Text B. A Story from the Past

There was a king who thought that he could paint very well. His pictures were bad, but the people to whom he showed them were afraid of the king. They all said that they liked his pictures very much.

One day the king showed his pictures to a great painter who lived in this country and asked, “I want to know what you think of my pictures. Do you like them? Am I a good painter, or not?”

The painter looked at the king’s pictures and said: “My king, I think your pictures are bad, and you will never be a good painter.”

The king got very angry and sent the painter to prison.

After two years the king wanted to see the painter again. “I was very angry with you,” he said, “because you did not like my pictures. Now forget all about it. You are a free man again, and I am your friend.”

For many hours the king talked with the painter and even invited him to dinner. After dinner the king showed his pictures to the painter and asked, “Well, how do you like them now?”

The painter did not answer. He turned to a soldier who was standing near him and said, “Take me back to prison.”

Unit 10

 

Text A. -Practising English in a Study Centre----------

Kevin Foster is responsible for the Study Centre where students come after their lessons. It's now Friday. Rosa and Arturo are coming to practise their English.

"Welcome to self-study!" Kevin says. He knows it's their first time.

"What can we do in the language laboratory?" Arturo asks.

"Some students like to listen and fill in information, but I think it's better to use the lab for speaking practice," Kevin replies.

"Yes, I need to practise my pronunciation!" Rosa says.

"Then try this cassette. It has all the English sounds which are difficult for Spanish speakers and some exercises on rhythm and stress. There's also a worksheet (роздрукований текст навчального звукозапису) which you can take home," Kevin explains.

"Can I take the cassette home?" Rosa asks.

Kevin hates this question, but answers politely.

"No, I'm sorry! We like all the cassettes to stay in the language laboratory. The machines here are special. They play the teacher's voice on Side A and record the student's voice on Side B at the same time. You can't do that on a normal cassette recorder."

"What other types of speaking practice can we do?" Arturo asks.

"Well, the grammar practice drills are very useful at your level. Some students write all their grammar in their workbooks (робочий зошит) very slowly. They never learn to speak correctly at normal speed. Some grammar drills are very boring, but this cassette presents the language in interesting situations."

"Is there a book?" Arturo wants to know. "Yes, here it is," answers Kevin. "Use the book to find the place on the cassette, but then shut it. Use your ears and your memory. Then speak! Don't read the answers from the book."

"How many exercises should I do?" Arturo asks.

"It's best to repeat just one or two exercises every day. Record and play back your answers several times. Try to do better each time. When you get tired, do something different. Practise your conversation or test your vocabulary on one of the computers!"

Exercise 1.

· Read the text and find sentences describing:

a) the things you can do in a language laboratory; b) the equipment used in the language laboratory; c) the grammar drills practised in the laboratory.

Exercise 2.

· Do the following:

a) Write the names of the authors of “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”, “The Hobbit”, and “Treasure Island”.

b) Make a list of the English sounds which are difficult for Ukrainian/Russian speakers.

c) Write a list of some boring and several exciting lectures at your institution.

 

Exercise 3.

· Answer the following questions in writing:

Why doesn’t Kevin let students take the cassette home?

Do you practise your English after school?

What do you need to practise most?

Is it better to practise in a Study Centre or i n an English family?

Do libraries in your home town have: video tapes for learning English; computers (with Internet access); software for language learning?

Are you a polite person?

· Agree or disagree with the following statements. Explain your choice.

Practice makes perfection.

It doesn’t pay (не варто) to be polite to others.

 

Basic Patterns

When you get tired, do something different. Коли втомлюєшся, зроби щось інше.

You’ll soon get used to the climate here. Скоро ви звикнете до тутешнього клімату.

(But: turn red, grow rich, fall ill, become expensive, etc.)

 

Exercise 4.

· Translate the following sentences into Ukrainian. Explain why you think your translation is correct:

He went out and got drunk.

She’ll soon get better again.

She was getting quite angry.

When you get old your memory gets worse ¹⁰.

· Ask other students:

When are you going to get married?

Text B. Practicing English

Juan went to Britain to speak English with real English people. His sister’s husband was an English doctor and when Juan wrote to her, his sister, whose name was Amanda, invited him to stay with her.

She met him at the airport in her English car and naturally spoke Spanish all the time.

“Never mind,” he thought, “the husband speaks English…” But this Englishman spoke Spanish and he liked Spanish food and a Spanish atmosphere when he came home in the evening.

Juan’s sister had only Spanish friends and Juan did not speak a word of English.

One morning about nine o’clock he attacked the milkman who was putting two bottles of milk on the doorstep (сходи ґанку). Juan suddenly opened the door and said “Good morning”. The milkman said “Good morning” and walked away.

Finally, his big day came. One of Amanda’s friends had a party and invited Juan. At last he was going to meet real English people of his own age.

At the party a very beautiful girl came up to him and said, “How lucky you are Spanish. I’m having a Spanish exam soon, I’d like to practise on you.” And she invited him to dance in Spanish.

From that moment he gave up. And two months later he went home quite happy.

 

 

Unit 11

 

Text A. A Visit to a London Flat-----

- ------ Arturo's flat is in the attic (the space under the roof of a house) of a tall house in Greenwich just south of the river Thames. It's now Friday evening and Arturo has a visitor. He is still with Rosa.

When they left the Study Centre, they stopped at a supermarket and bought food and drink for the evening meal. Then they went to Charing Cross Station and caught a train to Greenwich.

Arturo's kitchen is very small, but there is a gas cooker, a fridge (refrigerator), a sink and a table big enough for two people. Rosa takes the shopping out of the bag and puts it on the table. Then she lights the oven of the gas cooker.

"I hope you're hungry," she says, "because now I'm going to show you the quick way to make pizza. Mr Frost taught me how to do it yesterday!"

Arturo is hungry, but he is not giving Rosa his full attention. He is reading a letter which he found when he arrived home. Rosa has got two pizza bases, four tomatoes, two mushrooms, 100 grammes of ham and a small packet of Mozarella (моцарела) cheese. First, she cuts the vegetables and meat into small pieces and puts them on the pizza bases. Next, she adds the Italian cheese. She is going to bake the two pizzas in the gas oven. Suddenly, she hears music. "Who's singing?" she asks.

"Peggy Seeger!" Arturo answers. "The song's called The Housewife's Alphabet." The song is an A to Z of all the jobs which housewives have to do.

Rosa enjoys cooking, but she is happy that she doesn't have to look after Diana's children this weekend. The Frost family are spending the weekend with friends in Oxford so she will be alone in their house.

"The pizzas only need 15 minutes in the oven. Can you help me lay the table?" she asks.

Arturo is a waiter so this is not a difficult job for him, but his face is very sad. Rosa sees that he is not happy.

"What's the matter, Arturo? Are all your family O.K.?"

"Yes, but my parents have some money problems. My father's lost his job. I have to return to Spain at the end of February."

Arturo is worried about his father, but he is sad about leaving England. It is difficult for middle-aged men to find new jobs. It is also difficult for young men to find new friends as beautiful as Rosa.

Exercise 1.

· Read the text and find sentences describing:

a) Arturo's flat; b) his parents’ problems; c) Rosa’s cooking skills.

Exercise 2.

· Do the following:

a) Write the names of things you need to bake a pizza.

b) Make a list of things a good housewife should have in her kitchen.

c) Write the names of furniture pieces you would like to have in your flat.

 

Exercise 3.

· Answer the following questions in writing:

Why is Arturo sad?

Is it easy to find jobs and places to live in your home town?

Do young men and women usually live in flats or with their parents?

Do young men in your country usually cook their own meals?

Do people in your country usually cook with gas or electricity? Which do you prefer?

Do you like visitors?

· Agree or disagree with the following statements. Explain your choice.

It’s important for a girl to be a good housewife.

It is difficult for middle-aged people to find new jobs.

Basic Patterns

My father' s lost (= has lost) his job. Мій батько втратив роботу.

I’ ve spoken to the boss about my holiday. Я поговорив з шефом про відпустку.

 

Exercise 4.

· Translate the following sentences into Ukrainian. Explain why you think your translation is correct:

I have never been to Jamaica.

Fire has broken out on board an oil tanker in the North Sea.

Somebody has broken a very precious Chinese vase ([va:z]).

· Translate into English:

Я радий (delighted) повідомити вас, що ви успішно склали іспит.

Якийсь дурень впустив (let) кота на кухню, і той з’їв усю ковбасу, що була на столі.

Вона розбила його серце.

· Ask other students:

Have you read ‘Treasure Island’?

Text B. London Flat

Hi there,

Looking for a city for city swap? My partner and I are flying into New York for Christmas & New Year. We have a beautiful flat in London, excellent transport links, 20 mins into the very centre of town by tube or 20 mins on the bus. The flat is a ten-minute walk from the British Library and a five-minute walk from King's Cross railway station, with the Picadilly, Victoria, Northern, Metropolitan, and Circle Underground lines. There are 64 Underground stops in central London (Zone 1), and 52 of them can be reached directly from King`s Cross, without a change of lines: Covent Garden, Leicester ([‘lest∂]) Square, Oxford Circus, South Kensington, and more. There are many bus connections, as well. The Picadilly Line connects directly with Heathrow (Хітроу) airport, and King's Cross also has a direct train to Gatwick airport. The Eurostar train also comes in to King's Cross for fast trips to Paris and Brussels.

The flat has all modern conveniences. It's spacious with pretty bedroom, study, lounge, kitchen/diner and bathroom, a flat-screen TV, and DVD player. The study has a desk and sofa bed.

The kitchen is modern and fully-fitted, with washer/dryer, full-sized refrigerator/freezer, and microwave.

The bathroom has a deep tub and shower.

Cleaning services available.

We have some nice bars to eat and drink at just down the road. Come for theatre, museums, music, shopping, tourist sights, nightlife and fabulous restaurants. Fresh linen and towels will be provided as well as some info on the flat, places of interest in London and how to get there.

The flat is on the fourth floor with lift, one of twenty in a building that is highly secure, with 24-hour concierge.

Look forward to hearing from you.

Best wishes

 

Unit 12

 

Text A. -A Weekend in Brighton-(()---

It is Sunday morning in Kemptown, part of Central Brighton (Брайтон, місто-курорт на півдні Англії) where there are many small hotels. It is still early and there are not many people on the streets. It is Rosa's first time in Brighton. Arturo knows the town well. Today he is her guide. They arrive in Madeira Drive and make their way down to the promenade (promenade [promi’na:d] – місце для прогулянок). There is a small railway line which runs east along the sea front (узбережжя) to Brighton Marina.

"This was the first electric railway in the world!" Arturo says. "Queen Victoria travelled on it over a hundred years ago. They open it later in the year when the weather's warmer."

"I need a second cup of coffee and some more breakfast! Do you think we can find a snack bar here?" she asks.

It is windy and a little cold on the sea front and Arturo has another idea.

"I'd like to take you to a vegetarian restaurant in Prince Albert Street. They bake their own bread and serve very good breakfasts!"

"Is it near here?" Rosa wants to know.

"Yes, it's in the old part of Brighton just north west of the pier (пірс). It's in the Lanes. These are small streets where fishermen lived many years ago. Brighton was once a small fishing village before it became a large tourist town."

Arturo takes Rosa's hand and they walk along the sea front past the Royal Albion Hotel. After a little way, they turn right and enter Brighton's historic Lanes. Soon, they are sitting in a warm restaurant eating croissants and drinking fresh coffee.

"You're the guide! What are we going to do next?" Rosa asks.

"We're going to continue through the Lanes and then we're going to visit a big oriental palace!" Arturo answers. Rosa pretends to be surprised.

"An oriental palace in Brighton? Are you crazy?"

Arturo is sure that Rosa knows the palace. They both saw the Royal Pavilion (Королівський Павільйон, відома архітектурна пам’ятка в Брайтоні) just twelve hours ago on their night out in Brighton. Nobody can miss the Royal Pavilion at night. Bright coloured lights make it look grand and romantic.

"I'm not crazy. I'm only dreaming. I'm walking towards an oriental palace in England with a beautiful Mediterranean princess!"

Exercise 1.

· Read the text and find sentences describing:

a) the sights of Brighton; b) the weather in Brighton; c) the Royal Pavilion.

Exercise 2.

· Do the following:

a) Write the names of things to do in Brighton.

b) Write a list of meals you can have at a vegetarian restaurant.

c) Write the names of some famous sights you can call grand and romantic.

 

Exercise 3.

· Answer the following questions in writing:

Why does Arturo call Rosa ‘a beautiful Mediterranean princess’?

What places can tourists visit in your home town?

Are there good hotels and restaurants? Describe them.

Which are the most famous tourist attractions in your country?

Who visits them? Which countries do the tourists come from?

Which tourists spend the most money? What do they buy?

· Agree or disagree with the following statements. Explain your choice.

There are no sea resorts (курорти) in Britain.

The first electric railway in the world was opened in France.

 

Basic Patterns

Rosa pretends to be surprised. Роза прикидається здивованою.

He politely pretended not to have heard this remark. Він ввічливо зробив вигляд, що не почув цієї репліки.

 

Exercise 4.

· Translate the following sentences into Ukrainian. Explain why you think your translation is correct:

She was just pretending to be crying.

The child pretended to be tired.

They pretended not to see us.

· Ask other students:

Did you ever pretend to be in love?

Text B. A Weekend in Athens

Only got a couple days to spend in Greece? Here you will read how to make the most of them.

After you arrive at Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport, take a bus, taxi or metro into the city and check into your hotel. You will need a centrally located hotel in or near the Plaka (Плака, середньовічний район Афін у підніжжя Акрополя) because this is where most of your time will be spent. The Plaka is the old historical section of Athens and one of the main attractions for the tourists. Restaurants, cafes, souvenir shops all can be found here. Lying in the shadow of the Acropolis, the picturesque Plaka is like a village within the city. Most of its streets are closed to automobile traffic. There are no nightclubs here, no loud music, no drugs. The Plaka is direct under the Acropolis.

The Acropolis of Athens is a large hill in the centre of Athens, on which the Parthenon and some other Greek architecture were built. Its monuments are universal symbols of the great ancient Greek civilization. In the second half of the fifth century B.C., an exceptional group of artists transformed the rocky hill into a unique monument of thought and the arts. The most important monuments were built during that time: the Parthenon, the Erechtheon, the Propylaea, the monumental entrance to the Acropolis, and the small temple of Athena Nike (Athena Nike [∂‘θi:n∂ ‘naiki:] – Афіна Переможниця).

In the eveningif you are in a hotel in the Plaka have an ouzo ([‘uzou] – узо, грецький алкогольний напій) at one of the many cafes there. One place is just as good as another for a drink. It is easy to find a cozy taverna; all of them have good food. If you want a typical Greek bouzoukia night, go to the Old Taverna Stamatopoulos. The food is decent and the dancing can go on all night.

Sunday Morningis the traditional day for going to the Flea Market in Monastiraki. This is the day when people sell antiques and things to collect.

Many people drive along the coast to go to the beach and have lunch in a seaside taverna. It’s also a good day to visit the National Archaeological Museum or any of the numerous museums, galleries or archaeological sites of Athens,

Sunday afternooncan be the most enjoyable time of the weekend in Greece. In Athens friends meet, eat, drink and sometimes continue on into Sunday night. Or you may climb Lycabetos (Лікабет, гора майже в центрі Афін). From the top of this hill almost in the centre of Athens you can have an amazing panoramic view of the Greek capital.

In the evening go to a quiet taverna and have some wine. Think about how much fun you had in your weekend in Athens and make plans for your next trip to Greece for at least a week or two.

Unit 13

 

Text A. Working from Home

---- It’s Monday afternoon and Mr Frost is asking Rosa about her weekend. "Were you lonely all by yourself in the house while we were in Oxford?" Rosa decides to tell him the truth.

"Actually, I spent Saturday and Sunday in Brighton with a friend."

Before they can finish the conversation, the door bell rings and Mr Frost leaves the room. There is a box for him. He thanks the delivery man who carries the box to his office. Then he returns to the living-room where Rosa and the children are waiting with interest.

"Daddy, what have you got?" Elisabeth asks.

"Come and see!" is Mr Frost’s answer.

They all go upstairs. The children do not often enter Mr Frost’s office.

"This is daddy’s new toy," they say.

Rosa and Mr Frost unpack the boxes and take out a very modern laptop computer.

The children watch Mr Frost plug the machine in and press the ON/OFF button.

"This computer is very easy to use!" Rosa tells him.

Mr Frost does not often leave the house. He works at home on his computer. He translates books from French, Italian and Spanish into good English.

"Well, now it will be easier for you to work with your translation", Diana tells Mr Frost.

The two children enjoy the paint program on the new machine and fill the screen with colour. But Mr Frost is very impatient. He cannot wait to start working on his new computer.

 

Exercise 1.

· Read the text and find sentences describing:

a) the new computer’s arrival in Mr Frost’s flat; b) the children’s interest in the new computer; c) Mr Frost’s job.

Exercise 2.

· Do the following:

a) Write a list of the main parts of a computer.

b) Write the names of things you can do on your computer.

c) What computer software can you use?

 

Exercise 3.

· Answer the following questions in writing:

Is the new computer really Mr Frosts’s new toy?

Do you use computer translation programs when doing your English homework?

Do you use computers in your country for your work? for study? for playing games?

Which person in your family knows most about computers?

Would you prefer to spend money on clothes or a new laptop computer?

Why do some people work from home?

· Agree or disagree with the following statements. Explain your choice.

You don’t need to know how a computer works.

Playing computer games can make you stupid.

 

Basic Patterns

Mr Frost plugged the machine in. Пан Фрост підключив машину до мережі (вставив вилку в розетку).

Never let your friends down. Ніколи не підводь друзів.

 

Exercise 4.

· Translate the following sentences into Ukrainian. Explain why you think your translation is correct:

He gave up drinking two years ago.

I am sorry to hear that he has taken to drugs.

No wonder the lamp didn’t come on, it’s not plugged in!

I think it’s time I turned in; goodnight, everybody!

· Ask other students:

When did you first take up smoking?