List of words and word combinations

season - время года

to snow - идти (о снеге)

to rain - идти (о дожде)

to pour with rain - лить, как из ведра

shower - ливень, проливной дождь

to freeze - замерзать, морозить

frost - мороз

frosty - морозный

to set in - наступать, устанавливаться (о времени года)

to be covered with snow (ice, hoarfrost) - быть покрытым снегом (льдом, изморозью)

to drizzle - моросить

to melt - таять

to thaw - таять (при оттепели)

to sleet - моросить (о дожде со снегом)

to look at one's best - выглядеть лучше всего

St. Petersburg looks at its best in June - Петербург выглядит лучше всего в июне

thunderstorm - гроза

snowstorm - метель, буран

below (above) zero - ниже (выше) нуля

Indian summer - бабье лето

turn to worse (better) - ухудшиться, (улучшиться)

to keep fine - оставаться хорошей (о погоде)

the weather is still keeping fine - погода всё ещё стоит хорошая

to be in for a spell of good (nasty) weather - иметь период хорошей (плохой) погоды

it looks like rain (thunderstorm) - похоже на дождь (грозу)

to affect the climate – влиять на климат

average temperature - средняя температура

to stay indoors - оставаться в помещении

weather forecast - прогноз погоды

foggy, misty - туманный, туманно

muddy - грязный, грязно

slushy - слякотный, слякотно

to rain cats and dogs - лить, как из ведра

nasty (beastly, dreadful) weather - ужасная, отвратительная погода

the temperature falls (rises) - температура падает (повышается)

Appearance Dialogue

Robert: Hello, Dan.

Dan: Hello, Robert. Glad to see you.

Robert: So am I. Well, Dan, will you do me a favour?

Dan: Most willingly. What can I do for you?

Robert: You see, my cousin comes today on a visit from Moscow. I promised to meet her at the station, but, unfortunately I have an exam today.

Dan: Don't worry, I'll help you out, How old is your cousin?

Robert: She is sixteen. She goes to school.

Dan: Is she tall?

Robert: Neither veiy tall nor short. I think she is of medium height.

Dan: Is she dark of fair?

Robert: Her hair is fair but she has dark eyes and eyebrows.

Dan: So she took after your mother, her aunt, didn't she?

Robert: Not quite. She resembles our grandmother with her straight nose and fair complexion.

Dan: I see. That means, your cousin is very good-looking, isn't she?

Robert: I believe she is, though she is not a regular beauty.

Dan: Now, I suppose, I can find her in the crowd, especially if you give me her name and the number of her carriage.

Robert: Her name is Susan, carriage 5. I'm very much obliged to you.

Exercises

Exercise 1. Answer the following questions.

1. How old are you? Do you resemble your mother or father? Is your mother dark of fair? What colour eyes has your father? Are your parents tall? Who does your sister (brother) resemble? Are sisters and brothers always alike? 2. Is your girl-friend good-looking? Is she slender or plump? tall or short? dark-eyed or blue-eyed? Is her hair long or short? Is it straight or wavy? What is her haircut? Does she wear her hair loose or does she have a hairdo? What is her complexion? 3. Your father is a tall broad-shouldered man, isn't he? Does he wear a beard or a moustache? 4. What is the most beautiful thing about your friend's face? (a dimple in the chin, dimples in the cheeks, a mole in the right cheek, fair complexion, beautiful eyes). 5. What is your ideal of the woman (man)?

Exercise 2. Complete the following sentences.

1. Your sister is a regular beauty ... .

2. He was a handsome young man ....

3. The woman who opened the door was ....

4. My niece is such a nice little thing ....

5. The most remarkable thing about her face is ... .

6. She looks the very picture of her mother: she has the same ....

7. The girl charmed everybody: she ....

8. Can you describe that man? - Sure, he ... .

9. Is your friend still as beautiful as she was some years ago? - It's a pity, but she is not. She ... .

10. She is twenty five but she looks ....

Exercise 3. Mix and match.

1 . She is not so slender as she used to be. His hair is not so thick as it was in his youth. My mother doesn't look her age. She is not so beautiful as she was when a young girl. There is little hair left on his head. She looks the very picture of health. I could hardly recognize Jane when I ran into her in the street. 8. She doesn't wear her hair loose any more ...

She looks young her age. Her hair is getting grey. She is running too fat His hair is thinning. She has put on weight. He is getting bald. She looks older than her 40 years. Her cheeks are rosy and fair in the colour. She looks pale and thin. 10. She has become very fat.

Exercise 4. Ask your fellow-students:

... who she (he) took after

... what her (his) sister looks like

... if her girl-friend is a regular beauty

... what colour hair has her (his) mother (father)

... if her (his) brother is tall or short

... if her (his) little sister has a snub or a straight nose

... who of the children took after their mother

... if she (he) and her (his) brother (sister) are alike

... what colour eyes she (he) likes better: dark or blue

... if her (his) mother looks her age (old, young for her age)

... if she uses make up

... if her parents approve of young girls using make up

Exercise 5. Give English equivalents of the Russian words in brackets.

1. He was handsome with thin, even features and (черными густыми вьющимися волосами). 2. The most unusual thing about him however was his (темно-голубые глаза). 3. She was a year younger than he; still (стройная и привлекательная). 4. When she smiled two pretty (ямочки) appeared in her cheeks. 5. Johnny was an easy person to like. He was tall, (широкоплечий) with (густыми светлыми волосами) and blue eyes. 6. You will recognize her by a large (родинка) in her left cheek. 7. I have never seen such a beautiful (цвет лица). 8. She was a pretty little girl. Her (золотистые) hair was (вьющиеся), and her blue eyes were soft and warm. 9. She wears her hair (распущенными). 10. He was a man of (среднего роста) with big hands and feet.

Exercise 6. Arrange the following words in antonymic pairs. Use them in sentences of your own.

a) Dark eyes, snub nose, fair hair, thick hair, wavy hair, long eyelashes, rosy cheeks, even teeth, slender figure, dark complexion, full lips, long legs, plump.

b) Short legs, stout figure, blue eyes, fair complexion, thin lips, slim, straight nose, short eyelashes,uneven teeth, straight hair, pale cheeks, thin hair, thin lips.

Exercise 7. Use the following questions and sentences in natural situations of your own.

1. What does she look like now? 2. I could hardly recognize her. 3. Has she changed much since you saw her last? 4. Your husband is as handsome as he was two years ago. 5. Can you describe the man for the police? 6. I took him for an Italian. 7. She is on a shmming diet now. 8. You don't look a day older than you looked five years ago. 9. He is madly in love with her. - Is she a beauty? - No, quite plain. - Well, beauty lies in the lover's eyes. 10. She is too beautiful to be clever. - You know, appearances are deceptive.

Exercise 8. Match the following nouns and adjectives.

a) Mouth, teeth, chin, forehead, fingers, cheeks, waist, shoulders, hair, eyebrows, nose, eyes, features.

b) Deep-set, slender, high, even, round, square, regular, narrow, curly, broad, shapely, thin, full, uneven, firm, pencilled, aquiline, hazel, bushy, wide-set, low, rosy, irregular.

Exercise 9. Translate into English.

1. Её мать невысокого роста, полная, с темными волосами и серыми глазами. Дочь совсем на нее не похожа. Она высокая блондинка, очень стройная, с большими голубыми глазами, темными бровями и ресницами. У нее большой, но красивый рот, прямой нос и прекрасный цвет лица. 2. Мой сосед был высокий худой мужчина лет пятидесяти. Его лицо было не очень привлекательным (attractive). У него был крупный нос, небольшие темные глаза и тонкие губы. Однако (but), когда он говорил и улыбался, лицо его сразу же становилось очень приятным. 3. Это была пожилая (elderly) женщина лет 60, с седыми волосами, довольно полная, но все еще красивая. 4. Девочка была прелестна с её круглым личиком, большими темно-голубыми глазами и вздернутым носиком.

Exercise 10. Make up your own dialogues on the topic.

Exercise 11. Describe your favourite film star.

Exercise 12. Take somebody's photograph or portrait and describe it.