Пособие по домашнему чтению для студентов II курса. Учебное пособие

(n) an adjustment to toy with smth a stumper

to feed smth with smth to feed smth into smth to humour smb

a creative urge

to corner the market a by-product sloppy

reluctantly to give it a try

2.Remember the contexts in whichWord List items are used, say who or what they referred to.

3.Find the English equivalents for these:

невозможный, невыполнимый гениальный нажать на нужную кнопку

открыть литературное агентство это похоже на жульничество (мошенничество / аферу) непонятное, неизвестное слово плодовитый автор по плану

посредственность, бездарность; заурядный человек

4. Explain what it means: to toy with smth

stand to reason to be worked up to work out

to be sold on the idea to sit up and take notice

to make a monkey out of smb to get the hang of smth

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5. Fill in prepositions where necessary:

A. Fill in the prepositions and complete the table:

1.The speed with which the new engine works may be grasped by the fact that it can provide the correct answer in five seconds … a problem that would occupy a mathematician for a month.

2.The automatic computing engine uses pulses of electricity, generated … the rate of a million a second, to solve all calculations that resolve themselves into addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

3.I don’t think I have to remind you that your own contribution, especially … the original plans, was an important one.

4.Then gradually (the head still motionless), a subtle change spreading over the face, astonishment becoming pleasure, (…) increasing gradually, spreading out until at last the whole face was open wide and shining … extreme delight.

5.It was at this stage that young Knipe began to display a real talent … big business.

an answer … smth … the rate contribution … smth

to shine … smth(=emotions) talent … smth / doing smth

B. Fill in the prepositions:

1.The number of reported crimes is increasing … an alarming

rate.

2.I told my assistants to work … their own rate but if they don’t find an answer … this problem we are done.

3.Clark eyes shone … such anger, his hands shook with honest indignation which was so perfectly human but he had no answer … the accusations.

4.He knew that he’d made a very positive contribution … the success of the project and his eyes shone … delight.

5.Einstein was awarded the Nobel Prize for his contribution … Quantum Theory.

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6.The school sees its job as preparing students to make a contribution … society as many students show considerable talent … helping others at an early age.

7.Haveyoubeenmakingregularcontributions…apensionplan?

8.‘It was wonderful! This could be the answer … all our problems.’Kate replied, her eyes shining … excitement.

9.… the rate you work, you’ll never finish! We need a persuasive speaker with a natural talent … leadership.

10.Bethenny absolutely shone … love and Jason reflected it! She always showed considerable talent … getting what she wanted.

6.Match the synonyms:

7. Translate into Russian:

1.Safety experts urge cyclists to sit up and take notice warning that Sydney will never be a bicycle-friendly city until it develops a “cycling culture’’ which encourages relaxed European-style riding without the compulsory use of helmets.

2.John made a monkey out of himself while trying to make a fool out of Jim. It stands to reason he is so worked up now thatAnne won’t even look at him.

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3.– It’s harder to play the piano than I thought. — Just keep practicing (the piano) and you’ll get the hang of it.

4.I toyed with the idea of pursuing a career as a lawyer just because I like to argue. I even tried to sell my father on the idea that he should pay for the college and though reluctantly he finally agreed.

5.A large volume of adventures may be grasped within this little span of life, by him who interests his heart in everything.

6.Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself, but talent instantly recognizes genius. (Arthur Conan Doyle)

7.The creative urge is the demon that will not accept anything second rate. (Agnes de Mille)

8.The creative urge is within us all. This is a desire to do something different, make something out of nothing, to change our environment, decorate our homes, cook an interesting meal, or even have a baby!

9.It stands to reason that as a teacher you have to adjust your methods to suit the needs of lower children.

10.Writing in English is the most ingenious torture ever devised for sins committed in previous lives. The English reading public explains the reason why. (James Joyce)

11.Few things are impracticable in themselves; and it is for want of application, rather than of means, that men fail to succeed. (Francois de La Rochefoucauld)

12.I’m a bit of a nerd, I wouldn’t mind working in a shop selling records, or having a radio show where I could play obscure singles. (Bjork)

13.Simplicity is not the goal. It is the by-product of a good idea and modest expectations. (Paul Rand)

14.Picasso was extremely prolific during his Cubist years.

15.The whole affair smacks of mismanagement and incompetence.

8.Translate into English using words and word combinations from Word List:

1.Я устроился на эту работу только чтобы угодить родителям, такчтонеудивительно, чтосвоиобязанностиявыполнялнеохотно.

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Мне приходилось работать с людьми заурядными, которые не могли справиться с проблемойдаже если ответ был у них под носом.

2.«Это не так сложно как кажется, вам надо только нажи-

мать на нужные кнопки, чтобы загрузить данные в компьютер.

Не волнуйтесь, вы скоро наловчитесь», сказал мой новый шеф, улыбаясь. Я был в ужасе, передо мной были десятки кнопок с неизвестными словами. Я знаю, что я негениален, но в тот момент мне казалось, что он меня попросту дурачит. Я не мог понять значения клавиш, не говоря уж об их комбинации. Но выбора

уменя особо не было, и я решил попробовать.

3.Его поведение отдавало трусостью. Он мог бы просто во всем признаться. Я был так взвинчен, что даже подумывал о том, чтобы противостоять ему.

4.Явполнеуверен,чтоесливсеидальшебудетидтипоплану,

нам удастся захватить рынок. Наше литературное агентство основано всего год назад, а у нас уже больше многообещающих и плодовитых молодых авторов, чем в любом другом агентстве

встране. Хотелось бы только, чтобы наших инвесторов эта идея также прельщала, как и меня, но я с ними поговорю. Им пора

кое-что усвоить!

5.Это был очень привлекательный, но совершенно невыполнимый план, он требовал очень много поправок. А вопрос о побочных продуктах представлял большие трудности.

6.Ты называешь это жаждой творчества?! — Да я в жизни не читала более сентиментального и глупого рассказа. Редакторы его ни за что не примут.

7.Как работает эта программа? — Цифры загружаются

вкомпьютер, который потом прогнозирует вероятный доход. —

Это попахивает мошенничеством. — Ничего подобного! Это просто современная технология.

8.МистерБоленнемогпонять,какгениаленбылпроектНайпа. Поэтомусначалаонпростохотелемуугодитьинесобиралсяоткры-

вать литературное агентство.Но,поразмыслив над тем,чтобыса-

мому стать плодовитым писателем, пришел в восторг от этой идеи.

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Detailed Comprehension

1. Answer the questions:

1.What was the relationship between the main characters? What did each of them think of the other? Prove your answer by using the text.

2.How did Knipe manage to convince Mr Bohlen? Make a list of his arguments. Which ones do you think were the most persuasive?

3.To what conclusions did Knipe come after his careful study of the literary market?

4.Do you think Knipe was right to say that all writers were interested only in financial success?

5.Why did Knipe make sure his own literary fame was greater than that of his chief?

6.Whose idea was it to absorb all the other writers in the country? How did he plan to realize it? Was the plan an immediate success? Why?

7.Whom did Knipe find easier to persuade to sign up the contract? Why?

8.Do you think the narrator is fascinated by the idea of such a computer or appalled at it?

9.Was the computer capable of creating a novel all on its own without the human’s interference in the process? Can you call this machine an example of artificial intelligence? Why has the issue of artificial intelligence been stirring people’s imagination for a long time? Is it still relevant?

10.Do you believe that it’s possible to create a computer that will write literary works / make paintings / compose music etc all on its own? Do you think it will be an advantage or a disadvantage?

2.Describe the grammatizator and the way it worked:

1.before the adjustment for writing novels;

2.after the adjustment for writing novels.

3.Speak about:

1.Adolph Knipe (his appearance, manners, character, prove that Knipe was not only a creative but a cunning person as well)

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2. Mr. John Bohlen (his appearance, manners, character, prove that though Mr. Bohlen was a businesslike man, literary fame appealed to him).

4. Develop the situations checking your knowledge of the context:

1.From then on, Adolph Knipe began to think about nothing else. The idea fascinated him enormously, at first because it gave him a promise – however remote – of revenging himself in a most devilish manner upon his greatest enemies.

2.Then suddenly, he was struck by a powerful but simple little truth, and it was this: that English grammar is governed by rules that are almost mathematical in their strictness!

3.It was an exciting moment when the two men — the one, short, plump, breviped — the other tall, thin and toothy — stood in the corridor before the control panel and got ready to run off the first story.

4.Well, it wasn’t quite as easy as that, but after many hours of practice, Mr. Bohlen began to get the hang of it, and finally, late one evening, he told Knipe to make ready for running off the first novel.

5.Comment on the following quotations:

1.Whenever a young man gets depressed, everybody thinks it’s a woman.

2.You mean to sit there and tell me that these magazines pay out money like that to a man for ... just for scribbling off a story!

3.The quality may be inferior, but that doesn’t matter. It’s the cost of production that counts.

4.Thereafter, Knipe wisely decided to concentrate only upon mediocrity. Anything better than that — and there were so few it didn’t matter much — was apparently not quite so easy to seduce.

5.Give us strength, Oh Lord, to let our children starve.

6.Act out the conversation between Mr. Bohlen and Adolph Knipe about the project of creating a literary computer.

7.Speak your mind on:

1.John Bohlen as if you wereAdolph Knipe;

2.the grammatizator as if you were the female writer who was so enthusiastic to sign up;

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3. Adolph Knipe and his offer as if you were the writer at the top of Knipe’s list.

8. Make up a dialogue between the author and Adolph Knipe who tries to convince him to sign up the contract.

Consolidating the material

1. Dothisquiztotesthowwellyourememberthedetailsofthestory:

1.Fill in the missing words (mathematicalwords).The first letters are given.

The automatic computing engine uses pulses of electricity, generated at the rate of a million a second, to solve all calculations that resolve themselves into addition, s___________, multiplication, and d_________.

2.Mr Bohlen’s first name is

5. What was the title of the story Knipe was trying to write?

6.What was Mr. Bohlen’s first reaction when he heard about Knipe’s project

a)He was enthusiastic about the project

b)He thought that Knipe was out of his mind

c)He liked the idea though he saw no commercial value

d)He thought Knipe was a genius

7.Which best summarizes Mr. Bohlen’s attitude to the Great Automatic Grammatizator?

a)He wanted to appropriate Knipe’s future literary fame.

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b)He accepted Knipe’s idea as a commercially successful project but later developed literary ambitions

c)He accepted Knipe’s idea solely to humour his most ingenious employee.

d)He has always had a creative urge himself and dreamt of writing a novel

8.Which description does not refer to Mr. Bohlen?

a)The man with a tiny mouth and narrow purple-coloured lips.

b)The man with two small white hands and nervous fingers.

c)The man with a long horse face and big teeth.

d)The man with small alert brown eyes.

9. Which description refers toAdolph Knipe?

a) a not very tall, thin person with hair falling all over his face b) always drooping and untidy

c) a short, plump, breviped man

d) a tall man with small alert brown eyes

10.How many stories did Knipe write before he created the gram-

d) a computerized typewriter

12.The computer was built on the assumption that

a) English grammar is governed by rules that are almost mathematical in their strictness.

b) English grammar is governed by rules that allow several alternative positions for words and phrases which are all correct.

c) English grammar is governed by rules which allow flexible word order.

d) English grammar in not governed by any rules at all. 13.How long did it take Knipe to work out his project?

a) a month b) a week c) two weeks d) two months

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14.How much was Knipe planning to earn a year?

a) 40 000 b) 20 000 c) a million d) 2 million 15.For which magazine did they run off the very first story?

a) Home Journal b)Today’sWoman c) Reader Digest d)Women’s Week

16.What was wrong with the second story?

17.What kind of novel did Mr. Bohlen plan to write? a) a classical mysterious novel

b) a profound satirical novel about racial issues

c) a powerful ironic novel concerning racism and family values d) a romantic passion-filled novel

18.How many literary works in English were produced upon the Grammatizator for the first full year of its operation:

a) about 50 % b) about 70% c) about 90% d) about 20%

19.Which quotation does not belong toAdolph Knipe?

a)The quality may be inferior, but that doesn’t matter.

b)It’s bunk! All they’re really interested in is the money — just like everybody else.

c)We’ll set up our own literary agency, and we’ll distribute them through that.

d)Anovel’s the only thing that counts — that’s what they say.

20.Which best describes Mr. Bohlen’s attitude to Knipe?

a)He considered him a very valuable employee but difficult.

b)He considered him to be as mad as a hatter.

c)He considered him to be an arrogant upstart.

d)He considered him to be an efficient businesslike employee.

2. Choose and prepare the passage for artistic reading. Trans-

late it into Russian:

1. “Then suddenly, he was struck by a powerful but simple little truth………each one labeled with the name of a famous American magazine.”

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