 Speaking

Decide which adjectives describe a city and which describe the country. Give reasons.

polluted, scenic, crowded, relaxed, noisy, quiet, peaceful, lively, picturesque, healthy, natural, dirty, entertaining, busy, slow, modern, remote, stressful

 Speaking

Read the text again and underline the points for and against living on an island. Then, imagine you are one of the Sirrs’ children. Talk about living on the island using the expressions below:

At first I felt… What I like best is …, I enjoy …, On the other hand …, I miss …, One good/bad thing is …

Good points: e.g. more attention at school

Bad points: e.g. few children to play with

Exercise 4

Read the article and translate it into Ukrainian.

Sensations of Country Life Are Simply Sensational They’re as varied as the scent of newly mown hay, and a neighbor’s helping hand in a time of need

By Karen Reisner Oronoco, Minnesota

The COUNTRY conveys a feeling of freedom, spaciousness and well-being.

Sometimes, these sensations are as subtle as the scent of freshly plowed earth or newly mown alfalfa…. or the music of corn leaves rustling on the summer breeze.

Other times, they’re exhilarating – like when I used to ride bareback down the long green rows of corn with the wind-blown mane of my straw-colored palomino brushing my face. As I look back on that time in my life, it seems so heavenly.

My childhood days were also spent picking wild gooseberries and raspberries. While Sunday dinner was being prepared, we children made homemade ice cream, taking turns with the hand crank. The joy of making it was only exceeded by eating the smooth creamy dessert.

We played croquet in the front yard at dusk and watched heat lighting in the evening sky. As the cool night air settled upon the Earth, we’d lie in the soft grass and watch fireflies and the twinkling in the heavens. Sometimes we’d spot a shooting star to wish upon or watch in wonder as the northern lights danced across the sky.

I recall the magnificent beauty of the hills, the sunrises and sunsets and many magical moments in between.

Always Optimistic

But like all true-to-life dreams, not all is idyllic. Those who depend upon the land for their livelihood know that it can deliver the greatest highs and, occasionally, the most devastating lows. We have the illusion of controlling our own destiny, but it can be quickly undermined by countless factors, most notably the weather. For moments like these, we possess a sense of optimism, self-confidence and self-reliance.

I feel a part of nature in the country. I’ve watched a deer rear up on its hind legs to nibble from a bird feeder and chuckled as a strutting tom turkey displayed himself to his reflection in a chrome hubcap.

I’ve witnessed the drama of a bald eagle eating its kill as a half dozen brazen crows harass and encircle it to no avail…listened to the plaintive wailing of a baby raccoon under my bedroom window as it became temporarily separated from its mamma…and observed skunks and woodchucks make their homes under my house.

Good Neighbors

Country living fosters good friends and neighbors. When a toddler follows her kitten into a field of tall corn, friends, neighbors and even strangers spend hours searching. Child and kitten are found, tired and hungry, but well.

A calf born in the dead of winter, an injured baby pig or orphaned lamb may become temporary house guests. The family dog, brave enough to protect me from the threats of a dangerous bull, cowers under the kitchen table during a thunderstorm. These, too, are sensations that make life in the country so special.

But most important of all are the feelings of faith, hope and expectation of each new day as the sun rises over my country place. Country living is a life that simply fills me up.

No wonder Thomas Jefferson was inspired to write, “Those who labor in the earth are the chosen people of God.”