Добавил:
ivanov666
Опубликованный материал нарушает ваши авторские права? Сообщите нам.
Вуз:
Предмет:
Файл:Academic English Theoretical and Practical Training of Graduate Students. Учебное пособие по практикуму английского языка для студентов 4 курса
.pdf
101
SOMETHING MORE TO READ AND TO DISCUSS
Read the article. Seven paragraphs have been removed. Choose which of the
paragraphs (A-H) fit into the gaps 1-7). There is one paragraph you do not
need to use.
Lonely Enough for You?
A hiker's paradise and there's nobody around to spoil it.
Tony Perrottet loses himself in Tasmania
“If this isn’t lonely enough for you,” a grizzled Tasmanian sheep farmer told me,
pointing out towards some desolate and windswept alpine scrub, “try the Twisted
Lakes. You can have as much solitude as you want round there,” he chortled.
1
A few days later, when I made it to Cradle Mountain. I could see what the farmer
meant. Tasmania was at its most benign – brilliantly sunny, which apparently
occurs here only one day in every 10. I’d left the main walking trail just a few
hundred yards behind, and there I was, the only living soul in a pristine moorland,
gazing into a startling emptiness.
2
I stooped at a rivulet to take a drink – safe as Evian – then stripped off my clothes
and threw myself naked into a chilly lake. Nobody was going to disturb me here
in my own private valley ... not today, not tomorrow, maybe not even for another
month. There are few places on earth where you can keep your own company so
easily as Tasmania - although when I first arrived in Cradle Mountain, I didn’t
actually feel that alone. I’d spent the night before at a chalet-style lodge with a
gaggle of raucous Aussies on summer holidays, while Eagles songs played over
and over on a perpetual loop.
3
A park ranger, identifiable by a badge with a pink Tasmanian devil on it, pointed
out the route to the Twisted Lakes: “Just chuck a left at Hanson’s Peak, mate. Not
a soul up there.” ‘Chucking a left’ took me over a mountain ridge and into the
void. Up above, bare granite peaks protruded like decaying teeth. Clusters of tiny
scarlet flowers swayed in the bush. At one turn, I nearly tripped over a wombat.
This shy, muscular, almost spherical creature scratched itself awake and lumbered
off like a miniature tank, smashing branches as it went. As the sun climbed,
bathing the landscape in a dreamy warmth, the trail wound upwards onto a
highland plateau. That’s when I found the Twisted Lakes - a trio of moss-fringed
tarns looking as deliberately arranged as a Japanese garden. As I took my skinny
dip, I realised why Tasmania is considered a hiker’s paradise by Australians. In
the rest of the country you often have to travel for days to notice a change in
landscape.
102
4
It was early afternoon when the trail emerged on the flanks of Little Horn, the
lower peak of Cradle Mountain. I had the choice of turning back or continuing in
a wide loop around Dove Lake, which sparkled like black opal far below. Well, I
thought cockily, how hard could it get?
5
Finally, I recognised the path - heading down, down, straight down a blunt outcrop
of stone called Bald Rock. I vaguely remembered the park ranger warning me
about this. (“She’s a tricky one,” he’d smirked. “Take her slow.”) From up above,
the rock looked like a giant, slippery slide.
6
“We did this exact same hike last year,” the boyfriend confided merrily. “Started
out perfect, just like today. By noon it was snowing.” At this, the pair of them
bounded down the rock face like mountain goats. “Don’t worry, you dingos,” the
girlfriend shouted back, “it’s not as bad as it looks.” Of course, they were right. If
you took it slowly. Bald Rock was a piece of cake. And at the bottom lay my
reward, a lake of Olympic-pool proportions just begging for the ultimate mountain
swim.
7
“Survive that lot, cobber?” he asked cheerily. “No worries, mate,” I said, getting
into the Tassie rhythm. “If that’s not lonely enough for you,” he said, “try the
southwestern forests ...” I cut him off as fast as 1 could: “No, no, that was plenty
lonely enough” – and roared back to the busy alpine lodge for a little raucous
banter by the fireside and a few Eagles songs.
A Two hours later, having crossed a temperate rainforest whose giant ferns
looked like something from Journey to the Centre of the Earth, 1 stumbled back
to my car. It was nearly dark, and most visitors had left. But lounging beside his
Land Cruiser was my old mate the park ranger, just making sure that the
stragglers returned safely from the wilderness.
В To my relief, a team of four Aussie bushwalkers suddenly appeared on the
trail and joined me in contemplation of the view. It was easy to identify the
couple from Tasmania – they were the ones who. even on this hot and cloudless
summer’s day, carried full rain gear and thermal underwear in their packs.
C When I woke up the next morning, the countryside was swathed in a chilly,
pea-soup mist. But by the time I’d finished breakfast, the sky had transformed
into a dome of cloudless blue - an invitation to explore.
103
D But then the landscape changed again. The soil became drier, the sun brighter,
the heat blistering. My water was running low. The trek was starting to feel like
an out-take from Beau Geste. And was I even going the right way?
E It’s far from virgin, however. Walkers on the trail past Hanson’s Peak have
engraved a relatively clean path on the bushy terrain. I was tempted to use it
myself, but only for a moment. The temptation of attempting to reach the Peak
itself was too powerful. It would take some serious climbing, but the sun was
still high, and the potential reward for bothering to unpack my climbing gear far
too great to ignore.
F I could taste the isolation in the air. The Tasmanian wind, having drifted
thousands of miles across the Indian Ocean, is the purest on the planet. Alpine
lakes glittered like dark pearls in the sun. Mountain ridges continued into the
horizon, row after row, ad infinitum.
G I wasn’t sure if this was a recommendation or a warning. In Australia’s
enormous island state, solitary bushwalkers still occasionally disappear never to
be seen again. The farmer was talking about Cradle Mountain-Lake, St Clair
National Park, more than 1.200 square km of mountain wilderness on the rim of
Tasmania’s savage central highlands. I resolved to go.
H But there, wild mountain vistas are broken at every turn by delicate natural
set pieces. All around me the gnarled bushes were like bonsai; the granite around
them glistened almost white, as if sandblasted clean. And not a soul in sight.
104
SELF-ASSESSMENT TEST ON MODULE 2
(Total – 70 points)
1. Give synonyms (6 points):
energetic –
various –
peaceful –
crowded –
way of life –
in a very bad condition –
2. Insert prepositions (10 points):
side … side, to settle … maracuya, to dance … worries, to qualify … membership,
to live cheek … jowl, to get … feet, to drive … local shopkeepers, to be made …
… small islands, to hold … old values, to find about the club … a website.
3. Make word collocations (5 points):
A) crime
B) healthcare
C) vibrant
D) transport
E) traffic
1) system
2) congestion
3) infrastructure
4) rate
5) nightlife
4. Substitute the following phrases with phrasal verbs (5 points):
to put into practice –
to delay smb –
to decorate/restore (the room) –
to invent/think of smth. –
to meet/come by chance –
105
5. Complete the text with words (12 points): off the beaten track, unspoilt,
diverse, tranquil, heart, side by side, vast, run-down, stunning, packed, gaze,
stroll.
Instead of going to usual tourist spots, Werner and I went (1) to Talinn, the
capital of Estonia. I'm glad we did. The (2) of the city is the Old Town. We found
the architecture absolutely (3) with cobbled streets and church spires, castles and
beautiful ancient buildings standing (4). We wandered for a while before stopping
for lunch in a local restaurant. I ate a superb cod and potato dish while Werner
tucked into a lamb cutlet.
The best thing to do in Tallinn is to (5) at the old buildings - the (6) town
hall, which seems to stretch for miles, and the wonderful Alexander Nevsky
Cathedral. It's a great city to (7) around because everything is fairly close together
and the streets are pedestrian-friendly.
We were staying in a very cheap hotel near the centre. The building was old
and slightly (8) and the room wasn't the biggest, but it was clean and comfortable.
In the evening we went out to sample the nightlife. I was told that the clubbing
scene is pretty (9), with techno, jazz, folk and disco music all available every night
of the week. Tallinn is also becoming popular with the stag party crowd and
apparently some of the nightclubs – Hollywood and Decolte in particular – are
usually (10) with tourists. But when we were there, the town seemed completely
(11) by tourism. Werner and I went for a quiet drink in a bar called Guitar Safari,
and ended up listening to excellent live music all evening. Overall, after the
excitement of some of the other cities, we found our experience of Tallinn
extremely (12), but by no means boring (2, c.17).
6. Put the lines in the correct order (12 points):
a) Paris is one of the great tourist destinations. Its mild ______
b) tension in some areas o the city. The crime _____
106
c) out for exorbitant prices in the cafes along the Champs Elysees. These aren’t
good _____
d) infrastructure makes it easy to get around. As for atmosphere, there has been
a lot of racial ______
e) life. There are so many attractions. The Eiffel Tower is a must- ____
f) rate is rising, but there are few no-go _____
g) congestion in the centre of the city, the outstanding transport _____
h) of pickpockets on the metro. Also, watch _____
i) areas. One must, however, be wary _____
j) climate is perfect for strolling along the wide streets. Though there is traffic
___
k) living is not too high, compared to most of western Europe. Paris is famous
for its cultural _____
l) value for money, but the general cost of _____
m) see ______
7. Match the sentence halves (10 points):
1 The Taj Mahal really is a must_
2 Disney World is superb value_
3 The hotel is nice, but it's _
4 Everyone says the museum is
amazing, but in my view it's not _
5 If I were you, I'd _
6 You should try _
7 Make sure _
8 Watch out _
9 One thing to be wary _
10 Whatever you _
a) for mosquitoes and take your
malaria pills.
b) backpacking because it's cheap,
c) of is the number of pickpockets.
d) see because it's so beautiful.
e) all it's cracked up to be.
f) go in April when isn't too hot.
g) do, don't miss the textiles market.
h) a bit overpriced,
i) you go to the Eiffel Tower.
j) for money.
107
8. Translate the following word combinations into English (10 points):
небезопасный район –
убогий/обшарпанный отель –
путеводитель –
на отшибе/в глуши –
потрясающий вид –
уровень жизни –
межрасовая напряженность –
община –
бездушный город –
многонациональный город –
108
MODULE III
JOKES AND HOAXES
LEAD-IN
TOPICAL VOCABULARY
1. Check you understand the meaning of the underlined phrases. Write out
definitions of the following words and word combinations. Discuss the
suggested questions in class.
1. Do you think it’s OK to tell a white lie if it makes life easier?
2. What would you do if you heard that someone had been spreading rumours
about you?
3. Are you sometimes a bit of a gossip?
4. Have you ever taken part in (or heard about) an elaborate hoax?
5. When you describe things, are you prone to exaggeration?
6. Do you know anyone who is good at making up stories?
7.Has anyone pulled your leg on April Fool's Day?
8. Have your ever cracked a joke that fell flat?
9. No one likes being the butt of a joke. What about you? What is the best way out
if you have become one?
10. What is the latest hilarious movie you've watched and laughed your head off?
2. Explain the difference between the following pairs of words:
a) a punchline/a joke
b) a tall story/a fairy tale
c) a fake/a myth
d) a legend/an anecdote
e) a hoax/a trick
109
3. Define the following word combinations. Make up your own sentences
using them:
- to debunk a myth –
- to uncover the truth –
- to run a hoax –
- to play tricks –
- to fool the audience –
- to fake news –
4. Match synonyms:
1) elaborate trick
2) pretend –
3) tricked –
4) trickster –
5) fall for –
6) joke –
7) come clean
8) butt of the joke
9) very funny
10) play a joke on smb
11) fall flat
a) fooled
b) fraudster
c) fake
d) prank
e) hoax
f) tell the truth
g) believe
h) victim of the joke
i) be unsuccessful
j) pull smb’s leg
k) hilarious
5. Underline an odd word in each group and explain why:
a) prankster, fraudster, trickster, hoaxter, jokester
b) to joke, to fake, to lie, to fraud, to trick
c) fraudulent, tricky, notorious, fictitious, phony
6. Study the idioms. Look up their meaning in the dictionary. Make up
sentences of youe own.
1) to tickle a funny bone –
2) to die laughing –
3) to laugh one’s head off –
110
4) to bring the house down –
5) to split your sides –
6) belly laugh –
7) a barrel/bundle of laughs –
7. Insert idioms from ex.6 into the sentences below:
1. Hey, take a look at this video - it might _____ your _____ _____ ! 2. "He's a
bit serious, isn't he?" "Yeah, not exactly a _____ _____ _____ " 3 The play was
supposed to be very funny but the audience did not really _____ _____ . 4. Do
you remember the scene in ‘Friends’ with ducks and clowns? I _____ my _____
_____ ! 5. She _____ _____ _____ _____ with her jokes. 6. When she started
singing in that funny voice, we nearly _____ our _____ . 7. His mouth curls into
a wide smile before devolving into a deep _____ _____ .
8. Match the types of humour from the box to their definitions in 1-8.
Cartoon, satire, prank, black humour, pun, farce, exaggeration, irony
1. a practical joke or mischievous act.
2. a funny drawing;
3. jokes about death and other serious issues;
4. humorous use of words that sound the same but have different meanings;
5. comic drama using unlikely situations and people acting stupidly;
6. not saying exactly what you mean, or saying the opposite of what you mean for
a humorous effect;
7. giving the impression that smth is greater or larger than it is for comic effect;
8. laughing at politicians and important people to expose and criticize their
stupidity or vices;
Соседние файлы в предмете [НЕСОРТИРОВАННОЕ]