The Browns’ dining-room

In the dining-room we have our meals: breakfast in the morning, lunch in the middle of the day, tea in the afternoon, and supper or dinner in the evening.

Here you see Mr. and Mrs. Thompson who’ve just arrived from abroad and are having dinner with the Browns. The host, Mr. Brown, is sitting at the head of the table, and the hostess, Mrs. Brown, is at the other end. Mr. and Mrs. Thompson are sitting on either side, facing each other.

The dining-room table is covered with a white cloth. Mrs. Brown has laid the table in the usual way, and has put the right number of knives, forks, spoons and glasses for each person. There’s also pepper and salt, oil and vinegar, and mustard. On the left of each person is a table-napkin and a plate with a roll on it. In front of the host there’s a carving-knife and fork.

On the sideboard the Browns usually have a bowl of fruit: apples, pears, plums, cherries, grapes, oranges or bananas, according to the season. The mistress of the house has just served the soup. After this there’ll be fish, meat or poultry with vegetables, then a sweet, and perhaps cheese and biscuits to finish with.

15. Mark the stresses and tunes. It is not expected that each member of the group will mark the text in exactly the same way. Practise reading your corrected variant:

The flat is not large but it is comfortable. In it there are two rooms, a kitchen, a bathroom, a lavatory and a small hall.

The sitting-room is through the door on the left. There is a piano in it. There is a picture on the wall over the piano. It is a still-life. In the picture there is a silver tea-pot, a silver dish with three oranges in it, and a vase of red roses. The picture is by a famous woman artist. The sofa is by the wall opposite the door. It is of a rich red colour. There is a small round table in front of the sofa. There are two modern armchairs on both sides of the large window. On the window there are curtains of a very pretty colour. There is not a sideboard in this room, but there is one in the kitchen.

The bedroom is not large. It is square. The walls are light pink. There is a silvery grey carpet on the floor. The effect is very fine. There are two beds here with bedside tables beside them. In the right-hand corner near the window there is a dressing table with a large looking-glass and a round stool in front of it. There are not many things in the rooms.

16.*** This exercise is meant to develop your ability to hear and reproduce intonation in proper speech situations. a) Listen to the dialogue sentence by sentence. Mark the stresses and tunes. Practise the dialogue. b) Record the dialogue and listen to your recording to detect the possible errors. Memorize the dialogue and dramatize it:

Afternoon tea

«Good afternoon, Mrs. White, how are you?»

«Very well indeed, thank you, and how are you ? «

«Quite well, thank you. Won’t you sit down. Excuse me, please. I think that’s my niece at the door.»

«Hallo, Betty, dear! I’m so glad to see you. You do look well. I don’t think you’ve met each other before. Let me introduce you. This is my niece, Miss Smith. Mrs. White, Mr. White.»

«And now let’s have some tea. How do you like your tea, Mrs. White, strong or weak?»

«Not too strong, please, and one lump of sugar. I like my tea rather sweet, but my husband prefers his without sugar.»

«Well, what’s the news, Mr. White? How’s business?»

«Pretty good, thank you. And how are things with you ?»

«Well, not too good, I’m afraid, and going from bad to worse. In fact, it’s the worst year we’ve had for a long time.»

«I’m sorry to hear that. I hope things will soon improve.»

«Yes, let’s hope for the best. And how’s your nephew Richard getting on?»

«Oh, he’s getting on quite well, thank you. He’s staying in the country just now with his Uncle William and his cousins.»

«How long is he going to stay there?»

«I don’t know exactly, but he’s having a very pleasant time and it’s doing him a lot of good, so the longer he stays, the better.»

c) Give a conversational context in which the following phrases could be used:

1. Hello, Betty, dear! I’m so glad to meet you. 2. How do you do. 3. How are you? 4. Quite well, thank you. 5. Pretty good, thank you. 6. Excuse me, please. 7. I’m so glad to see you. 8. Oh, he’s getting on quite well, thank you. 9. Not too good, I’m afraid. 10. Well, what’s the news, (Tom)? 11. How are things (with you) ? 12. No more, thank you. 13. I’m sorry to hear that.

17.*** Read the dialogues. Mark the stresses and tunes. It is not expected that each member of the group will intone the dialogues in exactly the same way. Practise reading your corrected variant:

«Hello, John, I’m so glad you’ve come. How are you ?»

«Quite well, thank you. How are you?»

«Very well indeed, thank you. Have you met Mr. and Mrs. Black? They are staying with us for the week-end.»

«Oh, yes, we know each other quite well.»

«That’s good. And now this is Mary with the tea, I think. Yes, it is. Thank you, Mary. John, you can pass the tea round. Do you have sugar in your tea, Mrs. Black?»

«Just a little, please, but no milk.»

«Any sugar for you, Mr. Black?»

«Yes, please, I like a lot of sugar.»

«Most of men do, I think. My husband likes his tea very sweet.»

«And what will you have with it, a sandwich, or one of these cakes?»

«A sandwich, please.»

«How is your mother, Mrs. Black? I hear she’s not been very well.»

«No, she hasn’t, but she’s much better now. She’s staying with my brother for a few days and then she’s coming to stay with us.»

«I’m glad to hear she’s getting better.»

18. Make up a conversation with the phrases from the dialogue «Afternoon Tea».

This exercise is meant to develop your ability to read and narrate a story with proper intonation. a) Listen to the joke. Write it down. Mark the stresses and tunes. Practise reading the joke. b) Listen carefully to the narration of the joke. Observe the peculiarities in intonation-group division, pitch, stress and tempo. Note the use of the temporisers. Retell the joke according to the model you have listened to.

20. Read the joke silently to make sure you understand each sentence. Find the most important sentence in the text. Underline the main word in each sentence. Split up each sentence into intonation-groups, mark the stresses and tunes. Practise reading the joke. Make your reading expressive. Retell the joke according to the model (see Ex. 19):

Two Americans were travelling in Spain. Once they came into a little restaurant for lunch. They didn’t know Spanish and the waiter didn’t know English. In order to make him understand they wanted some milk and sandwiches they drew a cow. The waiter looked at it and ran out of the restaurant. Soon he was back and put down in front of the two men two tickets for a bullfight.

Section Seven

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Dining room has no windows

A group of farmers were sitting in a village house, and among other things they began talking about echoes. One of the farmers said that there was a wonderful echo in the field near his farm where there was a large group of trees. All the other farmers said that they would like to hear the echo, and the farmer invited them to come the next afternoon. But the fact was that the farmer did not really have the echo he had told the other farmers about. So when he came home, he sent for the son of the cook and told him to go to the field, hide himself among the trees and imitate everything that was said. The next day the other farmers came, and the farmer took them to the field to listen to the wonderful echo. When they were in the field, he shouted at the top of his voice: «Are you there?» The answer came back: «Yes, I’ve been here for two hours!»
Упражнение 52

It was a nice summer day. The weather was fine, the sun was shining in the blue sky, the air was fragrant with the smell of grass and flowers. A dog which was running about the streets of a little town saw a butcher’s stall with a lot of meat. The dog cautiously approached the stall and, when the butcher turned away to talk to a woman, quickly seized a big piece of meat and ran away with it. On the way home the dog had to cross a stream by a narrow bridge. As he was crossing, he looked down into the stream and saw his reflection in the water. He thought it was another dog with another piece of meat. He snapped at the reflection and dropped his own piece of meat. That’s how the dog was punished for greediness.
Упражнение 53

On Sunday our family went to the country. We got up at sunrise and quickly had breakfast. After breakfast we left home. There is a little village not far from St. Petersburg where we have friends. We went there by train. We had a very good time in the country. The weather was fine, the sky was blue and the sun was shining. We stayed out of doors all day long. We played volleyball and tennis. We returned to town late in the evening. When we came home, we had supper and went to bed at once.
Упражнение 54

1. Look at the sky. It is covered with dark clouds. Let’s hurry home. 2. It was very pleasant to live in the country in summer. The weather was fine and it seldom rained. Summer is a fine season. 3. How lovely the night is! There are no clouds in the sky and the air is so fresh. 4. When spring comes, the sun shines brighter, the snow melts, the days become longer. 5. Winter is a good time for sports. 6. On Sunday my friend and I usually go to the country. We ski, skate, play snowballs and have a very good time. 7. The fog is so dense that it is difficult to walk. 8. My friend is a very good chess player. 9. In summer we lived in the country and went up to town by train. 10. Tomorrow is Sunday. If it is too hot in town, we shall go to the country. And on Monday we shall come back. 11. Autumn is the most beautiful season of the year. 12. Winter isn’t a depressing season.
French window in the dining room. It wasn’t locked, so it was easy to get out. The police couldn’t believe it! We never heard the burglar!

Last Tuesday evening, when the whole family was at home, a burglar came into the house and stole $ 500! When we discovered the theft, we called the police. Because his shoes were wet and dirty, the detective could follow his footprints. Here is what the burglar did. He came in the front door. It was locked, so he broke the lock. Dad was reading a newspaper in the study near the front door. He was facing the big window, so he didn’t see the man, and because he was also listening to loud music, he didn’t hear him. It was raining and there was thunder, so there was a lot of noise outside, too. The burglar crossed the hall to the kitchen. Mum was making a pot of tea, so he didn’t go into the kitchen. The man went back across the hall and looked into the dining room. No one was in there. He looked through all the drawers and found $ 300. But this wasn’t enough. He came out of the dining room and went upstairs. Tom was doing his homework in his bedroom and listening to his Walkman. The burglar went past Tom’s room. Sally was taking a shower and singing at the top of her lungs. He went into the TV room. He opened everything but found nothing. Then he left the TV room, went back down the stairs and into the kitchen. Mum was sitting in the living room with Dad. The burglar was very quiet! He found $200 in an old teapot on the top shelf of the left kitchen cupboard. Then the man went out through the French window in the dining room. It wasn’t locked, so it was easy to get out. The police couldn’t believe it! We never heard the burglar!
Упражнение 56

1. My brother read to me an extract from the book which he had brought the day before. The main character of the book is a young doctor who went to a distant village in Siberia. 2. The weather was very bad in October. 3. When he came into the room, he saw a man sitting on the sofa. He at once remembered that it was the man he had seen at the theatre the night before. 4. Yesterday I saw the film you are speaking about. 5. He took a taxi and gave the address to the driver. 6. Tower Bridge is the first bridge over the Thames coming from the sea. Built in 1894 it is a suspension bridge. The central portion of it can be opened to admit ships to the docks in this part of the river. When a ship arrives, the traffic is stopped and the great bridge opens in the centre: its two halves go up into the air and the ship passes through.

Once a Frenchman was travelling in Sweden. He stopped at a hotel in a little Swedish town. It was evening, the man was tired, so he went to bed at once. In the morning he had breakfast in the hotel restaurant. After breakfast he went for a walk. He walked along the streets of the town, visited a museum and some shops. Presently he felt hungry and dropped into a cafe for lunch. He sat down at a table, called a waiter and ordered mushrooms. But the Frenchman did not know Swedish and the waiter did not know French. Nobody in the cafe could speak French. Then the Frenchman took a piece of paper and a pencil and drew the picture of a mushroom. The waiter looked at the picture and left the room at once. Five minutes later he returned with an umbrella. What a funny story!
Упражнение 58

A guide was once showing a group of rich American tourists the places of interest in a little town in the south of Italy. He took the tourists from place to place, but as the town was small, after a while the guide could not think of anything that might be of interest to the Americans. «Tell us something unusual about the weather or the climate of this place,» said an American lady to the guide. «What can I tell her about our climate?» thought the guide. Then he had an idea. «Well,» he said, «»there is one unusual thing about our climate. One can easily notice that the wind here always blows from the west.» «Really?» said the lady in a surprised tone: «What an interesting thing!» But another tourist said: «You must be wrong. Look! The wind is blowing from the east now.» At the first moment the guide did not know what to say. But he was a clever man and soon found a way out. «Oh,» he said, «Is that so? Well, then it must be the west wind coming back.»

The English king Richard the Lion Heart was a tall, strong man. He was very proud of his strength and liked to show people how strong he was. Once, as he was riding on horseback in the countryside, his horse lost a shoe. Luckily he was not far from a village and soon he found a blacksmith. «Give me a good horseshoe,» he said to the man. The blacksmith gave the king a horseshoe. Richard took it in his hand and broke it in two. «This horseshoe is no good,» he said, «give me a better one.» The blacksmith did not say a word. He gave the king another horseshoe, but Richard broke it, too. The blacksmith gave him a third shoe. This time Richard was satisfied and ordered the blacksmith to shoe his horse. When the work was done, Richard offered the man a coin. The blacksmith took the coin between his fingers and broke it in two. Now it was Richard’s turn to be surprised. He took a larger coin out of his pocket and handed it to the blacksmith. The man broke it, too, saying: «This coin is no good, give me a better one». Richard smiled and gave the man a gold coin.
Упражнение 60

In the fifteenth century people knew only three continents: Europe, Asia and Africa. They knew nothing about such a big continent as America, The man who discovered America was born in 1451 in Italy. His name was Christopher Columbus. He became a sailor at an early age. Knowing that the Earth was round, he decided to reach India sailing to the west. He tried to arrange an expedition, but did not have money, and nobody wanted to help him. At last the king of Spain gave him money for the expedition. He set sail in 1492. The voyage was very dangerous and difficult. On the 12th of October his ship reached land. When they landed, they saw strange trees and flowers. Men and women with olive-coloured skins gathered around the sailors and looked at them with great surprise. Columbus was sure that he had discovered a new way to India. Some time later another sailor reached America. The name of the sailor was Amerigo Vespucci. He understood that it was a new continent.

1. He’s looking for a plain shirt, but all the shirts are striped. 2. I’m looking for a pair of black pants. 3. She’s looking for a blouse. Polka-dot blouses are very popular this summer. 4. I bought a new hat yesterday. The shop assistant said it was the latest style. 5. I want to ask you to accompany me to the shop. I must buy a dress. 6. Where did you buy this overcoat? — I bought it at a big store in Nevsky Prospect on Tuesday. 7. My sister bought a blue hat on Wednesday. The colour suits her very nicely as she has got blue eyes. 8.1 must buy a pair of new gloves. 9. Where is the shoe department? — It is on the third floor. 10. I think the coat is a little tight. 11. We came to a big store to find out if we could have a suit made to order. 12. I don’t like the hat you have chosen. The colour is not becoming to you. 13. Here is the department of ready-made clothes. Let’s go in and see if we can buy a nice pair of trousers for you. 14. I am going to give him a tie as a birthday present. He likes ties.
Упражнение 62

Mr. Jones was a teacher of physics at school. He was fond of the experimental method in physics and often told his pupils to use this method. One day Mr. Jones came to school on a new bicycle. The bicycle had a pair of pneumatic tyres, which had just been invented, and none of the pupils had ever seen them. During a lesson the teacher took the pupils into the school yard and showed them the new invention. «Now, children,» he said, «who can tell me what is inside this tyre that makes it so hard and yet so elastic?» The boys touched the tyres. «Cotton wool,» said one of them. «Steel springs,» said another. «Oh no,» said the teacher, «you are wrong.» Suddenly a little boy, who was standing beside the bicycle, cried out, looking very happy: «I know what it is! There’s wind inside.» Mr. Jones smiled and said: «You are right: there’s air inside. But how did you find it out?» «Well, I used the experimental method,» said the boy: «I stuck a nail into the tyre, and some wind came out of it». For the first time in his life Mr. Jones did not like the use of the experimental method.

1. Everyone in our country knows Lomonosov, the founder of the first Russian university. 2. Nekrasov, a famous Russian poet, described the life of Russian peasants. 3. I don’t want to miss the concert which will take place at the Philharmonic on the 15th of April. 4. He graduated from the university six years ago. Now he is a scientist. And though he is a young scientist, his name is well known. 5. My aunt is a teacher of physics. 6. Yesterday I read a book by Dickens, a famous English writer. 7. I am sorry, I don’t know the way to the nearest cafe: I am a stranger here myself. 8. The town I was born in is on the Volga. 9. Who is the author of this book? 10. A quarter of an hour was left before the beginning of the concert. We entered the hall and saw a group of pupils of our school. We joined them.
Упражнение 64

1. During the vacation I attended some interesting lectures. I remember two of the lectures best of all. They were about Russian music. 2. I am sure he won’t stay in town for the vacation. 3. Two weeks are left before the end of the school year. The examinations are coming. On the first of June we shall take an examination in literature. 4, Today is my day off. I am going to spend the day in the country. 5. My brother brought a new book yesterday. When I looked at the title, I was very glad: it was the book which I had wanted to get for a long time. 6. My sister is acquainted with the actor who played the leading part in the play you saw yesterday. 7. «What river is the longest in Europe?» «Why, what a strange question to ask! Any schoolboy can tell you that it is the Volga.» 8. I am afraid you will have a lot of trouble with this business. 9. The day was not bright yesterday. The sky was covered with clouds.
Упражнение 65

I knew a man who had travelled very much in his life. He had visited many countries in the east and in the west. He loved children and often told them interesting stories. I remember some of the stories which he told me. One of the stories was about an adventure he had had in London. He was a young man at that time and was interested in the history of architecture. One day he visited one of the towers of the Houses of Parliament. He came out on to the balcony of the tower and began to look at the ornaments on the walls. Then he climbed up on the roof. Suddenly a man came running to him and seized him by the arm. He began shouting something in English, but my friend knew only a few words of English and did not understand him. The Englishman called a policeman. The fact was that he thought that the Russian tourist wanted to kill himself by jumping from the top of the tower. Later, when everything became clear, they laughed a lot over it.

One day a father and his rich family took his son on a trip to the country with the firm purpose of showing him how poor people can be. They spent a day and a night at the farm of a very poor family. When they returned from their trip, the father asked his son, «How was the trip?» «Very good, Dad!» «Did you see how poor people can be?» the father asked. «Yeah!» «And what did you learn?» The son replied: «I saw that we have a dog at home, and they have four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of the garden; they have a river that has no end» We have imported lamps in the garden; they have the stars. Our patio reaches to the front yard; they have a whole horizon.» When a little boy finished speaking, his father was speechless. His son added, «Thanks, Dad for showing me how poor we are.»
Упражнение 67

The room in which the boys were fed was a large stone hall, with a copper at one end, out of which the cook took gruel which he put into each bowl at mealtimes. Each boy had one portion of gruel and no more, and on Sundays they had two ounces and a quarter of bread besides. The bowls never needed washing — the boys polished them with their spoons till they shone again. At last the boys got so wild with hunger that one boy said he was afraid he would some night eat the boy who slept next to him. The boys believed him. A council was held. Oliver was chosen to go up to the cook that evening after supper and ask for more. The evening arrived, and the boys took their places. The cook stood at the copper. The gruel was served out and disappeared. Then Oliver rose from the table and advancing to the cook, said in a weak voice: «Please, sir, I want some more.» The cook was a healthy man, but he turned pale. «What?» said he in a trembling voice. The man could not believe his ears.
Упражнение 68

Many years ago a London theatre performed a play in which there was a great storm on the sea. In those days theatres had no machines. That is why the manager engaged several boys to make the waves of the sea. They jumped up and down under a big piece of sea-green cloth. The boys received a shilling a night for their work. They worked for several weeks. But then the manager decided to pay them less money — only sixpence a night. So the boys decided to go on strike. During a performance, when the storm began, when the wind blew and it was raining, the sea remained calm — there was not a single wave on it. The angry manager lifted once corner of the «sea» and said to the boys: «Make waves, boys, make waves !» «Do you want waves for a shilling or for sixpence?» asked a boy in a loud voice. «Oh, for a shilling,» answered the manager. The boys began to jump up and down, and did it so well, that the storm looked quite real.

In the old days it was necessary for all the parts of a city to be close together, in order that a defensive wall might surround it, and the streets, therefore, were made as narrow as possible. Many European cities began with walls round them. But in America there was little need for defensive walls, and that’s why many American cities have been built on a regular plan, modified a little according to natural surroundings. The streets in American cities, instead of having names, are numbered, and so when one has once understood the plan of an American city, it is very easy to find one’s way from one part of it to another. The old part of New York lies in the southern half of Manhattan Island, and there the streets are narrow and twisted, as in the towns of the old world. But the rest of the streets, with but few exceptions, all run in straight lines. There is one street in the city, however, that does not follow a straight line. And that is Broadway, New York’s most famous street. It starts within sight of the dancing waters of the harbour and runs between tall skyscrapers in the northwestern direction. This great street is the longest in the world.
Упражнение 70

Africa is a very large continent lying to the south of Europe and to the southwest of Asia to which it is joined by the Isthmus of Suez. Less than one hundred years ago men knew almost nothing of the middle of the continent. Travellers from Europe made long journeys into the centre but they met with terrible difficulties, for the continent is covered with forests full of fearful wild animals. Some travellers died of hunger or thirst or strange illnesses, others were killed by lions, still others by natives; but nevertheless bold men were found ready to go along rivers into the heart of Africa. The merchants who came from European countries had much to sell, and here were millions of people ready to buy; here was a country, the richness of which was unimaginable.
Упражнение 71

Robert Burns, the son of a small farmer in Ayrshire, was born on the 25th of January, 1759. His parents were poor, so that Burns could not get a good education. He worked hard as a ploughboy. He was fond of reading and always had a ballad book before him at dinner. After the death of his father Robert and his brother and sisters took over the farm together. Working in the fields Burns wrote many wonderful songs. However, things became so bad on the farm, that the poet decided to go to Jamaica hoping to get a job on a plantation there. Luckily some friends helped Burns to publish a book of poems. The book was noticed and praised highly. In 1786 Burns went to Edinburgh, and his book of poems unlocked the doors of rich Edinburgh houses to a peasant with such a wonderful talent. In 1788 he married Jean Armour and spent a peaceful and happy year. The rest of his life story is a tale of the poet’s hardships. The hard life ruined the poet’s health, and on the 21st of July, 1796, he died at the age of thirty-seven.

«Is there a post office near the house you live in?» «Yes, there is. Go to the corner of the street along which trams run. Then turn to the left and walk a short distance down the street. Do not cross the street, of course. You will see a sign over a door which says «Post and Telegraph Office». «Thank you very much. I am sure I shall find it without difficulty. I must buy some stamps, send a telegram and ask whether they receive parcels there. I want to send a parcel to an old friend. It will be her birthday in a week. Perhaps you can tell me where I can find a shop that sells nice things that one can give as presents?» «Yes, certainly, There’s a very good shop not far from here. You can easily walk there in a few minutes. Go straight down the street that you will see directly in front of you when you come out of the post office till you come to a wide street along which buses and trolleybuses run. Then turn to the left again and almost immediately you will come to a beautiful shop with big windows full of all sorts of things. I am sure you will find nice presents there».
Упражнение 73

Until near the end of the 19th century it was the law in England that if a man was unable to pay a debt, even a small one, he could be imprisoned. This imprisonment might very well be for life, as it was impossible for the people in prison to work at their ordinary occupations and so make money to repay the sum they had borrowed. If they had friends who could bring them materials to work with, they might work with their hands, sewing or making boots, for instance. The great English novelist Charles Dickens knew a great deal about the debtors’ prisons from personal experience, for when he was about ten, his father was imprisoned for debt, and the whole family had to go and live with him in the prison because they had nowhere else to live. The mother and the children, however, could leave the place when they wished; but at ten o’clock every evening the great gates were shut for the night, and no one could leave or enter until morning. Dickens described the life in the debtors’ prisons in some of his novels. It was largely because of Dickens’ sharp criticism that the English Government was finally forced to do away with debtors’ prisons.
Упражнение 74

At the beginning of the 19th century a little boy was born in the family of John Dickens, a clerk at an office in Portsmouth, and was named Charles. He had a sister who was older than himself, and there were several other children in the family. When Charles was seven, he was sent to school. He was not a strong child. He did not like to play cricket or football and spent all his free time reading. In 1821 the family went to London, and little Charles left behind him the happiest years of his childhood. His father was in money difficulties, and the family became poorer and poorer. The boy had to give up his studies. Mr. Dickens was put into a debtors’ prison. Little Charles learned to know all the horrors and cruelty of a large capitalist city. He had to go to work at a blacking factory. He worked there from morning till night. When his father came out of prison, Charles was sent to school for some time. Soon he got work as a clerk. Then he learned stenography and became a reporter in Parliament. In 1836 at the age of 24 Charles Dickens published his first book. It was a collection of stories. The title of the book was «Sketches by Boz.» These were followed by «Pickwick Papers» and «Oliver Twist» and many other famous novels. Charles Dickers is one of the greatest writers of the 19th century. His novels are now translated into most languages of the world.

During the American war of Independence, the commander of a small unit of soldiers was giving orders to his men about a heavy cannon that they were trying to lift to its place at the top of some fortifications. It was almost beyond their power to lift the weight, and the commander kept shouting encouraging words. An officer, not in uniform, was passing by, and he asked the commander why he did not help the soldiers. Greatly surprised, the man turned round and said proudly: «Sir, I am a corporal!» «Oh, you are, are you?» replied the officer: «I did not know that. I beg your pardon, Mr. Corporal.» Then he got off the horse he was riding and, taking hold of the rope that the men were pulling at, he pulled with all his strength. And when the cannon was in its place, he turned to the little great man and said: «Mr. Corporal, when you have another job like this and have not enough men, send for your commander in chief, and I shall gladly come and help you.» The corporal was struck with astonishment. The man who had helped his soldiers was George Washington.
Упражнение 76

William Shakespeare, the greatest English playwright, was born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon in England. Stratford is a small country town in a farming district near the centre of England, The Avon, which is a pretty river with grass and trees all along its banks, runs through Stratford. Not much is known of Shakespeare’s father. He was a farmer who, at different times of his life, sold meat and bought and sold wool. He was poor and was often in money difficul-ties. Very little is known about the life of his only son William also. The little house in which the great writer was born still stands. It is now a museum. William went to school in Stratford. In 1586 he went to London. Probably the first work he did there was at one of the two theatres that there were in London at that time. Then he became an actor and soon began to write plays for the company of actors to which he belonged. Shakespeare bought the largest house in his home town in 1597, but he did not spend much time there till 1610. He spent the last years of his life mostly in Stratford, but he often visited London. He died in 1616.
Упражнение 77

Last July, my 65-year-old father was on his dayly run. It was an unusually hot day, and he felt a little sick, so he stopped to rest in the shade. A passerby asked if he needed help, but my father said, «No,» figuring he’d be able to get home. Minutes later, another person stopped. The man realized something was seriously wrong and called 911. That stranger saved my father’s life. Dad suffered a heart attack and was hospitalized for five days. I cannot thank that passerby enough for getting involved and helping when it would have been easier to walk away. Now, my father has many years left to enjoy his grandchildren. Let everybody be Good Samaritans when they see the need. A life could depend on it.

A young man attempted to rob a store near my office. He bought a bag of potato chips, and while the clerk was making change, he attempted to grab the money from the cash register. When the clerk quickly closed the drawer, the man tried to take the cash register but it was so heavy, he couldn’t lift it. He got angry. There was a rack full of cigarettes in the corner of the store. He decided to grab the cigarettes but the clerk stopped him. The man drove away empty-handed, but was spotted by the police for driving a stolen car. The police pursued him with lights flashing and sirens blaring. He was soon arrested and charged with possession of a stolen vehicle, careless and reckless driving and speeding. His fine was set at $2,000. While being escorted, the man asked if he could stop near the store and get his potato chips, since he had paid for them. The clerk at the store identified him as the man who tried to steal the cash register, and he was charged with attempted robbery. His fine was increased to $15,000; he sits in jail awaiting trial.
Упражнение 79

1. George Bernard Shaw, a well-known English playwright, was born in Ireland in 1856. He was the son of a clerk and had to begin working at an early age. At the age of twenty he moved to London where he became a journalist. 2. The play «Widowers’ Houses» shows the egoism and hypocricy of some businessmen who got their profits from the London slums where the poorest people lived. 3. While travelling in Germany Harry Trench, a young English doctor, got acquainted with Mr. Sartorius, a respectable looking gentleman, and his daughter Blanche. The young people fell in love with each other and were going to get married. Trench knew that Sartorius was rich, but he did not know what kind of property he had. He learned about it from a conversation with Lickcheese, Sartorius’ rent collector. It turned out that Sartorius was the owner of some tenements in the London slums, and that all the property he had was built by getting money out of the poor people who lived there. Trench was greatly shocked. He did not want to take money from Blanche’s father. But Blanche said she could not live on the small income Trench had. They had a quarrel, and Trench left the house. After some time Trench learned that the land on which Sartorius’ houses were built belonged to Trench’s aunt and that he himself was living on the money got in the same way. Everything comes out «all right» in the end: Trench marries Blanche and becomes a partner in Sartorius’ business. The author shows that in fact Trench is no better than Sartorius, Lickcheese and the like.

Three bank robbers got a surprise last night. This is what happened. The three robbers, who all work as cleaners at a hospital, drove up to the bank on Main Street. The three men, wearing masks over their faces, got out of the car and ran into the bank. Inside the bank, they pointed guns at the customers and bank tellers. One of the men told all the customers to lie down on the floor. And then one of the other men said something like, «Quick the money! Give me money!» So one of the tellers handed them some bags. After leaving the bank, the three men jumped into their van and drove off. One mile down the road, the robbers parked their van next to an ambulance they had parked before the robbery. They got into the ambulance and drove off. They went straight to their hospital. After leaving the ambulance in the hospital parking lot, the three men went together into a small room. There, they opened the bags of money they had been given — and got a very unpleasant surprise! The bank teller had given the robbers special bags containing bright red ink! The red ink is released when the bag is opened, and it can’t be washed off. So suddenly, the men found themselves covered in red ink! As the men left the room and tried to leave the hospital, an emergency room doctor saw them and she thought, «Oh God, they’re all covered in blood.» So she tried to help them but they refused her help and ran off. The doctor realized something funny was going on and she called the police. The police caught the robbers — guess where? Outside the bank on Main Street.
Упражнение 82

A tsunami is a natural phenomenon consisting of a series of waves generated when water in a lake or the sea is rapidly displaced on a massive scale. It is also a very large dangerous ocean wave caused by |ш underwater explosion, earthquake, etc. Earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions and large meteorite impacts all have the potential to generate a tsunami. The effects of a tsunami can range from unnoticeable to devastation.

The magnitude 9.0 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake triggered a series of lethal tsunamis on December 26, 2004 that killed over 310,000 people (more than 220,000 in Indonesia alone), making it the deadliest tsunami in recorded history. The tsunami killed people over an area ranging from the immediate vicinity of the quake in Indonesia, Thailand and the north-western coast of Malaysia to thousands of kilometres away in Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and even as far as Somalia, Kenya and Tanzania in eastern Africa. The disaster prompted a huge worldwide effort to help victims of the tragedy, with hundreds of millions of dollars being raised for disaster relief.