Chapter 10 Country Christmas

I.Read, translate and transcribe the following words, give explanation of their meaning. Say in what situations these words and combinations are used.

Pokiness

Companionship

To crackle

To sizzle

To squeak

To exchange presents

Tiny bottles of scent

to answer one’s civil inquiries

To look ahead

To broadcast smth

To guard one’s tongue

To rampage

Nerve-racking

A tall gangling boy

Radiant face

To tower over smb

Vociferous

To marvel at smb’s strength, abilities, cleverness, etc

Prodigious appetite

A source of good-natured teasing

To tut-tut

Wickedness

To fidget with impatience

To be one’s own flesh and blood

A spinster

A happy anachronism

2. Replace the following words with their synonyms from the given list.

An unmarried woman, evil, a great desire to eat, small bottles of perfume, noisy, to spread smth, to think twice before saying smth, to react polite questions, a marry face, to be very dear and important for smb, to be pleasantly surprised at smth., to give presents to each other, annoying, to think of one’s future.

2. Give the three forms of the following verbs, translate and transcribe them.

To crackle, to sizzle, to squeak, to bring, to hide, to beg, to slip, to know, to think, to chop, to grow, to jingle, to tease, to relieve, to chop, to meet, to bronze, to decorate, to toss, to grip, to lean, to hold, to let, to fidget, to preclude, to flicker, to rampage, engender.

2. Translate, transcribe and pronounce the following words, use them in the sentences of your own.

Bliss, welfare, unwittingly, nerve-racking, agricultural, phenomenon, ramshackle, frieze, blotter, scrapbook, splintery, blaze, partition, docile, ruefully, serenity, feverishly, sanitation, anachronism, apprenticeship, byword.

2. Explain the use of tenses in the following phrases.

1. The fire crackled, the kettle sizzled, the old doors squeaked on their ancient hinges, and a loose flagstone in the hall gave a cheerful and familiar thump to the hurrying feet.

2. Small presents had been exchanged among the staff that last morning and the children had brought cards and handkerchiefs…

3. Anna had promised to say nothing, though she did not think it mattered very much if Miss Hobbs’ ambitions were known.

4. There was no doubt about it, there would be snow before long, thought Ann.

2. State the form and the function of the infinitive in the following sentences.

1. “Naturally,” said Ann trying to hide her astonishment.

2. No need to broadcast all one’s doing.

3. Anna was relieved to be away from them all and to slip back into the ways of home.

4. Anna was amazed to see how massive he had grown.

5. … eager to learn.

6. … appeared to be listening…

2. State the form and the function of the gerund in the following sentences.

1. …all one’s doing…

2. Ann was busy chopping apples.

3. Somehow one never thinks of mothers getting old.

4. It soon became a source of good-natured teasing by the Lasey family…

5. Next door she could hear the infants singing.

2. State the meaning of the modal verbs in the following sentences.

1. It was exactly as it should be, and Anna felt her old self again.

2. Must look ahead, you know.

3. If Miss Enderby gets her deserts I should like to be on her side.

4. Nothing may come of our plans.

5. It was a relief not to have to guard one’s tongue…

6. She could do with a little car of her own…

2. Translate from English into Russian.

1. When you work with children you tut-tut at their laziness, marvel at their abilities and success and soon these vociferous bandits become your own flesh and blood.

2. -Tough the classroom was poky and shabby the old teacher was surrounded by children with radiant faces. Though she was a spinster surrounded by that companionship she was a happy anachronism.

3. -When you are a member of a teachers’ staff you are to guard your tongue not to broadcast your secrets and limit all your talks just to formal and civil inquires.

4. -It is a good tradition to exchange presents on Christmas and other celebrations. The gifts must not be expensive and pompous. Tiny bottles of scent ad bars of soap will do.

5. -The end of the school year is a nerve-racking period. You have to guard your tongue as your colleagues have become offensive and what was earlier considered to be a good-natured teasing now is an insult.

6. -In my parents’ house everything seemed a happy anachronism: the fire crackles, the huge kettle which I had known from my childhood was sizzling and squeaking letting out a stream of vapour.

7. -That tall gangling boy was towering over the other children who were fidgeting around him.

8. -When you read fairy-tales to children they tut-tut at the evil heroes’ wickedness and sympathize the good ones.-