Remember the contexts in which Word List items are used, say who or what they referred to
3. Find the English equivalents for these:
1. невозможный, невыполнимый
2. гениальный
3. нажать на нужную кнопку
4. открыть литературное агентство
5. это похоже на жульничество (мошенничество \ аферу)
6. непонятное, неизвестное слово
7. плодовитый автор
8. по плану
9. посредственность, бездарность; заурядный человек
4. Explain what it means:
1. to toy with smth
2. stand to reason
3. to be worked up
4. to work out
5. to be sold on the idea
6. to sit up and take notice
7. to make a monkey out of smb
8. to get the hang of smth
5. Fill in prepositions where necessary:
A.Fill in the prepositions and complete the table:
1) The speed with which the new engine works may be grasped by the fact that it can provide the correct answer in five seconds … a problem that would occupy a mathematician for a month.
2) The automatic computing engine uses pulses of electricity, generated … the rate of a million a second, to solve all calculations that resolve themselves into addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
3) I don't think I have to remind you that your own contribution, especially … the original plans, was an important one.
4) Then gradually (the head still motionless), a subtle change spreading over the face, astonishment becoming pleasure, ….. increasing gradually, spreading out until at last the whole face was open wide and shining … extreme delight.
5) It was at this stage that young Knipe began to display a real talent … big business..
| an answer … smth … the rate contribution … smth to shine … smth(=emotions) talent … smth / doing smth |
B. Fill in the prepositions:
1) The number of reported crimes is increasing … an alarming rate.
2) I told my assistants to work … their own rate but if they don’t find an answer … this problem we are done.
3) Clark eyes shone … such anger, his hands shook with honest indignation which was so perfectly human but he had no answer … the accusations.
4) He knew that he’d made a very positive contribution … the success of the project and his eyes shone … delight.
5) Einstein was awarded the Nobel Prize for his contribution … Quantum Theory.
6) The school sees its job as preparing students to make a contribution … society as many students show considerable talent … helping others at an early age. .
7) Have you been making regular contributions … a pension plan?
8) 'It was wonderful! This could be the answer … all our problems.' Kate replied, her eyes shining … excitement.
9) … the rate you work, you'll never finish! We need a persuasive speaker with a natural talent … leadership.
10) Bethenny absolutely shone … love and Jason reflected it! She always showed considerable talent … getting what she wanted.
6. Match the synonyms:
| 1. to grasp 2. sloppy 3. reluctant 4. to humour 5. impracticable 6. ingenious 7. to set up 8. trickery 9. to smack of smth 10. to toy with smth 11. worked up 12. to work out 13. sold on smth 14. to make a monkey out of 15. to get the hang of smth | a. creative b. enthusiastic about smth c. establish d. excited e. flirt with smth f. indulge g. master smth h. partake of smth i. ridicule j. sentimental k. solve l. swindle m. understand n. unrealizable o. unwilling |
7. Translate into Russian:
1) Safety experts urge cyclists to sit up and take notice warning that Sydney will never be a bicycle-friendly city until it develops a ''cycling culture'' which encourages relaxed European-style riding without the compulsory use of helmets
2) John made a monkey out of himself while trying to make a fool out of Jim. It stands to reason he is so worked up now that Anne won’t even look at him.
3) – It's harder to play the piano than I thought.
– Just keep practicing (the piano) and you'll get the hang of it.
4) I toyed with the idea of pursuing a career as a lawyer just because I like to argue. I even tried to sell my father on the idea that he should pay for the college and though reluctantly he finally agreed.
5) A large volume of adventures may be grasped within this little span of life, by him who interests his heart in everything.
6) Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself, but talent instantly recognizes genius. (Arthur Conan Doyle)
7) The creative urge is the demon that will not accept anything second rate. (Agnes de Mille)
8) The creative urge is within us all. This is a desire to do something different, make something out of nothing, to change our environment, decorate our homes, cook an interesting meal, or even have a baby!
9) It stands to reason that as a teacher you have to adjust your methods to suit the needs of slower children.
10) Writing in English is the most ingenious torture ever devised for sins committed in previous lives. The English reading public explains the reason why. (James Joyce)
11) Few things are impracticable in themselves; and it is for want of application, rather than of means, that men fail to succeed. (Francois de La Rochefoucauld)
12) I'm a bit of a nerd, I wouldn't mind working in a shop selling records, or having a radio show where I could play obscure singles. (Bjork)
13) Simplicity is not the goal. It is the by-product of a good idea and modest expectations. (Paul Rand)
14) Picasso was extremely prolific during his Cubist years.
15) The whole affair smacks of mismanagement and incompetence.
8. Translate into English using words and words combinations from Word List:
1) Я устроился на эту работу только чтобы угодить родителям, так что не удивительно, что свои обязанности я выполнял неохотно. Мне приходилось работать с людьми заурядными, которые не могли справиться с проблемой даже если ответ был у них под носом.
2) «Это не так сложно как кажется, вам надо только нажимать на нужные кнопки, чтобы загрузить данные в компьютер. Не волнуйтесь, вы скоро наловчитесь», сказал мой новый шеф, улыбаясь. Я был в ужасе, передо мной были десятки кнопок с неизвестными словами. Я знаю, что я негениален, но в тот момент мне казалось, что он меня попросту дурачит. Я не мог понять значения клавиш, не говоря уж об их комбинации. Но выбора у меня особо не было, и я решил попробовать.
3) Его поведение отдавало трусостью. Он мог бы просто во всем признаться. Я был так взвинчен, что даже подумывал о том, чтобы противостоять ему.
4) Я вполне уверен, что если все и дальше будет идти по плану, нам удастся захватить рынок. Наше литературное агентство основано всего год назад, а у нас уже больше многообещающих и плодовитых молодых авторов, чем в любом другом агентстве в стране. Хотелось бы только, чтобы наших инвесторов эта идея также прельщала, как и меня, но я с ними поговорю. Им пора кое-что усвоить!
5) Это был очень привлекательный, но совершенно невыполнимый план, он требовал очень много поправок. А вопрос о побочных продуктах представлял большие трудности.
6) Ты называешь это жаждой творчества?! – Да я в жизни не читала более сентиментального и глупого рассказа. Редакторы его ни за что не примут.
7) Как работает эта программа? – Цифры загружаются в компьютер, который потом прогнозирует вероятный доход. – Это попахивает мошенничеством. – Ничего подобного! Это просто современная технология.
8) Мистер Болен не мог понять, как гениален был проект Найпа. Поэтому сначала он просто хотел ему угодить и не собирался открывать литературное агентство. Но поразмыслив над тем, чтобы самому стать плодовитым писателем, пришел в восторг от этой идей.
Detailed Comprehension
1. Answer the questions:
1) What was the relationship between the main characters? What did each of them think of the other? Prove your answer by using the text.
2) How did Knipe manage to convince Mr Bohlen? Make a list of his arguments. Which ones do you think were the most persuasive?
3) To what conclusions did Knipe come after his careful study of the literary market?
4) Do you think Knipe was right to say that all writers were interested only in financial success?
5) Why did Knipe make sure his own literary fame was greater than that of his chief?
6) Whose idea was it to absorb all the other writers in the country? How did he plan to realize it? Was the plan an immediate success? Why?
7) Whom did Knipe find easier to persuade to sign up the contract? Why?
8) Do you think the narrator is fascinated by the idea of such a computer or appalled at it?
9) Was the computer capable of creating a novel all on its own without the human’s interference in the process? Can you call this machine an example of artificial intelligence? Why has the issue of artificial intelligence been stirring people’s imagination for a long time? Is it still relevant?
10) Do you believe that it’s possible to create a computer that will write literary works/ make paintings/ compose music etc all on its own? Do you think it will be an advantage or a disadvantage?
2. Describe the grammatizator and the way it worked:
1) before the adjustment for writing novels;
2) after the adjustment for writing novels.
3. Speak about:
1) Adolph Knipe (his appearance, manners, character, prove that Knipe was not only a creative but a cunning person as well)
2) Mr. John Bohlen (his appearance, manners, character, prove that though Mr. Bohlen was a businesslike man, literary fame appealed to him).
4. Develop the situations checking your knowledge of the context:
1) From then on, Adolph Knipe began to think about nothing else. The idea fascinated him enormously, at first because it gave him a promise--however remote--of revenging himself in a most devilish manner upon his greatest enemies.
2) Then suddenly, he was struck by a powerful but simple little truth, and it was this: that English grammar is governed by rules that are almost mathematical in their strictness!
3) It was an exciting moment when the two men--the one, short, plump, breviped--the other tall, thin and toothy--stood in the corridor before the control panel and got ready to run off the first story.
4) Well, it wasn't quite as easy as that, but after many hours of practice, Mr Bohlen began to get the hang of it, and finally, late one evening, he told Knipe to make ready for running off the first novel.
5. Comment on the following quotations:
1) Whenever a young man gets depressed, everybody thinks it’s a woman.
2) You mean to sit there and tell me that these magazines pay out money like that to a man for... just for scribbling off a story!
3) The quality may be inferior, but that doesn’t matter. It’s the cost of production that counts.
4) Thereafter, Knipe wisely decided to concentrate only upon mediocrity. Anything better than that--and there were so few it didn't matter much--was apparently not quite so easy to seduce.
5) Give us strength, Oh Lord, to let our children starve.