one sentence, using Pattern 2:

E x a m p l e :

In such cold weather it was easy for the child to catch cold, if he went

for a walk. That was the cause of the mother's fear.

The mother was afraid that the child might catch cold if he went for a walk in such cold

weather.

1. She worked very little during the term, and it was quite possible for her to fail at her

examination. We all told her so. 2. It was hardly possible to let the boy stay at home alone. He could

make trouble if he did. We all knew that. 3. She worked too hard, and her friends were afraid that it

would result in her falling ill. 4. The mother wanted the boy to become a great pianist, and so she

made him practise day and night. 5. We wanted to go and see our sick friend, but the doctor didn't

allow that saying that there was a chance of our catching the disease.

III. Supply adjectives:

1. It is dangerous to keep the windows ... during a thunderstorm. 2. She kept her door ... and

didn't let anyone in. 3. Put the lemonade in the refrigerator to keep it.... 4. The epidemic was at its

height, and all the doctors of the town were kept.... 5. I put the tulips in the water to keep them .... 6.

Keep your eyes ... and your mouth ... . ?. This fur coat is sure to keep you ... in any frost. 8. What is

the teacher to do to keep his pupils ...?

IV. Translate the sentences into English, using the patterns:

1. He годится обижать младших. 2. Нам почти никогда не удается выбраться за город в

выходной день. 3. Я говорила тебе, что ты можешь заболеть, если промочишь ноги. 4. Не

давайте пациенту спать, пока не придет врач. 5. Нехорошо пользоваться телефоном для

глупых шуток. 6. Займите детей и не давайте им шуметь, пока я разговариваю по телефону. 7.

В такой жаркий день надо держать окна открытыми. 8. Нельзя курить так много, ты

подорвешь свое здоровье. 9. Джон написал своему другу, что он возможно навестит его в

следующем году.

V. Make up dialogues or situations, using the patterns.

TEXT. HOW WE KEPT MOTHER'S DAY by Stephen Leacock

Leacock, Stephen (1869-1944) — a famous Canadian writer of the 20th century. His stories,

full of humour and sarcasm, expose the contradictions of life in modem bourgeois society.

Leacock says that the basis of humour lies in the contrasts offered by life itself, but "the deep

background that lies behind and beyond what we call humour is revealed only to the few who. by

instinct or by effort have given thought to it."

So we decided to have a special celebration of Mother's Day. We thought it a fine idea. It

made us all realize how much Mother had done for us for years, and all the efforts and sacrifice that

she had made for our sake.

We decided that we'd make it a great day, a holiday for all the family, and do everything we

could to make Mother happy. Father decided to take a holiday from his office, so as to help in

celebrating the day, and my sister Anne and I stayed home from college classes, and Mary and my

brother Will stayed home from High School.

It was our plan to make it a day just like Xmas32 or any big holiday, and so we decided to

decorate the house with flowers and with mottoes over the mantelpieces,33 and all that kind of thing.

We got Mother to make mottoes and arrange the decorations, because she always does it at Xmas.

The two girls thought it would be a nice thing to dress in our very best for such a big

occasion and so they both got new hats. Mother trimmed both the hats, and they looked fine, and

Father had bought silk ties for himself and us boys as a souvenir of the day to remember Mother by.

We were going to get Mother a new hat too, but it turned out that she seemed to really like her old

grey bonnet better than a new one, and both the girls said that it was awfully becoming to her.

Well, after breakfast we had it arranged as a surprise for Mother that we would hire a motor

car and take her for a beautiful drive away into the country. Mother is hardly ever able to have a treat

like that, because we can only afford to keep one maid, and so Mother is busy in the house nearly all

the time.

But on the very morning of the day we changed the plan a little bit, because it occurred to

32 Xmas[krIsmqs]: an abbreviated form of Christmas. In England Christmas day (the 25th of December) is one of the biggest

holidays, devoted especially to family reunion and merry-making with its traditional Christmas tree and Christmas pudding.

33 mantelpiece: a structure of brick, wood or marble above and around a fire-place —an open grate where a coal fire burns. Most

old English houses have no central heating. Up to now a great number of flats are warmed by coal fires. Sometimes instead of a coal

fire a gas fire or an electric fire may be used, which is more convenient, as it can be lit in a second and turned off as soon as it is not

needed.

Father that a thing it would be better to do even than to take Mother for a motor drive would be to

take her fishing; if you are going to fish, there is a definite purpose in front of you to heighten the

enjoyment.

So we all felt that it would be nicer for Mother to have a definite purpose; and anyway, it

turned out that Father had just got a new rod the day before.

So we got everything arranged for the trip, and we got Mother to cut up some sandwiches34

and make up a sort of lunch in case we got hungry, though of course we were to come back home

again to a big dinner in the middle of the day, just like Xmas or New Year's Day. Mother packed it all

up in a basket for us ready to go in the motor.

Well, when the car came to the door, it turned out that there hardly seemed as much room in

it as we had supposed.

Father said not to mind him, he said that he could just as well stay home; and that he was

sure that he could put in the time working in the garden; he said that we were not to let the fact of his

not having had a real holiday for three years stand in our way; he wanted us to go right ahead and be

happy and have a big day.

But of course we all felt that it would never do to let Father stay home, especially as we knew

he would make trouble if he did. The two girls, Anne and Mary, would gladly have stayed and

helped the maid get dinner, only it seemed such a pity to, on a lovely day like this, having their new

hats. But they both said that Mother had only to say the word, and they'd gladly stay home and work.

Will and I would have dropped out, hut unfortunately we wouldn't have been any use in getting the