Unit I people as they are Starting – Up

We come to this world just like guests for shorter or longer visits. And while our life travel lasts from the station ‘Birth’ to the station ‘Death’ we try to learn and understand a great many things. What are we in this world? What for do we live here? What makes our life worth living? What is it to be happy?

Generations come and go, but the same questions rise again and again. What is good and evil? What is mortal and immortal in human life? What is the value of money, power, fame, mind and spirit? Is there anything or anyone that determines our lives? What is within our power and what is entirely in the hands of our Lord?

A Discuss in class with your partners.

1 What is the message John Heywood, an English poet of the XVI century, sent to his readers in the lines below. Say what you think about it.

The loss of wealth is loss of dirt,

As sages in all times assert;

The happy man’s without a shirt.

2 Comment on the wish Jonathan Swift expressed in the following lines.

I’ve often wished that I had clear,

For life, six hundred pounds a year,

A handsome house to lodge a friend,

A river at my garden’s end.

3 What do you think of the advice, given in the lines below? Explain the ideas expressed in them.

Live for those who love you,

For those who know you true,

For the cause that lacks assistance,

For the bad that needs resistance,

For the Future in the distance,

And the good that you can do!

4 Do you know any other poetic citations, maxims, proverbs, sayings which express certain truths resulting from age-old experience, wisdom and common sense?

e.g. Life is not a bed of roses.

While there is life there is hope.

He is the richest who has fewest wants.

Time wasted is existence, used is life. (Ed. Young)

Vocabulary Focus

1 The first thing that catches your eye when you meet a new person (a stranger) is his/her appearance.

A How many words do you know for describing what people look like? Write down as many words as you can under the following headings. You may use the words given below.

age young

height short

build stocky

hair curly

face round

skin pale

complexion fair

distinguishing features a scar

general appearance good-looking

long chubby smart scruffy moustache

straight blond well-dressed untidy handsome

thin ginger ugly pretty clean-shaven

thick wavy muscular slender dyed

fair red athletic grey charming

auburn fat elegant mole under 30

brown stout attractive dimple in her teens

plump slim plain beard well over 50

heavy obese bald freckle wrinkle

youthful adult swarthy elderly skinny

B Make up 6 sentences with hyphenated adjectives of the type ‘red hair – red-haired’ with the second part ~skinned, ~eyed, ~nosed, ~faced, ~cheeked, ~legged, etc.

e.g. Christine, tall, graceful, auburn-haired and a bit

snub-nosed looked pretty indeed.

C What adjectives on the right will match the nouns on the left.

chin high

nose poor

lips thick

eyes bulging

gait thin

sight bushy

forehead awkward

eyebrows double

cheeks hollow

shoulders aquiline

D Answer these remarks with the opposite description.

e.g. A: I thought you said he was the short, chubby one.

B: No, quite the opposite, he’s the tall, thin-faced one.

1. A: Was that his brother, the dark-skinned, wavy-haired one?

B: No, quite the opposite, his brother’s ...................................... .

2. A: She’s always quite well-dressed, so I’ve heard.

B: What! Who told you that? Every time I see her, she’s .......... .

3. A: So Charlene’s that rather plump fair-haired woman, is she?

B: No, you’re looking at the wrong one. Charlene’s ................. .

4. A: So, tell us about the new boss; good looking?

B: No, I’m afraid not; rather ....................................................... .

5. A: I don’t know why, but I expected the tour-guide to be

middle-aged or elderly.

B: No, apparently she’s only ...................................................... .

E Choose the word which best completes each sentence.

1. She sometimes wears her hair .................................................... .

A) tied B) loose C) free D) fringe

2. He has a ................................................................... complexion.

A) white B) spotted C) clear D) brown

3. Last year’s cycling accident has left him with a large

.......................................................................... on his left cheek.

A) mark B) cut C) wound D) scar

4. Mark’s hair is already ................... , which isn’t surprising as his

father lost all his hair at an early age.

A) bald B) parting C) retiring D) receding

5. People with red hair often come out in ....... when they sunbathe.

A) stubble B) moles C) freckles D) blemishes

F Discuss with your partner the following proverbs:

• Appearances are deceptive/deceitful.

• Never judge from appearances.

• A fair face may hide a foul heart.

• Beauty lies in lover’s eyes.

• The face is the index of the mind.

G Bring some photos of people (relatives, friends, etc.) and describe in detail their physical characteristics.

H Suppose you write to the ‘personal’ column where people are seeking partners. Describe your own appearance and that of a person you would like to meet. Give as many details as possible.

2 People around us can be divided into two groups: relatives and non-relatives. Relatives can be blood relations and relations by law.

A Give as many words as you can to describe blood relations.

e.g. mother, father, etc.

B We also have relations by marriage. Explain the following.

• What do we call a husband’s or wife’s father, mother, sister, brother?

• Who are ‘a son-in-law’ and ‘a daughter-in-law’?

• Whom do we call a ‘step-mother’ (~ father, ~ sister, ~ brother)?

• What kind of relationship does a ‘half-sister’(~ brother) suggest?

• Who can be called a ‘foster-father’ (~ mother)?

C Non-relatives can be divided into those with whom we maintain close relations, more distant relations and no relations at all.

Sort out the following relationships to show closeness and

distance in friendship, work, love/romance and marriage.

close ------------------------------------------ more distant

friend / lover / workmate / good friend / steady boy /

girl friend / colleague / best friend / sweetheart / wife /

/ fellow student / ex-lover / partner / acquaintance / husband

N.B. ex- can be used with or without (informally) another word:

e.g. She’s my ex (-girlfriend, etc.).

Mate is a colloquial word for a good friend. It can also be used in compounds to describe a person you share something with.

e.g. classmate, shipmate, workmate, flatmate.

Workmate is usual in non-professional contexts; colleague is more common among professional people.

Fiancé/ée can still be used for someone you are engaged to, but a lot of people feel it is outdated nowadays. You will sometimes see husband- / wife-to-be in journalistic style. English has no universally accepted word for ‘person I live with but am not married to’, but partner is probably the commonest.

D Match each person from the list with a suitable description. Use each name once only.

cousin adult orphan nephew toddler best man fiancé

nurse niece twin bride neighbour ancestor widow

1) The son of your brother or sister. ............................................... .

2) A woman on the day of her marriage. ....................................... .

3) A young child who is learning to walk. ..................................... .

4) What a woman calls the man she is engaged to. ........................ .

5) One of two children born at the same time. ............................... .

6) A person who lives near you. .................................................... .

7) The daughter of your brother or sister. ...................................... .

8) A person who is fully grown. ..................................................... .

9) A woman whose husband has died. ........................................... .

10) At a wedding, the friend of the bridegroom. ............................ .

11) A person from whom one is remotely descended …................ .

12) A child whose parents are dead. .............................................. .

13) A child of one’s uncle or aunt. ................................................. .

14) A woman or girl employed to look after babies or small children. .......................................................................................... .

E Arrange the words below under the headings ‘man’ and ‘woman’.

e.g. man woman

nephew niece

spinster godmother granny fiancé bachelor

grandpa godfather uncle groom best man

auntie widower bridesmaid fiancée widow

F Choose the word or phrase that best completes each sentence.

1. How long has Sarah been .....................................…. with Peter?

A) going back B) going in C) going out D) going up

2. They fell in love at first ..........................................................… .

A) glimpse B) look C) sight D) viewing

3. How long have they been ......................................................….?

A) betrothed B) engaged C) financed D) intended

4. When are they going to …......................................................... ?

A) get married B)marry them

C) marry each other D) marry themselves

5. Peter has asked Michael to be his …................... at the wedding.

A) best man B) bridesmaid

C) eyewitness D) godfather

6. Sarah has invited all her …................................. to the wedding.

A) compatriots B) in-laws C) parents D) relations

7. Her parents have been married for 25 years and today is their ......................................................................................................... .

A) anniversary B) birthday C) jubilee D) marriage

8. The people in the flat upstairs are always having noisy ........…. .

A) debates B) discussions C) noises D) rows

9. When her mother remarried, she got on very well with her new ......................................................................................................... .

A) ancestor B) forefather C) foster-father D) step-father

10. A diagram that shows the members of a family and their relationship is called a family ....................................................… .

A) branch B) line C) river D) tree

G Study the following phrases and idioms for relationships. Use them in sentences of your own.

1) She doesn’t just like Bob, she idolises him! I can’t stand him.

[hate]

2) I really like Lisa, but her friend just turns me off. [excite hate]

3) Jo and I get on well with each other. [have a good relationship]

4) Adrian and Liz don’t see eye to eye. [often argue/disagree]

5) I’ve fallen out with my parents again. [had arguments]

6) Tony and Jane have broken up / split up. [ended their

relationship]

7) George is having an affair with his boss. [a sexual relationship,

usually secret]

8) Children should respect their elders. [adults/parents, etc.]

9) Let’s try and make it up. [be friends again after a row]

10) She’s my junior/I’m her senior/I’m senior to her, so she

does what she’s told. [refers to position/length of service at work]

H Read the following sentences attentively and correct the idioms used in them.

1. Jo and Phil don’t get on eye to eye with each other.

2. I fell up with my parents last night. It wasn’t my fault.

3. We had a quarrel but now we’ve made it well.

4. Do you think Jim and Nora are making an affair? I do.

5. I see very well with all my colleagues at work.

6. She should learn to respect her elders.

7. Jo’s attractive, but her mate just turns me up completely.

I Read the quotations below. Discuss with other students.

A. What do you think each one means?

B Which do you agree with? Which do you disagree with? Why?

• Without a family, man, alone in the world, trembles with the cold. André Malraux

• No matter how old a mother is, she watches her middle-aged children for signs of improvement. Scott Maxwell

• Parents are sometimes a bit of a disappointment to their children. They don’t fullfil the promise of their early years. Anthony Powell

• The family is the place, where the most ridiculous and the least respectable things in the world go on. Ugo Betti

• God gives us our relatives: thank God we can choose our friends. Ethel Watts Mumford

3 Man is a universe of talents and inabilities, ambitions and laziness, strengths and weaknesses, raptures and disillusionment, hopes and despair, good and evil. And this universe is no less exciting and mysterious than the Universe around us. Man has always been tempted to explore the outer space, getting further and further beyond the Earth, while his inner world has remained as enigmatic as the most remote planets and stars.

A The following words describe intellectual ability of a person. Arrange them under the two headings: a) having ability and b) lacking ability:

having ability lacking ability

e.g. able e.g. simple

bright; foolish; silly; clever; capable; stupid; senseless; gifted; brainless; dull; talented; daft; shrewd; witty; dumb; dim; brainy; intelligent; smart; half-witted; egg-head(ed); block-head(ed)

B Match the headings which describe a person’s attitude towards life and other people with the corresponding groups of adjectives. If necessary, consult a dictionary.

I

1. Looking on either the bright or the black side of things:	a. relaxed/ pleased, carefree, comfortable; tense/ anxious, nervous, concerned.
2. Outward-looking or inward-looking (i.e. to the world around one or to one’s inner world)	b. sensitive/ tender, responsive, sympathetic.
3.Calm or not calm with regard to attitude to life:		c. optimistic/cheerful, sanguine, confident, hopeful; pessimistic/ gloomy, sullen, depressed, hopeless.
4. Practical, not dreamy in approach to life:		d. hardworking/ diligent, industrious, conscientious; lazy/ idle, slack, loafing.
5. Feeling things very intensely:		e. extroverted/ sociable, gregarious, showing-off; introverted/ self-centered, egoistic, lonely.
6. Inclined to work hard and systematically or on the contrary:		f. sensible/ reasonable, rational, down-to-earth.

II

1. Enjoying others’ company:	a. impolite, rude, ill-mannered, sharp, harsh, abusive, severe.
2. Disagreeing with others:	b. honest, sincere, trustworthy, truthful, straightforward, aboveboard.
3. Taking pleasure in others’ pain:	c. jealous, envious, covetous, resentful, green-eyed, yellow- eyed.
4. Relaxed in attitude to self and others:	d. sociable, affable, cooperative, friendly.
5. Not polite to others:	e. easy-going, even-tempered, composed, tranquil, self- possessed, self-controlled, carefree, level-headed, cool- headed.
6. Telling the truth to others:	f. cruel, sadistic, pitiless, harsh, merciless, brutal, rough, wild.
7. Unhappy if others have what one does not have oneself:	g. quarrelsome, argumentative combative, passionate, violent.

C Some characteristics can be either positive or negative depending on your point of view. The words in the right-hand column mean roughly the same as the words in the left-hand column except that they have negative rather than positive connotations.

Study and explain the meanings of these words using a dictionary if necessary.

Positive Negative

determined obstinate, stubborn, pig-headed;

thrifty, economical miserly, mean, tight-fisted;

self-assured self-important, arrogant,

full of oneself (coll.);

assertive aggressive, bossy (coll.);

original peculiar, eccentric, odd;

frank, direct, open blunt, abrupt, brusque, curt;

broad-minded unprincipled, permissive;

inquiring inquisitive, nosy (coll.);

generous extravagant;

innocent naive;

ambitious pushy (coll.).

D Match these words with their opposites.

1. intelligent a. courteous

2. extroverted b. smart

3. generous c. nervous

4. comfortable d. cunning

5. rude e. tight-fisted

6. cruel f. conscientious

7. honest g. sympathetic

8. quarrelsome h. tense

9. friendly j. self-centered

10. simple k. kindly

11. relaxed l. half-witted

12. idle m. hostile

E Match the words similar in meaning.

1. thrifty a. optimistic

2. shrewd b. gregarious

3. gloomy c. brainy

4. diligent d. economical

5. reasonable e. covetous

6. cheerful f. quarrelsome

7. harsh g. reliable

8. envious h. depressed

9. carefree j. rough

10. sociable k. industrious

11. argumentative l. rational

12. trustworthy m. tranquil

F The words given below come from Greek and Latin. They describe people’s attitudes, mental and emotional states. These borrowings usually have academic and literary associations and have long become international words in many European languages. Make sure you know their meanings and use them correctly.

1) Try to match the adjectives in the left column with their definitions on the right. Supply these adjectives with the corresponding nouns.

1. cynical a. inclined not to believe; doubting state of mind

2. elegiac b. using bitter remarks intended to wound the

feelings

3. sarcastic c. feeling wistful longing for smth. one has

known in the past; homesick

4. melancholic d. touching, affecting, moving; sad, pitiful

5. sceptical e. sorrowful; mournful; funeral

6. nostalgic f. seeing little or no good in anything; showing

this by sneering and being contemptuous

7. pathetic g. low-spirited; sad; depressed; unhappy

G A person’s character can be described with compound adjectives:

absent-minded (forgetful) easy-going (relaxed)

good-tempered (cheerful) warm-hearted (kind)

quick-witted (intelligent) big-headed (proud of

oneself)

two/double-faced (hypocritical) self-centred (egotistical)

The family of compound adjectives with the second part

“- minded” is quite numerous, e.g. noble-minded. The first

part cannot only be an adjective but also an adverb and a noun.

e .g. a. technically techniques

commercially - minded (mind keen on commerce

historically history

b. career

business - minded (conscious of the value or

money importance of career, etc.)

Some of these adjectives make up pairs with opposite meanings:

b road single strong

- minded - minded - minded

narrow double feeble

serious high

- minded - minded

light low

1) Now study the meanings of the ten two-part words above and try to express them in one word:

e.g. broad-minded = tolerant; evil-minded = wicked; bad;

open-minded = unbiased.

2) Try to complete each of these word forks as shown in the examples. Explain the meaning of the words you have written down.

1. possessed 2. short 3. good

self- _______ ____ - tempered ____ - natured

________ ____ ____

________ ____ ____

4. clear 5. bitter 6. warm

____ - headed ____ - tongued _____ - hearted

____ ____ _____

____ ____ _____

3) Translate the following words and expressions into English using compound adjectives with the parts - faced, - blooded,

- tongued, - witted, -fisted:

1. двуличный, двоедушный, лицемерный;

2. наглый, бесстыжий, бесстыдный;

3. безжалостный, жестокий, бесчувственный;

4. вспыльчивый, горячий, страстный;

5. красноречивый, льстивый;

6. болтающий без удержу, с развязанным языком;

7. находчивый, смышленый;

8. скупой, прижимистый.

H People are often compared to animals.

1) Study the meanings of the following adjectives and the patterns of their formation from the corresponding nouns. Mind that these adjectives are mostly used in spoken English.

cattish, catty or bitchy (malicious-tongued);

cocky (arrogant);

dogged (stubborn);

mousy (dull, uninteresting, shy, quiet);

foxy (crafty, cunning);

ratty (bad-tempered);

sheepish (awkward, self-conscious);

wolfish (cruel, brutal).

2) Use the adjectives above to name someone who behaves as is described below:

If someone 1. is timid, feels uncomfortable, not knowing what to do with himself;

2. seems to hide his thoughts, intentions, plans to get what he wants;

3. looks too much/very sure of himself, pert and conceited;

4. does not easily give way to argument or persuasion, obstinate;

5. speaks of other people using cruel, hateful words;

6. is cross, irritated, annoying;

7. keeps very still, attracts no attention to

himself.

3) There are also similes comparing people to animals, birds and fish. Here are some of them. Can you complete the phrases with proper adjectives, selecting them from the list below?

cunning meek stupid cross timid

dumb obstinate mad prickly still

brave stubborn quiet blind tender

1. as …… as a mouse 2. as …… as a mule 3. as …… as a fox 4. as …… as an owl 5. as …… as a fish 6. as ….... as a hedgehog

7. as …… as a bear with a sore head 8. as …… as a lamb 9. as ….... as a hare 10. as ….. as a lion 11. as ….. as March Hare. 12. as ….. as a chicken

N.B. In 1 and 2 two adjectives are possible, but the meaning remains the same. In 4 two different adjectives supply different meanings.

I There are many colourful idioms in English describing people, their feelings and moods. Read the sentences below and match the idioms in bold with their meanings on the right.

1. Everyone seemed to be in high spirits.	a. very scared
2. She seems to be keeping her chin up.	b. very sick or ill
3. He had a face as long as a fiddle.	c. dizzy
4. I could eat a horse!	d. lively, enjoying things
5. You’re looking a bit under the weather.	e. happy despite bad things
6. I suddenly felt as if my head was going round.	f. looked very depressed/sad
7. I was almost at death’s door last week!	g. very hungry
8. She was scared stiff / scared out of her wits.	h. not very well / ill

N.B. There is an element of exaggeration in these idioms; they make comments on the situation and lighten the tone of what you are saying. So use them only informally.

J Complete these sentences with the idioms from above.

1. Don’t creep up behind me like that! You scared me .................. .

2. I don’t need a doctor, I just feel a bit under ............................... .

3. I’ve had nothing since lunch; I could ......................................... .

4. When I met Jo again his face was smiling and he seemed to be

in ................................................................................................. .

5. Whatever happens, I try not to lose heart and keep my ............. .

6. John turned back so abruptly that he felt as if ............................ .

7. The illness got Tim in so violent a grip that a month later he

found himself at .......................................................................... .

8. On hearing the news Jill got so upset that her face became as

long ............................................................................................. .

K Match the explanations on the right with the idiomatic expressions on the left? They are all connected with different kinds of people.

1. a new broom a. someone who expresses opinions

about things he/she knows very little

2. a wet blanket b. someone who has no fixed roots

3. a stuffed shirt c. a pompous, self-opinionated person

4. a couch potato d. a gossip who wants to know

everything that happens to other people

5. an armchair critic e. someone who stands by you only

when things are going well

6. a fair weather friend f. someone who likes to sit in comfort

and do nothing

7. a nosy parker g. a new person in charge who makes

changes

8. a rolling stone h. someone who does not want to join in

and spoils the fun for everybody else

9. a slow-coach i. someone who is distant, unfriendly

10. an odd-ball j. someone who is slow in action or dull

11. a pain in the neck k. someone who is peculiar, strange

12. a cold fish l. someone who is nuisance, difficult

L Work in pairs. Write a short dialogue using the expression you have chosen above to act out in front of the class.