Reading comprehension exercises

1. a) Consult a dictionary and practise the pronunciation of the following words:

rigidly ['ri8idli] – 1) жестко, твердо; неподвижно 2) строго, сурово

nuisance ['nju:sns] – 1) досада; неприятность 2) то, что мешает, создает проблемы а) надоедливый человек; зануда б) невыносимое состояние, положение вещей в) неудобство, помеха

bouquet [bu(:)'kei] – 1) букет; букетик 2) комплимент, любезность 3) букет, аромат (вина)

chrysanthemum [kri's1nT(q)mqm] – хризантема

transient ['tr1nziqnt] – 1. 1) кратковременный, мимолетный, недолговечный, преходящий, скоротечный 2) временный, переходный 3) мигрирующий, кочующий; 4) временный, транзитный (жилец) (о жильце в гостинице) 5) случайный; отдельный 2. 1) нечто временное, проходящее 3); человек, переезжающий с места на место в поисках работы

exhilarate [ig'zilqreit] – веселить, развлекать; оживлять, подбодрять, воодушевлять

intransigence [in'tr1nsi8qns] – непримиримость (about)

awe [O:] – 1. (благоговейный) страх, трепет, благоговение

ensemble [a:n'sa:mbl] – 1) ансамбль (тж. tout ensemble) а) группа музыкантов б) произведение для совместного исполнения 2) общее впечатление 3) костюм, туалет; гарнитур, ансамбль

casino [kq'si:nqu] – игорный дом, казино

chord [kO:d] – 1) струна (тж. перен.) 2) связка 3) хорда (окружности) 4) пояс фермы II 1) аккорд, гармония звуков 2) сочетание цветов, гамма красок

delineate [di'linieit] – 1) набрасывать, чертить, намечать 2) схематически изображать (то, что должно быть создано); делать набросок; набрасывать 3) очерчивать, обрисовывать, изображать 4) изображать; выражать, описывать

syncopate ['siNkqpeit] – 2) сокращать слово, опуская звук или слог в середине его

octave ['Oktiv] – 4) восьмерка, восемь предметов

vigorous ['vig(q)rqs] – сильный, энергичный; решительный

intricate ['intrikit] – запутанный, сложный, замысловатый; затруднительный

coon [ku:n] – 1) енот 2) хитрец, ловкач, хитрый парень 3); негр, чернокожий

minstrel ['minstr(q)l] – 1) менестрель (средневековый поэт) 2) поэт; певец 3) исполнители негритянских песен (загримированные неграми; тж. Christy minstrel, Negro minstrel, nigger minstrel)

 

b) Get together with another student. Listen to his/her reading. What recommendations would you give to correct any mispronunciations?

 

2. a) Read out aloud the following sentences from the text; divide them into intonation groups using proper intonation patterns; observe stresses, strong and weak forms. Make them sound rhythmically correct:

1. I am looking for a young woman of color [k0lq] whose name is Sarah, he said. 2. She is sai d to re s i d e [ri'zaid] in one of the s e hou s e s.

3. He was a stocky man with a red-complected shining brown face, high cheekbones ['7i:kbquns] and large dark eyes so intense as to suggest they were about to cross. 4. Mother, not thinking clearly, was suddenly outraged that he had presumed to come in the door. 5. The colored man took another glance at the child, rose, thanked her and departed. 6. One Sunday the colored man left a bouquet of yellow chrysanthemums which in this season had to have cost him a pretty penny (= a large amount of money). 7. Mother said he was well-spoken[28] and conducts himself as a gentleman. 8. It was important, he said, for a musician to find a place that was permanent, a job that required no travelling. 9. He had heard [hiqd] it in his nightlife period in New York. 10. Well, he said, it appears as if Miss Sarah will not be able to receive me.

b) Get together with your partner. Listen to his/her reading, analyse possible variants in the intonation group division.

3. Complete the following sentences:

1. There is something nice in the way she dresses on Sundays. 2. There is something exciting in her light step. 3. There was something unusual in what she had said.

4. This is the most the girl can offer him... 5. This was the most the man could respond her.. 6. This will be the most the children can be expected of..

7. Delicious or not the dinner came in very handy.. 8. Pleasant or not you must take him into consideration. 9. She was about to catch into the icy cold water but then she decided not to. 10. We are about to complete an agreement with you.

4. Paraphrase the following sentences using the speech patterns (p. 108):

1. He has a pleasant way of looking at her. 2. She has a poetical way of speaking. 3. This was the biggest meal David Copperfield had eaten for a week. 4. She had never before said anything so unpleasant to him. 5. No matter how tired she was she was always ready to give a helping hand. 6. We shall buy the piano whether it is expensive or not. 7. She was just leaving the house when the telephone rang. 8. She was on the point of tears when he suddenly appeared in the doorway.

1. There is something pleasant in the way he was looking at her. 2. There is something poetical in the way she was speaking. 3. This was the most meal David Copperfield had eaten for a week. 4. This was the most unpleasant she had ever before said to him. 5. Tired or not she was always ready to give a helping hand. 6. Expensive or not we shall buy the piano. 7. She was about to leave the house when the telephone rang. 8. She was about to burst into tears when he suddenly appeared in the doorway.

Make up and act out dialogues using the speech patterns.

– There was something strange in the way she has entered the classroom today, I can tell you.

– I don't think so. She always enters the room in such a way.

– No, she was about to jump on me with her global usual accusations.

– Hm, may be you are right, but nothing was the most she had said in all the minutes before the lesson.

– True or not I have only shared my anxiety with you.

6. Translate the following sentences into English using the speech patterns:

1. Есть что-то странное в том, как она одевается. 2. Было что-то удивительное в том, как он это сказал. 3. Было что-то привлекательное в том, как ребенок протянул цветы. 4. Она позвонит ему обязательно. Но это самое большее, что она может сделать. 5. Она съела ломтик хлеба и снова уснула. Это было самое большее, что она съела за два дня. 6. Интересные рассказы или нет, их нужно прочитать. 7. Болезненная операция или нет, она обязательна. 8. Она собралась что-то сказать, но затем передумала. 9. Она собралась уже взять отпуск, когда заболел ее отец. 10. Она уже сидела у пианино, чтобы начать играть, когда зазвонил телефон.

1. There is something strange in the way she dresses herself. 2. There was something astonishing in the way he (had) said it. 3. There was something nice in the way the child held the flowers out. 4. She shall phone him of cause but it is the most she can do. 5. She ate a slice of bread and felt asleep again. This was the most she had eaten in two days. 6. Interesting or not the stories are to/should be read. 7. Painful or not the operation is obligatory. 8. She was about to do smth (on the point of doing smth), but than decided not to (changed her mind). 9. She was about to vocation when her father felt ill. 10. She was about to play the piano when the phone began to ring.

Note down the sentences containing the phrases and word combinations (p. 109) and translate them into Russian.

Father noted that he suffered no embarrassment by being in the parlor with a cup and saucer in his hand. – Отец заметил, что он не испытывает не какого смущения будучи в гостиной с чашкой и блюдцем в руке.

The driver was looking right and left as if trying to find a particular address; – Водитель оглядывался по сторонам, как будто пытаясь отыскать определённый(?) адрес.

Mother could not judge his age. – Мама не могла определить его возраст (судить о)

Mother, not thinking clearly, was suddenly outraged that he had presumed to come in the door. – Мама, не осознавая толком, вдруг возмутилась тем, что он посмел войти в дверь.

She began to regret Sarah's intransigence. – Она начала сожалеть о непримиримости Сары

Father questioned the propriety of this. – Отец осведомился об уместности этого.

8. Paraphrase the following sentences:

1. We are losing money right and left. 2. Days went past without any news. 3. Judge its size, please. 4. He presumed to tell his manager how the work ought to be done. 5. I don't mind living in the city but I regret being without my horse. 6. I would never question his honesty. 7. She suffered the loss of her pupils' respect. 8. "I believe you like your job." "On the contrary, I hate it" 9. It's been proved to my satisfaction that you are telling the truth. 10. "He is very knowledgeable about flowers," he said clearing his throat.