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III. Reading skills

Ex. 1. Read the text and get its central idea. Among the statements below choose the one that tells the main idea of the text best:

  1. The classical revival is a reaction against hyperactive modern media;

  1. The classical revival has a lot to do with the inherent attractions of the classics, its universal appeal;

  1. Renewed interest in the classics in American culture, both high and low, is much the better for it.

Ex. 2. Read the text again and note important details. Divide the text into logical parts. Find key sentences in each part.

Ex. 3. Find in the text and read aloud sentences that prove that...

  1. ... "America is hot for Hercules".

  2. ... the media have taken to making up ancient heroes.

  3. ... interest in the classics is a reaction against trash, tripe and trivia in the mass media.

  4. ... the classical revival is bringing some nonsense in its wake.

  5. ... classicists have succeeded in turning the market and multiculturalism to their advantage.

  6. ... Hollywood has discovered that great writers are well worth plundering.

  7. ... "sword operas" have a universal interest.

  8. … Herodotus has become fashionable of late.

Ex.4. List the items of Ex.3 in the order in which they come in the text.

IV. Vocabulary skills

Ex. 5. Give Russian equivalents of the following word combinations and reproduce the sentences in which they are given in the text:

to be hot for

to win fans for

to stand the test of time

to have a lot to do with

to come to terms with

meditation on family values

to be well worth plundering

flesh-and-blood families

to have built-in name recognition

without a shred of evidence

Ex. 6. Give English equivalents of the following word combinations and reproduce the sentences in which they are given in the text:

зрелищная версия

пристраститься (2)

массовая культура

развивать вечные темы

изучать сайты

составлять библиографии

понятно современному человеку

переделать сюжет в свете новых идей

обладать компьютерной грамотностью

Ex. 7. Give definitions to the following expressions:

sword operas, saccharine family, flesh-and-blood family, low-brow culture, built-in name recognition, multiculturalists.

Ex. 8. Match the words and their definitions:

  1. Homer

  1. Hera (Juno)

  1. the Odyssey

  1. Iliad

  1. Troy (Ilium)

  1. Odysseus (Ulysses)

  1. the Trojan War

  1. A poem of Homer about the Trojan War;

  1. A Greek poet who lived about 800 to 900 years С, whose epic poems had a great influence on Western Literature;

  1. The story of Odysseus' ten-year journey home after the Trojan War as told by Homer;

  2. An ancient city in modern Turkey;

  3. The wife of Zeus, the Greek goddess who protected women and marriage;

  4. A historical event which is said to have taken lace between the Greeks and the Trojans, was on by the trick in which the Greek soldiers were hidden inside a wooden model of a horse;

  5. The king of Ithaka, the husband of Penelope and leader of the Greeks in the Trojan War, noted for his bravery and cleverness.

Ex. 9. Paraphrase the italicized parts:

  1. Afrocentrists happily argue that Socrates was black by origin without any proof of their claim.

  2. Hercules is not the only ancient hero America is fond of.

  3. The media's love for ancient heroes is so great that they have addicted to producing them.

  4. People are increasingly attracted by works that have proved their high quality.

  5. Mr Fagles adds that the revival has a lot in common with the inherent attractions of the classics.

  6. The view from Hollywood is, of course, a little more pragmatic.

  7. They are well-known.

  8. Classicists have also managed to reinterpret their subject in the light of multiculturalism.

  9. Classicists took to producing fine translations and also learnt to me computers.

10. A subject that once looked as if it was dying has clearly sprung back to life — and to the benefit of the American culture, both high and low.

Ex. 10. Complete the sentences:

  1. The media's love for ancient heroes ...

  2. The most encouraging sign of a classical revival is ...

  3. " Sword operas" with their dramatic stories ...

  4. Classicists have managed to reinterpret their subject ...

  5. The increase of students studying Latin reflects ...

  6. Afrocentrists happily argue that ...

  7. Students can read Greek and Latin literature ...

  8. The revival has a lot to do with ...