We leave the house at ten minutes past eight and walk to the nearest bus-stop. We live rather far from the Academy and it usually takes us about a quarter of an hour to get there by bus. Sometimes when the weather is fine and we have enough time we walk to the Academy. It is very healthy to walk much.
The classes begin at 8:30 in the morning and they end at 2:00 p.m. We have lectures in different subjects. As a rule we have three or four classes a day. Sometimes it is very hard to wait till they end.
Usually I don't miss my classes because I want to pass my exams successfully. But sometimes I do, especially when the weather is fine and the classesare boring.
At 11:50 we have lunch. That's my favourite time. That is the time to share the latest news and to gossip. My friends and I prefer not to go to the canteen and we often have lunch in a small cafe not too far from the Academy. At 12:30 we have to be back to our classes. During the working day we also have several short breaks that last for ten minutes.
Occasionally I have to stay at the Academy till 5 or even 6 o'clock in the evening because I go to the library to get ready for my practical classes or to write a report. As a rule I have no free time on week-days. So by the end of the week I get very tired.
We come home at about 7 o'clock in the evening. We eat supper together and share the latest news.
After supper we wash dishes, drink coffee or tea and watch TV. I prefer old comedies and Natasha likes serials or films about travelling. Sometimes Natasha and I go for a walk in the park or visit our friends.
At about eleven at night I go to bed. I like to read something before going to bed and Natasha likes to listen to some music. Sometimes I fall asleep while I am reading and Natasha gets up and switches off the light and says — Good night!
Vocabulary:
housing — жилье
opportunity — возможность
dormitory, students hostel — студенческое общежитие
to rent a flat (an apartment) — снимать квартиру
to share — делить(-ся)
week-days — будние дни
alarm clock — будильник
usually — обычно
roommate — сосед по комнате
rather — довольно
to turn on (off) — включать, выключать
enough — достаточно
completely — полностью, совершенно
to get dressed — одеваться
to serve — обслуживать
make up — макияж
while — пока, в то время как
to prefer — предпочитать
healthy — здоровый, полезный
to miss — пропускать
successfully — успешно
boring — скучный
to gossip — сплетничать
have to be back — должны вернуться
break — перерыв
report — доклад
share — делиться
canteen — столовая
ADD TO YOUR ACTIVE VOCABULARY
tape-recorder — магнитофон
to brush one's hair — причесывать волосы
it takes me... minutes to get to the Academy by bus —у меня уходит... минут, чтобы добраться до Академии на автобусе
cloackroom — гардероб
upstairs — наверху, вверх по лестнице
downstairs — внизу, вниз по лестнице
to miss classes — пропускать занятия
to pass exams — сдать экзамены
to do well — делать успехи, хорошо учиться
for the first (second) course — на первое (второе) блюдо
to get ready — подготовиться
as a rule — как правило
to get tired — устать
to take pleasure in — получать удовольствие от...
to look forward to — ждать с нетерпением
acquaintance — знакомый
Exercise 2.1. Write one sentence with each word:
1. Usual — usually — as usual — unusual
2. occasion — occasional — occasionally
3. to end — to finish — to be over
4. to start — to begin — to get ready for
5. on Sunday — at five o'clock — in cafeteria...
6. full time student — part time student
7. freshman — second year student — school graduate
Exercise 2.2. Translate into English:
• быть студентом (студенткой) дневного отделения
• рассказать вам о...
• в будние дни
• просыпаться — вставать в 7 часов утра
• включать магнитофон
• принимать душ
• чистить зубы
• одеваться
• слушать последние новости
• У меня уходит час, чтобы добраться до института
• ездить на автобусе (троллейбусе, трамвае)
• опаздывать на занятия
• заканчиваться в 15:50 вечера
• пропускать занятия
• сдать экзамены успешно
• время от времени
• подготовиться к занятиям
• как правило
• устать
• приходить домой
• быть дома
• иметь свободное время
Exercise 2.3. Tell about your typical day. The following questions will help you:
1. Do you get up early?
2. Is it easy for you to get up early?
3. Do you wake up yourself or does your alarm-clock wake you up?
4. Do you do your morning exercises?
5. What do you prefer: a hot or a cold shower in the morning?
6. How long does it take you to get dressed?
7. What do you usually have for breakfast?
8. Some people look through newspapers or listen to the latest news on the radio while having breakfast. What about you?
9. When do you usually leave your house?
10. Do you work? If yes, where?
11. How long does it take you to get to your Academy (Institute)?
12. Do you go there by bus/trolley-bus or walk?
13. Where do you usually have lunch (dinner)?
14. What time do you come home?
15. How long does it take you to do your homework?
16. How do you usually spend your evenings?
17. Do you have a lot of free time?
18. Do you play any musical instrument?
19. Are you fond of listening to music?
20. What kind of music do you prefer?
21. Do you collect anything (stamps, records, postcards, coins, matchboxes, etc.)?
22. What time do you usually go to bed?
Exercise 2.4. Tell about:
a) the working-day of your father or mother
b) the usual weekend at home
c) the best day of your life
d) a holiday spent with your friends or relatives (New Year's day, Christmas, 8th of March)
e) the working day of famous people (writers, artists, politicians etc.)
Hi, nice to meet you all!
My name is Nick Price. I am a freshman at MIT — Massachusetts Institute of Technology. I am not from Boston myself. I was born in Vermilion, Ohio, not far from Cleveland.
My family is not very rich, that is why I can't afford to live on a campus. But it is a rule, that every student must reside during his or her freshman year on the campus. To cover some of the expenses I've got to work part-time on the campus. I work in cafeteria.
Now let me tell you about my usual working day. I wake up at seven in the morning. My alarm-clock radio is tuned to my favourite radio station. My roommate Todd Hall is a football player. He jogs every morning at 6:30. He is still out jogging when I get up. First I take a cold shower and brush my teeth. Then I dress myself up and rush to work — to the University cafeteria. I wash dishes and clean the tables. It is not a very interesting job, I know that, but soon I'll be a cook and will earn more. My boss Suzie is very strict but very nice when you do your job properly.
My first class starts at 11:15. The professor is never late for his classes. The lecture hall we sit in has about 100 seats. MIT is a very big school. I think that it is the best school of science and technology in the US.
At 2:00 p.m. I eat lunch at school cafeteria. The food is free for me because I work there. I am a vegetarian and I don't like drinks with caffeine. I prefer cool filtered water or juice.
Then I have two more classes. I need to go to the library right after the classes to do my homework. There I meet my friends and we talk a lot. Twice a week I play basketball with my friends. I swim once a week. Usually after library we go out to the cafe or just sit outside and talk.
I have dinner at 6:00 p.m. at the little Chinese restaurant not too far from the dormitory or I cook myself in the kitchen in my dorm. My favourite food is salami pizza and potato salad.
After dinner I watch TV or play ping-pong with my friends. When it is Friday, we go to the football game.
I usually read before I go to bed. It calms me down after the long day. I guess, that's pretty much it for now. See you later!
General understanding:
1. Where does Nick Price study?
2. What year of study is he in?
3. Is Nick from Boston?
4. Is Nick's family a rich one?
5. What is Nick's job? Do you think he enjoys it?
6. Is Massachusetts Institute of Technology a good school?
7. Where does Nick spend his evenings?
8. What does Nick usually do on Friday nights?
GRAMMAR
§ 1. Степени сравнения прилагательных и наречий
1. Односложные (и некоторые двусложные) прилагательные и наречия образуютсравнительную степень путем прибавления суффикса-еr, превосходную — путем прибавления суффикса-est:
high — higher — the highest (высокий — выше — самый высокий),
big — bigger — the biggest (большой — больше — самый большой).
Прилагательные и наречия, оканчивающиеся на -у, меняют окончание на -ier и -iest.
Конечная согласная у односложных прилагательных и наречий удваивается.
Например:happy — happier — the happiest. hot — hotter — the hottest
2. Многосложные прилагательные и наречия, оканчивающиеся на-1у, образуют
сравнительную степень путем прибавления слов more (less),
превосходную — путем прибавления словmost (least)
interesting — more (less) interesting — most (least) interesting,
easily — more (less) easily — most (least) easily.
3. Ряд прилагательных и наречий являются исключениями:
good,well (хороший, хорошо) —better (лучше) — the best (самый хороший),
bad (плохой) —worse (хуже) —the worst (самый плохой)
little (маленький, мало) —less (меньше) —the least (наименьший)
many (much) — more — the most
far — farther (further) — the farthest (furthest)
Существительное, определяемое прилагательным в превосходной степени, всегда имеет определенный артикль:the largest building.
Exercise 2.5. Make up comparative and superlative forms of the listed below adjectives (прилагательные) and adverbs (наречия):
1. large, tall, long, easy, hot, big, cold, nice, bad, strong, short, wide, good, happy, high, low, busy, well, little, many, far.
2. wonderful, necessary, quickly, interesting, comfortable, popular, active, famous, pleasant, beautiful, slowly, clearly.
Exercise 2.6. Open the brackets using the right form of adjectives:
1. Winter is (cold) season of the year. 2. Moscow is (large) than St. Petersburg. 3. Which is (long) day of the year? 4. The Alps are (high) mountains in Europe. 5. Even (long) day has an end. 6. It is one of (important) questions of our conference. 7. Your English is (good) now. 8. Who knows him (well) than you? 9. We have (little) interest in this work than you. 10. Health is (good) than wealth. 11. Your son worked (well) of all. 12. Today you worked (slowly) than usually.
Exercise 2.7. Translate the sentences:
1. This book is not so interesting as that one. 2. The Baltic Sea is not so warm as the Black Sea. 3. The more you read, the more you know. 4. My brother is not as tall as you are. 5. The earlier you get up, the more you can do. 6. Today the wind is as strong as it was yesterday. 7. Your room is as light as mine. 8. John knows Russian as well as English. 9. Mary is not so lazy as her brother. 10. The longer the night is, the shorter the day. 11. The less people think, the more they talk.
Exercise 2.8. Translate the sentences:
1. Лев Толстой — один из самых популярных писателей в мире.
2. Этот роман интереснее, чем тот.
3. Ваш дом выше нашего? Нет, он такой же высокий, как и ваш.
4. Это — самая прекрасная картина во всей коллекции.
5. Население Российской Федерации больше населения Великобритании.
6. Он выполнил работу быстрее, чем вы.
7. Австралия — одна из наименее населенных стран.
8. Его работа лучше вашей, но работа Анны — самая лучшая.
9. Россия — самая большая страна в мире.
10. Я живу не так далеко от института, как мой друг.
11. В июле столько же дней, сколько и в августе.
12. Самолет быстрее, чем поезд.
§ 2. Порядок слов в английском предложении
В английском предложении каждый член предложения, как правило, имеет свое определенное место. Так, в простом распространенном повествовательном предложении на первом месте стоит
1) подлежащее, за ним следует
2) сказуемое, далее идет
3) дополнение (беспредложное, прямое, предложное) и затем
4) обстоятельства (образа действия, места, времени).
Например: 1) I 2)gave 3) my brother3) a book4)yesterday.