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

about anything. He is a very solid man, dependable, together. Except that he’s still trying to understand himself, come to terms with himself.

3. Toby was heavier than Andrew Miles, better dressed, rounderfaced, richer all over with the smooth glossiness of a well-serviced urban man. But beside the beaky farmer he looked strangely unsubstantial.

Exercise 7. Speak about your own image using the lexis from this unit.

Speaking

Exercise 8. Write how your character has changed or developed over Writing the years. Are there any aspects of your personality you

still don’t like?

UNIT 8. YOU ARE WHAT YOU WEAR

Exercise1. In English there are two proverbs about clothes, which Preparation seem to contradict one another: ‘Clothes make a man’ and ‘Clothes don’t make a man’. Can you explain this contradiction? Which of the two proverbs do you agree

with? How important are clothes to you?

Exercise 2. Listen to the story of the Emperor’s new clothes. Make a Listening note of the multi-word verbs that are used and what you think they mean.Then discuss the questions below with

apartner.

1.Why did the Emperor want the two men to make the clothes?

2.Why did the Emperor send his old and honest minister to see the two men?

3.Why did one of the two men ask the Emperor to try on the invisible clothes?

4.Why didn’t anyone say the Emperor was wearing nothing?

5.Why did the Emperor go through with the procession?

6.Why was the little boy the first person to say ‘The Emperor has nothing on’?

7.Why did the Emperor carry on with the procession?

8.What do you think the story is trying to say?

Exercise 3. Match the multi-word verbs with their definitions:

Checking/ Understanding

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5. to go through with something e. to continue with something, in spite of

Exercise 4. Listen and respond as the situation requires.

Listening

Exercise 5. Fill in the gaps.

Prepositions

Tim is seventeen and at the moment he doesn’t care very much __a__ anything except clothes. He’s only interested ___b___ what is __c___ fashion. He spends most of his money __d___ brightly coloured shirts and tight trousers. He is very proud __e___ them and most people comment ___f___ them when they see him. He has no difficulty __g__ finding the clothes he wants because he works in a boutique. He thinks he has very good taste in clothes, but his mother thinks he looks awful.

‘It’s all a question of taste,’ he says,’ and there’s no arguing about tastes, is there?’

Exercise 6. Work with a partner. Take turns telling one another the Speaking story of the Emperor’s clothes. The following prompts

may help.

Exercise 7. Listentofoursituationsinwhichpeoplearetalkingaboutclothes. Listening Decide what the situation is and who is talking.

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Exercise 8. Put the following expressions in the sentences below.

Practice

1.I’m sorry, madam, we don’t have any of these jumpers in size 14. We are completely _______. I don’t think we’ll be getting any more of them till next year.

2.I’m afraid you’re ______, sir. We’ve sold all the tickets for the plays you would like to see.

3.It was the best play I’ve ever seen. The production was absolutely fantastic. It was ________.

4.I can’t use this passport any more. It’s _____. I’ll have to get a new one.

5.He doesn’t worry about his appearance or what is in fashion. He always wears clothes that are _______.

Exercise 9. A. Look at the expressions below. Which ones are similar Idiom in meaning? How would you express the same idea

in Russian?

1.A wolf in sheep’s clothing.

2.There’s no arguing about tastes.

3.Beauty is only skin deep.

4.You can’t go by appearances.

5.One man’s meat is another man’s poison.

6.Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.

Activate B. Which of the above expressions could you use in the following situations?

a.You think a piece of modern sculpture is ugly but your friend thinks it’s beautiful.

b.Your sister is in love with a man who seems very nice and friendly, but you think that underneath he’s a horrible, selfish person who only wants her money.

c.You meet someone who gives the impression of being very poor. You find out later that in fact this person is very rich.

d.You meet an attractive looking person who seems very nice, but you later find out this person is unkind and unfriendly.

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Exercise 10. A. How multi-word verbs work.

Up The particle up can be used with some verbs to givethe ideaofcompletion.

We’d better drink up. The bar closes in five minutes. In this sentence, drink up = finish drinking. Several verbs use up in this way.

Activate B. Use the multi-word verbs above to correct the sentences:

1.Look at all these dirty dishes. I really don’t like doing them. Could you eat them up?

2.My room looks like a bomb hit it. I can’t find anything. I must dry it up.

3.‘Tidy up all your vegetables or you won’t grow big and strong,’ my mother used to tell me.

4.After the party her friends offered to help her wash up the mess.

5.I’ll wash the dishes if you clean them up.

C. 1. Write down the opposite of the following:

2.What is the difference between to go through with something and to carry on with something?

3.What is the difference between to take off and to take something off?

Exercise 11. Pay attention to the translation of multi-word verbs.

Translation

1.The shock of the news had worn off, and Mark started thinking about the man with the knife …

2.When he wasn’t rushing off to fetch something for Davis, he orbited his boss with fidgety reverence.

3.Though the weather was not warm enough for sunbathing, some people were lying on big towels and soaking up the rays, goosepimpled but game.

4.‘I think the dress is too long,’ Rose said. ‘I’ve tried it on and I want to hem it up a bit, but I can’t get it level on myself.’

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Exercise 12. A. These sentences come from a story which is told in Word Use almosteverypartoftheworld.Whatdowecallthestory

in Russian?

a.An advisor suggested taking the glass slipper into every house and trying it on every woman in the land.

b.Finally, the day of the ball arrived but she had nothing to wear.

c.They got married and lived happily ever after.

d.The Fairy Godmother warned her that she had to be back before midnight.

e.She was young and very beautiful, but she lived with two sisters.

f.The prince swore that he would find her again.

B.Number the sentences in the right order.

C.Which sentences can these adjectives go in? Mind the prepositions!

D.Match each phrase with one of the prepositions, and finish the sentence:

Think of some more combinations adjective + pronoun.

E.Whatdifferenceinmeaningistherebetweensentences a and b?

1.a. She was always pleased with him. b. She was always pleased for him.

3.a. He was always afraid of them. b. He was always afraid for them.

4.a. She was always good for him. b. She was always good to him. Now think of other pairs you can make with these adjectives:

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Exercise 13. Write the story of Cinderella. Use as much of active Writing vocabulary as possible. Here are some more prompts to

help you:

-Cinderella’s mother dies. Her father decides to marry again.

-Her stepmother is cruel and her stepsisters are ugly and horrible.

-She is treated badly and has to do all the housework.

-Her clothes become very poor and old.

-Everyone is invited to attend a ball at the palace.

-The two stepsisters discuss what to wear. They can’t decide. Cinderella helps them.

-Cinderella can’t go to the ball. She has nothing to wear.

-Her fairy godmother appears and arranges for her to go to the ball.

-Her dress is very beautiful. She must return before midnight.

-She dances with the prince. He falls in love with her.

-At 12 o’clock Cinderella leaves quickly, leaving behind a glass shoe.

-The prince decides to marry the person who can wear the shoe.

-The shoe is too small for the two ugly sisters.

-The shoe fits Cinderella. She marries the prince.

Begin the story ‘Once upon a time …’ and end with ‘…and they lived happily ever after.’

UNIT 9. A SENSE OF HUMOUR

Exercise 1. Scan the following short essay.

Introduction

The value of a sense of humour

There are troubles in everybody’s life, and very often the small ones are more irritating than the big ones. But the person who can face his difficulties with a sense of humour does not allow them to press upon him with an intolerable weight. He throws them off with a laugh, and emerges on the other side, scatheless.

When you are waiting in a bus queue in the boiling sun and bus after bus goes by full, you can either fidget and fret, and grumble about the inadequacy of public transport, or you can amuse yourself by watching the various expressions on the faces of the other people in the queue, and joking with your neighbours. If you do the first, you will be cross and tired, and the rest of your day will be ruined; if you have chosen the second, you will have saved yourself from the worst of illeffects of lateness and tiredness, for your nerves will not have had to suffer from irritation.

People who have a sense of humour usually have the power of

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sympathy strongly developed. The misdeeds and failures of other people do not shock and revolt them; they see the funny side, and amusement cannot mix with hatred. It is more at home with tolerance and pity, and therefore the person with a sense of humour is a lovable and loving person, one who has a sense of kinship with his fellow men and women.

Laughter is a very good tonic, there are many proverbs about the salutary effect of laughter, and its infectious nature, and these, like most sayings of the people, are based on experience of life. The cheerful people are, as a rule, the healthiest, if not always physically, at least mentally. They do not suffer from melancholia and depression and other miserable afflictions of the mind that make their victims’ lives hardly worth living. And laughter soon spreads. When a happy child gets into a bus and laughs at the delights which surround it, the long faces of the other passengers soon relax and soften. Humour has laid its healing touch on them.7

B.Look up in the dictionary and try to remember the following words and expressions. Use them in sentences of your own.

C.Comment on the essay. Say what you think about the value of a sense of humour. Prove your statement by examples.

Exercise2. Translate the following text. Study the counter-arguments Listening / below.Do you agree with the author’s point of view? Why /

Reading Why not?

The most important of all human qualities is a sense of humour

Biologically, there is only one quality which distinguishes us from animals: the ability to laugh. In a universe which appears to be utterly devoid of humour, we enjoy this supreme luxury. And it is a luxury, for unlike any other bodily process, laughter does not seem to serve a

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biologically useful purpose. In a divided world, laughter is a unifying force. Human beings oppose each other on a great many issues. Nations may disagree about systems of government and human relations may be plagued by ideological factions and political camps, but we all share the ability to laugh. And laughter, in turn, depends on that most complex and subtle of all human qualities: a sense of humour. Certain comic stereotypes have a universal appeal. This can best be seen from the world-wide popularity of Charlie Chaplin’s early films. This little man at odds with society never fails to amuse no matter which country we come from. As the great commentator on human affairs, Dr Samuel Johnson, once remarked, ‘Men have been wise in very different modes; but they have always laughed in the same way.’

A sense of humour may take various forms and laughter may be anything from a refined tinkle to an earthquaking roar, but the effect is always the same. Humour helps us to maintain a correct sense of values. It is the one quality which political fanatics appear to lack. If we can see the funny side, we never make the mistake of taking ourselves too seriously. We are always reminded that tragedy is not really far removed from comedy, so we never get a lop-sided view of things.

This is one of the chief functions of satire and irony. Human pain and suffering are so grim; we hover so often on the brink of war; political realities are usually enough to plunge us into total despair. In such circumstances, cartoons and satirical accounts of somber political events redress the balance. They take the wind out of pompous and arrogant politicians who have lost their sense of proportion. They enable us to see that many of our most profound actions are merely comic or absurd. We laugh when a great satirist like Swift writes about war in ‘Gulliver’s Travels’. The Lilliputians and their neighbours attack each other because they can’t agree which end to break an egg. We laugh because we are meant to laugh; but we are meant to weep too. It is no wonder that in totalitarian regimes any satire against the Establishment is wholly banned. It is too powerful a weapon to be allowed to flourish.

The sense of humour must be singled out as man’s most important quality because it is associated with laughter. And laughter, in turn, is associated with happiness. Courage, determination, initiative – these are qualities we share with other forms of life. But the sense of humour is uniquely human. If happiness is one of the great goals of life, then it is the sense of humour that provides the key.

The counter-argument: key notes

*All human qualities are important.

*It’s absurd to stress one quality at the expense of others.

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*The ability to laugh is universal, but the sense of humour differs from country to country. E.g. cartoons, jokes of one nation are not always funny to another. (Examples from humorous publications: Punch, New Yorker, Krokodil, etc.)

*Satire and irony can be harsh and cruel, not at all funny.

*Satirical publications never deflate arrogant politicians.

*Humour emphasizes less serious aspects of human life, therefore not so important.

*Human achievements result from other qualities, e.g. curiosity, ambition, imagination, intelligence, etc.

*Humour does not solve any problems, merely blinds us to them.

*Humour cannot alleviate suffering, etc.

*Love, charity, compassion are far more important.

*Humour is not the key to happiness.

*Happiness results from the combination of a great many qualities.

Exercise 3. A. Give the Russian for:

Practice

1.The ability to laugh distinguishes us from animals. 2. Universe appears to be utterly devoid of humour. 3. Laughter is a unifying force.

4.A sense of humour is the most complex and subtle of all human qualities.

5.Certain comic stereotypes have a universal appeal. 6. He’s always been at odds with people. 7. A little man versus society. 8. You got a lopsided view of things.

B.Give the English for:

1.Юмор – это чрезвычайная, высшая роскошь. 2. Челове- ческие отношения заражены идеологическими фракциями и политическими лагерями. 3. Чувство юмора – это качество, которого не хватает политическим фанатикам. 4. Человеческие боль и страдание так беспощадны. 5. Мы так часто бываем на краю войны. 6. Ирония и сатира могут выбить почву из-под ног у полных самомнения и высокомерных политиков. 7. Мы сме¸мся, потому что задумано, чтобы мы смеялись.

C.Explain the meaning of the following in your own words:

D.Complete the word-combinations according to the text:

1.the ability … 2. a refined … 3. an earthquaking … 4. to maintain … 5. to get a lop-sided … 6. to lose one’s sense … 7. to provide … 8. to alleviate …

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E. What are the synonyms?

appeal refined utterly pompous charity gr

G.Finish the sentences according to the text.

1.Political realities are usually enough …

2.Humour helps us to …

3.If we can see the funny side, …

4.We are always reminded that tragedy …

5.Many of our profound actions are …

6.The sense of humour is associated with …

7.Laughter is associated with …

H.Make up your own sentences with:

1. to be at odds with someone 2. to be utterly devoid of something; 3. to hover on the brink of… 4. to hover on the verge of death 5. to be meant; 6. to take the wind out of somebody 7. to alleviate something.

Exercise 4. Using ideas from the text and counter-arguments, make Speaking up dialogues presenting different points of view.

Exercise5. Explain the meaning of the following sayings and expressions:

1. He is not laughed at that laughs at himself first. 2. He laughs best who laughs last 3. to laugh on the wrong side of one’s face 4. to make a laughing-stock of somebody 5. Laugh before breakfast you’ll cry before supper. 6. There is nothing to laugh about

Exercise6. Canyoumakeupasimilarstoryusingsomeofthesayingsfrom

Improvisation exercise 5?

Laughter is a serious matter

A new comedy film was having a preview in the woods. The first to start laughing was Mole. He was hissed at: ‘Are you blind, can’t you see that Lion is not laughing!’ The next one to start laughing was Adder. He too was hissed at: ‘Are you deaf, can’t you hear that Lion is not laughing!’ At last, Lion himself started laughing. At that Fox, too, started laughing his head off.

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