Dialogues congratulations

Judy: You look happy today!

Charles: I'm happy. I have just passed my Literature exam and my History exam.

Judy: Congratulations! I'm glad somebody's happy.

Charles: Why? What's the matter?

Judy: Oh, I'm just worried I guess. I have to take a History exam next week.

Charles: Oh, come, you are always worried about your exams. You've passed some exams already, haven't you?

Judy: Yes, I've passed my French exam.

Charles: Oh, I give up. I simply can't learn French.

Judy: Why do you say that? I think you're making a lot of progress.

Charles: No, I'm not. I try and try and I still can't speak it very well.

Judy: Learning any language takes a lot of effort. But don't give up. One can scarcely get on without some knowledge of a foreign language. Why don't we practice those dia­logues together?

Charles: Good idea. That just might help.

At the university

Michael: After I’ve been on my vacation, I find it hard to get started again.

Denis: So do 1.1 have to make an effort to get up an appetite for studying every day. I think the best part of University life is exchanging ideas with other students. I hate exams.

Michael: I look forward with fear to my exams, especially my French exam. I always pull an all-nighter before it and feel rather nervous at the exam.

Denis: Have you heard that Prof Greene gives us lectures on Linguistics this term? He is known for his progressive methods of teaching.

Michael: He is also known for his difficult questions at the exam. So, I’d better get down to my studies. I’ve been lazy too long.

1. Make up your own dialogues on the following situations:

1. You meet your friend. She/he has just passed her/his exam. You congratulate her/him.

2. Your friend has failed his English exam. Try to cheer him/her up.

Written practice

1. Write a two-page letter to your English friend about your studies at the University.

2. Comment upon the following proverb or make up a short story of your own illustrating its moral: You never know what you can do till you try.

Home reading From the andcastle

by I. Murdoch

Mor taught history, and occasionally Latin, at St Bride's. He enjoyed teaching, and knew that he did it well. His authority and prestige in the school stood high; higher than that of any other master. Mor was well aware of this too, and it consoled him more than a little for failures in other departments of his life.

"Rigden", said Mor.

A long silence followed. Mor was taking the Fifth Form Latin class, a chore which some­times came his way during the absence on sick leave of Mr Baseford, the classics master. It was a hot afternoon, the first period after lunch, a time which Mor hated. A fly buzzed on the win­dow. Twenty boys sat with the Elegies of Propertius open before them. Rigden clearly could make nothing of the line in question.

"Come on, Rigden", said Mor rather wearily, "have a bash”. You can translate the first word anyway". "You", said Rigden. He was a slight crazy-looking boy with a small head. He idolized Mor. His inability to please him was one of the tragedies of his school days. He leaned intently over his book.

"That's right", said Mor, "and the second word". A yell of uncontrolled laughter went up in the next room. That was Mr Prewett's mathematics class. Prewett was unhappily quite unable to keep order. Mor knew that keeping order was a gift of nature but he could not but de­spise Prewett a little all the same. Mor\,himself had but to look at the boys and they fell silent. "Only", - said Rigden. "Yes", said Mor, "now go on". Rigden stared wretchedly at the page. "Carde?" said Mor.

Jimmy Carde was one of Mor's enemies. He was also the bosom-friend of Mor's son Donald. Mor never felt at ease with Carde. He spoke in a casual and superior way.

"That's right”, said Mor. "Now, Rigden, you go on." Rigden was beginning to look des­perate. He gazed into the book, biting his lip.

"Get a move on", said Mor, "we haven't got all day. Did you prepare this, Rigden?"

"Yes, sir", said Rigden.

"Well, you'd better stay behind afterwards and talk to me about it", - said Mor. "Our time's nearly up. Could somebody finish translating? Carde, what about you, could you do the last six lines for us?", Carde cleared his throat.

"Yes", said Mor. He looked at his watch. He saw that the period was nearly ended. Carde was a good performer. ^

"Yes", said Mor. Yes. Very nice, Carde. Thank you. Now you can all go."

An immediate chatter broke out, and amid a banging of books and desk tops there was a rush for the door. The admonishing of Rigden took but little time, and Mor strode into the corridor. A moment later he emerged from the centre door of what was called Main School into the sunshine and looked about him.

* * * * * *

The chief buildings of St Bride's were grouped unevenly around a large square of asphalt which was called the playground, although the one thing that was strictly forbidden therein was playing. The buildings consisted of four tall red-brick blocks: Main School, which contained the hall, and most of the senior classrooms; Library, which contained the library and more classrooms, and which was built close against Main School; School House, opposite to Library, where the scholars ate and slept, and "phys" and "Gym" opposite the Main School, which contained the gymnasium, some laboratories, the administrative offices, and two flats for resident masters.

Notes:

1. Chore - a task that must be done and that you find unpleasant or boring.

2. Propertius Sextus (c.50 - c. 15 B.C.) - the greatest of the elegiac poets of Rome.

3. To have a bash - to try, to make an attempt.

4. Phys. - a physics room, a room used for lessons in natural science.

5. Gym - gymnasium, a hall or room used for gymnastics.

* * * * * * * * * *

1. Read and translate the text. Pick out the words in the text, which may be grouped under the heading: LESSONS, SCHOOL.

2. Make up sentences illustrating the meaning of the following phrases:

to stand high, to be aware of smth, to keep order, a gift of nature, to look desperate, to have a bash.

3. Listen to the text, read it aloud, copy the melody. Answer the questions:

1. What subject did Mor teach? 2. What was Mor well aware of? 3. What class was Mor tak­ing? 4. Who was translating the text? Was he good at it? 5. Who finished translating? 6. What was Jimmy like? Why didn’t Mor like him? 7. Why did Mor despise Prewett? 8. What did Mor do after the lesson?

4. Describe the buildings of St Bride's.

5. Give a short summary of the text. Use the topical phrases which are helpful to sum the idea up.

6. Discuss the qualities of an ideal teacher/student; an interesting and instructive lesson.

7. Acting the scene. Characters: two students of a Teachers' Training Institute. The exchange opinions about their teaching practice (the school, the pupils, the lessons, and the teaching staff they have had.

8. Read the following text and comment on it:

I've come to a frightening conclusion. I'm the decisive element in the classroom. It's my personal approach that creates the climate. It's my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess tremendous power to make a child's life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humour, hurt or heal. In all situ­ations it's my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and a child humanized or de-humanized.