Task I.1.
You are going to read a text about the British. Choose the most suitable heading from the list A – G for each part (1 - 5) of the text. There is one extra heading which you don’t need to use. There is an example at the beginning (0).
A). Eat at pleasure, work with measure.
B). To have an occupation is better than to screw around.
C). Tourists’ ideas of the British are very often mistaken.
D). To be fair is so typically British.
E). “Porridge, sir!”
F). The British are not extravagant, but in humour, may be.
G). The British have a lot on the ball.
The British as We See Them
| C |
Almost every nation has a reputation of some kind. The British are reputed to be cold, reserved, rather (1) haughty people. They are steady, easy-going and fond of sports.
A foreigner view of the British is often based on the type of Briton he has met travelling abroad. It is obvious, however, that the behaviour of an individual cannot be taken as general for the whole people. There is a common illusion, for instance, that the British are cold and reserved. A foreigner sitting in a second-class railway carriage would soon realize that the British are much the same as the people of his own country.
There are, however, certain kinds of behaviour, manners and customs which are (2) peculiar to Britain.
In general, the British are polite. If somebody treads on your toe they are sure to say “Sorry” or “Excuse me”. “Excuse me” is a phrase which often causes difficulty. Getting off a crowded bus one says “Excuse me, please” when one wishes to squeeze past someone. In a café, when asking if there is a place at the table, “Excuse me, but is this anyone’s seat?” is the correct way to ask. Another example of the British politeness is (3) queuing, which is governed by a strict code of fairness in Britain. Woe betides anyone who attempts to jump the queue!
A common man seldom walks on the right-hand side of the woman, seldom helps his wife on and off a bus, or holds out a chair for her in a restaurant, or helps her to put her coat on. He acts in this way not because he is forgetful or rude; he just sees her more as an equal, and few women in Britain miss these attentions.
Of course, curtsies and bows are now considered antiquated. When greeting friends, theBritish also rarely shake hands. The practical British would never take off their gloves at fifteen degrees below zero just to shake hands. Only if they are introduced to a stranger do they do so, and among young people even this has become quite unusual. They simply say “How do you do?” or even just “Hallo”. No answer is expected unless the direct question “How are you?” is asked.
“The Englishman’s home is his castle” is a saying known all over the world. And it is true that English people prefer small houses, built to house one family, perhaps with a small garden. But nowadays the shortage of building land and inflated values mean that more and more (4) blocks of flats are being built, especially by the local councils.
Foreigners often picture an Englishman dressed in tweeds, smoking a pipe, striding across the open countryside with his dog at his heels. This is a picture of an aristocraticEnglishman during his holidays on his country estate. Since most of the open countryside is privately owned there is not much left for the others to stride across.
As a rule, Englishmen do not like bright colours, outlandish hairstyles, or exaggerated fashions. Clothing bought “off the peg” is most popular because mass-produced clothing is comparatively cheap and well-made as a result of England’s long-established textile industry.
One thing, which is difficult for foreigners to understand, is the English sense ofhumour. English humour is ironical, often directed against oneself in a self-critical way. It rests on verbal battles rather than on visual comedy. It is quite (5) common to find good friends insulting each other in a verbal battle, each realizing, however, that the other is merely pulling his leg. This is very common in families and a series of family jokes develops.
English cooking has the worldwide reputation, among foreigners at any rate, of being bad. This is of course a relative judgment. People, who travel abroad, most of them from the higher income brackets, often criticize English cooking. The English culinary art is not “fancy”. There are no subtle seasonings, no rubs of garlic, no poaching in wine so beloved of the French chef. In the traditional English cuisine there are no omelettes or drops of brandy to discreetly flavour a sweet. English cooking is heavy, substantial and (6) plain.
The national beverage is tea, which must be made “just like mother makes it”, one teaspoonful of tea for each person and “one for the pot”. Boiling water is added and the tea is allowed to stand, brew or draw. It is drunk with or without sugar but almost always with milk. A true Briton would prefer a cup of tea which had been made in a teapot in a civilized way to a cup with the tea bag dangling in it. There have been poems to the (7) immortal vine but few, alas, to the immortal tea plant; tea is a part of the prose of British life, as necessary as bread or potatoes.
The ideal English breakfast, however, is acknowledged and remembered with longing by foreigners as being excellent. It consists of cereals, either porridge or cornflakes, with milk and sugar, followed by bacon and eggs or sausages and tomatoes, toast and marmalade, and finally, of course, a cup of tea. This is the ideal breakfast, but the majority of British people eat only on Saturdays and Sundays. On weekdays they have time only for toast and marmalade.
The midday meal is called lunch or dinner. This meal is probably the most substantial one. The English like to complete it with a cup of tea. They also like to drink water or occasionally beer with their meal, but only in the expensive restaurants or among upper-class people spirits are taken with the meal. Spirits are generally too expensive for the normal household, except at Christmas time.
5 o’clock tea (high tea or great tea) is a peculiar meal. In upper-class circles it consists of thin sandwiches, small cakes and cups of tea. Dinner, for them, follows at 7 o’clock and supper sometime after 9.
Beer is the second national beverage. The average Englishman does his drinking in a (8) pub (the public house), which has evolved over the centuries. It has always played an important part in social life. Originally a stopping place for weary travellers, it was then called an inn or tavern and was often the centre of community life in the area, and it was there that news was exchanged, and the latest political developments discussed. Every pub has several rooms: a smoking room, a lounge, a public bar, etc. Sometimes there is a singing room. There are generally no waiters, for the customers fetch their own drinks, but in most rooms there will be a long counter presided over by a barmaid or a barman who stands behind several large handles, the beer pumps.
The English do not eat in restaurants as much as other European nations. Many restaurants are self-service. Waiters and waitresses are found usually in the more expensive places.
The quiet, reserved Briton can best be observed at a football match. Naturally, the British shout and (9) yell as much as any nation, especially if their side is losing. The crowd boos if it disapproves, and cheers if it approves of the team. Rattles, which make a harsh clattering sound, are carried, especially at the Cup Final, and rosettes are sometimes worn. Rugby Football, or Rugger, is very different from Soccer. It originated at Rugby School, the famous British public school. There are fifteen players, and the ball is oval in shape. Its following is much smaller than that of soccer. In some areas, in Wales for instance, they play rugby with thirteen players a side.
Cricket, on the other hand, is not as popular as football, and is much quieter and more sedate. When the Test Matches are played, the spectators applaud the players politely. It is difficult for most foreigners to understand this game. It is even more difficult for Englishmen to explain it to them. There are two sides with eleven men in each. The game is controlled by two umpires. The equipment is: six stumps (thick pointed sticks about 80 cm high), four bails (very short sticks, half as long as a pencil and twice as thick), a hard cricket ball (the size of a tennis-ball, but made of leather) and at least two bats.
The English play almost every European game, lawn tennis and table tennis being the favourites among the spectators. In London, for instance, every park has tennis facilities. In some there are as many as ten or so hard courts, and the same number of soft, or grass ones. Britain regularly gets players into the finals and semi-finals of international competitions, many of which are staged at Wimbledon.
Britain is a nation of animal lovers. They have about 5 million dogs, almost as many cats, 3 million parrots and other cage birds, aquarium fish – and 1 million exotic (10) pets such as reptiles. In Britain they have special dog shops selling food, clothes and other things for dogs. There are dog hairdressing saloons and dog cemeteries. In Britain pets can send Christmas cards to their friends, birthday cards. Owners can buy for their pets jewelled nylon collars, lamb wool coat for a dog, lace-trimmed panties, nightgowns, pyjamas, and so on. There are special animal hotels at the airports. The English people believe that they are the only nation on the earth that is really kind to its animals.
The love of gardens is deep-rooted in the British people. Most men’s conversations are about gardens. It may be a discussion of the best methods of growing cucumbers, a talk about the plot, which differs from all the others.
The British like growing plants in a window box outside the kitchen or in the garden near the house. They love flowers very much. To grow flowers is a useful occupation because it doesn’t harm anyone. Even people with a tiny patch of ground in their backwards like growing plants and people who have never seriously tried to speak any foreign language carefully learn the Latin names of the flowers they plant, so that they can tell their friends.
If you want to please an English person, be very polite about his garden. He will probably tell you about his garden.
The English gardens are internationally famous. Some of them are very beautiful, especially the big ones that are open to the public.
Task I.2. Choose the answer (A, B, C, or D) which you think is the best, according to the text, for questions 1 – 5
1. Why are British men “inattentive” towards their women?
A). They are rude and unmannerly.
B). British men consider British women equal in everything.
C). British rules of etiquette differ from etiquette rules adopted in other countries.
D). There are no such etiquette rules in Britain.
2. Why do the British not eat in restaurants as much as other Europeans?
A). The British are poor and can’t afford such expensiveness.
B). There are no restaurants in Britain, there are only pubs.
C). They are economical and consider eating in restaurants just a waste of money.
D). They like home-made cooking, but not culinary delights.
3. Why do the British buy expensive things for their pets?
A). They are crazy.
B). They have too much money and don’t know what to do with it.
C). Their love for their pets has no boundaries.
D). They want to show to everyone that the British are the richest in the world.
4. Why do the British not like to shake hands?
A). They think this practice to be antiquated.
B). They consider shaking hands to be dangerous from the point of view of hygiene.
C). There is no such a habit in Britain.
D). They are rude and unmannerly.
5. Why do the British like their pubs so much?
A). They can watch there world’s sports competitions free while to watch them at home via cable television is very expensive.
B). There are no limits for drinking spirits in pubs.
C). They have nothing more to do than to sit in the pub all evenings round.
D). It is a deep-rooted social tradition in the country.
Task I.3. Decide which word A, B, C or D best fits for words 1 – 10 in the meaning
| A arrogant | B aristocratic | C noble | D snob | |
| A concrete | B typical | C obligatory | D not characteristic | |
| A nobility | B aristocratism | C line | D respect | |
| A cottages | B motels | C hotels | D apartment houses | |
| A usual | B rare | C planned | D casual | |
| A delicious | B ordinary | C tasty | D vegetarian | |
| A delicate | B rare | C unfading | D expensive | |
| A café | B restaurant | C tavern | D alehouse | |
| A cry | B whistle | C applaud | D keep silence | |
| A ants | B domestic animals | C flies | D cows |
Task I.4.
Check your abilities as a translator. Choose the translation (A, B, C, or D) which you think is the best, according to the text, for sentences 1 – 5
1. It is obvious, however, that the behaviour of an individual cannot be taken as general for the whole people.
A). Очевидно, что поведение индивидуалиста – это общее поведение всего населения.
B). Однако, становится очевидным, что поведение личности можно принять как поведение целого народа.
C). Тем не менее, понятно, что индивидуалисты своим поведением создают общую картину поведения всех народов.
D). Понятно, что поведение одного человека нельзя считать типичным для всего народа.
2. A foreigner sitting in a second-class railway carriage would soon realize that the British are much the same as the people of his own country.
A). Иностранец, сидя в железнодорожном вагоне второго класса сразу начинает осознавать, что британцы – не такие же, как люди в его собственной стране.
B). Иностранец, сидя в железнодорожном вагоне второго класса с британцами, не скоро сообразит, что они (британцы) отличаются от жителей его родной страны.
C). Иностранец, если он поедет поездом в вагоне второго класса, очень скоро бы понял, что британцы такие же, как и жители его родной страны.
D). Путешествуя по железной дороге, особенно в вагоне второго класса, человек не сразу, но со временем начал бы осознавать, что британцы очень похожи на жителей его собственной страны.
3. Foreigners often picture an Englishman dressed in tweeds, smoking a pipe, striding across the open countryside with his dog at his heels.
A). Иностранцы часто рисуют себе картину англичанина, как человека, одетого в костюм из твида, курящего трубку и прогуливающегося по сельской местности, а рядом с ним бежит собака.
B). На всех картинах, нарисованных иностранцами, англичанин изображен в твидовом костюме, курящий трубку, гуляющий по деревне с собакой.
C). Иностранцы любят фотографировать англичан, когда они одеты в твидовые костюмы, курят трубку или гуляют на открытом воздухе с собакой.
D). Иностранцы представляют себе англичанина, одетого по старомодному, с трубкой, во время прогулки по сельской местности, в сопровождении собаки.
4. AtrueBritonwouldpreferacupofteawhichhadbeenmadeina teapot in a civilized way to a cup with the tea bag dangling in it.
A). По правде говоря, британец не видит разницы между чаем, заваренным в чайнике и чаем в пакетиках.
B). Настоящий британец предпочитает чашку чая, заваренного, по привычке, в чайнике, а не чай в пакетиках.
C). Настоящий британец предпочитает чашку чая, цивилизованного, в пакетиках, чем чай, заваренный, по старинке, в чайнике.
D). Правда в том, что британцы предпочел бы чай, заваренный в чайнике, чем чай из пакетика.
5. Even people with a tiny patch of ground in their backwards like growing plants and people who have never seriously tried to speak any foreign language carefully learn the Latin names of the flowers they plant, so that they can tell their friends.
A). Редко, когда люди любят выращивать растения на крохотных участках земли, особенно, если это на заднем дворе, лучше они предпочтут изучать иностранные языки, включая латинский, чтобы поговорить о цветах с друзьями.
B). Даже когда люди с любовью выращивают растения у себя во дворе, даже если участок земли очень маленький, они вряд ли будут с такой же любовью изучать иностранные языки или стараться запомнить латинские названия цветов, которые выращивают их друзья.
C). Люди, выращивающие растения на своих маленьких задних двориках, похожи на людей, которые серьезно изучают иностранные языки ил, хотя бы, запоминают латинские названия цветов, которые, с такой же любовью, выращивают их друзья.
D). Даже те, у кого за домом есть совсем крошечный клочок земли, начнут с любовью выращивать растения, а те, кто никогда серьезно не занимался изучением иностранных языков, будут изучать латинские названия цветов, которые они выращивают, чтобы было о чем поговорить с друзьями.
Task I.1.
You are going to read a text. Choose the most suitable heading from the list A – G for each part (1 - 5) of the text. There is one extra heading which you don’t need to use. There is an example at the beginning (0).
A). Painting of a group portrait of Mrs Sappleton’s family led Mr Nuttel to a nervous breakdown.
B). The horror becomes real.
C). Mrs Sappleton doesn’t like talks about illnesses.
D). The niece begins her introduction into her aunt’s exciting story.
E). That is the excuse of his rude behaviour.
F). To lose those who you love so much is a real tragedy.
G). Men of arts often require recovering after some overwork in lonely places.
The Open Window (after H. Munro)
| G |
“My aunt will come down in a few minutes, Mr Nuttel,” said a girl of fifteen, showing him into the sitting-room. Mr Nuttel was a young painter who had recently had a nervous (1) breakdown. The doctors had told him that he should go away for a holiday. They warned him, however, against crowded resorts and recommended a complete rest in a quiet country-place. So here he was, in a little village, with(2) letters of introduction from his sister to some of the people she knew.
“Some of the people there are quite nice,” his sister had said to him. “I advise you (3) to call on Mrs Sappleton as soon as you arrive. I owe the wonderful holiday I had to her.”
“Do you know many of the people round here?” asked the girl when they were sitting comfortably on the sofa.
“No, I’m afraid I don’t,” answered Mr Nuttel. “I’ve never been here before. My sister stayed here four years ago, you know, and she gave me letters of introduction to some of the people here.”
“Then you know nothing about my aunt, do you?” asked the girl.
“Only her name and address,” said the visitor.
“Her great tragedy happened just three years ago,” said the child.
“Her tragedy?” asked Mr Nuttel.
“You may (4) wonder why we keep that window wide open on an October afternoon,” went on the girl, pointing to a large French window.
“It’s quite warm for this time of year,” said Mr Nuttel. “But has that window anything to do with the tragedy?”
“Exactly three years ago my aunt’s husband and her two young brothers walked out through that window. They went shooting and never came back. When they were crossing the river their boat probably turned over and they were all (5) drowned. Their bodies were never found. That was the most horrible part of the tragedy.” Here the girl stopped. There were tears in her eyes and she drew a handkerchief out of her pocket. “Three years have passed, but my poor aunt still thinks that they will come back some day, they and the little brown dog that was drowned with them, and walk in through that window just as they always did. That is why the window is kept open every evening till it’s quite dark. Poor dear aunt, she can’t understand that they’ve left for ever. She’s growing worse day by day, so let me give you some advice. Don’t be surprised at anything she says or does: she will start telling you all over again how they went out — her husband, with his coat over his arm, and her youngest brother, singing “Bertie, why don’t you come?...” as she once told me. You know, sometimes, on quiet evenings like this, I almost get a feeling that they will all walk in through that window, and the whole family will be gathered in here again.” The young girl finished her sad story. There was a long pause, and Mr Nuttel was glad when Mrs Sappleton at last entered the room.
“I’m sorry I’m late,” she said, “but I hope my niece has entertained you well.”
“Yes, she’s been very (6) amusing,” said Mr Nuttel. “D’you mind the open window?” asked Mrs Sappleton. “My husband and brothers will soon be home from shooting and they always come into the house this way.” And she went on speaking gaily about shooting. After what Mr Nuttel had just heard, he looked worried.
“The doctors told me,” he said, trying to change the subject, “to have a rest here and (7) to avoid anything that would make me feel nervous.”
“Did they?” said Mrs Sappleton in a voice which showed that she was not at all interested in what Mr Nuttel was saying. She never took her eyes off the open window and suddenly cried out:
“Here they are at last! Just in time for tea. How tired they look.”
Mr Nuttel looked at the girl and saw that she was looking out through the open window with (8) horror in her eyes. Mr Nuttel turned round slowly in his seat, looked in the same direction and saw three figures walking across the garden towards the window. They all carried guns and one of them had a coat over his shoulder. A tired brown dog was following them. Noiselessly they approached the house, and then a young voice began to sing. “Bertie, why don’t you come?”
Mr Nuttel seized his hat and ran out of the house like mad.
“Here we are, my dear,” said Mrs Sappleton’s husband, coming in through the window. “We’ve (9) enjoyed ourselves very much. I wonder what made that gentleman run out so quickly when we came up. Who is he?”
“A very strange young man, called Nuttel. He could only talk about his illness. He didn’t say a single interesting thing. I don’t understand why he ran out that way without saying good-bye,” said his wife.
“I think it was the dog,” said the niece calmly. “He told me that he was afraid of dogs. Once when he was attacked by a pack of dogs somewhere in India, he was so (10) frightened that he started running like mad, and finding himself in a cemetery, climbed down into a newly-dug grave, where he had to spend the night. Since then he has always been afraid of dogs.”
She was very good at inventing stories and did it artistically.
Task I.2.
Choose the answer (A, B, C, or D) which you think is the best, according to the text, for questions 1 – 5
1. Why were the windows wide open no matter that it was rather cold?
A). The hostess, Mrs Sappleton, became mad after her relatives’ death.
B). The men of the family used to leave and return through those French windows.
C). It was a habit in that countryside not to close windows all the year round.
D). It was very stuffy in the room and it needed airing.
2. Why did the girl trick Mr Nuttel?
A). She liked to kid anyone.
B). She didn’t want him to stay at their house.
C). She became mad together with her aunt.
D). There was no vacant room in the house for a visitor.
3. Why was Mrs Sappleton not interested in Mr Nuttel’s story?
A). He was not handsome and she didn’t like him.
B). She didn’t like to be interrupted.
C). She was very tired.
D). She found it boring to speak about illnesses.
4. Why did Mr Nuttel appear in that deserted village?
A). He hated people.
B). He was recommended to have as many walks in the countryside as possible.
C). He needed a relaxation in a place where no one could disturb him.
D). He was in need of recovering his respiratory system in the fresh air.
5. Why was Mr Nuttel afraid of dogs?
A). Once he was attacked by a pack of dogs and since that time he had been afraid of them.
B). Vice versa, he adored dogs.
C). He was allergic to dog hair.
D). He wasn’t; this joke was invented by Mrs Sappleton’s niece.
Task I.3.
Decide which word A, B, C or D best fits for words 1 – 10 in the meaning
| (1) | A excitement | B disease | C shock | Ddisorder |
| (2) | A holiday postcards | B invitations | Ctestimonials | D greetings |
| (3) | A to call | Bto visit | C to phone | D to cry |
| (4) | Abe interested | B ask | C wander | D be surprised |
| (5) | A save | B swim | C dive | Dsink |
| (6) | A funny | B pleasant | Centertaining | D attentive |
| (7) | A to take part in | Bnot to visit | C to stay aside | D to leave |
| (8) | Aterror | B interest | C astonishment | D question |
| (9) | A be tired | B get hungry | C get thirsty | Dhave a good time |
| (10) | A busy | B happy | Cscared | D bored |
Task I.4.
Check your abilities as a translator. Choose the translation (A, B, C, or D) which you think is the best, according to the text, for sentences 1 – 5
1. “My aunt will come down in a few minutes, Mr Nuttel,” said a girl of fifteen, showing him into the sitting-room.
A). «Моя тетя сойдет вниз через несколько минут, Мистер Наттл», - сказал пятнадцатилетняя девочка, показывая ему куда сесть в комнате.
B). «Подождите несколько минут тетю, Мистер Наттл», - сказала девочка лет пятнадцати и пригласила его в гостиную.
C). «Тетя сейчас спустится, Мистер Наттл», - сказала девочка лет пятнадцати и пригласила его в гостиную.
D). «Тетя спустится через несколько минут, Мистер Наттл», - сказала девочка лет пятнадцати и показала ему гостиную.
2. I owe the wonderful holiday I had to her.
A). Я осталась должна ей за прекрасно проведенный отдых.
B). Я не забуду чудесный отдых, который был у нас с нею.
C). Я обязана отплатить ей таким же чудесным выходным, какой я провела у нее.
D). Я благодарна ей за чудесный выходной, который я провела у нее.
3. Theywarnedhim, however, against crowded resorts and recommended a complete rest in a quiet country-place.
A). Они хотели, чтобы он не посещал курорты с толпами людей, а лучше отдохнул в спокойной сельской местности.
B). Они предостерегли его от посещения переполненных курортов и посоветовали полный покой в тихой деревеньке.
C). Они предупредили его, что на курортах всегда толпы народа и поэтому лучше отдыхать в тихом местечке в сельской местности.
D). Они предупредили его, что не нужно бояться переполненных курортов; это все равно лучше, чем отдых в глухой деревне.
4. He could only talk about his illness.
A). О чем он мог говорить так это только о своей болезни.
B). Он не мог разговаривать из-за болезни.
C). Он не любил рассказывать о своей болезни.
D). Он был такой разговорчивый, несмотря на свою болезнь.
5. Once when he was attacked by a pack of dogs somewhere in India, he was so frightened that he started running like mad, and finding himself in a cemetery, climbed down into a newly-dug grave, where he had to spend the night.
A). Как-то на него напала свора собак, это было где-то в Индии, собаки были сумасшедшие и это его очень сильно напугало, они бежали за ним до кладбища и ему пришлось прятаться от них всю ночь в свежевырытой могиле.
B). Однажды, когда на него напала свора собак в Индии, они его так напугали, что он сошел с ума, и с тех пор целыми ночами проводил на кладбище и рыл могилы.
C). Однажды где-то в Индии на него напала свора собак, он в страхе бросился бежать, как сумасшедший, оказался на кладбище, упал в свежевырытую могилу и провел в ней целую ночь.
D). Как-то раз в Индии на него напала свора сумасшедших собак, это его так напугало, что он спрятался от них в свежевырытой могиле и с тех пор обходит кладбища стороной.