"What's wrong, Mr. Brown? Have
you had an accident?"
1 unit ['ju:mt]—подразделение (еоинскйя
часть)
2 cemetery ['semitriJ—кладбище
Who could have thought about 150 years ago that an accident
which brought Louis Braille,1 a French boy, to total blindness,2
would have such far-reaching results?3
The three-year-old Louis, who had often been told never to
touch "Papa's" tools, entered his father's workshop, and finding
himself alone decided to make a little purse with the scraps of
leather4 which lay around him.
While he was doing it, the knife slipped from his small hand
and hurt his eyes. That is how the boy met with an accident that
made him blind for ever. When the boy grew up, he went to school
but he had to sit quietly there because he could neither read nor
write. Hard would his life have been if at that time a new system
of writing especially for the blind had not been invented. A small
incident led to its invention.
A Frenchman, Valentin Haiiy, began to educate a poor blind
boy. The child showed remarkable ability5 with the wooden letters
which his master had made to teach him the alphabet. The boy
was grateful to his master and one day when the master was out
the boy decided to clean Haiiy's room. While dusting his master's
desk the boy felt some papers and found the letters were embos-
sed6 by the hard pressure7 of the writer's pen. At that moment the
master entered the room. At first he grew angry when he saw the
boy near his table (the boy was not allowed to approach it), but
then when he heard the news from the boy, he forgot his anger.
He understood that the fingers of blind people could be taught "to see."
So the incident helped to make an important invention —punching9
thin cardboard9 to form words and phrases on it. Louis Braille
was 12 when this system was introduced. But he did not think the
method was good and set out to improve on it. For the next three
years he worked hard on an entirely new system of writing. With
only six dots10 he could cover11 not only all the letters of the
1 Loujs Braille —Луи Брайль (1809—1852), франц. педагог, изобретатель при-
нятого во всем мире точечного шрифта для слепых, основанного на различ-
ных комбинациях шести:выпуклых точек.
* total blindness ['toutl 'biamdnis] — полная слепота
5 far-reaching results —важные последствия
* scraps of leather ['1еЭэ] — отбросы кожи
6 ability [a'bihtt]—способность
6 to emboss [ш'Ьэз] — выдавливать (рисунок)
' pressure ['pre jg] —нажим, пресс
8 to punch —прокалывать, делать прокол
* cardboard ['kctdbjidj —картон
10 dot —точка
11 to cover ['клуэ] —охватывать, передавать
alphabet but also mathematical symbols, musical notations1 and the
common punctuation marks.
That was a great event, a brilliant achievement which opened
the doors of knowledge to the blind throughout the world.
REMEMBER:
An event is an important happening.
An incident is a happening oi secondary importance, an episode.
An accident is an unexpected misfortune, a bad happening
that causes injury,2 loss,3 suffering or death.
The expression to meet with an accident can be used when
speaking about people; e. g. He met with an accident during his
travels.
Exercises
I. Insert the words event, incident, accident.
1.... frequently happen through carelessness.4 2. The book
contains a number of funny.... 3. An encyclopaedia on the
revolutionary... of 1917 —1918 in Russia was published in
Moscow on the eve of the jubilee October celebrations. 4. The
American War of Independence6 and the Great French Revolution
took place while William Blake, an English poet, was young.
These... moved him deeply, and he wrote much about them.
5. In his book Three Men in a Boat Jerome K. Jerome tells of a
number of funny.... 6. If you drive carefully you will not
meet with an.... 7. Then she asked about a scar6 on his
cheek. "It was just an..." he said. 8. Though he tried hard
he could not forget the unpleasant.... 9. The launching ^
of the first sputnik was a great... in the life of the mankind.
10. "Shame on you, Nick, you should have read about those
important.... " 11. We laughed gaily when he finished tel-
ling us about that funny.... 12. There are very many automo-
bile... in London because the traffic is very heavy there.
1 notation [nou'teijn] — знак
2 injury ['ind39n] — ушиб, травма
3 loss — потеря
* carelessness ['kealismsj — неосторожность, беспечность
6 War of Independence [^lndi'pendans] — война за независимость
e scar —шрам
7 launching ['b:ntfirj] — запуск
II. Look at the pictures and answer the questions. Use the active words of the
lesson.
|
What will happen to the man
if his wife picks up the receiv-
er?
Did Oleg Popov meet with an accident?
Which is this: an incident or an accident? Give your reasons.
III. Read the following stories and complete the titles: which is an accident
and which is an incident?
A RAILWAY...
One day Mark Twain arrived at a railway station near New York.
He wished to take the sleeper train. There were crowds of people
on the platform and the long sleeper train was full. Mark Twain
asked the young man in the ticket office if he could have two
tickets. "No," the young man answered sharply * and shut the win-
dow. Mark Twain found a local official3 and asked him for a ticket,
"No!" came the answer. "Every corner is full. Now don't trouble
me any more!" Mark Twain got so angry after that answer that
he said to his companion, "They talk to me like this because they
don't know who I am. If they knew..." "Do you think it would
help you?" his companion said. That was too much. Mark Twain
found the same local official and told him very politely 3 what his
name was and asked him if he could have two tickets. But the
official turned his back. Mark Twain looked around in despair.
Just at that moment a young porter of a sleeping car looked care-
fully at Mark Twain. He whispered4 something to the conductor
and nodded towards Mark Twain. The conductor at once turned
and came to Mark Twain, full of politeness. He offered Mark Twain
two seats in the sleeper.5 At last the writer and his companion
were settled comfortably in a big family compartment.6
"Now, is there anything you want, sir? You can just ask for
anything you want and this whole railway will be turned inside
out to get it for you." The conductor said this and disappeared»
"Well," said Mark Twain and smiled on his companion. "Well|
what do you say now?" Mark Twain's companion looked ashamedi
"You are right. And I am glad to have come here with you. If t
had been without you I should never have received a ticket. But
I don't understand..."
At that moment the young porter's face appeared at the doorj
"Oh, sir, I recognized you in a minute. I told the conductor so.
I recognized you the minute I saw you."
"Is that so? Who am I?" asked Mark Twain.
"You're Mr. McLellan, Mayor? of New York."
1 sharply—резко
2 local official [a'fi Гэ1] — местное начальство
s politely fpa'laith] — вежливо
4 to whisper ['wispaj — шептать
6 sleeper—спальный вагон
* compartment {kam'pcttmsnt]—купе
? Mayor [шгэ] — мэр (города)
A LITTLE... WHILE CYCLING1
after Jerome K. Jerome
Harris made much trouble for himself one summer while he was
cycling with his wife through Holland. His wife sat on the tandem 2
behind him. The roads were stony and the machine jumped a good
deal.
"Sit tight," said Harris without turning his head. But Mrs.
Harris thought he said "Jump off." Why she thought he had said
"Jump off" when he said "Sit tight" neither of them can explain.
She did jump off, while Harris pedalled3 away, thinking she was
still behind him. Having jumped off, she thought he was riding up
the hill merely to show off,4 and that he would get off on the top
of the hill and wait for her.
But nothing of the kind happened. Harris disappeared down the
other side of the hill. He continued his ride with much enjoyment.
He talked to what he thought was his wife. He told her not to be
afraid, and he would show her hew fast he could go. The bicycle
jumped over the road. Old people stood and looked at him, the
children cheered 5 him. Having gone on in this way for about five
miles he began to feel that something was wrong. Stretching out
his hand behind him he felt there was nothing behind him but
space. He jumped, or rather fell off, and looked back up the road,
nobody was there. Having got on the bicycle again and rode back
up the hill, he asked people he met on the road if they had seen
his wife. They had not seen her. One man suggested that he should
ride to the police station at the next town. The police gave him a
paper, and told him to write down a full description of his wife,
together with details of when and where he had lost her. He did
not know when or where he had lost her, and he said so.
The police looked suspicious.0 However, they promised to look
for her, and in the evening they brought her to him. The meeting
of Harris with his wife was not a tender one. As she was not a
good actress, Mrs. Harris always had great difficulty in controlling
her feelings.7 But at that time, she frankly admitted8 that she made
no attempt to hide them.
1 to cycle f'saikl] —ехать на велосипеде
2 tandem ['tEendam]— тандем, велосипед для двоих
3 to pedal f'pedl]— нажимать на педали
* to show off —важничать, зазнаваться
* to cheer —приветствовать, ободрять
* suspicious [sas'pijbs] — подозрительный, недоверчивый
7 t© control one's feelings — сдерживать свои чувства
8 to admit frankly — откровенно признавать
|
| IV. Tell the story of the pictures. |
red light — красный свет
to collide [ka'laid] — столкнуться
to turn over — перевернуться
militiaman [mi'lijaman] — милиционер
V. Render the following into English, paying special attention to the italicized
words.
1.
Путешественники, сидя у костра, вспоминали, что произошло
в тот день. Самым смешным был случай с медведем, самым пе-
чальным— случай с Харрисом, который чуть не утонул, когда
они пересекали реку. Но самым важным событием того дня было
совсем другое: они неожиданно обнаружили остатки древнего го-
рода, разрушенного землетрясением много веков назад.
2.
Учитель: Том, какое важное событие произошло после смерти
царя Симеона?
Том: Его похоронили.
VI. Do you remember:
1. What historical event is described in the book The Iron Flood
by A. S. Serafimovitch?
2. Who wrote the play about the events in Kronshtadt on the
eve of the October Revolution? What is its title?
TIMB FOR FUN
COMIC DEFINITION l
An accident —where presence of mind is good but absence of body
is better.
1 comic definition [,defi'mJan] — комическое определение
146
WITH A CAR LIKE THAT
Mechanic: With a car like that, my advice1 is to keep it moving.*
Owner: Why?
Mechanic, If you ever stop, the police will think it's an accident.
HE DIDN'T KNOW HOW BAD IT WAS
When I was taken to the hospital after an accident, the doctor,
on examining me, said that I could go home the next day. In the
morning, however, he announced, "I think you'd better stay another
day to see if someone new turns up.3 I didn't know how bad you
were banged up * until I read about the accident in the newspaper."
|
TO PULL, TO DRAW,
TO DRAG
There was an old man who said,
"Well! Will nobody answer this bell?
I have pulled day and night,
Till my hair has grown white,
But nobody answers this bell!"
The boy drew the chair nearer
to the table.
|
The fisherman is drawing the
boat toward the bank.
1 advice [ad'vaisj — совет
2 to keep something moving — поддержи-
вать в движении
3 someone new turns up —что-нибудь еще
выяснится
* to bang up —удариться, стукнуться
|
|
The man pulled the string1 and Don't pull her by her plaits.3
the bell rang.
|
The horse is dragging
a heavy load.
|
We could hardly drag
our feet, we were so
tired.
1 string — веревка
8 plaits [plaets] — косы
REMEMBER:
To draw (drew, drawn) means to move something from one
place to another.
To pull means to move with a quick motion.1 It is often fol-
lowed by an adverb or a preposition to indicate direction, e. g.
to pull into a room, to pull on one's stockings, to pull out a
tooth, to pull off gloves, etc.
To drag means to draw (or pull something) with great force
or difficulty.
Exercises
I. Give ycur reasons for the choice of the verbs to pull, to drag ci to draw In
the following pairs of sentences.
1. Valya is pulling the sledge.
2. A man drew the chair to the
table as he spoke.
3. The woman pulled off her
gloves and threw them on the
table.
4. Seized with fear,2 she pulled
the child to her.
5. The horse is pulling a cart.
6. The workers were drawing a
telephone wire4 across the
yard.
7. He took her by the arm and
gently drew her aside.
8. The dogs were dragging a sled
to the top of the hill.
An old woman was slowly
dragging a sledge with a bag
of potatoes on it.
The small boy was dragging
a chair behind him.
Then she drew a handkerchief
out of her pocket.
The mother drew the child
aside3 and whispered: "You
must say 'Thank you!"'
The man moved forward slow-
ly as he was dragging a cart
full of wood.
She pulled a piece of wire
over the door and a soft bell
was heard behind it.
Somebody was pulling me by
the arm.
Don't pull the sledge, push
it slightly and it will go easily
down the hill.
1 motion ['moufan]—движение
a seized [si:zd] with fear —охваченный страхом
8 aside [a'said] — в сторону
* wire ['waiaj—проволока
II. Fill in the blanks with the correct words.
1. The ant was trying to.... a big piece of grass to the ant-
hill. 2. When the boy came to himself he... the pilot out of
the broken cabin and helped the other five passengers. 3. The
crying child was... his mother by the sleeve1 but the woman
did not move. 4. The speaker... out a handkerchief and
wiped his face. 5. They... nearer the fire and began to sing.
6. The boy ran toward the train... his sister with him. 7. As
the well2 was not deep it was not difficult to... water. 8. The
child did not want to walk, the mother had to make every ef-
fort to... him with her. 9. "Don't... my hair, you hurt me."
10. The dentist... my tooth out so quickly that I had no
time to cry. 11. "Mike", get up, or I'll... you out of bed."
12. "Do you see this string? If you... it, you can shut the
window."
| dentist I'dentistJ —зубной врач to tie [tai] — привязывать |
| What is the dentist thanking the patient for? |
| 1 sleeve— рукав 2 well— колодец |
III. Here are seme short stories in pictures. Tell these stories, using the verbs
to pull, to draw or to drag.
a hunter — охотник
to go hunting—охотиться
to take no notice — не замечать
to shoot (shot, shot) — стрелять
to hit (hit, hit)— ударять
to faint—потерять сознание
catch—добыча
Was the hunt successful?
How does the hunter manage to take home his catch?
IV. Solve the riddle.
He's a little round fellow,
However hard you pull his tail,
You'll not catch him.
TIME FOR FVN
"Pa!"
"What is it, Teddy?"
"How many legs would you have to pull off a centipede1 to
make him limp?"2
* * #
"Pardon me for a moment, please," said the dentist to the
patient, "but before beginning this work I must have my drill."3
"Good heavens!" exclaimed the patient irritably,4 "can't you pull
out a tooth without a rehearsal?"5
|
FEW, A FEW, LITTLE,
A LITTLE
"Now, a few words for the listeners,
please!"
1 centipede ['sentipi:d] — сороконожка
2 to limp —хромать
3 drill — зд. игра слов, основанная на двух
значениях слова: 1) бормашина, 2) тре-
нировка, упражнение
4 irritably fintabli]— раздраженно
6 rehearsal [n'h3:sl] — репетиция, тренировка
£5*
The choice of this or that word in this lesson depends entirely1
on what idea the speaker wishes to emphasize.a Compare these
pairs of sentences and see what idea is emphasized in each case:
1. "Have you many English
books?"
"No, I have few."
(not many, I wish I had
more)
2. There are few apples in
the garden, because there
was no rain this summer.
(not many apples)
3. "I have few friends here."
"What a pity! You must
feel rather lonely."
"Have you no English books?"
"Yes, I have a few." (not very
many but still I have some
books)
There are a few apples in the
garden though there was no
rain this summer, (not many,
but still some)
"I have a few friends in Mos-
cow." "That is very nice for
you. You'll have a good time
with them."
REMEMBER:
Few means some but not many, not enough.
A few is used in a positive sense: at least3 there are some,
and some are better than none.
Little and a little are used in much the same way as few
and a few, with one difference: few and a few are used with
countable nouns, little and a little with uncountable nouns.
Compare the uses of the words little and a little.
1. "Have you much coffee?"
"No, I have very little."
2. "Hurry up! Little time is
left. We can miss the train."
"Haven't you any coffee?"
"Yes, I have a little." (not
much, but at least some)
"Don't hurry up. There is a
little time to spare."
3. "There is so little ink in
my fountain-pen that I
cannot write."
"Take my fountain-pen. There
is a little ink in it — quite
enough to finish your letter."
1 entirely [m'tasah] — зд. полностью, главным образом
2 to emphasize femfasaiz]— выделить, подчеркнуть
4 at least [li:st] —по крайней мере
Exercises
I. Read these sentences, using few, a few, tittle, a little in place of the itali-
cized words.
1. There is some, but not much milk in that bottle. 2. Not
many English people speak Turkish. 3. They have not many
friends here. 4. He has not much time for reading. 5. Peter has
a large number of Russian books but not many English books.
6. Some of the boys went by car, but most of them went by
trolley-bus. 7. My sister likes some, but not much sugar in her
tea, but I like a lot in mine. 8. He does not spend much money
on records, but he spends a lot on books. 9. There are some,
but not many reasons for thinking she didn't tell us the truth.
10. The woman did not speak much because he was so excited.
It. Fill in the blanks with few, a few, little, a little.
I. There was still... time before the lesson began. 2. He has
... knowledge of the subject. You'd better ask somebody else.
3. We got... pleasure from the trip, the weather was bad all
the time. 4. "Are there many vacant rooms in the hotel?"—
"No, there are only...." 5. "Why did you put so... sugar m
your tea? It won't be sweet." 6. "Do many people know about this
new shop?"—"No, only...."7. There is... light in the room.
Pull up the blinds.1 8. There is still... light here, though it
is a dark room. 9. There is... sunshine in this rainy place.
10. But the plate is not empty, there are... plums on it.
II. There are... snakes* in Britain, partly3 because... snakes
managed to get into that country before it became an island
and partly because there is... warmth for them there. 12. There
are dozens of islands around Greece. Big islands with hundreds
of thousands of people, small islands with... thousands of people,
and islands with very... people and even with no people at
all. 13. She said she wanted to buy... rice and bread and
... oranges.
III. Construct two sentences in each group by combining the phrases in the left-
hand column with those in the right-hand column.
Model:
| A few (few) people under- stood what he said |
as he did not speak clearly,
though he did not speak clearly.
1 blinds [blamdzj— заназесн, шторы, защищающие от света
2 snake —змея
* partly —частично
1. Few people understood what he said as he did not speak
clearly.
2. A few people understood what he said though he did not
speak clearly.
1. I have little (a little) hope
for his success,
2. Mike had few (a few) nails,
3. Pete found few (a few)
stamps about our cosmo-
nauts,
4. Few (a few) minutes are
left,
5. The man drank little (a
little) tea,
6. I had made few (a few)
friends
7. There were few (a few)
berries,
8. Lena has few (a few) Eng-
lish books
9. The children had little
(a little) money,
because he did not sleep the whole
night and feels rather unwell,
though he is not in peak con-
dition. г
so he could not make a book-
shelf.
and he mended2 the chair.
though he tried hard.
though he has only just begun
collecting stamps,
so we can wait for him.
we cannot wait for him any
longer.
and got himself warm.
as there was no more in the
teapot.
and I was very interested to
discuss with them many
things.
because I stayed there for a
very short time.
because it was late autumn,
though there was little rain this
year.
but she wants to have more,
and she will buy more,
so they could buy ice-cream,
so they could not go to the
cinema.
IV. Read this story, inserting English words instead oi the Russian ones. Then
invent questions about the words in brackets end ask your class-mates to
answer them.
1 in peak condition [kan'dijn]—в отличной форме
2 to mend —чинить, ремонтировать
A PLANT THAT WORKS MIRACLES1
A poorly dressed man limped exhausted2 into a village. There
was (мало) rice, that year and he had nothing to eat. Hunger gave
him a wonderful idea.
He went from door to door whispering only (несколько) words,
"I know of a wonderful plant. It brings life to those who are
dying. Who wants to know my secret?" (несколько) men gathered
to listen to him.
A rich man invited him in his house and treated him to a rich
dinner. After that the host asked about the all-powerfula plant.
"Come with me, then! It will take us (немного) time to get
to the place, where it grows abundantly."4
They went cut attracting as (мало) attention as possible. As
soon as they reached the rice-field around the village the poor
man said, "Here is the plant!"
"Rice?" the rich man was surprised. "You have fooled me!"
"Certainly not! (Немного) rice can perform wonders. Without
the excellent rice which I have just eaten at your home I should
certainly have died by now. (Немного) people are as stupid as
you are," he added, and ran off as fast as he could.
|
| "Sorry, darling, I'm late..." "Would you be so kind as to make it... softer." |
| 1 to work miracles ['mtraklz]— творить чудеса 2 exhausted [ig'zorstrdj — истощенный s all-powerful [o:l'pau9ful]— всесильное 4 abundantly [3'bAnd9ntliJ— в изобилии |
V. Complete the sentences under the pictures with the activa words of the lesson.
VI. Translate the following into English.
1. Мало туристов приезжает в наш город зимой. 2. В коробке
осталось совсем немного цветных карандашей. 3. Под боль-
шим дубом они увидели несколько грибов. 4. Старушка полу-
чала совсем мало писем и чувствовала себя очень одиноко.
5. «Вы много кладете сахару в чай?» —«Нет, не много».
6. Я думаю, что мне понадобится немного времени, чтобы
добраться туда. Это ведь близко. 7. Было очень мало надежды
на то, что работа будет закончена. 8. Мы покупаем мало
молока, у нас его не любят. 9. Кто писал моей ручкой?
В ней осталось совсем мало чернил. 10. Несмотря на плохую
погоду, немного народу все же пришло на лекцию. 11. Не-
многие ученики поняли это правило, поэтому я объясню его
еще раз. 12. Он выпил немного воды и почувствовал себя
гораздо лучше. 13. В стакане было мало молока,.поэтому
мать долила (to pour in) еще. 14. Прошлой зимой было мало
снега, так что на лыжах мы не ходили.
TIME FOR FUN
There was an old man who said, "Do,
Tell me how I should add two and two?"
I think more and more
That it makes about four.
But I always fear that is too few.
|
"Did he tell you much?"
"Oh, no. A few words only."
"But they must have been
very important ones."
"Oh, yes, indeed. He said,
'Keep off, please"',
People in the North and Though the people of the
people in the South wear different North wear the same type of
kinds of clothes, as the climate clothing (very warm, made of
is different in the North and wool and fur), look how various
South. their clothes are.
These are two different departments in this store: one sells
footwear, the other sells dresses.
to overcome [,оиуэ'клт! — преодолевать (трудности)
№
Oh, how various is the choice of shoes!
The spectators express their opinion of the game in different
ways: some approve1 of it, others dislike it.
The ways of expressing approval2 are varicus,
1 to approve [a'pmv]— одобрять
2 to express approval — выражать одобрение
REMEMBER:
................... щ ............... —■ >■
Different means not the same, unlike, oppos. — like, similar.
Various means several, many; it stresses the number of things,
more than their unlikeness.
Exercises
I. Find the best Russian equivalents for the words different and various in the
following sentences. Give reasons for your choice.
1. This plant can be found in various parts of the world.
2. The duties of the director of our school are various. 3. There
are various ways of memorizing English words. 4. The garden
doesn't look the same in different seasons. 5. The natives of
this island speak various dialects1 but they are not entirely
different, they are based on the same language. 6. Karl Marx
studied the Russian language from books; and at the same time
he kept up a correspondence with various Russians. 7. The
Pioneer Palace also has a music school, a sport section and
various hobby clubs. 8. Start rehearsing for your play, train
your voice to suit the different characters. 9. The girl was able
to identify2 different colours by making slight movements with
her fingers above a pile3 of coloured sheets of paper. 10. Mendele-
yev was elected a member of many academies and was conferred
with honorary degrees by various universities.
II. Fill in the blanks with the words different or various.
THE WORLD EXHIBITION OF 1967
Over 60 million people of... nationalities, ages and occupa-
tions saw the World Exhibition "Expo-67", which took place in
Canada in 1967. What attracted so many people to Montreal? For
many of them a visit to the Exhibition was a wonderful opportunity
to see the world in miniature, to go to... countries each so
unlike the others. They could go to... pavilions, each containing
something new and individual, each full of... exhibits,4 ranging
from spaceships to kangaroos. Besides this, each visitor could try
1 dialect fdaiatakt]—диалект
2 to identify [ar'dentifai]— определять
8 pile —пачка
* exhibit [[g'zibitj — экспонат
... national dishes, and could buy souvenirs, which were numerous
and for... tastes.
The number of countries that took part in the Exhibition was
60, Their pavilions were of... sizes and colours.
The Soviet pavilion was one of the biggest attractions. It
demonstrated the achievements of our country in... fields of
science and engineering.1 A whole floor was taken up 2 by a display
of the best Soviet paintings, sculptures and... books on art.
But the USSR's popularity at "Expo-67" was not explained
only by its big display. Our outstanding artists, our singers and
dancers that came to Canada with... ensembles and companies3
were a great success too.
Visitors to the USSR pavilion expressed their delight with
what they saw there. A Canadian Thomas Laperier wrote in the
visitors' book: "If we were Russians, we would feel very proud."
III. Look at the pictures and answer the questions, using different and various.
|
| Are the people of the same opin- ion? 4 His wife is fond of different pat- terns and colours, isn't she? |
1 engineering [,encfei'niani)] —техника
2 A whole floor was taken up —Целый этаж был занят
8 company ['клтрэш]—театральная группа
4 opinion [a'pinjan]^—мнение
|
I. Колхозники прилагают много усилий, чтобы дать стране
больше разнообразных продуктов (product). 2. Они дали два
разных описания одного и того же события. 3. В течение
многих лет этот человек работал клерком (clerk) в различных
правительственных учреждениях. 4. Сеченов был не только
великим ученым, но и великим просветителем (educator). Он
выступал перед публикой по различным вопросам. 5. Их
подход к проблеме был разным. 6. Говорят (they say), они
совершенно разные люди, а я нахожу у них много общего
(common). 7. В нашей школе много различных кружков, но
я посещаю только шахматный. 8. «Как вы добираетесь до
места работы?» —«Различными видами транспорта». 9. Свет —
это сочетание лучей (ray) различных цветов. 10. М-р Пиквик
и его друзья путешествовали по стране, встречаясь с раз-
личными представителями (member) английского общества.
II. Все трое сделали различные предложения.
TIMB FOR FUN
"Have you much variety1 at your canteen?"2
"Yes, we have three different names for one and the same dish."
i(5 ф 3|S
A ship began to sink. A land-lubber3 who was on his first
sea voyage saw everybody tying themselves to different things
on board, so he tied himself to one of the anchors.4
1 variety [va'raisti]— разнообразие
3 canteen [kan/tnn] —столовая
3 land-lubber— новичок в морском деле
* anchor ['зедкэ] — якорь
6 № 1895
№
IT'fS INTERESTING TO KNOW THAT
...today there are over a million different living species1 of
plants and animals on the earth.
...that there are about 100 different atoms. They differ in the
number of electrons, protons and neutrons they contain.
|
HABIT, CUSTOM
Force of habit.
We gathered at Valya's place
to see the New Year in. A few
minutes were left before the clock
struck twelve, when Nick said, "To
think that everybody in the world
is now waiting for this moment to
greet one another with "Happy
New Year!"
"No, not all," retorted2 Valya. "The Japanese, for instance,
see the New Year in not at midnight as we do, but at sunrise."
"Why is that?" Nick asked.
"Because it's their custom," said Valya. "And the Eskimoes
have a New Year custom which differs from ours too. Their New
Year celebrations depend on the weather. They never see the New
Year in before the first snow comes."
"What strange customs different people have!" Helen exclaimed.
"I know that the Italians have the custom of throwing away old
furniture on New Year's Eve."
"But what about our own customs?" Valya asked. "Does anyone
know any Russian custom?"
"I know one," replied Nick. "There is one very tasty 3 custom:
for the celebrations Russian housewives usuajly cook pirozhki and
pirogi with all kinds of tasty fillings4 — meat, fish, eggs, mush-
rooms, fruit, nuts, etc. My grandmother always cooks them and I
help her by eating some of the sweet fillings before they are put
into the pirozhki. That is my custom!"
1 species ['spfcjczj (pi unchanged) — вид, виды
2 to retort [n'b:tj — возражать
3 tasty ['teisti] — вкусный
4 filling — начинка
"Oh, no Nick," Valya exclaimed, "that's not a custom, that's
a habit. A custom is something which is done by a group of people
of the same kind: Russian housewives, the English, the Italians,
members of a family, class-mates, etc. and which is done for many
years. But a habit is something that a single person does. Customs
are social,1 habits are personal."2
"Oh, I see," said Nick. "I understand now. If eating fillings
were a custom, we would never have sweet pirozhki; there would
be nothing to fill them with!"
Everybody laughed. But Valya suddenly grew critical and re-
marked, "By the way, eating fillings is not the only bad habit of
yours. I noticed that you forget to say "please" when you ask for
something and "thank you" when you get it."
"And you're always biting3 your nails4 when you get excited.
Do you think that's a good habit?" remarked Nick.
"Well," Helen interrupted their quarrel, "there is a good custom
among English people. They make New Year resolutions6 — that
is they make up their minds to develop some good habits in the
coming New Year and to give up bad ones. Let's follow their
custom".
Everyone accepted6 Helen's suggestion. Just then the clock
began to strike twelve.
REMEMBER:
a bad (nasty) habit, a nice habit, a long-standing habit —
укоренившаяся привычка
to get (fall) into a habit —усвоить привычку
to make it one's habit —сделать своей привычкой
to break a habit —бросить привычку
to be a slave to a habit — раб привычки
force of habit —сила привычки
Proverbs: A man is a bundle of habits. (Человек—это ско-
пище привычек.)
1 social f'soufal] — общественный
2 personal ['paisnl] — личный, индивидуальный
3 to bite (bit, bitten)— грызть, кусать
4 nails —ногти
6 to make a resolution [.reza'lu: fan] —принимать решение
e to accept [sk'septl—принимать
6*
<4
It takes a habit to cure-a habit. (Одна привычка излечивается
другой.)' '•;■■:■■
There are as many customs as there are countries. (Сколько
стран — столько и обычаев.)
Exercises
I. Read the following and say which is a habit and which is a custom.
1. When celebrating something, ancient Greeks often served
wine from the skulls1 of killed animals.
2. We always stand to attention2 when the national anthem3
is played.
3. People give presents at New Year's time.
4. Tanya often kicks her heels against the legs of a chair.
5. Some people eat off their knives.
6. If a pupil at school wishes to ask a question, or to answer
it, he raises his hand.
■7. Misha usually screws4 up his face when he is thinking.
8. My brother likes to sit with his feet stretched all the v/ay
under the table.
9. Dinner time throughout England is about 7 o'clock.
10. Galya reads when she is eating.
11. On holidays the family gets together at the grandmother's
house.
12. Masha always draws pictures on the covers of her books.
13. Young people give up their seats on buses and trams to
old people, to wornen carrying babies or to people who
are ill.
14. In pur family we save money for the summer holidays in
winter.
1.5,. Pete sips5 his soup as though he wants the whole town to
hear him.
16.; The Japanese use chopsticks6 to lift food from their bowls 7-
■' ■"' to their mouths.
1 skufl — череп
2 to stand to attention [o'tenjn]—стоять по стойке «смирно»
3 anthem {'аепОэт]— гимн
4 to screw [skru:] — морщить (лицо)
6!fo> sIp-^tiotHTKBalb, прихлебывать
6 chopsticks —палочки для еды (у японцев, китайцев, корейцев)
7 bowl fboul] —миска ■ ■■-■.
*fS4
17. Captains are the last persons to leave their ships*
18. Englishmen try to leave town for some time during the
summer months.., ;
II. Fill in the blanks, using the appropriate word combinations, given below
(use the verbs in the proper tense form):
to break a habit, a long-standing habit, force of habit, nasty
habit, to develop a habit (of), habit cures, habit, to make it
one's habit.
A: Whistling1 again! Ycu know it's bad. Why do you do it?
B:..........................
A: And a very................. at that. You must.....*♦'.
B: Easier said than done. I tried several times, but failed. It
became a.......................... -. ч.. •
A: That's because you never really tried...,... I'll tell you
what you should do. As soon as you ieel like2 whistling
shut your mouth and remember keeping it shut.....................
your new habit. And........................, you know.
B: Capital!3 Your suggestion is sure to make things straight.4
But if I............ of being silent all the time my teachers
will think I am not ready with my lessons.
A: I didn't tell you to keep silent ail the time. I,said—when
you feel like whistling. If a teacher calls you, you immedi-
ately forget about whistling, I think.
B: That's true.
III. Make up two sentences of your own for each of the following models.
1) To be in the habit of,..
Model: I am in the habit of reading newspapers every day.
2) It's a habit of...
Model: It's a habit of Pete's to sit sideways in his desk.
IV. Speak about the habits of your friends (brothers, sisters). What habits of
theirs would you like to imitate?б Criticize those which are bad. What
habits of your own would you be glad to give up?
1 to whistle ['wisl]— свистеть
2 to feel like...ing—быть расположенным, иметь желание
3 Capital ['kaepital]! — Замечательно!
* Your suggestion is sure to make things straight.— Твое предложение,всесразу
исправит.
6 to imitate ['muteit] — подражать
,.165
V. What Russian customs do you know? What customs of other people do you
.know? Is there a custom in your family? Speak about it. Is there a custom
among your class-mates?
VL Talk about the pictures. Say what the people in the pictures are doing and
why. Use the English equivalents of the following Russian words and word
combinations:
выработать привычку, сила привычки, раб привычки, бро-
сить привычку, плохая (укоренившаяся) привычка.
|
|
VII. Solve the riddle.
What can you drop x without
losing anything?
4
TIME FOR FUN
"Why do you always have wool2 in your ears?"
"I have the bad habit of drumming3 the table with my fingers
and I cannot bear4 the noise I make."
|
*
"Why have you been stand-
ing here for such a long time?"
"I'm breaking the habit of
smoking. It's easier here. They
don't allow smoking."
1 to drop— бросать, оставлять
8 woe! [wul] — зд. вата
3 to drum —барабанить
* to bear (bore, born) [Ьеэ] — выно-
сить, терпеть
IT IS INTERESTING TO KNOW THAT
... in the times of Peter the Great they had a custom in Rus-
sia according to which an engineer who built a bridge had to go
and stand right in the middle of it while a heavy load was car-
ried across.
... there is a custom among Indians living in Brazil according
to which the head of a tribe has the right to punish rather talk-
ative speakers by making them stand on one leg while they are
speaking.
TO CATCH, TO SNATCH,
|
TO SEIZE
I threw the ball to him and he
caught it.
He fished all night, but caught
nothing.
|
|
One bird is snatching food out
of the beak * of another.
The kitten is trying to snatch
at the string.
1 beak [bi:k} — клюв
pp
|
In fright1 the child
seized the mother's arm.
REMEMBER:
To catch means to reach, to get
to a person or a thing before it
moves away.
To snatch means to take by a quick hurried movement.
To seize means to take something quickly by using force.
Proverb: A drowning man will catch at a straw.
Exercises
I. Fill in the blanks with the verbs to catch, to snatch or to seize in the prop-
er form, 0
I. The dog went after the rabbit but didn't... it. 2, The
mouse was... in a trap.3 3. He... her hand by force and
shook it heartily. 4. Without a word the man... his hat and
hurried from the room. 5. The cat... a small fish out of the
basket and quickly ran away. 6. We were... by a rain in
the woods and got wet through. 7. The white man... a burn-
ing branch from the fire and waved it angrily in the Indian's
face. 8. The birds gathered over the water, where there were
many flies3 and other insects which they... as they flew.
9. The boy quickly ran into the room, firmly... the bell that
lay on the table and rang it loudly. 10. Ashurst came up to
Megan,... her tenderly by the arm and turned her round.
II. With a frown,4 Broadie went down the corridor,... the
door-handle5 firmly and quickly entered the kitchen. 12. A
• strong hand... him and saved him from falling. 13. She drop-
ped the box she was carrying,... a knife out of the drawer3
and cut the string with it.
1 fright [frait] — испуг
2 trap —ловушка, западня
3 Ну — муха
4 frown [iraun]—хмурый взгляд
6 door-handle —дверная ручка
6 drawer fdro:»] — ящик (стола)
III. Read the following story, translating the words in brackets: into English.
POLECAT1 AND PARTRIDGE2
Once upon a time a mother partridge was feeding quietly in
a meadow. A polecat saw her and decided (поймать) her for his
>dinner. But just as he was about (захватить) her with his cruel
claws3 the partridge flew away. "I (поймаю) you yet!" threat-
ened4 the polecat. "When winter comes Vl\ be able to see your
brown feathers against the white snow, and then I (поймаю) you."
When winter came, the polecat searched and searched, but he
couldn't find the partridge because it wore a beautiful new coat as
white as snow.
"When spring comes, you'll build your nest on the ground, and
then I'll eat your eggs," the polecat thought. The spring Came,
the polecat hunted and hunted for the eggs but he couldn't find
them, because they were the colour of dry5 leaves. "You just wait Г
he threatened. I (схвачу) your chicks when they hatch."8
1 polecat I'poulkaet] — хорек
2 partridge ['patnd3] — куропатка
3 claws [kb:z] — когти
* to threaten ['0retn] — грозиться, угрожать
* dry —сухой
6 to hatch — вылупляться из яйца
And one day when the mother partridge and her little ones
were eating, the polecat jumped out at them. The mother partridge
tried to fly away (охваченная) with fear, but something seemed
to be wrong with her wings. "I (поймаю) you now!" the polecat
shouted with joy. The chase1 began. Several Ипщ the polecat
almost (хватал) her by the tail, but each time she 'got away. At
last, when she had led the polecat deep into the forest, the moth-
er partridge suddenly flew away. She had only pretended3 to be
hurt! She flew back to her babies, which were safely hidden in
the grass. And once more the polecat went home hungry.
IV. Make up the stories of the pictures.
to make a photo—фотогра- strong wind — сильный ветер
фировать to blow (blew, blown)—дуть
camera—фотоаппарат to bend down (bent, bent) — наги-
| 1 chase—погоня, охота 2 <o pretend [pn'tend]— притворяться |
monkey — обезьяна баться
V. Translate into English.
1. Утопающий схватился за борт лодки (edge) и держался,
пока не подоспела помощь. 2. Прохожий (passer-by) схватился
за шапку, но не удержал ее, порыв ветра был очень сильный.
3. Малыш, ухватившись крепко за спинку стула, пытался
встать на ноги. 4. «Не хватай пищу, ешь спокойно!»—сказала
мать. 5. Когда зазвонил телефон, мужчина торопливо подошел
и схватил трубку (receiver). 6. Хорошо, что вы пришли сейчас.
Через 15 минут вы бы не застали меня: я собираюсь уходить.
7. Милиционер (militiaman) схватил нарушителя за руку.
8. Кошка погналась за мышью, но не поймала ее. 9. Ужас
охватил людей, когда они увидели ребенка на краю пропасти
(gap). 10. Не хватайте собеседника за руку, это неприлично.
TIMM FOR FUN
HOW MANY?
A small boy was fishing by a stream. A man came by and
stopped to watch him.
"How many have you caught?" the man asked.
"If I catch another, I shall have one," said the boy.
How many fish did he catch?
THE OLD MAN AND THE SHARK1
"When I fell overboard,"2 the old man said to the lady who
bored3 him with her questions, "a big shark came along and seized
me by the leg."
"Seized you by the leg? Oh! And what did you do?"
"Of course I let him eat my leg, madam. I never argue4 with
sharks."