Colours

Parts of the body Materials

elbow – локоть brass – латунь, жёлтая медь
finger – палец fur – 1) мех; 2) отделывать мехом
foot (feet) – нога, ступня gold – золото
knee – колено leather – кожа
leg – нога leathern – кожаный
neck – шея linen – лён
shoulder – плечо silk – шёлк
throat – горло silver – серебро
waist – талия skin – шкура животного
    wool – шерсть

crimson – тёмно-красный

forest green – цвет зелени (леса)

pale – бледный; неяркий

pink – розовый

purple – пурпурный; близкий к фиолетовому (US)

scarlet – алый

tan – рыжевато-коричневый

4.1.7. Read the selections.

1) Guess:

a) to what social groups the people belong; if they are poor or rich;

b) what century and country they lived; identify the words that helped you;

c) translate the sentences with ‘some’, ‘same’. Use dictionary if necessary.

2) What ideas expressed in the text ‘The Language of Clothes’ do the selections prove?

 

1 Cedric the Saxon wore a tunic of forest green, furred at the throat, which hung over a close scarlet dress. His feet were in sandals with gold clasps. He had bracelets of gold upon his arms and a broad collar of the same metal round his neck. A short sword hung perpendicularly by his side.

 

2 The elder of these men had a stern wild aspect. His dress was very simple-a long jacket with sleeves made of the skin of some animal, a broad leathern belt with a horn and a long broad knife at the waist. He had sandals on his feet but his head was bare. His thick hair was of a dark - red colour forming a contrast with his long yellow beard. The man had a brass ring, like a dog’s collar, round his neck with the inscription “Jurth, the son of Beowulph, is the born serf of Celtic of Rotherwood”.

3 The other person was about ten years younger in appearance, whose dress was of better materials and more fantastic. His jacket was bright purple; his short crimson cloak was lined with yellow. He had silver bracelets upon his arms, and on his neck was a collar of the same metal with the inscription: “Wamba, the son of Witless, is the serf of Cedric of Rotherwood”. He had a cap with bells on it, which jingled as he turned his head to one side or another. It was the dress of a domestic clown or jester.

 

4 The companion of the churchman was a man past forty, thin, strong, tall and muscular. On his head he wore a scarlet cap, faced with fur. His upper dress was a long scarlet mantle, with a white cross on his right shoulder. Under his mantle was a shirt of linked mail, with sleeves and gloves of the same material. His knees and feet were protected by thin plates of steel and his legs were also covered with linked mail. A long dagger was the only weapon about this person.

 

5 Rowena was tall and formed in the best proportions of her sex. She was fair and her clean blue eyes seemed capable of commanding as well as of begging. Her beautiful hair was arranged in free locks. A gold chain hung round her neck and she wore gold bracelets on her arms. Her dress was of pale sea-green silk, over which hung a long crimson robe, with a veil of silk attached to the upper part of it.

6 His suit was of a striped and crossed pattern of brown wool, new at that time, but since became familiar as a business suit. The low crotch of the vest revealed a stiff shirt bosom of white and pink stripes. From his coat sleeves protruded a pair of linen cuffs of the same pattern, fastened with large, gold plate buttons set with the common yellow agates known as “cat’s-eyes”. His fingers bore several rings - one, the ... heavy seal - and from his vest dangled a neat gold watch chain ... . the whole suit was rather tight-fitting, and was finished off with heavy-soled tan shoes, highly polished, and the grey fedora hat.

 

7 A woman should some day write the complete philosophy of clothes. No matter how young, it is one of the things she wholly comprehends. There is a faint line in the matter of man’s apparel which somehow divides for her those who are worth glancing at and those who are not. There is another line at which the dress of a man will cause her to study her own ... . She became conscious of an inequality. Her own plain blue dress, with its black cotton tape trimmings, now seemed to her shabby. She felt the worn state of her shoes.

 

4.1.8. Read the text and ask “Wh”-questions for the partner to answer and to discuss the main points of the text. Think of its title.

New words: to be at a loss – быть в растерянности; to alter – переделывать; straight – прямой; to match – гармонировать (по цвету); skillful – искусный, умелый; to be proud – гордиться.

Kathy Fillmore was giving a party Saturday night and invited Milly to this party. Her mother, Nora, was at a loss. Their family was poor but Milly must have a new dress, Nora thought. When a girl is young and she goes to her first party with the first boy that she really likes, she should have a new dress. Nora was sorry she had no money saved to buy her daughter a new dress. The following days Milly came home as early as she could and sat up until almost two, altering the blue dress. When it was finished, it did not look the same dress. It was tight – fitting, open at the neck, with a straight skirt. The sleeves were short and it fitted Milly wonderfully. The belt was a darker colour and it matched the dress very well. Milly put some flowers on, and that turned the dress into a real piece of beauty.

In her heart Nora was proud that her daughter’s skillful hands had turned the dress into something that looked no worse than the dresses worn by the girls that came from rich families.

 

 

5. Oral Practice

 

5.1. Dramatize the following dialogues Give your own versions.

1. A: Do Helen and her sister often go to the cinema?

B: Yes, I think so.

A: Do you think they will go on Saturday?

B: I’m sure they will.

2. A: Are you ready to leave?

B: Not yet. I need ten more minutes.

A: When you are ready we’ll have a cup of coffee or tea before we leave.

3. A: I quite forgot to make a few calls. Before we leave I’ll phone my mother and Peter.

B: Can’t you phone them when we come back?

A: I’ll be tired when we arrive and it’ll be after midnight. So I’ll phone her now.

5.2. Define the social situation and the social roles of the partners in the dialogue. Dramatize it.

A: When we arrive in New York, I’ll phone Jessie, and ask her to come to our place. When she comes I’ll bring her in here. I won’t tell her anything about you until she arrives… But after she’s here you’ll come out of that room.

B: Do you think she’ll recognize me?

A: No, I don’t think so. At least, not until you speak. You know, all of us change. After so many years.

B: That’s going to be quite a scene.