I. Make sure whether you understood the contents of the text correctly. Agree or disagree with the following statements.

 

1. Uncle Melik travelled from Fresno to Washington one day.

2. Uncle Garro told his nephew about the dangers of travel.

3. Uncle Garro said that impostors would ask Melik for his tickets.

4. Uncle Garro recommended that his nephew should meet an amiable young man who would offer him a cigarette.

5. According to the old man’s views it was a good idea to make the acquaintance of a beautiful woman in the diner.

6. Uncle Garro had travelled a lot in his life and thought that his duty was to give his advice to his younger relatives.

7. The old man thought that it was exciting to play cards with other fellow-travellers.

8. Melik was happy to follow his relative’s advice.

9. Uncle Melik met neither impostors in uniforms, nor young beautiful women in the diner.

10. Melik slept very well the first night. The second night was more dangerous.

11. Melik was very cautious on the train and never said any word to anybody.

12. A young lady tried to involve him into a conversation.

13. A young lady started a game of poker.

14. The young men and women sang American songs together.

15. The journey was a very pleasant one.

16. Nobody profited by Uncle Garro’s experience.

 

II. Make up a dialogue a) on behalf of Uncle Melik and the young man on the train.

b) on behalf of Uncle Melik and the young lady in the restaurant.

III. Try to describe Uncle Garro’s appearance, age and manners.

 

Text 3

Famous Cities

1. Read these descriptions of cities and circle the correct city.

The city: Paris Venice Rome

#1

This beautiful city in northeastern Italy is built on 100 small islands. This city has no roads. Instead, people use gondolas to travel along the canals. The most famous place to visit is St. Mark's Square, with its wonderful Renaissance buildings and its busy cafes.

The city: New York San Francisco Chicago

#2

This American city is the main business and cultural center in the Midwest. It is famous for its music, opera, and theater as well as for its excellent museums and architecture. The world's tallest building, the Sears Tower, is there.

The city: Mexico City Havana Rio de Janeiro

#3

Travellers use many words to describe this South American city: beautiful, glamorous, sunny, friendly, and exciting. People love to visit its fabulous beaches and mountains. It is the city of the Carnival, when everyone dances the "samba" in the streets.

2. Now answer these questions.

Paragraph #1

Why do people use gondolas in this city?

What do tourists do there?

Paragraph #2 Where is this city? What's it famous for?

Paragraph #3

What do visitors do there?

What do people do there at Carnival time?

IV. At Leisure

Jokes

1.

Stout Lady: I want to report the conductor of that bus that's just gone. He's been rude!

Inspector: How?

Stout Lady: Why, he was telling people the bus was full up, and when I got off he said, "Room for three inside."

2.

Thin Man: If I were managing the city transport, I would take the fares according to the weight.

Stout Man: If that were so, my man, no conductor would allow you aboard the bus.

3.

A: The suitcase is not heavy at all. No need to take a taxi.

B: Certainly there's no need to take a taxi because that taxi takes you.

4.

American: Why have you never visited the United States?

German: I know only a few sentences in English.

American: What are they?

German: How do you do? I love you. Forgive me. Ham and eggs, please.

American: Why, with that vocabulary you could tour my country from Maine (штат Мэн) to California.

5.

This funny story happened to the famous English writer Arthur Conan Doyle.

As you know, the hero of his books is Sherlock Holmes, the well-known detective, who solved the most difficult problems by analysing the smallest details.

Once Arthur Conan Doyle came to Paris. He took a cab at the railway station and went to the hotel.

When he paid for the cab, the cabman said to him: "Thank you, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle!"

The writer was surprised and asked him, "How do you know my name? I see you for the first time in my life."

"You see, sir, it is like this," answered the cabman, "some days ago I read in the newspapers about your arrival in Paris from the South. The train in which you came arrived from the South; your hat and the umbrella in your hands told me that you were an Englishman. That's why when I saw you, I said to my­self: "This must be Sir Arthur Conan Doyle."

"Clever work, very clever work," said the writer, "you analysed correctly the few facts you had."

"And there is another fact, which helped me too, sir," con­tinued the cabman," your name is written on your bags."

 

6. Не Was Perfectly Calm...

"I wish I didn't have to fly all that way to London," said Mr. Brown under his breath. "The tickets are so damn expensive."

Mrs. Brown nodded her head:

"Almost 10 pounds each from Glasgow to London, can you beat that?!"

As Mr. Brown stood watching the planes take off and land, a pilot went up to him and said:

"You've got a troubled expression on your face, sir, I feel I can be of some use to you. I will take you and the lady for only 2 pounds."

Mr. Brown's face lit up with a smile, but the pilot ad­ded:

"On condition however, that you don't speak during the journey. If you utter a single word you will have to pay double fare."

Mr. Brown agreed readily, though the plane was old-fashioned, had double wings, and was open up at the top.

The pilot said to himself: "I'll teach this mean couple a lesson. I'll get them to speak all right."

The plane took off, but no sooner had it reached a certain height than the pilot started playing dirty tricks on his passengers. The plane went up and down for no reason at all, from time to time the engines stopped altogether and the plane seemed to be falling. Then it turned upside down, and yet the passengers did not speak. The pilot could hear no sound at all from them. He was filled with admira­tion for the courage and cold blood of his passengers. As the plane landed he turned round and said to Mr. Brown:

"I'd like to congratulate you on your courage, sir, though I admit I'm more than surprised you managed to keep so cool."

Mr. Brown was pleased with the compliment of course, but he said modestly:

"I confess there was one moment when I was about to speak."

"When was that?" The pilot asked rather amused.

"When my wife fell out of the plane!"

7. As The Ship Went Down...

As it had been announced that the ship would go down within a quarter of an hour, the crew started to get in a panic. The captain alone stood quiet and unmoved on the bridge. Little did he seem to realize the danger, the terrible danger that was threatening his ship.

A sailor who was a very good swimmer went up to the captain and said:

"Excuse me, Sir, I wonder if you could tell me how far it is to the nearest land."

"Er... well," said the captain, "it's about 2 miles."

The sailor's face lighted up with a smile and he went on, "Which way, Sir?"

And as the captain couldn't hear the sailor's question because of the roaring waves, the latter repeated it and tried to make himself quite plain:

"Is it northwards, southwards, eastwards or west­wards?"

"Oh! No!" answered the captain in a gloomy voice, "it's downwards...

 

8. The Hayseed and the Taxi Driver

It's a dark, cold, dreary, rainy night. The taxi driver hasn't had a single fare all day. When he goes by the entrance of the main railway station, he sees a young man from the country coming out, carrying two suitcases. Aha!" thinks the taxi driver, "here's an opportunity to make up for the rest of this bad day." He quickly parks the taxi and opens the door.

Driver: Where do you want to go, sir?

Hayseed: To the Continental Hotel.

When the taxi driver hears that, his hopes of a profitable trip vanish. The Continental Hotel is scarcely two blocks away. The most the hayseed will give him is fifty cents, which is the minimum fare. Only fifty cents. What bad luck! Then the idea of taking his passenger by a longer route occurs to him - a route that goes all around the city and then back to the Continental Hotel. This he does, and after a long time the taxi finally arrives at the entrance to the hotel.

Driver: You owe me fifteen dollars, sir.

Hayseed: What? Fifteen dollars? Do you take me for a fool? You're trying to cheat me.

D: How dare you accuse me...

H: You must think I don't know my way around!

D: But...

H: Only last week I took a taxi from the station to this hotel. I know how much the trip should cost!

D: Oh...oh...all right. Now...now look uh...

H: I have a notion to call the police.

D: Oh, no! Please don't do that! I have a sick wife and four hungry children.

H: All right! This time I'll let it go.

D: Oh, thank you, sir. And you're right. The trip is not worth fifteen dollars...

H: You don't have to tell me that. I may come from the country, but I'm as smart as you city folks, and I know how much the trip ought to cost.

D: Yes, sir.

H: I just won't be cheated. I won't pay you a cent more than I paid the other taxi last week...thirteen dollars!