Task 2. Comprehension Check

Exercise 1. Complete the statements given below by choosing

the right variant.

1. The origin of April Fools' Day still remains . . .

a) in the dark b) obscure c) very clear

2. A large number of dog owners received an official letter . . .

a) on March 30 of the year in question b) on March 31, 1899

c) on March 31 of the year in question

3. According to this letter all dogs of the town had to be . . .

a) brought to the nearest veterinary b) vaccinated

c)taken out of the town

4. By ten o'clock on the day appointed . . .

a) nobody had come to the Town Hall

b) everybody had stayed at home because they didn't believe the letter

c) hundreds of citizens had brought their pets to the Town Hall

5. The practical joke played by BBC Television brought to . . .

a) many calls from viewers who wanted to buy spaghetti bushes

b) a big scandal c) much laughter from viewers

Exercise 2. Choose phrasal verbs given below to complete the sentences.

take measures against; go on; make of; send out; be over;

dawn upon; take smth in good part; play a hoax on; make with.

1. You should . . . the epidemic of flu.

2. I don't know what . . . your statement.

3. At last it . . . him that it was a practical joke.

4. The lesson . . ., you may go home.

5. The secretary was asked . . . letters of invitation.

6. On April 1, 1957 BBC Television . . . viewers but many of them didn't believe what they had seen and . . . the programme.

7. This cake . . . flour, butter, eggs and sugar.

Exercise 3. Look through the text and find the synonyms to the

following words.

1. merry 2. undertake 3. many 4. frontier

5. illness 6. finish 7. invite 8. good laugh

9. gather 10. be sure

Exercise 4. Translate the following proverbs and idioms into

Russian. Describe the situations when you can use them.

a) It would make even a cat laugh.

b) Many a true word is spoken in jest.

c) Every man has a fool in his sleeve.

d) To cap someone's joke.

e) To laugh up one's sleeve.

Exercise 5. What is a practical joke? Speak about a practical joke

you played on your friends or they played on you.

Oral Practice

Describing Objects and Their Uses.

Materials and patterns

Questions Replies

1. What is it like? 1. It is . . . with . . .

2. What is it made of? 2. It's made of . . .

3. What is it used for? 3. It's used for (+Gerund)

4. How long (wide,thick) is it? 4. It's 50 cm long (wide, thick)

5. Can I have a thing for . . .? 5. Oh, you mean . . . Yes,of course.

Materials: (it is made of . . .)

plastic, metal, gold, silver, copper, leather, silk, cotton, wool, nylon, china (porcelain), velvet, cord.

Shapes: (it is . . .)

round, pointed, oval, cylindrical, square, triangular, rectangular, elliptical, spherical, long, short, wide, narrow, thin, thick, curved.

Colours: red, blue, white, green, grey, black, brown, orange,yellow, purple, greenish, light/pale blue, dark/deep brown.

Other describing characteristics:

This river is 3,5 miles long.

The Mount Everest is 8,848 metres high.

This lake is 3 miles wide.

The pipe is 2 centimetres thick.

Or

The river has a length of 3,5 miles.

The sun has a surface temperature of 11 000 F.

In a description you can use such adverbs as:

This object is relatively small. Zinc is rather reactive. Copper salts are slightly blue. It is extremely hot in deserts.

Remember: Science demands objectivity and precision in descriptions.

Exercise 1. State what would make the following descriptions more scientific:

1. We used statistical approach.

1. Steel is less corrosive.

1. The surface temperature of the sun is 11 000.

1. The river Thames is rather long.

1. The Grand Canyon is 5 500 feet.

Exercise 2. Learn the dialogues by heart and make up similar dialogues

of your own using the patterns.

I

Kate - Excuse me, can I have a thing for cutting paper. I forgot the English

word for it.

Shop-assistant - Do you mean a razor?

Kate - Oh, no. It is about 15 centimeters long or may be longer. It is made of

metal with plastic handles. It is also used for cutting textile.

Shop-assistant - Oh, you mean scissors. Here you are.

II

Susan - Oh, dear! I'm afraid, I've lost my new pendant.

Ben - What is it made of?

Susan - It's made of yellow metal.

Ben - What shape is it?

Susan - It is oval and there is a blue stone in it.

Ben - Here it is. You've left it on the table.

Exercise 3. Work in pairs.

a) You are at the Lost Property office. You've lost your scarf (hat, bag, etc.). Describe it to the clerk there.

b) The clerk asks more questions about your scarf (hat, bag, etc.) and tries to find it.

Exercise 4. You are staying with an English family. Your room hasn't

got everything you need. Say, what you need. If you don't

know how a thing is called, describe it to your hosts.