READING COMPREHENSION EXERCISES

1. Consult a dictionary and practise the pronunciation of the following words. Pay attention to the stresses:

conscientious, photograph, anonymous, antithesis, ambiguous, homogeneous, megalomania, coincidence, cleavage, languorous, incisive, psychic, itinerary.

2. Read out the passage beginning with "For the first time..." up to "I'll show it to somebody, he thought" using proper tone groups and observing the rhythm. Convey proper attitudes and all the phonetic phenomena of connected speech.

3. a) Practise this brier conversation:

Student A expresses either annoyance at Walter Streeter or criticizes him. He suggests irritability and sounds reprovingly critical. Remember what rate of utterance may be associated with negative emotions.

Student B defends Walter Streeter. Mind that expressing disagreement you might sound challenging, persuasively reassuring, be reluctantly or defensively dissenting; for the purpose make use of the intonation patterns "Fall-Rise" and "Rise-Fall". Student C asks for reasons and expresses his own personal verdict. Be aware of the change in attitudes.

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b) Now in pairs talk about the pros and cons of judging a person by his/her handwriting. Impart your own attitude. Use proper intonation patterns which the argument or discussion require.

Substitute one of the speech patterns (p. 77) for the parts of the sentence in bold type.

M o d e l s:

a)She wantedto put a coin into the slot but changed her mind as shehad very little money.

She was just going to put a coin into the slot when she remembered that she had very little money and decided not to.

b) He could not understandwhy he had never noticed before that Bilson was left-handed.

How was it thathe had never noticed that Bilson was left-handed?

c) It was painful, believe me.It was painful, I can tell you.

1. Ben was on the pointof dialing his telephone number to have the matter out with[13] his brother, but then he thought better of it (+ and decided not to)2. The tickets were sold out a month ago. (Why on earth was à How was it that)the theatre half empty? 3. Daniel has a very good memory for names and dates. How (did it happen à was it)that he forgot about my birthday? 4. The weather forecast was "cloudy with occasional showers". He was about to start off when suddenly he decided (to stay at home à not to).5. Jane was just aboutto throw the old envelope into the waste-paper basket when suddenly she (changed her mind àdecided not to).6. So you are a professional singer. (How could it have happened à was it)that you had never told me about this before? 7. How can you account for the factthat we have lived in the same town for two years and have never met? 8. We had an awful time getting back, believe me. 9. I assure you,I broke out in goose-bumps all over. 10. You've got something on your hands there, lad, I'm sure about it.

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5. Translate the following sentences into English using the speech patterns:

Make up two sentences of your own on each pattern.

Make up and act out in front of the class a suitable dialogue using the speech patterns. (Pair work)

Note down from the text (p. 73) the sentences containing the phrases and word combinations (p. 78) and translate them into Russian.

9. Paraphrase the following sentences using the phrases and word combinations:

1. The speaker talked a lot, but never really dealt seriously with the subject. 2. It used much of her time and energy to gain a full understanding of the idea. 3. The memory of this marvellous week-end took a long time to fade from his memory. 4. At last she decided in favour of the new dress rather than the old one. 5. The policeman quickly formed an opinion about the man's character and decided he must be innocent. 6. While thinking over their last meeting he began to realise that he was falling in love. 7. Your younger brother is spoilt, nobody can stop him from doing what he wants. 8. After the first examination the student's position was unclear. He needed to be tested some more. 9. It was an odd combination of events that the two contestants were both born on the same day and were both called James. 10. After ten years of working in the same place Jim was in a rut and needed a change. 11. The child told tales to the teacher and so the rest of the class refused to speak to him. 12. He could not forget the wrong done by his enemy until his dying day. 13. He's nicer in real life than in his photographs. 14. I spent long hours in the library trying to find material for my research paper.