меркулова
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'Personally, I think it's so nice when it's hot — isn't it?' 'I adore it — don't you?'
For Bad Weather
'Nasty day, isn't it?' 'Isn't it dreadful?'
'The rain... I hate rain...'
'I don't like it at all. Do you?'
'Fancy such a day in July. Rain in the morning, then a bit of sunshine, and then rain, rain, rain, all day long.'
'I remember exactly the same July day in 1936.' . 'Yes, I remember too.'
'Or was it in 1928?' 'Yes, it was.'
'Or in 1939?' 'Yes, that's right.'
Now observe the last few sentences of this conversation. A very important rule emerges from it. You must never contradict anybody when discussing the weather. Should it hail or snow, should hurricanes uproot the trees from the sides of the road, and should someone remark to you: 'Nice day, isn't it?' — answer without hesitation: 'Isn't it lovely?'
Learn the above conversations by heart. If you, are a bit slow in picking things up, learn at least one conversation, it would do wonderfully for any occasion.
If you do not say anything else for the rest of your life, just repeat this conversation, you will still have a fair chance of passing as a remarkably witty man of sharp intellect, keen observation and extremely pleasant manners.
English society is a class society, strictly organized almost on corporative lines. If you doubt this, listen to the weather forecasts. There is always a different weather forecast for farmers. You often hear statements like this on the radio:
'Tomorrow it will be cold, cloudy and foggy; long periods of rain will be interrupted by short periods of showers.'
And then:
'Weather forecast for farmers. It will be fair and warm, many hours of sunshine.'
You must not forget that the farmers do grand work of national importance and deserve better weather.
It happened on innumerable occasions that nice, warm weather had been forecast and rain and snow fell all day long, or vice versa. Some people jumped rashly to the conclusion that something must be wrong with the weather forecasts. They are mistaken and should be more careftil with their allegations.
I have read an article in one of the Sunday papers and now I can tell you what the situation really is. All troubles are caused by anticyclones. (I don't quite know what anticyclones are, but this is not important; I hate cyclones and am very anti-cyclone myself.) The two naughtiest anti-cyclones are the Azores and the Polar anticyclones.
The British meteorologists forecast the right weather — as it really should be — and then these impertinent little anti-cyclones interfere and mess up everything.
That again proves that if the British kept to themselves and did not mix with foreign things like Polar and Azores anti-cyclones they would be much better off.
(Story by G.Mikes)
I. Discussion points.
1.What topics besides the weather are most important in Russia?
2.What other conversational formulas would you recommend to leam by heart in order to look a person of sharp intellect?
3.What other groups of population besides fanners deserve better weather?
4.What else interferes with the right forecasting except anticyclones?
5.What would you prescribe to the Russians to be much better off?
II. Choose the most unexpected answer and think of an unexpected prize for it.
Poem
January Brings the Snow
January brings the snow,
162
Makes our feet and fingers glow. February brings the rain,
Thaws the frozen lake again. March brings breeze loud and shrill, Stirs the dancing daffodil.
April brings the primrose sweet, Scatters daisies at our feet.
May brings flocks of pretty lambs, Skipping by their fleecy dams. June brings tulips, lilies, roses,
Fills the children's hands with posies. Hot July brings cooling showers, Apricots and gilly flowers.
August brings the sheaves of corn Then the harvest home is borne. Warm September brings the fruit, Sportsmen then begin to shoot. Fresh October brings the pheasant, Then to gather nuts is pleasant. Dull November brings the blast, Then the leaves are whirling fast. Chill December brings the sleet, Blazing fire and Christmas treat.
|
TOPICAL VOCABULARY |
Family Life |
|
aspirant [ 'spa r nt] |
|
aunt |
|
baby-sitter |
|
bachelor |
|
be head over ears in love |
|
be lost in admiration of |
- |
smb. |
|
be related |
|
be of full age |
|
|
|
best man |
|
bless the marriage |
|
bread-winner |
|
bride |
|
bridesmaid |
|
brother |
|
care about smb. |
|
childless |
|
civil marriage |
|
cleanliness ['klenl n s] |
|
cot |
|
cousin |
|
|
|
court [k t] smb. |
|
cross marriage |
|
date |
|
diamond ['da m nd] |
|
anniversary |
|
divorce [d 'v s] |
163
divorcee [d ,v 'si:] |
|
|
|
double date |
, |
|
|
do well at school |
|
dowry ['da r ] |
|
earn money |
|
earn one's living |
|
efficient [ 'f nt] |
|
housewife |
|
engagement |
|
[ n' e m nt] |
|
expect a baby |
|
faithfulness |
|
fall in love |
|
family album |
|
fiance [f ' nser] |
|
fiancee [f ' nse ] |
|
flirt |
|
foster mother |
1) |
|
2) |
fraternal [fr 't :nl] |
|
generation gap |
|
|
, |
|
|
get/have a crush on |
|
smb. |
|
get married |
, |
|
|
get on well together |
- |
|
|
give flowers/presents |
, |
go Dutch |
|
|
, .) |
go steady with smb. |
|
|
|
go out |
, |
|
|
golden anniversary |
|
grandparent |
|
great grandparent |
|
|
|
groom |
|
grumble at smb. |
|
guardian [' d n] |
|
harem ['he r m] |
|
head of the house |
|
honeymoon |
|
host(ess) |
( |
|
) |
household |
|
housewife |
|
164
husband |
|
in-laws (/»., pi.) |
|
|
|
juggle a family and a |
|
career |
|
keep house |
|
keep the family |
|
kith and kin |
, |
let smb. down |
, |
|
|
live apart |
|
live on one's parents |
|
|
|
love marriage |
|
maid of honour |
( |
|
), |
make a pass at smb. |
|
|
, |
|
|
make acquaintance of |
- |
smb. |
|
marital status [m 'ra tl |
|
'ste t s] |
|
marriage certificate |
|
[s 't f k t] |
|
marriage advertisement |
|
marriage of |
|
convenience |
|
[k n'v n ns] |
|
married |
, |
marry for love/money |
|
|
|
marry low |
|
|
|
maternal [m 't :nl] |
|
maternity home |
|
match |
( ) |
misalliance |
, |
[ m s la ns] |
|
monogamy |
, |
[m 'n m ] |
|
nappy |
|
new-born |
|
newly-wed |
|
nephew ['nevju:] |
|
niece |
|
offspring |
|
parent |
|
parental [p 'rentl] |
|
pass the age |
|
paternal |
|
pick up |
|
polygamy |
, |
165
[p 'l m ] |
|
pram |
|
propose |
|
proposal |
|
raise children |
|
relative |
|
resemble smb. |
|
rush into marriage |
|
single |
|
sibling ['s bl ] |
|
silver anniversary |
|
singles' bar |
|
sister |
|
solvent ['s lv nt] |
|
|
) |
spouse [spa z] |
|
spinster |
|
stepmother |
, |
stepfather |
, |
take after smb. |
|
take children to- |
... |
twin |
|
triplet ['tr pl t] |
|
uncle |
|
wallflower |
, |
|
( ) |
wedding |
|
wedlock |
.) |
widow(er) |
|
wife |
|
Conversational Formulas: |
|
He's a good family man. |
— . |
He takes after his parents. |
. |
How long have you been |
? |
married? |
|
She is an efficient housewife. |
. |
She comes from a good family. |
. |
They are a nice family. |
. |
Cheaper by the dozen. |
) . |
They had their wedding |
|
in the autumn/winter. |
. |
Dwelling |
|
adjacent [ ' ] |
|
adorn |
|
alcove [ lk v] |
, |
appliance [ ] |
, |
|
, |
armchair |
|
apartment |
|
balcony |
|
bathroom |
|
166
basement [ nt] |
, |
be crammed up with |
|
furniture |
|
be cramped for space |
|
be short of light |
|
bedroom |
|
bedside table |
|
bedspread |
|
blind [ ] |
|
block of flats |
|
block out the light |
|
bookcase |
|
building |
|
building society |
|
|
|
bungalow [b l ] |
|
bunk bed |
|
camp bed |
|
carpet |
|
ceiling ['si:l ] |
|
cellar [s l ] |
, |
central heating |
|
|
|
chair |
|
chandelier |
|
[ ] |
|
chest of drawers [' est |
|
v'dr z] |
|
china |
|
closet ['kl z t] |
, |
coat rack |
|
coffee table |
|
communal ['k mj nl] |
|
flat |
|
convenience |
|
[k n'vi:nj ns] |
|
cosy |
|
cooker |
|
cooker hood |
|
corridor |
|
cottage |
, |
country-house |
|
cover with dust sheets |
( |
|
) |
cover |
|
crammed up with |
|
things |
|
crockery |
|
|
|
crystal ['kr stl] |
|
cupboard ['k b d] |
, |
curtain |
|
curtain rail |
|
167
cushion ['k n] |
|
cutlery |
, |
|
|
|
|
decorate |
, |
detached house |
|
dining room |
|
dinner set |
|
dish-drainer |
|
do the decorating |
|
|
|
door-handle |
|
double bed |
|
drawing room |
|
dressing-table |
|
drive in a nail |
|
dustbin |
|
dwelling |
|
entrance |
|
fail to operate |
|
feel at home |
|
|
|
fence |
|
fitted carpet |
, |
|
|
fireplace |
|
flight of stairs |
|
floor (parquet, |
( , |
polished) |
) |
floor polisher |
|
flowered |
|
fluorescent |
|
[fl 'resnt] lamp |
|
flush-toilet |
|
four-poster |
|
['f 'p st ] bed |
|
freezer |
|
fridge |
|
front of the house |
|
focus of the room |
|
|
|
furnish |
|
furniture |
|
garage [' r ] |
|
get rickety |
( ) |
hall |
|
hangings |
|
hearth [h ] |
|
hedge |
|
home |
, |
houseplant |
|
housewarming party |
|
interior [ 't r ] |
|
keyhole kitchen
know where things go lamp
lavatory ['l v tr ] let a flat
lift
lights fuse/go out linoleum [l 'n lj m] living room
look out onto ...
lounge [la n ] lustre ['l st ] mansion ['m n n] mat
mixer tap modem
accomodations mortgage ['m ]
move in/to
move the furniture around
neighbour nursery
one/two/...-room flat
one/two/...-storeyed house
oven [ vn] owner palace papered
parquet ['p ke ] patterned pillow pillow-case
pipes get clogged plain
portable
put things right quilt [kw lt] radiator ['re d e t ]
real estate agency [ ]
168
,
... ( )
,
,
,
, (
)
,
/...
/...
,
( )
,
refrigerator
[rI ]
refuse-chute
[ ]
renovate [ ] ,
,
169
repair |
|
room |
|
rent a flat |
|
rug |
|
running water |
|
self-contained flat |
|
semi-detached house |
|
[ ] |
|
share a room with smb. |
|
|
|
sheet |
|
shift |
|
show the dirt |
|
single bed |
|
sink |
( ) |
sky-scraper |
|
[ ] |
|
sofa |
|
sewing-machine |
|
[ ] |
|
space |
, |
spacious [ ] |
|
spyhole |
|
stack chairs |
|
standard lamp |
|
statuette [ ] |
|
stereo [ r ] |
|
system |
|
stool |
|
storeroom |
|
stove |
, |
tap |
|
tea set |
|
three quarter |
|
[ ] bed |
|
TV set . |
|
throw open |
|
threshold |
|
[ ( ) ] |
|
tiled |
|
|
|
toilet |
|
tubular ['tju:bj l ] steel |
|
chair |
|
unlock the door |
|
upholstered furniture |
|
upholstery |
|
[ p'h lst r ] |
|
utensil [ju:'tensl] |
, |
vacuum cleaner |
|
['v kj m,kli:n ] |
|
vegetable cutter |
|
170
waffle-maker |
|
wall lamp |
|
wall-paper ['w l,pe p ] |
|
wall units |
|
wardrobe |
|
washing machine |
|
wash-basin |
) , |
['w be sn] |
|
washing wall-paper |
|
whitewash |
n. — |
|
v. — , |
|
|
window-sill |
|
yard [j d] |
|
Conversational |
|
Formulas: |
|
Do you live in a house |
|
or block of flats? |
? |
I've just had my flat |
|
repaired. |
) |
|
. |
Their flat is well |
|
furnished. |
. |
We moved to another |
1) |
flat. |
. |
|
2) |
|
|
I live at15 Pushkin |
15 |
Street. |
. |
I live on the fourth |
|
floor. |
. |
Daily Routine |
, |
annoy [ 'n ] smb. |
|
apply make- |
|
up/cosmetics |
|
[ ] |
|
arrange a party |
|
|
|
arrive at work late/on |
|
time |
|
attend classes of |
|
aerobics[ ] |
|
awake smb. |
|
awake out of a dream |
|
awaken |
, |
|
|
be a TV addict [ ] |
|
|
|
be an early riser |
|
be awake |
, |
be busy |
|
be/feel sleepy |
, |
(refreshed, tired) |
( |
|
/ |