4. Practise reading the poem to the given stresses tone marks. Learn it by heart, be ready to recite it in class. Sonnet cxxx by w.Shakespeare

My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun;|

Coral  is far more red  than her lips’ red;|

If snow be white,| why then  her breastsare dun:|

If hairs be wires,| black wires grow on her head.

I have seen roses  damask’d,  red and white,|

But no such roses see I in her cheeks;|

And in some perfumes  is there more de light |

Than in the breath  that from my mistress reeks.

I love to hear her speak, | yet well I know 

That music hath a far more pleasing sound;|

I grant I never saw a goddess go;|

My mistress when she walks  treads on the ground;

And yet,| by heaven,| I think my love as rare

As any she| belied  with false compare.

5. This exercise is meant to test your ability to analyze and reproduce material for reading and retelling. Read the text silently. Mark stresses and tunes, find the communicative center of the text. Retell the text.

The Royal Opera House

The Royal Opera House at Covent Garden (known to most theatre-goers as The Garden) stands not far away from one of the most famous, of London streets, the Strand, in the West End. It is the best opera house in Europe with one of the finest orchestras.

The name "Covent" comes from "Convent", a nunnery. In the Middle Ages the area near Bow Street was occupied by a convent and now the name alone keeps up the memory. After King Henry VIII closed the convent, the area turned into a very beautiful place with fashion­able houses all round it.

The present day theatre was the third to be built: twice in two centuries Covent Garden has been burned down. Outside there are tall pillars, flags and lights. The inside is far more beautiful. The large auditorium is in the shape of a horseshoe. There you can see the great dark velvet curtains with the royal initials E II R (Elizabeth II Regina) at the bottom and much more dark velvet and plush all round. Covent Garden is open almost the entire year and when the opera company is resting or touring the ballet company takes the stage. This is a newer art for Covent Garden than the opera but it has already become an international one since the Royal Ballet goes on tour abroad and has made the name of Covent Garden famous.

6. Listen to the dialogue “Sleeping Beauty”. Read the following dialogue and act it out. Make up a dialogue of your own. Exchange your opinions on some play (opera, ballet) you have recently seen.

Sleeping Beauty

Cathy: Good morning, Dennis.

Dennis: Hi, Cathy.

Cathy: Gee, I’m tired this morning.

Dennis: You are? Why?

Cathy: Well, I went to the ballet last night.

Dennis: You did? What did you see?

Cathy: I saw “Sleeping Beauty”.

Dennis: Who was in it?

Cathy: Heather Kirkland and Rudolf Barishnev. And there was a new dancer – Lourdes Lopez.

Dennis: Was Heather Kirkland good?

Cathy: She usually dances well, but last night she danced badly.

Dennis: Really? But Barishnev was good, of course …

Cathy: Well … last night he didn’t do very well.

Dennis: Incredible! But what about Lourdes Lopez?

Cathy: She’s a very good dancer. She danced beautifully.

Dennis: New dancers always work hard. They’re never careless.

Cathy: Oh, do you like ballet too?

Dennis: Not really. I prefer disco dancing.

7. a). Listen to monologue 49 from E.L.C. Recognize the intonation pattern of each utterance. Practise reading the dialogue imitating the speakers’ intonation.