Poems About Appearance and Character
The Peppery Man
The Peppery Man was cross and thin;
He scolded out and scolded in;
He shook his fist, his hair he tore;
He stamped his feet and slammed the door.
Heigh ho, the Peppery Man,
The rabid, crabbed Peppery Man!
Oh, never since the world began
Was anyone like the Peppery Man.
His ugly temper was so sour
He often scolded for an hour;
He gnashed his teeth and stormed and scowled,
He snapped and snarled and yelled and howled.
He wore a fierce and savage frown;
He scolded up and scolded down;
He scolded over field and glen,
And then he scolded back again.
His neighbors, when they heard his roars,
Closed their blinds and locked their doors,
Shut their windows, sought their beds,
Stopped their ears and covered their heads.
He fretted, chafed, and boiled and fumed;
With fiery rage he was consumed,
And no one knew, when he was vexed,
What in the world would happen next.
Arthur Macy
I Should Not Dare To Leave My Friend
I should not dare to leave my friend,
Because — because if he should die
While I was gone, and I too late
Should reach the heart that wanted me,
If I should disappoint the eyes
That hunted — hunted so to see,
And could not bear to shut until
They noticed me — they noticed me,
If I should stab the patient faith
So sure I'd come — so sure I'd come,
It listening — listening went to sleep
Telling my tardy name,
My heart would wish it broke before,
Since breaking then — since breaking then
Were useless as next morning's sun
Where midnight frosts had lain.
Emily Dickinson
The Pessimist
Nothing to do but work,
Nothing to eat but food,
Nothing to wear but clothes,
To keep one from going nude.
Nothing to breathe but air,
Quick as a flash 'tis gone;
Nowhere to fall but off,
Nowhere to stand but on.
Nothing to comb but hair,
Nowhere to sleep but in bed,
Nothing to weep but tears,
Nothing to bury but dead.
Nothing to sing but songs,
Ah, well, alas! alack!
Nowhere to go but out,
Nowhere to come but back.
Nothing to see but sights,
Nothing to quench but thirst,
Nothing to have but what we've got.
Thus through life we are cursed,
Nothing to strike but a gait;
Everything moves that goes.
Nothing at all but common sense
Can ever withstand these woes.
B. J. King
Proverbs About Appearance and Character
Study the following proverbs, try to find the Russian equivalent to them and use them in situations of your own.
1. Beauty lies in lover’s eyes.
2. A fair face may hide a foul heart.
3. A fool at forty is a fool indeed.
4. A fool’s tongue runs before his wit.
5. A fool may ask more questions in an hour than a wise man can answer in seven years.
6. A little body often harbours a great soul.
7. A man is known by the company he keeps.
8. A man of words and not of deeds is like a garden full of weeds.
9. A silent fool is counted wise.
10. A sound mind in a sound body.
11. You cannot judge a tree by its bark.
12. Appearances are deceptive.
13. Beauty is but skin-deep.
14. Handsome is that handsome does.
Games
WHO IS IT?
Pair work
Think of someone in the class. Give a clue like this: I'm thinking of a woman.
Now your partner tries to guess who it is.
How old is she? How tall is she? What kind of hair does she have?
What is she wearing?
Is she wearing a red sweater?
Is it... (name)?
The Dating Game (reading)
Do young people go out on dates in your country?
How old are they when they start dating?
Where do they like to go?
Who usually pays - the man, the woman, or both?
Young people have more freedom in North America than in many other countries. They often start dating around the age of 14, and do not need an older person to go with them. They go in groups or couples to school events (dances, plays, ball games), parties, restaurants, movies, and sports events.
.For most teenagers, dating is just for fun. It does not mean that they want to get married. Young people may even date several friends at the same time. They usually choose their own dates. Sometimes, however, someone arranges a date for two people who do not know each other. This is called a "blind date."
Either a man or a woman can invite someone on a date. If there are expenses, the man and woman often "go Dutch"; this means they share the cost. Sometimes, however, one person pays for both people.
Group work
Is dating the same or different in your country?
Write S for same and D for different and then discuss your answers.
Young people in my country .. .
… start dating around 14
… often go out in couples
… date several people at the same time
… date for fun, not marriage
… sometimes go out on blind dates
… sometimes go Dutch
2. Class activity Are there any other differences between dating in North America and in your country?
Culture quiz
Read this information about what people do in North America. Is it the same in your country? Check "Same" or "Different."
Same - Different
a) Children don't wear uniforms to public schools.
b) Many adults like to wear shorts in the summer.
c) People often wear casual clothes, like jeans, to the theatre or to concerts.
d) Some men like to grow a moustache or beard.
e) Some women like to wear nail polish.
f) Both men and women sometimes dye their hair.
g) People are not smoking so much these days.
h) Many restaurants have nonsmoking sections.
i) Male and female college students sometimes live in the same dormitory.
j) Many young people don't live at home with their parents after they get jobs.
k) Parents don't usually choose dates for their sons and daughters.
1) People usually serve wine, beer, and soft drinks at parties.
V. Creative Tasks
Writing
1.1. Cut out pictures of people from magazines. Two people write their own descriptions of the same picture. For example:
The man is in his early 20s. He’s tall and he has brown hair. He’s wearing a red sweater and dark blue pants, and he’s carrying a black jacket. He’s also wearing a watch.
1.2. Now compare your description with the other person's.