Task 1. Translate these words or word combinations into Russian. Make sure you pronounce all these words correctly. Consult a dictionary if necessary

 

to cradle smb. against one’s chest; vulnerable; to weigh; a stature; a utensil; a quarry; a vantage; to relax one’s grip; threateningly; to teeter; to halter; height; sauce; an exertion; to be defeated; an abyss; to ascend into view; a knife; awestruck; to bow; a beaming smile; a furnace.

 

Task 2. Now try to give English equivalents to the Russian ones. Use them in sentences of your own.

 

сладко дремать; тихо гулить (о детях); при любых обстоятельствах; носиться в поисках ч-л.; быть вынужденным что-то сделать; увертываться, отскакивать из стороны в сторону; внимательно осмотреть сверху вниз; переступить с ноги на ногу, чтобы занять удобное положение; пыхтеть от напряжения; замереть в ожидании (предвкушении).

 

Task 3. Translate the following passage into Russian from “ I have no recollection to how old I was… ” up to “… she reached inward to extract it ”.

Grammar tasks

We believe that your grammar is as good as your translation skills and you can do the following grammar tasks, can’t you?

Task 1. Repeat rules 15, 16 and put the verbs in brackets to make correct 2^nd type conditional sentences.

1.  If the lady’s newborn son (not to doze calmly) at his first night at home she (to be send) into her reveries.

2.  It seemed to the girl as if her father always (to know) the right thing to say and the perfect thing to do in any given circumstances.

3. If the turkey (to weigh) twenty eight pounds the small girl (to be struck) so much.

4.  But for the father, nobody (to notice) the child’s being very much amazed with such a “miracle”.

5. The lady wised she (to be able) perform fits of magic for her own son just the way her father did.

 

Task 2. Make one sentence out of the two given so as to use Oblique Mood.

1. David never helps his younger sister, so his mother is very angry with him.

2. I live in a small flat, I can’t afford to buy this furniture, I’m afraid.

3. You left the house without your raincoat on, that’s why you got wet through.

4. Nickolas didn’t have enough money, so he didn’t go to Spain last summer.

5. Mr. Clarks didn’t hear the doorbell, because he was in the garden.

6. We arrived late to the concert, so we didn’t get good seats.

 

Task 3. Translate into English using Subjunctive Mood of different Types.

1. Если бы мы не поели в столовой, мы не были столь голодными.

2. Рэйчел чувствовала бы себя спокойней, если бы она обратилась к врачу.

3. Мы бы сейчас отдыхали на Гавайях, если бы ты купил билеты вовремя.

4. У тебя могла бы быть семья, маленький дом и много детишек, если бы ты не уехал и женился на ней.

5. Возможно, жизнь изменилась бы к лучшему (стала бы лучше), если бы ты сделал все так, как я тебе советовала.

6. У вас бы не было осложнений, если бы вы обратились за помощью вовремя.

7. Если бы я была врачом, я бы промыла рану, обработала ее йодом и наложила повязку.

8. Если бы я была профессиональным переводчиком, я бы участвовала в конкурсе переводчиков.

9. Я бы уже построил бы новый дом, если бы у меня было достаточно средств это сделать.

10. Она никогда бы не повторила своих ошибок, если бы у нее был еще один шанс.

 

Task 4. Try your hand at translation.

1. Ты бы расстроился (be upset), если бы я не при­шел?

2. Будь он осторожнее, он бы не упал.

3. Если бы он не приехал на машине встретить нас, нам бы са­мим пришлось нести свои вещи.

4. Ты бы пошла куда-нибудь вечером, если бы он тебя пригласил?

5. Мы бы поехали сегодня в бассейн, если бы вы позвонили вчера вечером.

6. Если бы он мог дать положительный (positive) ответ, он бы давно это   сделал.

7. Я бы на тво­ем месте не стал бы поднимать такой шум (raise a clamor).

8. Если бы ты принял его предложение, ты бы давно работал в хорошей  фирме.

9. Будь я на вашем месте, я бы пошел пораньше, чтобы застать его.

10. Если бы он вел машину осторожнее, никакой бы аварии не произошло.

11. Не сломай он ногу, он бы выиграл тур­нир (tournament).

12. Никто бы не обвинил (blame), тебя, если бы ты вел себя по-другому.

 

 

Retelling tasks

By the moment you’ve done a lot. Prove us that you know some facts and details of the story quite well.

Task 1. Agree or disagree with the following statements. If you don’t agree with some of them share your own points of view.

1. The lady’s newborn son, resting quietly upon her lap reminded her the time when she was a child.

2. Even now, being an adult, the lady considers her father to be an ideal person and a great parent.

3. The lady recalled a Christmas holiday when she was five years old.

4. A little girl was doing her best to help the mother with the Christmas turkey, fetching things back and forward.

5. The girl was struck by the weight of the turkey and the size of the utensils mother got to extract it.

6. Mother made an attempt to get the turkey out of the pot and almost dropped it on the floor.

7. Father extracted the turkey from the pot easily.

8. The girl didn’t pay attention to the words her father murmured to himself when getting the turkey out.

Task 2. Answer the following questions:

1. Where and who was the main character with when she recalled a family holiday with her parents?

2. Was her baby’s first night at home the same that she had expected?

3. What did she expect him doing? How did the baby behave?

4. How does the author describe her father?

5. What made the main character of the story remember one Christmas in particular?

6. What were the mother and the child busy with that day?

7. The weight of the Christmas turkey shocked the little girl, didn’t it? What was the reason for that?

8. Did the mother pay attention to her child’s reaction?

9. What was the mother getting ready to do?

10. Who were those oversized utensils designed for, in the child’s opinion?

11. Were the mother’s attempts to extract the Christmas turkey out of the pot a success?

12. Who entered the kitchen at that moment?

13. Did the father extract the turkey easily?

14. What made the child think they would celebrate Christmas without a main course?

15. How did the father work his magic? What did the girl expect her father doing after that?

16. Did the father understand the child’s state of mood?

17. What was that magic to the girl’s mind? What helped the parents to get the turkey out of the pot, in your opinion?

18. What did the lady wonder about, looking at her infant son? What “magic” words did she utter over her dozing son?

Task 3. This time let’s find out how well your partner knows the story. Ask him as many questions as you can and answer his questions.