Яков Аракин - Практический курс английского языка 2 курс

P a t t e r n 1 : 1. Why did you answer this question? It was not meant for you. 2. He

spoke too long, it bored everybody present. 3. There was no reason why she should get so excited

over a little thing like that. 4. Was it necessary to bother such a busy man with this unimportant

question? 5. Why have you come to meet me? There was no need for you to bother.

II. Complete the following sentences, using the patterns:

P a t t e r n 2 : 1. Today she has been answering her task even better ... . 2. Are you ill?

You are looking ... . 3. The way to his office seemed to him on that day ... . 4. He was in love, and

the sun seemed to shine .... 5.... earlier than usual. 6. The soup tastes even .... 7.... later than usual.

P a t t e r n 3 : 1. She addressed us angrily in that harsh ... . 2. Did you happen to see

that charming ... ? 3. I didn't want to come up to you, because you were so busy speaking to that dear

.... 4. I don't like the way she treats that miserable .... 5. I wish I knew how I should bring up this

dear .... 6. No one any longer believes those ... . 7. If I were you, I should throw away these .... 8.

Who could have done such a thing but...? 9. I have heard a lot about that....

III. Translate these sentences into English:

1. Вам не нужно было приходить сюда так рано. Никто еще не пришел. 2. Из-за этих

своих тесных туфель она еле-еле шла. Мы добрались до остановки автобуса позже, чем

обычно, и, конечно, автобус уже ушел. 3. В этот день Джуди была больна и чувствовала себя

несчастней, чем обычно. Она не поверила своим глазам, когда ей принесли большую коробку

с полураспустившимися розами — подарок этого ее таинственного опекуна.

IV. Make up short situations to illustrate Patterns 1, 2, 3 (three situations for

each pattern).

V. Make up dialogues, using all the patterns.

TEXT. A FRIEND IN NEED by William Somerset Maugham (abridged)

Maugham, William Somerset (1874-1965): an English writer. He achieved a great success as

a novelist with such novels as "Of Human Bondage", "The Razor's Edge" and others, as a dramatist

with Ms witty satirical plays "Our Betters", "The Circle", etc., but he is best known by his short

stories.

At the beginning of his literary career Maugham was greatly influenced by French

naturalism. Later on, his outlook on life changed. It became cool, unemotional and pessimistic. He

says that life is too tragic and senseless to be described. A writer can't change life, he must only try to

amuse his reader, stir his imagination. And this is where Maugham achieves perfection: his stories

are always fascinating. Maugham's skill in depicting scenes and characters with a few touches is

amazing and whether he means it or not his novels, stories and plays reveal the vanity, hypocrisy and

brutality of the society he lives in. So does the story "A Friend in Need". Burton, a prosperous

businessman, is not.in the least concerned about the troubles and needs of those who have failed in

life. Without a moment's hesitation he sends a man to death just because his presence bores him, and

later on he remembers the fact with a "kindly chuckle".

When Maugham described people and places in his short stories, he did it mostly from his

personal experience.

"It's rather a funny story," he said. "He wasn't a bad chap. I liked him. He was always well-

dressed and smart-looking. He was handsome in a way, with curly hair and pink-andwhite cheeks.

Women thought a lot of him. There was no harm in him, you know, he was only wild. Of course he

drank too much. Those sort of fellows always do. A bit of money used to come in for him once a

quarter and he made a bit more by card-playing. He won a good deal of mine, I know that."

Burton gave a kindly little chuckle. I knew from my own experience that he could lose

money at bridge with a good grace.

"I suppose that is why he came to me when he went broke, that and the fact that he was a

namesake of mine. He came to see me in my office one day and asked me for a job. I was rather

surprised. He told me that there was no more money coming from home and he wanted to work. I

asked him how old he was.

"Thirty-five," he said.

"And what have you been doing hitherto?" I asked him.

"Well, nothing very much," he said.

I couldn't help laughing.

"I'm afraid I can't do anything for you just yet," I said. "Come back and see me in another

thirty-five years, and I'll see what I can do."

He didn't move. He went rather pale. He hesitated for a moment and then told me that he had

had bad luck at cards for some time. He hadn't been willing to stick to bridge, he'd been playing

poker, and he'd got trimmed. He hadn't a penny. He'd pawned everything he had. He couldn't pay his

hotel bill and they wouldn't give him any more credit. He was down and out. If he couldn't get

something to do he'd have to commit suicide.

I looked at him for a bit. I could see now that he was all to pieces. He'd been drinking more

than usual and he looked fifty. The girls wouldn't have thought so much of him if they'd seen him

then.

"Well, isn't there anything you can do except play cards?" I asked him.

"I can swim," he said.

"Swim!"

I could hardly believe my ears; it seemed such an insane answer to give.

"I swam for my university. "55

I got some glimmering of what he was driving at. I've known too many men who were little

tin gods at their university to be impressed by it.

"I was a pretty good swimmer myself when I was a young man," I said.

Suddenly I had an idea.

Pausing in his story, Burton turned to me.

"Do you know Kobe?" he asked.

"No," I said, "I passed through it once, but I only spent a night there."

"Then you don't know the Shioya Club. When I was a young man I swam from there round

the beacon and landed at the creek of Tarumi. It's over three miles and it's rather difficult on account

of the currents round the beacon. Well, I told my young namesake about it and I said to him that if

he'd do it I'd give him a job. I could see he was rather taken aback.

"You say you're a swimmer," I said.

"I'm not in very good condition," he answered.

I didn't say anything. I shrugged my shoulders. He looked at me for a moment and then he

55 to swim for one's university: to take part in swimming races held between one's university team and some other teams.

Practically every school, college and university in Great Britain has its own sports clubs, and there are various outdoor sports

competitions held annually within each school, as well as between different schools, colleges, and universities. These are, as a rule,

attended by spectators drawn from all sections of the public, and the Oxford and Cambridge boat races, in which crews from these

two universities compete every spring on the Thames, arouse national interest.

nodded.

"All right," he said. "When do you want me to do it?"

I looked at my watch. It was just after ten.

"The swim shouldn't take you much over an hour and a quarter. I'll drive round to the creek at

half past twelve and meet you. I'll take you back to the club to dress and then we'll have lunch