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Файл:Практика английской речи = English Speech Practice 2-й курс
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lose
loser
participate
participant
point
record
record-breaker
record-holder
rival
rivalry
score
score
v
n
v
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
v
(lost) to be defeated; to fail
Ant: win
a game
to lose a war
money (at cards)
• They lost to a stronger side.
to be a good / bad loser
to take part or become involved
to participate in a competition / discussion / meeting
a person who participates in smth
(in sport) a scoring system used in deciding who is the winner;
Syn: score, goal
to score a point
• We won the rugby game with 12 points to 3.
the best performance in sport
to beat / break a record
to hold the world record (in / for)
to set (up) a record
an Olympic
all-time record
a world
a person who broke the record
a person who holds the record
(for / in smth) a person or a thing competing with another
Syn: opponent
the rival team
• We have a new rival for the title of champion.
• She has no rival in the field of romantic fiction.
Syn: competition
a number of points, goals, etc. made by a player or team in a
game, competition, etc.
Syn: point, goal
a high / low score
to make a score of 50 points
to keep the score
to win / lose the game with the score 4 to 2 / 2 to 4 / 2 to 0 (nil)
1. to gain (points, etc.) in a game, competition, etc.
to score a goal
• He scored 3 points in the last half of the game.
201
spirit
sport(s)
sporting
stamina
support
support
supporter
team
train
trainee
trainer
n
n(pl)
adj
n
v
n
n
n
v
n
n
• She scored the highest mark in the test.
• Neither side scored in the game.
2. to give a certain number of marks, points, etc. to (a competitor)
• The French judge scored our skaters 5.8.
(in sport) force, effort or excitement shown
sporting spirit
team spirit
• They always lose because they have no team spirit
1. a physical activity done
• He’s fond of sport.
2. a form of such activity
amateur / professional sport
team / athletic / country sports
a sports field / day / programme
connected with or interested in sport
a sporting man / occasion
an ability to endure much physical or mental strain
• Marathon-runners need plenty of stamina. He doesn’t have
the stamina to be a teacher.
to help smb by one’s approval or sympathy or by giving money.
Syn: be a fan
to support a cause / a club / a theatre / a team
• Which side / team do you support?
(for smth / smb) to do smth in support (of)
a regular supporter (of a club / team)
a group of people who work, act or play together
Syn: crew
• The school cricket team was / were winning.
• Football is a team game.
team events
team spirit
to cause smb or become physically fit by exercise and diet
• He’s been training hard for the races.
a person being trained for a job, etc.
Syn: coach
202
training
win
win
winner
winning
yacht
yachting
yachtsman
n
v
n
n
adj
n
n
n
a process of preparing or being prepared for a sport or job.
athletic training
to go into training
to be in (strict) training for (the game, etc.)
(won) 1. to be victorious
to win in a battle / contest / race, etc.
2. to obtain or achieve smth as the result of a competition,
race, etc.
to win smth from smb
• She won the first prize.
to win (smth) hands down (infml.) = to win easily
• The local team won (the match) hands down.
win or lose = whether one succeeds or fails
• Win or lose, it should be a very good match.
to win the toss = to guess correctly when a coin is tossed up
which way it will fall (esp. to decide which team will start a
match)
to win smth back = to regain smth after a struggle
• Our team has had 4 wins and no losses this summer.
a person, horse, etc. that wins
that wins or has won
the winning horse, number, ticket
a light sailing boat built for racing and for cruising
to be keen on yachting
(pl – men) a round-the-world yachtsman
203
Part
IV
THE PICTURE OF THE WORLD
O would some Power the gift give us
To see ourselves as others see us!
It would from many a blunder
And foolish notions free us.
Robert Burns
UNIT 1
F
What Robert Burns says about individuals is equally true of nations.1∗
Every country tends to accept its own way of life as being the normal one and to praise
or criticize others as they are similar to or different from it. And unfortunately, our picture of
the people and the way of life of other countries is often a distorted one.
Here is a great argument in favour of foreign travel and learning foreign languages. It is
only by travelling in, or living in, a country and getting to know its inhabitants and their language, that one can find out what a country and its people are really like. And how different
the knowledge one gains this way frequently turns out to be from the second-hand information gathered from other sources! How often we find that the foreigners whom we
thought to be such different people from ourselves are not so very different after all!
Differences between peoples do, of course, exist and, one hopes, will always continue
to do so. The world will be a dull place indeed when all the different nationalities behave
exactly alike, and some people might say that we are rapidly approaching this state of af-
∗
See the epigraph.
204
THE WORLD WOULD BE A DULL PLACE…
As Others See Us
fairs. With almost the whole of Western Europe belonging to the European Economic
Community and the increasing standardisation that this entails, plus the much greater rapidity and ease of travel, there might seem some truth in this – at least as far as Europe is
concerned. However this may be, at least the greater ease of travel today has revealed to
more people than ever before that the Englishman or Frenchman or German is not some
different kind of animal from themselves.
Yes, travel does broaden the mind. And learning the language and culture of another
nation does liberalise one’s outlook. It is to be hoped that more and more of the ordinary
people in all countries will have the opportunity to do both things in the future. But when
people travel they should be open to new experiences.
National Stereotypes
Stereotype is a fixed idea or image of what a particular type of person or thing is
like. After you read the text Typically American?, discuss the problem of national
stereotypes.
Pre-reading tasks:
Ex. 1 Read the title TYPICALLY AMERICAN?
Are you sure that you will find the answer to the question “What is typically American?
Yes / No Why not?
Ex. 2 Answer the questions:
• What’s your idea of a typical American?
• What is typical American food / landscape / climate?
• What is a typical American car?
• What language(s) do Americans speak?
• What nationalities live in America?
Typically American?
“America, it may be news to the learned, is a part of the human condition
and within its borders there is still vast variety of interest, amusement,
Few of us like to be told that we’re average, and Americans are no exception. Far
worse, however, is to be told that we, or the things we do, are typical of our nation. “Oh,
that’s so typically American (or British, or French, etc.),” is the kind of statement most of us
object to. Generalizations about nationalities (Americans are incurable optimists, Germans
are professional pessimists, and Italians are amused by both) are usually not welcomed,
even when they’re basically accurate.
goodness, evil, humor, absurdity, and all the other human attributes.”
(Alistair Cooke)
205
With Americans, this reaction may even go deeper. One generalization often made
about Americans is that they value their individualism quite highly. They place great emphasis on their individual differences, on having a great number of choices, and on doing
things their own way. This is perhaps why general statements about American lifestyles
are frequently resented by Americans. Part of being an American is not being, and not
wanting to be typical.
There are other difficulties with summarizing American ways of life and attitudes.
Whereas, for example, Italians or Germans form a largely homogeneous society – white,
Christian, and speaking one language – Americans do not.
Such difficulties, which stem from the enormous variety of America and Americans,
should be rather obvious. Less apparent at first thought is that of what was once said to be
typically American is often no longer just American. Largely since the Second World War,
more and more American social and cultural habits have taken hold in Europe, from cornflakes and the televised news for breakfast to the evening barbecue or grill party.
In the early 1960s, for instance, it was still possible for an American to quip that “in the
US, we take a shower every day and go food shopping once a week – in Europe, they do it
the other way around.” Today, of course, this is no longer the case. American habits have
not changed that much, but European ones have, along with the increase in supermarkets
and shopping centers, the number of cars, and the modernization of housing. So-called
convenience and frozen foods are now as popular in Europe as they are in America. Similarly, to talk about a car culture, a throw-away culture, or the generation gap as exclusively
American concerns makes little sense today.
For their part, Americans are now buying smaller cars, and working more. More and
more of them are cooking “from scratch” instead of using prepared foods. And, certainly,
Italian fashions and French wines (as well as French fashions and Italian wines), German
cars, and Dutch cheese are selling well in the US. Yet overall, trends in lifestyles have
moved and still move across the Atlantic from west to east. Another generalization, this
one European, says it well: “What they’re doing in California today we’ll probably be trying
in Europe tomorrow.”
As a result, there are at least two generalizations that can be safely made. First, Americans tend to be trend-setters in lifestyles. And, secondly, what is thought to be typically
American today probably won’t be so for long. Most interesting, therefore, are those habits
and attitudes, customs and conventions which have been consistently observed among
Americans over time.
Ex. 3 Look through the text quickly and try to find out why there’s a question
mark (?) at the end of the title.
Ex. 4 Read the text again and find the answers to the questions.
• What most people don’t like?
• Do Americans want to be typical?
206
Ex. 5 Match most typical combinations (some are found in the text) and discuss them.
1. French
2. Japanese
3. Italian
4. German
5. American
6. Chinese
7. British
8. Spanish
a. cars
b. restaurants
c. traditions
d. prosperity
e. technology
f. wines
g. bullfights
h. fashions
Do you believe in stereotypes?
Ex. 6 There’re lots of stereotypes concerning different nationalities. Some may be
accurate but very many are not. Extend the list and justify your opinion. Please
remember that some stereotypes are even offensive.
The Americans are optimists
The French are amorous
The Germans are
The British are
The Belarusians are
The Russians are
etc.
Note: Nationality words with the definite article
You can use the definite article when referring generically to nations or racial groups
And he helped the French and the Russians do the same.
With some groups, you use the and the nationality adjective. You do this when the adjective ends in
'-sh', '-ch', '-ese', or '-ss' (unless there is a different word which is used to refer to a person belonging to
that group, for a example 'Swede' or 'Turk', which does not end in '-man').
When referring to the people of Spain, you can say either 'the Spanish' or 'the Spaniards'
The Dutch are planning to do that by 2025.
The Chinese have their own version of this proverb.
The Swiss see no need to change their policy of 'armed neutrality.'
With other groups, you can use the and the plural form of the noun used to refer to a person belonging to that group.
As fighters, the Canadians, Australians, and New Zealanders had an especially high reputation.
The Poles had struggled for freedom in a series of wars and revolutions.
We may wear different hats,
but we all wear the same smile.
We may speak different languages,
but they are all rooted in one basic grammar.
We may have different marriage customs,
but we all fall in love.
D. Morris
207
Ex. 7 Complete the following lists. Don't forget that in some countries they speak
more than one language.
He or she comes from … He or she is … He or she speaks…
Australia
Austria
Belarus
Belgium
Brazil
Britain
Canada
China
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Italy
Japan
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Russia
Spain
Switzerland
Turkey
________________ ________________
________________ ________________
________________ ________________
________________ ________________
________________ ________________
________________ ________________
________________ ________________
________________ ________________
________________ ________________
________________ ________________
________________ ________________
________________ ________________
________________ ________________
________________ ________________
________________ ________________
________________ ________________
________________ ________________
________________ ________________
________________ ________________
________________ ________________
________________ ________________
________________ ________________
________________ ________________
Ex. 8 Complete the following statements using articles where necessary and a na-
tionality word.
1. ____________ believe that their home is their castle.
2. ____________ are well known for their luxury fast cars like Mercedes or BMW.
3. ____________ are known for their smile and optimism.
4. ____________ are the most popular nation on the earth.
5. ____________ used to believe in gods who lived on Mount Olympus.
6. ____________ were ruled by the Tsars until 1917.
7. ____________ are famous for their hockey team.
8. ____________ are always dressed in an elegant way.
9. ____________ believe in Budda and reincarnation.
10. ____________ are renowned all over the world, as their men wear special skirts,
known as kilts.
208
Ex. 9 Which nationalities do you think may be described with the adjectives in the box:
g
hard-workin
easy-going punctual friendly reserved emotional
lazy outgoing hospitable sociable formal casual
enthusiastic quiet tolerant talkative sophisticated well-dressed
fun-loving respectful humorous serious nationalistic romantic
Here is another stereotype which is generally accepted by many people:
THE BRITISH ARE CONSERVATIVE
Do you think this generalization is accurate?
Arguments
For Against
Some arguments against
Discoveries and technological innovations made in England:
• genetic finger prints in 1901
• the law of gravitation
• splitting atom
• cloning
• …
• …
• …
Inventions first introduced in England:
• steam engine
• railway between Stockton and Darlington in 1825
• Underground in London in 1863
• …
• …
• …
Most of ball games originated in England:
• football, cricket, rugby, golf
• new sports events Gladiators were recently introduced in Great Britain
New trends and lifestyles:
• The Beatles introduced a new style in pop music in mid 60s
• the famous British model Twiggy was the first to demonstrate a hip-hugging mini-skirt in
mid 60s
• …
• …
• …
209
Extend the lists with the information you find in various sources.
And finally! – What other nation’s language is spoken all over the world? Hopefully the
discussion will lead you to the conclusions:
The British are not conservative
The British value their traditions
The British are trend-setters in lifestyles
Just for Fun.
☺
Ex. 10 Match the word combinations in which adjectives are names of nationalities with their Russian equivalents. Do they fit national stereotypes in y our opinion?
1. Chinese compliment
2. Dutch bargain
3. Dutch courage
4. English вreakfast
5. English disease
6. Greek gift
7. Indian gift
8. Russian roulette
9. Russian tea
10. American dream
11. take French leave
a) чай с лимоном, подающийся в стакане
b) хандра, сплин
c) уйти не прощаясь
d) сделка, завершенная выпивкой
e) пьяная удаль; море по колено
f) притворный интерес к мнению других
g) подарок, таящий в себе опасность; дары данайцев
h) подарок, рассчитанный на ответный подарок
i) плотный завтрак с горячим блюдом
j) американская мечта
k) “русская рулетка”
Ex. 11 After you read about the British and Belarusian character comment on how
similar and how different we are.
THE QUIVERING UPPER LIP
The British Character: from self-restraint to self-indulgence
When my mother arrived in England shortly before the outbreak of World War II, she
found the people admirable, though not without the defects that corresponded to their virtues. By the time she died, two-thirds of a century later, she found them rude, dishonest,
and charmless. They didn’t seem to her, moreover, to have any virtues to compensate for
their unpleasant qualities.
What, exactly, were the qualities that my mother had so admired? Above all, there was
the people’s manner. The British seemed to her self-contained, self-controlled, law-abiding
yet tolerant of others no matter how eccentric, and with a deeply ironic view of life that encouraged them to laugh at themselves and to appreciate their own unimportance in the
scheme of things. The English seemed to her the most thoughtful people in the world. They
were polite and considerate. Not pushy or boastful; the self-confident took care not to humiliate the shy and timid: and even the most accomplished was aware that his achievements were a drop in the ocean of possibility. She noticed the reluctance of the British to
draw attention to their accomplishments, to blow their own trumpets.
210
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