p our big house in the suburbs, your Mercedes, your furs, your jewelry, and our vacation home in Mexico?»
For a long time they continued dining in silence. Finally, the woman nudged her husband and said, «Isn\'t that Howard over there? Who\'s he with?»
«That\'s HIS mistress,» her husband replied.
«Oh,» she said, taking a bite of dessert. «Ours is much cuter.»
Study the words and expressions given below:
to enjoy наслаждаться, получать удовольствие
statuesque статный, фигуристый
brunette брюнетка
to exchange обмениваться
warm теплый
greetings приветствия
to demand требовать; спрашивать
mistress любовница
divorce развод
to fume перен. кипятиться, возмущаться
straight прямо
to give up бросать, отказываться
Mercedes «мерседес»
furs меха
jewelry драгоценности
vacation отпуск
to continue продолжать
to dine обедать
silence молчание, тишина
to nudge подталкивать локтем
bite кусочек
dessert десерт
ours наша
a dinner out обед в ресторане
to walk over подойти (к чему-л.)
suburbs пригород
Exercises to the text1. Answer the questions to the text:
1. Who came over the couple when they were having dinner?
2. What\'s a brunette?
3. What type of a car does the wife have?
4. Where do they spend their vacation?
5. Whose mistress is better – the husband\'s or Howard\'s?2. Fill in the blanks with the words from the text:
1. A couple was _______ a dinner out.
2. A brunette _______ warm greetings with the husband.
3. I want a _______!
4. Do you want _______ our big house in the suburbs?
5. They continued _______ in silence.
6. Finally, the woman _______ her husband.3. Say if the statement is true or false:
1. A married couple was enjoying a dinner out when an ugly brunette walked over to their table.
2. The husband hit her right in the eye.
3. Are you sure you want to give up our big house in the suburbs?
4. For a long time they continued dining in silence.
5. Finally, the woman nudged her husband.
6. «That\'s YOUR mistress,» her husband replied.4. Match the words and expressions in the left column to those in the right one:
5. Translate from Russian into English:
1. Супружеская пара наслаждалась обедом в ресторане.
2. Если тебе нужно знать, то это моя любовница.
3. Вот как!
4. Муж посмотрел ей прямо в глаза.
5. Ты хочешь расстаться со своим «мерседесом», своими мехами и драгоценностями?
6. Долгое время они продолжали обедать в тишине.
7. С кем он?
8. Наша гораздо лучше.
Revise English Grammar Герундиальные и инфинитивные оборотыМожно ли в предложении For a long time they continued dining in silence… герундий (dining) заменить на инфинитив (to dine), и какие правила сочетания герундия и инфинитива существуют?
Проверьте свои навыки в этом вопросе; при необходимости обратитесь к грамматическому комментарию (раздел 24).6. Fill in the blanks with a Gerund or an Infinitive:
1. A married couple seemed (enjoy) _______ their dinner.
2. They really enjoyed (have) _______ their dinner all alone.
3. The wife objected to her husband\'s (drink) _______ too much of champagne.
4. The waiter kept (bring) _______ more and more delicious food.
5. The wife didn\'t expect her husband (exchange) _______ warm greetings with a woman who appeared (be) _______ a total stranger to her.
6. She insisted on (have) _______ a divorce.
7. Do you want (give up) _______ our big house in the suburbs?
8. She didn\'t mind (have) _______ a mistress who was much cuter than that of Howard\'s.
Revise English GrammarВ предложении Ours is cuter… используется так называемая абсолютная форма притяжательного падежа личного местоимения we.
Проверьте навыки использования данной формы, при необходимости обращаясь к грамматическому комментарию (раздел 25).7. Translate into English:
1. – У Говарда большой дом.
– Наш больше.
2. – У жены Говарда много драгоценностей.
– Твои дороже.
3. – У Говарда новая машина.
– Моя новее.
4. – У Говарда хорошая любовница.
– Наша лучше.8. Render the joke.
Section 23 Marriage counselor
After just a few years of marriage, filled with constant arguments, a young man and his wife decided the only way to save their marriage was to try counseling. They had been at each other\'s throat for some time and felt that this was their last straw. When they arrived at the counselor\'s office, the counselor jumped right in and opened the floor for discussion.
«What seems to be the problem?» Immediately, the husband held his long face down without anything to say. On the other hand, the wife began talking 90 miles an hour describing all the wrongs within their marriage. After 5—10–15 minutes of listening to the wife, the counselor went over to her, picked her up by her shoulders, kissed her passionately for several minutes, and sat her back down. Afterwards, the wife sat there speechless.
He looked over at the husband who was staring in disbelief at what had happened. The counselor spoke to the husband, «Your wife NEEDS that at least twice a week!»
The husband scratched his head and replied, «I can have her here on Tuesdays and Thursdays.»Study the words and expressions given below:
a few несколько
constant постоянный
arguments споры
to counsel советовать, консультировать
counselor советник, консультант
counseling консультирование
immediately немедленно
wrongs недостатки, неудобства, дефекты
within внутри
shoulder плечо
to kiss целовать
passionately страстно
afterwards после, впоследствии
speechless безгласный, безмолвный
disbelief недоверие
to scratch скрести, чесать
to be at sb\'s throat перен. быть готовым взять кого-л. за горло
to jump in зд. сразу приступить к делу
to open the floor for discussion открыть обсуждение
on the other hand с другой стороны (on the one hand с одной стороны)
to talk 90 miles an hour болтать со скоростью 90 миль в час
last straw последняя соломинка
at least по крайней мере
Exercises to the text1. Answer the questions to the text:
1. What was the couple\'s marriage filled with?
2. What did they think to be the only way to save their relationships?
3. What did the counselor do when they arrived at the office?
4. Why did the husband hold his face down?
5. How fast did the wife speak?
6. How did the wife act after the counselor had kissed her?
7. How often did the wife have to visit the counselor\'s office?2. Fill in the blanks with the words from the text:
1. These years were filled with _______ arguments.
2. They decided that _______ way to save their marriage was to _______ counseling.
3. They had been at each other\'s _______ for some time.
4. They felt that this was their _______ straw.
5. When they arrived at the office, the counselor _______ right in and opened the floor for discussion.
6. What _______ to be the problem?
7. The husband held his long face down _______ anything to say.3. Match the two parts of the sentences:
4. Match the words and expressions in the left column to those in the right one:
5. Translate from Russian into English:
1. Жена, напротив, принялась описывать все недостатки их брака.
2. Послушав жену, он поднял ее за плечи.
3. Он страстно целовал ее в течение нескольких минут и посадил назад.
4. Потом жена сидела молча.
5. Он взглянул на мужа, который уставился с недоверием на то, что произошло.
6. Консультант предложил мужу делать это по крайней мере дважды в неделю.
7. Муж почесал голову.
Revise English GrammarВ предложении After just a few years of marriage… используется словосочетание a few («немного»), которое нельзя путать с прилагательным few, а также с другими словами и конструкциями, выражающими близкие значения (little, a little).
Проверьте, насколько хорошо вы знаете правила использования этих слов и словосочетаний. При необходимости воспользуйтесь грамматическим комментарием (раздел 26).6. Fill in the blanks with a word from the list:
few a few
little a little
Follow the directions given in brackets:
1. They spent very (мало) _______ days without heated arguments.
2. They had (мало) _______ hope to save their marriage.
3. The counselor was (немного) _______ surprised when he heard the couple\'s story.
4. He thought there was (мало) _______ hope left, but still he agreed to help.
5. After (немного) _______ visits to the counselor\'s office they felt better.
6. When she began to speak, he understood very (мало) _______, so fast she spoke.
7. And only (немного) _______ words were intelligible.
8. She sat silently (немного) _______ minutes, and then they left.7. Fill in the blanks with proper forms of the verbs:
1. If we (not to try) _______ counseling, our marriage will end up in a divorce.