Владимир Аракин - Практический курс английского языка 1 курс

sentence. Mark the stresses and tunes. Practise reading the text, b) Record

your reading. Play the recording back immediately for your teacher and

fellow-students to detect your possible errors, c) Practise the story for test

readings:

The Big Stores

I went into one of the big London stores today and enjoyed myself very

much, just wandering from one department to another, looking at the various

articles on the counters. I thought the assistants were very helpful. There must

have been some hundreds of salesmen and saleswomen and dozens of different

departments, including china, haberdashery, confectionery, hardware and even

provisions. I went from one department to another — from umbrellas to gloves,

from fancy goods to lace — up and down, in lifts and on escalators. As I was

going through the book department, I was surprised to meet an old friend of

mine, whom I hadn't seen for years. We went up to the restaurant and had lunch

together.

We didn't finish lunch until half past two. Then we did some shopping

together. I helped her to buy some presents for her children. I can't tell you how

glad we were to see each other again. We used to be very great friends. I hadn't

seen her for — let me see — ten or twelve years, at least.

12. This exercise is meant to develop your ability to read and narrate a

story with proper intonation, a) Listen to the joke. Write it down. Mark the

stresses and tunes. Practise reading the joke, b) Listen carefully to the

narration of the joke. Observe the peculiarities in intonation-group division,

pitch, stress and tempo. Note the use of temporisers. Retell the joke

according to the model you have listened to.

13. Read the jokes silently to make sure you understand each sentence, find the most

important phrase in the story, underline it, split up every sentence into intonation-groups,

mark the stresses and tunes. Practise reading the jokes several times. Retell the jokes

following the model above (See Ex. 12):

Jack's Mistake

J a c k ' s M o t h e r : There were three pieces of cake in the cupboard, Jack,

and now there are only two.

J a c k : It was so dark there, Mamma, that I didn't see the others.

A Correction

T e a c h e r : Jimmie, why don't you wash your face? I can see what you had

for breakfast this morning. L i t t l e b o y : What was it? T e a c h e r : Eggs!

L i t t l e b o y : You are wrong, teacher, that was yesterday.

Whose Mistakes?

T e a c h e r (looking through Teddy's homework): I wonder how one

person could make so many mistakes.

T e d d у: It wasn't one person, teacher. Father helped me.

Father and Son

F a t h e r : You know, Tom, when Lincoln was your age he was a very good

pupil. In fact, he was the best pupil in his class.

T o m : Yes. Father, 1 know that. But when he was your age he was President

of the United States.

At a Restaurant

"Here, waiter, it seems to me tha't this fish is not so fresh as the fish you

served us last Sunday." "Pardon, sir, it is the same fish."

Section Twelve

I. Intonation of the Author's Words

M o d e l : "I'm not ready," he said."Are you ,sure?" he asked, |.looking

x

a , round him ashe , spoke.He > said: | Look at the^picture."He ,said: |

"The film was^excellent."He said: | "That's all."

v

x

The Author's Words Following Direct Speech

The author's words which follow the direct speech are usually pronounced as

an unstressed or half-stressed tail ofthe preceding intonation-group.

e. g. "I'm -» not vready," he said.

"Is -> this for ,me?" he asked with surprise.

If the tail gets longer, it may form a separate intonation-group. In this case it

is stressed and is pronounced with the same nuclear tone as the preceding

intonation-group but on a lower pitch level.

e. g. "I'm xsorry," | a, gain re, pea ted the ^landlord

If the author's words form two or more intonation-groups, the first of them

doesn't form a separate intonation-group. The second and the third are always

stressed and pronounced each on a lower pitch level. The nuclear tone of the

final intonation-group is usually that of the sentences in the direct speech. The

non-final intonation-groups may be pronounced either with the low-rising tone or

with the low-falling tone according to their semantic importance.

e. g. "What a vpity!" was all I said | when he .broke a x glass."VDo you

'think 'that's ,fair?" she asked, | .looking at me with surprise.

EXERCISES

M o d e l 1: "I'm -> not vready," he said slowly.

"-+ No, I vcan't," she replied, | shaking her head.

1. Listen carefully to the following sentences. Concentrate your attention on the

intonation of the author's words following direct speech:

1. "I don't know," he said quietly. 2. "What's it for?" he inquired in a whisper.

3. "Come here," she ordered in a sharp voice. 4. "It isn't mine," he said for the

second time. 5. "Give it to me," she said with a smile. 6. "You've dropped it on

the floor," he complained to her. 7. "You'll have to put a stamp on," he explained

in his best French. 8. "Come here!" commanded the captain in a loud voice. 9.

"Be back in half an hour," she reminded him sternly. 10. "You've made the same

mistake again," the teacher complained with a frown. 11. "It's nearly ten o'clock,"

she observed glancing at her watch. 12. "What a pity!" was all I said when he

broke a glass. 13. "Quite right," he added nodding his head. 14. "Pleased to meet

you," he said holding out his hand. 15. "I think it's going to rain," he remarked,

looking up at the black sky, 16. "I must put some coal on the fire," she remarked

getting up from her chair. 17. "We really must be going now," she said getting up

out of her chair. 18. "1 disagree," said the next speaker rising to his feet. 19.

"Stop it!" shouted the little girl to her brother. 20. "It's not possible," was the

opinion he offered after a moment's thought. 21. "It's rather expensive," she

remarked looking in the shop window. 22. "You don't mean it, madam," said the

girl, and there was pain in her voice.

2. Listen to the same sentences and repeat them in the intervals. Pronounce the author's

words on a low pitch level.

3. In order to fix the intonation of the author's words in your mind, ear and speech habits

repeat the sentences yourself until they sound perfectly natural to you.

4. Listen to a fellow-student reading the sentences. Tell him what his errors in the

intonation of the anther's words are.

5. Read the following drill sentences according to Model 1. Concentrate your attention

on the author's words following direct speech:

1. "What have we got to eatr Mum?" asked Robert. 2. "It's coming on to

pour," said Nora. 3. "It's much fresher here than in London," said Mrs. Hilton. 4.

"My husband is coming in a moment," said Mrs. Martin, taking off her hat. 5. "I

like your house very much. It's the quietest I know," she said, looking at her

friend with a smile. 6. "It hasn't rained since Sunday," she said, looking out of the

window, 7. "It's dry enough to sit on the grass," she said spreading the table-

cloth. 8. "Don't be too quick about spreading that table-cloth, Nora. I felt a spot

of rain," said Harry, looking up at the sky. 9. "Well, I am glad he came back,"

said Mrs. Meadows with a faint smile. 10. "Oh, Robert, you can't believe how

much I've enjoyed that wonderful play!" exclaimed Jean as they were leaving the

theatre.

M o d e l 2" "Is -> this for ,me?" he asked with surprise.

"Is -*that all 7пд1и?" she asked | showing him the /letter

6. Listen carefully^ to the following sentences. Concentrate your attention on the

intonation of the author's words:

1. "Do you really think so?" she said excitedly. 2. "I hope you don't mind,"

she remarked apologetically. 3. "It's the best you can do," he explained to them.

4. "Did you meet him?" she inquired at once. 5. "Do you think it's true?" they

kept on asking. 6. "Would you like a cup of tea?" she said with a smile 7. "Will

you wait for me?" she called from upstairs. 8. "Please, take one," she said

invitingly. 9. "Shall we ask him too?" they whispered to one another. 10. "It's not

so bad," he said at last. 11. "Did you hear?" he repeated with an angry frown.

7. Listen to the same sentences and repeat them in the intervals. Follow the intonation

line exactly.

8. In order to fix the intonation of the author's words in your mind, ear and speech habits

repeat the sentences yourself until they sound perfectly natural to you.

9. Listen to a fellow-student reading the sentences. Tell him what his errors in the

intonation of the author's words are.

7. Read the following drill sentences according to Model 2. Concentrate your attention

on the intonation of the author's words following direct speech:

1. "Do you think it's too damp to sit on the grass?" asked Nora. 2. "Does this

bus go to Trafalgar Square?" asked the man. "Can I get there by the metro?" he

asked. 3. "Have you ever been married, Captain Meadows?" I asked. 4. "Would

you like to go to the theatre with me?" asked Nick handing the ticket to his

friend. 5. "Have you ever been to that museum?" asked the guide, pointing to an

old building across the street. 6. "Is there a bus from here to Trafalgar Square?"

asked the man, standing on the platform.