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

examinations, we would very much like you to tell them how to cope with examination stress.

-Examinations are the most stressful events facing any student. After years of study the pressure of examination threatens many students’ chances of success. Stress can lead to panic, blankingout in examinations and insomnia. Cases of insomnia are quite common and students should know that sleeping pills will not solve their problem. Stress can be spotted by signs of irritability, a lack of concentration, impatience and lethargy.

-Does blanking-out happen very often?

-Blanking-out in examinations usually affects only one or two students a year but it does happen and students who are likely to face this problem must be helped in advance.

-But how can one discover whether a student is likely to have a major problem in the examination?

-Specialists say that a trial run, I mean, a mock examination, is the most useful way of preparing for examinations and discovering whether they are likely to be major problems.

-Can you do anything for panic-stricken students?

-Those who are panic-stricken have to be taught how to handle the situation, they must be taught to control their breathing and to concentrate on the task in hand and not worry what is going on around them.

-And what about the period before the examinations, when the tension is mounting?

-All students are advised to include relaxation periods in their timetables. The most dangerous time is the revision period before examinations. It very often happens that over-conscientious students have the most serious problems. They sometimes negate their own efforts by working into the early hours and getting up too early.

-What do you advise for them?

-While revising, students are advised to make notes and refer to them regularly, but never to learn facts that they don’t understand. They should never work for more than two hours and break the time up into 20 minutes’ sessions with a ten minutes’ breaking between. Revision should begin six weeks before the examination, provided they have studied conscientiously over the year. When it comes to the examination, students often forget to read the question carefully to make sure they understand it.

-Yes, how can this be avoided?

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-Students are advised not to start writing straight away, but think the question over beforehand.

UNIT 18. Exercise 2

1. Aunt

My aunt is getting on for sixty, and she’s always been a very dynamic sort of person, but recently she’s started to behave in a rather strange way. A few months ago she took up karate and judo, and now she’s taken to riding a powerful motorbike everywhere she goes. Last week she turned up at my sister’s birthday party dressed in a leather jacket with ‘Hell’s Angels’ written on the back. ‘I’ve come to liven things up,’ she said, and immediately began dancing wildly to loud rock music. My sister found it rather embarrassing.

’I wish she’d act her age,’ she said. ‘She behaves as if she were sixteen rather than sixty.’ But it doesn’t bother me at all. It takes all sorts to make a world.

2. Art Teacher

I remember my art teacher because she was always going on about Van Gogh’s paintings. In fact, they were the only thing she ever talked about and in the end we got rather tired of hearing about them. And for some strange reason we were never allowed to use yellow in our pictures. If we did, she’d stamp her feet and shout: ‘That’s yellow! I won’t have yellow in my class!’

But the main reason I remember her is that she used to pick on my best friend at school. She always chose her to punish or humiliate in front of other pupils. On one occasion she said, ‘Look at this girl’s work. It’s the worst in the class!’ and then she suddenly started laughing. My poor friend put up with this for a whole year, and then one day she decided to stand up to her. ‘Stop picking on me!’ she said. ‘And if I want to use yellow in my pictures, I will!’ With that, my art teacher burst into tears and from that day we could use any colours we liked.

3. Cousin

The strangest person I know is my cousin. He was an only child, and was used to being the center of attention, so he tended to show off a lot in front of other people. I can’t say he changed very much when he grew up. On his eighteenth birthday he shaved off all his hair and started wearing a safety pin through his nose. I suppose he thought it would make him stand out in the crowd. He went to university but dropped out after only one week – he said he wanted to graduate from the university of life. The last thing I heard, he was trying to join a circus.

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UNIT 18. Exercise 3, B

1.She must be nearly 90 (get on for). – She must be getting on for 90.

2.His strange clothes made him very noticeable (stand out). – His strange clothes made him stand out.

3.Why is the boss always criticizing me? (pick on) – Why is the boss always picking on me?

4.She decided to confront her boss (stand up to). – She decided to stand up to her boss.

5.He tried to make the party more exciting and lively (liven up). – He tried to liven up the party.

6.She’s always trying to impress people (show off). – She’s always showing off.

7.He’s always talking about his life in the army (go on about). – He’s always going on about his life in the army.

8.He’s started coming home late at night (take to). – He’s taken to coming home late at night.

9.She withdrew from the course (drop out). – She dropped out of the course.

UNIT 20. Exercise 5, A

1.Erm, I’m not really, er, sure I can do this … Oh dear.

2.Good heavens! You! I don’t believe it!

3.Hello? This is Anne Whitcombe at 36, Riverside Drive. I saw a prowler in my garden and now I think he’s trying to break into my house. Please come quick!

4.I keep hoping things will get better, and they never really do. I just can’t see an end to it.

5.Oh, no! What a joke!

6.That’s wonderful news, Ann! That’s the best thing that could possibly happen!

7.Well, that’s not very good. Why didn’t you phone me back if you couldn’t get the seats I asked for?

8.… And not only did we win the team cup, but Megan won first prize for the under-16s, and Kevin and Pete won the men’s doubles.

UNIT 20. Exercise 5, C

1.Erm, yes, I think I do tend to, yes, not say anything and yes, they do, they build up and build up and then, suddenly – yes (laughs), you think ‘I’ve got to let this out,’ and it all comes out in one go, yes.

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2.I don’t think so, no. My, my mother’s a very old lady, and erm, I don’t think that erm, she’d easily be able to cope with it if I told her about a serious problem.

3.Yes, I do. I don’t let everybody around me know how I feel about everything, but I’m generally fairly open to, to the people who are around me about how I’m feeling.

4.Yes, I would let my children know. I think it’s important that they know if there’s something that’s troubling me, which would involve them.

5.Well, most of the time I’m usually easy-going, but sometimes I do let small things upset me.

UNIT 22. Exercise 2, B

Speakers talk about the following interests:

Liz Bullock: horse-riding, baby-sitting, reading books Vera: music, bird watching, art, theatre, opera Basil: shooting, dogs, gardening

H-A: music (especially opera), drawing, some time ago – stone polishing, travel, reading, collecting children’s books, cooking

Jeanette: gardening, watching cricket, travel

Lindsay: houses, countryside, horticulture, jazz, Handel, interior design, reading, dancing, swimming

Tony: worrying about money, motor cars, glass, antiques, sport Liz Parkin: walking, pool, sign language, driving

Ian: harmoniums.

* Accents: Liz Bullock and Basil have regional southern English accents; Jeanette has a slight northern accent; Tony is Australian.

UNIT 24. Exercise 1

*‘Neapolitan’ is a variety of ice cream, mispronounced ‘Nealopitan’ by Ron and Eth.

*B – Both characters have non-standard accents – particularly ‘Dad’. The two most striking features are Ron’s pronunciation of ‘my’ as ‘me’ (though this is also sometimes heard from speakers of standard British English in casual speech), and his father’s pronunciation of ‘hundreds’, ‘here’, ‘how’ and ‘have’ without [h] (common in many British dialects).

-Ron, are you scared of girls?

-Yes, Dad. When I meet a girl I never know what to do. I just pull me cap down over me face and hope she’ll go away.

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-Oh, Ron.

-I can’t think of anything to say.

-Oh, Ron, knowing what to say is the easiest part. There’s – there’s hundreds of acceptable phrases. Er – ‘Excuse me, but do you come here often?’

-I live here, Dad.

-Ron – I – I know where you live. I mean you might say, for example, ‘Can I get you a still lemon?’ [a drink without gas] or ‘I find the company in here rather boring. Let’s take a stroll in the shrubbery.’ You get it, Ron?

-No, Dad.

-Well, try and remember. It’s important that you get over this shyness, Ron. I don’t like it. How do you expect to get married and have children if you won’t go near a girl?’

-I’ll think of something.

-Goodevening.Areyouthegentleman inthe cinema to whom I sat next? -It’s a girl! Go away! I’m all alone!

-But it – it’s about your cap.

-My cap?

-You left your cap under the seat when you went. I saw your address inside, so I, well, I took the liberty of bringing it around.

-Oh.

-I do hope you were up.

-Up what?

-I haven’t got you out of bed, I mean.

-No. Did you say I was the one who was sitting next to you?

-Yes.

-Then you must be the one who was sitting next to me.

-Well, yes, that’s right.

-You’d better come in.

-Oh? Come in? Well, I am rather soaked. Perhaps I’d better just dry off a bit. Thank you.

-The parlour’s through here.

-Shall I sit on the sofa?

-If you like.

-Thank you.

-Excuse me, but do you come here often?

-Come where?

-I don’t know. Dad didn’t tell me what’s next.

-You know, I hope you don’t mind my saying this, but in the pictures I could only see your profile. I, I thought you were much darker skinned.

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-I’d been eating a choc ice.

-You eat a lot in the pictures, don’t you? I could hear.

-Only mixed nuts and a choc ice and my chewing gum and an apple during the adverts.

-I like eating in the pictures too.

-Do you? What’s your favourite flavour of the month?

-Nealopitan.

-Ne – That’s mine too.

-Is it?

-Yeah.

-Well, isn’t that strange? Oh – there’s me, just happening to find your cap, and then it turns we both like Nealopitan ice cream. Sends a shiver up your spine, doesn’t it?

-If you have enough of it.

-By the way, I don’t believe I mentioned it – my name’s Eth.

-Eth.

-How about yours?

-No, mine isn’t.

(From the BBC programme ‘Take it from here’. Script by Frank Muir and Denis Norden. Dad acted by Jimmy Edwards, Ron by Dick Bentley and Eth by June Whitfield.)

UNIT 24. Exercise 5, D

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

1.The concert had been cancelled (call off). – The concert has been called off.

2.Stop criticizing me all the time! (go on at). – Stop going on at me all the time!

3.He’s invited her to the cinema (ask out). – He’s asked her out to the cinema.

4.Julie is having a relationship with a man from France (go out with). – Julie is going out with a man from France.

5.He gives the impression of being rather aggressive (come across as). – He comes across as rather aggressive.

6.Their marriage has ended (break up). – Their marriage has broken up.

7.Michael has had an argument with Tony and isn’t talking to him (fall out with). – Michael has fallen out with Tony.

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8. I want to have a stable life, buy a house, and get married (settle down). – I want to settle down.

9.They have ended their relationship (break off). – They have broken off their relationship.

10.I’m starting to dislike him (go off). – I’m starting to go off him.

UNIT 24. Exercise 6

M: What’s the matter, Jane? Have you fallen out with Paul again? J: Yes, you could say that …

M: Well, it takes two to have an argument. What was it about this time? J: He said I was always going on at him.

M: Is it true?

J: Well, in a way, yes. But I was feeling insecure because I thought he was going off me.

M: How long have been going out with one another?

J: Nearly a year now. But yesterday I found out he’s been going out with someone else.

M: Oh, so what did you do?

J: I told him, and he said he wanted to break off our relationship. M: But I thought you were planning to get married in June?

J: We’ve called it off.

M: Well, I’m sorry to hear the two of you have broken up. J: I think it’ll take me a long time to get over this.

M: Well, perhaps it’s for the best. You were never really happy with him. And after all, there are plenty more fish in the sea!

UNIT 25. Exercise 2, A

I – Interviewer H – Helen

I: How did you meet your husband?

H:It was on a blind date, actually. A friend invited me to meet someone she knew. She said he was very nice, so I went along, and as soon as I met him, I fell for him. I thought he was wonderful. We started to go out with one another, and then I invited him home to meet my parents, and they took to him immediately – they thought he was a lovely person.

I:So meeting him was an important event?

H:Oh, yes, it was a turning point in my life. You see, whereas I’d always had my head in the clouds, he was very practical and realistic – he had his feet firmly on the ground.

I:Do you remember when he asked you to marry him?

H: Yes, very clearly. We were walking in the park and he proposed to me completely out of the blue. I really wasn’t expecting it.

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I: How did you feel about marrying him?

H:I was over the moon. I thought it was the most wonderful thing that could ever have happened to me.

I:And do you still feel that way today?

H:Oh, yes, we’re devoted to one another.

I:What do you think has made your marriage such a success?

H:The fact that we’ve always supported and helped one another. I’ve always stood by him, and he never let me down once. We’re a partnership.

I:So you never have any arguments?

H: Well, we have our ups and downs now and then – everybody does – but I know that underneath it all we were made for each other.

I – Interviewer G – George

I: How did you meet your wife?

G: We worked for the same company. She was about the same age as me, and she struck me as a very nice person. As time passed I came to look on her as a friend. We spent some time together and then we started going out with one another.

I: What did your parents think of her?

G: When I introduced her to my mother she said she couldn’t understand what I saw in her. She thought she was very ordinary and not at all the right person for me.

I: Do you think your mother’s opinion influenced you in any way?

G: I think it made me have second thoughts about marrying her, but we still got married a few months later.

I: What was life like after you got married?

G: Things were all right for a while but then we began to quarrel. We always kissed and made up in the end, but there were still problems between us.

I: Why was that?

G: I think the main thing was that we weren’t really suited to one another. After we got married we started to see one another in a different light. We spent less and less time together, we became interested in different things, and gradually we grew apart.

I: What happened then?

G: We started having terrible arguments and I behaved very badly towards her. I tried to make up for it, but she couldn’t forgive me. In the end we split up. I suppose it was inevitable really.

I: And how did this experience affect you?

G: I think it changed my outlook on life. I certainly don’t see it through rose-coloured spectacles any more.

I: Would you marry again?

G: I would, but it would have to be the right person, and there would have to be a lot more give and take. Otherwise I don’t think it would work.

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UNIT 25. Exercise 2, C

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

1.When I was in trouble she gave me help and support (stand by).– When I was in trouble she stood by me.

2.I have always considered you to be my closest friend (look on as). – I have always looked on you as my closest friend.

3.I’m depending on you, so don’t disappoint me! (let down). – I’m depending on you, so don’t let me down.

4.The children liked her the moment they met her (take to). – The children took to her the moment they met her.

5.She fell in love with her skiing instructor (fall for). – She fell for her skiing instructor.

6.I don’t understand what she finds attractive about him (see in). – I don’t understand what she sees in him.

7.She tried to compensate for the trouble she had caused (make up for). – She tried to make up for the trouble she had caused.

8.After a year they ended their relationship (split up). – After a year they split up.

9.I think we’ve become less close to one another (grow apart). – I think we’ve grown apart.

10.They had an argument but later they became fiends again (make up). – They had an argument but later they made up; or: They

had an argument but later they made it up.

M: …I mean, do you think there are any real differences left between women’s and men’s attitudes these days?

W: Oh yes. Take illness, for example. It’s a well-known fact that all men’s illnesses are more serious than women’s.

M: What on earth do you mean?

W: Well, whereas women may feel ‘a bit off-colour’, have ‘just a cold’ or ‘a slight headache’, for men it’s much more black or white … they basically recognize only two states of being: men are either fit enough to run the marathon before breakfast and win, or they’re too ill to stand up.

M: Well, that’s not actually true of me. I had a cold last week, but I didn’t make a big thing of it, did I?

W: True enough… Okay, let’s leave you out of it for a moment. What about sports injuries? Just consider the typical performance on a football field. How often have you seen a player rolling around in agony, with the TV commentator predicting broken bones and the end of a brilliant

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career – and then the very next minute he’s back on his feet, running round the pitch, without even a trace of a limp?

M: But what’s that got to do with your argument?

W: It’s the same … the same two states … either all or nothing. You men have a code. There’s no such thing as a slightly sore leg that aches for a while. Either it’s so bad that the man may never walk again, or it’s absolutely fine. And it’s the same with health in general, as I said – in the peak of condition or else at death’s door.

M: Well, you have a point about football players, although I think you’re taking it a bit too seriously – half the time, they’re just pretending after all.

W: Which is just my point. But what is it that turns them, in less than it takes to kick a ball, from children in need of someone to kiss them better into fearless men?

M: Probably the threat of a goal at the other end of the pitch … I told you, it’s an act.

W: No, no, no it’s deeper than that … I think it’s all to do with how boys have been brought up. They grow up expecting to be brave … to be stoical. I mean, let’s face it, today’s New Man may be ready to express his emotions but, when it comes to admitting pain or discomfort, he’s as stiff-upper-lipped as he ever was.

M: And women?

W: Women, when they are unwell and sense they’re getting worse, take avoiding action – you know, using medicines, going to bed earlier, or … M: Neither of which are true for you …

W: Let me finish … or taking time off work before they reach he stage of collapse. Men on the other hand feel that if they do any of these things it’s a sign of weakness. So they end up fighting off an illness until they can hold out no longer. And then, when they collapse with a secondary infection requiring a doctor’s prescription and days, if not weeks in bed, they see it as a confirmation – ‘Even a man like me couldn’t shake this off’.

M: Oh, come on!

W: And what’s more, when they are ill, men revert to playing the role of a child, with their unfortunate partner cast in the role of mother. Not that I would ever mother you, you understand!

M: No, no, no. Okay, so what do you think is behind these different attitudes of men and women?

W: Well … for one thing, women, unlike men, do take for granted a certain amount of pain and discomfort in life.

M: Hmm … I suppose that’s true – childbirth, for example?

W: Absolutely … and women also feel free to discuss these experiences. Illness is a tricky issue for a man, trapped in a world where he can tell no one but his partner how much he suffers and just where it hurts. It’s no

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