Яков Аракин - Практический курс английского языка 2 курс

Is it possible ...?

That's not a bad idea.

What do you think ...?

I suppose it is.

Rather.

What about...?

Well, you might... .

Let me see ... .

Is it much of a walk?

Do you think I shall have time for...?

d) Make up a talk about your recent trip. Use the phrases from the dialogue above.

Work in pairs.

e) Imagine you are telling the class about your recent trip to London.

13. This exercise is meant to revise Intonation Pattern IX. Read the following

dialogue. Use the High Fall to express personal concern, involvement:

— What are you going to do this week?

— Well, we don't really know.

— Why not visit Kew Gardens?

— Well, we've been there.

— You've seen much, haven't you?

— Yes, we've seen all the usual things. The Tower of London, and the Zoo, and the Houses

of Parliament.

— Have you visited Westminster Abbey?

— Yes, we went there a fortnight ago. But I haven't seen St. Paul's Cathedral since I was here

in 1991.

— I have! I've been there two or three times.

— But I really ought to think about the business side of my visit.

— Yes. You must visit a motor-car factory. After all, that is your main interest.

— That's true. I haven't been to one yet. I expect things have changed since 1991.

— I'm sure they have. Yes, there have been some very big developments since you were here

last.

14. This exercise is meant to develop your ability to hear intonation and

reproduce it in different speech situations.

a) Listen to the Joke "A pretty well-dressed young lady..." sentence by sentence. Write

it down. Mark the stresses and tunes. Practise the joke for test reading.

b) Listen to the narration of the joke. Observe the peculiarities in intonation-group

division, pitch, stress and tempo. Note the use of temporizers. Reproduce the model narration

you have listened to. Tell the joke in your own words.

15. This exercise is meant to test your ability to analyze material for reading.

a) Read the joke silently to make sure you understand each sentence. Find the sentence

expressing the essence of the joke. Split up each phrase into intonation-groups if necessary.

Locate the communicative centre of each sentence. Mark the stresses and tunes, concentrating

your attention on the attitude expressed. It is not expected that each student will mark the

story in exactly the same way. Discuss your variants in class. Your teacher will help you to

choose the best variant. Practise your corrected variant for test reading.

b) Tell the joke in your own words.

Wrong Pronunciation

A Frenchman who had learned English at school, but had half forgotten it, was staying in

London on business. It was in the month of November, and the weather was most unpleasant,

disagreeable, damp and foggy.

The Parisian, not being accustomed to the English climate, had caught a severe cold, and was

coughing day and night. At last he decided on getting a remedy for his cough but as he did not

remember this English word, he looked it up in his French-English dictionary. There he found that

the English for it was cough. Unfortunately his dictionary did not tell him how to pronounce it.

Remembering, however, the pronunciation of the word plough, he naturally concluded that cough

must be pronounced [kav].

So he entered a chemist's shop and said: "Will you, please, give me something for my cow!"

The chemist, thinking he had misunderstood him asked politely: "I beg your pardon, sir?"

The Frenchman repeated his request for some remedy for his cow.

"For your cow, sir?" replied the chemist. "Are you a farmer then?"

"A farmer?" answered the Frenchman rather indignantly. "What in the world makes you think

so? Oh, no, I came from Paris, from beautiful Paris," he added proudly.

The chemist now almost began to think that he was dealing with a madman. In great

bewilderment he asked again: "But your cow, sir? Where is your cow?"

"Here!" cried the Frenchman, coughing very loud and pointing to his chest. "Here it is! I have

a very big cow in my chest!"

Luckily, the chemist understood him and gave him the remedy he wanted.

SECTION FOUR. Intonation Pattern XI

(LOW PRE-HEAD + ) FALLING HEAD+ HIGH FALL (+ TAIL)

Model: How are you finding your new job?

—  Liking thèwork im`mensely.

The High Fall starts from a higher pitch than the preceding syllable of the Falling Head.

If the head contains only one stressed word the High Fall starts from the level of the stressed

syllable.

е.g. How nice!

This intonation pattern is used:

1 . I n s t a t e m e n t s , conveying personal concern, sounding light, airy, warm

but without the disgruntled effect of Pattern X.

е.g. Why don't they work in the evenings? — `Some of them `do, I believe.

2 . I n q u e s t i o n s :

a ) I n s p e c i a l questions, sounding interested, brisk, business-like.

е.g. I've just seen that new musical. — `What is it `called?

b ) I n g e n e r a l questions, conveying mildly surprised acceptance of the listener's

premises; sometimes sounding sceptical, but without the impatience of Pattern X. (The question is

put forward as a subject for discussion.)

е.g. Shall we try again? — Well 'would it be any ùse?

3 . I n i m p e r a t i v e s , sounding lively; suggesting a course of action to the

listener.

е.g. The tea's too hot. — `Put some morèmilk in it.

4 . I n e x c l a m a t i o n s , conveying mild surprise but without the affront of

Pattern X.

е.g. Look, it's snowing. — Òh, ` yes!

EXERCISES

1. Listen carefully to the following conversational situations. Concentrate your

attention on the intonation of the replies:

Verbal Context

Dril

Statements (conveying personal

concern; sounding light, airy, warm)

When's the concert?

Next Sunday. Next Wednesday.

It's going to be a fine place.

So it seems. So I've heard.

What was the show like?

First rate. Simply splendid.

It's not very valuable, is it?

It cost over three hundred pounds.

We'll never get there.

It's not as far as you imagine.

Which would you like, tea or coffee?

I'd prefer tea.

I may be a bit late.

That wouldn't matter in the least.

Special questions ( sounding interested,

brisk, business-like)

I've just seen that new musical.

What's it called?

"Underneath the Arches,"

What did you think of it?

Quite good, really.

Who composed the music?

John Adams, I think his name is.

Which theatre is it playing at?

"The Prince of Wales."

Which exactly is "The Prince of Wales"?