Cheering up

He kept the promise

«Mother», asked Billy after his birthday party, «May I have a piece of cake, only a small piece, please?»

«No», replied his mother, «you've had quite enough».

«Well, may I sleep with a bit under my pillow?» asked the boy.

«Very well, here you are, and remember to keep it un­der your pillow. Now run along to bed».

When she came to Billy's room some time later, she saw Billy sleeping peacefully with the pillow over his stomach.

promise — обещание

here yon are — вот тебе

to keep (kept, kept) — держать

a bit — кусочек

a stomach — живот

a pillow — подушка

MOTHER (in a low voice): Jimmy, your grandfather is very sick. Can't you say something nice to cheer him up a bit?

JIMMY: Grandfather, wouldn't you like to have sol­diers at your funeral?

to cheer up — подбадривать

wouldn't you like... — не хотел бы ты...

to be sick — болеть

a bit — немного funeral — похороны

Не was punished

· «Doctor», called the small boy, «come up to our» iouse quick».

· «Who is sick at your house?» asked the doctor.

· «Everybody but me. I had been naughty, so they didn't give me any of the nice mushrooms that Daddy had picked in the forest». reward — награда

naughty — шаловливый, капризный

virtue —добродетель

but — здесь: кроме

a mushroom — гриб

to pick — собирать

A substitute

Over the doctor's telephone came a call from a man who said that his small son had swallowed his pen. -

The doctor said: «I'll come at once. What are you do­ing in the meantime?»

«I'm using my pencil», the man answered.

a substitute — замена

a call — вызов

to swallow — глотать

in the meantime — тем временем

There is nothing to worry about.

MISTRESS: Did my son get in any trouble while I was out?

MAID: Nothing, except that he swallowed a bug, but I gave him some of that insect powder at once, so there's nothing to worry about, Madam.

to worry — беспокоиться a mistress — хозяйка a maid — горничная to get in(to) trouble — попасть в беду while — в то время как, пока

except [ik/sept] — если не считать (того)..., за исключением (того)... a bug — клоп insect powder — порошок против насекомых

What can Johnny do?

Mother sent Johnny and the baby into the garden to play, but it was not long before she heard cries.

«Johnny, what is the matter with the baby, now?» she asked from the kitchen.

«I don't know what to do with him, Mother», answered John. «He has dug a hole and he wants to bring it into the house».

a cry — крик

A bicycle

Parents gave their son a bicycle and were watching proudly as he rode around and around the block.

On his first round he shouted: «Look, Mom, no hands».

The second time around: «Look, Mom, no feet».

At the third time: «Look, Mom, no teeth».a block — квартал

on his first round — проезжая первый круг around — вокруг Mom — мама

Leading questions

— «Billy», said the teacher, «what does c-a-t spell?»

— «Don't know, sir», said Billy.

— «What does your mother keep to catch mice?»

· «A trap, sir».

· «No, no. What animal is very fond of milk?»

· «Thebaby, sir».

· «You stupid! What was it that scratched your sister's face?»

· «My nails, sir».

· «I am out of patience. There, do you see that animal in the yard? Then tell me, what does c-a-t spell?»

· «Kitten, sir».

leading — здесь: наводящий stupid —глупый

what does c-a-t spell? — какое слово состоит из букв c-a-t?

to scratch — царапать nails — ногти patience — терпение a trap — мышеловка

Following the advice

The teacher stood with his back to the fireplace on a winter morning. He decided to give good advice to the pupils before starting the lesson.

«Before you speak, think. Count fifty before you say anything important — a hundred, if it is very important».

The lips of his pupils began moving in unison, and suddenly they cried loudly: «Ninety-nine, one hundred! Your coat tails are on fire, sir!»

to follow — следовать

advice — совет

a fireplace — камин

to count — считать

coat tails — фалды фрака, смокинга

in unison — в унисон

are on fire — загорелись

Pass it!

Boss: (sending the office boy on an errand). On the way you'll pass a baseball park. Boy: Yes, sir. Boss: Well, pass it!

a boss — хозяин

an office boy — рассыльный

on an errand — с поручением

a baseball — бейсбол

to pass — проходить мимо

Its favourite dish

For sale: a bulldog two years old. Will eat anything. Very fond of children.

for sale — продается anything — здесь: что угодно bulldog ['buldog] — бульдог

A fine room

Landlady: How do you like the room as a whole? Visitor: As a hole it's fine; as a room, not so good.

a landlady — хозяйка дома as a whole — в целом a hole — дыра

He did not want it

An old cowboy went to the city and stopped at a hotel for the first time in his life. The clerk asked him if he wanted a room with running water.

«No», the cowboy said. «What do you think I am, a trout?»

a cowboy ['kauboi] — ковбой

a hotel — гостиница

a clerk [kla:k] — служащий

running water — 1) водопровод; 2) проточная вода

a trout — форель

He did his duty

John became a policeman. On the very first day his lieutenant told him, «John, I am giving you an easy-beat to start with—just from the station house to that red light and back. John disappeared for two days.

«Where the devil were you?» shouted the lieutenant when John came back. «Didn't I tell you your beat was just from here to that red light?»

«You did, but that red light was on the back of a car».

duty — долг

a station house — участок (полицейский)

a lieutenant [lef tenant] — лейтенант

to disappear — исчезать

a beat — участок (обхода)

to start with — для начала

the devil ['devl] — здесь: чёрт возьми

Over the fields

The train came to a sudden stop. All the passengers jumped up.

«What has happened, conductor?» cried a nervous old woman.

«Nothing much, we ran over a cow».

«Was it on the track?»

«No», replied the conductor, «we chased it into a barn».

nervous — нервный a track — рельсовый путь,рельсы to run over — переехать, задавить to chase — гнаться, загонять a barn — коровник, хлев

He wanted a horse

CUSTOMER: Can I rent a horse? GROOM: How long do you want it? CUSTOMER: As long a one as you have, laddie. There are five of us.

a customer — клиент

a groom — конюх

how long — 1) на сколько времени; 2) какой длины

to rent — взять напрокат

a laddie —паренёк

A pleasant night

Mr. Brown, a travelling man, was a very light sleep­er. One night he stopped at a small hotel, and after some time he got into a sound sleep. Suddenly he heard some loud knocks on his door and nervously sat up in bed.

«What is the matter?* he asked,

«Package downstairs for you, sir».

«Well, let it stay there: it can wait till morning, I think».

Theboy went down the corridor, and after a long time the guest fell into a sound sleep again. Then another knock came at the door.

«Well, what is up now?», asked Mr. Brown.

«It is not for you, that package», said the boy.

a light sleeper — человек, который чутко спит

to get (fall) into a sleep — заснуть

sound — здесь: крепкий

loud — громкий

a knock —стук

nervously — беспокойно

a package — пакет

downstairs — внизу

a guest [gest] — гость

What is up? — что случилось?

A wonderful talker

A sailor walked into an auction shop as the auctioneer was asking for bids on a parrot. «Fifteen dollars», said the sailor.

«Twenty», said another bidder.

«Twenty-five», said the sailor.

«Forty», said the other bidder.

«Forty-live», said the sailor. No further bids were heard, and the auctioneer said, «Sold».

The sailor took the bird and the cage, gave the money, and said: «I have paid a l&t of money for the parrot. Can he talk?»

«Can he talk?» said the auctioneer- «Why,, sailor, he was bidding against you».

wonderful — удивительный

a sailor — моряк

an auction — аукцион,, торги

a bid — предлагаемая цена

a parrot — попугай

further — дальнейший

a cage — клетка

to bid (bid, bid) against — набавлять цену

He confirmed it

Big boaster: Yes, when I was in Africa I met a lion, t had no gun in my hand, so I took a pail of water and poured it over his head, and he ran away.

Listener: I can confirm that. I was in Africa at that time, and the lion ran into me, and when, I stroked him he was still quite wet.

to confirm — подтверждать

a boaster — хвастун

a lion — лев

a pail — ведро

to pour — выливать

to run into... — наткнуться

to stroke — гладить

Дата добавления: 2014-11-06