- •А кадемия управления при Президенте Республики Беларусь с истема открытого образования
- •Improve your speaking skills in english
- •Учебно-методическое пособие
- •Часть I
- •Предисловие
- •Unit I people as they are Starting – Up
- •Vocabulary Focus
- •Discussion Focus
- •Graphology Speed
- •Practicing Vocabulary
- •Jack’s Real Character
- •Ann Johnson – a Confidential Report
- •A What is Smart?
- •B Being Superstitious
- •C Loneliness
- •Read and Discuss
- •It’s Me, Oh Lord!
- •Calling All Eccentrics
- •The Joys of Eccentricity
- •Who’s Nuts? Who’s Reserved?
- •Many Britons Prefer Pets to People, Children, Money and Jobs
- •Happiness
- •Attitude is Everything
- •Unit 2 home, house and facilities Starting-Up
- •Vocabulary Focus
- •1) To start to live in a place (after moving from somewhere else)
- •Discussion Focus
- •What Do You Need in Your Neighbourhood?
- •3) Do you think the never-never or hire-purchase system is really helpful for many people, young couples in particular?
- •5 Country or City?
- •Back to Nature
- •6 What I like and dislike about my own town or city
- •Flats in the Clouds
- •Multi-storeyed buildings
- •8 The Place of My Dream
- •1) Housing, e.G. Flat; 2) facilities, e.G. Shop; 3) communities,
- •Practising Vocabulary
- •Moving House
- •4) At home, while I make some tea.
- •8) Furniture from the street market near the cathedral.
- •A House in the Country
- •3 My friends live in a small .................................. House in a street where all the houses look alike.
- •14 The most important thing about a house or flat is that it should be .................................. .
- •Read and Discuss
- •Reading
- •Accommodation
- •Post-Reading
- •Just What We Are Looking For!!!
- •Post-Reading
- •Text IV
- •Post-Reading
- •References
- •Improve Your Speaking Skills in English
- •Часть 1
- •220007, Г. Минск, ул. Московская, 17.
Graphology Speed
A person who writes quickly with no interruption in the strokes is energetic and enthusiastic, especially about things, which are in his own interests.
If you write slowly you don’t take risks. You are slow to take decisions.
Someone who writes fast and legibly is lively and likes to do things in his own way. A fast and illegible writer is an individualist and has a strong character. This person is talented and ambitious and usually very imaginative.
Signature
You write your name more often than anything else and so your signature is the most revealing part of your handwriting.
An underlined signature shows a forceful personality and someone who has a high opinion of himself.
If you put a full stop or a dash after your signature this means that you finish what you begin.
A very big signature shows a dominating personality.
A very small signature denotes a very shy and self-centered personality.
A unique signature shows an unusual personality.
Of course, there are many more details regarding how to write. But the above examples give you a few ideas on how to read handwriting.
Sue Lake from BBC “Modern English”
1) Explain the difference in the meanings of the words “person”
vs. “personality”.
2) What sort of people can be described as forceful, dominating,
self-centred and unusual personalities?
3) Can you name anyone whose personality you admire? What
causes your admiration?
4) Make up sentences using the following phrases:
e. g. Samuel does not seem to be a person who
will readily take risks in a situation like that.
to take risks
to be slow (quick) to take decisions
to do things in one’s own way
to have a high opinion of oneself
to be an individualist
J Read the dialogue “Sweet Temper” and characterize briefly the two people taking part in it. How can you explain the meaning of the title?
Sweet Temper
I hate negative people
I couldn’t agree more.
I hate people who are miserable all the time.
I couldn’t agree more.
I hate people who are never satisfied.
I couldn’t agree more.
I hate people who are against everything.
I couldn’t agree more.
I hate people who criticize other people all the time.
I couldn’t agree more.
From “BBC Five Minutes’ Instant English”
1) Try to modify the dialogue changing the verb “hate” for its
opposite.
e.g. I hate negative people. – I love agreeable people.
2) Replace “I couldn’t agree more” with other conversational formulas.
e.g. I should say so.
That’s just what I think.
You can say that again.
3) Role play both the original and the modified dialogues.
4) The verbs hate, dislike, loathe, detest are synonyms but they have different degrees of intensity of feeling.Study their meanings and try to order them on a scale, starting from the weakest to the strongest.
detest – hate strongly; dislike – not like;
loathe – feel disgust for; hate – have violent
dislike for.
Scale
weakest ---------------------------------------------------- strongest
K Read the dialogue “At the Hairdresser’s”. What types of men are opposed in it? Can you name any other male type?
At the Hairdresser’s
A: Oh, yes! My husband’s wonderful!
B: Really? Is he?
A: He is big, strong and handsome!
B: Well, my husband isn’t very big or strong, but he is very
intelligent.
A: Intelligent?
B: Yes, he can speak six languages.
A: Can he? Which languages can he speak?
B: He can speak French, Spanish, Italian, German, Arabic and
Japanese.
A: Oh! .… My husband’s very athletic.
B: Athletic?
A: Yes, he can play football, cricket, rugby, can swim, ski and
skate.
B: Can he cook?
A: Pardon?
B: Can your husband cook? My husband can’t play sports but he’s an excellent cook. And he can sew and iron and… he is a good husband.
A: Really? Is he English?
1) How is surprise (or slight doubt) expressed in the dialogue?
2) What does the phrase “Is he English?” hint at?
3) Try to think of a dialogue, which may take place between two men talking about their wives (or girlfriends).
4) Role-play both the dialogues.
L Learn to discuss different people. Make use of the following.
1. What kind of person will never take a risk? (spend more than he can afford, take anything to heart, arrest anyone’s attention, lose his temper, do a silly thing, disobey instructions, wave in the face of danger, fail his friend).
2. What kind of people are quick to see the point? (are usually surrounded by people, friends, are easily forgotten, are often lonely, think only for themselves, feel uneasy in company, keep their thoughts to themselves, easily lose their patience, enjoy other people’s confidence).
3. What kind of people are called business-like? (good mixers, poor mixers, colourful, discreet, just, level-headed, sympathetic, revengeful, squeamish, persistent, haughty, humble, placid, broad-minded, vulgar, vain, ambitious).
4. What do you call a person who is unlike others? (can’t keep a secret, can appreciate a piece of art, feels deeply, pokes his nose into other people’s affairs, intrudes his views on others, is always sure of himself, is mostly in high spirits, gets annoyed easily, keeps on forgetting things, says what he thinks, has no moral principles).
5. What traits of character would you appreciate in a mother, a father, a bosom friend, a teacher ... ?
6. What traits of character are required to make a good doctor, economist, teacher, lawyer, journalist?
M You know that emotional condition plays a decisive role in our life. Say when people feel good, great, proud, joyful, uneasy, anxious, lonely, miserable, low.
N What qualities do you admire most in other people? Put these qualities into order of importance:
ambition creativity good looks
honesty independence intelligence
loyalty sense of humour strength
tenderness understanding warmth
What other important qualities are missing from this list?
O Which of these characteristics do you and your partner consider to be more attractive and less attractive?
ambitious enthusiastic outspoken self-confident
artistic frivolous passionate sensitive
cautious gregarious reserved serious
earnest introverted resourceful shy
easy-going out-going ruthless spontaneous
1) Which unattractive characteristics can you tolerate in your friends and relations?
2) What kind of people do you get on with best?
3) What kind of people do you find it hard to get on with?
P Work in small groups. Ask your partners these questions.
1. What kind of person do you think you are?
2. What sign of the zodiac were you born under? Do you think this affects your character?
3. How true to your nature is the description of your zodiac sign?
4. What are the essential factors that help to mould a person’s character: background and environment; educational possibilities; cultural standards; circumstances?
5. What are the ways and means by which a person’s character is revealed and estimated: appearance; speech characterization; manners and attitudes; likes and dislikes?
R Read the description below. What makes the description come to life is the detail and examples that we give. Select the parts of the description which give examples and details. Make notes under these headings where information is given.
-
Physical appearance
1. Hair, eyes, complexion
2. Height, build
3. Typical clothes
4. Distinguishing features
Character
1. General qualities
2. Habits
3. Abilities
4. Moods
The first thing everyone notices about him is his height – he is tall, almost two metres. The second thing is how skinny he is. He is as thin as a rake. He looks as if he has not eaten for months and yet he is always eating. He never bothers much about his appearance, except for his hair. I joke about him looking like an angry hedgehog when he gets out of bed in the morning – his short, brown hair all spiky and sticking out. He spends hours trying to comb it flat but with no success.
He is patient and kind. He always helps me with my maths, even if it means giving up a night out with his friends. He is also calm. I’ve only ever seen him angry once.
We get on each other’s nerves sometimes, but I wouldn’t change him for the world.
S Write about either your favourite person, or your least favourite person, or anyone else. Try using this plan.
Paragraph 1 Say who you want to describe and why
Paragraph 2 Physical description
Paragraph 3 Character description
Paragraph 4 Conclusion – sum up your feelings about this person