Текст книги "Практический курс английского языка 2 курс"
Автор книги: Владимир Аракин
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rather afraid that Mother might take cold if she came.
So we all drove away with three cheers for Mother, and Father waved his hand back to her
every few minutes till he hit his hand on the back edge of the car, and then said that he didn't think
that Mother could see us any longer.
Well, – we had the loveliest day up among the hills that you could possibly imagine.
It was quite late when we got back, nearly seven o'clock in the evening, but Mother had
guessed that we would be late, so she had kept back the dinner so as to have it just nicely ready and
hot for us. Only first she had to get towels and soap for Father and clean things for him to put on,
because he always gets so messed up with fishing, and that kept Mother busy for a little while, that
and helping the girls get ready.
But at last everything was ready, and we sat down to the grandest kind of dinner – roast
turkey and all sorts of things like on Xmas Day. Mother had to get up and down a good bit during the
meal fetching things back and forward.
The dinner lasted a long while, and was great fun, and when it was over all of us wanted to
help clear the things up and wash the dishes, only Mother said that she would really much rather do
it, and so we let her, because we wanted just for once to humour her.
It was quite late, when it was all over, and when we all kissed Mother before going to bed,
she said it had been the most wonderful day in her life, and I think there were tears in her eyes. So
34 sandwich: two slices of buttered bread with meat, egg, cheese or tomato, etc. between them (cf. the Russian бутерброд). The
word has one more meaning: a sandwich (or a sandwich-man, a sandwich-boy) is a man walking along the street with two
advertisement-boards hung one in front of him and one behind.
we all felt awfully repaid for all that we had done.
VOCABULARY NOTES
1. to get (got, got) υt/i 1. доставать, добывать; to get smb. smth., to get smth. for smb.,
е.g. I can get this book for you. (I can get you this book.)
2. получать, е.g. Did you get ( = receive) my telegram?
3. покупать, приобретать, е.g. The two girls got new hats.
4. прибывать, добираться, достигать, е.g. We cannot get to Moscow tonight. It was very
late when he got home.
5. приготовить, подготовить, обеспечить, е.g. It was decided that Mother would stay home
and get the dinner ( = get it ready).
6. заставить кого-л. что-л. сделать, добиться, чтобы кто-л. что-л. сделал, е.g. We got
Mother to arrange the decorations.
7. становиться (as a link-verb), е.g. It was getting dark when we arrived at the station. I got
very cold while waiting in the street.
Syn. to become
to get smth. done, е.g. I got everything arranged in time.
have got = have, e, g. I have got something to tell you. I haven't got the book you're talking
about (cf.: I have no books by this author.).
N о t e: In modern conversational English the word combination have got in the meaning of
иметь, обладать is used much more often than the verb have m the same meaning, especially with a
concrete object.
have got to do smth. , е.g. I have got to (= must) finish my work in time. It has got to be
done.
to get back= to come back, е.g. At what time shall we get back?
to get over a disease (fear, difficulties, grief, etc.), е.g. Don't worry, the child will soon get
over his illness.
to get up and down, е.g. Mother had to get up and down a good bit during the meal fetching
things back and forward.
to get on smb.'s nerves, е.g. Don't get up and down every minute, you're getting on my
nerves.
2. to turn υt/i 1. вращать(ся), поворачивать(ся), вертеться), е.g. At hearing her voice I
turned (turned my head). The car turned the corner.
2. превращать(ся), изменять(ся) (into smth.), е.g. The water in the pond turned into ice as
the night had been frosty.
to turn away (from smb. or smth.) отвернуться (от)
to turn back повернуть назад
to turn inside out вывернуть(ся) наизнанку, е.g. My umbrella turned inside out in the
wind.
to turn out оказаться, е.g. He turned out a bad actor. The day turned out (to be) a fine one. It
turned out that there were no vacant seats in the bus.
as it turned out... = as it happened
to turn over перевернуть(ся), е.g. He turned over a page. He turned over in bed.
to turn up (по)явиться, прийти, е.g. We expected him to join us, but he never turned up.
to turn smth. upside down перевернуть вверх дном, разбросать, е.g. Someone has turned
everything upside down in my drawer.
3. to treat υt 1. обращать(ся), обходиться, относиться; to treat smb. well, kindly, coldly,
etc., е.g. Don't treat me as if I were a child. Better treat his words as a joke. You treat" the matter too
lightly.
2. лечить; to treat smb. for smth. with smth., е.g. Who treated your child for scarlet fever?
What medicine are you treated with?
3. угощать чем– n. (перен. доставлять удовольствие); to treat smb. to smth., е.g. I'll treat
you all to (= I'll buy you) some ice-cream. Wouldn't you like him to treat you ( = to pay for your
ticket) to a ballet? I shall treat myself to a week-end holiday.
treat n1. удовольствие, наслаждение, е.g. I've never had a treat like that! What a treat it is
not to have to get up early! Every chance to listen to good music is a great treat to her.
2. угощение
treatmentn 1. обращение (с кем– n.), е.g. Her treatment of the pupils is always kind and
patient, ( prep, «of» )
2. лечение, е.g. Have you heard of a new treatment for pneumonia? ( prep, «for» )
4. afford υt (быть в состоянии) позволить себе (usu. with can, could, be able to)
smth.;
е.g. I can't afford time for movies.
to afford
to do smth.,
е.g. Can you afford to go away for a holiday?
5. to keep (kept, kept) υt/i 1. держать (в разных смыслах); а) хранить, е.g. She always
keeps old letters.; b) задержать, не отдавать, е.g. You may keep the book, I don't want it yet.; с) (с)
держать (слово и т. п.), е.g. Не always keeps his promise.; d) содержать, е.g. Mr. Watson had a
wife and family to keep.; e) задержать, заставить ждать, е.g. I'm sorry I kept you waiting.
2. праздновать, справлять, е.g. «How We Kept Mother's Day»; She always keeps her
birthday.
to keep smth. + adj., е.g. This work kept the children busy. You must keep your feet warm.
to keep to smth., е.g. Keep to the diet. Let's keep to the middle of the road.
to keep on doing smth., е.g. She kept on writing when I came in (not used of a state, but
only of activities. Cf.: He kept on standing up. But He remained standing.).
to keep smb. from doing smth., е.g. It kept me from Joining you.
to keep (smth.) back, е.g. The young men kept the crowd back. I'm sure he is keeping
something back (= not telling all; concealing something). Mother had guessed that we would be late,
so she had kept back the dinner.
6. to occur υi 1. случаться, происходить, е.g. Such incidents occur every day. It must
never occur again.
2. приходить на ум, е.g. It occurred to me that something might be wrong with her. Didn't it
occur to you to close the window to keep the noise back?
7. to enjoy υi получать удовольствие, наслаждаться, е.g. I enjoyed the trip very much.
I've enjoyed seeing you.
to enjoy oneself, е.g. I enjoyed myself at the concert last night.
enjoyment n удовольствие, наслаждение
8. fun n 1. веселье, забава, развлечение, е.g. Children are fond of fun. What fun we had
when we were together! He is full of fun.
to makefun of высмеивать, подшучивать, е.g. He's fond of making fun of people. Nobody
likes to be made fun of.
to do smth. in (for) fun делать что-л. в шутку, е.g. I said it only in (for) fun.
2. предмет шуток, источник веселья, удовольствия, е.g. The party (your friend) was great
fun.
funny adj смешной, забавный, е.g. I have a funny story to tell you.
NOTES ON STYLE
1. In Leacock's story "How We Kept Mother's Day" you will find numerous words and
phrases of informal functional style (See Note A on p. 52), е.g. all that kind of thing (cf. the Russian
«и все такое»), awfully (in «awfully becoming», cf. the Russian «ужас как идет; потрясающе к
лицу»), a little bit («чуть-чуть»), have a big day («здорово провести время»), get messed up
(«перемазаться, вывозиться в грязи»), the dinner... was great fun («весело было за обедом»), etc.
Note also the interjection well introducing some of the passages (which normally occurs in
oral speech), the omission of the conjunction that and the syntax imitating that of oral
communication by its free and careless structures.
2. The story presents an interesting example of the indirect method of characterization. The
author does not say directly that the members of the family were selfish, callous and hard-hearted
people (that would be the direct method of characterization) but makes them act and lets the reader
draw his own conclusion.
3. "How We Kept Mother's Day" is a humorous story. Humour in fiction may be of two
principal types. It may be humour of situation when the author makes us laugh at certain funny or
absurd facts, е.g. the members of the family buying presents for themselves on Mother's Day, but
buying nothing for their mother. There is also humour of words when the reader does not laugh at
what is happening in the story but at how it is put by the author. E. g. But of course we all felt that it
would never do to let Father stay at home, especially as we knew he would make trouble if he did.
ESSENTIAL VOCABULARY (I)
Words
afford υ
funny adj
repay υ
effort n
get υ
sacrifice υ, n
enjoy υ
guess υ
treat υ, n
especially adv
hire υ
treatment n
fetch υ
keep υ
trim υ
fun n
occur υ
turn υ
purpose n
unfortunately
adv
Word Combinations
for smb.'s sake
to get over smth.
to stay (at) home from college (classes, school)
to take smb. for a drive
to dress in one's best (worst)
in case
just as well
to stand (be) in smb.'s way
for such an occasion
to make trouble
to turn out
to be no use
in the end
to get on smb.'s nerves
to care for smb. (or smth.)
to turn inside out
to keep back
to turn over
for a little (short, long)
to turn up
while
to turn upside down
to get up and down
for (in) fun
to get to some place
to make fun of smb.
EXERCISES
1. Read Text of Unit Four and the Notes on Style and talk on the following
points (A. Grammar, B. Word usage. С. Style):
A. 1. Which verbs used in the text are modal verbs? Comment on their meanings and
translate the sentences in which they are used.
2. What are the meanings of the verbs to get, to make, to keep, to take in the text? (Translate
the sentences with these verbs.)
3. Mother and Father are capitalized and used without articles in the text. How would you
use the words in reported speech (oral and written)?
B. 1. in the phrases to decorate the house and to trim the hats we have two different
equivalents of «украшать». What can be trimmed or decorated?
2. We say in the morning (evening, afternoon), but in the phrase "on the very morning of the
day" on is used. Why? (Cf: on that evening, on the morning of his arrival.)
C. 1. Point out as many colloquial words and phrases as you can find. Supply their Russian
equivalents if possible. What is the author's purpose in introducing so many units of informal style?
2. Point out the passages which characterize the members of the family and their real attitude
to the mother. What is the method of characterization used by the author?
3. Which sentences or passages bear touches of humour? Try to explain how the humorous
effect is achieved in each case. Which type of humour prevails in the story? (See Notes on Style.)
II. a) Search the text for English equivalents of the phrases listed below and
write them ia your exercise book:
отмечать (праздновать) День Матери, не пойти в школу, одеться по-праздничному
(принарядиться), взять напрокат машину, почти все время, на случай если.... мог бы с таким
же успехом остаться дома, скоротать время, от нас бы не было никакой пользы, ушибить руку
обо что-нибудь, убирать со стола, хотя бы на этот раз, обед продолжался долго, ради такого
случая, в такой чудесный день, повезти ее на машине за город, вернуться домой к
праздничному обеду, не так уж много места, не годится оставлять отца дома, выяснилось, что
все равно.,., махал ей рукой, сели обедать, приносить и уносить что-л., мы чувствовали себя
вполне вознагражденными за...
b) Get the student sitting next to yon translate half of the Russian phrases into
English (in writing) and check them with the key in your notebook. Translate the
other half yourself and ask your neighbour to correct your translation.
III. Translate in writing these passages. Compare and discuss different
variants of students' translation:
1. It occurred to Father that a thing it would be better to do even than to take Mother for a
motor drive would be to take her fishing; if you are going to fish, there is a definite purpose in front
of you to heighten the enjoyment. 2. Father said not to mind him, he said that he could just as well
stay home; he said that we were not to let the fact of his not having had a real holiday for three years
stand in our way,
IV. Try your hand at teaching:
A. Preparation. Pick out from the text all the words with the letter g in them. Classify them
according to the way g is pronounced and put them down in columns. Make up a list of words to
illustrate the same rules.
B. Work in Class. a) Show the table to the class and let the students comment on it.
b) Dictate the words in class with one student writing them on the board. Correct the
mistakes on the board. (See 'Classroom English", Sections IV, VII, VIII.)
V. a) Write the words below in the Past Indefinite. Classify them into two
groups: one with the final г doubled, the other one with one final r in the Past
Indefinite.
b) Explain to the students when the final r should be doubled:
enter, occur, offer, remember, clear, refer [rÌfE:], cheer, bar, utter [Àtq], star, prefer, stir
[stE:].
VI. a) Write an outline of the text (see Ex. IX on p. 59). (The outline may be
written in the Present or Past Indefinite tenses.)
b) Discuss the outlines written by several students and choose the best one.
Improve it by using some variants from other students' works. Write it down on the
board and make the students copy it in their exercise books.
VII. Write two questions to each item of the outline: one should help to reveal
the contradictions between what the members of the family said and did, the other
(with a modal verb) – what they could or ought to have done.
e.g. 1 . Did the girls really think that their mother's old bonnet was «awfully becoming» to
her? 2. Don't you think they should have bought something for their mother too? (Make the students
reason out their answers.)
VIII. Study the Vocabulary Notes end Essential Vocabulary (I) and a)
Paraphrase the following (in writing):
1. to make smb. do smth.; 2. to have smth. arranged; 3. to recover after a disease; 4. to stand
up and sit down; 5. to look in the opposite direction; 6. to come to one's mind; 7. to appear
unexpectedly; 8, a great pleasure; 9. at last; 10. to be able (to spend money on smth., etc.); 11. to
continue to do smth.; 12. not to let smb. do smth.; 13. to conceal some tact; 14. to enjoy oneself; 15.
to love (take interest in); 16. for a short time; 17. to take a taxi; 18. to become dirty; 19. to laugh at
(mock) smb.; 20. to get other people into a mess.
b) Make op sentences with the phrases yea have written.
IX. A word in one language may have different equivalents in another.
е.g. место – room, place
жертва – sacrifice, victim приносить – fetch, bring
a) Look op the words given above in an English-Russian dictionary, find out
the exact meaning of each pair of words and write sentences illustrating the
difference in their use.
b) Ask the students to translate the Russian variants of your sentences.
X. Translate the sentences into English using Essential Vocabulary (1);
1. Какое удовольствие слушать ее пение! 2. После концерта детей угощали чаем с
пирожными. 3. Выключи радио, эта музыка действует мне на нервы. 4. Я повернула за угол и
столкнулась лицом к липу со своей подругой. 5. Почему нужно переворачивать все вверх
дном, чтобы найти какой-то пустяк? 6. Мальчика лечили от кори, но оказалось, что у него
скарлатина. 7. Девочке нравилось, что с ней обращаются как со взрослой. 8. Она не могла
удержать ребенка от шалостей. 9. Мы прекрасно провели время на пляже. Было очень весело.
10. Дэвиду не приходило в голову, что он всех задерживает. 11. Детей нужно приучать хорошо
(kindly) обращаться с животными. 12. Кто бы мог подумать, что она станет талантливой
актрисой! 13. Ах, вот как ты держишь свое слово! 14. Ваш приятель – такой весельчак, —
Да? Представьте, мне это никогда не приходило в голову. 15. Это случилось много лет назад.
Она, должно быть, уже забыла обо всем. 16. Как весело играть в эту игру! 17. Школьные
товарищи Роберта смеялись над его зеленым костюмом. 18. Какая забавная шляпка!
XI. Retell the test following the outline (see Ex. VI, p. 132). Speak about the
contradictions between the words and the behaviour of the members of the family:
е.g. ... They said, they realized what their mother had sacrificed for their sake and wanted to
thank her for everything she had been doing for them. In fact, I believe, they just wanted to make it a
holiday for themselves. They stayed at home ... etc.
XII. a) Translate these sentences into Russian.
I. We may just as well dance now. 2. I would rather hire a taxi. I'm very tired. 3. It will
never do to punish the child for what he has not done. 4. He never keeps people waiting if he can
help it. 5. We must keep him from making trouble. 6. Take my gloves, they will keep your hands
warm. 7. It's no use trimming this old hat, it won't look better. 8. We got everything arranged for
the trip by 9 o'clock. 9. We got her to believe our story. 10. The arrangements for the party will keep
me busy the whole day, I'm afraid. 11. You shouldn't keep the children out after dark. 12. Keep the
ticket if you don't want to be fined.
b) Write sentences of your own using the phrases in bold type. Address them
to the other students who should reply them expressing their approval or
disapproval.
P r o m p t s: How nice (good, clever, bad, awful) of you (him, her)! I don't think you should
have done it. Sure. But that's not quite true. No wonder. I am delighted at your idea.
ХIII. Make up a conversation which took place after the day described in the
text between: the two girls, the two boys, the father and his son, the mother and her
friend, two neighbours. You may find the following openings useful:
I say...; Honestly. .; If you ask me...; You know what I think...; The point is...; Don't you agree
that...; I must say that...; Tell you what,..; Eventually...; Actually...; Definitely... .
XIV. Fill in prepositions or adverbs where necessary:
I. The dress is just wonderful. It is very becoming ... you. 2. I haven't seen you ... ages. How
are you getting ...? 3. I liked the cake you treated me .... How do you make it? 4. Turn ... the page
and do Exercise 3. 5. He turned ... a very good story-teller. I enjoyed ... his stones immensely. 6. We
shall discuss the matter ... our way home. 7. I'm sure you'll get... all the difficulties ... the end. 8. Pete
didn't want to take his younger brother fishing, he was afraid that he would be ... his way. 9. The
students-... Group 3 will help to decorate the hall... flowers and mottoes. 10. The father had promised
to take the boys ... a drive ... the country ... Sunday. But unfortunately the weather changed ... the
morning and they had to stay ... home. 11. Celia waved her hand ... Lanny until the train was out...
sight. 12.... such a big occasion all the children were dressed ... their best. 13. When all the things
were packed ... a suit-case, it turned ... that my ticket had somehow got there too, and I had to turn
everything ......in search ... it. 14. The children were allowed to stay ... home ... school, as the
mother's birthday was a great occasion ... all the family.
XV. Translate the sentences into English, using Essential Vocabulary (I) and
Patterns 1-4:
1. У меня так много дел, что я просто не могу позволять себе терять время. 2: Вот та
самая шляпа, о которой я вам говорила. Я уверена, что она очень пойдет вам. 3. Не могу себе
представить, как вы сумеете преодолеть все эти трудности. 4. Я не могла позволить себе
купить такой дорогой подарок. 5. Я надеюсь, что мы успеем добраться до станция метро до
того, как оно закроется. 6. Сегодня я получила от него письмо. Он пишет, что у него масса
работы и он почти никогда не может даже доставить себе такое удовольствие, как сходить в
кино. 7. Вы все время встаете и садитесь, входите и выходите. Не годится работать таким
образом. 8. Завтра у нас вечер, и я хочу принарядиться по этому поводу. 9. Что-то выпало из
моей сумочки, вероятно, авторучка. 10. Он, должно быть, все приготовил к отъезду. 11. Разве
мог кто-нибудь подумать, что она сказала это в шутку? 12. Неужели ты не можешь заставить
ребенка вовремя лечь спать? 13. Все семейство великолепно провело время за городом, хотя
героине дня пришлось остаться дома и готовить обед. 14. Этот цвет тебе очень к лицу.
XVI. Review the text. Say a few words about the style and language of
Leacock's story. Be sure to touch on a) selection of words, b) syntax, c) method of
characterization, d) humour.
XVII. Try your hand at teaching.
1. Say what you would do in the teacher's position:
John's first day in school went smoothly. On the second day, another child sat in the place
John wanted. John refused to sit in any of the vacant places and was given the choice of sitting down
at another place or standing. He chose to stand. His parents came to school several times in the next
few weeks, very distressed that all John did at school was stand.
2. Practise your «Classroom English».
Ask your pupils: a) to do Exercise XIV on p. 134 (written work); b) to get ready
with Exercise XVm (orally).
XVIII. a) Translate the text below into Russian:
To me it has always seemed that the very essence of good humour is that it must be without
harm and without malice. I admit that there is in all of us a certain vein of the old original
demoniacal humour or joy in the misfortune of another which sticks to us like our original sin. It
ought not to be funny to see a man, especially a fat and pompous man, slip suddenly on a banana
skin. But it is. When a skater on the pond who is describing graceful circles and showing off before a
crowd, breaks through the ice, everybody shouts with joy. To an original savage, the cream of the
joke in such cases was found if a man who slipped broke his neck, or a man who went through the
ice never came up again. I can imagine a group of pre-historic men standing round the ice-hole
where he had disappeared and laughing till their sides split. If there had been such things as a pre-
historic newspaper, the affair would have been headed up: "Amusing Incident. Unknown Gentleman
Breaks Through Ice and Is Drowned".
But our sense of humour under the civilization has been weakened. Much of the fun of this
sort of the thing has been lost on us.
(From «Humour As I See It» by
Stephen Leacock)
b) Discuss the following questions:
1. Do you agree with Leacock that good humour must be without harm and without malice?
2. What purpose should humour serve? 3. Is Leacock right when he says that humour has been
weakened under civilization? Does he really mean it? 4. Do you agree to Leacock's opinion that
humorous Siies of life are revealed only to the few who have given thought to it? 5. Do you think
that his story "How We Kept Mother's Day" and the like may get people to understand their
imperfections and try to get rid of them? 6. Is that story true to life? 7. What do you think is the
essence of good humour?
LABORATORY EXERCISES (I)
1. Listen to the text "How We Kept Mothers Day", mark the stresses and tunes, repeat the
text following the model.
2. Make your sentences less categoric by using the given model.
3. Write a spelling-translation test. Check it with the key. Check your spelling with a
dictionary.
4. Paraphrase the sentences using the given patterns.
5. Extend the following sentences.
6. Translate the given sentences. Check your translation with the key.
7. Listen to the text "Being a Househusband" or some other text on the topic "Family
Holidays". Find the English equivalents of the given Russian phrases. Get ready to speak on the part
of the wife.
TOPIC: MEALS
TEXT A. AN ENGLISHMAN'S MEALS
Four meals a day are served traditionally in Britain: breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner.
In many countries breakfast is a snack rather than a meal but the English breakfast eaten at
about eight o'clock in the morning, is a full meal, much bigger than on the Continent.35
Some people begin with a plateful of porridge but more often cornflakes with milk and sugar.
Then comes at least one substantial course, such as kippers or bacon and eggs. Afterwards comes
toast with butter and marmalade or jam. The meal is "washed down" with tea or coffee.
Most British people now have such a full breakfast only on Sunday mornings. On weekdays
it is usually a quick meal: just cornflakes, toast and tea.
English lunch, which is usually eaten at one o'clock, is based on plain, simply-cooked food. It
starts with soup or fruit juice. English people sometimes say that soup fills them up without leaving
sufficient room for the more important course which consists of meat, poultry or fish accompanied
by plenty of vegetables.
Apple-pie is a favourite sweet, and English puddings of which there are very many, are an
excellent ending to a meal, especially in winter. Finally a cup of coffee – black or white.
Tea, the third meal of the day, is taken between four and five o'clock especially when staying
in a hotel when a pot of tea with a jug of milk and a bowl of sugar are brought in. Biscuits are
handed round.
At the weekends afternoon tea is a very sociable time. Friends and visitors are often present.
Some people like to have the so-called "high tea" which is a mixture of tea and supper – for
example meat, cheese and fruit may be added to bread and butter, pastries and tea.
Dinner is the most substantial meal of the day. The usual time is about seven o'clock and all
the members of the family sit down together. The first course might be soup. Then comes the second
course: fish or meat, perhaps the traditional roast beef of old England. Then the dessert is served:
some kind of sweet. But whether a person in fact gets such a meal depends on his housekeeping
budget. Some people in the towns and nearly all country people have dinner in the middle of the day
instead of lunch. They have tea a little later, between five and six o'clock, when they might have a
light meal – an omelette, or sausages or fried fish and chips or whatever they can afford.
Then before going to bed, they may have a light snack or supper – е.g. a cup of hot milk
with a sandwich or biscuit.
The evening meal as we have said already goes under various names: tea, "high tea", dinner
or supper depending upon its size and also the social standing of those eating it.
35 the Continent (remember the capital letter and the article): the mainland of Europe, as distinct from the British Isles (the name is
used by the British)
(See: Potter S. Everyday English for Foreign Students. Lnd., 1963}
TEXT В. AT TABLE
N i с к : I say, mum, I'm terribly hungry. I haven't had a thing all day. I could do with a
snack.
M o t h e r : Why, you're just in time for dinner.
N i с к : No soup for me. I'd rather have beefsteak.
M o t h e r : Are you quite sure you wouldn't like some soup? It tastes all right.
N i c k : There is nothing like steak and chips. I'll go and wash my hands.
M o t h e r : How's the steak? I'm afraid it's underdone.
N i c k : Oh, it's done to a turn, just to my liking. I don't like meat overdone. May I have
another helping of chips?
M o t h e r : Yes, certainly. Hand me your plate, please, and help yourself to the salad.
Just to see how it tastes.
N i c k : Oh, it's delicious.
M o t h e r : Shall I put some mustard on your steak?
N i c k : No, thanks, I don't care for mustard. I'd rather take a spoonful of sauce. Pass me
the sauce, please.
M o t h e r : Here you are. Oh, isn't there a smell of something burning?
N i с к : So there is.
M o t h e r : I've left the layer-cake in the oven.
N i c k : For goodness' sake get it out quick.
M o t h e r ( coming back): Oh, Nick! How awkward of you to have spilt the sauce over
the table-cloth. Get a paper napkin from the sideboard and cover it up.
N i c k : I'm terribly sorry. I was quite upset about my favourite cake getting spoiled.
M o t h e r : Don't worry. Here it is, brown and crisp on the outside. What will you have,
tea or coffee?
N i с к : A cup of tea.
M o t h e r : Any milk? Shall I put butter on your bread?
N i c k : No, thanks. I can't see the sugar-basin.
M o t h e r : It's behind the bread-plate. Have a better look.
N i c k : I'm afraid it's the salt-cellar.
M o t h e r : So it is. In my hurry I must have left it in the dresser.
N i c k : It's all right I'll get it myself.
M o t h e r : Help yourself to the cake. There's nothing else to follow.
N i c k : I've had a delicious meal.
TEXT С. IN THE DINING-HALL
– Let's go to the dining-hall. We haven't much time left, but we'll manage it all right if you
hurry. You take a place in the queue and I'll see what we can get for dinner.
– All right. What is on the menu?
– Cabbage soup with meat, chicken soup with noodles and pea soup.
– I don't know whether I'll have any. What have they got for seconds?
– Fried fish and mashed potatoes, beefsteak, bacon and eggs.
– And for dessert?
– A lot of things. We can have stewed fruit or cranberry jelly or strawberries and cream.
– Then, I'll take cabbage soup with sour cream and... Well, and what about some starter?
We've completely forgotten about it.
– As we are in a hurry I believe we can do without it. I never thought you were a big eater.
