Comfort, Culture or Adventure?

Christopher: Going anywhere different for your vacation, Theresa?

Theresa: Ah, that's a million dollar question, Chistopher. Perhaps you can provide us with the decision. Edward demands his creature comforts — proper heating, constant hot water, comfortable beds, colour television...

Christopher: What about you, Theresa? Or aren't you too particular?

Theresa: Normally, yes. And usually we combine the open air and exercise with a bit of culture. Last year, for instance, we covered the Cheltenham Festival. The year before, it was Edinburgh. Edward adores Scotland.

Christopher: You fortunate characters! Are you complaining?

Theresa: No, but I long to go further afield — something more dangerous — and where the temperature's hotter!

Christopher: I wonder if this would interest you. It arrived today. "A Specialised Tour of South America for Photographers. Canoeing up the Amazon. Alligators. And other hazardous adventures."

Theresa: Christopher, how marvellous! It sounds wonderful.

Christopher: No creature comforts for Edward!

Theresa: Separate holidays are an excellent idea — occasionally! Edward can go to Scotland alone.

Exercise VII. Read the rhymes and learn them.

1. Tinker, Rich man,

Tailor, Poor man,

Soldier, Beggar man,

Sailor, Thief.

2. Rub-a-dub dub,

Three men in a tub,

The butcher, the baker,

The candlestick maker,

They all jumped over a rotten potato!

Exercise VIII. Transcribe the proverbs and learn them.

1. Adversity is a great headmaster.

2. Beggars can't be choosers.

3. Better an egg today than a hen tomorrow.

4. Better be alone than in bad company.

5. Christmas comes but once a year.

6. Take us as you find us.

7. As like as two peas.

UNIT 8. [ɛə] - [iə]

Exercise I. Read the following words paying special attention to correct pronunciation.

l. [ɛə]		2. [iə]		3. [ɛə] - [iə]
hare	despair	era	appear	hare — here
dare	compare	zero	adhere	bear — beer
pair	repair	here	veneer	air — ear
air	declare	dear	endear	fair — fear
mare	affair	ear	career	rare — rear
care	prepare	shear	sincere	pear — pier
hair	impair	mere	museum	dare — dear
fair	aware	beer	material	chair — cheer
				Clare — clear
				stare — steer
				spare — spear
				rarely — really
				mayor — mere
				a pair — appear

Exercise II. Read the following sense-groups, mind the rhythm and intonation.

(a) share; fair share; their fair share; it's their fair share.

(b) there; down there; Mary down there; there's Mary down there; I swear there's Mary down there; I dare swear there's Mary down there.

(c) Can you hear? Can you hear clearly? Can you hear clearly from here?

Exercise III. Transcribe and intone the following sentences. Practise reading them in pairs.

[iə] (a) 1. Here, here!

2. Here today, gone tomorrow.

3. He that has ears to hear, let him hear.

4. There's none so queer as folk.

5. All the world is queer save thee and me and even thee's a little queer.

[ɛə] (b) 1. All's fair in love and war.

2. Fair's fair.

3. Share and share alike.

4. There, there!

5. Hair of the dog that bit you.

6. To bear a grudge.

7. As mad as a March hare.

8. If the cap fits, wear it.

9. Mary, Mary, quite contrary.

[ɛə] — [iə] (c) 1. The steering wheel needs repairing.

2. And the radio aerial doesn't work.

3. The gear box is really bad.

4. And would you repair the spare wheel? The air comes out.

5. The theatre is somewhere near here.

6. I don't care whether I live upstairs or downstairs.

Exercise IV. Read the tongue-twisters and learn them.

1. Mary is scared of fairies in the dairy.

2. Fair-haired Sarah stares warily at the hairy bear, glaring from his lair.

Exercise V. Read the text.

A dreary peer sneers in the grand tier of the theatre. At the rear they hear the peer and jeer. But here, clearly the cheers for the hero are really fierce. The weary hero King Lear is nearly in tears.

Exercise VI. Read the dialogues, mark the stresses and tunes. Learn them. Act out the dialogues.

A Pair of Hairbrushes

Mary: I've lost two small hairbrushes, Claire. They're a pair.

Claire: Have you looked carefully everywhere?

Mary: Yes. They're nowhere here.

Claire: Have you looked upstairs?

Mary: Yes. I've looked everywhere upstairs and downstairs. They aren't anywhere.

Claire: Hh! Are they square, Mary?

Mary: Yes. They're square hairbrushes. Have you seen them anywhere?

Claire: Well, you're wearing one of them in your hair!

Mary: Oh! Then where's the other one?

Claire: It's over there under the chair.

A Bearded Mountaineer

(Mr and Mrs Lear are on holiday in Austria)

Mr Lear: Let's have a beer here, dear.

Mrs Lear: What a good idea! They have very good beer here. We came here last year.

Mr Lear: The atmosphere here is very clear.

Mrs Lear: And it's windier than last year.

Mr Lear: (speaking to the waiter) Two beers, please.

Mrs Lear: Look, dear! Look at that mountaineer drinking beer.

Mr Lear: His beard is in his beer.

Mrs Lear: His beard has nearly disappeared into his beer!

Mr L e a r: Sh, dear! He might hear.

Waiter: (bringing the beer) Here you are, sir. Two beers.

Mr Lear: (drinking his beer) Cheers, dear!

Mrs Lear: Cheers! Here's to the bearded moutaineer!

It's Eerie in Here

Aaron: Oh Piers, it's eerie in here — there's a sort of mysterious atmosphere — as if nobody's been here for years.

Piers: That's queer. Look, Aaron — over there. There's a weird light, like hundreds of pairs of eyes staring. I think we're in some animal's lair.

Aaron: Where?

Piers: There. They're coming nearer. My God, Aaron, they're giant bats.

Aaron: Oh no! I can feel them in my hair. They're tearing my beard! I can't bear it. Piers.

Piers: What if they're vampires? They're everywhere. Let's get out of here. We could try and climb higher.

Aaron: No fear! I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying here.

Piers: Aaron! There's a kind of iron staircase. Over here. Only take care. There's a sheer drop. (Sounds of panting)

Aaron: God, I'm weary. We must have been climbing these stairs for hours.

Piers: Cheer up, Aaron, I can see a square of light and smell fresh air and flowers. We're nearly there!

Exercise VII. Read the rhymes and learn them.

1. Here's a body — there's a bed,

There's a pillow — here's a head,

There's a curtain — here's a light!

There's a puff — and so good night!

2. What is this life if, Full of care,

We have no time To stand and stare.

3. There was an old man with the beard,

Who said "It is just as I feared! —

Two owls and a hen,

Four larks and a wren,

Have all built their nest in my beard."

4. The Wind and the Moon (by G. Macdonald)

Said the Wind to the Moon, "I will blow you out,

You stare in the air

Like a ghost in a chair."

He blew a great blast, and the thread was gone.

In the air

Nowhere

Was a moonbeam bare.

Exercise VIII. Transcribe the proverbs and learn them.

1. It's late to tear your hair.

2. Hares may pull dead lions by the beard.

3. Neither here nor there.

4. Experience is the mother of wisdom.

5. Who fears to suffer, suffers to fear.

UNIT 9. [аʋ] — [зʋ]

Exercise I. Read the following words paying special attention to correct pronunciation.

1. [аʋ]		2. [зʋ]			3. [аʋ] — [зʋ]
owl	mouse	show	hole	boat	now — know
wow	house	snow	role	both	loud — load
vow	south	low	bowl	coast	found — phoned
now	mouth	toe	cold	vote	row — row
loud	doubt	Joe	home	smoke	{quarrel) (line)
crowd	shout	foe	tone	soap	doubt — dote
down	rout	doe	shoulder	coat	town — tone
gown	pouch	go	toad	soak
round	scout	so	road	throat
how	stout	no	load	boast

Exercise II. Read the following sense-groups, mind the rhythm and intonation.

(a) Rose; know Rose; you know Rose; suppose you know Rose; don't suppose you know Rose; I don't suppose you know Rose.

(b) ground; mouse on the ground; a brown mouse on the ground; found a brown mouse on the ground; this owl has found a brown mouse on the ground.

Exercise III. Transcribe and intone the following sentences. Practise reading them in pairs.

[зʋ] (а) 1. Joan is combing her golden hair.

2. Joe has a noble Roman nose.

3. Joe and Joan go for a stroll.

4. Joe shows Joan his roses.

5. Joan won't go home alone, so Joe goes home with Joan.

[аʋ] (b) 1. Just outside the town, to the south, is Louwater House.

2. Fountains Hotel is opposite the Town Hall.

3. We saw a hound with a grouse in its mouth.

4. Without doubt our scout will make photoes of mountains and fountains.

5. To be down and out.

6. Ne'er cast a clout till May is out.

7. They've eaten me out of house and home.

8. To make a mountain out of a molehill.

9. You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

10. Out and about.

11. When in doubt, leave it out.

[аʋ] — [зʋ] (с) 1. Joe has a round house, an old coastal boat, a cow and a goat.

2. South Beach Hotel is close to the Lighthouse. It has a beautiful flower garden, and underground car park and children's playground. There is a telephone in every room.

Exercise IV. Read the tongue-twisters and learn them.

1. Moses supposes his toeses[1] are roses,

But Moses supposes erroneously,

For nobody's toeses are posies of roses

As Moses supposes his toeses to be.

2. Soames never boasts of what he knows but Rose never knows of what she boasts.

Exercise V. Complete the following sentences working in pars.

1. — Won't you row the old boat over the ocean from Dover to Stow-in-the-Wold if I load it with gold?

— No, no, I won't row the old boat over the ocean from Dover to Stow-in-the-Wold if you load it with gold.

2. — Won't you show Joan where you're going to grow a whole row of roses when you've sold her those potatoes and tomatoes?

— No, no, I won't...

3. — Won't you blow your noble Roman nose before you pose for your photo tomorrow? — No, no, I won't...

Exercise VI. Read the dialogues, mark the stresses and tunes. Learn them. Act out the dialogues.

A Mouse in the House

Mrs Brown: (shouting loudly) I've found a mouse!!

Mr Brown: Ow! You're shouting too loudly. Sit down and don't shout.

Mrs Brown: (sitting down) I've found a mouse in the house.

Mr В г о wn: A brown mouse?

Mrs Brown: Yes. A little round mouse. It's running around in the lounge.

Mr Brown: On the ground?

Mrs Brown: Yes. It's under the couch now.

Mr Brown: Well, get it out.

Mrs Brown: How?

Mr Brown: Turn the couch upside-down. Get it out somehow. We don't want a mouse in our house. Ours is the cleanest house in the town!

2. Snow in October

(Joe Jones is sleeping, but Joan woke up a few minutes ago.)

Joan: Joe! Joe! Joe! Hello!

Joe: (groans) Oh! What is it Joan?

Joan: Look out of the window.

Joe: No. My eyes are closed, and I'm going to go to sleep again.

J о an: Don't go to sleep, Joe. Look at the snow.

Joe: Snow? But it's only October. I know there's no snow.

Joan: Come over to the window, Joe.'

Joe: You're joking, Joan. There's no snow.

Joan: OK. I'll put my coat on and go out and make a snowball and throw it at your nose, Joe Jones!

3. Howard's Found an Owl

Howard: Brownie, if you vow not to make a sound, I'll show you an owl that I've found.

Brownie: An owl? You've found an owl?

Howard: Don't shout so loudly. We don't want a crowd to gather round the house. Tie that hound up outside the cowshed. He's so bouncy and he's bound to growl.

Brownie: There. I've wound his lead round the plough. No amount of bouncing will get him out now.

Howard: Now, not a sound. It's down by the fountain Where the cows browse.

Brownie: Wow, Howard! It's a brown mountain owl! It's worth about a thousand pounds down in the town.

Howard: No doubt. But my proud owl is homeward bound — south to the Drowned Mouse Mountains.

4. No Wonder the Boat Was Low!

Miss Jones: So the boatman put the goat and the roses and the load of coal into the boat —

Toby: I hope the goat won't eat the roses. Goats eat most things, you know. Miss Jones.

Miss Jones: They told the boatman so. But oh no, the goat and the roses both had to go in the boat.

Toby: Was it a rowing boat. Miss Jones? Was the boatman going to row?

Miss Jones: No, they told the boatman rowing would be too slow. So the postman sold him an old motor mower and he roped it to the boat. And so, you see, Toby, he had a motor boat.

Toby: Did the boat go?

Miss Jones: It was a bit low, with the goat and the coal and the roses and the boatman —

Toby: And the postman and Rover, I suppose — Miss Jones: Oh no, there was no room for the postman and Rover. They went home by road. And then it began to snow...

Exercise VII. Read the rhymes and learn them.

1. Little mouse, little mouse,

Will you come out of your house?

Thank you, pussy! says the mouse

I won't leave my little house!

2. See-saw, See-saw

Up and down,

Up and down,

This is the way

To London town.

3. Mr Brown, Mr Brown,

Are you going down town,

Could you stop and take me down,

Thank you kindly, Mr Brown.

4. There was an Old Man who supposed

That the street door was partially closed,

But some very large rats

Ate his coats and his hats.

While that futile Old Gentleman dozed.

5. There was an Old Man in a boat,

Who said. "I'm afloat! I'm afloat!"

When they said, "Not You ain't!"

He was ready to,faint,

That unhappy Old Man in a boat.

6. There was an Old Man who said, "How

Shall I flee from this horrible cow?"

I will sit on this stile,

And continue to smile,

Which may soften the heart of that cow.

Exercise VIII. Transcribe the proverbs and learn them.

1. Great boast, small roast.

2. Little strokes fell great oaks.

3. Man proposes, God disposes.

4. To know everything is to know nothing.

5. Stones grow old.

6. To hope against hope.

7. Out of sight, out of mind.

8. Burn not your house to rid it of your mouse.

9. As you sow you shall mow.

10. These is no place like home.

11. In a roundabout way.

UNIT 10. [ai] — [ei]

Exercise I. Read the following words paying special attention to correct pronunciation.

1. [ai]			2. [ei]			3. [ai] — [ei]
I	idea	kite	pay	pain	make	white — wait
my	ride	right	day	gain	take	rice — race
tie	oblige	sight	say	vain	rake	like — lake
rye	rhyme	night	lay	rain	sake	lied — laid
bye	time	bright	ray	again	shape	rise — raise
by	kind	like	bay	game	cape	file — fail
pie	nine	life	stay	fame	face	light — late
lie	wild	wife	way	famous	lace	might — mate
die	mild	rice	may	lain	late	isle — ale
shy	while	mice	weigh	sane	waste	while — whale
sky	child	white	eight	David	pace	bike — bake

Exercise II. Read the following sense-groups, mind the rhythm and intonation.

(a) days; eight days; eighty-eight days; takes eighty-eight days; it takes eighty-eight days; they say it takes eighty-eight days.

(b) station; a railway station; waiting at a railway station; a train waiting at a railway station; a train waiting at a railway station on a rainy day; a train waiting at a railway station on a grey rainy day.

Exercise III. Transcribe and intone the following sentences. Practise reading them in pairs.

[ai] (a) 1. Mike's white kite is flying high in the sky.

2. Clive climbs high spires at night.

3. Diana is quite nice but frightfully shy.

4. Clive decides to invite Diana to dine. He tries to find a fine white wine.

5. Diana decides she would like to dine with Clive and arrives on time, but politely declines the white wine.

[ei] (b) 1. A sailor and a mate watch a baby whale playing on a great wave at daybreak.

2. James plays with trains and planes.

3. Jane bakes eight cakes.

4. James takes a cake from Jane's plate.

[ai] — [ei] (c) 1. The lake that I like is on the isle.

2. David baits his hook and a whiting bites it.

3. Save your pains, Mike.

4. Name the day, Myra.

Exercise IV. Read the tongue-twisters and learn them.

1. Three grey geese in a green field grazing.

Grey were the geese and green was the grazing.

2. There's no need to light a night light on a light night like tonight.

Exercise V. Read the dialogues, mark the stresses and tunes. Learn them. Act out the dialogues.

At the Railway Station

(Mr Grey is waiting at the railway station for a train)

Mr Grey: Hey! This train's late! I've been waiting here for ages.

Porter: Which train, sir?

Mr Grey: The 8.18 to Baker Street.

Porter: The 8.18? I'm afraid you've made a mistake, sir.

Mr G r ey: A mistake? My timetable says: Baker Street train — 8.18.

Porter: Oh no, sir. The Baker Street train leaves at 8.08.

Mr Grey: At 8.08?

Porter: You see, sir, they changed the timetable at the end of April. It's the first of May today.

Mr Grey: Changed it? May I see the new timetable? What does it say?

P о r t e r: It says: Baker Street train — 8.08.

Mr Grey: Hh! So the train isn't late. I'm late.

Mike, Myra and Violet

(Myra and Violet are typists in the library)

Myra: (smiling) Hello, Mike!

Mike: Hello, Myra. Hello, Violet. You're looking nice, Violet.

(silence)

Mike: Would you like some ice-cream, Violet?

Violet: No thanks, Mike. I'm busy typing. Talk to me some other time. I have ninety-nine pages to type by Friday.

Mike: Never mind. Do you like riding, Violet? Violet: Sometimes.

Mike: Would you like to come riding with we tonight, Violet?

Violet: Not tonight, Mike. I'm going for a drive with Nigel.

Mike: What about Friday?

Violet: I'm going climbing with Miles.

Mike: Hm! Oh, all right. Bye!

Myra: Violet, he's put something behind your typewriter.

V i о 1 e t: Is it something nice, Myra?

Myra: No. It's a spider.

Exercise VI. Read the rhymes and learn them.

1. Rain, rain, go away, Come again another day, Little Johnny wants to play.

2. Rain, rain, go to Spain, Never show your face again.

3. This is the way the ladies ride,

Nim, nim, nim, nim.

This is the way the gentlemen ride,

Trim, trim, trim, trim.

This is the way the fanners ride,

Trot, trot, trot, trot.

This is the way the huntsmen ride,

A-gallop, a-gallop, a-gallop, a-gallop.

This is the way the ploughboys ride,

Hobble-dy-gee, hobble-dy-gee.

4. There was a young lady whose eyes

Were unique as to colour and size,

When she opened them wide,

People all turned aside.

And started away in surprise.

5. There was a fat man of Bombay

Who was smoking one sunshine day,

When a bird called a snipe

Flew away with his pipe,

Which vexed the fat man of Bombay.

6. There was a young lady of Norway.

Who casually sat on a doorway.

When the door squeezed her flat,

She exclaimed, "What of that?"

That courageous young lady of Norway.

Exercise VII. Transcribe the proverbs and learn them.

1. He who fights and runs away may live to fight another day.

2. If things were to be done twice, all would be wise.

3. No pains, no gains.

4. When the cat is away, the mice will play.

5. After dinner sit awhile after supper walk a mile.

6. Haste makes waste.

7. To make hay while the sun shines.

8. The blind leading the blind.

9. A stitch in time saves nine.

10. An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

11. A cat has nine lives.

12. Out of sight, out of mind.

13. To call a spade a spade.

UNIT 11. [ɔi] - [ai]

Exercise I. Read the following words paying special attention to correct pronunciation.

1. [ɔi]			2. [ai]			3. [ɔi] - [ai]
boy-	join	roister	my	hide	height	boy — buy
joy	point	hoist	why	wide	tight	toy — tie
enjoy	joint	hoik	try	wide	white	oil — isle
employ	coin	coif	rye	ride	right	voice — vice
destroy	soil	adroit	sigh	side	sight	Roy — rye
toy	oil	voice	high	lied	light	point — pint
coy	foil	choice	fly	tried	trite	foil — file
Roy	spoil	moist	buy	fried	fright	poise — pies

Exercise II. Read the following sense-groups, mind the rhythm and intonation.

(a) Mike; Mike and Myra; Mike and Myra take; Mike and Myra take enjoyment; Mike and Myra take enjoyment in spoiling; Mike and Myra take enjoyment in spoiling toys.

(b) oil; point of oil; boiling point of oil; What's the boiling point of oil?

Exercise III. Transcribe and intone the following sentences. Practise reading them in pairs.

[oi] (a) 1. Join me in the voyage, Roy.

2. Boys will be boys.

3. Mr Hoyle toils the soil.

4. The boy is adroit with his quoit.

5. Roy is a loyal royalist.

6. Joice enjoys annoying Roy.

[ai] (b) 1. The time is flying.

2. My child Mike is bright.

3. I quite like the Whites.

4. Why, the pleasure is entirely mine.

[oi] — [ai] с) 1. Roy and Mike are fine but noisy boys,

2. Ida is spoilt and coy.

Exercise IV. Read the rhymes and learn them.

1. What kind of noise annoys an oyster?

A noisy noise annoys an oyster.

2. Smile a while and while you smile,

others'll smile and then there'll be miles of smiles.

Exercise V. Read the dialogues, mark the stresses and tunes. Learn them. Act out the dialogues.

Joyce's Rolls Royce

{Joyce takes her Rolls Royce to the garage).

Garage boy: What a terrible noise.

Joyce: Eh?

Garage boy: {raising his voice) What a terrible noise! This is the noisiest Rolls Royce I've ever heard.

Joyce: {pointing) It's out of oil.

Garage boy: Out of oil? And look! The water's boiling. Madam, a Rolls Royce isn't a toy. Perhaps you've spoilt the motor or even destroyed it.

Joyce: How annoying! While you're changing the oil, I'll go and visit my boyfriend, Roy.

A Painting of a Boy

J a y: Do you like painting?

Joy: Yes. I'm trying to paint a boy lying beside a lake. Do you like it?

Jay: Hm... Why don't you buy some oil paints?

J о у: I don't enjoy painting with oils.

Jay: Your painting is quite nice, but why are you painting the boy's face grey?

Joy: {pointing) It isn't grey. It's white.