Translate the following sentences into English using a. To tear oneself away from, b. On the slightest provocation, c. Without a moment’s reflection:

1. 1. Книга захватила его. Он не мог от нее оторваться, пока не прочитал до конца.

2. Его несколько раз приглашали на конференцию, но он не мог оторваться от опыта.

1. Почему бы тебе не оторваться от доклада хоть на час,

1. The book has grasped him. He could not tear himself away from it, yet he has not read it up to the end.

2. He was invited to conference, but he could not tear himself away from experience.

3. Why you don’t tear himself away from the report though on an hour.

b. 1. Он устал, стал раздражительным, иной раз по малейшему поводу выходил из себя (lose one’s temper).

2. Мистер Берлинг был известен тем, что мог выгнать служащего фирмы из-за пустяка.

1. Чуть что, он садился писать инструкции и распоряжения: это было его хобби.

1. He was tired, became irritable, sometimes he lost his temper on the slightest provocation.

2. Mr. Berling was known that he could go away the office worker on the slightest provocation.

3. On the slightest provocation he sat down to write instructions and orders: it was his hobby.

с. 1. При виде тонущего человека матрос, не раздумывая, бросился в воду.

2. Он сразу же вызвался (volunteer) выполнить задания.

1. Решения он принимал мгновенно и, как ни странно (strangely enough), редко ошибался.

1. At the sight of the sinking person the sailor, without a moment’s reflection, has plunged into the water.

2. He was volunteer to do the task without a moment’s reflection.

3. He accepted decisions without a moment’s reflection and, strangely enough seldom he was mistaken.

2. Find in the text equivalents of the following.

С лихвой (с еще большей силой) - with vengeance;

Все слои общества - all layers of society;

бесчисленные государственные (политические) деятели – innumerable party politicians;

банальность – platitudes;

идти на уступки - to make concessions;

отказаться от принципов - to relinquish one’s principles;

победа здравого смысла- victory for true service;

основная опора - main pillar;

отталкивающий–unattractive;

незаменимый – indispensable;

по малейшему поводу - on the slightest provocation;

оживление на бирже – the boom;

внезапное падение цен (на акции) – slump;

экономическое равновесие – economic balance;

разорение – ruin;

вызывать трения - to cause friction;

иметь большую общеобразовательную ценность – to have great educational value;

повысить культурный уровень - to raise the general level of culture;

утверждать (без достаточных оснований) – to allege;

мне еще не довелось встречать (человека) – I have yet to meet a person;

бросить (какое-либо занятие) – to give up.

3. Answer the following questions.

1. What was the difference between prewar and postwar television in England? – Prewar television was still a kind of entertainment. During the happy war years it was off the air altogether but afterwards it returned with a vengeance.

2. Whom has the author watched on TV? What has he been astonished to find? - He has watched innumerable statement boarding and leaving airplanes with heavy, meaningful faces and has always been astonished to find that same platitudes can be expressed in so many different ways.

1. What was impressed to learn when listening to trade union leaders? – He was impressed to learn that no concessions could be made in matters of principle.

2. What is the main pillar of the art of television? - The basis and main pillar of the art of television is the TELEVISION PERSONALITY.

3. What makes the author believe that television is a) one of the main architects of prosperity, b) one of the chief architects of slumps? - The television is one of the chief architects of prosperity, because certain television personalities can give away money with great charm on the slightest provocation. Television is also one of the main architects of slumps, because one or two people made some cautious remarks about the boom not lasting forever, and recalled the Wall Street crash when people threw themselves out of the window of skyscrapers.

4. Can you prove that television unites the family?; that it causes friction in family life? - Television has united the family - by keeping the family at home, gaping at it round the family hearth.Television causes more friction in family life than any other single factor by offering unique scope for quarrels as to which programmer to watch.

5. What shows that TV is of great educational value? - Television is of great educational value. It teachers you while still really young how to (a) kill, (b) rob, © shoot, (d) poison, and generally speaking, (e) how to grow up into a Wild West outlaw or gangster by the time you leave school.

6. In what way does television help to put a stop to crime? - Television puts a stop to crime because all the burglars and robbers, instead of going to burgle and rob, sit at home watching The Lone Ranger, Emergency Ward Ten and Dotto.

7. What do you think about the role of television in raising the general level of culture? - Television has undeniably raised the general level of culture throughout the country.

8. What makes the author think there is no truth in the allegation that television has killed the habit of reading and thinking. - Some people allege that it has killed the habit of reading and thinking - but there is no truth in this.