Review questions and tasks. 1. What groups of English vowels may be distinguished according to the stability of articulation?

1. What groups of English vowels may be distinguished according to the stability of articulation?

2. Enumerate all the diphthongs. How are they pronounced? Describe their structure.

3. State the difference between centring and closing diphthongs.

4. What are triphthongs?

5. Are there any diphthongs in the Russian language?

6. What should one do to pronounce English diphthongs correctly?

7. Group the following words according to the diphthongs / triphthongs in them: weary, way, poor, loiter, ground, lion, globe, spear, cow, flamboyant, affair, sure, case, beer, fearful, pear, spy, chair, owl, serial, endure, there, ghost, crown, layer, square, theatre, roll, power, tourist, upstairs, cheer, full, foil, flower, moisture, inspire, jeered, lawnmower, proud, unbearable, experience, host, plough, frighten, oyster, aisle, lady, shower, drought, haste.

Unit 13

Section 1

Make a careful study of the text below and pick out the terms related to phonetics.

Principal Nuclear Tones

The Low Fall

(starts in the middle of the voice range _______

and gradually descends to a very low pitch) ________ Yes.

The High Fall

(starts at a high pitch and then ________

falls to a very low pitch) ________ Yes.

The Low Rise

(starts at a very low pitch ________

and gradually ascends to the middle of the voice range) ________ Yes.

The High Rise

(starts in the middle of the voice range _________

and then rises to a very high pitch) _________ Yes.

The Fall – Rise

(starts with a fall similar to that of the __________

high fall which is followed by a low rise) __________ Yes.

The Rise – Fall

(starts in the middle of the voice range, rises __________

to a very high pitch and then falls to a very low pitch) __________ Yes.

The Rise – Fall – Rise

(the voice rises from a very low pitch level, moves __________

up to the medium one, falls deep down, then rises again) __________ Yes.

The Mid -_Level

(maintains a level pitch between high and __________

low, the voice neither rises nor falls) __________ Yes.

Section 2

[ aı ]

( the nucleus is central, open (broad variant), unrounded )

I. Observe the position of the lips and the tongue for the sound [aı]. Make the glide

Very smooth. Pay attention to the positional length of [aı].

I eyed ice [α:-aı]bar-bay

high hide height star - sty

tie tide tight darn - dine

why wide white lark -like

rye ride right cart - kite

sigh side sight heart - height

lie lied light laugh - life

II. Read the sentences. Follow the tonetic marks.

1. Time flies! Как время летит!

2. Mind your eye! Гляди в оба.

3. I had a white night. Я провел бессонную ночь.

4. Ida drives Myra wild. Айда бесит Майру.

5. I find it’s quite right. Я считаю, что это совершенно верно.

6. I had the time of my life at the Whites. Я прекрасно провел время у Уайтов.

7. Stop piping the eye like the crocodile. Не реви.

8. Ike and Ivy sat by side quiet as mice. Айк и Айда сидели рядышком,

тихие как мыши.

III. Match the following English idioms, proverbs and sayings with their Russian

equivalents. Make up situations to illustrate their usage.

1. life’s ironies a. С глаз долой – из сердца вон.

2. Out of sight, out of mind b. покинутый в беде, «на мели»

3. Beauty lies in lover’s eyes. c. отсталый

4. to see eye to eye d. превратности судьбы

5. in one’s mind’s eye e. в воображении

6. high and dry f. сходиться во взглядах

7. behind the times g. быть живучим, как кошка

8. have nine lives h. У каждого свое представление о

красоте

IV. Pronounce the tongue twister in the quickest possible way. Observe the correct

articulation of [aı].

You’ve no need to light a night-light

On a light night like tonight,

For a night-light’s light’s a slight light,

And tonight’s a night that’s light.

When a night’s light, like tonight’s light,

It is really not quite right

To light night-lights with their slight lights

On a light night like tonight.

Section 3

I. Test. Tick the words you recognize in the sentences you hear:

1. a) cart; b) kite

2. a) darning; b) dining

3. a) star; b) sty

4. a) laugh; b) life

5. a) hard; b) hide

6. a) Pa; b) pie

II. Listen to the dialogue and learn it by heart.

Mike, Myra and Violet

(Myra and Violet are typists in the library.)

Myra: (smiling) Hello, Mike!

Mike: Hello, Myra. Hello, Violet! You’re looking nice, Violet. (silence)

Mike: Would you like some ice-cream, Violet?

Violet: No, thanks, Mike. I’m busy typing. Talk to me some other time. I have

ninety-nine pages to type by Friday.

Mike: Never mind. Do you like riding, Violet?

Violet: Sometimes.

Mike: Would you like to come riding with me tonight, Violet?

Violet: Not tonight, Mike. I’m going for a drive with Nigel.

Mike: What about Friday?

Violet: I’m going climbing with Miles.

Mike: Hm! Oh, all right. Bye!

Myra: Violet, he’s put something behind your typewriter.

Violet: Is it something nice, Myra?

Myra: No. It’s a spider.

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