My bedtime is fixed at 7.30 and to be honest I'm just about ready for it by then. After doing my duty — by eating some tea — I play for a while or watch television. I'm not a TV addict but cartoons I do enjoy9 and my favourite programme is Tarzan. When this is on I strip off to my underpants and really get into the part. (I'm fantastically brave.) I then have a trip down a shark-infested river10 at bathtime or practise swimming in the bath, but my room is rather restricted and Mum doesn't appreciate how far I get the water up the wall.11 So, when the water has got fairly cold, I reluctantly agree to get out and put my pyjamas on. I don't like cleaning my teeth but I do.
Mum has to read a book at bedtime: it gives me a few minutes to have a last play and select my favourite toys before the light goes out. After all, even in my dreams I've had to fight some pretty fierce tigers.
Proper Names
Daniel ['d{nj@l] — Дэниел
Tarzan ['t¸z{n] — Тарзан
Vocabulary Notes
1. ... than it does for pudding — ... чем когда его подают как десерт.
2. ... we made Mum's the other day — на днях мы приготовили завтрак маме.
3. Oxos — «Оксоз» (Прим.: название бульонных кубиков)
4. I use my feet for brakes and propulsion. — Я торможу и отталкиваюсь ногами.
5. ... visit a friend down the lane whose brother has some super toys, which compensates for the fact that she's a girl. — ... хожу к подружке, которая живёт на нашей улице; у её брата есть потрясающие игрушки, и это смиряет меня с тем, что она — девочка.
6. Nanny — здесь: бабушка (Прим.: в других контекстах может означать «нянечка»).
7. She doesn't mind how much mess goes on the floor. — Ей всё равно, сколько мусора на полу.
8. ... she is extremely patient with my pruning efforts. — Она очень терпеливо относится к моим неловким попыткам подстричь деревья и кусты.
9. ... but cartoons I do enjoy ... — ... но вот мультики мне нравятся.
10. shark-infested — кишащий акулами.
11. Mum doesn't appreciate how far I get the water up the wall. — Мама не одобряет, что я забрызгиваю водой всю стену.
Comprehension Check
1. Why does the child wake up first?
2. What do the brothers do after a warm-up and a chat?
3. What does the child like to wear?
4. Why does the boy enjoy his trip to Daniel's school?
5. Is he fussy about his food?
6. Does the boy find his days boring?
7. How does he spend the afternoons?
8. Whom does he enjoy visiting most? Why?
9. When does the boy go to bed?
10. Is he a TV addict?
11. How does the boy entertain himself at bathtime?
12. What does he do before the light goes out? .
Phonetic Text Drills
○ Exercise 1
Transcribe and pronounce correctly the words from the text.
Obvious, to creep, stuffed, marrow, raw, recommendable, cereals, peppercorns, loose, cowboy, misshapen, super, propulsion, balance, to compensate, to vary, enthusiasm, gymnastics, banister, unpredictable, frustrating, treat, pruning, insect, addict, cartoon, underpants, appreciate, reluctantly, pyjamas, fierce.
○ Exercise 2
Pronounce the words or phrases where the following clusters occur.
1. plosive + plosive
managed to be, creep downstairs, good place, and cold rice, look too, good game, get dressed, to take Daniel, hard to sit, bedtime, but cartoons, trip down, and put.
2. plosive + w
at waking up, quick warm-up, that we added, just when, that we, it works, a rocket with bricks, patient with.
3. plosive + r
brother, creep, breakfast, tried, trouble, trousers, trip, brakes, propulsion, unpredictable, try, children, treat, extremely, programme, brave, practise, agree, pretty.
4. plosive + s
would stay, it seems, starts, what's, tastes, last say, its time, sit still, must seem, good source, fight some.
○ Exercise 3
Avoid false assimilation in the clusters:
1. z + s
he's six, has snapped, has some.
2. voiceless plosive + D
that this, at the moment, noticed that, think the shops.
3. s/z + D
miss the beginning, Mum's the other day, as the trip, suppose that.
○ Exercise 4
Practise the pronunciation of predicative structures.
It's 'time to 'take 'Daniel to \school. ||
The ,after'noons are 'unpre'dictable. ||
The 'best 'treat of \all, | though, | is 'visiting \Nanny. ||
My bedtime is 'fixed at 'seven \thirty | and | to be \honest | I'm 'just a'bout \ready for it by ,then. ||
I'm 'not a 'TV \addict | but car'toons I 'do en'joy | and my 'favourite 'programme is \Tarzan. ||
EXERCISES
Exercise 1
Reproduce the sentences in which the following words and expressions are used.
to wake up to vary from day to day
to leave around to use the day to the full
to get somebody into trouble to do everything with enthusiasm
to have the last say into be a good source of
something entertainment
to be relaxed the best treat
to put somebody in the to be a TV addict
right mood
boring to strip off
to be fussy about something bedtime
Exercise 2
Agree or disagree with the following statements. Give your reasons.
1. The child is the last to wake up.
2. In the kitchen the boy tries a lot of things from cold mar row to raw sausages.
3. The child's mother has the last say in what he's going to wear.
4. The boy likes to wear smart suits.
5. He finds his trip to Daniel's school boring.
6. The boy is fussy about his food.
7. The child's routine is boring and predictable.
8. He likes spending his time in the shops.
9. The child enjoys visiting Nanny.
10. He is a TV addict.
11. The child enjoys swimming in the bath.
Exercise 3
I. Give the three forms of the irregular verbs from the text:
Creep, put, get, ride, go, give, find, read, think, slide, make, fight.
II. Give the past form of the regular verbs:
Manage, stay, start, add, enjoy, snap, use, annoy, visit, compensate, vary, suppose, construct, practise, seem, touch, mind, collect, search, fix, watch, strip, appreciate, agree, select.
Exercise 4
Fill the gaps in these sentences with the suitable words below.
I. frustrating unpredictable
loose smart
boring relaxed
fussy
1. She likes to feel comfortable and relaxed in clothes, that's why she always wears ... sweaters and jackets and not ... suits.
2. Jane is fed up with this ... town — all they have is a bar, a cinema and a Chinese restaurant.
3. There must be nothing more ... than having a job you don't like.
4. You can't feel ... and enjoy yourself if there are exams coming.
5. Since the time she was ill, she's been ... about what she eats.
6. She behaves like the weather in Great Britain; she's so ...
II. to creep to strip offto vary
to select to annoy to leave around
1. There was a large number of beautiful toys and dolls in the shop and it took the girl a lot of time ... one.
2. Someone ... into the house and stole jewellery.
3. She ran upstairs,... her wet jeans and sweater and pulled on a dressing gown.
4. I don't want to stay in the house with these two screaming kids. They ... me.
5. To make kids eat, you should ... the menu as much as possible.
6. Please, don't... your toys ... . I have to put them away before I can do the cleaning.
Exercise 5
Find in the text words and expressions similar in meaning to the italicized ones.
1. Somehow he got involved in a boring conversation about food prices.
2. I always start my day with morning exercises and a cold shower. And, of course, I very much like a cup of hot coffee.
3. Nurses should do all they can to make their patients feel at ease.
4. The child abandoned his favourite toy; a little squirrel in the grass had become better entertainment.
5. When I go to the countryside I like to observe insects.
6. I always go to bed at half past seven and nothing can change my habit.
7. I spent my holiday in Spain and enjoyed it fully.
8. I can't think of anything more tedious than washing and cooking for the family all day long.
9. I feel that you are doing that unwillingly.
10. My brother is always enthusiastic, no matter what he is doing — playing or working.
11. We moved quietly upstairs so as not to wake the baby.
12. Morning exercises may be hard work, but they can also be great fun.
13. A meal in a restaurant came as a real pleasure after all the food at the university.
14. You are just saying that to irritate me.
15. In the afternoons Mother takes my sister from school.
Exercise 6
Find in the text sentences containing:
I. synonyms and synonymous expressions for the following:
depressing untidiness
to pick somebody up to take off the clothes
physical exercises to be different
II. words or phrases with the opposite meaning:
to get out of bed to get undressed
not much boring
to stay out of trouble predictable
Exercise 7
Find in the text the English equivalents of the following words and expressions.
A.
Просыпаться; оставаться в постели; день начинается; разминка; приготовить завтрак; одеваться; пора (делать что-либо); добираться до школы; звучит свисток; съесть весь обед; ходить в парк; забирать из школы; ложиться спать ровно в 7.30; не отрываться от телевизора; раздеться до чего-либо; увлечься игрой; заниматься плаванием; надевать пижаму; чистить зубы; читать книгу на ночь; свет гаснет; во сне.
В.
Оставаться с вечера; убирать; причинить неприятности; разыграться; оставить за кем-либо последнее слово; потерять форму (о предмете одежды); создавать хорошее настроение; туда и обратно; хорошо получаться; быть привередливым; использовать в полной мере; скатываться вниз; попробовать как можно больше; забрызгать водой стену; неохотно согласиться.
Exercise 8
Express the same idea using different wording and grammar.
1. After a quick warm-up and a chat, we creep downstairs to see what's been left around from the night before.
2. I suppose the way I spend my day must seem fairly routine to some people, but I like to use it to the full.
3. Personally, I think the shops are best, especially the ones with toys in.
4. Friends' houses can be a good source of entertainment.
5. I'm not a TV addict but cartoons I do enjoy and my favourite programme is Tarzan.
6. The best treat of all is visiting Nanny.
7. She is extremely patient with my pruning efforts.
8. When Tarzan is on I strip off to my underpants and really get into the part.
9. I then have a trip down a shark-infested river at bathtime or practise swimming in the bath, but my room is rather restricted and mum doesn't appreciate how far I get the water up the wall.
10. Mum has to read a book at bedtime, it gives me a few minutes to have a last play and select my favourite toys before the light goes out.
Exercise 9
1. Draw a chart like the one below and arrange the child's activities into two columns.
| Enjoyable | Boring |
II. After you have finished the chart, compare it with the rest of the class. Discuss the child's activities using the following words:
Interesting, creative, exciting, good fun, dangerous, boring, good exercise, relaxing, crazy, wonderful, enjoyable, terrible.
Start your discussion with the following phrases:
I think/I don't think he enjoys/likes ...
It must be dangerous/interesting to swim/to play... etc.
That sounds/does not sound like much fan/crazy... etc.
I'd like to try ... myself.
He doesn't mind ...
If I had time, I'd like to ...
Exercise 10
Speak about your daily activities using the patterns given below.
1. I'm not a TV addict/ardent reader, etc. but cartoons/novels, etc. I do enjoy.
2. I don't like cleaning my teeth/watching newsreels, etc. but I do.
3. I find it hard to sit still long enough/to work in the library, etc.
4. It can be a bit frustrating not being allowed to touch anything/to go to a disco, etc.
Exercise 11
Speak about the child's daily routine:
1. in the third person;
2. in the person of his mother;
3. in the person of his brother Daniel.
Exercise 12
Discussion points.
1. What can you say about the boy's character? Support your opinion.
2. What do you think of his mother? What is her daily routine like?
3. What takes up most of the boy's day?
4. What activities mentioned by the boy seem to be most entertaining to you? Why?
Exercise 13
I. Discuss activities we do as part of our daily/weekly routine. In five minutes write down as many things as you can think of. You should write your routines in full sentences, using adverbs of frequency. Read out your list to the class and delete anything you have written down which someone else has as well. Thus make a list of your special routines, that no one else has.
► Pattern:I hove parties every week.
II. Express your own feelings about the special routines of your fellow students. Use the expressions of likes and dislikes.
► Pattern: — I have parties every week.
— Well, to be honest/No, I'm not too keen on arranging parties every week.
Exercise 14
Tell about your daily routine when a child. Compare it with your present daily routine. Think about the following points: studies, everyday activities, leisure activities, food/clothes, likes/dislikes. Use the following phrases:
When a child, I used to ..., but now I ...
I never used to ...
I spent most of my time ..., but now I ...
I was/am keenon ...
I was/am a ... addict.
I couldn't/can't live without ...
The best treat of all was/is ...
I found ... enjoyable, but now
I find ... boring/interesting.
I've decided to give up ...
But I'm not going to give up ...
Exercise 15
I. Read the following text and get ready to answer the questions.
John Naylor, 24, is a successful businessman. Let's follow him through a typical day.
The alarm clock goes off at 7:00 a. m. John jolts out of bed at the same time. The automatic coffee maker kicks on in the kitchen. He jumps in the shower, shaves, opens one of the half-dozen boxes of freshly laundered white shirts waiting on the shelf, finishes dressing, and pours a cup of coffee. He sits down to a piece of whole wheat toast while he nips through the Fleet Street Journal. It takes him about 15 minutes to wake up and get ready. His briefcase in one hand and gym bag in the other, he hops in the car, ready to start the day.
He clocks in at exactly 7:45 a. m. He takes a seat in front of the computer and prepares for hours of phone calls and meetings that occupy his mornings.
At noon John rashes to the health club where he strips off the grey suit and changes into his T-shirt, shorts and the latest in design running shoes for tennis. In an hour he is sitting in the club dining room where he has scheduled lunch with a potential client. They discuss business over sparkling water, pasta and a cup of coffee.