12. Переведите на английский язык следующие словосочетания.

Две полки, прекрасные фильмы, маленькие дети, стальные ножи, девять страниц, белые зубы, мужчины и женщины, семь человек, много людей, длинные волосы, семь дней, четыре гуся, новые города, зеленые парки, два жирафа, три бегемота, много рыбы, несколько языков, серые мыши, синие брюки, хорошие новости, полезные советы, острые ножницы, пять оленей, красные крыши, лисы и волки, прочные знания, чистые носовые платки.

13. Прочитайте следующие поговорки и высказывания, обратите внимание на употребление существительных. Дайте русский эквивалент.

1. Knowledge, too, is itself a power. (Francis Bacon)

2. Science is organized knowledge. (Hebert Spencer)

3. Money spent on the brain, is never spent in vain.

4. No news is good news.

5. So many countries, so many customs.

6. Many men, many minds.

7. Geese with geese, and women with women.

8. A cat in gloves catches no mice.

9. Men may meet but mountains never greet.

10. Whatever advice you give, be short. (Horace)

11. Life is not a bed of roses.

14. Прочитайте и переведите диалог. Составьте собственный диалог, используя поговорки или высказывания.

Boris: Mum, I don’t want to go to the university.

Mother: Why?

Boris: Because I don’t know anybody there.

Mother: Men may meet but mountains never greet.

Boris: It’s very difficult for me to get up early, to go to the university, to do my homework, to learn much.

Mother: A cat in gloves catches no mice.

Boris: But I don’t like these difficulties. It’s a pity that life is not a bed of roses.

Mother: Of course, it won’t be easy for you to get on well with all group-mates, but where there’s a will, there’s a way.

15. Прочитайте и перескажите шутки, обращая внимание на существительные во множественном числе. Воспроизведите диалоги.

“What is the plural of man, Tom?” asked the teacher.

“Men.” answered Tom.

“And the plural of child?”

“Twins.”

Teacher: What kind is “trousers”?

Pupil: An uncommon noun because it is singular on the top and plural at the bottom.

No Teeth

Parents bought their son a bicycle and were watching proudly as he rode around and around the block. On his first round he shouted: “Look, Dad, no hands!”

The second time around: “Look, Dad, no feet!”

And the third time: “Look, Dad, no teeth!”

The Way Out

John Brown was never sure of his grammar. One day he remembered that the New Year was coming and he decided to give his wife a present of two geese. So he took a sheet of paper and began to write an order to a shopkeeper. And here the difficulty began: Mr. Brown could not recollect the plural of the noun goose. He knew very well the plural of foot is feet and the plural of tooth is teeth but he didn’t know the plural of goose. He only remembered from his school days that he had to be careful with the word goose. At first he wrote, “Please, send me two geeses.” Again the sentence did not sound right. He could not recollect the correct plural of the noun goose and he did not want to go and ask his wife. Suddenly he got a bright idea. He took a new sheet of paper and wrote, “Please, send me a goose.” And at the bottom of the sheet he added a postscript, “P.S. Send another one with it.”