Spring: a wonderful season; lovely spring mornings (days); April showers, March winds bring warm weather; get warmer and warmer; break into leaf (of trees); the first flowers; green grass; everything comes to life; the best time for walks in the country.
Summer: hot; cool; dry; fine weather; shine brightly (of the sun); blue skies; go on a holiday; leave town; go to the country (seaside, etc); go swimming (boating, etc); lie in the sun; brown as a berry; wear light clothes (frocks, shorts, T-shirts, etc); enjoy oneself immensely; have a good time; summer is only too short.
Autumn: Indian summer; be over; rain hard; a thick fog; awful (beastly) weather; a dull (wet, etc) morning; change for the worse; wear a raincoat and carry an umbrella; leaves cover the ground like a thick carpet; grey, cloudy skies; wet, slippery roads.
Winter: a heavy snowfall; everything is white with snow; the ground is covered with snow; not a single leaf on the trees; no birds singing in the woods; a hard frost; bright sunshine; cold, but pleasant weather; go skiing (skating); be good for one's health; have a wonderful time.
Meeting a Friend in the Street
go by car; heavy traffic; move slowly; stop at the traffic lights;
see a friend; walk along the street; stop at the side of the street; get out of the car; stop to say "Hallo" to an old friend; know each other well enough; discuss personal (business, etc) matters; offer one's friend a lift.
Off to the Theatre
have two tickets; invite a friend; come home from work; shave; change one's shirt (tie, socks, etc); put on a clean shirt; clean one's shoes; brush one's coat (suit, etc); leave home; have little time; go by taxi; arrive at the theatre; meet sb at the entrance; find out at the last moment; be sure that....
At the Theatre
take one's seat in the hall; watch the play with interest; be fond of such plays; like the play very much; the play discusses matters of great importance; describe life in a small village (big town, etc); give the true story behind the events; walk home; thank sb for a lovely evening.
Ex 60 Discuss the following, giving your arguments for or against.
1. The climate has an effect on people.
2 The weather has helped to form the English character.
3. Your friend says that manners make the man. What do you think?
4. There are many who think that it is clothes that make the man (particularly the woman).
5. You like travelling by air, your friends like travelling by train. You think that flying is not only faster, but also much safer.
6. You like meeting and talking to strangers. You say that it helps you to learn more about people and the world.
Ex 61 Subjects for oral and written composition.
1. Explain why the English say: "Other countries have a climate, in England we have weather."
2. Describe your city: (a) in winter (autumn, summer, spring); (b) on a cold frosty morning; (c) on a bright sunny day.
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3. My favourite season.
4. Describe a journey by train (plane, boat).
5. There is an English proverb which says: "Other times, other manners." Give an example of how manners change with the times.
6. People often enter into conversation when they are travelling in a train or on a boat. How would you explain this?
LESSON FOUR
Text: At Home (from "A Kind of Loving" by Stan Barstow)1
Grammar: The Perfect Tense Forms (Present, Past and Future). Reported Speech. Sequence of Tenses (contd).
AT HOME
The bus I catch doesn't go up the hill and when I get off at the corner I catch the smell of fish and chips and I cross the road and call at the shop and buy a fish and four penn'orth2 of chips. I eat them out of the paper as I'm going up the hill. I really like fish and chips and there's no better way of eating them than in the open air. They last me till I get to the gate.
It's half past ten and the Old Lady and the Old Man3 are sitting with the table-lamp on watching television when I go in.
"Do you want some supper?" the Old Lady asks me.
"I've had some fish and chips on my way."
"You'll want a drink of something, I suppose?"
"It's all right; don't bother; I'll make some cocoa."
I go into the kitchen and make the cocoa and bring it back into the living-room and sit down on the sofa at the back and light a cigarette. I'm thinking about Ingrid as I watch the picture4 that's on TV. I'm wondering what happened that she didn't come to meet me.
"Where've you been?" the Old Lady says in a minute.
"Pictures."
"By yourself?"
"With Willy Lomas."
"Willy Lomas? I don't think I know him, do I?"
"I used to6 go to school with him."
"I don't know why you pay good money to go to the pictures when you can see them at home for nothing," says the Old Man.
"You can't show colour6 and Cinemascope on TV."
"Cinemascope?"
"Wide screen..... bigger."
"But they're pictures, just the same, aren't they?"
I don't bother to argue about it. The picture's finished and there's a toothpaste ad7 on and I get up and throw my cig-end8 in the fire.9
"Going up?"10 the Old Lady says.
"Yes, I'm ready for it. Had a busy day today."
I say good night and go upstairs. There's a light in Jim's room. I go into our bathroom and wash my face and clean my teeth as quickly as I can. As I'm coming out Jim calls me.
"What is it?"
"A letter for you."
I take it and look at it. I look at my name on the envelope and all at once I begin to get excited.
"Where did you get this?"
"I found it behind the front door. Somebody pushed it in while we were watching television. There's no stamp on it."
There's no address on it, either; just my name.
I shut the door behind me11 before I open the letter. "Dear Vie,"12 it says. "My cousin decided to catch a later train and I went with her to the station to see her off. The train was late and it was after half past seven when I got back. I went to where we'd arranged to meet but of course you'd gone. I'm going to be at the same place tomorrow night. (Sunday). I hope you can come. Love,13
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Ingrid."
(Adapted)
NOTES
1. Stan Barstow was born in 1928 in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England, in the family of a coal-miner. "A Kind of Loving" was his first published novel, and came out in 1960. He has also written "Ask Me Tomorrow", published in 1962.
2. four penn'orth: four pennyworth eg She bought two roubles' worth of apples. .
3. the Old Lady and the Old Man: a familiar way of speaking of one's parents
4. picture: a cinematograph film; pictures (BrE) =movies (AmE); the cinema
5. (used (followed by to+Infinitive): ; - (, . .)
We use this for repeated action in the past, generally with the idea that the action is finished now. Eg I used to go to school with him (but I don't now).
6. colour: technicolour ( )
7 . ad: advertisement
8. cig-end: cigarette-end
9. fire: here
Many English homes still have fireplaces with open fires to warm up the room in cold weather.
10. Going up?: Going upstairs? Going to bed?
The traditional English one-family house has two storeys: upstairs and downstairs. The bedrooms and bathroom are always upstairs. Downstairs are the living room, dining room and kitchen.
11. I shut the door behind me: . Note that in English this construction with behind will always have a personal pronoun in the objective case.
12. Vic: short for "Victor". The boy's full name is Victor Brown.
13. Love: this is usually written at the end of a letter to a friend. Corresponds to the Russian .
VOCABULARY
kind n , , different kinds of books (goods, trees, etc) What kind of a man (student, etc) is he? ( . .)?
catch vt (caught) 1. , ; ; catch a ball (bird, fish; sb's idea, etc); catch sb by the hand; 2. , ( . .) catch a bus (train, etc) Phr catch (a) cold
cross vt , (, , . .) cross a street (road, river, etc); crossing n ; ( ); , ;
worth ; ( . .) The coat is worth the money you paid for it. They worked hard but it was worth it. Phr be worth doing The film is worth seeing.
real , ; real gold (silk, etc); a real friend (hero, etc); the real truth; reality n , ; really adv , Do you really think so?
way n 1. , a long (short, hard, etc) way; You have taken the right (wrong) way... Phr on the (one's) way home (to some place) ; on the (one's) way back ; Phr by the way , ; 2. , , , , I'll find a way to do it. I don't like his way of speaking. What is the quickest way of learning (to learn) a foreign language?
last vi 1. , How long did the meeting (lecture, concert, rain, trip, etc) last? 2. ( ) The money (food, etc) will last them till the end of the month(for a whole week, etc).
happen vi , How did it happen? The story happened two years ago. What's happened to (with) him?
pay vt (paid) How much did they pay (you) for the article? pay n , What's your pay? payment n , , to make payment
same indef pron ; the same book (room, town, day, man, etc) Phr just (all) the same It's all the same to me.
throw vt (threw, thrown) , ; throw sth to (at) sb - - ( -)
be excited ; get excited Everybody was excited by the news. Don't get excited! He ! excitement n , ; exciting , an exciting story (speech, film, book, moment, event, etc); excited , an excited voice (face, child, etc)
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behind prep , (-/-) (also fig.) He left the room and closed the door behind him. What's behind his words (actions, etc)? Phr leave sb/sth behind
push vt push a door (car, boat, person) (also fig); push n give a push
just adv 1. , , This is just the book I want; 2. , is just a child.
decide vt decide a question, etc; We decided to stay in town. They haven't yet decided what to do (where to go; etc); decision n Phr take (make) a decision ; decisive a decisive moment (step, argument, event, etc)
arrange vt 1. , ; arrange a party (meeting, trip, etc); We've arranged to meet on Saturday. I've arranged for a meeting next week. 2. ; (, . .) arrange one's business (plans, etc); arrange books (furniture, etc); arrangement n 1. , There is an arrangement between them about the price (payment, etc) Phr have (make) an arrangement (with sb) , ( -); 2. pl , , Phr make arrangements (for sth) ( -)
hope vi I hope to see you soon. We hope that everything will be all right. Phr hope for the better ; hope n have some (little, strong, no, etc) hope for sth
WORD COMBINATIONS
get off, ( , . .)
get on ( , . .)
call at some place -; call on sb -
in the open air () ( )
be on 1. ( , ..); 2. , ( , , . .)
all right 1. , ( , ); 2. ,
I suppose (, )
light a cigarette
by oneself , ,
see sb off (to some place) - (-)
see sb home -
EXERCISES
COMPREHENSION
Ex 1 Answer the following questions.
1. Why did Victor get off at the corner? 2. What did he buy at the little shop? 3. How did he like eating his fish and chips? 4. When did Victor get home? 5. What were his parents doing when he came in? 6. Why didn't he want any supper? 7. What was he thinking about as he watched TV? 8. What surprise did Victor's brother have for him? 9. Why did Victor get excited when he saw his name on the envelope? 10. Where had Jim found the letter? 11. Why did Victor shut the door behind him before opening the letter? 12. Who'd written the letter? 13. What did the letter say?
Ex 2 Look through the text once again, and:
1. Say how old you think Victor is and what he does.
2. Explain why Victor did not tell the whole truth to his parents.
3. Say if you believe Victor had really been to the pictures, or not.
4. Describe Victor's mood when he returns home, and how it changes when he gets the letter.
5. Give as much background information about the Brown family as you possibly can.
Ex 3 Find in the text the English for:
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; -; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; , ; () .
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