XIII. Подготовьте пересказ текста “b” на английском языке.

XIV. Прочтите и перескажите своим друзьям английские шутки:

There is only one passenger in the railway compartment. A robber with a gun in his hand enters the compartment.

“Your money! Quickly!”

“I have no money.”

“Then why are you trembling?”

“I thought you were a ticket-collector.”

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Then why are you trembling? – Тогда почему ты дрожишь?

a ticket-collector – контролер

* * *

It happened in America not long after its colonization by the Spaniards. A Spaniard stole an Indian’s horse. The Indian however found the thief and demanded his horse back but the Spaniard refused to do it. The Indian sued him and brought witnesses who could testify that it was his horse. But the judge of the court was a dishonest man and often took bribes from the parties who came to the court. The Indian knew this, and he invented a trick how to deceive the judge. Before going to the court on the day of the trial he took a big stone and put it under his arm. The judge noticed immediately that the Indian had something under his arm and decided the case in the Indian’s favour. The verdict was to return the horse to the Indian and to punish the Spaniard for theft. After the trial the judge asked the Indian what he had under his arm and who it was meant for. The Indian showed him the stone and explained that it was meant for the judge in case of a decision in the Spaniard’s favour. The Indian taught the bribe-taker a good lesson.

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to sue smb – подать на кого-либо в суд

to decide a case in smb’s favour – решить дело в чью-либо пользу

who it was meant for – для кого это предназначалось

to teach smb a lesson – преподать кому-либо урок

a bribe-taker – взяточник

* * *

It is interesting to know that…

… in 1786 police arrested Marie-Augustin Marquis de Pelier of Brittany. He spent the next fifty years of his life in prison. His crime was that he whistled at Queen Marie Antoinette on her way into a theatre.

…the Port Fairy jail in Australia was built by a Yorkshireman named Broadbent who celebrated its completion so gaily that he became its first prisoner (1857).

… in 1800 only fifty cities on the earth had a population of more than 100,000.

… in 1700 there were more people living in Boston (the population was 7,000) than in New York City (the population was 5,000). The total population of the American colonies at that time was under 250,000.

… In 1854 there were 700 people living in the area that is now California. One hundred twenty-five years later the same area had a population of 21,520,000. In other words, a little more than a century the population of this area increased approximately 30,000 times.

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a population – население

the earth – Земля (планета)

approximately – приблизительно

to increase 30,000 times – увеличиться в 30 000 раз

XV. Прочтите и переведите текст:

HOW THE GEESE SAVED ROME

The armies of Rome and Gauls fought a grate battle and Romans lost. They ran to Rome and prepared to hold Rome against the Gauls. They decided to hide on the Capitol, the great rocky hill which rose above the city. It had strong walls and gates around it. All the people hid behind the walls of the Capitol, only very old men didn’t go.

When the Gauls came to Rome they were surprised to find the gates of the city open. They couldn’t understand why there were no people in the streets. On the Forum, the open square where much of the business of the Romans State was carried on, they found the old white-haired men. The Gauls killed them all and burnt the beautiful city to the ground.

On the Capitol stood a great temple in which were kept some geese. At night the Gauls tried to climb the Capitol. They moved so quietly that the Roman guards didn’t hear them. But the temple geese heard sounds in the night and began to cry out and make noise.

The Gauls were beaten back and many of them were killed.

This was the last attack on the Capitol. The next day the help came to the Romans – the army of Camillus, the general from Ardea.

In this battle the Romans won.

Thus the Capitol and the country were saved by temple geese. A golden goose was set up to their honor in the temple.

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the Gauls – галлы

to hide (hid, hidden) – прятаться (спрятался, спрятались)

gates – ворота

a temple – храм