Unit 8. Friendship Part 1. Vivien

Ex. 1 Read the text and pick up the terms referring to the topic.

There are many factors, which are impor­tant in a friendship. I think some kind of shared interest or a similar sense of humor is important. Also, some kind of shared points of refer­ence... so you always have something to talk about. Having some kind of thing that you can laugh about really keeps people together, I think. My friend from Holland, for example, has a very good sense of humor, and she always makes me laugh. It’s not like English humor, but she is really funny, so we can carry on these long dialogues about nothing much in particular. We enjoy each other’s company.

My friends in Russia have a typical kind of Russian character − very generous, kind of motherly. They are very hospitable, and really look after you if you go and stay with them. I went to visit my friend Natasha's moth­er and she cooked a huge meal with all dif­ferent kinds of food that must have been very difficult to get hold of. She cooked a huge fish with mushrooms and little pies filled with fish. So, that is an important factor.

I have got quite a lot of friends who I have not seen for years, but when we do get together, it is just like we were never apart. So, it is very easy to re-establish an old friendship if it’s important to you, even if you have gone in different direc­tions and have different friends now. Studying languages meant that I went abroad, and other friends went to other countries. My friend, Maria, went to Brazil, Anita is now in Paris, Johan went to Spain − friends are all over the globe. We don’t keep in touch regularly, I mean we write letters but not that often, but knowing that they will always be there is quite reassuring. Having friends in different places also means you can go and visit people... I hope to go to Brazil, maybe.

I certainly should go to Paris and see Anita. Anita is probably my best friend. I met her at university and we were in the same hall of residence, although she used to study medicine. We were on the same floor in this big hall and we shared a flat for the next two years, and then she went somewhere else, but then she moved into the next flat that I went to. So, over a period of like 4 or 5 years, we shared many flats and places of resi­dence. She is Indian. Her Indian parents came to England, to Birmingham, when they were, I think, 20, and had two children, two girls. So, there is Anita and her sister Monica, who is also a doctor now.

She studied at the same university.

Monica was much stricter in her religious ways, I suppose, and married another Hindu. It was almost like an arranged marriage. They met at the university and she was his first girlfriend, he was her first boyfriend and they committed themselves to each other. And now, I think, they have two children. Anita was a bit more orthodox, shall we say, in her way of thinking. She was interested in psychology, psychiatry and the mind, but she is very spiritual. She also went to India a lot of times to rediscover her roots and she is incredibly well-read about all kinds of things like religion, philosophy, and art. You can talk with her about any subject and she will not talk in a “Miss know − it – all” type of way, but you get the feeling you are talking to somebody with great intelligence. She always used to work so hard that she never had any free time.

When I lived in London, she was there working as a doctor by then, and we would meet up and go to have an Indian meal, or she would cook sometimes. That is how I learnt how to cook a lot of Indian dishes, from her, because my mother, although they lived in Sri Lanka for a long time, never cooks, or rarely cooks Indian food anyway. She cooks Tandoori chicken, and that is about it really or maybe sometimes a kind of Madras curry. But, Anita cooks all these incredible daals, made from lentils, which are usually quite hot, and also smoked aubergines, which are really nice. I used to say she had a natural gift for cooking rice, because it would always be perfect, although she never concentrated on it. What else did we do together? Eating was probably our main hobby. She used to cook some really strange things... like sandwiches that contained peaches, baked beans and tuna fish, I think, all together, and she would put mayonnaise on every­thing, ’cause she knew that I hated may­onnaise, so I would never like to eat her food. So, it was safe if she covered it with may­onnaise.

One time when she went to India, she met Eric, who’s a French man and also a yogi, I think. He was a meditation and yoga teacher there, and she ended up getting married to him and going to live in Paris.

I haven’t heard from her recently. I do not know if she has any babies or anything, but I am sure we will be in contact soon. I hope so, because I still consider her as my best friend and my greatest confidante. I could tell her anything, she was always a very good listener, and she would suggest things, but never give you a lecture, on what you should do, just offer maybe a sympathetic ear and maybe another way of looking at things, if there were any problems. Of course, when you are in university, there are always hundreds of problems.

The first time I went to Albania, I went with Anita. That was really interesting. It was nice to go away somewhere and see Albania through her eyes as well, to observe her impressions of it. One of her hobbies is photography, and she takes very good pictures. I, on the other hand, always take really awful pictures, I don't know why. I try to be quite artistic, but they always turn out really bad.

In the future, I think she intends to carry on practicing medicine, psychiatry. It’s getting very difficult in England, with the present state of the N.H.S. (National Health Service), as the further up you get, the further up at the ladder, the more separated you get from practic­ing real medicine. As you get more important, your job becomes more like an office job. I know that because a lot of people in my family are doctors, nurses, and surgeons, and they find out that the more successful they get, the more separated they are from people, from medicine, and they end up just sitting in offices. That must be very frustrating. I do not know how Anita finds being a doctor in France, it would be interesting to find out. Last time I spoke to her she was learning French, and finding it quite a hard task.

Ex. 2 Suggest the Russian equivalents to the English ones: shared interest or a similar sense of humor, shared points of refer­ence, to keep people together, to make somebody laugh, a typical kind of Russian character, to be apart, to go in different direc­tions, to keep in touch, each other's company, an arranged marriage, orthodox, to rediscover roots, to go to have a meal, to end up getting married, to be incredibly well-read, to be in contact, to be a confidante, another way of looking at things, to observe impressions.

Ex. 3 Suggest the English equivalents to the Russian ones: как будто по-матерински, держать себя в руках, великодушный, пироги с рыбой, поддерживать отношения, в частности, ничего особенного, утешительный, жильё, чечевица, баклажан, иметь талант, копчёный, набожный, начитанный, сочувствующий, оказываться, выяснять.

Ex. 4 Fill in the gaps in the sentences.

1. … important for friendship.

2. Vivien thinks that … people together.

3. It is very easy to …, even if you …

4. Vivien and her friends … regularly, but knowing that…

5. Anita had a natural gift for cooking rice, because …, although…

6. Vivien’s friends in Russia are… you if you go and stay with them.

7. Monica went to India a lot of times to … and she.

8. It was nice for Vivien to go and see Albania …, to observe…

9. With the present state of the National Health Service, as …, the more separated…

10. A lot of people find out that …, the more…

Ex. 5 Complete the sentences.

1. If Vivien and her friends get together, it is just like…

2. Studying languages meant that…

3. Having friends in different places also means…

4. Vivien learnt how to cook a lot of Indian dishes because…

5. Vivien’s friends in Russia have…

6. Vivien considers Anita as…

7. Her friends are…

8. Vivien is sure that she and her friend Anita…

9. Vivien thinks Anita intends…

10. She does not know how Anita …

Ex. 6 Are these statements true or false?

1. Vivien says there is only one factor which is important for friendship.

2. Her Russian friends are not typical Russia people. It’s difficult to get on with them.

3. You can’t be in friendly relationship if you are apart with your friend.

4. She met Anita by chance.

5. Anita is not particularly religious in her way of thinking.

6. Vivien calls Anita a “Miss-know-at-all”.

7. Anita met a French man but their relationship ended up with quarrelling and he split up with her.

8. Vivien’s relationship with Anita was a bit strained.

9. Vivien had her own impression of Albania.

10. In England the situation in medicine is so you can get more practice if you get further up at the ladder. Anita intends to carry on practicing medicine.

Ex. 7 Answer the questions.

1. What factors are important in a friendship?

2. Why do Vivien and her friend from Holland enjoy each other's company?

3. What does she narrate about Natasha's moth­er?

4. Is it possible to re-establish an old friendship if it's important to you?

5. What does having friends in different places mean?

6. Does Vivien have many friends which are all over the globe? Who are they?

7. How do Vivien and Anita become the best friends?

8. Where is Anita from?

9. Who is Monica?

10. She is very spiritual, isn’t she?

11. What subjects is Anita strong in?

12. Does she have a lot of leisure?

13. What can Vivien’s mother cook?

14. What is the best dish Anita cooks?

15. Why is Anita Vivien’s greatest confidante?

16. What is Anita’s hobby?

17. Is Vivien a good photographer?

18. When does your job become more like an office job?

19. Why does Vivien know that?

20. Where is Anita living now?

Ex. 8 Translate the sentences into English.

1. У меня с подругой общие интересы и похожее чувство юмора.

2. Русские люди очень гостеприимные.

3. Он очень щедрый человек.

4. Эта женщина относится ко мне с материнской заботой.

5. Наши соседи женаты уже 10 лет и никогда не расстаются.

6. Мы находимся в постоянном контакте.

7. Известие было утешительным.

8. Два года мы жили в одной квартире.

9. Мы условились встретиться в 5 часов.

10. Родители поручили своего ребенка заботам няни.

11. Она разговаривает как всезнайка.

12. У Маши талант в приготовлении риса.

13. Моя сестра вечно поучает меня.

15. Все закончилось тем, что Боб сдал экзамен.

16. Моя подруга всегда может мне посочувствовать и высказать свое мнение.

17. Он смотрит на жизнь глазами своей мамы.

18. После того, как он женился, он отошел от своих друзей.

Ex. 9 Give a summary of the text.

Ex. 10 Compose a topic about your friends using the expressions from the text.