I. Notes

1. People are watching the news on television or are listening to it on the radio. There is one very important piece of news this evening.

A number of nouns in English are used only in the singular, among them are: “news”, “money”, “work”, “advice”, “information”, “hair” and others. They are never used with an indefinite article and in the plural:

This news is very pleasant. Money isn’t easy to earn. It is really hard work. I hope to get some good advice from him. We’ve got much valuable information. His hair is dark.

To indicate some concrete instances of advice, information or news the word “piece” may be used: He often gives me a good piece of advice. That is a valuable piece of information. We’ve got some piece of news.

2. The police do not think he can stay free very long.

The word “police” belongs to the group of collective nouns (собирательные существительные) which are used only as plurals (though they have the form without the “s” – inflection): Coke knows that the police are looking for him.

3. He is wearing very expensive clothes.

“Clothes” is a noun which denotes one object (“одежда”) but has the form of the plural. It is used only in the plural: His clothes were expensive. (Его одежда была дорогая).

4. “Did they say the man’s name was Coke?”

In sentences of this type the conjuction “that” is omitted and we have asyndetic object clauses. Asyndetic clauses are mostly used in colloquial speech but they are also found in the written language: The police do not think he can stay free very long.

5. “You knew Coke, didn’t you, Baxter?”

It’s a disjunctive (разделительный) question. It consists of a statement and a short general question attached to it. If the statement is affirmative the question is negative. If the statement is negative the question is affirmative: “They are not interested in the news programme, are they?”

6. “Did they say the man’s same was Coke?”

“Yes, that’s right. Coke…Edward Coke. Why? Do you know him?”

In colloquial speech the word “why?” is often used as a separate sentence. It may lose its lexical meaning “почему” and stand for the Russian colloquial phrase “А что?”

II.Vocabulary exercises

Ex.1. Find in the text English equivalents for the following:

в холодный зимний вечер; по всей Англии; смотреть новости по телевизору; слушать новости по радио; важная новость; этим вечером (сегодня вечером); Это вот что; на западе Англии; сотни полицейских; искать кого-либо; этим утром (сегодня утром); сегодня рано утром; ему 30 лет; быть высоким; иметь черные волосы; иметь голубые глаза; носить темно-голубую тюремную форму; долго оставаться на свободе; всего несколько градусов выше нуля; идет снег

включено радио; в центре Лондона; программа новостей; интересоваться программой новостей; ему около 45; носить богатую одежду; выглядеть чем-то напуганным; у стойки бара; у стойки бара есть еще один человек; стоять рядом с кем-либо; задавать кому-то вопрос; A что?; знать кого-либо; простите; я только хотел…; вот и все

в другой части Лондона; молодой сыщик; в конторе (офисе); начальник; в Скотланд Ярде; стоять в кабинете начальника; молодого сыщика зовут Р.Бакстер; арестовать кого-либо; 4 года назад; кивнуть головой; вот почему; отдавать кому-то приказ; немедленно; найти кого-либо

Ex.2. Learn the following prepositional and adverbial phrases:

1. on a cold winter evening 2. all over England 3. in the living-room 4. on television 5. to listen to (the news) 6. on the radio 7. in the West of England (in the North of, in the South of) 8. to look for 9. to escape from prison 10. to be some degrees above (below) zero 11. in the centre of (London) 12. the radio is on 13. to be about 45 14. most of the people 15. to be interested in (the news programme) 16. to be at the bar 17. to look afraid of smth 18. to look at smb/smth 19. to stand next to smb 20. in another part of London 21. in the office 22. at Scotland Yard 23.some years ago

Ex.3. Recall the situations in which the following words and word combinations are used in the text. Retell the episode using:

all over England; to sit (down) in one’s living-room; to watch the news on television; to listen to the news on the radio; one important piece of news; to look for; early this morning; to be 30 years old; to be some feet tall; to have black hair, blue eyes; to wear; uniform; to stay free; adove zero; to snow

to be on (about the radio); expensive pub; in the centre of; to be interested in the news programme; to be about 45; expensive clothes; to look afraid of smth; next to smb; at the bar; to ask smb a question; to know smb

the young detective’s name; at Scotland Yard; to arrest smb; to nod one’s head; that’s why; to give smb an order; to find smb immediately

Ex.4. Translate the following sentences into English using “to be interested in” (интересоваться кем-то или чем-то) or “to wonder” (интересовать, хотеть что-то знать)

Examples:

1. Ее интересует эта информация. 1. She is interested in

his information.

2. Ее интересует, не холодно ли на улице. 2. She wonders if it is cold outside.

3. Ее интересует, где его друг. 3. He wonders where his friend is.

1. Его интересует эта молодая девушка. 2. Их интересует, сколько лет этой молодой девушке. 3. Она всегда интересуется программой новостей. 4. Его интересует, где находится Коук. 5. Нас не интересует математика. 6. Интересно, почему Коук не может долго оставаться на свободе. 7. Меня интересует эта важная новость. 8. Интересно, почему он выглядит чем-то напуганным. 9. Ее интересует, как зовут молодого сыщика. 10. Каждый интересуется политикой.