 ПОЗНАВАТЕЛЬНОЕ Сила воли ведет к действию, а позитивные действия формируют позитивное отношение Как определить диапазон голоса - ваш вокал Игровые автоматы с быстрым выводом Как самому избавиться от обидчивости Противоречивые взгляды на качества, присущие мужчинам Вкуснейший "Салат из свеклы с чесноком" Натюрморт и его изобразительные возможности Применение, как принимать мумие? Мумие для волос, лица, при переломах, при кровотечении и т.д. Как научиться брать на себя ответственность Зачем нужны границы в отношениях с детьми? Световозвращающие элементы на детской одежде Как победить свой возраст? Восемь уникальных способов, которые помогут достичь долголетия Классификация ожирения по ИМТ (ВОЗ) Глава 3. Завет мужчины с женщиной
Оси и плоскости тела человека - Тело человека состоит из определенных топографических частей и участков, в которых расположены органы, мышцы, сосуды, нервы и т.д.
| Marie Cure, the Greatest Woman-Scientist
Madam Curie was born in Warsaw, Poland, in 1867. Her mother died when she was still a child and her father, who was a teacher of physics and mathematics, brought her up alone. While other girls were playing with dolls she was helping her father with his experiments. At the age of 16 she graduated from a college with high honours. The only job she could find was that of a governess. But several years later she went to Paris to get a better education and to study chemistry. She also wanted to find a job in a scientific laboratory. The answer was everywhere the same: "Science is a man's job. A laboratory is no place for a woman." Finally she was lucky: Professor Lippman pitied her and she began working in Research Laboratories at Sorbonne University. Soon she married Pierre Curie and they began working together. In 1898 their hard work was rewarded. They got some substance called radium. The discovery brought them the Nobel Prize in 1903. Marie Curie was the only person in the world who received the Nobel Prize twice.
Dictation 10 The Story of Uncle Theo Uncle Theo, my favourite uncle, is a quiet, gentle absent-minded man. Once he wanted to get a job at a university. It was a very good post and there were a lot of candidates. As a result of the interview only Uncle Theo and his friend Adams were left. The committee didn't know which of the two to choose and asked each candidate to give a lecture. Uncle Theo didn't leave his room for three days. He wrote his lecture and memorized it. Adams, who was his roommate, didn't seem to prepare for his lecture at all. He spent his time mainly in bars. The day of the lecture came. Theo and Adams took their place on the stage. Then Theo discovered with horror that the papers of his lecture had disappeared. Great was his surprise and despair when he saw Adams take the stolen speech out of his pocket. Adams read it brilliantly. When Theo's turn came he could do nothing but repeat the same lecture word for word, in a low dull voice. There was hardly any applause when he sat down. When the committee chose Uncle Theo everybody was greatly surprised. The Dean explained: "We were impressed by Mr Adams but Mr Theo Hobdell has such an excellent memory as he repeated the lecture word for word. A fine memory is necessary for this job." Later in the evening the Dean came up to Uncle Theo, shook his hand and said: "Congratulations! But, my dear fellow, be careful while choosing friends and don't leave important papers lying about in the future."
Dictation 11 The King and the Tortoise There was once a king in the Animal Kingdom who thought he was the cleverest animal in the world. To prove this, he ordered the rest of the animals to make a dress of mist for the King. "If someone can do it, then he is cleverer than me," the King said. The tortoise was the first to try. He promised to have the dress ready in seven days. A week later, however, he came to the King empty-handed. The King laughed in triumph. He felt very clever indeed that he had thought up such an impossible task. "Well," said the King, "you are not clever enough to make a dress of mist for the King. The task is too difficult for you." "You need not worry, Your Majesty. You'll soon have your dress. The only thing I need is thread." "If that's all you need," said the King in good humour, "you can have all the thread in the world." And at the King's order a lot of balls of different thread were put before the tortoise. "No," cried the tortoise. "This will never do. I don't want ordinary thread to finish the dress of mist. I need thread made from the sun's rays." For a shocked moment the King stared speechless at the tortoise. Twice his mouth opened, but no words came. Then he smiled and said, "I can easily give you what you need. But what's the use? I don't want to have this silly dress. You have proved to me that you're clever enough to make one. This is all I wanted to know". The King closed his eyes and said with deep pleasure, "Oh, how happy it makes me to know that in my kingdom are the world's two cleverest animals – you and I!"
Dictation 12* The Fairy Haunts A long time ago, the fairies used to hold a fair on the Black Down Hills. They also appeared there at other times, but their activities were seldom witnessed by mortals – because they never showed themselves to those who went in search of them. However, a school master who was once walking on the Black Down Hills at twilight, happened on a fairy ring by chance. He said he had seen a number of fairies going round and round, singing and "making all sorts of small odd noises". The making of strange little noises is typical of fairy behaviour. In the 17th century a Mr Lilly met what he took to be a fairy, and asked if it was a good spirit or a bad one. He said there was no reply, but that the "fairy" disappeared with a curious perfume and "most melodious twang". The last place where the "red-clothed"' fairies were seen is a short distance from the Black Down Hills.
Dictation 13* The King and the Witch More than 2000 years ago a king set out with his army to conquer England. At some place, on the borders of Oxfordshire and Warwickshire, he met a witch who told him that if he could see Long Compton after taking seven striders, he would be King of England. Knowing Long Compton to be just over the brow of the hill, the king strode forward confidently. But a mound rose up in front of him and the witch exclaimed: "You will all become stones, you and your men." Stones they instantly became – and stones they remain. The mound (much reduced by ploughing) can still be seen in front of the "King Stone". There are said to be 72 stones in the circle, but legend maintains that no one shall live who counts the stones three times and finds the number the same. Nearby stand the Whispering Knights, a smaller group of the king's men also turned to stone. They are now regarded as oracles and will occasionally "whisper" the future to visitors.
Dictation 14* Gilbert and Mahaut. Over Becket's tomb in Canterbury Cathedral is a gilt crescent – traditionally, a symbol of Islam. One story is that the saint's father, Gilbert Becket, went on a crusade to the Holy Land and was taken prisoner by an Arab prince.
The prince's daughter, Mahaut, fell in love with him and helped him to escape. In return, he promised to send for her when he reached England. But once safely in his own land again, Gilbert forgot his promise. Mahaut waited for years and then, realizing he would never come, set out to find him. She knew only two words of English, her lover's name and the name of the city in which he lived. However, by repeating the words "Gilbert" and "London" she eventually found him, married him and became a Christian. Gilbert and Mahaut were buried in Old St Paul's churchyard, London. Dictation 15* Princess Pocahontas In 1608, Captain John Smith was captured by Indians and brought before a native American chief, who sentenced him to death. Smith was the founding father of American's first permanent English colony in Virginia and Princess Pocahontas, the chief's daughter, pleaded for his life. But her father refused the plea. Just as the executioner's blow was about to fall, the young princess threw herself across John Smith's body and saved him. Her brave deed caused her father relent, and the prisoner was released. He eventually returned to England, wounded, and Pocahontas was heartbroken. She remained with the English settlers – who may have held her against her will – and in 1613 became a Christian. The following year she married John Rolfe, an English tobacco trader, and two years afterwards accompanied him to England. Her visit was a great success – she was even received at court. But before long she became ill and it was decided she should return to Virginia. She did not make the journey, however, but died at Gravesend where she is buried – the first American to be buried in England. Her statue now stands outside St George's church, in the Princess Pocahontas Gardens.
Dictation 16* The Knight and the Dragon There was a fearsome dragon who lived in a bottomless pool near the church. It ravaged the countryside and devoured cattle, men and maidens. Particularly maidens, for they were his favourite fare. Soon there were nearly no young girls left in the region, and those bachelors who had not already been eaten marched to the palace and complained to the King of Sussex. The King had an attractive daughter, and because of the dragon's enormous appetite he had kept her locked up in the castle. Now he offered her in marriage to anyone who could kill the dragon. A passing knight took up the challenge. He was not exceptionally brave, but he wanted to give up travelling and settle in one place. So he killed the dragon, married the princess and stayed happily at home in the palace. Some folk reported that the dragon had fought ferociously, but a more unkind version hinted that the knight paid a local baker to make a leaden cake which he fed to the dragon; the beast was then unable to rise to its feet. A medieval tombstone, now inside the church, once marked the knight's grave.
Dictation 17* Piers and the Dragon A dragon lived in a small place in England in the 11th century, and he was a servant to the Devil. Many dragons were, of course, but the Devil was particularly fond of this one. It had its lair under a yew tree and, in the manner of all dragons, it was very fierce and terrorized the district. Piers, the lord of the manor, decided that it was his duty to destroy the beast. So he put on his full armour, took up his sword and spear and called his three huge hounds to heel. Then he set off for the yew tree. After a fierce battle with the dragon Piers thrust his sword down its throat and destroyed it. Immediately, the Devil appeared – furious at the loss of his servant – and swore to have the lord's soul whether he was buried within the church or without. The lord managed to cheat the Devil, however. Before he died he shot an arrow at the church, to strike the wall north of the nave. There his tomb was built – neither within the church nor without – and there it can still be seen today.
Dictation 18* King Canute Canute, a Danish King of England, was thought to be able to stop the sea rising by ordering it, but he shwed that it was impossible. Once he went fishing by himself. He was still in his boat, when dusk fell. He sought shelter at a monastery, but the drunken monks turned him away – and he found refuge in the hut of a poor fisherman. The fisherman told him that many years before his wife had been killed at the same monastery, and when he went to her aid he had been beaten too within an inch of his life. His wife had died shortly afterwards, and every year, on the anniversary of her death, the fisherman had killed a monk. Canute decided that one monk a year was insufficient retribution, so the following morning he ordered his fleet to attack the monastery. A great many of the monks were killed, and those who escaped death were forced to build a new fishing village. In return for his kindness to the king, the poor fisherman was made its first mayor. Today the village is known as Littleport.
Dictation 19* The Invisible Ghost Chester's most famous ghost has never been seen – but invisibility has not stopped her activities. She is known as Sarah, and haunts a shop in Eastgate Street that now sells chocolates. She was said to be a charming young woman who fell in love with a rascal. He left her on her wedding day, and Sarah was so heartbroken that she returned to her home in Eastgate Street and hanged herself.
Exactly when this happened is not known, but her presence is still very active in the shop – and she does not take kindly to having it doubted. A tourist from the United States expressed the opinion that ghost stories were "rubbish", and moments later was pushed headlong down the stairs by an unseen hand. Sarah may not wish to be reminded of her unhappy love affair, either. Heart-shaped boxes of chocolates on display for St Valentine's Day have been found mysteriously scattered about the shop. A burglar who once broke into the shop overnight and pocketed the day's takings, fled unaccountably, leaving behind all this tools and a clear set of fingerprints. Was Sarah responsible? If so, the police are very grateful to her!
Dictation 20 The Quarrelsome Giants The Wrekin Hill was said to have been made by two quarrelsome giants. They dug the earth from the River Severn, and when they had made the Wrekin Hill they both lived inside it. But being quarrelsome, they each wanted the bigger part. At first they shouted abuse at each other – which caused some uncommonly high winds to blow round the Wrekin at the time. Soon, however, they came to blows. One struck at the other with his spade, missed, and split the rock now called the Needle's Eye. He was about to strike a second blow, but a raven prevented him by pecking at his eye. The enormous tear the giant shed formed the pool known as the Raven's Bowl, which never dries up, even in mid-summer. The quarrel continued, the giant with the spade chasing his companion round and round the Wrekin until both were dizzy, and the whole neighbourhood shook. Then, with a final blow, he knocked the other giant unconscious and quickly imprisoned him in the Hill. If you should pass that way at midnight, you may still hear the captured giant groan.
Renderings
SECTION 3 STORIES FOR RENDERING Rendering 1 The Reader of Books (after R. Dahl) By the time she was three, Matilda had taught herself to read by studying newspapers and magazines that lay around the house. At the age of four, she could read fast and well. The only book in the whole of this enlightened household was something called Easy Cooking belonging to her mother, and when she had read this from cover to cover and had learnt all the recipes by heart, she decided she wanted something more interesting. "Daddy", she said, "do you think you could buy me a book?" "A book?" he said. "What'd you want a book for?" "To read, Daddy". "What's wrong with the television, for heaven's sake? We've got a lovely telly with a twelve-inch screen and now you come asking for a book! You're getting spoiled, my girl!" Nearly every weekday afternoon Matilda was left alone in the house. Her brother (five years older than her) went to school. Her father went to work and her mother went out playing bingo in a town eight miles away. In the afternoon of the day when her father had refused to buy her a book, Matilda set out all by herself to walk to the public library in the village. When she arrived, she introduced herself to the librarian, Mrs Phelps. She asked if she might sit awhile and read a book. Mrs Phelps, slightly taken aback at the arrival of such a tiny girl unaccompanied by a parent, nevertheless told her she was very welcome. "Where are the children's books please?" Matilda asked. "They're over there on those lower shelves," Mrs Phelps told her. "Would you like me to help you find a nice one with lots of pictures in it?" "No, thank you," Matilda said. "I'm sure I can manage." From then, every afternoon, as soon as her mother had left for bingo, Matilda would toddle down to the library. The walk took only ten minutes and this allowed her two glorious hours sitting quietly by herself in a cosy corner devouring one book after another. When she had read every single children's book in the place, she started wandering round in search of something else. Mrs Phelps, who had been watching her with fascination for the past few weeks, now got up from her desk and went over to her. "Can I help you, Matilda?" she asked. "I'm wondering what to read next," Matilda said. "I've finished all the children's books." "You mean you've looked at the pictures?" "Yes, but I've read the books as well." Mrs Phelps looked down at Matilda from her great height and Matilda looked right back at her. "I thought some were very poor," Matilda said, "but others were lovely. I liked The Secret Garden best of all. It was full of mystery." Mrs Phelps was more stunned than ever, but she had the sense not to show it to the four-year-old girl. "What sort of a book would you like to read next?" she asked. Matilda said, "I would like a really good one that grown-ups read. A famous one. I don't know any names." Mrs Phelps looked along the shelves, taking her time. She didn't quite know what to bring out. How, she asked herself, does one choose a famous grown-up book for a four-year-old girl? Her first thought was to pick a young teenager's romance of the kind that is written for fifteen-year-old schoolgirls, but for some reason she found herself instinctively walking past that particular shelf. "Try this", she said at last. "It's very famous and very good. If it's too long for you, just let me know and I'll find something shorter and a bit easier." " "Great Expectations", Matilda read, "by Charles Dickens. I'd love to try it". I must be mad, Mrs Phelps told herself, but to Matilda she said, "Of course you may try it." Over the next afternoon Mrs Phelps could hardly take her eyes from the small girl sitting for hour after hour in the big armchair at the far end of the room with the book on her lap. It was necessary to rest it on her lap because it was too heavy for her to hold up, which meant she had to sit leaning forward in order to read. And a strange sight it was, this tiny dark-haired person sitting there with her feet nowhere near touching the floor, totally absorbed in the wonderful adventures of Pip and old Miss Havisham and her cobwebbed house and by the spell of magic that Dickens the great story-teller, had woven with his words. The only movement from the reader was the lifting of the hand every now and then to turn over a page, and Mrs Phelps always felt sad when the time came for her to cross the floor and say, "It's ten to five, Matilda, time to go home."
Rendering 2 An Alternative Cinderella Once upon a time there were three sisters who lived with their widowed father. The two eldest ran a beauty parlour and a clothes shop. They were both interested in finding a rich husband. The youngest daughter, whose name was Cinderella, looked after the house. Her father had refused to set her up in business as he wanted someone to look after him. Cinderella did not mind too much as she was doing a correspondence course in accountancy and marketing. One day Cinderella decided to enter a competition in a woman's magazine because it offered some good cash prizes. If she won one of them, it would help her finance the setting up of her оwn hamburger restaurant. Around that time the newspapers were full of stories about a big party that was going to be held at the palace. It was said that the prince, a real playboy, wanted to find a wife and settle down. From the moment they heard about the ball, the two eldest sisters spent days and days trying to make themselves look beautiful. As for Cinderella, she wondered, what all the fuss was about and didn't have the slightest interest in going to the ball. One morning, while she was doing some work for her accountancy course, there was a knock at the door. She opened it and saw an extraordinary woman standing there with a ridiculous looking tiara on her head. The woman, who called herself Fairy Godmother or FG for short, told Cinderella that she'd won first prize in the magazine competition she'd entered. The prize was a "Charm course" worth hundreds of pounds as well as books and records. Cinderella wasn't really that keen on doing the course but she realized she could probably make a small profit if she sold the prizes. However, in return for the prizes she would have to dress up in lots of fine clothes and be driven to the palace where she'd spend the night at the ball and be photographed for the woman's magazine. The big day arrived and a shiny Rolls Royce came to pick her up. The man from the car hire firm said he was only on duty until midnight. Moments later a woman arrived bringing a fur coat and a diamond necklace which would be Cinderella's just for the evening. When she turned up at the palace, she noticed that one of the servants was stealing food from the buffet tables. The palace itself was cold and draughty, and the king himself was a man with a sad smile. Cinderella felt sorry for the man and told him why the food was disappearing so fast. The king then told her about his financial problems. He was almost bankrupt and he had organized the party in the hope that he might find a millionaire's daughter for his son. Cinderella suggested lots of ways of making money: reorganizing the kitchens, opening the palace to the public and so on. By this time it had turned midnight. The car hire man drove away and the woman came to collect her fur coat and necklace. The king showed Cinderella around the palace and they eventually came back to the ballroom where the party was still going on. The prince, took one look at Cinderella and asked her to dance. She kicked off her glass slippers, which were killing her, and joined him on the dance floor. Soon afterwards, she left the palace and walked home. The following day the newspapers were full of the big story about the prince who had fallen for a beautiful and mysterious woman who had disappeared. Her glass slippers, which she had left behind, were the only clues that would lead him to her. When Cinderella read the news she was absolutely furious. Nevertheless, she saw quite a bit of the prince because she started work at the palace as financial adviser. In no time at all the palace was making a profit again. Naturally, Cinderella refused to marry the prince but she did help him to mend his ways and involved him into useful social work.
Rendering 3 Two Loaves of Bread (after O'Henry) Miss Martha Meacham kept the little bakery on the corner. Miss Martha was forty, her bank-book showed a credit of two thousand dollars, and she possessed two false teeth and a sympathetic heart. Many people have married who had fewer chances to do so than Miss Martha. Two or three times a week a customer in whom she began to take an interest came to her bakery. He was a middle-aged man, wearing spectacles and a brown pointed beard. His clothes were worn, but he looked neat and had very good manners. He always bought two loaves of stale bread. He never bought anything but stale bread. Once Miss Martha saw a red and brown stain on his fingers. She was sure then that he was an artist and very poor. No doubt he lived in a little room, where he painted pictures and ate stale bread and thought of the good things in Miss Martha's bakery. Often when Miss Martha sat down to her chops and jam and tea she thought about the poor artist and wanted him to share her meal instead of eating his stale bread. Miss Martha's heart, as you have been told, was a sympathetic one. But he kept on buying stale bread, never a cake, never a pie. She thought he began to look thinner. She wanted to add something good to eat to his stale bread, but she had no courage to do it. She knew the pride of artists. One day the customer came in as usual, and asked for his stale loaves. While Miss Martha was reaching for them there was a great noise in the street. The customer hurried to the door to look. Suddenly inspired, Miss Martha seized the opportunity.
With a bread-knife Miss Martha made a deep cut in each of stale loaves, put a big piece of butter there, and pressed the loaves tight again. When he had gone, after an unusually pleasant little talk, Miss Martha smiled to herself. She imagined the scene when he would discover her little deception. He would prepare for his lunch of stale bread and water. He would take a loaf – ah! Miss Martha blushed. Would he think of the hand that had put it there as he ate? Would he?.. The front door bell rang loudly. Somebody was coming in, making a great deal of noise. Miss Martha hurried to the front door. Two men were there. One was a young man she had never seen before, the other was her artist. His face was very red, his hat was on the back of his head, his hair was in disorder. He shook his two fists angrily at Miss Martha. "Fool!" he shouted very loudly. The young man tried to draw him away. "I shall not go," he said angrily, "before I tell her." "You have spoilt my work," he cried. "You are a meddlesome old cat!" "I think I must explain to you, ma'am," the other man said, "why he is so angry. That is Blumberger. He is an architectural draughtsman. I work in the same office with him. He has been working hard for three months drawing a plan for a new city hall. It was a prize competition. He finished it yesterday. You know, a draughtsman always makes his drawing in pencil first. When it is finished he rubs out the pencil lines with stale bread. This is better than Indian rubber. Blumberger has been buying the bread here. Well, today – well, you know, ma'am, that butter wasn't – well, Bamberger's plan isn't good for anything now." Miss Martha went into the back room. She took off the blue silk blouse she had begun to wear recently and put on the old brown one she used to wear.
Rendering 4* |
