Read the story, determine its genre and entitle it.

Read the story, determine its genre and entitle it.

******************************************          The sun had three daughters: the eldest was Autumn, the middle was Summer, and the youngest was Spring. They led a cheerful life in their father's home. But then it was time to send them to the Earth. The Sun's children were to be the seasons. First to fly was Spring. She was so pretty in her youth that when sending her on her journey the Sun decided to make her a present of eternal youth. "People must like her," he thought. Three months later they sent Summer to the Earth, "You are a beauty!" said the Sun, saying good-bye, to his daughter. "I shall make you a present of eternal beauty." And at last itwas time for Autumn to leave her father's house. "Take all my wealth,'' the Sun told her. "I give you all the gold I have. Be kind, give people all you have, and people will love you." And on the other side of the world Winter, the only daugh­ter of Frost, was getting ready for her journey. She was also to become a season on the Earth. Her father worried about her. She was a very plain girl. She had no rich clothes. He couldn't make her any presents. Frost got together all the wealth he had and it was just a hand­ful of silver. And that was all Winter had when she stepped on to the Earth. It became very cold. The birds flew away. The water in the rivers soon turned into ice. People put on warm clothes and hurried to the shelter of their houses, where they closed the doors and windows. No one asked Winter into their houses. No one wanted to look at her. No one wanted to have anything to do with the plain and cold girl. Then she started to work. She made little snowflakes and tossed them to the sky, and the snowflakes started to fall slowly down on the Earth. The Earth was changing. Snow covered the fields. There was white snow on the trees and the houses. Winter wanted to make everything beautiful. It was hard work. But she did not feel tired. She was ready to give all she had to people. She threw all her silver on the Earth. The silver mixed with the snow and it began to sparkle.   Winter forgot about time. She did not see how the door of one house opened and a man came out and stopped in surprise. Everything was sparkling. The houses looked like ice palaces. The icicles were talking to each other like bells. And the drawings Winter made on the windows were like a work of art. Children were skiing and skating. All over the Earth people began to talk about Winter. They started to wait for her to come. They wanted every­thing to be as light and clear as it is on a sunny, snowy, win­ter day. They started singing songs about her and writing poems and music to her. But still Winter knew that when she was on the Earth people very often spoke of Spring, waited for Summer and placed their hopes on Autumn. And they were never sorry to say good-bye to Winter.

Vocabulary

eternal – вечный, wealth – богатство, plain – неприметный, невзрачный;

hand­ful - горстка, to step – ступать, shelter – укрытие, to have to do smth. with smb. - иметь скем-л. lело, to toss – подбрасывать, to place hopes on – возлагать надежды на, a palace – дворец, to mix – смешивать

Answer the questions:

1. Are all the four seasons of the same origin?(Do they have the same parent (father?))

2. Are the Seasons male or female characters in the story?

3. What is Spring’s magic power according to the fairy-tale?

4. What did father (the Sun) presented his middle daughter (Summer) with when he sent her to the Earth?

5. What was Autumn’s wealth?

6. What did Winter come onto the Earth with?

7. Were people glad to meet Winter? Why?

8. How did she win people’s hearts?

9.  How would you entitle this story?

10.  Do you feel about seasons the way it is described in the end of the fairy-tale?

 

Read the text about the seasons in New Zealand and note their peculiar features. Are they different from the seasons in your country?

Four Seasons

Since Maori - the indigenous people of New Zealand - named these islands as Aotearoa or 'the land of the long white cloud', the seasons have played a defining role in the lives of all New Zealanders.

New Zealand's varied geography changes as each season casts its own interpretation on the landscape, revealing spectacular adventure playgrounds for every recreational pursuit.

 

  Seasons in New Zealand Since Maori, the indigenous people of New Zealand, named these islands Aotearoa or 'land of the long white cloud', the seasons have been of paramount importance to New Zealanders, many of whom make their living on or from the land and sea. New Zealand has mild temperatures, moderately high rainfall and high sunshine hours throughout most of the country. The climate is dominated by two main geographical features, the mountains and the sea. It is subject to influences from east, west, south and north, and varies from day to day - it's not unusual to experience 'four seasons in a day' so visitors should be prepared for some variances. The changing seasons create a series of adventure playgrounds in the landscape for a vast range of leisure and sporting activities.   Spring in New Zealand Spring in New Zealand officially occupies the months of September, October, and November. After winter, spring brings a season of milder temperatures and a burst of growth as orchards and gardens blossom. It's a good time to get out and about, and experience New Zealand's prolific wildlife as the forest fills with birdsong and colonies of marine life - such as penguins and seals - come ashore to nurture their young.   Summer in New Zealand Summer in New Zealand takes over the months of December, January, and February. New Zealand's Christmas season is illuminated by the brilliant red blooms of the native 'Christmas tree' - the pohutukawa is a flowering coastal tree loved by birds and beach goers looking for a shady spot. Summer is the traditional time for holidays which many Kiwis spend relaxing at the family 'bach' or 'crib' - the local name for a holiday house. It's a time for outdoor pursuits, watersports and barbeques, and a long calendar of festivals from food and wine to music or sporting events.   Autumn in New Zealand Autumn in New Zealand stretches from March through to April and May. New Zealand most often experiences good weather during autumn as the countryside explodes into vibrant colours - gold, red and orange. With settled weather and cooler days, it’s the perfect time for experiencing New Zealand’s many cycling or walking tracks. Autumn is harvest time, and the opportunity to taste some of New Zealand's finest flavours at farmers' markets and vineyards throughout the regions.   Winter in New Zealand Winter in New Zealand kicks off in June, and runs through July and August. This is the time to hit the slopes as winter brings snow to the mountains of the North Island's Central Plateau and the great Southern Alps of the South Island - an alpine playground that's bigger than the European Alps. Elsewhere, in coastal areas, visitors can still expect to find milder temperatures and pleasant conditions for many other outdoor activities.     Ashburton Domain - in Canterbury - is picture perfect in spring with this natural floral archway of blossoming cherry trees. This beautiful garden park is also planted with roses, azaleas, rhododendrons, lilacs, maples, magnolias and conifers. Onetahuti Beach - on the Nelson Tasman coastline - is a camping spot on the Abel Tasman Coastal Track. The wide, golden beach has glow worm caves and a small estuary where visitors can watch wading sea birds in the water. Autumn colours take over this vineyard near Havelock North. In Hawke's Bay, the fertile Heretaunga plains and sunny climate combine to produce some of New Zealand's top red wines, fruit and a vast range of artisan foods. A memorial to local pioneers, the Church of the Good Shepherd rests on the shores of Lake Tekapo, in the Aoraki Mackenzie region. The church is sited so the altar window frames a magnificent view of the Southern Alps.

 

Determine the SEASONS:

Vegetation grows rapidly, nature returns to life, the thaw sets in, the snow turns to slush, a lilac bush, to emerge, to come out, to appear above the ground, to listen to the murmur of brooklets, sonorous streams, larks and blackbirds return from warm countries, trees burst into leaf, the snow begins to melt, а bud, trees in their young green, pink-white buds, a herald of spring, the rippling of brooks, newly fledged trees, the golden masses of golden-white jasmine, the bright riot of the twin lines of daffodils, snowdrops, tulips, crocus, mimosa, vernal equinox, Shrovetide, Mother’s Day, April Fool’s Day, May Day, birds build their nests, the beginning of the gardening season, the moist smells of new-ploughed earth and all the fresh green tilings pushing up to the air, apple trees are in blossom, Aries, the rivers and lakes are set free from icе.

 

Weather becomes sultry, the heat grows oppressive, the air gets stifling, Dust covers the grass and leaves.trees are in leaf, summer solstice, roses begin to blossom. The days are the longest, and the nights are the shortest, The river glittering in the sun is calling us and we go boating, bathing, fishing, most people go to the seaside, holiday of Ivan Kupala, to build sand castles on the seacoast, to surf, to go on a picnic, to pick up strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries and currants, to walk barefoot on the grass, to weal light clothes and bikini, to sunbathe, to lie in the sun, Leo, starfall, sea and sunshine, hot sunny days, a warm shower with a beautiful rainbow afterwards, tanned bodies, Trinity, peonies, forget-me-nots, camomiles, cornflowers, daisies.

 

The leaves turn yellow and reddish, most of the birds migrate to warm count-ries, the season of mist, windy and chilly days, when it often drizzles, a spell of sunny weather in October, Indian summer, golden shimmer of the foliage, scarlet bonfires melting in the morning fog, the melancholy of of gay-coloured leaves, bright colourful carpet of leaves, Halloweeen, aching tenderness of the falling leaves touching the surface of the lakes and rivers, sorrowful gray autumn sky, nostalgic hues and shadows of the passed away summer, it first gets cooler and then colder, webs flying in the air. The leaves begin to fall from the trees in a shower of gold and red, the harvest time, It often rains. pumpkins thick fog hangs along the quay, leaves flutter from elms, big barges full of yellow hay, chrysanthemums, Scorpio, the Day of Knowledge

 

15 degrees of frost, to freeze hard, to complain of cold, on a frosty morning, hoar-frost, the rivers and lakes are frozen over, the snow falls, icicles hang from the roofs of the houses, it first gets cooler and then colder. There are no flowers in the gardens. The leaves have gone from the trees. Frost paints all the trees silver. Snowflakes fall thick and fast. The ground is like iron and rings under people’s feet. playing snowballs, making snowmen and building snow-huts. As usual the roads are slippery. You can ski, skate, play hockey and toboggan. The frost sparkles on the branches. Santa comes tonight.Tinsel round the window bright. Gifts wrapped in Christmas paper, a scarlet-breasted robin on a leafless bough, cold wind burns my face, in a reindeer sled, sledge, to decorate a New Year tree, to wear a fur-coat, St Valentine’s Day, Aquarius.

 

Questions about nature

1. What is your favourite season? Why?

2. Do you like animals? What is your favourite animal? Why?

3. Do you keep pets? What are they? Why do people keep pets?

4. Do you often go to the forest? What do you like to do there?

5. Have you got a summer plot (cottage)? Do you like it? What do you do there?

6. Do you like to spend time in the open air? What outdoor activities do you like to pursue?

7. What would you prefer: to go for a walk in a fine weather or to watch an interesting movie?

8. What is your favourite weather in summer, spring? Autumn and winter?

9. What season would like to have now? Why?

10. What is your favourite natural phenomenon?

Can you forecast weather?

My Dreamland

     Turquoise Island

Turquoise Island is situated in the Atlantic Ocean South-East from Azores on the way to Italy. It is surrounded by warm turquoisewaters that’s why the climate is also warm and mild there. The landscape is wonderfully versatile: there are snow-capped mountains and crescent-shaped valleys, sparkling beaches and dense forests, crystal-clear lakes that reflect azure sky and the celestial blue horizon that welcomes and allures you.

The island is rich in magnificent flora and fauna. Edelweiss and high alpine flowers cover the grassy slopes. The purest waterfalls nourish the mountain streams. The fragrant meadows are bright with flowers: lavender, poppies, tulips, lilies-of-the-valley, daffodils, mallows, snapdragon, violets, forget-me-nots. Chestnut-trees, cypresses, banana- and coconut palms and olive groves invite you in their fairy-tale. Turquoise dragon-flies flutter over the sea-green lagoons and multicoloured butterflies fly over the flowers. Busy bees and bumble-bees, emerald and purple beetles, scarlet lady-birds, crickets and grasshopper s and other insects hum in the meadows and fields. From now and then you can hear piercing cicadas.

High up in the summer sky there soar falcons and eagles. Swallows and larks fly lower. Robins, nightingales, golden orioles, woodpeckers, waxwings, chaffinches, nuthatches, jays fill the forest with their marvellous descants. Owls live in the forest thickest and on the roof of the castle. Stork s and herons walk by the waterside. Swans and ducks float on the lanes. Sea mews fly just above the sea. Flamingos, ostriches and peacocks and pheasants live near the castle. You can find exotic birds in the tropical forest: sulphur-crested cockatoos, blue-and-yellow macaws, Sapphos, blue birds of paradise and calibri.

The waters are full of sea fauna: starfish, goldfish, jellyfish, sea-horses, octopuses, turtles, trout, eels, mussels, shrimps, lobsters. Tre are fantastic coral colonies around the island.

There are a lot of animal species that inhabit the island: jaguars, antelopes, rabbits, silver fox and red foxes, hares, mountain goats, bats, platypuses, anteaters, kangaroos, porcupines, weasels, squirrels llamas lynxes, raccoons, monkeys, musk oxen, horses, cheetahs, leopards, hamsters and many cats – in the jungle and in the castle. Some true courageous dogs guard the home – a beautiful castle build on the rock with a breath-taking view on the majestic sea. A yacht in the lagoon is awaiting you…

 

My Dreamland

My Dreamland ….. is situated in/on

It’s … (there)

There grow…

There live…

There fly….

There are (lakes, mountains, plains… etc) there.

The climate is …

You can… there.

It’s a special spot in the world (for me) because…

ANIMALS

Platypus anteater porcupine mole hedgehog armadillo bat llama tapir squirrel elk seal marten sable weasel musk ox raccoon lynx hyena baboon orangutan  otter guinea pig muskrat walrus lizard cheetah chameleon chamois  rhinoceros hippopotamus buffalo wolf mountain goat arctic fox polar bear leopard jaguar hamster antelope bison (red) fox silver fox hare rabbit

утконос муравьед дикобраз крот ёж армадилл, броненосец летучая мышь лама тапир белка лось тюлень куница соболь ласка овцебык енот рысь гиена бабуин, павиан орангутанг морская свинка выдра ондатра, выхухоль морж ящерица гепард хамелеон серна носорог гиппопотам буйвол волк горный козел песец полярный медведь леопард ягуар хомяк антилопа бизон лисица черно-бурая лиса заяц кролик

 

BIRDS

Swallow robin sparrow lark bullfinch thrush flamingo magpie tomtit starling rook crow swan duck (golden) oriole chaffinch woodpecker owl waxwing nightingale nuthatch quail grouse wood grouse partridge ostrich

Ласточка малиновка воробей жаворонок снегирь дрозд фламинго сорока синица скворец грач ворона лебедь утка иволга зяблик дятел сова свиристель соловей поползень перепел рябчик глухарь куропатка страус

stork heron peacock pheasant eagle kite seagull (sea mew) sulphur-crested cockatoo blue-and-yellow macaw sappho cardinal toucan jay falcon hawk goldfinch wagtail pelican pigeon dove lapwing emu penguin swift guinea fowl

аист цапля павлин фазан орёл коршун чайка желтогрудый какаду сине-жёлтый ара сафо птица-кардинал тукан сойка сокол ястреб щегол трясогузка пеликан голубь голубь, голубка чибис эму пингвин стриж цесарка

 

Insects		Sea fauna
Butterfly ladybird beetle worm glowworm, firefly caterpillar fly dragonfly ant silkworm spider grasshopper mayfly   moth   gnat midge mosquito aphid cockroach green locust cricket	Бабочка Божья коровка жук червь светлячок гусеница муха стрекоза муравей шелкопряд паук кузнечик подёнка (муха-однодневка) мотылек, ночная бабочка, моль комар комар, мошка комар, москит тля таракан зелёная саранча сверчок	Flounder, plaice cod herring perch pike sardine shark sturgeon mackerel tuna salmon octopus sea-horse jellyfish mussel shrimp lobster starfish eel trout turtle	камбала треска сельдь окунь щука сардина акула осётр скумбрия, макрель тунец лосось осьминог морской конёк медуза мидия креветка омар морская звезда угорь форель морская черепаха

 

Tasks:

A) Distribute the animals, birds, insects, sea fauna in the corresponding columns

 

animals	birds	insects	Sea fauna
Llama grasshopper seal silkworm starling squirrel moth shark spider octopus ant tomtit sturgeon rook jellyfish tapir oriole marten swan sable crow gnat duck mackerel chaffinch mayfly tuna weasel salmon elk sea-horse

 

B) Distribute the animals, birds, insects, sea fauna in the corresponding columns

 

animals	birds	insects	Sea fauna
musk ox glowworm nightingale cockroach woodpecker eel waxwing guinea-fowl trout raccoon aphid wood grouse lynx cricket turtle hyena mosquito baboon mussels guinea pig starfish peacock grasshopper lobster orangutan quail nuthatch dragonfly shrimp green locust owl

C) Distribute the animals, birds, insects, sea fauna in the corresponding columns

 

animals	birds	insects	Sea fauna
Herring platypus lark cod butterfly perch anteater caterpillar dolphin ladybird porcupine worm thrush pike mole glowworm dragonfly sparrow bat flamingo hedgehog magpie bullfinch swallow sardine armadillo plaice flounder robin beetle fly sable

D) Distribute the of animals, birds, insects, sea fauna in the corresponding columns

 

animals	birds	insects	Sea fauna
plaice mosquito arctic fox moth eagle mountain goat green locust falcon ostrich hamster gnat sea-horse cheetah mayfly tuna kite chamois mussels cricket jellyfish jaguar salmon aphid chameleon mackerel stork midge heron pheasant octopus seagull buffalo

 

A) Synonyms

to fly – to soar

strange – odd

under – below - beneath

countryside, village – rural (area)

still – calm

stillness – calmness

moist – damp

moisture – dampness

not to notice – to have no eye for

a quarrel – a feud

reluctantly – without a wish

hasty – in a hurry

a tide – a flow

Father Frost – Santa Claus

quick – fast

bleak – cold

to descend – to come down

to ascend – to come up

to commence – to appear

to recommence – to appear again

ebb – end

bare – naked

 

B) Antonyms

pale – bright

quiet – loud

below – above

thing – thick

slow – fast

dark – fair

cool – warm

to comfort – to disturb

 

 

Review the words.

a frog, a pool, fields, a petal, dew, clover, fields, ermine, gale, a larch, a herald, to herald, a beech, a midge, to bite, a gnat, to glow, a pine, swamp, to fade, twilight, serene, an oak, scents, sounds, heat, azure, balmy, shadow, shadowy, an elm, to ripple, slush, frost, frosty, frosted, a lake, a flash, ash (ashes), to glimmer, a plain, a ray, rayless, earth, unearthly, dark, darkness, to float (across the sky), pepper, to bathe (a bath), to breathe (breath), to blow (……………., ………………), frozen (to………………, ………………, frozen), a hill

Recall the words.

mint, a stone, limegreen, curious, soft, a crown, to crown, alarm-clock, alarm, human, to surround, disturb, chimney, to disappoint, to be / get disappointed, patient, patience impatient, impatience, casual, casually, quiet, to influence, measure, a line, a twin (twins), modest, a bridge, hay, silk, silken, scarf, to spread, widespread, a tongue, a language, to mark, road, to burn (……………, …………...) alone, foam, journey, broad, abroad, blood, orange

 

New vocabulary

to flutter (about leaves. petals), a dove, a trunk, a bough (a branch),moor, transparent,

a yaffle, a jay, a magpie, a level, slanting, level-slanting sun, a pasture, a stable, dim, dimness, serene, hedge, fence, tangible, intangible, border, to mock, a mocking-bird, to be engaged (in), a beak, to beak, deep, depth, temple, the Temple, a rod, a ribbon, a stump, a mistletoe, a holly, a marsh, to kindle, reindeer, to explore, a candle

 

IN SPRING

Lightning, flashes of lightning, an orchard, scent = fragrance, balmy = fragrant, azure, а bud, а petal, leaf (Pl. leaves), to burst, to burst into leaf, shower, a brook, a stream, to ripple, an icicle, thunder, blossom(s), claps(peals) of thunder, to bloom = to blossom = to flower, thunderstorm, descants (poetic), to float across the sky (about clouds), thaw, the thaw sets in, sleet, to melt, a blackbird, a lark, a birch, sunshine, sunlight

Autumn expressions

Quiet music of rustling leaves

Golden shimmer of autumn foliage

Melancholy autumn rains

Scarlet fires melting in the morning fog

Autumn sadness of gay-coloured leaves

Bright colourful carpet of autumn leaves

Aching tenderness of the falling leaves touching the surface of the lakes and rivers

Striking freshness of autumn air

Sorrowful gray autumn sky

Nostalgic hues and shadows of the passed away summer

Whispering autumn parks and gardens

Silver nets flying in the autumn air

Beautiful songs of autumn showers

Yellow leaves impressed upon the wet from rains pavements reminding a lid of a gigantic casket

J.Galsworthy

The Apple Blossom

 

Spring was a revelation to Ashurst this year.

In a kind of intoxication he would watch the pink-white buds of some backward beech tree sprayed up in the sunlight against the deep blue sky, or the trunks and boughs of the few Scotch firs, tawny in violent light, or again, on the moor, the gale-bent larches which had such a look of life when the wind streamed in their young green, above the rusty black underboughs. Or he would lie on the banks, gazing at the clusters of dog-violets, or up in the dead bracken, fingering the pink, transparent buds of the dew­berry, while the cuckoos called and yaffles laughed, or a lark, from very high, dripped its beads of song. It was certainly different from any spring he had ever known, for spring was within him, not without. And some­times, he would become conscious that Megan's eyes—those dew-grey eyes — were fixed on him with a sort of linger­ing soft look which was strangely flattering.

Ashurst watched the blossom which had crowned her hair — those pink buds with one white open apple star. What had he done? How had he let himself be thus stunned by beauty — pity — or — just the spring! He felt curiously happy, all the same: happy and triumphant, and a vague alarm. This was the beginning of — what? The midges bit him, the dancing gnats tried to fly into his mouth, and all the spring around him seemed to grow more lovely and alive; the songs of the cuckoos and the blackbirds, the laughter of the yaffles, the level-slanting sunlight, the apple blossom which crowned her head … And a magpie flew out to herald them.

Vocabulary:

Revelation – откровение, tawny = dark-yellow, brown-reddish; violent - неистовый;

rusty – dry; beads – бисер; to be conscious [kon ] - осозновать, to linger­ [ling ] – задерживаться, to flatter – льстить, to be stunned – быть ошеломлённым, a vague [veig] alarm – смутная тревога

Tasks

I. Underline the words and expressions which convey the beauty of spring.

II. Answer the questions.

1. Why was that spring special for the character (Ashurst)?

2. How did spring make him feel?

3. What spring phenomenon impressed Ashurst? Did it make him feel Megan’s beauty stronger?

M. Mitchell "Gone with the Wind"

1)… It was ten o'clock in the morning. The day was warm for April and the golden sunlight streamed brilliantly into Scarlett's room through the blue curtains of the wide windows. The cream-coloured walls glowed with light and the depths of the mahogany furniture gleamed deep red like wine, while the floor glistened as if it were glass, except where the rag rugs covered it and they were spots of gay colour.

Already summer was in the air, the first hint of Georgia summer when the high tide of spring gives way reluctantly before a fiercer heat. A balmy, soft warmth poured into the room, heavy with velvety smells, redolent of many blossoms, of newly fledged trees and of the moist, freshly turned red earth. Through the window Scarlett could see the bright riot of the twin lines of daffodils bordering the gravelled driveway and the golden masses of yellow jessamine spreading flowery spangles modestly to the earth like crinolines. The mocking­birds and the jays, engaged in their old feud for possession of the magnolia tree beneath her window, were bickering, the jays strident, acrimonious, the mockers sweet-voiced and plaintive.

Such a glowing morning usually called Scarlett to the window, to lean arms on the broad sill and drink in the scents and sounds of Тага. But to-day she had no eye for sun or azure sky beyond a hasty thought, 'Thank God, it isn't raining."

If her plans were successful, long before the ball, she and Ashley would be on their way to Jonesboro to be married. The troublesome question was - what dress should she wear to the barbecue? What dress would best set off her charms and make her irresistible to Ashley?

Vocabulary:

Depth - глубина mahogany - красное дерево, reluctantly - without a wish, velvety - бархатный, redolent of - having a strong scent, riot - неистовство, spangles - блёстки, beneath - under, to bicker - to fight with the beaks, strident - резко, acrimonious - sarcastic, plaintive - жалобно, to lean arms - облокотиться, sill - подоконник, to set off - подчеркнуть, оттенить, irresistible - неотразимый

Tasks

I. Underline the words and expressions which convey the beauty the spring morning.

II. Answer the questions.

1. Was it early or late spring?

2. What did Scarlett usually do in such a wonderful spring morning?

Did Scarlett notice the beauty of the nature on that day? Why?

 

2)…Oh, if Pa would only come home! She could not endure the suspense another moment She looked impatiently down the road again, and again she was disappointed.

The sun was now below the horizon and the red glow at the rim of the world faded into pink. The sky above turned slowly from azure to the delicate blue-green of a robin's egg, and the unearthly stillness of rural twilight came stealthily down about her. Shadowy dimness crept over the countryside. Across the road, in the pasture, the horses, mules and cows stood quietly with heads over the split-rail fence, waiting to be driven to the stables and supper. They did not like the dark shade of the thickets hedging the pasture creek, and they twitched their ears at Scarlett as if appreciative of human companionship.

In the strange half-light, the tall pines of the river swamp, so warmly green in the sunshine, were black against the pastel sky, an impenetrable row of black giants hiding the slow yellow water at their feet. On the hill across the river, the tall white chimneys of the Wilkes home faded gradually into the darkness of the thick oaks surrounding them, and only far-off pin-points of supper lamps showed that a house was here. The warm damp balminess of spring encompassed her sweetly with the moist smells of new-ploughed earth and all the fresh green tilings pushing up to the air.

Sunset and spring and new-fledged greenery were no miracle to Scarlett. Their beauty she accepted as casually as the air she breathed and the water she drank, as she had never consciously seen beauty in anything but women's faces, horses, silk dresses and like tangible things. Yet the serene half-light over Tara's well-kept acres brought a measure of quiet to her disturbed mind. She loved this land so much, without even knowing she loved it, loved it as she loved her mother's face under the lamp at prayer time.

Vocabulary:

Suspense - напряжение, impatiently - нетерпеливо, disappointed - разочарованный, rim - ободок, край ', stealthily - крадучись, a creek - a small river, a stream, impenetrable [impenitr bl] - непроницаемый to be appreciative, to appreciate - ценить, to encompass - охватывать, to accept - { воспринимать, a miracle = a wonder, casually - небрежно, consciously  sli] - осознанно, tangible = material, disturbed - обеспокоенный, prayer - молитва, молебен,  miracle - чудо

Tasks

I. Underline the words and expressions which convey the beauty of spring twilight.

II. Answer the questions.

1. What kind of nature is described in the extract?

2. Did Scarlett appreciate the nature? Did she love her land?

3. How does the author describe Scarlett's emotional state in the beginning of the

extract?

3. How did the nature influence her feelings?

 

3)…They looked out across the endless acres of Gerald O'Hara's newly ploughed cotton fields toward the red horizon. Now that the sun was setting in a welter of crimson behind the hills across the Flint River, the warmth of the April day was ebbing into a feint but balmy chill.

Spring had come early that year, with warm quick rains and sudden frothing of pink peach blossoms and dogwood dappling with white stars the dark river swamp and far-off hills. Already the ploughing was nearly finished, and the bloody glory of the sunset coloured the fresh-cut furrows of red Georgia clay to even redder hues. The moist hungry earth, waiting upturned for the cotton seeds, showed pinkish on the sandy tops of furrows, vermilion and scarlet and maroon where shadows lay along the sides of the trenches. The whitewashed brick plantation house seemed an island set in a wild red sea, a sea of spiralling, curving, crescent billows petrified suddenly at the moment when the pink-tipped waves were breaking into surf.

It was a savagely red land, blood-coloured after rains, brick-dust in droughts, the best cotton land in the world. It was a pleasant land of white houses, peaceful ploughed fields and sluggish yellow rivers, but a land of contrasts, of brightest sun-glar^ and densest shade. The plantation clearings and miles of cotton fields smiled up to a warm sun, placid, complacent. At their edges rose the virgin forests, dark and cool even in the hottest noons, mysterious, a little sinister, the soughing pines seeming to wait with an age-old patience, to threaten with soft sighs: Be careful! Be careful! We had you once. We can take you back again.'

Vocabulary:

Welter = mix, ebbing = ending, to froth - пениться, to dapple = to cover, furrows, trenches - борозды, vermilion = bright-red, billows = sea, savage = wild, to petrify - to turn to stone, sluggish = slow complacent - благодушный, placid = calm, edge - край, sinister - зловещий, to sough [sau] - шелестеть, to threaten- угрожать, a sigh - вздох

Tasks

III. Underline the objects of nature which create the fascination of the world 'gone with the wind'.

IV. Answer the questions.

1. What kind of land was it?

2. What time of the year is described in the extract? What was it marked by?

3. What part of the day is it? What points at it?

4. Can you imagine this land by the description of nature?

5. Do you feel sorry that this world's gone forever?

 

         Read, translate and learn the poems by heart:

 

THE MONTHS OF THE YEAR By Sara Coleridge   January brings the snow, Makes the toes and fingers glow. February brings the rain, Thaws the frozen ponds again. March brings breezes loud and shrill, Stirs the dancing daffodils. April brings the primrose sweet, Scatters daisies at our feet. May brings flocks of pretty lambs, Skipping by their flucy dams. June brings tulips, lilies, roses, Fills the children's hands with posies. Hot July brings cooling showers, Strawberries and gilly-flowers. August brings the sheaves of corn, Then the Harvest home is borne. Warm September brings the fruit, Sportsmen then begin to shoot. Fresh October brings the pheasant, Then to gather nuts is pleasant. Dull November brings the blast, Then the leaves are falling fast. Chill December brings the sleet, Blazing fire and New-Year treat.   Twilight (G. G. Byron)   It is the hour when from the boughs The nightingale’s high note is heard; It is the hour when lovers’ vows Seem sweet in every whispered word; And gentle winds and waters near, Make music to the lovely ear. Each flower the dews have lightly wet, And in the sky the stars are met, And on the wave is deeper blue, And on the leaf a browner hue, And in the heaven that clear obscure, So softly dark, and darkly pure, Which follows the decline of day, As twilight melts beneath the moon away

Daffodils by William Wordsworth I wander'd lonely as a cloud That floats on high o'er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. Continuous as the stars that shine And twinkle on the Milky Way, They stretch'd in never-ending line Along the margin of a bay: Ten thousand saw I at a glance, Tossing their heads in sprightly dance. The waves beside them danced; but they Out-did the sparkling waves in glee: A poet could not but be gay, In such a jocund company: I gazed – and gazed – but little thought What wealth the show to me had brought: For oft, when on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood, They flash upon that inward eye Which is the bliss of solitude; And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the daffodils.

Autumn Fires

by Robert Louis Stevenson

In the other gardens
And all up the vale,
From the autumn bonfires
See the smoke trail!

Pleasant summer over
And all the summer flowers,
The red fire blazes,
The grey smoke towers.

Sing a song of seasons!
Something bright in all!
Flowers in the summer,
Fires in the fall!

 

Leisure

William Henry Davies

What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.
No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.
No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.
No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.
A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

 

Ivy Russel - The season Oh, do you remember When springtime was here, The snowdrops and catkins, The birds’ songs so clear? Oh, do you remember The long summer hours, The hum of the bees And the scent of the flowers? And do you remember When autumn came round, How leaves red and yellow Lay thick on the ground? But now it is winter, The branches are bare; There’s ice on the puddles And frost in the air. I played in the sunshine, I played in the snow, And which is my favourite? I really don’t know! Winter Morning Winter is the king of snowmen Turning the stumps into snow men And houses into birthday cakes, And spreading sugar over lakes. Smooth and clean and frosty white The world looks good enough to bite! That’s the season to be young, Catching snowflakes on your tongue. Snow is so snowy when it’s snowing. I’m sorry it’s slushy when it’s going. Christmas Christmas is a lovely time! The snow lies white and thick. Mistletoe is hard to find And holly hard to pick. Gifts wrapped in Christmas paper Sitting round the tree so bright. Children fast asleep in bed As Santa comes tonight. Tinsel round the window bright Pink, orange, red and white Glittering in the evening light. Oh, such a lovely sight!                                                                        Winter   Clouded with snow The bleak winds blow And shrill on leafless bough The robin with its burning breast Alone sings now.   The rayless sun Day’s journey’s done Sheds its last ebbing light On fields in leagues of beauty spread Unearthly white.   Thick draws the dark And spark by spark The frost-fires kindle and soon Over the sea of frozen foam Floats the white moon.                                                         Walter de la Mare Afternoon in February The day is ebbing The night is descending The marsh is frozen The river dead.   Through clouds like ashes The red sun flashes On village windows That glimmers red.   The snow recommences, The buried fences Mark no longer The road o’er the plain.   Henry W. Longfellow  

 

Read the story, determine its genre and entitle it.

******************************************          The sun had three daughters: the eldest was Autumn, the middle was Summer, and the youngest was Spring. They led a cheerful life in their father's home. But then it was time to send them to the Earth. The Sun's children were to be the seasons. First to fly was Spring. She was so pretty in her youth that when sending her on her journey the Sun decided to make her a present of eternal youth. "People must like her," he thought. Three months later they sent Summer to the Earth, "You are a beauty!" said the Sun, saying good-bye, to his daughter. "I shall make you a present of eternal beauty." And at last itwas time for Autumn to leave her father's house. "Take all my wealth,'' the Sun told her. "I give you all the gold I have. Be kind, give people all you have, and people will love you." And on the other side of the world Winter, the only daugh­ter of Frost, was getting ready for her journey. She was also to become a season on the Earth. Her father worried about her. She was a very plain girl. She had no rich clothes. He couldn't make her any presents. Frost got together all the wealth he had and it was just a hand­ful of silver. And that was all Winter had when she stepped on to the Earth. It became very cold. The birds flew away. The water in the rivers soon turned into ice. People put on warm clothes and hurried to the shelter of their houses, where they closed the doors and windows. No one asked Winter into their houses. No one wanted to look at her. No one wanted to have anything to do with the plain and cold girl. Then she started to work. She made little snowflakes and tossed them to the sky, and the snowflakes started to fall slowly down on the Earth. The Earth was changing. Snow covered the fields. There was white snow on the trees and the houses. Winter wanted to make everything beautiful. It was hard work. But she did not feel tired. She was ready to give all she had to people. She threw all her silver on the Earth. The silver mixed with the snow and it began to sparkle.   Winter forgot about time. She did not see how the door of one house opened and a man came out and stopped in surprise. Everything was sparkling. The houses looked like ice palaces. The icicles were talking to each other like bells. And the drawings Winter made on the windows were like a work of art. Children were skiing and skating. All over the Earth people began to talk about Winter. They started to wait for her to come. They wanted every­thing to be as light and clear as it is on a sunny, snowy, win­ter day. They started singing songs about her and writing poems and music to her. But still Winter knew that when she was on the Earth people very often spoke of Spring, waited for Summer and placed their hopes on Autumn. And they were never sorry to say good-bye to Winter.

Vocabulary

eternal – вечный, wealth – богатство, plain – неприметный, невзрачный;

hand­ful - горстка, to step – ступать, shelter – укрытие, to have to do smth. with smb. - иметь скем-л. lело, to toss – подбрасывать, to place hopes on – возлагать надежды на, a palace – дворец, to mix – смешивать

Answer the questions:

1. Are all the four seasons of the same origin?(Do they have the same parent (father?))

2. Are the Seasons male or female characters in the story?

3. What is Spring’s magic power according to the fairy-tale?

4. What did father (the Sun) presented his middle daughter (Summer) with when he sent her to the Earth?

5. What was Autumn’s wealth?

6. What did Winter come onto the Earth with?

7. Were people glad to meet Winter? Why?

8. How did she win people’s hearts?

9.  How would you entitle this story?

10.  Do you feel about seasons the way it is described in the end of the fairy-tale?