Vocabulary notes

1. cellar – подвал, погреб; винный погреб

2. draining-board – сушилка для посуды

3. carpenter [`ka:pәntә] – плотник

4. plumber – водопроводчик

5. to rent a room – брать в аренду / снимать комнату

6. lease [li:s] – договор об аренде

7. Does it suit you? – Это вам подходит?

8. bath-tub – ванная

9. up-to-date equipment [ik`wi:pmәnt] – современное оборудование

10. I can’t afford it now. – Я не могу сейчас позволить себе это.

11. a mortgage [`mo:gidğ] – ипотека

12. interest rate – процентная ставка

Health

1. Between a Mother (M), her Son (S) and the Doctor (D)

M: Your nose is clogged up, your voice is hoarse and your face flushed. You

must have a cold, I’m sure. I hope it’s nothing more. Where did you manage

to get it?

S: I don’t know myself. I must have caught a cold last night after a game of

football when I felt so hot that I even took my jacket off.

M: How thoughtless of you, the evening was chilly and windy. Now you’ll have

to stay in. Here’s the thermometer, take your temperature.

S: Oh, I’ll be all right in a few hours.

M: Now, you do what you are told. Put the thermometer under your arm… Oh,

it’s thirty eight point three. You’ll have to stay away from classes today. I’ll

call the doctor…

D: What do you complain of, my boy?

S: I have a bad headache and a sore throat. I feel sort of feverish.

D: Let me feel your pulse. Open your mouth, please. Now, strip to the waist,

please. Take a deep breath… Here is the prescription. The medicine is to be

taken three times a day before meals, two tablespoonfuls each time. It will keep

the fever down.

2. At the Dentist’s

D: What’s troubling you?

A: One of my front teeth is working loose, and there’s a big one at the back that

wants seeing to.

D: You have to have this one out. It is a pity you didn’t have it looked at before.

A: I wish to goodness I had.

D: Does that other tooth pain you now?

A: Not particularly, just a dull steady pain.

D: The tooth is decaying and must be stopped. (The doctor reaches for the drill,

then cleans and drills the tooth with it, proceeds to make a filling.) Now we’ll

attend to the front tooth. Shall I apply an anesthetic to deaden the pain?

A: Yes, if you please.

D: Here is your tooth extracted. Now rinse your mouth, please.

Vocabulary notes

1. to complain of smth. – жаловаться на что-либо

2. What’s troubling you? – Что вас беспокоит?

Travelling

1. Requesting Travel Information

Traveller: Could you tell me, please, the time of the first morning plane to

Frankfurt?

Girl: Yes. The first plane leaves at 8.15.

Traveller: Thanks. And can you tell me when it arrives so that I can let my

secretary know.

Girl: It arrives at 10.00 but it may be a little late because the weather forecast

is bad.

Traveller: I see. Do you happen to know the time of the last plane this evening

then?

Girl: Well, there’s one at 11.15 but it’s fully booked, I’m afraid.

Traveller: Oh, well, I wonder if you’d let me know at my hotel if there’s a

cancellation on that flight, I’d be very grateful.

Girl: Yes, of course I’ll do that for you. What’s your number?

Traveller: 3596. Thank you. Now could you tell me how I can get to Leicester

Square, please?

2. “Airport Customs” (by A. Hailey)

“Madam”, said U.S. Customs Inspector Harry Standish quietly to the naughty angular woman whose several suitcases were spread open on the Customs inspection table between them, “are you quite sure you don’t wish to change your story?”

She snapped back: “I suppose you’re suggesting I should lie when I’ve already told you the truth”.

Harry Standish ignored the second remark, as Customs officers were trained to ignore many insults they received and answered politely, “I’m not suggesting anything, madam. I merely asked if you wished to amend your statement about these items – the dresses, the sweaters and the fur coat”.

The American passport showed that she was Mrs. Harriet Du Barry Mossman. Harry Standish said: “I wonder if you’d mind signing this form. If you like, I’ll explain it to you”.

“Why should I sign anything?” Mrs. Harriet Du Barry Mossman demanded.

He answered patiently, “To make things easier for you, madam. We’re merely asking you to confirm what you’ve already told us”.

“Suppose I refuse to sign?”

“Then we shall be obliged to detain you here while we continue the investigation”.

There was the brief hesitation, then, “Very well. You fill out the form, I’ll sign”.

“No, madam, you fill it out. Now here, please, describe the items and alongside where you say they were obtained, please, give the name of the stores; also from whom you received the fur coat as a gift”.

“Madam”, Inspector Standish said, “Is there anything else you wish to declare?” It was Customs Bureau policy to give travelers the utmost opportunity to make voluntary declarations.

“In that case, Madam”, Inspector Standish said, “Will you kindly open your handbag?”

For the first time the naughty woman betrayed uncertainty. “But surely purses are never inspected”.

“Normally, they are not. But we do have the right”. Mrs. Mossman was noticeably pale.

The Inspector instructed the young Customs officer beside him: “Inspect everything very carefully. Check the things in the bag and cases, the seams and hems of all the clothes. Make a list. You know what to do”.

He was leaving when Mrs. Mossman called after him: “Officer!”

3. Arranging Accommodation

A: Good morning. Midland Hotel.

B: Good morning. This is Gane Stevens from Daxia. I’m trying to arrange

accommodation for a number of visiting businessmen from abroad, and I’d like

to know a little about the facilities that your hotel has to offer.

A: Well, the Midland is a 3-star hotel and we are situated five minutes from centre

of town.

B: Uh-huh. And are you on the main road?

A: No, we’re on a side street, and all the rooms are very quiet.

B: And what about a restaurant?

A: Well, we find that most of our clients prefer to eat out, and as there are plenty of

restaurants in the vicinity, we have only a small restaurant – but we do serve hot

food in the evening.

B: I see.

A: Of course we do have a bar – the Cellar Bar – which has a very intimate

atmosphere.

B: And what about entertainment at the hotel? Do you put on any dances?

A: No, I’m afraid we don’t.

B: And just a couple of final questions. Do you have either a swimming pool or a

sauna?

A: No, not in the hotel, but there’s a pool with a sauna just round the corner.

B: Well, thanks very much for the information. Bye.

A: Bye.

4. Before Boarding the Plane

Ground hostess: Your boarding card, please.

John: Just a minute. Oh, here it is, in my pocket.

Ground hostess: Thank you. Please look after it. You’ll need it again on the

aircraft. Now, will you please join those passengers queuing

over there?

John: Why, what’s wrong?

Ground hostess: Oh, nothing to worry about. It’s just our normal security check,

it won’t take more than a few minutes.

John: Oh, very well then.

Security officer: May I see your hand luggage, please?

John: Yes, but do be careful. I have a vase there.

Security officer: It’ll be all right. Now, will you walk between these two posts,

please?

John: What is all this?

Security officer: It’s a detection device that shows us if anyone is carrying any

metal.

John: Interesting. What was that bell?

Security officer: Have you got anything in your right pocket?

John: Yes, my bunch of keys.

Security officer: May I have them, please? Now just walk through again, please.

John: No bell. It was the keys that made it ring, then?

Security officer: That’s right. Here are your keys back. Now walk down there,

please, and board the plane.

5. At the Hotel

A: Have you got any vacant rooms?

B: Single or double, sir?

A: Two double rooms, please.

B: You are lucky, we’ll be able to put you up. A group of tourists has just left the

hotel. Which floor would you like, sir?

A: It’s all the same to us if the lift is in order.

B: It has been out of order for a week. But I hope it’ll be all right now. Which floor

have you decided on?

A: We’ll take rooms on the fifth floor. How much are they?

B: Fifty dollars a night, sir.

A: O.K. The price is reasonable. We’ll take these rooms.