Английский язык для студентов университетов. Чтение, письменная и устная практика (стр. 26 из 42)
3. tease B. walk in an unsteady way
4. stir C. delight, bewitch, charm somebody
5. enchant D. care lovingly and tenderly
6. cherish E. think about something a lot seriously and
7. brood often unhappily
F. excite somebody, make one react with a
strong emotion
G. use one's strength or power to hurt or
frighten somebody
Nouns:
1. gapA. the state of being unable to
2. skilunderstand something l
3. comB. mental preference, liking panion
4. inteC. the ability to understand and learnlligence
5. prethings dilection
6. misD. a great difference between twochief
7. incomprehensionE. ability to do something well
F. someone who you spend time with
G. naughty behaviour of children,
eagerness to have fun by playing
tricks or by embarrassing people
Exercise 2
I. Draw lines between the pairs matching the words on the left with their opposites on the right.
self-assuredcalm
fatundelightful
dark-hairedinferior
nervousthin, slender
deliciousfair-haired
listlessmiserable
superiorenergetic
steeprough
smoothsloping
II. Draw lines between the pairs matching the words on the left with the words or phrases of similar meaning on the right.
plumpprematurely developed
tinyreasonable
precociousrather fat
sensibleodd
queerexceptional
extraordinaryconvincing
cogentstill
motionlessserious
graveextremely small
Exercise 3
Choose a suitable word or phrase from the passage you have read to complete the sentences.
1. The owners of the villa were a ... people. There was a... of almost thirty years between husband and wife.
2. The signora had very large, black eyes and she used them with ... .
3. Robin adored Guido, he ... him as the ... and copied him in ... he could.
4. Being a ... child, Guido was given to ... and liked to sit... , chin .... elbow ....... in the profoundest meditation.
5. Sometimes Guido suddenly interrupted the game and stood ... at the ground.
6. If you looked into Guide's eyes you would find out that they were beautiful in their ... and ... calm. They were set... .
7. When Guido was listening to the music, he ... at his lower lip with his ... and ... .
8. Soon Guido started ... little pieces on ... . He had ... for canons.
9. Guido was really ... by canons and the principles of the form.
10. When Robin's parents played Guide's little pieces over they felt almost....
11. There was an expression of ... on Robin's bright and ... face when Guido was... the theorem of Pythagoras to him.
12. The author expected the boys to be ... in some ... , to ... them ... in water or ... a bonfire.
13. Guido appeared to be not an... Mozart, Robin's parent had been ... but... Archimedes with an ... musical twist.
14. There was a wide ... between Guido and Robin as between the two different... types.
Exercise 4
Fill in the blanks in the following sentences. Use only one expression in each space. Change the form of a word or a phrase if necessary.
to laugh at somebody to be an Archimedes
to make progress to shake one's head
to make up on one's own account
to make noise to put something away
in return to come to a halt
to know by experience to be crammed
to take advantage
of something to be in difficulties
1. My brother is in the habit of... those people he has a grudge against.
2. The silence was oppressive. He ... that something was wrong.
3. She was so scared that she couldn't say a word. When the policeman asked her something she just ... to say "No".
4. Dick adored my daughter. As soon as she started playing the piano he ... near it and could stand motionless for half an hour enjoying both my daughter and the music.
5. You never know what's on his mind. It's characteristic of him to ... all sorts of stories. No wonder his friends do not have much confidence in him.
6. Sometimes it may be so annoying to look after kids. They like to ... when playing.
7. As Brian was left to himself and had to go through lots of difficulties his life appeared ... with all sorts of experience.
8. Little George is a special child; he is immensely interested in maths and physics. His parents and teachers are so proud of him that they say that he ....
9. Jane is always calm and patient and never loses her temper when explaining things to her pupils. That is why they just adore her... .
10. Practically all composers started writing music ... in eariy childhood.
11. One's career depends on how quickly he or she ... in acquiring new skills and knowledge.
12. In sports and games competitors always try to ... their opponents' mistakes and weaknesses.
13. After a child has played enough with his new toy, he ... and forgets about it for a while playing with his old favourite ones.
14. Noble and generous people always come to help their friends when the latter ....
Exercise 5
Give the English equivalents for the Russian words and expressions.
A.
Ходить пошатываясь, ковыляя; размышлять; задирать кого-либо; обожать; лелеять; быть очарованным; волновать кого-либо; подражать кому-либо; злоупотреблять чем-либо; прервать (занятие); преуспевать в чём-либо; увлекаться чем-либо; испытывать затруднения; умолять; дразнить; плескаться в воде.
В.
Гладкий; странный; апатичный; пухлый; развитой не по годам; самоуверенный; ответственный; веснушчатый; крутой (лоб); изящный; мечтательный; серьёзный; острый (подбородок); необыкновенный.
С.
Разница в семь лет; на целых два с половиной года старше; интеллектуальное и физическое превосходство; склонный к размышлению; заложив руки за спину; уставившись в землю; подперев подбородок рукой; опершись локтем о колено; широко расставленные глаза; уголки рта слегка опущены; глаза широко раскрылись; пощипывая нижнюю губу большим и указательным пальцами; нервный жест; слегка склонив голову набок; напевать без слов; музыкальные способности.
Exercise 6
Change the following sentences using the phrases from the text instead of the ones in italics.
1. Nick was five years younger than his brother.
2. Though Andrew was athletic and much stronger than all his play-fellows he never used it for his own benefit trying to overawe them with it.
3. Daniel always thought that his brother was a good examplefor him.
4. Having stayed several days at a health resort, we quickly got bored.
5. In fact, we were on good terms with our companions.
6. Frank was absolutely absorbed in watching a cowboy film and nothing could make him stop doing it.
7. After explaining the most important things to him I let him play the guitar as much as he wanted.
8. He did not feel determined enough and could not start a new business.
9. You can't divide people up into good and bad ones because human nature is not that simple.
10. The girl's face showed that she couldn't understand anything though she listened to the speech with great attention.
11. I was aware of his making progress in music but listening to his pieces you couldn't say he was as good as Mozart.
12. When Alex was told that she was stingy it made him feel upset and angry because he had never dreamed of having a stingy wife.
13. Nothing could move him more than a nice, quiet folk song performed by a peasant woman.
14. Ann's daughter is often absorbed in thinking deeply about something and whatever you say to her goes in one ear and out the other.
Exercise 7
Translate into English.
1. Наши друзья были владельцами виллы. Мистеру Редгрейву было около семидесяти, его жене — примерно сорок.
2. Младший из семьи Редгрейвов стал прекрасным другом для нашего малыша.
3. Малыш Дэнни был развит не по годам, уверен в себе и обладал большим чувством ответственности.
4. Я никогда не видел ребёнка более терпеливого и снисходительного к другим.
5. Дэнни не был тираном и не пользовался своим умственным и физическим превосходством.
6. Наш малыш считал своего друга образцом для подражания и всячески стремился доходить на него. .
7. Дэнни часто погружался в глубокие раздумья.
8. Он любил стоять, заложив руки за спину, нахмурившись и уставясь в землю.
9. Широко расставленные глаза Дэнни излучали тихий ясный свет.
10. Общее выражение лица мальчика было очень жизнерадостное, но уголки рта были как-то грустно опущены.
11. Когда мальчик слушал музыку и интересные истории, он сидел широко раскрыв глаза и слегка наклонив голову набок.
12. Больше всего его волновали истории с трагическим концом.
13. В математике Дэнни делал потрясающие успехи.
14. Поглощённый своими объяснениями, Дэнни не замечал, что лица его приятелей выражали полное непонимание.
Exercise 8
Expand on the following.
1. The owners of the villa were a curious people.
2. Though fully two and a half years older than little Robin, Guido took no undue advantage of his superior intelligence and strength.
3. Robin adored Guido.
4. Guido was a thoughtful child.
5. Guido was immensely interested in listening to music.
6. Guido made excellent progress in playing the piano.
7. The boy was hardly a Mozart.
8. The theorem of Pythagoras seemed to explain Guide's musical predilections.
9. I thought of the vast differences between human beings.
Exercise 9
Speak about the author's experience in Italy:
1. in the third person;
2. in the person of one of the proprietors;
3. in the регеод of Guido;
4. in the person of little Robin.
Exercise 10
Discussion points.
1. Did Guide's appearance correlate with his character? Why?
2. What could make Guido so patient and tolerant?
3. What do you think of little Robin? Compare the boys.
4. What sort of people were Robin's parents, in your opinion?
5. Fancy your own child imitating somebody slavishly. What would you tell him or her?
6. Have you ever met children like Guido? Tell the class about them.
7. Do you believe that genius always shows in early childhood? Prove your point.
8. The vast differences between human beings — what are they?
Exercise 11
Comment on the following words of the author.
'...it was a little Archimedes with, like most of his kind, an incidental musical twist.'
'We classify men by the colour of their eyes and hair, the shape of their sculls. Would it not be more sensible to divide them up into intellectual species?'
Exercise 12
Describe several people using the patterns from the passage you have read. Introduce your description with a sentence similar to the pattern:
► Pattern:a) They were a curious people, our proprietors.
b) An old husband, grey, listless, tottering, seventy at least.
c) A signora ofabout jourty, short, very plump, with tiny hands andfeet and a pair ofvery large,
very dark eyes.
A model paragraph:
She is a nice person, my friend. A young giri, of about twenty, blond, slender, with an upturned nose, etc.
Exercise 13
Speak about people's age.
I. Give your own examples according to the models below. Speak about your relatives or friends.
►Pattern: He was between six and seven (years old).
Between little Guido and the youngest of his brothers and sisters there was a gap of six or seven years.
He was fully two and a halfyears older (younger) than little Robin.
II. Work in pairs. Look at the list below and using the given information about the Roycrofts ask your partner the following questions:
1. When was he/she born?
►Use:
to be bornin the forties
in the mid(dle) forties
some time during the forties
2. Approximately how old is he/she now?
►Use:
to be in one's early/late teens
in one's mid(dle) thirties
in one's early/late forties
under forty
over forty
The Roycroft family:
Alice - 1930/1933 Monica - 1981/1982 Nick - 1965/1967 Fred - 1950/1952 Anthony - 1988/1989 Mark - 1922/1925 Liza - 1955/1956 Lucy - 1947/1949 Вill - 1975/1976
►Pattern: — When was Alice Roycroft born?
— She was born in the thirties.
— Approximately how old is she now?
— She must be in her late sixties.
Exercise 14
I. Judging by the description below say if a person looks his or her age.
►Pattern:He looks his age.
He looks old for his age.
He does not look old for his age.
He looks young (too young for his age).
1. Brenda's father is only forty but he is bald and rather stout.
2. Though retired John travels a lot and goes in for lawn tennis. He is grey-haired but looking at him and being aware of his life-style you'll never say he is in his late sixties.
3. Jack's wife was fat and stooping. She walked tottering and used a stick. You couldn't believe that she was just in her early fifties.
4. Nora is tall and slender and very attractive. Her good looks appealed to me as soon as I saw her. Is she really in her mid fifties?
5. My brother has grown thinner and his illness took some colour off his cheeks, his hair is touched with grey at the temples and it makes him look older.
6. I bumped into my old friend yesterday when walking in the park. These seven years have brought favourable changes in him. Though he is over fifty he looks as if he were forty five.
II. Write a couple of similar paragraphs and let your partner decide if a person looks his or her age.
Exercise 15
Pick out the necessary words and word-combinations which you would choose to describe people in the pictures below.
1) good-looking/plain/attractive/handsome/ugly/beautiful;
2) to be of medium height/tall/short;
3) slim/slender/stout/plump/fat/stooping/narrow-shouldered /broad-shouldered/long-armed/long-legged;
3) round/oval/pale/red/sallow/pretty/fireckled face;
4) close-set/deep-set/slanting eyes;
5) upturned/fleshy/hooked/aquiline/straight nose;
6) finely-curved/thin/full/plump lips;
7) pointed/round/double/square chin;
8) grey/thin/wavy/curly/straight/short/long hair:
9) wear one's hair combed back/in plaits/done in a knot/ parted in the middle/on the right/left side.
Exercise 16
Look at the students of your group and say:
1) who has the following type of hair
a) straight, long, short, curly, wavy;
b) fair, daric, blonde, black, brown, grey.
2) whose constitution can be characterised as:
a) short, tall, of medium height;
b) slim, plump, very thin.
3) whose complexion is: pate, daric, pink.
4) who has: plump cheeks, hallow cheeks, cheeks with dimples.
Exercise 17