Text B. Handicapped people do useful work

Joseph Emmons can’t use his eyes. He’s blind. He has a trained dog named Buster that leads him where he wants to go. Buster sees for Mr. Emmons. He’s called a seeing-eye dog.

Although Mr. Emmons has a handicap, it isn’t a big problem. He has a useful job and he earns his own money. Mr. Emmons sells brooms and mops to people in this part of the city. He has worked every day except Sunday for forty years.

Mr. Emmons gets up at 6:00 every morning and eats breakfast with his

wife. Then he leaves the house at 7:00. He holds Buster and walks from house to house. He carries his mops and brooms with him. While he talks to people, the dog sits and waits. The people choose a broom, and then they pay him.

Buster doesn’t let Mr. Emmons talk to people very long. He likes to keep moving. It takes four and one-half months to walk to every house in this part of the city. Mr. Emmons visits each house every four months, and by then the people are usually ready to buy new brooms.

Mr. Emmons likes his job. He’s very healthy because he works outside every day. But these days he has a problem. His brooms last so long that sometimes they are still good after four months. Then nobody needs to buy a new one.

Mr. Emmons is proud of his brooms because blind people make them. He picks up a new supply of brooms every week. He says, “If you don’t sell people something good, they’re not going to buy from you the second time you come around”.

Vocabulary

blind, adj	слепой
lead ( led, led ), v	вести, приводить
although, conj	хотя
handicap, v n	страдать от физического недостатка физический недостаток
handicapped	страдающий от физического недостатка
earn, v	зарабатывать
choose ( chose, chosen ), v	выбирать
health, n	здоровье
healthy, adj	здоровый
need, v n	нуждаться в чём-либо нужда, потребность
buy ( bought, bought ), v	покупать
sell ( sold, sold ), v	продавать
supply, v n	снабжать, поставлять снабжение, поставка, запас

I. Match the English and Russian words:

to lead	гордиться
health	хотя
to be proud of	зарабатывать
although	выбирать
a handicap	вести
to earn	вставать
to get up	уезжать
to leave	платить
to choose	здоровье
to pay	физический недостаток
except	за исключением

II. Find the English equivalents of the following Russian words:

использовать	to find, to catch, to use, to belong
слепой	old, handicapped, blind, complex
хотя	also, although, too, except
держать	to take, to give, to got, to hold
нести	to carry, to receive, to contain, to obtain
ждать	to follow, to wait, to store, to find
обычно	always, often, usually, sometimes
посещать	to come, to walk, to intend, to visit
запас	income, supply, need, broom
восполнять	to come around, to wait for, to be proud of, to pick up

III. Find the opposites to the first word in each line:

useless	each, essential, useful, busy
to waste	to work, to earn, to train, to buy
to sell	to give, to call, to get, to buy
except	including, although, then, since
to leave	to come, to walk, to live, to drive
short	big, small, long, wide
ill	wealthy, healthy, wise, proud
to work	to try, to pick, to last, to rest
to like	to hate, to admire, to adore,to want

IV. Find in the text ‘Handicapped people do useful work’ the English equivalents of the following Russian phrases:

люди с физическими недостатками; специально обученная собака; зарабатывать деньги; разговаривать с кем-либо; быть в движении; необходимо некоторое время, чтобы что-нибудь сделать; к тому времени; быть здоровым; работать на улице; гордиться чем-либо; пополнять запас; покупать у кого-либо; приходить снова.

V.Read the text ‘Handicapped people do useful work’. Choose the right answer to the following questions:

1. How often does Mr. Emmons work ?

a) one day a week,

b) every day except Sunday,

c) every Sunday.

2. What does Mr. Emmons sell ?

a) brooms and mops,

b) vegetable,

c) newspapers.

3. What time does Mr. Emmons get up every day ?

a) at 12:00,

b) at 8:00,

c) at 6:00.

4. What does he do next ?

a) has breakfast,

b) does morning exercises,

c) takes a shower.

5. What time does he leave the house every day ?

a) at 8:00,

b) at 9:30,

c) at 7:00.

6. How often does Mr. Emmons visit each house ?

a) every three months,

b) every four months,

c) once a year.

7. How often do most people buy brooms ?

a) every 4 months,

b) once a year,

c) every 4 weeks.

8. How often does he get a new supply of brooms?

a) every month,

b) every week,

c) every 4 months.

VI. Complete the following sentences:

1. Mr. Emmons can’t _______________ .

2. He has a trained dog _______________ .

3. Mr. Emmons earns _______________ .

4. He gets up at _______________ .

5. He holds Buster _______________ .

6. While he talks to people _______________ .

7. Buster doesn’t let _______________ .

8. It takes four and one-half months _______________ .

9. His brooms last so long _______________ .

10. Mr. Emmons is proud of _______________ .

VII. Agree or disagree. Give your reasons.

1. Joseph Emmons can’t use his eyes.

2. He has a trained dog to play with.

3. Although Mr. Emmons has a handicap, it’s not a big problem.

4. Mr. Emmons works one day a week.

5. Mr. Emmons sells newspapers and magazines.

6. While he talks to people the dog sits and waits.

7. Mr. Emmons likes to talk to people for hours.

8. He visits each house every 6 months.

9. He likes his job.

10. He never has any problems.

VIII. Think and answer:

1. Why can’t Joseph Emmons use his eyes ?

2. Why is Buster called a “ seeing-eye dog ” ?

3. Why isn’t Mr. Emmons’ handicap a big problem ?

4. Why doesn’t Buster let Mr. Emmons talk very long ?

5. Why do the people usually buy new brooms every time that Mr. Emmons comes ?

6. Why does Mr. Emmons like his job ?

7. Why is he so healthy ?

8. Why does Mr. Emmons have a problem selling brooms ?

9. Why is he proud of his brooms ?

10. Why should you sell people something good ?

IX. Say what you have learned from the text about:

a) Joseph Emmons’ handicap;

b) his dog;

c) Mr. Emmons’ workday;

d) his job.

X. Retell the text:

a) as it is;

b) on the name of Mr. Emmons;

c) on the name of Mrs. Emmons;

d) on the name of Mr. Emmons’ neighbour;

e) on the name of Buster.