Essential vocabulary

1. annoy vt/i 1) to make a little angry, especially by repeated acts; to disturb and nervously upset a person: Wilfred did not want to pay too much attention to Fleur, he was afraid of annoying her.

Sin. vex, irk, bother

2) persistent interrupting, interrupting with or intruding on until the victim is angry or upset: Clouds of flies annoyed our horses.

Syn. worry, harass, plague, pester, tease

Ant. soothe, comfort

to be annoyed at / over smth: He was annoyed at the boy's stupidity.

to be annoyed with: The old woman was annoyed with the noisy children.

annoying a causing one to feel annoyed, as annoying manners: How annoying...! The annoying thing about it is that I keep thinking about Lizzy.

Syn. bothersome, irritating, troublesome, harassing, tormenting, nagging, vexatious

2. chatter vi 1) to talk quickly or foolishly or without a stop: The two girls chattered merrily unaware of Roger's presence. 2) to make quick indistinct sounds: The sparrows were chattering on the roof of the cottage. 3) to strike the lower and upper teeth together from cold or fever: She was so frightened that her teeth chattered.

chaterbox n a person who chatters

chatter n sounds of the kinds described by the verb «to chatter»: The chatter of the birds could be heard everywhere.

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chattering n The cheerfulchattering ofchildren came from the nursery. to chatter like a magpie

3. cheer vt/i 1) to fill with gladness hope, high spirits; comfort: Everyone was cheered by the good news. He cheered up at once when I promised to help him. Cheer up! Your troubles will soon be over. 2) to give shouts of joy, approval, or encouragement: The speaker was loud­ ly cheered. Everybody cheered the news that peace had come.

to cheer for (cheer on): to support (a competitor) with cheers, about to encourage: Let's go to the football game and cheer for our favourite team. Please come to the sports meeting to cheer on our team.

cheer n 1) state of hope, gladness; words of cheer, of encourage­ment; 2) shout of joy or encouragement used by spectators to en­courage or show enthusiasm or support for their team: The cheers of the spectators filled the stadium.

to give three cheers for to cry, or shout «Hurrah!» three times: The team members gave three cheers for their captain.

cheerful a 1) happy and contented: He kept throughout his life his youthful optimism and his cheerful trust in men.

Syn. glad, happy, lighthearted, joyful, joyous

Ant. gloomy

2) bright, pleasant, bringing joy, as a cheerful room, sound, con­versation; cheerful surroundings: Mary's cheerful talk encouraged her friends.

Ant. cheerless, gloomy

cheery a is a rather trivial colloquialism for cheerful

cheerio inter} a colloquial word used as farewell: Cheerio, old friends!

cheers 1) is used as a toast «Your health!». Does everybody have beer? Yes, cheers. 2) a modern informal use of cheers in British Engish is to mean «good-bye» or «thank you»: I'll give you a hand tomorrow. Cheers, that'll be great.

4. contest vt 1) to argue; debate, dispute, as to contest a state­ ment (a point); to try to show that it is wrong, as to contest smb's right to do smth; 2) to take part in a struggle or competition (with or against smb or smth), as to contest a match (a race): Jim had to con­ test against the world's best winners in the Games and did well to come third. 3) to fight or compete for, to try to win, as to contest a seat in Parliament: The soldiers contested every inch of the ground.

Syn. contend

contest n struggle, fight; competition, as a keen contest for the prize; a contest of skill; a musical contest; a close contest: The ice-hockey cham­pionship was a close contest between Canada, Sweden and Russia.

contestant n one who contests

Syn. contender

contestable a open to argument: That's a contestable statement, you can't prove it.

5. emerge vi 1) to come forth into view from an enclosed and ob­ scure place: The moon emerges from beyond the clouds. 2) to rise into notice and esp. to issue (come forfh) from suffering, subjection, danger, embarrassment, etc.: New artistic developments emerged after the revo­ lution. 3) to come out as the result of investigation, discussion (of a fact, a principle): At last there emerged Einstein's Theory of Relativity.

Syn. issue

emergency n a sudden happening requiring prompt action; one to be used in an emergency, as an emergency exit (door); an emergency fund; an emergency (forced) landing: These stairs are to be used only in an emergency. The plane was caught in a snow-storm and had to make an emergency landing.

Syn. juncture, contingency, pinch, crisis

6. hint n slight or indirect indication or suggestion: She gave him a hint that she would like him to leave. I know how to take a hint. «Hints for housewives» (as the title of an article giving suggestions that will help housewives)

to drop a hint: / dropped him hints on the impropriety of his con­duct.

to give a person a gentle (broad) hint: Martin gave Joe a gentle hint but it was lost upon him.

hint vi to suggest, to mention casually: The woman hinted at her urgent need of money. He hinted at my impudence. Hi hinted that I ought to work harder.

Syn. suggest, imply, intimate, insinuate

7. rattle vt/i 1) (cause to) make short, sharp sounds quickly, one after the other: The windows were rattling in the strong wind. The hail rattled on the roof.

to rattle off (colloq.) to talk, to say or repeat smth quickly; to re­peat (words) quickly and too easily from memory; to perform (an action) with ease and speed: What is the point of teaching the children

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to rattle off the names of the kings and queens of England if they know nothing about history?

to rattle away / on to talk rapidly and at some length and unin­terestingly: At every meeting of the women's club, Mrs White rattles on for hours.

2) to annoy, cause to feel angry: My persistent questioning of his story rattled him, and he refused to answer my queries. She was rattled by the hypothetical eyes spying upon her.

Syn. embarrass, discomfit, abash, faze

rattled a annoyed: In the end he got rattled, or: We got him rattled.

8. reduce vt/i 1) to take (smth) smaller or less; being smth (such as a price, size, or amount) down to a lower level or smaller size. Your speed must be reduced to the city speed limit as soon as you cross the border. Taxes should be reduced to an amount that people can afford to pay. The book will have to be reduced to 200 pages. The whole town was reduced to ashes in the bombing. 2) to bring or get to a certain condi­tion: The new teacher was quickly able to reduce the noisy class to si­lence. Hunger had reduced the poor dog to skin and bone. His oppo­nent's clever speech reduced the speaker's argument to nonsense.

to reduce by / to. We have been able to reduce our tax bill by 10%. The price of the chair has been reduced to $ 10.

to reduce someone to tears to make someone weep. You may choose to scold this child, but there's no need to reduce him to tears.

Syn. decrease, lessen, diminish, abate, dwindle

reduction n reducing or being reduced. The goods are sold at a great reduction in price.

Syn. discount

READING COMPREHENSION EXERCISES

1. a) Consult a dictionary and practise the pronunciation of the following words:

authority; contest n, prize-fighter; enthusiastic; solo; despondent­ly; paths; invigilator; flagrant; dispassionately; anonymous; noncha­lant; frustrated; recognize; tripos; admirably; remoteness; viva; im­minent; irritatingly; desperate; photographer; prejudice; admiring; tetanus; previously; triumphal; plough; opiate a; sponge.

b) Listen to your partners' reading of the exercise. Correct their mistakes, if they have any.

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2. Practise the pronunciation of the following words paying attention to: a) two principal stresses; b) the secondary and principal stresses. Beat the time:

1. well-established; thenceforward; meanwhile; well-trodden; self-consciousness; unhurriedly; dissatisfied; undeserved; unexploded; blackjack.

2. examination; inevitabilily; investigation; representative; differ­entiate; superiority; interrogation; invitation; familiarity; inescapable; anatomic; disadvantage; preparation; congratulation; disappear.

3. Read the following word combinations paying attention to the phonetic phenomena of connective speech (assimilation, lateral and nasal plosions, the loss of plosion, the linking «r»). Mind the pronunciation of the vowels and ob­ serve proper rhythm:

that the authorities have found the most fair and convenient to both sides; they are a straight contest between himself and the exam­iners; there is rarely any frank cheating in medical examinations; standing at the front and gazing at him; like the policemen that flank the dock at the Old Bailey; they were able to complete the examina­tion in an hour and a half; the last question was rushed through; I walked down the stairs; in the square outside; without the threat of immediate punishment; who treated the whole thing; he looked upon the viva simply as another engagement; she would get through; reel­ing out the lines of treatment; but they were a subdued, muttering crowd; a clock tingled twelve in the distance; I expected the win­dows to rattle; the clouds hung in the air.

4. Read the following passages: a) from «I walked down the stairs...» up to «...without arousing any comment»; b) from «...I stood before table four» up to «... and stumbled through the answer...»; c) from «...The older porter raised his voice...» up to the end of the text. Use proper intonation groups and observe the rhythm. Bear in mind the character of the passage.

5. Note down from the text the sentences containing the patterns.

6. Make the following sentences complete using the patterns.

1. His escape from the prison was.... 2. Her failure at the examina­tion was.... 3. It's .... mistake to let her do the cooking. She's made such a mess of it. 4. It's ... miracle that a plate of steaming soup ap-

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peared before him when he thought of it. 5. It's.... a grave error to let him direct the play. It's sure to become a flop. 6. You can just leave.

I'm about to tell Bucky to forget it 7. I'm done for the moment

and ready to join you. I've rinsed my plate and my spoon and run a damp sponge across the kitchen counter. I didn't intend to do any more cleaning. 8. Do you want me to make a quick run to the mar­ket? — I'd surely appreciate it. Since we're low on milk, I have to do it myself.... 9. I'll... the lawer get to the bottom of the case. 10. ...Jane see the doctor before things get worse. 11. They'll... Hurstwood tell the story of his life. 12. She'll.. Mrs Baker stay at the house while you are away. 13. ... you mention it, I do remember. 14. ... everything is ready, there is no going back. 15.... you've done it on your own initia­tive, you must take the consequences.

7. Paraphrase the following sentences, using the patterns.

1. It's a disgrace for the British sport to have so much violence on and off the football field. 2. You explained that «trying to keep up with the Joneses» means to have as much as one's neighbours (the Joneses) and, if possible, even more. 3. — I'm sure he was try­ing to be helpful. Nevertheless there's probably no harm done. 4. Rawson went right on: «This or that way, in the late eighties I started writing to this woman I met through a pen pal ad.» 5. — Can I lend you a hand? — No, thanks. I'm almost done. I never hoped to find anything here so far. 6. If a man shows signs of nervous tension or being under stress you must make him consult a doctor. 7. The teach­er must make his children develop a critical way of thinking. 8. His behavior in those trying circumstances does him honour. You must make him write about it. You have promised to take the children for a drive, so you must keep your word. 9. The professor drew their attention to the difference between the two theories. It is now clear to the students. 10. The time came when everybody asked him to stay but he said he was going to leave.

8. Make up five sentences on each pattern.

9. Translate the following sentences into English using the patterns.

1. Это прямо-таки настоящее преступление послать бедного парня одного в такую темень. 2. Ее отличная экзаменационная оценка просто чудо, учиты-

вая то обстоятельство, что она пробыла месяц в больнице. 3. Ваши слова — ничто иное как оскорбление, и я требую, чтобы вы извинились. 4. Так или иначе, это был конец моего контракта, и я ни о чем не волновалась. 5. Чтобы то ни было, Старый Джолион поставил одно условие — Боссини должен иметь 400 фунтов годового дохода. 6. Я не позволю тебе вести себя так в моем доме.

7. Соме заставил Ирэн одеть украшение, которое он ей только что подарил.

8. Теперь, когда перед выдающимся скрипачом открылись широкие горизон­ты, он отказался от мысли покидать свою родину. 9. Теперь когда Памела нис­колько не волновалась о том, что могут сказать о ней люди, они перестали распускать слухи. 10. Это просто бестактно просить его о помощи теперь, когда он остался без работы.

10. Note down from the text the sentences containing the phrases and word combinations and translate them into Russian.

11. Complete the following sentences.

1. If you are smart enough to cheat in this exam 2. Tick the

names off ... .3. I hate swotting up before exams .... 4. Keep an eye open for ... . 5. ... mark and grade the papers. 6. The results of the

written test will come but.... 7 get through. 8. he's just the sort of

person... cut you short. 9.... rallied her thoughts. 10. The chairperson called out the names of the students who.... 11.... he stumbled through

his speech. 12. You have to struggle through the crowd to be able

13.1 won't have you raise your voice ....

12. Paraphrase the sentences using the word combinations and phrases from the text.

1. Students may be tempted to act in a dishonest way in order to get into top schools. 2. He wrote a mark next to my name and closed the note-book. 3. The orchestra's been studying hard their Stravin­sky. 4.1 asked the mounted patrol to watch carefully. It was very dif­ficult for the new teacher to decide how good the students' work was. 5. The truth became known at the enquiry. 6. Fatty passes the exam­ination but with lots of difficulties. 7. He cudgelled his brains trying to understand the chain of events. 8. He was reading the list of the names without looking at the candidates. 9. One in five young adults was trying very hard with everyday mathematics. 10. Anne spoke more loudly to be heard.

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13. Translate the sentences into English using the word combinations.

1. Все уговаривали его воспользоваться шпаргалкой, но он стоял на сво­ем. «Честность — лучшая политика», говорил он. 2. Деловая Диана просмат­ривала список гостей, приглашенных на прощальный обед Айрис, и отмечала галочкой тех кого не надо было приглашать. 3. Майк, ты хорошо подготовил­ся к экзамену? 4. Не сводите глаз с детей. Теперь когда они остались без роди­телей, от них можно ожидать чего угодно. Только, пожалуйста, не поднимай­те на них голос. 5. Обычно требуется неделя, чтобы проверить экзаменационные работы в колледже. 6. Результаты собеседования будут из­вестны через три дня. 7. Дороти собралась с мыслями и прекрасно справи­лась с ответом. 8. Так или иначе ему удалось с трудом сдать экзамен, и он сейчас находится в весьма подавленном состоянии. 9. Честер начал было объяснять ситуацию, но Рэй резко оборвал его. 10. Руководитель группы гром­ко называл имена участников, и они потихоньку выходили из двери.

14. Pair work. Make up and act out situations, using the phrases and word combinations:

1. Imagine that you are sharing your experience as to how to take examinations with a freshman. Mind, you are not exactly a hard work­ing student.

2. You are discussing the way written entrance examinations are conducted at your university. Basing on your own experience you may come up with some criticism and propose a few changes in the procedure.

15. Finish the sentences using the text wording:

1. An examination is nothing more than an investigation of a man's knowledge,... 2. Meanwhile, we despondently ticked the days off the calendar .... 3. Whether these people were so brilliant they were able to complete the examination in an hour and a half.... 4. If the candi­date loses his nerve in front of this terrible displeasure he is finished: .... 5. There was the Crammer, folding the pages of his battered text­book in a desperate farewell embrace ... 6. The male examiners are so afraid of being prejudiced favourably by their sex .... 7. We arrived in the examination building to find the same candidates there.... 8. Suc­cessful men would go upstairs .... 9. I jumped and struggled my way to .... 10. Blindly, like a man just hit by a blackjack,...

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16. Decide whether the following statements are true or false:

1. To a medical student the final examinations are something like a holiday, they look forward to them and enjoy the event. 2. There is always frank cheating in medical examinations. 3. Since Malcolm Maxworth was St. Swithin's representative on the examining Com­mittee we didn't attend all his ward rounds. 4. I walked down the stairs feeling as if I had just finished an eight-round fight. 5. The writ­ten answers have a certain precision about them, and mistakes and omissions, like those of life, can be made without the threat of imme­diate punishment 6. Women students — the attractive ones — are under advantage in oral examinations. 7. For the first few hours I was numbed, perfectly unable to realize what had hit me. 8. Someone coughed, and I expected the windows to rattle. 9. My face turned deathly pale and I felt my stomach had been suddenly plucked from my body. 10. The world stood still.

17 a). Match the word on the left with the words on the right.

b). Write 10 sentences incorporating these word combinations.

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18. Explain what is meant by:

1. Examinations touch off his fighting spirit. 2. A single invigila­tor sat on a raised platform to keep an eye open for flagrant cheating. 3.... hoping by an incomplete sentence to give the examiners the im­pression of frustrated brilliance. 4. Confusion breeds confusion and he will come to the end of his interrogation struggling like a cow in a bog. 5. «It's the same idea as talking about passing away and going above instead of plain dying.»

19. Answer the following questions and do the given assignments:

1. 1. Why does Gordon equate the final examinations with death? How does he define an examination? 2. What is the usual way medi­cal students prepare for examinations? 3. Why were the students so particular to humour Malcolm Maxworth? 4. Describe the proce­dure of the written examination as presented by the author. 5. In Gordon's opinion why are oral examinations so unpopular with the students? 6. Describe the psychological types fairly commonly seen in viva waiting-rooms. 7. Why were the days after the oral examina­tion black ones for the students? 8. What was Grimsdyke's theory about failing exams? 9. In what way are the examination results usu­ally announced? 10. How did Gordon feel when he learned that he had passed the exams?

2. 1. What is the general slant of the story? 2. What imagery is employed by the writer in describing the student's anticipating the examinations? 3. By commenting on six cases of simile chosen from the text explain and bring out the effectiveness of this stylistic device in the description of the examinations. 4. Explain and discuss the ef­fectiveness of the allusion «judgement day» for conveying the stu­dents' fear of the examinations. 5. How does the author describe the difference between the psychological types of students at the exami­nations? What makes the description convincing? 6. Show how the writer conveys a sense of futility and despair in the description of the aftereffect of the examination on the students. Bring out the effec­tiveness of the sustained metaphor in creating the sense of futility Richard had after the examinations. 7. In what way is the atmosphere of growing suspense created? Show its function in conveying the sense of anticipation and excitement which is generated towards the end of the extract. 8 What contrast in mood and atmosphere do you detect between the whole text and the last paragraph? 9. By referring to

four examples from the text, comment on the writer's sense of hu­mour. 10. What impressions of Gordon's character do you derive from this passage?