Добавил:
ivanov666
Опубликованный материал нарушает ваши авторские права? Сообщите нам.
Вуз:
Предмет:
Файл:США. Этические проблемы. Учебное пособие на английском языке.pdf
correctly, but are there for humorous effect, e.g., “streptothricosis”
and “coreopsis.”
Mac — fellow, used informally to address a person whose name is
unknown.
Squibb — trademark of a pharmaceutical manufacturer.
Initiative and referendum — terms for the processes by which
citizens can vote directly their approval or disapproval of laws or
public officials; here used as a humorous contrast suggested by the
sound of the preceding word.
Webley-Vickers 50.80 — (probably a fictional) trademark and
type of firearm.
Liberty — popular magazine no longer published.
Archies — slang for antiaircraft guns.
Von Richtman — (probably a fictional) German military leader.
Saulier — (probably a fictional) town in France.
“Aupres de Ma Blonde” — a popular French song.
CULTURAL ASSOCIATIONS
Look up the following entries in the Dictionary of U. S. Life and
Culture («Жизнь и культура США: Лингвострановедческий
словарь») or other dictionaries and encyclopedias:
A & P
Buick
carry coals to Newcastle
commander
District Attorney
Kleenex
Navy
Roosevelt, Franklin D.
151
COMPREHENSION CHECK
I. Answer the questions:
1. What does the story start with?
2. Why did Walter look at his wife with shocked astonishment?
3. What was Walter supposed to do while his wife was taking care
of her hair?
4. What kind of imaginary situations did Walter have in his mind?
5. How did he act in the world of his dreams? Describe in detail.
6. Did Walter have trouble parking his car? Why?
7. What were the things Walter was supposed to buy?
8. What was the reaction of Walter’s wife when she found him
sitting in an old chair in the hotel lobby?
9. Comment on the last sentence of the story: “Then with that
faint, fleeing smile playing about his lips, he faced the firing squad;
erect and motionless, proud and disdainful, Walter Mitty the
Undefeated, inscrutable to the last.”
10. What two images of Walter can you see presented in the
story?
11. How is the concept of masculinity revealed in the story?
II. True or false? Some of the statements below are true and
some are false. Choose the false statements and explain why they
are incorrect.
1. Mitty imagined himself as an airplane commander.
2. Mitty’s wife thought he was driving too fast.
3. Mitty had to get a haircut.
4. A policeman ordered Mitty to stop.
5. As a doctor, Mitty was considered to be the top in his field by
his imaginary colleagues.
6. Mitty’s arm was in a sling, so he could not take the chains off
his tires.
7. Mitty knew his wife would not forget what he had to buy.
8. Mitty’s wife was supposed to be waiting for him at the hotel.
152
9. Captain Mitty planned to drive a tank through enemy fire.
10. According to Mitty’s last daydream, he was about to be
executed.
ACTIVE VOCABULARY
rakish (adj) — 1. wild and irresponsible; dissolute 2. showing a
cheerful informal self-confidence; jaunty
hurricane (n) — a storm that has very strong fast wind and that
moves over water
crew (n) — 1. all the people working on a ship, plane, spacecraft, etc.
2. a group of people working together: a camera crew on a movie
set 3. infml a group or collection of people
motley crew — a strange or unusual mixture of people
to hurtle (v) — to move or rush with great speed: All of a sudden, a
car came hurtling round the corner.
grossly unfamiliar
gross (adj)
inexcusable: The company described reports of environmental
disaster as gross exaggeration. 3. (esp. of people’s speech and
habits) rough, impolite, and offensive; coarse 4. infml, esp. AmE
very unpleasant or offensive: Ooh, gross! I hate spinach.
— 1. total: gross income 2. fml clearly wrong,
to fade (v) (away) — 1. to lose brightness, color, strength, freshness
2. to disappear or die gradually
remote (adj) — 1. (from) distant in space or time: remote stars;
remote future 2. quiet and lonely, far from the city: a remote
village in the hills
I don’t have the remotest idea = I don’t have a clue.
to have one’s hair done — to have one’s hair arranged in a style
to lurch (v) — to move with irregular swinging or rolling movements:
The drunken lurched across the street.
153
distraught (adj) — very anxious and troubled almost to the point of
madness
haggard (adj) — having lines on the face and hollow places around
the eyes and in the cheeks (as if) through tiredness, lack of sleep,
or anxiety
to glisten (v) — to shine (as if) from wetness
to adjust (v) —to change slightly, esp. in order to make right or make
suitable for a particular purpose or situation
to mutter (v) — to speak (usu. angry or complaining words) in a low
voice, not easily heard
to vault (v) — to jump over (something) in one movement using the
hands or a pole to gain more height
insolent (adj) — showing disrespectful rudeness: insolent children;
insolent behavior
cocky (adj) — infml self-confident in an unpleasant way
cocksure — infml too self-confident; offensively sure of oneself
to thrust (v) — 1. to push forcefully and suddenly 2. to make a
sudden movement forward with a sword or a knife: He skipped
aside as his opponent thrust at him.
insinuatingly
(adv) — implying something unpleasant, but not saying
it openly
to insinuate (v) — to suggest (something unpleasant) indirectly by
one’s behavior of remarks
objection (n) ― 1. a statement or feeling of opposition or disapproval
2. (to, against) a reason or argument against
to bicker (v) ― (about, over, with) to quarrel, esp. about unimportant
matters
lobby (n) ― a wide hall or passage which leads from the entrance to
the rooms inside a public building
154
tousled hair
to tousle (v) ― to disarrange (esp. the hair); make untidy
to batter (v) ― 1. to damage, break, or cause to lose shape by
continual hard use or beating 2. to beat hard and repeatedly: He
was battered to death. He was battered on the head with a cricket
bat.
scornfully ― in a manner that does not show respect; with contempt
scorn (n) ― (for) strong and sometimes angry disrespect towards
a person or thing that is regarded as worthless; contempt
disdainful (adj) ― showing that you do not respect someone or
something, because you think they are not important or good
enough: a disdainful look
disdain (n) ― complete lack of respect; the feeling that someone is
worthless or not important enough to deserve one’s attention
inscrutable (adj) ― very difficult to understand; whose meaning or
way of thinking is not at all clear; mysterious: an inscrutable smile
EXERCISES
I. Translate the following sentences into Russian paying
attention to the active vocabulary:
1. We are a happy crew in our office.
2. Does he seem as cocky in person as he is on TV?
3. His friends are rather a motley crew!
4. The haggard faces of the rescued miners showed what they had
been through.
5. He has always led a rakish life.
6. Rocks hurtled down the cliffs.
7. The gross weight of the box of chocolates is more than the
weight of chocolates alone.
8. I am sick and tired of your insolent behavior!
9. The court found the doctor guilty of gross negligence.
155
10. She wore her cap at a rakish angle.
11. Flowers soon fade when they have been cut.
12. Are you insinuating that I am not telling the truth?
13. It was an act of the grossest insolence.
14. “I think he’s insinuating that the witness has been bribed,
Your Honor.”
15. Some members of the government are beginning to mutter
about prime minister.
16. The shades faded away into the night.
17. The thieves thrust him into the back room and tied him up.
18. The truck lurched over the bumpy road.
19. Are you insinuating that my kids are insolent?
20. If no one has any objections, I’ll declare the meeting closed.
21. Hopes of peace settlement are now fading.
22. He thrust the gun into his pocket.
23. The actress said that she had been perfectly happy until fame
was thrust upon her.
24. The ship was battered against the rocks.
25. The boat gave a lurch and I fell down.
26. The meeting will be held in the hotel lobby.
27. They disdained our offers to help.
28. Everyone in town was shocked by this incidence of baby
battering.
29. The thief vaulted over the wall and ran away.
30. The two children were always bickering with each other over
their toys.
31. She disdained answering his rude remarks.
32. He was scornful of the women’s movement.
33. He treats his relatives rather scornfully, although they hardly
deserve that.
34. Relatives tonight are comforting the distraught parents.
35. There is a remote chance that you can catch him before he
leaves.
36. His father was a remote, quiet man.
37. It took a few seconds for her eyes to adjust to the darkness.
156
38. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning.
39. Twenty people were killed when hurricanes struck the Mid-
West.
II. Find the words and phrases from the active vocabulary in
the text and translate them into Russian.
III. Paraphrase the following sentences using the active
vocabulary:
1. It really annoys me that he is so arrogant and contemptuous to
others all the time.
2. The cars rushed by us with great speed.
3. Later I often saw this far-away village in my dreams and wished
I could be there again.
4. He said something indistinctly in a low voice, and I could feel
his greatest and deepest anxiety.
5. His birthday party looked like a strange gathering of people who
did not really belong together.
6. I don’t have a clue what you are trying to suggest with your
remarks.
7. I don’t want this job to be imposed on me.
8. Can you give any reasons to explain why you disapprove of
their actions?
9. He never loses a chance to show his angry disrespect towards
my family.
10. Though these two always quarrel because of something stupid
I know they love each other.
11. Your coarse rudeness wasn’t at all understandable.
12. He rumpled through my hair and gave me one of his enigmatic
looks.
13. I was trying hard to fix my chair so that I could sit comfortably,
but nothing worked.
14. I will never stop being amazed at this wild and irresponsible
life of his.
15. He seemed entirely strange to me.
157
16. After some time all the flowers in the garden started losing
color and freshness, and I knew I would have to hire a gardener.
17. There is a storm brewing in the Pacific.
18. Normally he would have no reason to be against the whole
world knowing his business.
19. What are you two whispering about?
20. Sam hit the gas and the car moved forward in an uncontrolled
way.
21. They kept arguing who should answer the phone.
IV. Translate the following sentences into English paying
attention to the active vocabulary:
1. Пассажирам необходимо пристегнуть привязные ремни,
подогнав их по размеру.
2. Эта дикая выходка новичка вывела из себя все руководство
компании.
3. После дождя появилось солнце, и асфальт заблестел.
4. Он высказал свое мнение довольно презрительно, что
абсолютно не понравилось членам команды.
5. Его взлохмаченные волосы и усталый вид не произвели
хорошего впечат
ления.
6. Если есть возражения, не бойтесь их высказать.
7. Последствия урагана в Юго-Восточной Азии ужасны,
многие отдаленные деревни исчезли с лица земли.
V. Choose the synonyms to the meanings in which the words
are used in the context of the story:
1. to adjust: to arrange, to repair, to take off
2. to batter: to knock, to beat, to turn
3. glistening: tiny, turning, shining
4. grossly: heavily, slightly, entirely
5. to jam: to push, to twist, to switch
6. menacing: threatening, burning, inviting
7. misty: damp, indistinct, crowded
158
8. remote: secret, forgotten, distant
9. to vault: to run, to jump, to back up
VI. Below are words from the active, each followed by a group
of synonyms and antonyms. Decide which is a synonym and which
is an antonym referring to the context the word is used in:
1. bickering: congenial, quarrelsome, dissident, disputing,
harmonious, squabbling, according, conciliatory
2. cocky: humble, arrogant, conceited, proud, meek, modest,
haughty, lowly, submissive, swollen
3. disdainful: contemptuous, reverential, scornful, respecting,
deferential, derisive, supercilious, venerating, cynical, insolent
4. inscrutable: impenetrable, puzzling, intelligible, enigmatic,
obvious, transparent, unfathomable, unambiguous, clear
5. tousle: muss, rumple, compose, arrange, mess, ruffle, place,
fix, sort, dishevel
VII. Locate the items below in the story and give a paraphrasis
of the meaning. This exercise may be done in writing or orally as a
basis for class discussion.
1. “... bending to their various tasks ...”
2. “... it’s one of your days.”
3. “We’ve been through all that...”
4. “Pick it up, brother!”
5. “Who has the case?”
6. “... the devil’s own time...”
7. “If you would take over...”
8. “Back it up...”
9. “Perhaps this will refresh your memory.”
10. “An excited buzz ran around...”
11. “... rapped for order”
12. “... let the man have it...”
13. “... got the wind up...”
14. “A bit of a near thing...”
159
DISCUSSION
1. Contrast the real Walter Mitty with the Mitty of his secret life.
2. Each of Mitty’s daydreams is set off by something in the real
world. Can you locate these points of departure from reality and show
how they relate to his imaginary feats?
3. What do you think of the relationship between Mitty and his
wife?
4. Why does the author make up words or use odd words in certain
contexts?
5. What do you think is the author’s attitude towards Mitty?
6. What is your impression of Walter Mitty?
7. What do you think about indulging in Mitty’s way of escaping
through daydreams? What are the reasons for such an escape?
8. What is the message of the story?
9. How is the text related to the issue of gender role stereotypes?
TEXT 2
GENDER ROLE STEREOTYPES
by C. Zastrow and K.K. Kirst-Ashman
From the moment they are born, boys and girls are treated very
differently. Girls are wrapped in pink blankets and parents are told
they now have “a beautiful little girl.” Boys, on the other hand, are
wrapped in blue blankets and parents are told they now are the proud
parents of “a bouncing baby boy.” The process of gender stereotyping
continues through childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Gender
stereotyping involves expectations about how people should behave
based on their gender. Female stereotypes include being nurturant,
supportive, intuitive, emotional, needful, dependent, tender, timid,
fragile, childlike, passive, obedient, and submissive. In stark contrast
male stereotypes include being powerful, creative, intelligent, rational,
160