Упражнения

Ex. 1. Comment on the use of definite, indefinite or “zero” articles.

А (an)

1. This is a cat. It's a black cat. 2. There was a picture of a woman and a young girl on the wall. 3. Excuse me, is there a bus station nearby? 4. It was a quiet, sunny Sunday afternoon. 5. My granny is an elderly woman of 70. 6. Aesop was a Greek slave who lived in the 6^th century. 7. Mr. Smith is an old customer and an honest man. 8. I wish I were a poet to express my feelings. 9. Mrs. Bond is a widow, her husband died two years ago. 10. Alcohol is a socially accepted drug. 11. I want an assistant with a good knowledge of English and experience of office routine. 12. The pen won’t write. I want to buy a better pen. 13. I heard a sound and my heart beat quickly. Then I saw a man approaching. 14. They sent us a check for 1,000 dollars. 15. She looks a million dollars. 16. A drowning man catches at a straw. 17. A travel agent would give you information about hotels. 18. A person who suffers from claustrophobia would always prefer stairs to a lift. 19. What a pleasure to see you here! 20. Such a huge wild animal! 21. A man passed, then a group of workers, a boy with a briefcase. 22. A little salt is enough to add flavour to the dish. 23. It is a Rembrandt. 24. Take these pills twice a day. 25. A couple of days later, she won a toaster in a contest. 26. I’m sorry, I have a headache.

The

1. The cat is black. This is the cat I told you about. 2. I’ve got a cat and a dog. The dog never bites the cat. 3. I like the cheese my mother makes and my sister likes the salad. 4. The child playing in the garden is my nephew. 5. He is the man for the job! No other man can do it so well. 6. The story of a brave solder is true. 7. The bus I drive has eleven seats. 8. The weather was warm on the day of our arrival. 9. The cover of the book attracted the attention of the children at once. 10. Where is the key? – In the pocket. 11. Why does the girl look so frightened? 12. The bee is an insect. 13. The police searched the house of the suspect. 14. How did you like the concert? – Oh, it was wonderful! 15. I went to the shop and asked the manager. 16. The classrooms were dull. 17. The food was delicious, the day was nice. 18. The telephone is out of order. 19. The leg of the chair is broken. 20. The judge asked the witness to tell the truth. 21. What’s the weather like today? – I heard the weather report over the radio. It says: “The day will be bright and sunny with the temperature between 15⁰ and 20⁰ C. 22. The truth is that he’s innocent. 23. The rich do not understand all the troubles of the poor. 24. The Portuguese are very different from the Spaniards. 25. Wheel is one of the greatest achievements of mankind. 26. The swamps of Belarus are entered in the Guinness Book of Records. 27. “The happiest moments of my life have been the few which I have possessed at home in the bosom of my family”. Thomas Jefferson. 28. The original Belarusian tribes are Kryvičy, Dryhvičy, Radzimičy, Lucičy and Sievieranie. They were related to the Baltic nations.

Zero Article

1. It's Tom's cat, my cat is not here. 2. There are four seasons in a year – spring, summer, autumn and winter. Spring officially starts in March, summer in June, autumn in September and winter in December. 3. I dislike towns but I love big cities. 4. Women are often better teachers than men. 5. Leaves fall off from grapes. 6. Shops are closed on Sundays. 7. Happiness doesn’t make people selfish. 8. Two of the biggest problems facing our society are crime and unemployment. 9. Youth is full of pleasure and hope. 10. Life would be dull if there were no difficulties. 11. Does your flat have central heating and electricity? 12. Education is only a part of life. Life is education in itself. 13. Your house is built of wood. 14. It’s a matter of life and death. 15. Old enemies met face to face. 16. Heritage moves from father to son. 17. Husband and wife Curie were jointly awarded the Nobel Price for physics in 1903. 18. Linguistics is the scientific study of language. 19. We didn’t go out yesterday. We stayed at home. 20. Well, young man, what can I do for you? 21. Waiter, is this green tea or black tee? I can’t tell the difference by taste. 22. What colour is your new dress? – It’s blue. 23. What books/What kind of books do you prefer reading? 24. Room 19 is on the fifth floor. 25. Oxford and Cambridge are the two great Universities. 26. Global warming, the ozone hole, air pollution, water pollution, garbage, rain forests are major threats to the environment.

Ex. 2. Analyze the following examples and state the basic rules of the use of articles.

1. We live in an old house in the middle of the village. There is a beautiful garden behind the house. The roof of the house is red. 2. One day a new director arrived. He was an ambitious, bad-tempered man and the staff disliked him at once. 2. She treated Mr. Black with the respect a teacher deserves. 3. When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life. 4. It’s dark on the landing. 5. How many flats are there in the house? 6. A poor but honest young man was unjustly accused of robbery. 7. A lot of tourists come to Spain in summer and early in autumn. 8. About a hundred or so years ago there lived a king named Minos. 9. When the race was over the winner made a traditional round, carrying a wreath of victory. 10. A third of the people like the idea of a country walk but only one in ten put it as their favourite activity. 11. The mechanic drilled half a dozen small holes in the statue. 12. The patient was making such a noticeable progress that the doctor hoped he would not have to stay in bed much longer. 13. “What will the girl have for breakfast, an egg and a cup of coffee?” 14. The face of the Hero-City Minsk is changing every day. 15. The echo of her footsteps died away. 16. There was a man talking to a woman outside the house. The man looked tired. 17. A sandwich consists of two slices of buttered bread with meat, fish, egg or cheese. 18. After the war George Washington was appointed President for two terms. 19. She was editor of the Financial Times. 20. I work for the company that makes carpets. 21. The Curies dedicated their lives to the scientific research of radioactive elements. They discovered two radioactive elements: polonium and radium. In 1903 they were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for the discovery of radium. 22. The end of the book is a by far best part.

Ex. 3. Insert “a/an” or numeral “one”. When is it possible to use either?

1. … nail is not enough for this job. I need several. 2. … swallow doesn't make a summer. 3. I'll come in … day or two. 4. … apple a day keeps the doctor away. 5. He has … son and two daughters. 6. My suit costs … hundred dollars. 7. Only … month remains and not a moment must be lost. 8. John bought … pair of new gloves. 9. Could you change … pound for me? 10. … bird in the hand is better than two in the bush. 11. Can I have … biscuit and … coffee, please? 12. …of my friends advised me to take a taxi, another said that there was a good bus service. 13. … friend of mine offered me a book by Meredith. I refused because I’ve read … of his books a few years ago and didn’t like it. 14. There was only … woman there. The rest were men. There was … woman and a few men in the hall. 15. They were making … mistake after another. 16. There is some cake left. Would you like … piece? 17. … evening in May I visited my former schoolmate. 18. … day my father came home and told that he had been promoted. 19. Will you wait for … minute, please. 20. When you go to the store, please buy … bottle of milk and … dozen of oranges. 21. I ordered her … coffee, not two. 22. … day, many years later, I learnt the truth. 23. He wants to be … millionaire … day. 24. I have only seen … silent movie. 25. This book has … hundred and seventy five pages. 26. … third of the work has already been done. 27. How much are the driving lessons? – Fifteen pounds … hour. 28. I will become famous … day.

Ex. 4. Fill in the blanks with “a/an” or zero article where needed.

1. What … interesting work you were offered! It was such …challenging job!

2. It was quite … nice day with such …warm weather.

3. We had such …good time together.

4. What … awful weather we are having today!

5. What … hard texts these are!

6. Look at the necklace. What … fine piece of art!

7. What … easy question!

8. What … lovely song! What …beautiful music!

9. What … clever student you are! What …intelligent students they are!

10. What … nice flat you have got! Such …comfortable flats they are!

11. What … disappointing thing a test in English can be!

Ex. 5. In the following sentences use either definite or indefinite article. Mind that in some cases both can be possible. Explain your choice.

1. I always leave my car at a/the parking lot near my house.

2. Driver, turn into a/the lane, please.

3. A/The driver picks up the school children that live along the road.

4. I took a/the shuttle bus to the airport.

5. Give me a/the pen, please.

6. I bought a/the vase at a/the jumble-sale.

7. I read it in a/the magazine.

8. It is a/the house built by my grandfather.

9. A/The man told me a/the very funny story.

10. Lighting struck an/the old oak.

11. A/The rich prince had lived in that area.

12. Last summer we lived in a/the village on the Volga.

13. Tom lives in a/the house built by his grandfather.

14. Is this a/the person you told me about?

Ex. 6. Analyze the use of the article with nouns used attributively.

A

1. It’s a new house which was built by typical design.

2. As I was walking along the road my curiosity was aroused by a small crowd which had gathered around the main entrance to the park.

3. He was a retired sea captain who after many years of sailing, decided to settle down to a peaceful life.

4. It’s a long time since I met a lovely person like you.

5. He was a man who had never in his life had the slightest doubt as to his abilities.

6. The head of the expedition was a man who had travelled a lot.

7. I couldn’t forget the face of a girl with a fine profile of a Greek statue.

8. We have received a letter, which contains interesting information about this company.

9. I have an old clock, which is one hundred years old. The clock was presented to my grandfather.

B

1. The hotel you stay in is very expensive. Why don’t you stay at a cheaper one?

2. The book I bought yesterday is fascinating.

3. Look at the man standing at the corner of the street. Isn’t he the person who was sitting in front of us at the theatre?

4. The girl who is talking to Nick is the chairperson of the students debate team.

5. It’s the house where Shakespeare was born.

6. The village where I was born is on the bank of the Sozh.

Ex. 7. Choose articles with the nouns used appositively.

1. My cousin, a young man of twenty-five, works as an interpreter.

2. Nick, … friend of my brother’s is a very intelligent person.

3. I saw him with Jane, … girl from the Medical College.

4. Mrs. Johns, … 75-year-old window, woke up with a start.

5. Clyde thought that he, … nephew of the wealthy Griffits, should be admitted into high society.

6. Salvador Dali, the famous Spanish painter, was a member of the Surrealist Movement.

7. Shakespeare, … world’s greatest dramatist, was born in a little cottage.

8. New York, … largest city in the USA, is a city of great contrasts.

9. John disappeared when his father, … owner of the bar, came in.

10. My father was a breadwinner, … rock of the family. At home, he was … boss.

11. Mr. Smith, … manager of the company is away on business.

12. Miss Binney, … teacher of the first grade, was an old lady who was all dried out.

13. I have a very clear earliest memory. I, … first born, was three and a half and was constantly asking God to send me a new brother or sister.

14. Someone suggested calling Mr. McColmn, … Tom’s father.

15. There were two Marrys in the family, … mother and … daughter.

16. Lucy … my younger sister’s friend is coming to visit us.

Ex. 8. Fill in the blanks and explain the use of the article with nouns that express the purpose the object serves.

1. All children go to … school in our country. My father went to … school to talk to the headmaster.

2. My mother goes to … church in the morning and then she goes to her work. Once foreign tourists used to visit … church.

3. Mother is seriously ill. She has been in … hospital for three weeks. Today we are going to … hospital to see her.

4. Ralph doesn’t really want to work in … hospital, but his mother, a nurse, has insisted on his being interviewed for the receptionist position.

5. Tom was sent to … prison for murder and robbery. Some time later we decided to go to … prison and speak to him.

6. I’ve always wanted to go to … university. Yesterday we went to … university to participate in the autumn fair.

7. It’s time to go to … bed. He sat down on … bed.

8. Simon is a seaman. He spent most of his life at … sea. It will be marvelous to go to … sea.

Ex. 9. Use the articles with numerals where necessary.

1. There are … 12 months in a year; … 4 weeks in a month; … 7 days in a week. 2. It takes me …10 minutes to get to the city center. 3. Olga set the alarm clock for … 7 a. m. 4. Open your books at …page … 24 and read … text … 3 below. 5. Where is the boarding gate for …flight … 412? 6. I need … two-pence coin to call my mother. 7. I stayed in … three-star hotel in London. 8. My sister is … first-year student of the University. 9. He lives on the top floor of … nine-storied house. 10. France won … 1998 World Cup. 11. He was born in …1998. 12. Sight is one of … five senses (sight, smell, hearing, taste, touch). 13. He was sent to prison for …six months for shop-lifting. When … six months are over he will be released. 14. It took … two boys only … minute to reach the top of the tree. 15. I’d like to reserve a room for … three nights from … third to … fifth of April. 17. Children entered the classroom in …twos. 18. My mother leaves home at … quarter past six every morning. 19. The car was going at … 70 miles an hour. 20. My life is made up of habits: I get out of bed … seven times a week, go to work … five days a week, and attend church … once a week. 22. When you go to the store, please buy … half … dozen of eggs and …kilo of meat. 23. They sent us a check for … 3,000 dollars. The check was invalid. 24. May is … fifth month of the year. 25. I’m in … eleventh grade. 26. Could you give me … five minutes to get ready. 27. Both scientists and scholars carry out research, the difference between … two being very small. 28. Most people in Britain work … five-day week, from Monday to Friday. 29. Here is … thousand pounds I owe you.

Ex. 10. Insert the correct articles with the words “all”, “few”, “little”, “number”, “most”, “(the) whole”, “next”, “deal”, “last”.

1. Where all … money I earn goes is one of the mysteries of life.

2. Where all … mistakes in my compositions come from is one of the things I can not figure out.

3. All … toys develop children’s mental abilities. The children were gazing in wonder at all … toys on display in the windows.

4. All … cars have wheels. All … cars in this park belong to the people who work here.

5. He was here… last year. The captain was … last man who left the ship.

6. In spite of my efforts, I still make … few errors in writing.

7. … M/most little boys would rather pay baseball than the piano.

8. … M/most young men want to be successful, but success is a hard goal to achieve.

9. He is … most obliging man. Like … most people he likes his home and his family but … most surprising thing is that he is seldom at … home.

10. There are only … few tickets left for the performance at the University.

11. It was raining for … three days. … W/whole weekend was spoiled.

12. Although the question was easy, … few students were able to answer it.

13. He works too … little. If he worked … little harder he would be the best student in the group.

14. Do you know the people who live … next door?

15. I could see at a glance that he had … great deal of experience with cars.

16. … N/number of students were missing from class. … N/number of new houses in our city has grown rapidly.

17. In the past … most of … population lived in the country.

18. … M/most cars start badly on cold mornings.

Ex. 11. Use “a/the” with nouns denoting different objects (a) and nouns denoting the same objects (b) expressed by different word.

a)

1. Have you got a/the car? – No, I’ve never had a/the car in my life.

2. A/the person can have an interesting life after the age of 65. Of course, this depends on a/the person and his attitude towards life.

3. Ann plays a/the guitar very well so we decided to give her a/the guitar for her birthday. But then we learnt that she has already had a/the guitar and wants to have a bat to play tennis.

4. One day a little girl entered the baker's shop and asked for a/the cherry pie. The baker said they haven't got a/the cherry pie, they have a/the lemon pie. But the girl wanted a/the cherry pie and didn't want to have a/the lemon pie.

5. My sister bought some medicine at a/the drug store. But she forgot to buy some aspirin and had to go to a/the drug store again.

6. Immediately opposite the room I can see a/the church, which is very nice. Beyond a/the church I can see the sea and the harbour. On the other side I can see the Acropolis and Lekavitos, which is a mountain in Athens with a/the church on the top as well.

b)

1. Last Sunday a/the telephone rang while I was preparing breakfast. My husband took the call. Later a/the telephone rang again. I hurried to a/the phone myself.

2. I have bought a/the refrigerator and a washing machine. A/The fridge is a real bargain.

3. A/The baby was playing in the hall when we came in. A/The child looked at us with a smile.

4. Last night I heard Rigoletto and enjoyed –/the music.

5. You can be certain about one thing on –/the London underground: it never rains. Why, then so many people leave the umbrellas on a/the tube.

6. Mrs. Bond has a/the part time job at the local Public Library. A/The work is interesting but the pay is not very good.

7. When I was a child I loved visiting my grandmother. Many years have passed but I still love visiting an/the old lady.

8. A/The man in the family has to be a combination of a carpenter, a plumber, an electrician, and an architect these days. If electrical wiring needs attention, a/the jack of all trades is called by other members of the family.

Ex. 12. Fill in the blanks. Compare and explain the use of articles.

1. The dog – is a useful domestic animal. Dogs are faithful to their masters. I was presented with a dog for my birthday. Never tease a dog if you don’t know it.

2. He studies … history. He studies … history of Russia. He studies … history of nineteenth century Russia. He studies … nineteenth-century Russian history.

3. I have … car. Do you know who invented … car? – Frankly speaking I've never thought about it. You can't do without … cars nowadays, this is the main thing about them.

4. Everywhere … man has cut down forests in order to cultivate the ground. He is … clever man. … M/man I met on the train told me a rather unusual story.

5. I don't have any … patience. I don't have … patience to listen to your long and boring stories. She had … patience that made it possible to speak openly, frankly, without any strain.

6. … Children, look at the blackboard and copy the text. Keep quiet, … children are already sleeping. … C/children start going to school at the age of six.

7. The vase is made of … glass. I would like … glass of water. Where are my … glasses?

8. I’ve bought … news paper. … paper contains a very interesting article. … P/paper burns easily.

9. … doctor is a person who cures sick people. … D/doctors cure sick people. I want to be … doctor.

10. In … winter they used to plan what to do in … summer. Have you got enough … wood for winter? It was … wild and snowy winter. It was … winter I met my wife.

11. Jason’s father bought him … bicycle. Jason’s father bought him … bicycle he had wanted for his birthday.

12. … B/birds begin to build their nests in … early spring. … S/spring is often rather cold and rainy.

13. Could you give me … hand? The floor is so slippery. He took her by … hand.

14. We usually have … breakfast at 8 o’clock. We had … hot breakfast at a hotel in Riga.

15. He went to … sea when he was 18. Paul is at … sea now, he is a sailor. We were walking by … sea. He came here by … sea.

16. Did you enjoy yourself at … party? Have you ever enjoyed yourself at … party?

17. It is … question of vital importance. That’s … question that troubles me most of all.

18. … E/elephant is a huge animal. …E/elephants live longer than most animals. … E/elephant was lying heavily on its side, fast asleep.

19. … T/tragedy and … comedy first appeared in Greece.

20. The national flower of England is … rose. The national flower of Northern Ireland is … shamrock. The Scottish national flower is … thistle. The national flower of Wales is usually considered to be … daffodil.

Ex. 13. Compare the use of articles in the following sentences.

1. … cold beer is nice on a hot day. … beer I'm drinking is bitter. Can I have … beer, please?

2. … water is necessary for plants. … water is cold, don't drink it.

3. … wool of which this suit is made comes from Australian sheep. … wool is one of the chief export from Australia.

4. I am grateful to you for … advice you gave me yesterday. He gave us such … good advice. It was … good piece of advice.

5. There was … silence for a few moments. Andrew was the first to break … silence. They walked a few more yards in … silence. After a long … silence she spoke at last.

6. … light was coming into the room from somewhere. With … light there had returned the hope. Soon we saw … light in the distance. … light in the room was shaded.

7. You will read the book with … pleasure. What … pleasure to see you again! I’m looking forward to … pleasure of meeting you and your family.

8. After … time when they had walked quiet a long distance they sat down on the grass to have a rest. Have you ever told me about … time you were in the army. We were always very busy and had no … time to waste.

9. Many people like … tea. … tea is cultivated in the south of our country. I don’t think there’s … better tea than this. This is … tea I’m particularly fond of.

10. I can’t imagine my life without … music, but … music they play on the radio station is dreadful.

11. … happiness doesn’t make people selfish. … happiness of the majority depends on hard work from everyone.

12. It is … apple juice. This is … apple juice produced in Moldova. I’d like to have … cup of juice.

13. He has … wonderful mental ability. Many people have … good ability to learn foreign languages.

14. What will … future promise him? He has … bright future before him. Try to live a better life in … future.

15. He didn’t want to show … anger. He didn’t want to show … anger he felt.

16. We saw … great fire in the distance. According to the Greek myth Prometheus stole … fire from Olympus to give it to men.

17. … giraffe is the tallest of all animals. I saw … giraffe at the zoo. … giraffe was lying on the grass.

18. … time is … money. I remember … time when we lived in Paris. “… Times” is a serious newspaper.

Ex. 14. Translate the following sentences from Russian into English.

1. Хорошая погода, не так ли. 2. На подготовку к докладу мне понадобилось два дня. 3. Когда-нибудь я побываю в Лондоне. 4. Я не мог завести машину сегодня. 5. Телефон сделал мир меньше, компьютер сделал его еще меньше. 6. Я изучаю английский язык. 7. Я обожаю скорость и часто езжу на большой скорости. 8. Моя подруга живет на Московской улице в доме номер семь. 9. Адрес Алана – Парк Авеню, 102. 10. Ведущий представил следующую группу. 11. Много людей говорили то же самое. 12. Хороший словарь – большая помощь студентам. 13.  Я мало знаю об этом. Я знаю кое-что об этом. Он забыл то малое, что знал об этом. 14. Мой друг родился 11 января 1987 г. 15. Существует большая разница между Москвой сегодняшней и Москвой прошлого столетия. 16. Мало кто знает об этом. Не много людей приглашено на вечер завтра. 17. Он говорит, что однажды станет миллионером. 18. Один человек рассказал мне об этом происшествии. 19. Через несколько минут какой-то человек вошел в купе и сел напротив меня. 20. Все яблоки содержат много витаминов. Все яблоки на этом дереве уже спелые. 21. Когда-нибудь я смогу бегло разговаривать на английском языке. 22. Я не люблю играть на скрипке, но люблю играть в футбол. 23. Тебе нравится черный кофе? Тебе понравился кофе, который я приготовила? 24. Они ходят в театр два-три раза в году. 25. У меня не было сегодня времени позавтракать. 26. Поезд отправляется с шестой платформы. 27. Какая-то девушка ждет тебя. 28. В тот момент, когда я открыл дверь, я почувствовал сильный запах газа. 29. Отец пошел в школу поговорить с директором. 30. В нашем городе около двух миллионов жителей. 31. Чем раньше закончишь работу, тем лучше. 32. – Где мои тапки? – Они на полу в коридоре.

Ex. 15. Remember the use of the articles with some proper names.

The McDonald's company The IBM corporation The Coca Cola company The Panasonic company The Hilton hotel The Odeon cinema The Bolshoi theatre The Sahara desert The Beatles band Lake Ontario The Mediterranean sea The Polka dance The Boy's club

– – – – – – – – – – – – –

McDonald's IBM Coca Cols Panasonic The Hilton The Odeon The Bolshoi The Sahara The Beatles The Ontario The Mediterranean The polka The Boy's

Ex. 16. Fill in the articles with proper names.

a)

1. … Venezuela is in … South America. 2. … Alps are the highest mountains in … Europe. 3. … Panama Canal joins … Atlantic and … Pacific Oceans. 4. … British Isles are not far from the coast of … Europe. 5. … Thames, … Seine and … Rhine are famous European rivers. 6. … Lake Superior is one of … Five Great Lakes. 7. … John played football at … Boy’s Club this year. 8. … Moscow underground is the best in the world. 9. … Tower is one of the museums in … London. 10. … President of … USA is elected for 5 years. 11. … British Prime Minister lives in … Downing Street, 10. 12. … Queen Elizabeth II is … Monarch of … Great Britain. 13. … Sherlock Holmes lived in … Baker Street. 14. … Professor Jones was a famous scientist. 15. … “Metropol” is a luxurious hotel. 16. … Germans drink a lot of beer. … French eat snails. 17. …Cherry Orchard is a play by ...Chekhov. 18. … Hague is a city in … Netherlands. 19. …Frenchmen call it …“La Manch” but to … English it is … English Channel, one the world’s most extraordinary pieces of water. 20. We had an early dinner at … Lion’s and then went to a play at … Globe Theatre. 21. Scientists hope to send an expedition to … Mars. 22. … Brian works at … Coca Cola company. 23. … Avrora is a museum now. 24. … Hermitage has a few gift shops on the ground floor. 25. They nominated candidates for the post of … President and Vice-President. 26. He was appointed … secretary of the new Committee.

b)

1. … Prime Minister left this morning for a tour of … Far East. He will visit … Singapore and … Malaysia and then go on to … Philippines, where he will make a speech about the environment. 2. A conference is taking place in … Mexico City on ways of helping the unemployed in the developing world. A report will be sent to … United Nations, but it is feared that the unemployment will remain a problem in the most countries for many years to come. 3. … King Juan Carlos of … Spain arrived in London today for a three day visit to … United Kingdom. He was met by … Queen and drove with her to … Buckingham Palace. Tomorrow he will have lunch with … Governor of the Bank of England and in the evening he will have talks with businessmen. 4. … Commonwealth is a voluntary association of independent states which originated after 1945. … Queen is recognized as head of … Commonwealth; she is also head of State in 16 member countries. 5. … Mediterriania see is situated between … England and … France. 6. There are mountain chains in many parts of … world. Some of them such as … . Urals are old, others like … . Caucasus are much younger. … highest mountain chain, which is called … Himalayas, is situated in … Asia.

Ex. 17. Fill in the blanks with the correct articles in the following set expressions.

1. Whenever a student in our class makes … mistake, … rest of the students laugh. They always have … good time. 2. My room was … mess after children had finished playing. 3. There is a proverb: “After … dinner sleep … while, after … supper walk … mile”. 4. It’s better to tell … truth than to tell … lies. 5. It’s … shame not to know such elementary things. He is … shame to his family. 6. His cat, Snowball by … name, was playing on the carpet. 7. He couldn’t decide what to do. He was at … loss. 8. Don’t be in …hurry Do it … step by … step. 9. They do … sports in this club all…year round. 10. It’s worth reading books in …original. 11. She changed beyond…recognition. 12. Try to do … shopping on your way … home. 13. It’s out of …question. Children can’t touch it. 14. They fell in … love at …first sight. 15. Speak to …point, please. Don’t beat around …bush. 16. I haven’t seen you for … ages. – Yes, it was a long time. 17. If you make … promise, you must keep it. 18. Susan is making … progress in Maths.

TEST

a) Insert the proper article.

1. I applied for … new job last week; … job involves driving … van.

2. … Duchess of York opened … new hospital in … centre of London.

3. He went on … extensive holiday to … Bahamas. He is on … holiday now.

4. Give a man … fish and you feed him for … day. Teach … man to fish and you feed him for … lifetime.

5. … professor Jones is … man who discovered … new drug.

6. There was … knock on … door. I opened it and found … small dark man in … blue overcoat and … woollen cap.

7. … M/moon and … earth go round … sun.

8. … L/local school will soon be closed.

9. … dog is … useful domestic animal. … D/dogs are faithful to their masters. I was presented with … dog for my birthday. … D/dog led … blind man to … seat.

10. Such English names as … Odeon, … Hilton, … Plaza, … British Museum, …Tate Gallery, …Titanic, … Times are known to many people all over … world.

11. He has … wonderful mental ability. Many people have … ability to learn … foreign language.

12. I have … friend who has travelled all over the world.

13. Turgenev’s ideas had a great influence on … literature that followed.

14. …illustration is often more useful than …definition for giving the meanings of words.

15. It was a failure from … beginning to … end.

16. This is … question that only … Parliament can answer.

17. …most people don’t like …steak which has been overcooked.

18. Sensation at … London airport! Attempt to smuggle twelve jewels worth three quarters of … million.

19. It is not … London I used to know.

20. … C/children, look at … blackboard and copy … text 3. Keep quiet, … children are already sleeping. … Children start going to school at … age of 6.

21. … Hague, … city in … Western Netherlands near … North Sea, is the seat of … Dutch government.

22. The car stopped at … corner of … Fifth Avenue.

23. Most of … flowers in … garden were planted by the schoolchildren. … most beautiful of them were … roses.

24. What … pleasure to see you again! You will read … book with … pleasure. I’m looking forward to … pleasure of meeting you and your family.

25. …P/people usually think that … babies are sweet and … teenagers are naughty.

26. …F/fax machine is … much faster way of sending letters than … post.

27. In … winter they used to plan what to do in … summer. Last year we had … wild and snowy winter. It was … winter I met my wife.

28. It would be difficult to imagine … life without … computer but … computers can’t replace … teachers.

29. … C/camels/camels are … main means of transport in the desert.

30. What happened to … driver of … car that was involved in … accident?

31. I bought … enormous cake for my brother who was in … hospital with … broken leg.

32. My grandfather was very religious and went to … church once … week, on … Sundays.

33. I have … appointment at … dentist’s this afternoon, because I’ve got … toothache.

34. He was sent to … prison for … six months for … shop-lifting. When … six months are over he’ll be released; … difficulty then will be to find … work. I want to go to … prison to encourage him.

35. … L/leader of … opposition is in danger of losing her seat at … next election.

36. This is … picture of … hotel we were staying at. We were lucky enough to get one of … rooms overlooking … sea.

37. She had to leave her work for … couple of years when … baby was born.

38. …London of only fifteen years ago! What … great difference from … London of today. It is … completely new London.

39. We took … trip around … London and saw … Houses of Parliament, … Tower Bridge, … Hide Park, … Trafalgar Square and many other sights in … West End.

40. We often listen to … radio and watch … TV.

41. I never play … piano on Sunday because on this day I play … volleyball with my friends.

42. … O/only goal of … match was scored by … Italy.

43. “Who has broken … cup”, asked Granny. Ann has broken … cup and … plate.

44. … happy elder brother climbed in and … three of them began … memorable ride.

45. If … man doesn’t face reality it may lead to … disaster.

46. … effective lesson has five parts: preparation, presentation, practice, evaluation, expansion. … five parts of … lesson may all take place in one class session.

47. As she was afraid of … thieves, she locked up … house very carefully before going to … bed.

48. He never tells … lie. He always tekks … truth.

49. Is that … Olga you told me about on the phone? – No, … Marina is calling you. Do you know her?

50. … P/pollution is one of … greatest problems facing … mankind.

51. I’m not going for … holiday. I’m going on … business.

52. We must try to get … home in … time for … tea.

53. I don’t believe in love at … first sight.

54. Will you do me … favour and open … window to let in … some fresh air.

55. She is … Indian but her husband is … European.

56. It’s … pleasure to do business with such … efficient organization.

57. There will always be … conflict between … old and … young. …Y/young people want changes but … old people want things to stay … same.

58. … war between these two countries was … longest.

59. Some birds such as … parrots are caught alive and sold as … pets.

60. … C/children were gazing in wonder at all … toys on display in … windows. All … toys develop … children’s mental abilities.

61. Our teacher, … Mr James Brown, was discussing … new topic with … pupils. Suddenly … girl stood up and asked if … teacher could explain why he had chosen … topic for discussion.

62. … invention of aeroplane was … major break through in travel in … 20^th century.

63. We are trying to find … solution to … problem.

64. …D/darkness doesn’t worry …cats. …C/cats can see in … dark.

65. I advised her to give up … gymnastics and take up …ballet lessons instead.

66. We have … very good train services from here to … city centre and … most people go to work by …. train. You can go by … bus too but you can’t get … season ticket on the bus.

67. I’d like to see Mr Smith, please. – Do you mean … Mr Smith who works in … box-office or … other Mr Smith, working in … post-office.

68. Has … museum … Monet?

69. It’s usually safe to walk on … sand, but here, when … tide is coming in, … sand becomes dangerously soft.

70. Everywhere … man has cut down … forests in order to cultivate … ground , or to use wood as … fuel or as … building material.

71. Do you take … sugar in … coffee? – I used to, but now I’m on … diet. I’m trying to lose … weight.

72. It costs fifty-five and … half pence and I’ve got … fifty pence piece. – You can also pay by … cheque here and write … cheque for fifty five and … half pence.

73. I have … hour and … half for lunch. – And I only have half … hour barely time for … smoke and … cup of coffee.

74. I’ll pay you … hundred … week. It’s not … enormous salary but after all you are … completely unskilled man.

75. … P/poor and … weak were always oppressed by … strong.

76. They spent … weekend in Venice and that was … place they decided to get married.

77. I got caught in … rain on … way home.

78. …F/furniture is … costly item when you are setting up … home. … F/furniture he bought was reasonably priced.

79. She has … 17-year-old daughter, … first year student.

80. … Columbia University campus is located on … West Side of New York.

81. … Statue of Liberty was … gift of friendship from … France to … United States.

82. … Pamirs, which we call … Roof of … World are in … Asia.

83. … Fleet street in London takes its name from … Fleet river, which till 1765 ran into … Thames.

84. ... Mont Blank is ...highest peak of ...Alps.

85. … National Gallery faces ...Trafalgar Square.

86. … Parkers spent … last summer on … island of Crete.

87. … Caucasus Mountains lie between … Black Sea and … Caspian Sea.

88. … Queen of Great Britain … Queen Elisabeth II lives in … Buckingham Palace.

89. … Manila is … capital of … Philippines.

90. … University of London gives almost the same education as ...California University.

91. … Lake Erie is one of … five Great Lakes in … North America.

92. On the other bank of … Potomac lies the Arlington National Cemetery where … President Kennedy was buried.

93. When I left … station I had to stand in … queue for … taxi for … long time.

94. It’s … science fiction story. It’s about … ruining of … universe.

95. When … Titanic was crossing … Atlantic she struck … iceberg.

96. … matter was reported to … Chief Police. He ordered to arrest two of … suspects.

97. We traveled across America from … coast to … coast.

98. … Harrods is … huge department store near … Kensington Garden in … London.

99. We spent … pleasant evening having … drink at … Robin Hood.

100. We met on … Friday. He came on … Friday when David was born. Robinson Crusoe found his servant on … Friday.

b) Complete the following short stories with suitable articles.

A Description

Rodrigo has … mustache and … short, dark, curly hair. He wears … glasses. He has … oval face and … bushy eyebrows. He’s at … head of … table on … left side.

Opposite Rodrigo is his wife Chita. Chita is exotic. She has … big, round, happy eyes. She has … diamond in her nose. Her hair is dark and she has … two shoulder-length braids.

Theresa is to … left of Rodrigo. She has … short, dark hair and … bangs. She has … dark round eyes.

Next to Theresa is Gonzalo. Gonzalo has … kind face. He has … beard and … mustache. His hair and beard are dark, but … little gray. He has … bright, round eyes.

Across from Theresa is Karl. Karl is almost bald. He has … white mustache and … beard. He has … wrinkles in his forehead. He has … long, narrow face.

Across from Gonzalo and next to Karl is Dominique. Dominique is … very cute woman. She has … short hair. It’s light brown. She has … thin eyebrows and … high cheek bones. She has … nice smile.

Asking the Way

We wanted to reach … small village and knew we must be near. Then we saw … woman just ahead and some children playing. When we stopped to ask … way, … woman said she was … stranger herself. We called out to … children, but they ignored us. Just then two men came along and we asked them … way. The men didn’t know, but at least were helpful. “There is … signpost … mile along this road”, one of them said. We drove to … signpost eagerly. This was what it said: “NORTH POLE 6,000 MILES”.

The Room Needs Painting Again

As soon as … spring season came around … Mrs. Brown decided that she needs … new wallpaper in one of her rooms. This happens every year, and by now her family are used to it. This year it was … sitting-room. She saw that … paint on … doors and … windows was dirty and that … curtains were old, too. On … day before … painter arrived, … Mrs. Brown moved out all … smaller furniture into another room and covered … rest of … furniture with … large sheets as carefully as possible to keep off … dirt and dust. She took … pictures from … walls, washed … glasses, and put them away in … cupboard. Then she took down … old curtains and rolled up … carpet. When everything was ready she sent for … painter.

At your service, sir!

… robots are common in industry and perhaps they will soon be common in the home. … robot working in the home must be able to behave like … human. You could ask it to make breakfast for you. “I’d like … pot of coffee, please and … boiled eggs”. “How many, sir?” “Two, please”. You wouldn’t have to worry about bringing friends home to dinner. “I’ve brought … friends for dinner”, you would say, “please prepare … meal for six”. Your robot would be … cook, … servant and … cleaner, and perhaps it could even do the shopping. “We haven’t got … tomatoes”, you would say. “Be … good robot and get some from the supermarket”. … robots would never need to sleep, and would never complain. But I wouldn’t want them wandering round the house at night!

Robinson Crusoe

My name was Robinson Crusoe and I was born in … city of York. When I was eighteen years old I went to … city of Hull and there I meet … boy whom I had known before. His father was … captain of … ship. This boy said to me, “Will you come with us, … Rob. After five days we came to … land and stopped in … mouth of … little river. Then … huge wave came upon us, turned over … boat, threw us all into … water.

Albert Einstein

… F/famous scientist Albert Einstein lived in … Germany, … Switzerland and … United States. He was born in … Ulm, … Bavaria, in 1879 and went to school in … Munich. In 1894 his parents moved to … Germany, then to … Milan, but Einstein got his education in … Zurich. In 1901 he took … Swiss nationality. In 1905 his theory of relativity made him world famous. In 1909 he became … professor at … University of Zurich. From 1914 to 1933 he was … Director of the Kaiser Wilhelm Physical Institute in Berlin. He won … Nobel Prize for … Physics in 1921. In 1933 he went to … Germany and to … US, where he worked at … Princeton from 1934 to 1945. He died in … year of 1955.

The Republic of Belarus

… T/territory of present-day Belarus was first populated in … Stone Age by Eastern Slavic tribes. They were … Krivichi, Radimichi and Dregovichi – … forebears of … Belarusians. With … development of the class society … Eastern Slavic tribes began to unite into … single early-Russian nationality. There was … need for… single state and such … state appeared at … beginning of … 9^th century. It was Kievan Rus – … home of three fraternal peoples – … Russians, …Ukrainians, and … Belarusians. In … 14^th century … Grand Duchy of Lithuania annexed Belarus. In … 18^th century Belarus was annexed by … Russia.

Today … Republic of Belarus is … independent country with … developed industry, agriculture, … advanced science and technology. … I/industry holds … important position in … republic’s economy. …A/agriculture specializes in … milk and … meat production, and … main crops cultivated here are … potatoes, … flax and … vegetables.

… C/capital of Belarus is … city of Minsk. It has … population of about two million.

New York

New York is …largest city in … United States. In … southeastern part of …New York State, it is really … city built on many islands, like … city of Venice in Italy. On … west is …New Jersey, which is connected to … Manhattan by … tunnel under … Hudson River and by … large bridge over … river. To … east, of course, is …Atlantic, largest ocean in the world. … highest building in New York is … Empire State Building. It and … Statue of Liberty attract … great number of tourists. Then, there is … Broadway, usually associated only with … theaters and other forms of amusement but really much more occupied by … office buildings, shops, and apartment houses, just like … street in … small town. However, … size of …crowd on … street is far greater than that in … smaller city.