4. Dialogue.

1) Practice reading the following dialogue in pairs, working at your pronunciation and expression. Learn it by heart and perform it with a partner in front of the class.

A. – Have you ever met a truly ambitious person?

B. – Yes I have. Why?

A. – It’s this article. I wonder what exactly are the ambitious distinguished from the rest of us by?

B. – Aren’t you possessed by ambition yourself?

A. – Me? It’s funny.

B. - Gosh, no. Haven’t you always seen the world as a battle?

A. – That’s only because it’s a dog-eat-dog world and it has limited prizes to offer.

B. – Exactly. That’s why people make sacrifices on ambition behalf so readily.

A. – You mean- rank, fame, power? It’s not my cup of tea.

B. – Not only those. What about accomplishment, goodness and the like, aren’t they the rewards of ambition either?

A. – Never. Those are merely a weighty burden in a high climb.

B. – It’s odd, you know. You, trying to drive ambition under counter, after it has been your driving force for years!

A. – I have never run on ambition.

B. Oh, you haven’t, have you? Refraining from appearing ambitious, looks jesuitical to me. Actually, there’s nothing wrong with being ambitious, it’s a healthy impulse.

A. – Healthy? My foot, there’s nothing healthy about it. Just look at those politicians, who are out for their own and are so socially detached, that end up being anti-social!

B. – Those strongly imbued with ambition are, but the majority can handle their ambitions all right.

A. – Who, for example?

B. – You, I think. Do you or do you not have a rigid control over your own destiny?

A. – Only because I gave up on ambition as an ideal years ago. All those Cinderella dreams of glory, wealth, distinction…

B. But you did rise above our heads, didn’t you?

A. – So what?

B. – That’s a distinguishing mark of an ambitious person. The one, able to make a career come about, is an ambitious individual.

A. – I did feel some stirrings and promptings of ambition when I was younger, but I have never in my life professed ambition.

B. – I know. That’s exactly what the truly ambitious are distinguished from the rest of us by!

A. – Oh!

2) The expressions below show the ways of interrupting. Working with 2 partners act out a conversation to discuss any issue from the article by Joseph Epstein. Use the topical vocabulary and the following expressions as largely as you can.

So, what you’re saying is…

Can we go on to think about…

May I ask for clarification on this?

Sorry, to interrupt, but…

Do you really think so? I don’t…

What? That’s hardly so…you see…

Can we leave that for now and come to it later? What I suggest is…

That’s not really relevant, could we move on to…

What do you mean by…?

3) Your friend feels worried and unhappy because of some ambition. Discuss the problem with him/her. Help to find a solution. Make use of the expressions below and the topical vocabulary.

a. Breaking the ice:

What’s the matter?

What’s wrong?

What’s the problem?

Are you all right?

Is anything the matter?

Is anything wrong?

b. Explaining the problem:

I’m worried.

I’m rather/ very/ terribly/ dreadfully worried.

I’ve got (a lot of) worries/ problems.

I’ve got a lot on my mind.

I feel (absolutely) awful/ terrible.

I feel ( I am) (very) ill, (sad,, miserable, fed up, nervous, depressed, low).

I don’t feel / I’m not (at all) well/ happy.

I’m in (terrible/ serious) trouble.

I’m (very) anxious.

I feel / I’m desperate.

c. Reassuring:

Try to look on the bright side of things.

Cheer up.

Don’t worry.

Don’t let it get you down.

Oh, is that all?

You needn’t worry, I’m sure.