Дополнительный материал для устной речи

TRAVEL AND HOTELS. ПУТЕШЕСТВИЕ И ГОСТИНИЦЫ

READING
SCIENCE
Time to Pick Tomatoes

A pair of researchers have put radioactivity to work (1) in their study of tomatoes.

Two American scientists recently conducted tests to determine the ideal time to pick (срывать, собирать) tomatoes.

A tomato is ripe, plant sugar has stopped moving into the fruit. The experiments could determine though their tests just when this movement stopped. The men coated leaves of the plants with a substance made of sugar and radioactive carbon (углерод). The radioactivity of the carbon made it possible for the researchers to trace (проследить) sugar movement though the leaf, into the plant and into the fruit.

They discovered that a tomato is at its peak of ripeness and makes the best eating (2) "about six days after the first appearance of color". Tomatoes must be picked then, the men said.

STORY
Darwin and His Young Friends

Two English boys, friends of Darwin, thought one day that they would play a joke on the great naturalist. They caught a butterfly (бабочка), a grasshopper (кузнечик), a beetle (жук) and a centipede (сороконожка) and out of these four insects they made a new bug (насекомое). They took the centipede's body, the butterfly's wings, the grasshoppers' legs and the beetle's head, and glued (склеили) them all together. Then with their new insect in a box they came to Darwin's door.

"We caught this bug in a field", they said, opening the box they had brought. "Can you tell us what it is. Sir?"

Darwin looked at the bug and then at the boys. He smiled a little and asked, "Did it hum (жужжать) when you caught it?"

"Yes", they answered, nudging one another. (3)

"Well then", said Darwin "it is a humbug". (4)

POEM

A Centipede was happy quite
Until a Frog (лягушка) in fun (5)
Said, "Please, which leg comes after which?"
This raised her mind to such a pitch (6)
She lay distressed in a ditch (канава)
Considering how to run.

PROVERBS

A friend in need is a friend indeed.
Two heads are better than one.
Two eyes see more than one.
A little more than enough breaks the house's back.
If the blind leads the blind both shall fall into the ditch.

QUOTATIONS

He that (тот, кто) travels far knows much.
John Clarke (England - USA, 1609-1676)

Travelling is one way of lengthening life.
Benjamin Franklin (USA, 1706-1790)

If an ass goes travelling, he will not come home a horse.
Thomas Fuller (England, 1608-1661)

JOKES

Wife, at dinner table, to angry husband: "Monday you liked beans, Tuesday you liked beans, Wednesday you liked beans. Now all of a sudden (внезапно ни с того ни с сего) on Thursday you don't like beans!"

***

A lady car-driver came down the wrong side of a narrow street and ran into (врезалась) her neighbor's new car. The lady said grudgingly (неохотно):

"I'm afraid this was my fault".

"Nonsense (вздор)", said the gentleman with a bow (поклон). "I am sure that the fault is mine. I saw you fully three blocks away (7) and had enough ti-me to turn into a side street".

Примечания

(1) put to work - применили ("заставили работать")

(2) makes the best eating - всего вкуснее

(3) nudging one another - подталкивая друг друга локтем

(4) humbug - надувательство, вздор. Заметьте игру слов humbug и hum + bug.

(5) in fun - в шутку

(6) raised her mind to such pitch - подняло ее мысли на такую высоту, так ее взволновало

(7) fully three blocks away - за целых три