Exercise 2

Translate the following sentences, discuss the words in bold type and point out their origin.

1. The coastline of Greece is regular in outline according to the map.

2. I don’t like students cheating in exams.

3. Many people like drinking green tea. But I prefer black one.

4. Many people were standing at the station and shuffling from foot to foot.

5. The colonnade of the Royal Palace enchanted us with its splendour.

6. It’s out of doubt this student will get only red diploma.

7. This young boy turned out to be a very brave person.

8. Many foreign tourists prefer putting up at bungalows.

9. Greece is a real mystery for all people owing to its ancient mythology.

10. The terrace of the mansion looked on to the sea which attracted everybody’s attention.

11. An awful earthquake destroyed buildings and many people turned out to be homeless.

12. A pupil made a very rude mistake in his dictation and got a satisfactory mark.

13. Gulls were flying above the sea-waves and screaming.

14. A little girl took a lump of cheese and ate its with milk.

15. Palm and olive-trees stood out on the background of the sea.

Abbreviations exercise 1

Translate the following sentences and define the type of the abbreviations in bold type.

1. I suppose I shall find the address in the phone book.

2. “I’m afraid I’ve had a suspicion from very early days.” “Since when?” “I’m afraid – since the three of you came to me in the lab last Christmas.”

3. Wishing you congrats and all the best from my wife and I, Yours faithfully, Mr. and Mrs. Harper.

4. “Look, I’ll rev the engine again, and you watch the back wheels.”

5. When I came back from France they all wanted me to go to college. I couldn’t. After what I’d been through I felt I couldn’t go back to school. I learnt nothing at my prep school anyway.

6. She had given Reggie a good education, sent him to riding lessons, and pushed him through his professional exams in the property business.

7. “I will leave you those mags,” she said. “You ought to read them sometime.”

8. It was his sister’s voice from the stairs. “Oh, Matthew, you promised.” – I know, sis. But I can’t.

9. On the polished lino the old noised-up cleaner sounded like a squadron of aeroplanes.

10. There were two prams in the hall and the smell, milky and tender, of small children.

11. “Wasn’t there any subject you enjoyed.” “Only maths.” “Maths?” I said rather surprised. “I loved maths. But it wasn’t well taught.”

12. He could no more write words to a pop song, or a piece for a pop paper, than break the sound barrier on his bicycle.

13. You don’t mean to say that bloody British gent is coming to inspect you?

14. I do nearly all shopping and most of the cooking since my old ma’s had her op.

15. Jeff Jefferies stopped his van outside one of the few detached houses in Archibald Road.

Exercise 2

Translate the following sentences, pick out abbreviations and comment on their formation.

1. “It’s a little anthology,” she told the C. I. D. man. “Most of it rather over my head, though I do appreciate its merit.”

2. “Mor,” said Demoyte, “are you going to be an M. P.?” “I’m going to be a candidate,” said Mor. “Whether I’ll be an M. P. depends on the electorate.”

3. Put on your specs when buying package holidays.

4. “Is Donald coming in this evening to see Felicity?” asked Nan. Donald was their son, who was now in the Sixth Form at St. Bridge’s. “He’s taking Junior prep,” said Mor.

5. Dixon was an R. A. F. corporal in Western Scotland.

6. Anything would pick up dirt from lino. He sprinkled saw dust on the floor of her parlour.

7. The T. in this region is always high because of the humidity of the climate.

8. He asked how many fur coats or colour TV sets these people bought.

9. You could, if you were in a technical mood, spend the day on dems – demonstrating this and that.

10. A.A. batteries this month were on the move to another part of the coast.

11. Mr. George Woodcock, TUC general secretary, had spoken to the Postmaster-General on Monday.

12. And months later I got a silver corn-flake dish as the most promising new TV playwright of the year.

13. Jack had just gone downstairs with our family doctor, a sturdy middle-aged G. P., who had never seen me ill before.

14. You can put over anything with the wireless and the telly-that’s the way these dictators do it – but you can’t feed people on words.

15. I told the old lady not to make any more sandwiches, ‘cos I was off to the great metropolis.