Unit 1 WHAT DO YOU LOOK LIKE?

Unit 1 WHAT DO YOU LOOK LIKE?

In this unit we are going to learn how to give a physical description of a person.

Part I

Vocabulary

Study the words and word-combinations you can’t do without:

AGE

young

middle-aged

old

elderly

in his/her teens/ 20’s/30’s/forties//fifties etc

in his/her early/mid-/late teens/twenties/thirties/40’s/50’s etc

under/over/about/nearly 20/ thirty/forty etc

in his /her prime

past his/her prime

in the prime of youth/life

to be of age/to come of age/to be under age

to be the same age (as)

to look one’s age

to look more/less (older/younger) than one’s age

 

VOCABULARY NOTES

middle-aged adj between the ages of forty and sixty, e.g. He is only 24, but he behaves as if he is already middle-aged.

elderly adj (of a person) old; elderly is a polite way of saying old. e.g. My father is rather elderly now and can’t walk very fast.

in his /her teens between the ages of 13 and 19, e.g. She is in her teens. Mary is in her early teens.(=about 13-14 years old) I am in my mid-teens. (=about 15 years old) He is in his late teens. (=about 16-19 years old)

in his/her/their twenties aged from 20 to 29, e.g. She has three sons, all in their twenties.

under 20/30/50etc younger than stated, e.g. Children of nine or under must be accompanied by an adult. He is just under 40.

over 20/30/50 etc older than stated, e.g. children of seven and over (=older)/ He is over 90.

in your prime at the time in your life when you are strongest and most active, e.g. She is 40 now and still in her prime. She is still good-looking, but she is past her prime.

to be/ come of age to reach the particular age, usually 18 or 21, at which one becomes responsible in law for one’s own actions, e.g. Has your son come of age yet? (= Is he of age yet?)

to be under age to be too young to legally drink, drive a car, vote etc,e.g. You can’t drive a car yet - you’re still under age.

 

EXERCISES

I. Give English equivalents of the following Russian words and word-combinations:

Старый; пожилой; молодой; среднего возраста; немногим за двадцать; нет еще тридцати; около пятидесяти; несовершеннолетний; в расцвете жизненных сил; на закате лет; выглядеть на свой возраст; выглядеть моложе/ старше своего возраста; быть одного возраста; достичь совершеннолетия.

 

II. Match the expressions on the left with those on the right:

1. He’s 14. a) He is in his late teens.

2.He’s 28. b) He’s in his early forties.

3.He’s 35. c) He’s fairly elderly.

4. He’s 48. d) He’s in his mid-thirties.

5. He’s 42. e) He’s in his early teens.

6- He’s 85. f) He’s middle-aged.

7. He’s 19. g) He’s in his late twenties.

 

III. Point out the sentences in exercise II of which the following statements can be true:

1. He has just come of age. 2. He’s still under age. 3. He’s in the prime of youth. 4. He’s in the prime of life. 5. He’s already past his prime.

 

IV. Use these words to complete the expressions with ‘age’ below:

same less (younger) look as

under more (older) of (2 times) than

 

1. Our son is the _____ age _____ the boy next door. They’re in the same class.2. Is their daughter _____ age yet? - No, she is still ____ age. She’ll come ____ age next year. 3. She doesn’t ____ her age. 4. Every woman wants to look ____ than her age. 5. Hardships make people look ____ than their age. 6. You’re not really 50, are you? I don’t believe it. You look less _____ your age.

 

V. Read the short conversations and match the phrases in bold type with the meanings below.

Disagreement 2.Surprise 3.Doubt

a)

- How old is Johnny Depp?

- What Johnny Depp?

- Johnny Depp, an actor.

- Well, I’m not sure … He might be about 40.

b)

- Do you know that Madonna is in her fifties?

- Is she really? I can’t believe it!

- Yes, she is 55 this year.

 

c)

- Lady Gaga is in her forties, I suppose.

- Actually, she is under thirty.

 

VI. Practise the dialogues in Exercise V for good reading and learn them by heart.

 

VII. Make up short conversations of your own. Follow the given models (a), (b) and (c). Make use of the phrases in bold type.

VIII. Read the conversation and pay attention to the meanings it expresses (e.g. agreement, disagreement, doubt, surprise etc.)

- Have you heard of Meryl Streep?

- What Meryl Streep?

- Meryl Streep, an American actress.

- Of course, I have.

- Do you know how old she is?

- Well, I’m not sure … She might be in her forties.

- Actually, she is over 60.

- Is she really? I can’t believe it.

- Yes, she is 64.

- Anyway, she looks much younger, doesn’t she?

- No doubt, she does.

 

IX. Think of a new dialogue in which the speakers express their surprise, agreement, disagreement etc. about someone’s age. Get ready to act it out.

 

BUILD

 

fat

stout

plump

overweight

well-built

stocky

thin

slim

skinny

lanky

of small/medium/powerful/athletic build

broad-shouldered

 

VOCABULARY NOTES

build n [C; U] shape and size, especially of the human body, e.g. a powerful build/ My brother and I are of the same build. We can also use the word figure, when we consider the human shape from the point of view of being attractive, e.g. She has a good figure.

 

fat adj weighing too much because you have too much flesh on your body. It is a very direct word. You might use it about yourself but it will usually cause offence if you use it about somebody else, e.g. I’m so fat at the moment. Syn. stout, plump, overweight. Saying that somebody is stout, plump, or overweight is more polite than saying they are fat. e.g. He is slightly overweight. She is 10 kilos overweight. He was a plump red-faced man. My teacher was a stout old lady. Plump is often used to talk about women and children meaning fat and rounded in a pleasant way, e.g. a plump baby/ The nurse was a cheerful plump woman.

well-built adj having a big strong body. It is a fairly polite way to describe somebody with a large, strong or fat body, e.g. John was a powerful, well-built man.

stocky adj thic k, short and strong, e.g. He was short and stocky.

thin adj having little fat on the body. It is a general word and is usually, but not always, disapproving, e.g. thin arms/legs/lips etc She looked thin after her illness. Teenage girls all seem to want to be thin. Syn. slim, skinny, lanky. Slim means thin in an attractive way, e.g. her lovely slim figure/ a slim young woman/ a slim waist/ I wish I were as slim as you. Skinny is a fairly informal word meaning very thin, which is usually disapproving, e.g. Some supermodels are far too skinny. Lanky means tall and thin and moving awkwardly, e.g. a lanky young man

 

EXERCISES

I. Match the pairs of sentences with the pictures:

1. He isn't very tall.

He's short and stocky.

 

2. She's tall and slim.

She's got a lovely figure.

 

 

3. He's quite a big guy.

He's quite well-built.

 

4. She's a bit overweight.

She's quite plump, isn't she?

 

5. He's very fat.

He's absolutely
enormous.

 

6. He's very thin.

He's so skinny.

 

II. Transcribe and translate the words:

Build, stout, medium, athletic, broad-shouldered, fat, overweight, lanky.

 

III. Give English equivalents of the following Russian words:

статный, пухленький, толстый, полный, худой, стройный, долговязый, тощий, широкоплечий, коренастый

IV. Decide whether these statements are true or false:

1. Lanky means ungracefully tall and thin. 2. Slim people are short and plump. 3. Skinny means unattractively thin. 4. Someone who is stout is rather fat and heavy. 5. Well-built means small and well-proportioned. 6. An overweight person weighs more than is expected or usual. 7. If a person has a big strong body, he is fat. 8. Plump people look fat and unattractive. 9. Someone who is stocky is tall and strong.

V. Choose the right word:

1. Skinny / slim is more positive and attractive than thin. 2. If somebody is skinny / slim they are too thin. 3. Saying that somebody is fat / overweight is neutral and polite. 4. Plump / well-built people are strong and muscular. 5. Tom looks really pale and thin / slim. I’m worried he might be ill. 6. He’s two kilos stout / overweight. 7. Ann is slim / lanky and graceful.

HEIGHT

 

1.7 m/4 ft 7 inches tall/ in height

of medium/ average height

below/ above average height

tall/ tallish

short/ shortish

VOCABULARY NOTES

height /hait/ n [C; U] the quality or degree of being tall or high; high /hai/ adj; e.g. His height makes him easy to see in the crowd. What’s the height of the Empire State Building? High is used to describe something that is a long way above the ground (or whose top is a long way above the ground), e.g. The rooms on the ground floor have very high ceilings. The top shelf was too high for me to reach. The high wall made it impossible for prisoners to escape. Ant. low, e.g. a low ceiling/shelf/wall etc Tall( not high) is used to describe people, animals, trees, plants and things which are narrow and above average height, e.g. Most of the tall trees have been cut down. I’d like to marry someone tall with a sense of humour. He is almost 6 feet tall. Ant. short, small, e.g. a short (small) woman

Note that in Russia we use the metric system and express a person’s height in centimetres and metres,e.g. He’s over 1 metre80 centimetres in height. (1 metre 80) British people measure height in feet and inches, e.g. He’s 4 feet7 inches tall. (4 ft 7)

1 foot is equal to 30,5 centimetres/ 1 inch is equal to 25,4 millimetres

EXERCISES

I. Transcribe and translate the words: height, average, below, above.

II. Express the height of these people in metres and centimetres:

1. He’s 5 ft 7 tall. 2. He’s 6 ft 3 tall. 3 He is 4 ft 7 tall.

III. Answer the questions:

1. What is your height? (in centimetres/ in feet) 2. How tall is your friend? Is he shorter or taller than you? How many centimetres/ inches shorter or taller is he? 3. Do you know many people who are below or above average height? 4. Who is the shortest/tallest person you know? How tall are they exactly? 5. How do you feel about your height? Would you like to be shorter or taller? Why? 6. Do you think it is good to be below/above average height? Give reasons.

 

Disapproval

Surprise

Disagreement (2)

Expressing your view

 

1)

- Who is your favourite actor?

- Robert Pattinson.

- Oh, what do you see in him? He’s so thin and frail.

- I wouldn’t say that. In my opinion, he’s quite well-built.

- You are joking!

2)

- Have you heard of Rene Zelveger?

- That plump girl with chubby cheeks?

- Yes, but she’s lost weight and she’s slim now.

- Fancy that!

3)

- Have you seen Chris Hemsworth’s latest film?

- What Chris Hemsworth?

- That tall, athletic-looking guy starring as Thor. He’s so gorgeous!

- Nothing to write home about.

 

APPEARANCE

 

beautiful

handsome

pretty

lovely

good-looking

attractive

plain

ugly

funny(-looking)

weird(-looking)

noble(-looking)

VOCABULARY NOTES

beautiful adj extremely attractive to look at; Syn. pretty, handsome, good-looking, attractive, lovely. Beautiful is a much stronger word to describe a person’s appearance than pretty, lovely, handsome, good-looking or attractive. Beautiful, pretty and lovely can be used of women, children, and things, but not usually of men, e.g. a beautiful woman/ house; a pretty child/ picture; a lovely girl/ view etc. Handsome is usually used of men, but a handsome woman is good-looking in a strong healthy way. Good-looking can be used of men and women, but not usually of things. Attractive can be used of men, women, and things, e.g. an attractive young man/ an attractive pattern.

plain adj not beautiful or attractive, often used because you want to avoid saying this directly, e.g. Mrs Cookson was a rather plain woman.

ugly adj extremely unattractive and unpleasant to look at, e.g. a very ugly man/ the ugliest building in town; ugly is the most negative word to describe somebody; plain is more polite.

 

EXERCISES

I. Translate and transcribe the words:

Beautiful, handsome, pretty, lovely, good-looking, attractive, plain, ugly, funny-looking,

weird-looking, noble-looking.

 

II. Give English equivalents of the following Russian words and word-combinations:

Хорошенькая, красивая, милая, привлекательный, красивый, приятной наружности, некрасивый, безобразный, благородной / странной наружности.

 

HAIR COLOUR

black

brown

red

fair

auburn

blond(e)

grey (gray)

white

dark

mousy (mousey)

dyed

highlighted

a blonde

a brunette

a redhead

 

 

VOCABULARY NOTES

Your hair can be fair (blond or light brown) or dark (dark brown or black) in colour. E.g. She had long fair hair. He was a slim, dark-haired boy. If your hair is mousy (= mousey), it is a dull light brown colour (the word mousy shows disapproval) E.g. Her mousy hair was loose and untidy.

When a person gets old their original hair colour changes to grey (=gray) before it becomes white. E.g. She had dark hair that was just beginning to turn grey. My grandfather went white at the age of thirty.

If your hair is highlighted, you have changed some of its parts in colour. If all your hair is changed in colour, it is dyed. E.g. She’s got dyed blonde hair.

Note that you can say ‘She’s a redhead ” but you can’t say “She’s a blackhead” or a “blondehead” etc. Instead, you should say “She’s a brunette ” or a “ blonde ”.

EXERCISES

I. Transcribe and translate the words:

Hair colour, black, brown, fair, auburn, blonde, white, mousy, dyed, highlighted, brunette, redhead.

 

II. Arrange these hair colours from the fairest to the darkest:

black, blonde, dark brown, auburn, light brown, mousy, red

 

III. Give English equivalents of the following Russian words:

светлые, белокурые, русые, темные, рыжие, золотисто-каштановые, седые, крашеные, мелированные (волосы)

IV. Decide whether these statements are true or false:

1. If your hair is white, it is dyed. 2. Light brown hair is fair. 3. If your hair is grey, it is mousy. 4. Auburn hair is lighter in colour than black hair. 5. Blond hair is white. 6. Mousy hair looks attractive. 7. Redheads don’t have a natural hair colour. 8. Light brown hair looks the same as red hair. 9. Old people usually have grey or white hair. 10. Dyed hair can’t be brown in colour.

 

 

HAIRSTYLE

long

short

(of) medium length

shoulder-length

straight

wavy

curly

thin

thick

sleek

spiky

neat

tidy/untidy

loose

swept / tied back

a fringe

a parting

a plait

a ponytail

a bun

dreadlocks

shaved

bald / balding

thinning

receding

to put/wear your hair in a bun/

in a ponytail/loose/in plaits etc

 

VOCABULARY NOTES

 

shoulder-length adj shoulder- length hair reaches down to your shoulders, e.g. She had shoulder-length brown hair.

thick adj if someone’s hair is thick, they have a lot of hair, e.g. She ran her fingers through her thick brown hair. Ant. thin, e.g. Your hair is getting very thin.

thin v [I] if someone’s hair is thinning, they have less hair than they used to, e.g. a tall man with thinning hair

sleek adj straight, shiny and healthy-looking, e.g. a young man with sleek dark hair

spiky adj hair that is spiky is stiff and stands up on top of your head, e.g. short black spiky hair

neat adj carefully arranged and looking nice; Syn. tidy; Ant. untidy, e.g. His hair was pulled back into a neat ponytail.

loose adj hanging freely rather than being tied back, e.g. Her hair fell loose around her shoulders.

fringe n [C] short hair that hangs down over your forehead, e.g. a tall girl with straight brown hair and a fringe / The girl wore her hair in a fringe.

parting n [C] BrE the line on your head made by dividing your hair with a comb, e.g. a centre parting / a side parting

bun n [C] a hairstyle in which a woman’s hair is tied in a tight round ball at the back of or on top of her head

dreadlocks n [pl] a way of arranging your hair in which it hangs in thick pieces that look like rope

shave v [I, T] your hair is shaved if it is cut off very close to the skin

balding adj (used of a man) beginning to lose the hair on the top of their head, e.g. a balding man in his mid-thirties

bald adj (used of a man or his head) someone who is bald or whose head is bald has little or no hair on the top of their head, e.g. a bald man / You are going bald. He has a large bald patch.

recede v [I] (used of a man or his hair) if your hair recedes, you gradually lose the hair at the front of your head, e.g. He was in his mid-forties, with a receding hairline. He’s receding a bit. His hair is receding at the temples.

EXERCISES

 

I. Transcribe and translate the words:

Hairstyle, medium length, shoulder-length, straight, wavy, curly, sleek, spiky, neat, tidy, untidy, loose, fringe, plait, ponytail, bun, dreadlocks, bald, receding,

II. Match the descriptions to the pictures:

short hair

curly hair

long hair

bald

wavy hair

shoulder-length hair

 

III. Match the hair styles to the pictures:

 

A ponytail a fringe a centre parting a side parting tied back dreadlocks spiky shaved

 

IV. Give English equivalents of the following Russian words:

лысый, лысеющий, с залысинами на висках, с хвостом, с пучком, с косами, с челкой, с пробором, волосы до плеч, распущенные (волосы), зачесанные назад, прямые, волнистые, кудрявые, лоснящиеся, густые, редкие, редеющие, чистые, грязные.

 

V. Decide whether these sentences are true or false:

1. If your hair is sleek, it looks good. 2. Spiky hair doesn’t look neat. 3. Young girls like to put their hair in a bun. 4. Elderly ladies prefer to wear their hair in dreadlocks. 5. Nowadays women are not allowed to wear their hair loose in public places. 6. If your hair is receding, you are losing the hair on the top of your head. 7. Men don’t usually wear their hair tied back.

8. A person’s hair thins with age.

FACE

thin

long

round

square

oval

prominent

high cheekbones

a high/low forehead

a wide/ narrow forehead

a long/short nose

a large/small nose

a snub/ turned-up nose

a straight nose

a hooked nose

a pointed nose

thin lips

full lips

pursed lips

a small/large mouth

a vivid mouth

a cleft chin

a double chin

a pointed chin

a jutting chin

a receding chin

 

VOCABULARY NOTES

square adj if somebody’s body or a part of their body is square, it looks broad and strong,

e.g. a square jaw/face

prominent adj something that is prominent is large and sticks out, e.g. a prominent feature/ nose/chin; prominent cheekbones/teeth

cheekbone n [C usually pl] one of the two bones above your cheeks, just below your eyes,

e.g. She had high cheekbones and green eyes.

forehead n [C] the part of your face above your eyes and below your hair, e.g. a man with

a high forehead

a snub nose is short and points slightly upwards, e.g.She had an interesting face with a snub nose and large appealing eyes. Syn. a turned-up nose (= an upturned nose)

full lips are large and rounded in an attractive way, e.g. Her full red lips parted in a faint smile. Ant. thin lips

pursed lips are brought together tightly into a small circle, especially to show disapproval or doubt; purse(up) your lips, e.g. She pursed her lips and shook her head. Her little mouth was pursed up tight.

vivid adj very bright in colour, e.g. a vivid mouth

cleft chin n [C] a cleft chin has an area on it that goes slightly inwards

double chin n [C] a fold of loose skin between the face and neck that looks like a second chin

pointed adj having a sharp end, e.g. a pointed nose/chin/beard

a jutting chin is further forward than normal; Ant. a receding chin

receding chin n[C] a chin that slopes backwards

EXERCISES

I. Transcribe and translate the words:

Round, square, oval, cheekbones, forehead, narrow, snub, turned-up, straight, hooked, pointed, pursed, mouth, vivid, cleft, double, pointed, chin, jutting.

II. Match the words below to the parts of the head and face in the pictures:

hair

eyebrow

eyelid

cheek

lips

teeth

neck

moustache

forehead

eyelashes

nose

mouth

tongue

chin

beard

ear

 

СOMPLEXION

 

pale/fair

sunburned (sunburnt)

suntanned (tanned)

dark/brown/black

fair-skinned

olive-skinned

dark-skinned

oriental

healthy/ruddy

unhealthy/sallow

VOCABULARY NOTES

 

complexion n [C] the skin on a person’s face, e.g. a pale/fair/ruddy etc complexion / He said I had a good complexion. Compare: skin n [U], e.g. She had dark skin.

pale adj having a skin colour that is very white; Syn. fair, e.g. If you are fair-skinned, you should try to stay out of the sun.

sunburned (sunburnt) adj having skin that is attractively brown as a result of spending time in the sun; Syn. brown; suntanned (tanned), e.g. He had a tough tanned face and clear eyes.

dark adj if your skin is dark, it is brown or black in colour, e.g. The young man had thick black hair and smooth dark skin. Ant. fair

black adj someone whose skin is black belongs to a race of people from Africa, e.g. Over half the students are black. Ant. white. We say that people are black or white but not black-skinned or white-skinned. We can say people are dark-skinned or fair-skinned. We sometimes say that somebody has got a pale complexion or that they are pale-skinned but if we just say that somebody is pale or looks pale, it is because they aren’t feeling very well.

olive adj olive skin/ complexion is typical of people from countries such as Greece, Italy, or Turkey

oriental adj of or from the eastern part of the world, especially China or Japan

ruddy adj reddish in colour usually because of good health, anger or hard work, e.g. ruddy cheeks/ a ruddy complexion

sallow adj sallow skin looks slightly yellow and unhealthy, e.g. a woman with dark hair and a sallow complexion

EXERCISES

I. Transcribe and translate the words:

Pale, fair, sunburned, suntanned, fair-skinned, olive, oriental, healthy, ruddy, sallow.

II. Give English equivalents of the following Russian words and word-combinations:

цвет лица; бледная/ светлая/ темная кожа; загорелая/ коричневая/ смуглая/ желтая кожа; румяная/ здоровая/ нездоровая/ с желтоватым оттенком кожа

III. Match the synonyms:

1. brown a) negro

2. ruddy b) unhealthy

3. sallow c) tanned

4. pale d) healthy

5. black e) fair

 

IV. Decide whether these sentences are true or false:

1. If you sunbathe a lot, your skin becomes black. 2. People from China are usually olive-skinned. 3. If you are pale, you may be unwell. 4. Fair skin is very pale and burns easily in the sun. 5. You can have a ruddy complexion when you are excited. 6. People from Africa are dark-skinned. 7. Russian people are mostly fair-skinned. 8. A sallow complexion is a sign of good health.

EYES

 

big/large/small

kind/warm

round/oval

blue/grey/green

brown/hazel

close-set/wide-set

deep-set/bulging

almond/oriental/slanted

cross-eyed/slant-eyed

long/ thick/curving eyelashes

thin/thick/bushy/arched eyebrows

 

VOCABULARY NOTES

warm adj kind and friendly in a way that makes other people feel comfortable, e.g. warm eyes/ a warm voice/ a warm smile. Ant. cold

hazel adj greenish-brown in colour

close-set adj near to each other, e.g. close-set eyes/ close-set teeth; Ant. wide-set

wide-set adj far apart on the face, e.g. wide-set eyes

deep-set eyes seem to be a long way back into your face

bulging adj sticking out in a round shape, e.g. His eyes were bulging wide with fear.

almond eyes are brown in colour and shaped like almonds (= flat pale nuts with brown skin that taste sweet)

oriental eyes are the kind of eyes that people from the eastern part of the world have, especially people from China or Japan

slanted adj sloping, at an angle that is not 90 degrees, e.g. her slightly slanted eyes

cross-eyed adj (used of a person) having eyes that look towards each other

slant-eyed adj (used of a person) having slanted eyes

 

eyelash n [ C usually plural] one of the hairs along the upper and lower edges of your eyes, e.g. She was wearing false eyelashes.

curving adj bending like part of a circle, e.g. She had beautiful long curving eyelashes. Ant. straight

eyebrow n [C] the line of hairs above your eye, e.g. She raised her eyebrows in surprise.

bushy adj bushy hair or fur grows thickly, e.g. bushy eyebrows/ a bushy beard/ a bushy tail

arched adj forming a curved shape, e.g. an arched window/ arched eyebrow

 

TEETH

 

large/small

even/uneven

close-set/sparse

false

VOCABULARY NOTES

 

sparse adj apart from each other, e.g. his sparse yellow teeth; Ant. close-set

even adj similar in size and arranged in a level line with equal spaces between, e.g. She smiled, showing her small even teeth. Ant. uneven

false adj made to look like something real, e.g. false teeth/false hair/false eyelashes

 

FEATURES

 

small/large

regular/irregular

delicate/rough

stern

VOCABULARY NOTES

 

feature n [C usually plural] a part of somebody’s face, such as their eyes, nose etc, e.g. Her eyes were her best feature.

large features are big in size; Ant. small features

regular adj evenly shaped, with parts or sides of equal size, e.g. He is very handsome, with strong regular features. Ant. irregular

delicate adj attractive and graceful, e.g. She had fine delicate features. Ant. rough

stern adj serious and strict, and showing strong disapproval of somebody’s behaviour, e.g. stern features/ a stern look/a stern voice/ a stern expression

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES

 

a beard

a moustache

sideburns/whiskers

clean-shaven/unshaven

a scar

a birthmark

a mole/ a beauty-spot

a tattoo

with freckles/ with spots

with wrinkles/ with lines

with dimples in one’s cheeks

well made-up /heavily made-up

to wear/use/ put on make-up

VOCABULARY NOTES

 

beard n[C] hair that grows around a man’s chin and cheeks, e.g. his thick white beard

moustache n[C] hair that grows on a man’s upper lip, e.g. a tall man with a moustache/ He frowned and twirled his moustaches.

sideburns n [plural] hair that grows down a man’s cheeks; Syn. whiskers

clean-shaven adj with no hair on the lower part of the face, e.g. He used to have a moustache and beard, but now he is clean-shaven. Ant. unshaven

scar n[C] a permanent mark that is left on your skin after you have had a cut or wound, e.g. He has long hair and a scar under his left eye.

birthmark n [C] a permanent red or brown mark on the skin that some people are born with, e.g. Paul had a birthmark on his right cheek.

mole n [C] a small dark brown mark on the skin that is slightly higher than the skin around it; Compare: beauty spot n[C] a small dark mark on a woman’s face (used when you think it is attractive)

tattoo n [C] a picture or writing that is permanently marked on your skin, e.g. He has a tattoo of a snake on his left arm.

freckle n [C usually plural] freckles are small light brown spots on someone’s skin, especially on their face, which the sun can cause to increase in number and become darker, e.g. The girl had a lot of freckles on her nose and cheeks.

dimple n [C] a small hollow in someone’s cheek or chin that you can see when they smile, e.g. She’s got lovely dimples in her cheeks.

spot n[C] a small round red area on someone’s skin that shows that they are ill, e.g. Betty was very self-conscious about her spots. Syn. pimple, e.g. He knew that eating sweets causes pimples.

wrinkles n [C usually plural] lines on your face and skin that you get when you are old, e.g. Her face was a mass of wrinkles. Syn. lines, e.g. There were fine lines around her eyes.

make-up n[U] coloured substances that are put on your face to improve or change your appearance, e.g. heavy make-up/ eye make-up/ stage make-up/I don’t usually wear much make-up. Her hair looked untidy and she had no make-up on. She never uses eye make-up. If you have put on too much make-up you are heavily made-up. Ant. well made-up

EXERCISES

 

Transcribe and translate the following words:

a) eyes, warm, hazel, close-set, deep-set, bulging, almond, oriental, slanted, cross-eyed, curving eyelashes, bushy, arched eyebrows;

b) teeth, even, uneven, close-set, sparse, false;

c) features, regular, irregular, delicate, rough, stern;

d) distinguishing, beard, moustache, sideburns, whiskers, clean-shaven, unshaven, scar, birthmark, mole, beauty-spot, tattoo, freckles, wrinkles, lines, dimples, cheeks, heavily made-up.

 

II. Give English equivalents of the following Russian words and word-combinations:

правильные, тонкие, грубые, суровые, крупные, неправильные черты лица; частые, редкие, ровные, неровные зубы; карие, зеленовато-карие, зеленые, серые, голубые, близко посаженные, глубоко посаженные, выпученные, раскосые, миндалевидные, азиатские, добрые, ласковые глаза; длинные, густые, загнутые ресницы; тонкие, густые, кустистые, дугообразные брови; грим, морщины, прыщи, ямочки, веснушки, родинка, родимое пятно, бакенбарды, усы, борода, чисто выбритый, небритый, шрам, татуировка

 

III. Give the opposite of the following word-combinations:

regular features, even teeth, sparse teeth, large features, rough features, bulging eyes, wide-set eyes, small eyes. warm eyes, straight eyelashes, short eyelashes, bushy eyebrows, unshaven

 

A. B.

1. small a) hair

b) man

2. brown c) features

d) eyes

3. close-set e) complexion

f) eyelashes

4. thin g) teeth

h) eyebrows

V. Decide whether the following statements are true or false:

1. If you stay in the sun too long, you can get scars on your skin. 2. Dimples are considered unattractive. 3. Eating a lot of sweets causes moles. 4. No one can avoid lines and wrinkles as they get older. 5. Teenagers are usually proud of their spots. 6. Newborn babies have wrinkles on their skin. 7. You can easily get rid of your moles if you wish. 8. Some people are born with tattoos. 9. Girls in heavy make-up look attractive. 10. Oriental eyes are the kind of eyes that are usually narrow, slanted and dark blue. 11. When you say that a person has slanted eyes, you mean that they are cross-eyed.

 

V I. Read the short conversations and match the phrases in bold type with the meanings below.

CLOTHES

scruffy/shabby

worn-out/brand-new

smart/elegant

formal/informal/casual

conservative/traditional

fashionable/unfashionable

stylish/trendy

tight/close-fitting

loose/baggy

to dress smartly/elegantly/well/badly/tastefully

VOCABULARY NOTES

scruffy adj dirty and untidy, e.g. a scruffy old pair of jeans

shabby adj shabby clothes are untidy and in bad condition because they have been used for a long time, e.g. Hugh’s jacket was old and shabby.

worn-out adj too old or damaged to be used, e.g. a pair of old worn-out walking boots; Ant. brand-new, e.g. His clothes looked brand-new.

smart adj clean, formal and attractive

elegant adj attractive and designed well

casual adj intended for informal situations or occasions, e.g. casual shoes/ He felt more comfortable in casual clothes. Ant. formal; Syn. informal

conservative adj not very modern in style, e.g. a dark conservative suit; Syn. traditional

fashionable adj popular, especially for a short period of time; Ant. unfashionable

stylish adj fashionable and attractive, e.g. a stylish black suit; a stylish woman in her forties

trendy adj very fashionable, e.g. a trendy haircut; a trendy baseball cap

tight adj tight clothes fit your body very closely, especially in a way that is uncomfortable, e.g. tight jeans; My shoes were so tight that I could hardly walk. Syn. close-fitting Ant. loose, baggy, e.g. a loose sweatshirt; She was wearing jeans and a baggy T-shirt.

dress vi to wear a particular kind of clothes, e.g. Dress warmly if you are going out for a walk. One can dress casually/smartly/well/ badly/tastefully, e.g. I spend most of my time in the house with young children, so I dress casually.

dressed adj having your clothes on or wearing a particular type of clothes; smartly/well-/elegantly dressed, e.g. a very well-dressed young man/ She was dressed in a two-piece suit

EXERCISES

I. Transcribe and translate the words:

scruffy, shabby, worn-out, brand-new, smart, elegant, casual, conservative, traditional, fashionable, unfashionable, tastefully.

 

II. Give English equivalents of the following Russian words:

нарядная, элегантная, повседневная, модная, потрепанная, изношенная, неопрятная, строгая одежда

 

III. Match the adjectives in A with their synonyms in B:

 

A. B.

1. scruffy a. elegant

2. casual b. shabby

3. smart c. traditional

4. conservative d. informal

IV. Match the adjectives in A with their antonyms in B:

 

A. B.

1.worn-out a. fashionable

2. casual b. neat

3.scruffy c. untidy

4. conservative d. brand-new

5. smart e. formal

 

V. Complete the following dialogues with these words:

 

fashionable smart casual

worn-out scruffy dress well

 

1. - You’re looking very _______ today.

- Yes, I’m on my way to a job interview.

2. - You must spend a fortune on clothes.

- I don’t really, but I must admit I do like to ________.

3. - Will I have to wear a suit in the meeting?

- No, I expect most people will be wearing fairly _______ clothes.

4. - I need a new dress for this party but I don’t know what colour to choose.

- Well, pink is supposed to be _______ at the moment, isn’t it? It’s this season’s colour.

5. - Why are you throwing that jacket out?

- It’s ________. Look, it’s got a hole under the arm and most of the buttons are missing!

6. - I like your new trousers. They are very smart.

- Well, I start my new job tomorrow and I can’t wear _______ old jeans. Everyone there is very well-dressed.

VI. Translate the following sentences into English:

 

1.Моя сестра не любит одеваться нарядно, потому что чувствует себя более удобно в повседневной одежде. 2. Он вздрогнул, когда увидел невероятно худую женщину с растрепанными седыми волосами, морщинистым лицом, в грязном плаще и стоптанных ботинках. Он узнал в ней свою мать. 3. Этот артист всегда появляется на публике в старых потрепанных джинсах и безвкусном дешевом гриме. 4. Ее мать – консервативно одетая женщина, невысокого роста, полная, с темными волосами и серыми глазами. Дочь совсем на нее не похожа. Она – модно одетая высокая блондинка, очень стройная, с большими голубыми глазами, темными бровями и ресницами. У нее большой, но красивый рот, прямой нос и прекрасный цвет лица. 5. Мой сосед был высокий худой мужчина лет пятидесяти. Его лицо было не очень привлекательным. У него был крупный нос, небольшие темные раскосые глаза и тонкие губы. Однако, когда он говорил и улыбался, лицо его сразу же становилось очень приятным. 6. Это была элегантно одетая пожилая женщина лет шестидесяти, с седеющими волосами, довольно полная, но все еще красивая. 7. Наш новый коллега оказался человеком приятной наружности с вьющимися светло-русыми волосами, глубоко-посаженными карими глазами и доброжелательной улыбкой. Он был чисто выбрит и одет с иголочки. 8. Девочка была прелестна с ее румяными щечками, белокурыми кудряшками, голубыми глазами и вздернутым носиком.

Additional Vocabulary

Dress

Pinafore dress

Nightdress/nightgown

Dressing gown/bathrobe

Pijamas

Suit/skirt suit

Jacket

Short skirt/ gathered skirt/mini/skirt/sarong

Blouse

Top

T-shirt

Polo shirt

Sweater

Jumper

Sweatshirt

Cardigan

hoody

Twin set

Pullover

Shorts/trunks

Trousers/pants

Cargo pants

Dungarees

Sweatpants

Tights

Leggings

Jeans

Stockings

Swimsuit/bikini

Three-piece-suit

Waistcoat/vest

Overcoat/fur coat/raincoat

Leather /denim jacket

Anorak

Parka

Gloves/mittens

Scarf

Tie/bow tie

Cravat

Bandana

Hat/cap

 

v The general word for what you wear is Clothes ( pl) or Clothing (fml).

e.g. A piece of clothes/ clothing

 

Outfit - is a set of clothes that you wear together especially for a particular occasion or purpose.

 

You can:

Wear smth

Have smth on

Be dressed (in smth )

e.g. He was wearing a sweater and jeans.

She had her new dress on.

Why aren’t you dressed yet?

 

v We dress up for a party or a formal occasion. The clothes you wear when you dress up, are called fancy clothes.

e.g. a fancy dress party

 

*If you dress too smartly or too formally, you overdress.

 

v When you put on your clothes, you get dressed.

When you take off your clothes, you get undressed.

If you change your clothed you get changed.

e.g. I came home and changed out of my casual clothes / into my new dress.

 

If a piece of clothing isn’t too big or too small – it fits you.

If it looks good on you – it suits you.

Fasting clothes:

To do smth up

To fasten smth

To undo smth

To button smth up/To unbutton smth

To zip smth up/ unzip smth

EXERCISES

Part II

Reading

Reading I

 

1. Look at the following extracts of written language and match them to their sources below:

a) Small, slim, blue-eyed blond, GSH, early 30’s WLTM hunky male 28 – 38 for fun and friendship. Call me on 09765-567892.

b) The first man was small and wiry, with sharp, strong features. Behind him walked his opposite, a huge man, with wide shoulders: and he walked heavily, dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws.

c) The police are looking for a man of average height and medium build in his mid-twenties. He was last seen wearing a dark green or grey anorak.

d) The tallest man in medical history is Robert Pershing Wadlow who was born on 22nd February 1918 in Illinois, USA, and who died on 15th July 1940 in Michigan. He was last measured on 27th June 1940 and was found to be 272cm tall.

 

1. An extract from a novel.

2. An extract from a newspaper report.

3. An extract from the Guinness Book of Records.

4. An advertisement in a lonely hearts section of a newspaper.

 

What do you think WLTM and GSH mean?

 

2. Which of the people in Exercise 1 (a – d) answer the following descriptions?

(In some cases more than one answer is possible)

1) with noticeable features

E.g. 1 - b (with sharp, strong features)

2) below medium height

3) broad-shouldered

4) fair- haired

5) 8 ft11 inches tall

6) medium height

7) a little over 30

8) thin and muscular

9) about 25

10) enormous

Reading II

Read the extract and guess what creature is described:

I suppose____ need some description nowadays, since they have become rare and shy of the Big People, as they call us. They are (or were) a little people, about half our height, and smaller than the bearded dwarves. ____ have no beards. There's little or no magic about them, except the ordinary everyday sort which helps them to disappear quietly and quickly when large stupid folk like you and me come blundering along, making a noise like ele­phants which they can hear a mile off. They are inclined to be fat in the stomach, they dress in bright colours (chiefly green and yellow), wear no shoes, because their feet grow natural leathery sole and thick brown hair like the stuff on their heads (which is curly), have long clev­er brown fingers, good-natured faces, and laugh deep fruity laughs (especially after dinner, which they have twice a day when they can get it). Now you know enough to go on with.

- think of your own riddles of the kind for your group-mates to puzzle out.

Reading III

Read the texts and say what idea unites them.

What is Beauty?

When you look in the mirror, do you like what you see? Chances are you’ve got a feature or two that could be improved – after all, nobody’s perfect. But how far would you go to be more attractive?

A recent survey found that it’s no longer just women who want to become more beautiful: men are quickly catching up. In Britain, for example, 34 per cent of men are not satisfied with their bodies.

And if creams and lotions can’t do the trick, both sexes are increasingly ready to submit to the surgeon’s knife in search of perfection.

The world record for plastic surgery is held by Cindy Jackson – who has had more than 20 operations to redesign herself from top to toe. She has spent 55,000 pounds over eight years to achieve the Barbie Doll look, and considers it money well spent. “Now I can cross the street whenever I want to because male drivers will always stop to look at my figure.”

Research shows that beautiful people get a better deal. Small babies prefer to look at them, teachers are kinder to them and even mothers pay more attention to their prettier children. At school attractive children are punished less and often get higher marks for same work.

Every day, we are bombarded with beautiful faces. They smile at us from advertising hoardings, TV screens and magazines. Their perfect smiles, flawless cheekbones and wide eyes fuel the multi-billion-dollar beauty industry.

But what exactly is beauty? For centuries men – it usually was men – have tried to come up with a mathematical formula for beauty. The ancient Greeks thought the number three was the answer – a beautiful face was one that could be divided into three exactly equal parts, hairline to eyebrows, eyebrows to mouth, and finally mouth to chin.

The Victorians believed that a face with great beauty possessed the average features of all other faces. However, this has now been debunked by recent research which found that the most attractive faces have higher cheekbones, a thinner jaw and larger eyes relative to the size of the face than an average one.

Dr Alfred Linney at University College Hospital measured the faces of models and has found out that there’s no such thing as “the” beautiful face. Instead the features of models turn out to be just as varied as everyone else’s. “Some have teeth that stick out,” he says, “others have a jutting chin. There was no one ideal of beauty that was closer to others. In fact, there were some with features that could normally make them candidates for cosmetic surgery!”

Another survey shows that all sorts of non-standard looks still count as beautiful. Just think of Gerard Depardien.

The truth is that when it comes to choosing a mate, beauty is still very much in the eye of the beholder. Some of us make the oddest choices.

So the message is: if you’ve got it flaunt it – but if you haven’t, just make the most of what you’ve got.

 

What is in Your Appearance?

“If you are tall, people expect you to be strong, even though toy might feel a complete wimp.”

(Amanda Streeter, artist)

 

“If you are small you’re landed with a “sweet image”. I am constantly having to work harder in order to be taken seriously.”

(Karen Evennett, journalist)

 

“I’ve never come to terms with being fat because I’ve never considered there was anything to come to terms with. I like being fat. What I get truly angry about is the lack of choice in clothes for fat women.

There are a lot of men around who genuinely prefer big women. Many of the nasty comments actually come from thin women; they are so insecure that they simply have to turn on somebody else. Getting thin is not the way to attract a man. You must be loved for what you are, not for what someone wants you to be; otherwise you will end up always giving in, always trying to please.”

(Jackie Broad, actress)

 

“Society makes allowances for how men look because we feel they may have something else to offer. I am convinced that the same principles do not apply when we judge women; it is just no good a woman being brilliant or fascinating if she fails to measure up to society’s physical ideal. If you call a man fat, the insult just doesn’t have the same sting.”

(Bonetta Adamson, television producer)

 

“Nobody should be treated differently because of their size. Unfortunately, we are conditioned to believe that if you are a boy, you can’t be too tall, but as a girl, you most certainly can, and many girls become extremely self-conscious. Small is seen as “charming” and people often react positively to tiny girls in later life, however, small women may feel they have to compensate by working harder than their taller colleagues in order to prove themselves professionally.”

(Penelope Leach, psychologist)

Set-work

1. Read and translate the words:

a) complete, serious, genuinely, nasty, judge, fascinating, colleague, plastic, surgery, injection, collagen, advertising, tiny, to bombard, hoarding, equal, candidate, to vary, self-conscious, insecure.

b) insult, survey, increase.

 

2. Define the words:

a wimp

to compensate

to condition

to improve

to come to terms with

to catch up

to turn on

to submit

to treat

to debunk

brilliant

increasingly

to end up (doing)

flawless

to give in

to turn out

to apply

odd

to measure up to

to flaunt

 

3. Explain what is meant:

- to land with a “sweet image”

- to make allowances

- to get a better deal

- to do the trick

- to fuel the multi-billion-dollar industry

- to be bombarded with beautiful faces

- to have the same sting

- to make the most of smth

 

4. Answer the questions:

-What is the main idea which can unite the texts?

-Are people really treated differently because of their appearance? Find some proofs in the text.

- Do you approve of plastic surgery?

- Is it always necessary to change anything or is it a whim?

 

5. Comment on the sentences:

Part IV

Discussion

Part V

Writing

Unit II WHAT ARE YOU LIKE?

Part I

Study the words and word-combinations you can’t do without:

quiet/even-tempered/calm

talkative/sociable/friendly

reserved/shy

thoughtful/considerate/ thoughtless

moody/ miserable

lively/cheerful

amusing/boring

polite/rude

reliable/ dependable

sophisticated

aggressive/ ambitious

 

VOCABULARY NOTES

 

quiet adj 1. someone who is quiet always behaves in a calm and gentle way and is not easily made angry, upset, or excited; Syn. even-tempered, calm; 2. used about people who are not talking or who do not usually talk much; Ant. talkative; e.g. a quiet sensitive boy/ She is thoughtful, quiet and controlled.

calm adj relaxed and quiet, not angry, nervous, or upset, e.g. An hour after the accident, I was starting to feel calmer. | to stay/keep/remain calm I tried to stay calm and just ignore him.

reserved adj unwilling to express your emotions or talk about your problems, e.g. Ellen was a shy, reserved girl.

shy adj nervous and uncomfortable in the company of other people, e.g. a shy smile/ I’ve always been a bit shy.

thoughtful adj always thinking of the things you can do to make people happy or comfortable; Syn. considerate; Ant. thoughtless; e.g. Paul is very thoughtful. It was really very thoughtful of you to remember my birthday.

moody adj 1. annoyed or unhappy, e.g. He seemed moody all morning. Syn. miserable 2. often changing quickly from being in a good temper to being in a bad temper; e.g. a moody teenager/He was generally moody and unpredictable. Ant. even-tempered

sociable adj sociable people are friendly and enjoy talking to other people, e.g. a pleasant, sociable couple/ He is a sociable kind of man. Syn. talkative; Ant. unsociable

friendly adj behaving in a pleasant, kind, warm way, e.g. Russian people are generally believed to be very warm and friendly. Ant. unfriendly

lively adj very active, having a lot of energy, e.g. a lively group of students

cheerful adj tending to be happy most of the time, e.g. Stephen was a cheerful child. Syn. lively; Ant. moody, miserable

amusing adj funny and entertaining, e.g. Her husband is the most amusing person I’ve ever met.

Ant. boring

polite adj someone who is polite has good manners and behaves in a way that is socially correct, e.g. He is always polite and does the right thing. Ant. impolite/rude

reliable adj a reliable person is someone you can trust to behave well, work hard, or do what you expect them to do, e.g. Sarah is a charming and reliable person. You can depend on Max - he is very reliable. Syn. dependable; An