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Exercise 156 (*) Write “a” or “an”.

1. ___ window 2. ___ umbrella 3. ___ horse 4. ___ airport 5. ___ hour 6. ___ university 7. ___ organization 8. ___ old book 9. ___ new airport 10. ___ economic problem

Exercise 157 (*) Write “a” or “an”.

1. He is __ honest man, I’ll give him __ day’s work. 2. That is __ usual way of working. 3. He has __ uncle who is __ teacher at __ university. 4. He had __ hot breakfast at __ hotel in Blackpool. 5. They worked for half __ hour and then began to read __ historical novel.

Exercise 158 (*) What are these thing? (a/an + noun)

1. A goose is ___ _____. 2. Everest is ___ ______. 3. The Volga is ___ _____. 4. A rose is ___ _____. 5. Jupiter is ___ _____. 6. A pear is ___ ______. 7. The Baikal is ___ ______. 8. A carrot is ___ _____. 9. A violin is ___ _____. 10. Hide-and-seek is ___ _____.

1. Use of Articles with Common Nouns

Exercise 159 (**) Put in “a/an”, “the” where necessary. If no word is necessary, leave the space empty (-).

1. There is ___ fly in ___ lemonade. 2. ___ youngest sister is at ___ school now. 3. ___ birds can fly very high in ___ sky. 4. ___ book on that shelf is ___ interesting one about ___ history. 5. It is pleasant to play ___ game of ___ tennis in ___ summer afternoon. 6. He makes ___ toys in the evening. 7. ___ butcher opposite ___ library always sells ___ good meat. 8. I am fond of ___ apples with ___ cheese. 9. ___ honesty is ___ best of all ___ virtues. 10. I would like to have ___ house in ___ country. 11. ___ car is ready. 12. Do you prefer ___ book of ___ poetry or ___ stories of ___ adventure? 13. Peter travelled in ___ third-class carriage with ___ Americans.

Exercise 160 (***) Put in “a/an”, “the” where necessary. If no word is necessary, leave the space empty (-)

Robert Burns, ___ son of ___ small farmer in Ayrshire, was born on ___ 25^th of ___ January, 1759. His parents were poor, so that Burns could not get a good education. He worked hard as ___ ploughboy. He was fond of reading and always had ___ ballad-book before him at dinner. After ___ death of his father Robert and his brother and sister took over ___ farm together. Working in ___ fields Burns wrote many wonderful songs. However, things became so bad on ___ farm, that ___ poet decided to go to ___ Jamaica hoping to get ___ job on ___ plantation there. Luckily some friends helped Burns to publish ___ book of poems. ___ book was noticed and praised highly. In 1786 Burns went to ___ Edinburgh, and his ___ book of poems unlocked ___ doors of ___ rich Edinburgh houses to a peasant with such ___ wonderful talent. In 1788 he married Jean Armour and spent ___ peaceful and happy year. ___ rest of his life-story is ___ tale of ___ poet’s hardships. ___ hard life ruined ___ poet’s health, and on ___ 21^st of ___ July, 1796 he died at ___ age of thirty-seven.

Exercise 161 (***) Put in “a/an”, “the” where necessary. If no word is necessary, leave the space empty (-)

William Shakespeare, ___ greatest English playwright, was born in 1564 in ___ Stratford-on-Avon in ___ England. ___ Stratford is ___ small country town in ___ farming district near ___ centre of England. The Avon, which is ___ pretty river with ___ grass and ___ trees all along its ___ banks, runs through ___ Stratford. Not much is known of ___ Shakespeare’s father. He was ___ farmer who, at different times of his ___ life, sold ___ meat and bought and sold ___ wool. He was poor and was often in ___ money difficulties. Very little is known about ___ life of his only son William also. ___ little house in which ___ great writer was born still stands. It is now ___ museum. William went to ___ school in ___ Stratford. In 1586 he went to ___ London. Probably ___ first work he did there was at one of the two theatres that were in ___ London at that ___ time. Then he became ___ actor and soon began to write ___ plays for ___ company of actors to which he belonged. Shakespeare bought ___ largest house in his ___ home town in 1597, but he didn’t spend much time there till 1610. He spent ___ last years of his life mostly in ___ Stratford, but he often visited ___ London. He died in 1616.

Exercise 162 (***) Put in “a/an”, “the” where necessary. If no word is necessary, leave the space empty (-)

Isaac Ilyich Levitan, __ great Russian artist, became __ first painter of __ Russian scenery, who revealed all its beauty. He is __ real poet of __ Russian countryside. He continued and developed __ traditions of painters of __ Russian realistic school – Savrasov, Polenov, Serov. Levitan found significant meaning and poetry in what would seem __ most everyday subject.

He is __ very individual sort of painter. You can’t but appreciate his paintings because there is __ something in his landscapes that reflects our own moods.

He deeply felt what he wished to express and his brush transferred these feelings to __ canvas. It is inreresting to note that __ master of landscape, he never introduced figures into it. Though if you look at the Autumn Day in Sokolniki – everything seems to bring out __ loneliness of __ figure in __ centre: __ trees losing their leaves, __ remote, indifferent sky, __ path going off into __ distance. But __ fact is that it wasn’t Levitan who painted __ figure. It was __ Chechov’s brother Nicolai who did it.

His travels over __ Volga region influenced __ Levitan’s art, __ impression made on him by __ great Russian river was unforgettable. For his life and painting he chose __ Plyoss - __ small beautiful town on __ Volga. His paintings Evening, Golden Plyoss, After Rain reflect his love for nature.

__ last summer I visited __ Plyoss and saw __ places where __ great pictures were painted. Many people admire his pictures Deep Waters, Evening Bells, Springtime, The Last Snow and, of course, his famous Golden Autumn. All his paintings are very emotional, lyrical and realistic.

In the closing years of his __ life __ painter made several journeys abroad to __ France, __ Italy and __ Germany where he painted __ number of landscapes, although his best works of __ period were devoted to Russia. He was only 40 when he died in 1900.

Levitan’s influence on __ painters of lyrical landscapes was great. Levitan’s feeling for nature, his __ great love for his native land, his ability to reveal and depict __ poetry of __ Russian land have won his paintings __ love and gratitude of people.