жать плечами;быть как на иголках;очень рекомендовать; закончить рассказ.
Exercise 4
Find in the text sentences with the following expressions and read them aloud. Translate them into Russian and let your classmates translate them back into English without a textbook.
to tower over somebody,
with death in one's heart,
to find an occupation,
to lose one's temper,
to relax into a smile,
to be ready to start in a month,
to control one's mirth,
to make up one's mind,
to withdraw one's offer,
to set eyes on somebody,
to be by no means a beauty,
to come as a surprise,
to be on tenterhooks,
no harm to be done,
to get to do with something,
to be less likely.
Exercise 5
Complete the sentences the way the author puts it in the text.
1. Passion is all very well, but...
2. I had gone on board early in the morning and soon discov ered that...
3. The Governor's wife was a large woman, tall and ...
4. I saw that the little French Governor had been holding ...
5. 'You see, ours was a marriage ...'
6. In that case I am afraid I must withdraw ...
7. It is too long a story to tell you, but ...
8. I walked to the offices of Figaro ...
9. You will never believe it but ...
10. I was glad to have someone to whom I could ...
11. Her morals are without reproach, she is of...
12. One can never tell with women. There is something about marriage ...
13. If you do not like the look of her...
14. I was so taken aback that...
15. I came to ask you
16. I will not deny ...
17. The fact is that in a marriage
Exercise 6
Express the same idea using different wording and grammar.
1. Ours was a marriage of convenience pure and simple.
2. But sometimes love comes after marriage and not before, and then it is better. It lasts longer.
3. I was strong and active and I was very anxious to find an occupation.
4. I told him that would be easy for an old bachelor.
5. I expostulated. I argued. Nothing would serve.
6. I had four thousand and three hundred and seventy-two re plies. It was an avalanche.
7. I gave it up as a bad job.
8. What is making you look so glum?
9. What inducement would there be for her to give up her ac customed life to accompany in exile a man of forty-nine who is by no means a beauty?
10. There would be no harm in asking her.
11. If you do not like the look of her you take your leave and no harm is done.
12. Within an hour I received her reply to the effect that she would be pleased to receive me at four o'clock in the afternoon.
13. I was so taken aback that I nearly dropped the box of chocolates.
14. You are of full age. The matter is pressing. I cannot wait.
15. For two people to be happy in marriage they must be able to respect one another, and their interests must be alike; then if they are decent people and willing to give and take, to live and let live, there is no reason why their union should not be as happy as ours.
Exercise 7
Translate the following verbal phrases into Russian. Mind the difference in the use of prepositions in the two languages if any.
1. To consult somebody, to address somebody, to pass the age, to shrug one's shoulders, to encounter somebody, to many somebody, to nurse somebody.
2. To sum up, to be taken aback, to give up, to hand in, to sit down, to come up.
Exercise 8
Put in the missing prepositions or postpositions if necessary.
1. I felt deep sorrow and wanted to confide my troubles ... somebody.
2. The children were so much taken ... that they could not speak for a while; then they decided to think it... .
3. You don't need to consult ... anybody, you have already passed ... the age when people depend on others.
4. The best way to drive care ... is to sit... a cafe.
5. One never knows how to address ... young ladies — Miss or Mrs.
6. A lot of people have never set eyes ... skyscrapers.
7. The lady at the table shrugged ... her shoulders and sent... the waiter.
8. Not everyone has enough tolerance to nurse ... elderly people but those who have, never give it... .
9. I encountered ... my old friend in the street, we went to a cafe and talked ... so many things.
10. The most difficult thing for a young author is to hand ... his manuscript to the editor.
11. Younger people are easily influenced ... all sorts of things they see or hear.
12. When the lady was pleased her lips relaxed ... a smile.
13. Quite often the students are asked to sum ... the story.
14. The tenor sang and his assistant accompanied him ... the guitar.
Exercise 9
Translate the sentences into English using the vocabulary of the text.
1. Кто сможет в сорок лет отказаться от привычной жизни и уехать куда-нибудь далеко, чтобы начать всё сначала?
2. Я думаю, не будет никакого вреда, если мы подробно обо всём поговорим.
3. Я прошу ответить сию секунду.
4. Хотя мне хотелось чем-нибудь заняться и мне предложили хорошую работу, я всё же не был готов начать через день.
5. Говорят, Наполеон был намного ниже среднего роста.
6. Решение пришло неожиданно. Я ушел и отправился побродить, чтобы развеяться.
7. Союз двух людей не сбудет счастливым, если они не уважают друг друга.
8. В этой семье каждый год празднуют годовщину свадьбы.
9. Смотреть на супругов, проживших вместе пятьдесят лет — это трогательное зрелище.
10. В этом доме всегда с радостью принимают гостей.
11. Я очень рекомендую Вам отправиться в путешествие на корабле.
12. Спустя какое-то время ко мне подошёл старый приятель.
13. Подавая брачные объявления в газету, люди чаще всего ищут партнёров подходящего возраста.
14. Кто их разберёт, женщин? Они всё делают по-своему.
15. Изо всех сил стараясь сдержать смех, дама в ответ просто пожала плечами.
Exercise 10
Dramatize the dialogues between:
1. the narrator and the French Governor;
2. the minister and the prospective Governor;
3. the prospective Governor and his friend;
4. the prospective Governor and his future wife.
Exercise 11
Retell the Governor's story:
1. in the third person;
2. in the person of the Governor;
3. in the person of the Governor's wife;
4. in the person of the Governor's friend.
Exercise 12
Discussion points.
1. What do you think of the main characters — the Governor and his wife?
2. The characters' appearances are so different. Is it a plus or a minus?
3. Does their story sound true to life, in your opinion? Prove your point.
4. Was it really a marriage of convenience? Could it be a case of love at first sight?
5. Are you for or against marriages of convenience?
6. Do you think acquaintance services and marriage advertisements can be of help?
Exercise 13
Express your opinion about the following words of the characters in the text.
'But sometimes love comes after marriage and not before, and then it is better. It lasts longer.'
'One can never tell with women. There is something about marriage that wonderfully attracts them.'
'For two people to be happy in marriage they must be able to respect one another, and their interests must be alike ...'
Exercise 14
1. The Governor's wife had been a spinster and he had been a bachelor before they married. What other terms do you know to denote the marital status of a person? Consult the Topical Vocabulary.
an unmarried person —
a person, having a spouse —
a person, who divorced his or her spouse —
2. The characters' marriage is called "a marriage of convenience". What other types of marriages do you know?
marriage, when people love each other —
marriage of people who are distantly related —
marriage of people with different social status —
3. The Governor and his wife celebrated the anniversary of their wedding. Do you know what we call the most often celebrated anniversaries?
25 years of family life —
50 years of family life —
75 years of family life —
Exercise 15
Imagine the following situation. Your parents have chosen a mate for you. They insist that you should marry the person they have found. How would you react? What do you think of arranged marriages in India and other oriental countries? Can an arranged marriage work?
Use the following expressions:
It is all very well, but...
One can never tell with ...
What have/has they/it got to do with ...
There would be no harm in ...
I don't see how ...
Imagine my surprise to ...
Even had I wished it ...
No wife, no ...
Exercise 16
Read the following short passage and compare the wedding traditions in Russia and Great Britain. Say what is different and what they have in common. Speak about interesting wedding ceremonies in other countries.
Wedding Superstitions
In England the wedding preparations, ceremony and feast have all become loaded with ritual practices to ward off evil and bless the marriage with fortune and fertility.
The choice of date is important. May is traditionally unlucky for weddings. The tradition that the bride's parents should pay for the wedding dates from two or three centuries ago, when wealthy families would pay an eligible bachelor to take an unmarried daughter off their hands in exchange for a large dowry. At most formal weddings, brides still get married in vilginal white — many other colours are considered unlucky.
A bride will also ensure that her wedding outfit includes "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue". "Old" maintains her link with the past; "new" symbolizes the future; "borrowed" gives her a link with the present; and "blue" symbolizes her purity.
Even a modem bride will observe the taboos about wearing her dress before the ceremony. The groom mustn't see her in it until she enters the church. The veil should be put on for the first time as she leaves for the church.
It's a lucky omen if the bride should see a chimney sweep on her way to church. Sometimes a sweep is paid to attend the ceremony and kiss the bride - a relic of the idea that soot and ashes are symbols of fertility.
After the ceremony, the couple are showered with confetti. One old custom was for the bride and sometimes the groom to negotiate some obstacle as they left the church — guests would impede them with ropes of flowers, for example, or with sticks that had to be jumped over.
After that the bride is faced with the feast. The most important item is the wedding cake, whose richness symbolizes fertility, just as it has done since Roman times. Today, the first slice is cut by the bride to ensure a fruitful marriage.
(from "Reader's Digest")
Exercise 17
Agree or disagree with the following statements. Give your reasons.
1. The husband should be more intelligent than the wife.
2. Spouses should be alike.
3. Money often keeps people together.
4. Marriage should be compulsory for everybody.
5. The best wife is a housewife.
6. The marriage contract is incompatible with romantic love.
► Use:
For agreement:
I couldn't agree more ...
That's just what I was thinking...
You know, that's exactly what
I think...
I agree entirely...
That's a good point ...
For disagreement:
Yes, that's quite true, but...
I'm not sure I quite agree ...
Perhaps, but don't you think
that ...
Well, you have a point there,
but...
I see what you mean, but,..
For more categorical and informal disagreement:
I can't agree with you there.
You can't be serious!
Come off it!
Don't be so silly!
Exercise 18
Bring pictures of your close or distant relatives. Show them to the class. Tell the class about a memorable event in the life of your relatives.
Exercise 19
Make up a list of positive and negative sides of family life. Compare your lists with those of your classmates. Comment on the results.
| Positive | Negative |
Exercise 20
I. Translate the text.
Я ищу себе жену. Какой она должна быть?
Я не требую от неё интересной внешности. Пусть у неё будет только стройная фигура и красивое лицо.
Она должна быть весёлой, когда я шучу. И шутить, когда я прихожу домой навеселе.
Меня не интересует её жилплощадь. Главное — чтобы она была большая.
Не интересует меня и её зарплата. Лишь бы она была больше моей.
А вот расходы на свадьбу — поровну; половину внесёт она, а другую — её родители.
Я уверен: когда мы поженимся, у нас появятся общие интересы. Если, например, она не захочет идти со мной на футбол, то мы останемся дома и будем смотреть по телевизору хоккей.
Я буду заботиться о её здоровье. Чтобы к ней не попадало спиртное, табачное, мучное и сладкое, я буду всё это уничтожать сам.
Она будет у меня одеваться как богиня: просто и недорого.
Я возьму на себя часть её работы, если, конечно, она возьмёт на себя всю мою.
Мне не важно, как она будет готовить. Лишь бы это было вкусно. И необязательно, чтобы это была только русская кухня. Здесь у неё полная свобода: сегодня кухня грузинская, а завтра — венгерская утром и китайская вечером.
Я ищу себе жену.
Я готов отдать ей полжизни, если она отдаст мне свою целиком.
Если её не будут удовлетворять мои требования, пусть ищет себе нового мужа.
Вот уже много лет я ищу себе жену.
(из "Литературной Газеты")
II. Say what you think of this man looking for an ideal wife. Does he strike you as an ideal husband?
Exercise 21
Study the following marriage advertisements and write one of your own.
1. Red-haired green-eyed lovely lady 33, busy social life, lots of friends, is looking for a special man to love and marry with style, sense of fun and who is likely to enjoy the same.
2. Cheerful professional female, 30, seeks intelligent humorous, preferably tall male (similar age) for hopefully long-term relationship.
3. Tall, generously constructed attractive woman (36) graduate professional keen on history, music, smoking seeks tall, attractive, cultured man for friendship, perhaps more.
4. Non-boring accountant (39), divorced with two (b + g)*children in house — seeks lady in similar circumstances. Object: to live life to the full.
* b + g—boy+girl.
5. Workaholic professional seeks good woman 25—40 to cure him. 5.5'11",* unattached, non-smoker, likes travel, languages, music, theatre, sailing, flying. Photograph appreciated.