Ex. 1. Look at these sayings. What do they mean? Which of the ideas do you agree with?

• Don’t try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say. It’s the one and only thing you have to offer.

Barbara Kingsolver (b.1955), American novelist

• Quality is not an act, it is a habit.

Aristotle (384 BC – 322 BC), Greek philosopher

• Great is the art of beginning, but greater is the art of ending.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807 – 1882), American poet

 

VOCABULARY [13]

POLYSEMANTIC NOUNS

Ex. 1. What is a point? Study some meanings of the noun. Translate the sentences below using the most suitable Russian translation from the list:

Пункт, момент, вопрос, точка, главное, суть, смысл, «соль».

point any small dot or mark on a surface e.g.a full point, a decimal point the essential thing, the most important thing (in a speech, story, etc.) a detail, question, item

1. I can easily see your point.
2. His temperature is 38.1.
3. I’m sorry you’ve missed the whole point.
4. Now – another point. Have you supported your dissertation with an abstract?

 

IDIOMS

Ex. 2. Study some word combinations with point. Match Russian translations to the English phrases. Translate the sentences below.

to come to the point –to pass over to the main topic	мнение, точка зрения
to keep/ be to the point –to speak directly referring to the subject	собираться сделать что-либо, быть на грани
to be on the point of (doing smth) –to be about to do smth	говорить по существу, кстати, уместно
a point of view – fig. opinion	дойти до главного, до сути дела

1. Your answer is not to the point.
2. Will you keep to the point, please?
3. I wish he would come to the point at once.
4. I was on the point of leaving when the telephone rang.
5. I’d like to hear your point of view about it.

 

PHRASAL VERBS

Ex. 3. Fill in the gaps with a suitable Russian translation from the list:

вмешиваться в, прерывать, выключить, отключить, кроить, перестать, исключить, бросить делать ч-л. Translate the sentences below.

to cut down –	to make smaller or shorter	сократить
to cut in –	to interrupt	перебивать, …, …
to cut off –	to separate, to interrupt, to stop abruptly	разъединять, прерывать
	to turn off, to switch off	…, …
to cut out –	to omit, to leave out	сократить, выбросить,...
	to remove or shape by cutting	вырезать, …
	to stop (or give up) doing or using smth	…, …

1. I wish I could cut out smoking.
2. Children like to cut out pictures from books and magazines.
3. “I might cut out love and just leave kisses. After all, she knows that I love her”, thought Briggs filling in the telegram form. ”So why waste threepence writing it?”
4. Jennifer was raptly listening to what he was telling her when her husband cut in.
5. In the middle of their conversation they were suddenly cut off.
6. The rope was too long, so we cut off about two feet of it.
7. Why have you cut out so many details?
8. Because of the storm the electricity was cut off for several hours.