Conversational practice dialogues a. А bit of gardening

Ex. 1. Read, translate and practise the dialogue.

Nora: What are you going to do оn this beautiful warm Sunday, Harry?

Harry: I think I shall do а bit of gardening. Will you help me, Nora?

N: Of course I will. Shall I put on my gardening boots?

Н: Yes, do - and so will I. I’m going to dig up that dead tree at the bottom of the garden.

N: Shall I be able to help you?

Н: No, I don’t think you will. You can be cutting off the tops of the dead flowers by the wall; you can pull up by the roots. We want the ground to be quite clear before the winter. You will see when I have finished – or I’ll see when you have - and then we’ll think of something we can do together.

N: Оh, Harry - will you please paint the roof of the shed? That really does make the garden look untidy.

Н.: It shall be painted! - but not till next weekend.

N.: And you shall have а glass of beer when the tree is dug up. I’ll bring it out to you.

Н: That’ll be very nice - I shall certainly be ready for it.

N: Are you going to water those new fruit-trees?

Н.: No, I shan’t do that, because I think it will rain tomorrow. But I’m to cut the grass.

N.: I’ll cut it if you like.

Н: No, you just clear the flowerbeds and then we’ll see. Now, what tools shall we need?

N.: Yоu will want the spade and fork, and I shall want the trowel.

Н.: I say, how black those clouds are getting. I think it’s going to rain.

N: Then we shall have to put off our gardening until this afternoon.

Н: I hope I can still have my glass of beer!

Ex. 2. Many people today have got their own gardens and kitchen gardens which demand much work. Do you think it's really good to work in the garden? Why? Why not? Discuss it in pairs. Make use оf the previous dialogue.

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B. A conversation with jack hanna

Ex. 1. Read the interview with Jack Hanna. Express your point of view on this topic. Do you think it’s cruel to keep animals at zoos?

I recently had an opportunity to sit down with Jack Hanna and talk about the Columbus Zoo, his hit television show “Animal Adventures”, and his plans for the future. Jack is exactly as he appears. Earnest, perceptive and very witty. He makes you feel like you’ve known him all your life. Here are some of the things we talked about.

AS: A lot of people are keeping uncommon or unusual pets now. What type of unusual animals make good pets?

JH: A gerbil, hamster, certain types of fish, parakeets, parrots. Parrots that have been raised domestically, of course. You don’t need to get into the tigers and lions and stuff because that just leads to major problems and it’s against the law. You can get a lion now for one hundred dollars, but the habitat will cost you one hundred thousand dollars and that’s what people just don’t understand. I have no problem with private breeders of exotics because most of them are successful.

AS: In the same vein, what animal do you feel is not suited for, or would be miserable in captivity?

JH: Well that depends on what you mean by captivity. Right now 99% of the animals come from zoological parks. Our zoo and zoos all over the world. We are doing such a good job breeding that they’re already born into a zoological situation where there is no stress or anything. They don’t have to look for food or even a mate basically, they get medical care, they’ve got it made. A lot better off than in the wild. The wild is not a very pleasant place to be right now in most parts of the world. There is habitat loss, poaching, disease, so many things. It’s the fact that we now are causing the extinction so most all zoo animals have it much better. Oh... okay, one time we brought a polar bear in here that was in the dumps up in the Northwest territory. They were going to kill it. So we spent the money and went up there and brought it here. It was the wrong thing to do. The animal probably should have been euthanized. I mean it was a full grown, eight year old polar bear that was taken out of the wild because we wanted to save it from being killed.

AS: So sometimes a humane death is preferable?

JH: Well, you have to understand, this was a wild animal that had been born and raised in the wild so it didn’t know any different. It didn’t know what a moat was or understand a zoological situation. When we bring animals in from the wild for gene pools it’s done at a very young age when they don’t know the difference.

AS: What about people who believe there shouldn’t be zoos?

JH: They don’t understand, they haven’t been to the places I’ve been or seen what I’ve seen. They don’t understand about the educational value of a good zoo. You can only teach saving an animal by loving it and that’s what a zoo teaches you, how to love that creature.

AS: What kind of pets do you have?

JH: I have a dog named “Brass”, and a mastiff “Ben” that weighs two hundred and twenty pounds. And there’s “Willy Woo” our fourteen year old cat.

AS: I’m involved with Potbellied pigs. Have you had any experience with potbellies?

JH: Of course! As a matter of fact I did a story once on a lady in California. She had this pig that was probably three hundred pounds. He lived in her house, and was fantastic. Potbellied pigs are extremely intelligent. I mean, think about it, they are pets…

Ex. 2. How are animals treated in your country? Discuss this topic in pairs.

1. Are there organizations that protect animals and the environment? Do you belong to one?

2. Are there any species that are in danger of extinction? Which ones?

3. Are there any national parks, safari parks, and conservation areas? Do you visit them?

4. Is there a zoo in your town? What are the conditions like? Do you think animals should be kept in cages?

5. Do people hunt wild animals and birds? Do you ever go hunting?

6. Are animals treated cruelly in national or regional celebrations? How?

7. Are animals used in medical experiments? Which animals? Why?

8. Which animals are kept as pets? Which is the most popular? Do people treat their pets well?

9. What wild animals are registered in the Red Book? How can we protect endangered species?

10. Some people think it is wrong to keep animals in zoos. Do you agree?