Практика устной речи по английскому языку - Малышева О.Л., Валько О.В., Щёголева Т.П

TAPESCRIPTS

UNIT 1. Exercise 1

Personal Questions

-Where were you born?

-I’d rather not say.

-Where are you from?

-I’d rather not say.

-How tall are you? How old are you? How much do you weigh?

-I’d rather not say.

-How much rent do you pay?

-I’d rather not say.

-How much do you make?

-I’d rather not say.

-Why aren’t you married?

-I’d rather not say.

-Why don’t you have children?

-I’d rather not say.

-Where were you last night? Why weren’t you home? Did you stay out late? Did you come home alone? Did you have a good time? Did you see a good play? Did you go to a concert?

-I’d rather not say.

UNIT 3. Exercise 5

1.Your friend thinks that a piece of modern sculpture is beautiful. You think it is very ugly. You can’t agree about it.

-There’s no arguing about tastes. OR: One man’s meat is another man’s poison.

2.You take a job as a hotel receptionist and you meet some very strange people. At first you are rather surprised and shocked, but then you learn to accept it.

-It takes all sorts to make a world.

3.You are very angry because a friend has made a joke about you. Your friend thinks you are over-reacting.

-You’re making a mountain out of a molehill.

4.Your friend accidentally breaks an expensive present and is very upset about it. You tell your friend not to be unhappy about something that cannot be changed.

-It’s no use crying over spilt milk.

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5.You always go on holiday with your friend to the same place every year. Your friend is bored with this place and says it would be more interesting to visit many different places.

-Variety is the spice of life

6.You see your friend in the park having a romantic conversation with someone. You decide it would be better not to start talking to your friend in these circumstances.

-Two’s company, three’s a crowd.

7.You make a mistake at work. All your colleagues tell you what you should have done. You think it is easy for them to say this after the result is known.

-It’s easy to be wise after the event.

8.Your boyfriend or girlfriend is going abroad for several months. You are afraid that he or she will forget you while he or she is away.

-Out of sight, out of mind.

9.You are having difficulties finding a job. You believe that if you are determined, you will eventually find one.

-Where there’s a will, there’s a way. OR: If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again.

10.Your boss is very strict and will be away at a conference for two weeks. You think this may be a good opportunity to have some fun at work.

-While the cat’s away, the mice will play.

UNIT 5. Exercise 1

Five Students

Chris: Barbara, before you go, could you tell me about these students that are coming into my class?

Barbara: Oh, yes. Now, let me think, well there’s … er … Paul. He’s … er … he’s the tall slim … slim lad with fair hair. Very … very friendly face, lovely smile. He’s … er … particularly good with group activities, he’s a very helpful person to have in the class and very helpful with the other students. He … er … speaks fluently, but does make a lot of mistakes! Doesn’t seem to mind making mistakes, mind you. He asks a lot of questions … er … tends to speak first and think later, he’s a bit impetuous. But he’s got lots of interesting ideas.

Chris: Good.

Barbara: Er … Susan … Susan. Now, she’s very lively, quick, very bright. Now she talks all the time but not always in English.

Chris: What, is she difficult or anything?

Barbara: N… No … She’s quite young but she does behave in quite a grown-up way really for her age. She … ah …. It can be a bit difficult to

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actually shut her up sometimes and make her listen to you but she’s … er

…

Chris: Ah, right.

Barbara: She’s … er … very nice. And she’s … um … what does she look like? Just as … yes, she’s dark hair, dark eyes.

Chris: Right, well … er … is there … any other girls in the … Barbara: Yes, there’s Maria, that’s Susan’s sister.

Chris: Yes.

Barbara: Actually, it’s quite difficult to tell them apart although … er … Maria is slightly older. She’s a bit … a bit plumper and has longer hair … than Susan. Er … she’s not quite as bright as her sister and I think that makes her feel a bit inferior really. Well, you know, she sulks a bit when she gets things wrong or if she misunderstands you. But on the whole, very sensible girl.

Chris: OK.

Barbara: Then there’s, oh, Helen. Er … Chris: Er … Helen, Helen, Helen, Helen …

Barbara: Yes, she’s very very pretty with a … with a nice smile and she’s … but she …she’s quite shy and quiet, so you have to sort of encourage her a bit. And she’s very bright. Er … does tend to seem … well, she seems a bit wrapped up in her own little world but the … er … written work she does shows that she’s learning a lot. Oh, she laughs at my jokes, too.

Chris: Oh, hope, she laughs at mine!

Barbara: Yes. And then there’s Peter, who’s older than the others. He’s sort of … um … a bit more distinguished, he’s got sort of moustache and spectacles and wavy dark brown hair. And he usually wears a jacket and sometimes a suit. Very smart and very … takes notes all the time and very serious and determined to learn as much as possible. He also …

Chris: Oh, soon put a stop to that!

Barbara: Ah, but he asks quite difficult questions. He doesn’t … doesn’t mean to be nasty but if you’re not careful, he can catch you out. Chris: Well, thanks, Barbara. It’s all up to me now, isn’t it? Have a good holiday, won’t you?

Barbara: Thanks. Chris: Bye.

UNIT 7. Exercise 1

The Human Brain

… You see the human brain weighs about 1-1,5 one and a half kilos. It contains ten to fifteen thousand million nerve cells. Now, each nerve

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cell can connect with any number or combination of other neurons – that’s what you call a nerve cell, a neuron – the total number of possible connections, of course, is enormous. Now, if you want to type that number so you’d have to start by typing a one, then follow that with ten million kilometers of zeros.

Every human brain has an unlimited potential – only a small fraction of neurons are used for … er … everyday routine tasks like eating, moving, routine work, etc. The rest are constantly available for thought.

Now, our brains consist of various parts, some of which control routine functions. But the important parts that make us into those marvelous thinking machines, we like to think we are, are the two hemispheres or the two sides of the brain: the left and the right. Now, the left hemisphere controls the right half of the body, that’s right, the left controls the right, and the right controls the left half. Normally, the left half of the brain is dominant.

Now, the left side, which is known as the rational side, controls the … these functions: language, numbers, linearity, analysis, logic, lists and sequencing.

The right side, which is known as the irrational side, sometimes people call it the artistic side of your brain, controls those things … er … which are … well, less specific perhaps: rhythm … er … er … colour, imagination, daydreaming, space: spatial dimension, three-dimensional thought … erm … seeing collections of things as one, as a whole. One interesting thing is that left-handed people often have a dominant right hemisphere, and in this case the priorities of the things I’ve just mentioned are all reversed.

The corpus callosum is very important. That’s corpus CORPUS, callosum CALLOSUM -you should make a note of that, it’s very important – that’s the link between the two hemispheres in the brain and it’s the key to successful thinking, linking the two parts of the brain, so you don’t use them independently.

By the way, you … you could try this experiment – you’ll see the two halves being used. Ask someone two questions; one to do with numbers … you could say ‘What’s 12 multiplied by 137?’ and the other one to do with space. For example, you could say, ‘What piece of furniture is directly above this chair in the room upstairs?’ OK? Now, while they’re trying to answer the first question, that was the … the numbers one, they’ll probably look to the right to prevent being distracted by visual information, and while they’re trying to answer the second, that’s the spatial one about what’s upstairs above the chair, they’ll probably look to the left. But of course, some people just close their eyes and that ruins the whole test!

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According to experts, as we get older our memories do not get worse. Er … that’s just an old wives’ tale. In fact, we forget things at all ages. Now, if you expect your memory to be bad or to get worse, it probably will. Lack of stimulation, brain exercise and lack of interest can mean that you forget things more easily. Lack of concentration simply. Ah, lack of fresh air can also lead to your brain being less efficient because it get starved of oxygen, and an unhealthy lifestyle – take note – can also damage your brain: er … alcohol, smoke, um … pollutants in the air like lead, er … chemicals in food, they can all add to a generally deteriorating condition of the brain.

You’ve probably heard a lot of people say, ‘I’m not brainy’ or ‘That’s too difficult for my brain’ – but this is not true because everyone’s brain has an equal potential.

There are a few rules – Golden Rules of brainpower. One: use your senses. Don’t only think in an abstract, logical way. Try to imagine a problem visually. Second rule: use both halves of your brain. For example, if you’re faced with … er … an abstract, logical problem, try thinking about it imaginative … er … try thinking about it imaginatively. Or if you’re faced with a creative problem, try to analyze it. Think logically about it. And don’t ever say you can’t solve a problem because your brain is just as good as anyone else’s.

UNIT 8. Exercise 2

The Emperor’s New Clothes

Many years ago there was an Emperor who spent all his time and money on dressing up in expensive clothes. He loved riding round in his wonderful garments so that everybody could see him. He didn’t care about his country very much because he was more interested in what was in or out of fashion. His palace was full of wardrobes containing clothes he had worn only once.

One day two dishonest men appeared at the palace and said they could make beautiful clothes, which had magical properties. Only clever people would be able to see them – they would be invisible to anyone who was stupid or not good at their job. The Emperor thought this was an excellent opportunity to find out who was wise and who was foolish in his kingdom, and whether or not people are suitable for their jobs. He gave the two men a large sum of money and told them to start work immediately.

The two men were given gold and silver thread (which they put in their pockets and kept for themselves) and they started making the clothes. They pretended to work hard all day and night, though of course there was nothing on their weaving machines – they were empty! Soon

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everyone in the city knew about their work and the magical properties of the clothes they were making, and they all wanted to find out if their neighbours were stupid or not.

After several weeks the Emperor wanted to know how they were getting on. How much progress had they made? When would the clothes be ready? He decided to send an old and honest minister, who was certainly clever and good at his job, to visit the two men.

The minister entered the room where the two men were working. They looked very busy – they were cutting and sewing with great energy

– but to his horror, he couldn’t see what they were working on! It was as if they were cutting the air with large scissors and sewing it together!

’Ah, we’re so pleased you’ve come’, said one of the men. ‘The work is going well, as you can see, and it should be finished by the end of the week.’ And the man showed him the different colours and patterns of the material as if they were in front of his eyes. The minister blinked and could still see nothing. ‘Goodness!’ He thought to himself, ‘I must be stupid! I can’t see a thing! I must be careful not to let anyone find out or they will think I’m stupid and I will lose my job.’

’Oh, marvelous!’ he said. ‘What beautiful colours! What wonderful patterns! I’ve never seen anything like it!’ he returned to the Emperor and told him the clothes were the most beautiful he’d ever seen. The Emperor sent a second minister and the same thing happened. So he made up his mind to go and see the clothes for himself, taking all his ministers with him.

On entering the room, the Emperor found the two men looking very proud of themselves. ‘We’ve finished,’ they said. ‘Here you are. What do you think of them? Aren’t they the most beautiful clothes you’ve ever seen?’ The Emperor saw nothing. The men acted as if they were holding clothes, and all the ministers smiled and nodded and commented on the patterns and designs – but he saw nothing. ‘I must be stupid!’ thought the Emperor. ‘Everyone else can see them – but I can’t. Nobody must find out!’

’Yes, these are beautiful clothes indeed!’ said the Emperor. ‘What wonderful colours and designs!’

’Would you like to try them on?’ Said one of the men. ‘We need to see if they fit. We must check they are not too big or too small.’

So the Emperor took off his clothes and put on the invisible clothes. He had no difficulty in getting into them. He stood in front of the mirror and said ‘Yes, they fit perfectly.’ And all the ministers around him agreed.

‘Look, your majesty,’ said one of the men. ‘You have forgotten to do up one of the buttons.’

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‘Oh, yes’ said the Emperor with an embarrassed laugh. ‘I didn’t see it.’ And he pretended to do up the button. ‘These clothes will last forever,’ said one of the men. ‘They’ll never wear out.’

Then one of the ministers suggested there should be a procession through the city so that everyone could see the Emperor’s new clothes and admire them. There was no way out for the Emperor because he knew he could not refuse. He would have to go through with it.

The next day the procession took place and everyone shouted and cheered. ‘What wonderful clothes!’ they all said to one another. ‘How well the colours go with the Emperor’s crown!’ But one small boy said ‘Look! The Emperor has nothing on! – He isn’t wearing any clothes!’ The people around the boy heard this and started whispering, and soon everybody was saying ‘He’s got nothing on!’ The Emperor heard them, but he thought ‘I must not stop. I must carry on or it will ruin the procession.’ So he continued walking along even more proudly than before, with his ministers helping to carry his invisible clothes.

(Adapted from Hans Andersen’s fairy tale)

UNIT 8. Exercise 4

Listen to the sentences. Decide what you would say in the following situations. 1. It’s very cold outside and your friend is about to leave without a

coat. What do you say? - You’d better put a coat on.

2. You have been invited to an important dinner party. You are not sure if you need to wear very smart clothes or not. What do you say?

- Do I need to dress up for the occasion?

3. A man comes to your house to repair the TV. His shoes are very dirty. You want him to remove them before he comes in. What do you say?

- Could you take your shoes off, please?

4. You are in a clothes shop and you see a nice pair of trousers. You are not sure if they are the right size or if they’ll suit you. What do you say to the shop assistant?

- Can I try these trousers on, please?

5. You can’t fasten the button on your shirt. You ask for help. What do you say?

- Can you do this button up for me please?

6. You look at your shoes and you see there are holes in them. What do you say?

- My shoes are worn out / My shoes are wearing out.

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7.You have been asked to make a speech in front of a large audience. At the last moment you feel very nervous and decide you can’t do it. What do you say?

- I can’t go through with it.

8. You’re trying to put on some shoes but they are too small for you. What do you say?

- I can’t get into these shoes.

9.You are asked if you want to continue studying at college or leave and find a job. You want to continue your studies. What do you

say?

- I want to carry on with my studies.

10. You saw a thief in a green jumper and blue jeans. The police ask you what he was wearing. What do you say?

- He had on a green jumper and blue jeans.

UNIT 8. Exercise 7

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W1 – woman 1, W2 – woman 2

W1: Well, what do you think of this one?

W2: Mm. It doesn’t really go with the colour of your jumper. Why don’t you try on the red skirt?

W1: OK… Goodness, I can’t get into it. And if I do, I won’t be able to do the buttons up. It’s no good. I’ll have to go on a diet.

W2: What about this one? I think this is fantastic! You’ll look out of this world in it.

W1: Do you think so? 2

A – shop assistant, M – man

A: Hello, can I help you?

M: Yes, please. I’d like to try on these trousers.

A: Of course, sir. The changing rooms are just over there. 3

H – husband, W – wife

W: Aren’t you going to get changed? H: No, I’m going like this.

W: You can’t go looking like that.

H: Well I’m not going to dress up just to have dinner with my parents. W: That’s not the point. That shirt’s filthy, and it’s worn out. Look, it’s got holes in it. Take it off and put on that one I gave you for Christmas.

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UNIT 11. Exercise 4

Listen to the sentences. Then say the sentences again, using the multiword verb prompts. The first one has been done for you.

1.I was completely deceived by his charming manner (take in) I was completely taken in by his charming manner.

2.I never base my judgements on first impressions (go by) I never go by first impressions.

3.She could see what kind of man he was immediately (see through) She saw through him immediately.

4.She pretended to be an American tourist (pass off) She passed herself off as an American tourist.

5.She gave the impression of being a very kind person (come across as) She came across as (being) a very kind person.

6.He persuaded me to lend him some money (talk into) He talked me into lending him some money.

7.You won’t escape being punished for this! (get away with) You won’t get away with this!

8.The police told him to give them the gun (hand over) The police told him to hand over the gun.

UNIT 16. Exercise 2

Why Is It So Hard to Be Honest?

Today you are going to hear an interview conducted by Mr Granger, a journalist working for British University Student Magazine. He is talking to two female students from this university.

-It’s probably true to say that women have been affected more than men with recent changes by the way people behave. Yet, it is a common belief these days that girlfriends are not straight with their boyfriends. Young men often complain that their girlfriends never get to the point. They say that you rather hedge round the subject or if you get to the point you don’t make it obvious how deeply you feel.

-Yes, I know what you mean. They may have a point there. Most of us find it impossible to be direct about our deepest feelings and fears.

-They say, you drop hints; some hope they are mind readers. The continual hinting, nagging and sulking will never get to the root of the problem.

-But on the other hand, why are we supposed to be to be open and straight! Can’t they be more straight with us?

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-That’s simple. It’s because you complain more often about their clothes, manners, behaviour or haircuts, for instance.

-I don’t quite get you.

-Oh, come on, Kathy! For instance, you are asking questions like ‘Why can’t you buy some smart clothes?’ or ‘Aren’t you ever going to get a decent haircut?’

-Those are quite straightforward suggestions!

-But it is nagging and sulking, isn’t it?

-I see what you mean …

-Moreover, these questions may mean you and he have very different outlook on life, and because that’s pretty serious I assure you hide it from him and from yourself.

-So you are trying to say that we find it hard to be direct because we are scared of possible consequences? In other words, you think that despite great social advances girls prefer playing a submissive role putting up with behaviour or attitudes, they don’t feel entirely happy with.

-Oh, rubbish!

-I’m not so sure it is rubbish. If you were asked to write a set of hints for teenage girls who don’t know how to deal with their boyfriends, what would you write?

-That’s a tough question, but let me try. First, don’t say that he doesn’t understand you, and it’s all his fault. Tell him what is bothering you. Second, don’t deliberately make him jealous, it won’t get you anywhere.

-Anything else?

-Coming back to nagging, don’t make constant digs at him. There’s nothing more irritating than a nag. So, say exactly what’s on your mind and get it over with.

-I see… It won’t be easy, though.

-Just try. Nobody likes nagging people. Be direct, but try not to sound as if you are accusing him.

-Life is complicated, isn’t it?

-Certainly is.

UNIT 17. Exercise 2

Examination Stress

Today you are going to listen to Margaret Felton, a psychologist who has been working with people suffering from stress.

-Dr Felton, we know that there are different kinds of stress, but as our listeners are young people who will sooner or later face

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