1. Do toys play a great role in children’s life?
I think yes. Because toys is not simply toys, these are their friends.
2. Did you have a favourite toy in your childhood? What was it? Why did you like it more than the other toys?
Yes, it did. It was my white horse. It was my favourite toy because I love horses too much and I've always dreamed of a real horse.
3. Should the welfare of the children be given priority over other basic social problems?
Yes, because our children is our future and the future of the society.
4. There's little place for old-fashioned responsiveness and sentiment in modern life. Do you agree?
No, I disagree. There is plenty examples of human responsiveness even in our time: beginning with the fact that there are people who are ready to shelter the homeless animal and ending with the fact that there are people who are able to risk their lives to get out of the fire someone else's child.
Exercise 1. Explain the meaning of the following words and expressions, connected with some socio-cultural realia:
1) AWOL - absenсe without official leave (самовольная отлучка)
2) cuddly toys - a stuffed toys or soft toys (плюшевые игрушки)
3) Descartes - philosopher and mathematician (means Rene Descartes)
4) The Bill - a law or draft (законопроект)
5) Dixon-ish practices - ?
6) PC - police constable (полицейский констебль) lower rank police officer
7) a rozzer - police officer, detective (детектив, сыщик)
8) constabulary - a police force convering a particular area or city (полицейские силы)
9) the Milk Tray Man - a brand of boxed chocolates
10) a Channel ferry - ferryboat in the UK (паромы)
11) the ladies’ loo - a ladies' toilet (дамский туалет)
Exercise 2. Below there are eight words from the article, but the letters are tangled. Find the hidden words and match them with their definitions A - H. The initial letters are correct. Make up your own sentences with these words
1. STUFFING - D) (набивка)
- What stuffing will you choose?
2. FILTHY - G) (мерзкий)
- What a filthy smell!
3. UNTRAMMELED - H) (беспрепятственный)
- This is the only untrammelled path.
4. DISTRAUGHT - C) (смятенный)
- He was distraught by the news about her condition.
5. FUGITIVE - F) (беглец)
- The police can not find the fugitive.
6. TANTRUM - B) (истерика, вспышка гнева)
- She has constant tantrums.
7. GINGHAM - E) (зонтичная пестротканная ткань)
- I bought gingham.
8. RAPIDS - A) (порог)
- It was on the rapid of the river.
Exercise 3. Fill in the gaps with the appropriate words from the box and translate the sentences.
1) The police were guarding the bridge, so they FORDED the river.
- Мост охранялся полицией, поэтому им пришлось обходить реку вброд.
2) The old man was PLUCK the nuts off the ground and tossing them in the basket.
- Старик поднял орехи с земли и бросил их в корзину.
3) Susan worked in a night club and wears a special costume with long ears and a furry tail like a BUNNY.
- Сьюзан работала в ночном клубе и носила специальный костюм с длинными ушами и пушистым хвостом, как кролик.
4) Rebecca Stephens was the first British woman who SCALED Everest.
- Ребекке Стивенс была первой британкой, покорившей Эверест.
5) We were GROVELING the classroom on our knees trying to find a missing ear-ring.
- Мы ползалив классе по полу, пытаясь найти пропавшую сережку.
6) At last he was able to DISCARD his old car and buy a new one.
- Наконец он избавился от старого автомобиля и приобрел новый.
7) The waiter brought a large dish with SCAMPI fried in breadcrumbs.
- Официант принес большое блюдо с креветками, обжаренными в сухарях.
8) Alice knitted a pair of MITT for her little sister as a Christmas present.
- Элис связала для младшей сестры пару митенок в качестве подарка.
9) Katherine took another SIP from her glass to calm herself.
- Чтобы успокоиться, Кэтрин сделала еще один глоток.
10) He is a very tall man, easy to SPOT in a crowd.
- Он очень высокий, его несложно разглядеть в толпе.
1. a) Children: our hostages to fortune, hysterical ...
b) Grown-ups: distraught, particularly organised, grovelling on the floor ...
Continue the lists of descriptive adjectives and phrases and comment on the collective images created.
а) Дети: заложники удачи, истерические ...
б) Взрослые: обезумевшие, особенно организованные, ползающие по полу ...
Продолжите списки описательных прилагательных и фраз и прокомментируйте созданные коллективные образы.
2. What is the general tone of the article?
Каков общий тон статьи?
3. Is it possible to establish a link between the message of the article and its metaphorical headline?
Можно ли установить связь между посланием статьи и ее метафорическим заголовком?
4. How do you account for this intricate mixture of sentiment and irony, which constitute the basis of the author's creative method?
Как вы объясняете эту сложную смесь уверенности и иронии, которые составляют основу творческого метода автора?
Do you appreciate a rather sentimentalized approach to the problems which might be ignored in a less prosperous country?
Вы цените довольно сентиментальный подход к проблемам, которые
могут быть проигнорировано в менее процветающей стране?
Yes, I do. Because I live relying on my feelings, not on my reason.
