The Family.
I Choose the proper words and fill in the blanks.
For centuries the English had ruled the seas and continents and felt __to the native people.
a)simple b)superior c)modest
The English are very __ in their political and social views.
a)characteristic b)conscious c)conservative
The Englishman’s day begins when he sits down to breakfast with __
or ‘ The Times’.
‘The Wall Street Journal’
‘The Guardian’
‘The Washington Post’
The English people spend many hours trying to grow beautiful flowers as __ is their traditional pastime.
a)gardening b)collecting c)kite-flying
Englishmen prefer to have __ at a café, canteen or a restaurant.
a)breakfast b)dinner c)lunch
The English like to say: ‘Life is short, but there is always time for __’.
a)courtesy b)indifference c)punctuality
The English can understand a good joke and their humour is often __.
a)self-assured b)self-critical c)self-sufficient
It is very un-English to lose one’s head in a situation of __.
a)employment b)embarrassment c)emergency
The English women complain that because of their husbands’ __ in speech they cannot pay compliments to.
a)reticence b)modesty c)superiority
The motto of the English sportsman is ‘Win as if you were __ to it, lose as if you liked it.’
a)acquainted b)accounted c)accustomed
II Read the text and choose the right answer to the questions below:
Everyday life of the British.
One of the most striking features of English life is the self-discipline and courtesy of people of all classes. There is little noisy behavior, no loud disputing in the streets. Nobody rushes for seats in buses or trains. The remarkable politeness of the English people is known all over the world. They are never tired of saying ‘Thank you’, ‘I am sorry’. If you follow anyone who is entering the building or a room, he will hold the door open for you.
The Englishman prefers his own house to an apartment in a block of flats. Traditionally, it is a two-storey house in the country with a lawn in front of it and a garden behind it. They enjoy privacy. Everyone knows the saying: ‘An Englishman’s home is his castle’ and it’s true. The English try, if possible, not to interfere in other people’s affairs. And they expect others to let them alone and mind their own business.
The typically English custom is ‘lunch at 1 o’clock’. The time from one o’clock is a ‘sacred’ hour in England. Whatever one is doing, no matter how important it is, as soon as the clock strikes one, everybody breaks for lunch. All the shops, offices are closed for an hour. At two o’clock sharp they will open, for punctuality is also one of the English traditions.
Questions:
What is the most important feature of English life?
a)sociability b)self-discipline c)generosity
What remarkable feature of the English people is known all over the world?
a)superiority b)reticence c)politeness
Which time of the day is ‘sacred’ for the English?
a)from 1 to 2 o’clock b)from 2 to 3 o’ clock c)from 5 to 6 o’clock
What kind of dwelling do the English prefer?
a)an apartment in a block of flat
b)a two-story house with a garden
c)a mansion in the centre of a city
What do the English expect from other people?
a)to make them a company whenever they are
b)to have a good time together
c)not to interfere in their life
