Елена Корнетова
Английский язык. 20 смешных историй для обсуждения и пересказа
Jack and the flowers
It was the first of September. It was the beginning of the new school year. Parents were taking their children to school.
Jack had a very special day because it was his first day in first grade. It was early in the morning and the whole family was helping the boy prepare for his school day. The grandmother made a delicious breakfast, the mother ironed his suit and shirt and the father helped his son pack his school bag.
The morning was cloudy and rainy. Once the whole family got dressed before leaving the house, the grandmother took the flowers from the vase that she had picked for the teacher. The flowers had not blossomed yet and had buds, which surprised Jack a lot. Looking at the flowers in amazement, he asked:
Grandma, why do we give flowers with buds to the teacher?
So that they last longer in the vase, she answered.
He thought for a moment and then said:
Then we have to give her seeds!
Vocabulary:
beginning начало
school year учебный год
to prepare for готовиться
delicious вкусный
breakfast завтрак
to iron гладить (утюгом)
suit костюм
shirt рубашка
to pack a school bag собирать портфель
cloudy пасмурный, облачный
rainy дождливый
to get dressed одеваться
to pick срывать
to blossom распускаться
bud бутон
to surprise удивлять
in amazement удивлённо
to give дарить
to think думать, размышлять
seed семя
Answer the questions:
1) On what date did the story take place?
2) Why was this a special day for Jack?
3) What did the whole family do early in the morning? What did the grandmother do? What did the mother do? What did the father do?
4) What was the weather like in the morning?
5) What did the grandmother do after the whole family got dressed before leaving the house?
6) Who picked the flowers for the teacher?
7) What were the flowers like? How did Jack feel when he saw them?
8) What did he ask?
9) What did the grandmother say?
10) What did Jack suggest at the end of the story?
Express the same in English:
1) особенный день;
2) готовиться к учебному дню;
3) вкусный завтрак;
4) недолго думать;
5) гладить костюм и рубашку;
6) дарить семена;
7) пасмурное и дождливое утро;
8) перед выходом из дома;
9) начало учебного года;
10) собирать портфель;
11) одеваться;
12) срывать цветы;
13) распускаться;
14) бутоны;
15) смотреть удивлённо;
16) дарить цветы;
17) первый день в первом классе.
Retell the story.
Ants and cockroaches
The Smiths lived on the outskirts of a small town. Their apartment building was very old and had to be renovated. In their rundown apartment there were a lot of cockroaches and ants. Annoying insects made the whole familys life difficult. When Mrs. Smith cooked food, huge brown cockroaches crawled around the kitchen. Insects crawled around in the bath when the daughter Emma washed herself. Mr. Smith even found huge ants in his clothes when he went to work.
One day the neighbors came to visit the Smiths. At dinner, everyone discussed various topics, including the annoying insects. One of the visitors, Mrs. Black, said that she had once read in the newspaper that ants and cockroaches could not live together in one room. Mrs. Smith was very surprised, because there were ants and cockroaches in their apartment. Suddenly Emma interrupted the conversation:
Mom, maybe the cockroaches and ants have not met yet?!
Vocabulary:
on the outskirts на окраине
small town маленький город
apartment building многоквартирный дом
to renovate ремонтировать
rundown ветхий
cockroach таракан
ant муравей
annoying надоедливый
insect насекомое
huge огромный
to crawl ползать
clothes одежда
neighbor сосед
to come to visit ходить в гости
dinner ужин
to discuss обсуждать
including в том числе
visitor гостья
newspaper газета
to live together жить вместе
surprised удивлённый
suddenly внезапно
to interrupt вмешиваться
to meet встречаться
Answer the questions:
1) Where did the Smiths live?
2) What was their apartment building and their apartment like?
3) What kind of insects were in their apartment?
4) How did the insects bother the family members?
5) Who came to visit them?
6) What did everyone discuss at dinner?
7) What did Ms. Black say?
8) How did Mrs. Smith feel and why did she feel that way?
9) Who interrupted the conversation?
10) What did Emma say?
Express the same in English:
1) на окраине маленького города;
2) многоквартирный дом;
3) ветхая квартира;
4) тараканы и муравьи;
5) усложнять жизнь;
6) ползать по кухне;
7) готовить еду;
8) мыться;
9) идти на работу;
10) одним днём;
11) приходить в гости;
12) за ужином;
13) обсуждать различные темы;
14) читать в газете;
15) жить вместе;
16) в одном помещении;
17) быть удивлённым;
18) вмешиваться в разговор.
Retellthestory.
The theory of evolution
Little John was a very curious boy. He was interested in everything that surrounded him. He constantly asked his parents questions about space, animals and plants. Johns parents were very patient and educated people who wanted to answer all their son's questions.
One day the father decided to explain the theory of evolution to him. Since John was only five years old, his father tried to explain in simple words:
Your great-great-great-grandfather was descended from monkeys.
Perplexed, the boy answered:
Really!? I thought people were descended from aliens.
Of course not! A famous scientist proved that our ancestors were monkeys.
A day later, the father decided to check his sons understanding of what he had learned. He asked his son to explain the meaning of Darwin's theory. John answered cheerfully:
Dad, of course I understood everything, I'm not stupid after all! My great-grandfather was a monkey!
Vocabulary:
curious любознательный
to surround окружать
to ask questions задавать вопросы
constantly постоянно
space космос
animal животное
plant растение
patient терпеливый
educated образованный
to answer отвечать
theory теория
to explain объяснять
great-grandfather прадедушка
monkey обезьяна
to descend from происходить
perplexed растерянно, озадаченно
alien инопланетянин
famous известный
scientist учёный
to prove доказывать
ancestor предок
to decide решать
to check проверять
meaning значение
cheerfully весело
stupid глупый
Answer the questions:
1) How old was John? What kind of boy was he?
2) What was he interested in?
3) What were his parents like?
4) What did his father explain to him and how?
5) How did the father decide to check what his son had learned?
6) What did John answer?
Express the same in English:
1) любознательный мальчик;
2) интересоваться всем;
3) постоянно;
4) задавать вопросы о космосе, животных и растениях;
5) терпеливые и образованные люди;
6) отвечать на все вопросы сына;
7) одним днём;
8) объяснять теорию эволюции;
9) стараться объяснять простыми словами;
10) прадедушка;
11) происходить от обезьяны;
12) инопланетянин;
13) в недоумении (растерянно);
14) знаменитый учёный;
15) доказывать;
16) предки;
17) спустя день;
18) проверять изученное;
19) объяснять смысл;
20) весело отвечать;
21) глупый.
Retell the story.
Granny's teeth
A lot of parents often face the problem that their children refuse to eat healthy food, such as porridge or soup. The Miller family was no exception. The mother was constantly worried, as her daughter ate very badly. The family members wanted to teach the girl to finish her meals.
One day the girl began to play up as usual:
Eat your own beetroot with meatballs, it's disgusting! I want chocolate!
The mother of the child was tired from work and tried to make a deal with her daughter:
Once you have eaten your food, then you will get some chocolate and can go for a walk with your friend. If you dont, then you will be punished: you will not get chocolate and will have to stay at home alone to play.
Without another word, her mother left the kitchen. The stubborn girl burst into tears, pushed the plate away, pouted and went silent. The grandmother was always very worried when her granddaughter cried, so she decided to calm the sad child down:
Don't worry, honey! When I was a child, I also did not want to eat healthy food. My mother scolded me and even punished me, hitting me on the bottom or on the back of the neck and I had to stand in the corner.
Suddenly the girl wiped her tears and said compassionately:
Ah, grandma, that's why you're wearing false teeth!
Vocabulary:
problem проблема
to refuse отказываться
food еда
healthy полезный
porridge каша
soup суп
exception исключение
worried обеспокоенный
constantly постоянно
family member домочадец, член семьи
to teach приучать
as usual как обычно
to play up капризничать
beetroot свёкла
meatball котлета
disgusting отвратительный
chocolate шоколад
tired уставший
to make a deal договориться
to punish наказывать
to leave покидать, уходить
stubborn упрямый
to burst into tears расплакаться
to push away отодвигать, отталкивать
plate тарелка
to pout дуться
to go silent замолчать
granddaughter внучка
to cry плакать
sad грустный, печальный
to calm down успокаивать
to be worried переживать
to scold ругать
to hit someone on the bottom ударять по попе
to hit someone on the back of the neck давать подзатыльник
to stand in the corner стоять в углу
to wipe tears вытирать слёзы
compassionately с сочувствием
to wear носить
false teeth вставная челюсть
Answer the questions:
1) What problem do many parents often have?
2) Why was the mother constantly worried?
3) What did the girl start doing one day?
4) What did she want to eat? What didn't she want to eat?
5) What did the mother offer the girl in exchange for eating her food?
6) How did the girl react to what her mom said?
7) What did the grandmother do after that and why?
8) How did grandmother reassure her granddaughter?
9) What did the grandmother's mother do when grandmother was a child and did not want to eat healthily?
10) What did the girl answer?
Express the same in English:
1) отказываться есть полезную пищу;
2) каша;
3) суп;
4) быть исключением;
5) постоянно беспокоиться;
6) домочадцы;
7) говорить с сочувствием;
8) доедать еду до конца;
9) однажды;
10) капризничать;
11) свёкла с котлетой;
12) отвратительный;
13) уставшая после работы мать ребёнка;