Unit III: Human Qualities

My parents are very intelligent and highly educated people. Both of them are University graduates. My father doesn't usually talk much. He's a serious and punctual man who is quick at making decisions. As he is a managing director in a big company he deals with lots of people. When speaking to anyone he tries to be very polite, tactful and patient. When solving different problems of the company he tries to be quiet and open-minded. He is dedicated to his business. His colleagues consider him absolutely trustworthy, loyal, responsible, wise and just. Everybody believes him to be of great value to his company.

My mother is quite a different person. She is very emotional, easygoing and very sociable. She works at the University. My mother is really a wonderful woman with a good sense of humour and sparkling wit. Students admire the way she delivers her lectures. She’s kind, sincere, generous and always cheerful. She is also unselfish and very interested in other people. She has a lot of friends who would die for her.          

Exercises:

I. Read the following words from the text:

intelligent	patient	easygoing	quite	polite
serious	open-minded	sociable	quiet	value
punctual	dedicated	humour	person	kind
decision	colleague	admire	motional	cheerful
deal	trustworthy	sincere	generous

II. a) Find English equivalents of the following words:

умный, добродушно-веселый/покладистый, эмоциональный, справедливый, добрый, весёлый, щедрый, высокообразованный, спокойный, верный, непредвзятый, ответственный, искренний, серьезный, общительный, пунктуальный, вежливый, терпеливый, тактичный, заслуживающий доверия, бескорыстный, мудрый.

   b) Make up your own sentences with these words according to the model.

Þ Model: I am…, but I'm not…
My brother is…, but he isn't…, etc.

III. Give as many examples as possible with the following word-combinations:                      

to be quick at doing smth.; to be dedicated to smth.; to be of great value to smth./smb.; to be interested in smth./smb.; to deal with smth./smb.

IV. Complete the following sentences:

1. I consider my parents…                  

2. My parents consider me…

3. I consider English…, because…

4. Everybody believes me to be…                      

5. I believe my sister (brother, etc.) to be… because…

6. I always admire the way my mother (father, etc)…

7. My friends always admire the way I…

8. I would die for… because…

V. Work in pairs. Retell the text in the 1^st person as if you were (a) the father, (b) the mother. Change your roles. Try not to look in the text.              

VI. Translate into English.   

1) Я считаю, что мой отец очень мудрый человек. 2) Все считают его заслуживающим доверия, так как он ответственный человек, 3) Я хочу, чтобы мой сын был вежливым. 4) У этого человека хорошее образование. 5) Мы очень ценим умных и серьезных людей. 6) Я очень высоко ценю его чувство юмора. 7) Его родители интересуются литературой. 8) Мне нравится, как мой отец решает проблемы компании. 9) Они так преданы своему делу, что готовы жизнь отдать за него. 10) Мне нравится общаться с искренними, весёлыми и тактичными людьми.

VII. a) Read the following words:

absent-minded	['xbsqnt'maIndId]	рассеянный
aggressive	[q'grFsIv]	агрессивный
ambitious	[xm'bISqs]	честолюбивый
brave	[breIv]	храбрый
bright	[braIt]	смышленый
careless	['kFqlIs]	небрежный
conscientious	[kOnSI'FnSqs]	добросовестный
curious	['kjuqrIqs]	любопытный
diligent	['dIlIGqnt]	старательный, прилежный
dull	[dAl]	глупый, скучный
efficient	[I'fISqnt]	умелый, квалифицированный
empty-headed	['FmptI'hFdId]	пустоголовый
envious	['FnvIqs]	завистливый
careful	['aIful]	внимательный, заботливый, аккуратный
foolish	['fHlIS]	глупый
fussy	['fAsI]	суетливый
good-hearted	['gud'hRtId]	добросердечный
hard-working	[hRd'wWkIN]	трудолюбивый
honest/dishonest	['OnIst], [dIs'OnIst]	честный/нечестный
hypocritical	[hIpq'krItIkl]	лицемерный
irritable	['IrItqbl]	раздражительный
lazy	['leIzI]	ленивый
light-minded	['laIt'maIndId]	легкомысленный
modest	['mOdIst]	скромный
obliging	[q'blaIGIN]	вежливый, любезный
outspoken	[aut'spqukqn]	откровенный
peevish	['pJvIS]	сварливый
persevering	[pWsI'vIqrIN]	упорный
reliable	[rI'laIqbl]	надежный
reserved	[rI'zWvd]	сдержанный
rude	[rHd]	грубый
self-confident	[sFlf'kOnfIdqnt]	самоуверенный
selfish	['sFlfIS]	эгоистичный
self-willed	['sFlf'wIld]	своевольный
sensitive	['sFnsItIv]	чувствительный
shy	[SaI]	застенчивый
simple	['sImpl]	простодушный
sophisticated	[sq'fIstIkeItId]	с утонченным вкусом
stingy	['stInGI]	жадный
strong	[strON]	волевой
stubborn	['stAbqn]	упрямый
talented	['txlqntId]	талантливый
well-bred ill-bread	['wFl'brFd] ['Il'brFd]	хорошо воспитанный плохо воспитанный
well-read	['wFl'rFd]	начитанный

   b) Work in pairs. Pick out your three main traits and let your partner guess them. Use general questions.

VIII. Complete the following sentences:

1) It's easy to deal with people who are…

2) I hate it when people are…

3) I think that he is the right man for the job because he is…

4) You overestimate him. He is not so… as you think.

5) You underestimate him. He is not so… as you think.

IX. Match the given below word-combinations and their Russian equivalents. Illustrate them in your sentences or situations.

1. to have good/bad manners	a) быть уважаемым за что-либо
2. to be on friendly terms with smb.	b) быть очень привязанным к кому-либо
3. to keep to oneself	c) быть в дружеских отношениях с кем-либо
4. to be very attached to smb.	d) обращаться с кем-либо хорошо/плохо
5. to treat smb. well/bad	e) иметь хорошие/плохие манеры
6. to make a good/bed impression on smb.	f) избегать общества других людей
7. to be respected for smth.	g) производить хорошее/плохое впечатление на кого-либо

X. Paraphrase the sentences:

l) Her charm is irresistible. 2) She spares neither time nor effort to help people. 3) He is proficient in his studies. 4) She is easy to get along with. 5) She is pleasant to deal with. 6) He is hard to deal with. 7) He has a slight inclina­tion to lightmindedness. 8) He thinks too much of himself. 9) It's unlike her. 10) It's like him. 11) He is the right man for the job.

XI. Translate into English:

1) Моя сестра очень добросовестна и старательна в учебе. 2) По правде говоря (to tell the truth), я считаю себя упрямым и самоуверенным. 3) У неё утонченный вкус. 4) Он очень привязан к своему отцу. 5) Я не люблю иметь дело с лицемерными и плохо воспитанными людьми. 6) Это на неё похоже - сторониться людей. 7) С ней очень трудно общаться, так как она плохо воспитана. 8) С ним интересно общаться, так как он очень начитанный. 9) Честные и скромные люди всегда производят на меня хорошее впечатление. 10) С ней легко ладить, так как она очень покладистая. 11) Моего отца уважают за то, что он справедливый и пунктуальный.

XII. Things to do:

1) Tell as much as you can about your friend, recommending him (her) for a job.

2) Complain of your neighbor with whom you always quarrel.

3) Describe any good or bad literary character.

4) Describe the person you like to deal with very much.

5) Describe your best friend.

XIII. Practise these substitution dialogues in pairs. Give your examples instead of the underlined words and word-combinations. Change your roles.

- 1 -

- What kind of person is he?

- He seems to me very ambitious.

- 2 -

- What kind of people are they?

- They make a good impression. I think they are the right men for the job.

- I’m glad to hear it.

- 3 -

- Do you know what kind of man he is?

- Not yet. But I think him to be rather dull.

- Do you really mean that he is so foolish?

- Well, it’s possible, but I’m not sure.

- 4 -

- What do you think of him?

- As far as I know, he’s a good fellow, honest and reliable.

- I quite agree with you. I think him to be trustworthy.

- 5 -

- He is a clever man, isn’t he?

- Right you are. He seems to be very bright.

- 6 -

- Can she be so stingy? It sounds incredible.

- But she really is!

- I’m very sorry to hear it.

- 7 -

- Why don’t you like her?

- You see, she has bad manners and sometimes she is even rude.

- That’s too bad.

- 8 -

- Which of your colleagues do you like best of all?

- I think I like Fred most of all. He is a good specialist and a fine man.

- I see.

- 9 -

- What kind of people do you like dealing with?

- You see, I don’t like very sociable and fussy people. Besides, I hate it when people are too outspoken or absentminded.

- Oh, you must be a hard-to-deal-with person!

- It looks like that.

- 10 -

- What kind of people do you like resting with?

- Well, you can never tell (трудно сказать). I’d rather spend my time with a cheerful person.

- I see. As for me, I would like to deal with a reliable man.

XIV. Answer the questions:

1) What kind of person are you?

2) What kind of people are your parents (your grandparents)?

3) What kind of person is your sister (brother, friend)?

4) What kind of person is your neighbour?

5) What kind of people do you like dealing with?

6) What kind of people do you hate dealing with?     

7) What kind of people do you like working with?

8) What kind of people do you like resting with? 

9) What kind of people do you prefer travelling with?

XV. Make up a dialogue. Discuss the character of your relatives, friends, etc.

XVI. a) Translate the following passage in writing:

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