IV. Work in pairs. Describe each other.

Unit II: Appearance

Our family is not very large. We are four. We think that the ideas about a family often depend on its members' appearance. That's why we try to look nice every day. Our father is a tall, handsome, broad-shouldered and strong man with dark clever eyes and a very great forehead. He's always clean-shaved and immaculately dressed.

Our mother is a slim, elegant and charming middle-aged woman who does her best to look younger than she is. She has rather small features and a fair complexion. She likes to be well dressed. She wears her hair shoulder length. I think she is very beautiful.

My sister Natasha is neither tall nor small. She is middle-sized and plump. She has an upright carriage. Her oval face is touched with freckles in summer. Natasha is fair-haired and blue-eyed. In fact she looks like our mother. My sister has long eyelashes and a turned up nose. I think she is a pretty girl. But what I don't like about her is that she spends much time before the mirror.

Exercises:

I. Read the following words from the text:

appearance

immaculate

pretty

forehead

handsome

feature

beautiful

oval

broad-shouldered

fair

plump

wear

eye

carriage

middle-sized

 

II. a) Find English equivalents of the following word-combinations in the text:

хорошо выглядеть; хорошо одеваться; быть среднего роста; средних лет; иметь светлый цвет лица; иметь волосы до плеч; иметь стройную осанку; быть курносым; быть безупречно одетым; стараться изо всех сил; быть похожим на кого-либо; быть ни низким, ни высоким; иметь мелкие черты лица.

   b) Work in threes. Use these word-combinations while retelling the text in the 1^st person (as if you were the members of this family). Change your roles.

III. a) Study the following words:

- 1 -

handsome

['hxnsqm]

красивый (о мужчине)

charming

['CRmIN]

обаятельная, очаровательная (о женщине)

pretty

['prItI]

хорошенькая (о женщине)

good-looking

['gud'lukIN]

приятной внешности

elegant

['FlIgqnt]

элегантный

well-preserved

[prI'zWvd]

хорошо сохранившийся

beautiful

['bjHtIful]

красивый

nice

[naIs]

приятный, хороший      

plain

[pleIn]

обычный заурядный

ugly

['AglI]

безобразный  

well-built

['wFl'bIlt]

хорошо сложенный

slim

[slIm]

стройный

lean

[lJn]

худой

plump

[plAmp]

полный

tall

[tLl]

высокий       

short

[SLt]

низкий, короткий            

strong

[strON]

сильный

pleasant/unpleasant

['plFznt]

приятный/неприятный

attractive

[q'trxktIv]

привлекательный             

- 2 -

face

[feIs]

лицо

eyes

[aIz]

глаза

eyelashes

['aIlxSIz]

ресницы

eyebrows

['aIbrauz]

брови

forehead

['fOrId]

лоб

cheek

[CJk]

щека

teeth

[tJT]

зубы

chin

[CIn]

подбородок    

shoulders

['Squldqz]

плечи

leg

[lFg]

нога

arm

[Rm]

рука

lips

[lIps]

губы

wrinkled

['rINkld]

морщинистый

clever

['klFvq]

умный

long

[lON]

длинный

thin

[TIn]

тонкий, редкий (о волосах)

thick

[TIk]

густой    

broad

[brLd]

широкий 

narrow

['nxrqu]

узкий

high forehead

[haI]

высокий лоб

low forehead

[lqu]

низкий лоб

fair hair

[fFq]

белокурые волосы

black hair

[blxk]

черные волосы

grey hair

[greI]

седые волосы

short-cut

['SLtkAt]

стриженные

smooth

[smHD]

гладкие

chestnut

['CFsnAt]

каштановые

red hair

[rFd]

рыжие

curly hair

['kWlI]

кудрявые

straight

[streIt]

прямые

plaited

['plxtId]

заплетенные в косы

bold

[bLld]

лысый

crooked nose

['krukId]

кривой нос

turned-up nose

['tWndAp]

курносый нос

straight nose

[streIt]

прямой нос

rosy cheeks

['rquzI]

розовые щеки

pale cheeks

[peIl]

бледные щеки

thin/full lips

[TIn], [ful]

тонкие / пухлые губы

tiny chin

['taInI]

маленький подбородок

protruding chin

[prq'trHdIN]

выдающийся подбородок

clean-shaved

['klJn'SeIvd]

чисто выбритый

sunburnt face

['sAnbWnt]

загорелое лицо

regular features

['rFgjulq]

правильнее черты лица

- 3 -

to have fair/dark complexion

 

со светлым/смуглым цветом лица

to have freckles

['frFklz]

иметь веснушки

to have dimples

['dImplz]

иметь ямочки на щеках

to take after smb.

 

быть похожим на кого-либо

to be unlike smb.

 

быть непохожим на кого-либо

to have much/little in common with smb.

['kOmqn]

иметь много/мало общего с кем-л.

to be the very image of smb.

['ImIG]

быть точной копией кого-либо

to be blue-eyed

['blu: 'aId]

быть голубоглазым

to wear a beard

[bIqd]

иметь бороду

to wear a moustache

[mqs'tRS]

иметь усы

to have an upright/ graceful carriage

['kxrIG]

иметь стройную/ красивую осанку

to be long-legged

['lON 'legd]

с длинными ногами

to put on weight

[weIt]

прибавлять в весе

to grow thin (grew)

[grqu]

худеть                

to look one's age

[eIG]

выглядеть по своему возрасту

to look happy/unhappy

['hxpI]

выглядеть счастливым/ несчастным

to look tired/ ill

['taIqd]

выглядеть уставшим, больным

to look fresh

[frFS]

выглядеть свежо

to look worried

['wArId]

выглядеть обеспокоено

to look miserable

['mIzqrqbl]

выглядеть жалко

formal dress

['fLmql]

вечерняя одежда

formal clothes

[klquDz]

официальная форма одежды

to wear fashionable clothes

['fxSnqbl]

носить модную одежду

to dress casually

['kxZuqlI]

одеваться свободно

to wear jewellery

['GHqlrI]

носить украшения

to use make-up

['meIkAp]

пользоваться косметикой

to have one's hair cut

[kAt]

носить стрижу

to be a blonde/blond

[blOnd]

быть блондинкой/блондином

to be a dark-haired man

['dRkhFqd]

быть брюнетом

to have an awkward gait

['Lkwqd]

иметь неуклюжую походку

to keep one's figure

['fIgq]

следить за фигурой    

to have a charming smile

[smaIl]

иметь очаровательную улыбку

to become smb. well

[bI'kAm]

быть к лицу

to follow the fashion

['fxSqn]

следить за модой

to have a noble look

['nqubl]

иметь благородный вид

   b) Translate the following sentences using the words given above.

1) Моя бабушка на пенсии, но она хорошо сохранилась и выглядит моложе своих лет 2) У него обычная внешность. 3) Она не похожа на свою мать: у нее круглое лицо, курносый нос, низкий лоб и густые волосы. 4) Ему нравятся голубоглазые, стройные, длинноногие блондинки. 5) Я всегда стараюсь следить за своей фигурой. 6) У его племянницы приятная внешность и очаровательная улыбка. 7) У моряков (sailors) обычно неуклюжая походка. 8) 0н - точная копия своего деда: те же кудрявые волосы рыжие усы и выступающий подбородок. 9) Мой брат похож на отца, у него тонкие губы, прямой нос, гладкие волосы. 10) После болезни (illness) у нее были бледные щеки. Она похудела и теперь хочет немного поправиться. 11) Он хорошо сложен, широкоплеч, у него прямая осанка. Он всегда носит модную одежду. 12) Ей очень к лицу строгая одежда. 13) У него правильные черты лица.

 

V. Things to do:

1) Describe one of your relatives.

2) Describe your favourite actor (singer, sportsman, etc.)

3)You’ve just met a most handsome man (pretty woman). Describe him (her) to your friends.

4) You are going to get married. Describe your future wife (husband).

5) Describe the way you (your family, your friend, your group-mate, etc.) will look like in 20 years.

 VI. Study the following speech patterns:

- 1 -

- What does he look like?

- He is tall like me and well-built.

- How does he look after his exams?

- Oh, he looks bad.

- Is he tall?

- No, he isn't. He's middle-sized.

- Who do you take after?

- I take after my mother.
= I look like my mother.
= I'm like my mother.

- Who does she take after?

- She has much in common with her Grandma.                     

- Does he take after his father?

- Nothing of the kind. He is very much unlike his dad. = He doesn’t take after his father in any way.

- 2 -

- What colour is his hair?

- He has grey hair.
= His hair is grey.

- What is her hair like?

- Her hair is straight and thick. = She has straight, thick hair.

- What can you say about his face?

- He has an oval face, rather unpleasant one.

- Will (can) you describe her face?

- She has a beautiful round face with big grey eyes.

- And what about her complexion?

- She is of dark complexion.

- What about her nose?

- She has a small, turned up nose.

- 3 -

- How is he usually dressed?

- As a rule, he wears formal dress.

- What does he usually wear?

- He likes to dress casually.

- Does he wear fashionable clothes?

- I doubt it. He doesn't follow the fashion.

- What kind of clothes do you usually wear?

- I prefer fashionable clothes.

- Does she often use make-up?

- She doesn't make-up, I'm sure.

- 4 -

- Do you always follow the fashion?

- Well, I try to.

- How do you manage to look so nice?

- I try to keep my figure.

- How does she manage to look much younger than she is?

- She keeps her figure.

- Do you find him plain?

- No, I don’t. He’s very good-looking.

- Do you like the way she has her hair done (cut)?

- Sure. It becomes her well.

- I'm afraid I don't. It doesn't become her.

- Do you like the way she looks?     

- It’s great!

- Do you like the way she is usually dressed?

- She’s very different. But I love it.

- Do you like the way she wears her dress?

VII. Answer the questions:

1) What does your mother (father, best friend) look like?

2) How do you usually look after your exams? (when you have your birthday)?

3) Who do you take after?                 

4) What colour are your mother’s (father’s) eyes?           

5) What is your sister's (brother's) hair like?

6) What can you say about your best friend's face?

7) How are your parents usually dressed?

8) What do you usually wear?                   

9) Do you use make-up?

10) Do you wear jewellery?                        

11) Do you like the way you look like?

VIII. Write down the special questions to which the following sentences are the answers.

1) My cousin has much in common with his dad.       

2) He has broad shoulders, strong arms and long legs.

3) My mother has chestnut hair.

4) My mother's hair is thin.

5) He looks very unhappy today.

6) My father doesn't wear formal dress.

7) He is well-built because he keeps his figure.

8) She looks elegant because she follows the fashion.

9) My sister has a high forehead, dark eyebrows, big brown eyes and pretty dimples on her cheeks.

10) He is a blue-eyed young man.

IX. Translate into English.

1) - На кого ты похожа?

- Мама говорит, я похожа на мою бабушку.

- А как она выглядит?

- Она среднего роста, полная, с приятным лицом.

- Какого цвета у неё волосы?

- У неё седые волосы, но раньше бабушка была брюнеткой.       

2) - Какую одежду ты предпочитаешь носить?

- Я люблю одеваться свободно. А ты?

- А я всегда слежу за модой, но ношу одежду, которая мне к лицу.

3) - Ты находишь его красивым?

- Да, он выглядит очень элегантно.

4) - Тебе нравится, как одевается твоя сестра?

- Да, она всегда выглядит очаровательно. Как ей удается так выглядеть?

- Она старается следить за своей фигурой.

X. Work in pairs. Make up a dialogue about the appearance of your relatives.

XI. Translate the fragments from books by well-known English writers in written form:             

- 1 -

They are apparently father and daughter. The gentleman is 50, tall, well-preserved and of upright carriage. His imposing style, with his strong aquiline nose and resolute clean-shaven mouth, gives him an air of importance.

His daughter is well-dressed, well-fed, good-looking, strong-minded young woman, presentably ladylike. But still her father's daughter.                              

(from “Widower's Houses” by B. Shaw)

- 2 -

Harry, imagine a girl, hardly seventeen of age, with a little flower-like face, a small Greek head with plaited coils of dark-brown hair, eyes that were violet wells of passion, lips that were like the petals of a rose. She was the loveliest thing I had ever seen in my life.              

(from “The Picture of Dorian Grey” by O. Wilde)

- 3 -

His face was deeply sunburnt, but the sun had not taken the healthy colour from his cheeks. She liked the little curly moustache which did not conceal his full red lips. He had black hair, short and brushed very sleek. But, of course, his eyes, under thick bushy eyebrows, were his best feature.

       (from "The Painted Veil" by S. Maugham)

- 4 -

In the centre of the room… stood the head of the family, old Jolyon himself, eighty years of age, white hair, his dome-like forehead, his little dark grey eyes, and an immense white moustache, which drooped and spread below the level of his strong jaw, he had a patriarchal look, and in spite of lean cheeks and hollows at his temples, seemed master of perennial youth. He held himself upright, end his shrewd, steady eyes lost none of their clear shining. Thus he gave an impression of superiority to the doubts and dislikes of smaller men.

(from “The Man of Property” by J. Galsworthy)

XII. Find the Russian equivalents of the following proverbs:

1) Handsome is as handsome does. 6) As ugly as sin.

2) Appearances are deceitful.      7) Neat as a new pin.

3) As like as two peas.                8) Neither fish nor flesh.

4) As like as chalk and cheese. 9) Tastes differ.

5) As thin as a rake.