Ex. 604. A. Read and translate the text Comment on the use of verbals

Green Peace

The scent of cigar smoke and freshly clipped grass are forever in my memory. I can't smell one without thinking of the other. Together, they always suggest Saturday mornings to me. That was when my father embarked on his weekly ritual mowing the lawn, striding behind the Того with a white Owl firmly clamped in his mouth. My cigar odyssey began more than twelve years ago, when as a young man of fifteen I would steal my father's cigars. For many years I watched the great men in my life celebrate their triumphs, and relax with a cigar. Consequently, I began to consider cigars as a symbol of success. Every evening I sit with a cigar in my hand and go over the day's activities in my mind. What I did do, and what I didn't do, and what I should have accomplished. A cigar gives me a chance to relax and think. Smoking a hand-rolled Cuban cigar is one of life's last great pleasures for me. My favourite setting for a smoke is after dinner with friends, sitting outside on the porch at a restaurant on Long Island, accompanied by a strong Colombian coffee. Occasionally, I share a smoke with my wife as I know I look good with a cigar. I should as well admit that my wife looks like a complete knockout with a cigar.

Yes, a good aged cigar is absolutely fantastic. I reserve some when I want to give myself a treat.

B. What's your attitude toward smoking? Discuss it in your group.

Ex. 605. A. Read the text and comment on the verbals.

Gardening

If you would be happy

for a week, take a wife;

if you would be happy

for a month, kill a pig;

but if you would be happy

all your life,

Plant a garden.

Every generation finds itself gravitating toward the ground as it grows older. Earlier in our lives we're focusing on our careers, our relationships and our kids. But as we grow older we find we've got more time

to pursue interests that simply make us feel good. And gardening offers almost instant gratification. At the same time, it allows us to enhance the value of our single biggest investment: our home.

It's only after we reach a certain age that we're ready for the emotional lift, the sense of security and accomplishment that gardening brings. Every generation reaches that point, but every generation does it differently. Gardens have always been the mirror of the times. From the walled pleasure gardens of ancient Persia to the formal gardens of Versailles to the colonial kitchen gardens of Williamsburg, if you want to know where the nation is — what is held dear in taste and style — look in the backyards.

Today, gardens, like cigars, have made a comeback. Gardens have changed a lot since then, but still more and more people are discovering that they are perfect places to enjoy a leisurely smoke. Gardens today are more like outdoor rooms. We don't want to spend a lot of time working in the garden. We've earned the right to enjoy it, so today's gardens are easier to maintain. The garden should reflect your style and taste. Gardens are never done. Gardening is not like architecture — you're allowed to change your mind, to pull something out and move it around. A garden gives you a feeling that you are in your own private world. That, after all, is the real reason for a garden, the true meaning of it is — a refuge. That's what gardens were in their earliest incarnations.

B. Have you heard the old English saying "She has green fingers"? To put it simply, the person is good at growing things, everything she plants comes popping out of the ground, and soon becomes the envy of the neighbourhood. Do you have green fingers? Exchange your ideas on gardening.

Ex. 606. Translate into English.

1. — Будь я врачом, я бы нашел лекарство от ста болезней. — В самом деле? Перестань говорить чепуху. Можно подумать, что никто никогда не пытался это сделать 2. Вы, кажется, приняли меня за моего брата-близне­ца. Иначе вы бы меня не остановили. 3. Хозяин начал представлять гостей друг другу, словно они никогда раньше не встречались. 4. — Не могу противостоять искушению задать вам очень личный вопрос. Мож­но? — Вам следовало давно это сделать. У меня нет секретов, которые я мог бы скрывать. 5. Мы стояли на пустынной улице, не зная, что делать. Нужно было най­ти место, чтобы провести ночь. 6. Вы только посмотри­те! Лекарство, выписанное врачом, совершило чудо. Малыш выглядит так, словно он абсолютно здоров, слов­но он не был болен целую неделю. 7. Пора тебе пере­стать подшучивать над младшей сестренкой! На твоем месте я бы ей помогла вчера решить задачу, и сейчас она не плакала бы над двойкой. 8. — Терпеть не могу опаздывать на занятия. — Хорошо бы все так относи­лись к учебе. 9. Вам трудно угодить, мадам. И отри­цать этого нельзя. 10. Современные города стали слиш­ком большими, чтобы их можно было контролировать. И нам приходится очень дорого платить за привиле­гию жить в большом городе. 11. — Неужели ты в са­мом деле не прошла собеседование? Ты, должно быть, очень нервничала. Нужно было мне пойти с тобой. — Да нет, жаль, но я не подготовилась как следует. 12. Мы были счастливы, что нам вручили дипломы. Ничего не скажешь, мы их заслужили. 13. Они оба такие замеча­тельные люди, но никак не могут найти общий язык. 14. Рок-концерт должен был состояться на стадионе, но, поскольку начался ливень, его перенесли на закрытую арену. 15. Хотел бы я быть садовником и превращать нашу землю в огромный цветущий сад!

Ex. 607. A. Read and translate the text

How to Date

(A Guide to Modern Living)

Dating is something that we just don't do. Not between adults. Dating people is for Americans. Which, if you think about it for a moment, is a bit unfair. Why should they have all the fun? So out for a little romance in your life: ask that person, whom in normal circumstances you'd go a long way to avoid, out for a date. Before you do, though, establish, what exactly is a date? Well, it doesn't involve sex — you're not feeling that desperate. Don't involve your friends; they'll only start treating your date as your partner (just to irritate you) and you don't want to encourage crazy ideas like that. Avoid dinner, for obvious reasons: a) expense; b) the awkward silences; c) your date might think it's "serious". Go to the cinema. Cheap, in the dark (no one can see you with your date) and it solves the conversation problem. On how many occasions can you date someone before they become your de facto boyfriend or girlfriend? The answer is three. Any more than that and they'll start developing unreasonable expectations of, for example, your talking to them.

The golden rule is to never kiss. A peck is acceptable, but only as you are about to dash in the opposite direction for the sanctuary of your home.

One of the main advantages of having a date is that you might be able to discourage other potential dates — all those dates you don't give a fig about — from asking you out on a date. "I'm sorry, I've got a date," is such a convenient and effortless way of giving the brush off to no-hopers.

So don't be dated, make a date with a date, and start enjoying life again!

B. Do you do any dating'? Who with and how often do you date

Ex. 608. A. See how verbals work to give you advice on how to stay calm and happy

Stride For Your Life

1. Walking is one of life's attitudes to stress. Its simple, requires no special training and is pleasurable. Its effect begins within the first 200 metres. Walk every day -_ not because you have to, but because it may be the most relaxing way to get from A to B.