Экспресс-самоучитель английского языка - 2016

ТЕКСТЫ ДЛЯ ЧТЕНИЯ

Johnny-cake

Once upon a time there was an old man. He lived with an old woman and a little boy. One morning the old woman made a Johnny-cake, and put it in the oven to bake.

“Watch the Johnny-cake and I will go to work in the garden,” she said to the little boy. Then the old man and the old woman went out.

But the little boy didn’t watch the Johnny-cake, and suddenly he heard a noise. He looked up and saw how the oven door opened. Out of the oven* jumped Johnny-cake and went towards the door of the house.

“Stop, stop!” cried the little boy, but Johnny-cake was very quick and ran away. The boy called his parents for help, but they could not catch Johnny- cake. Soon he was out of sight**.

Johnny-cake was going along the road, and soon he came to two well-diggers who were digging a well. They saw him and asked, “Where are you going, Johnny-cake?”

He said, “I outran an old man, and an old woman and a little boy, and I can outrun you too-o-o!”

“Really? You can, can you? We’ll see!” they said, and threw down their picks and ran after him***. But they could not catch him, and soon they sat down by the road to rest.

Johnny-cake was going along the road, and soon he came to two ditch-diggers who were digging a ditch.

“Where are you going, Johnny-cake?” said they.

He said, “I outran an old man, and an old woman, and a little boy and two well-diggers, and I can outrun you too-o-o!”

“You can, can you? We’ll see!” they said, and threw down their spades and ran after him. But Johnny-cake soon was very quick, and when they saw that they could never catch him, they sat down to rest.

Johnny-cake was going along the road, and soon he came to a bear. The bear said, “Where are you going, Johnny-cake?”

He said, “I outran an old man, and an old woman and a little boy, two well-diggers and two ditch- diggers, and I can outrun you too-o-o!”

“You can, can you?” growled the bear. “We’ll see!” and tried to catch Johnny-cake. But Johnny-cake did not stop and ran away. The bear was very tired and lay down to rest.

Johnny-cake was going along the road, and he came to a wolf. The wolf said, “Where are you going, Johnny-cake?”

He said, “I outran an old man, an old woman, a little boy, two well-diggers, two ditch-diggers and a bear, and I can outrun you too-o-o!”

“You can, can you?” snarled the wolf. “We’ll see!” And he began to run after Johnny-cake, but Johnny- cake was so quick that the wolf saw that there was no hope to catch him, and he lay down to rest.

Johnny-cake was going along the road, and soon he came to a fox that was lying quietly near the fence. The fox asked him gently, “Where are you going Johnny-cake?”

He said, “I outran an old man, an old woman, a little boy, two well-diggers, two ditch-diggers, a bear and a wolf, and I can outrun you too-o-o!”

The fox said, “I can’t hear you, Johnny-cake, please come a little closer.”

Johnny-cake stopped, and went a little closer, and said in a very loud voice, “I outran an old man, an old woman, a little boy, two well-diggers, two ditch-diggers, a bear and a wolf, and I can outrun you too- o-o!”

“Oh, I can’t hear you; can you come a little closer?” said the fox in a weak voice.

Johnny-cake came closer, and screamed, “I OUTRAN AN OLD MAN, AN OLD WOMAN, A LITTLE BOY, TWO WELL-DIGGERS, TWO DITCH-DIGGERS, A BEAR AND A WOLF, AND I CAN OUTRUN YOU TOO-O-O!!!!”

“You can, can you?” yelped the fox, and caught Johnny-cake with his paw and threw him in his sharp teeth.

* out of the oven — из печи

** he was out of sight — он скрылся из виду

***ran after him — погнались за ним

УПРАЖНЕНИЯ

1. Choose the correct variant:

1. The old woman made some pies.

2. The old woman made Johnny-cake.

3. The old woman made some pies and Johnny-cake.

4. The old woman made a big pie and Johnny-cake.

2. What is Johnny-cake?

1. an apple pie

2. a sausage

3. a cornmeal flatbread

4. a cheesecake

3. Who is the little boy?

1. the old woman and old man’s son

2. the Johnny-cake’s brother

3. Johnny-cake himself

4. a well-digger

4. Why did the old woman leave Johnny-cake in the oven?

1. Because she did not want to watch him.

2. Because she was going to make other cakes.

3. Because she went to sleep.

4. Because she went to work in the garden.

5. Who is a digger?

1. The man who excavates.

2. The man who works with the hammer.

3. The man who dances.

4. The man who writes poems.

6. What does it mean, “to outrun”?

1. to follow somebody

2. to run faster or further than someone

3. to catch somebody

4. to eat somebody

7. Choose the correct variant:

1. Two well-diggers could not catch Johnny-cake, and soon they sat down by the road to sleep.

2. Two well-diggers could easily catch Johnny-cake.

3. Two well-diggers could not catch Johnny-cake, and soon they cried.

4. Two well-diggers could not catch Johnny-cake, and soon they sat down by the road to rest.

8. Why did the fox ask Johnny-cake to come closer?

1. Because the fox could not hear him.

2. Because the fox wanted to eat him.

3. Because the fox did not want to move.

4. Because the fox was very lazy.

9. Why did the Johnny-cake come to the fox?

1. Because he wanted to speak loudly.

2. Because the fox asked him.

3. Because he ran very fast.

4. Because he was not very clever.

10. Choose the correct verb:

Johnny-cake was so quick that the wolf saw that there was no hope to catch him, and he ________________ down to rest.

1. went

2. lied

3. lay

4. lie

11. Choose the correct verbs:

I ________________ an old man, an old woman, a little boy, two well-diggers, two ditch-diggers, a bear and a wolf, and I can ________________ you too!

1. outran, outran

2. outran, outrun

3. outrun, outrun

4. outrun, outran

12. Choose the correct prepositions:

after — to — for — in

1. “Oh, I can’t hear you; can you come a little closer?” said the fox ________________ a weak voice.

2. Johnny-cake was going along the road, and soon he came ________________ a bear.

3. They threw down their picks and ran ________________ him.

4. The boy called his parents ________________ help, but they could not catch him.

13. Answer the questions:

1. How many persons are mentioned in the story?

2. How many diggers were there?

3. Did you like Johnny-cake?

4. What would you do if you were the main character of the story?

5. What is the end of the story?

6. Retell the story.

14. Fill in the table:

outrun	outran
	threw	throwing
lie		lying
come	came
see		seeing

Jack the Buttermilk

Jack was a boy who sold buttermilk. One day he met a witch. She asked him to give her some of his buttermilk for free*. “If you don’t give me some buttermilk,” said the witch, “I’ll put you into my bag and carry away**”. Jack refused to give the witch any of his buttermilk, so the witch put him into a bag that she carried over her shoulders.

She walked home with him. But on her way she suddenly remembered that she forgot a pot of fat that she bought in the town. Jack was very heavy, and the witch did not want to carry him back to the town, so she asked some men who were brushing the hedge by the road to take care*** of her bag till she came back.

When the witch went away, Jack cried to the men, “If you take me out**** of this bag and fill it full of thorns*****, I will give you some of my buttermilk.”

So the men took Jack out of the bag and filled it with thorns, and then Jack gave them some buttermilk and ran home.

When the witch came back from town she picked up her bag, and walked home. But the thorns began to prick her back. When she came home, she emptied the bag on a clean white table. But when she found that there was nothing in the bag but thorns, she was very angry and said, “I’ll catch you tomorrow, Jack, and I’ll boil you.”

Next day she met Jack again and asked him for some buttermilk and told him, “If you do not give me some buttermilk, I’ll put you into the bag again.” But Jack said, “I’ll give you no buttermilk.” So the witch put him into her bag and again she remembered that she forgot something in the town.

This time she left the bag with some men who were mending the road.

When the witch went away, Jack cried to the men, “If you take me out and fill this bag full of stones, I will give you some of my buttermilk.”

Then the men took Jack out of the bag, and he gave them the buttermilk.

When the witch came back from town she picked up her bag, and walked home. But the bag was very heavy. So she chuckled and said, “Indeed, Jack, you must eat less.”

When she came home she emptied the bag on the white table again. But when she saw the stones, she was very angry, and cried, “I swear, Jack, that I’ll boil you when I catch you!”

Next day she met Jack again and asked for some buttermilk. But Jack said, “No,” again, so she put him into her bag and went straight home with him and threw him out on the white table.

When she did it she saw she did not have enough water to boil the boy. So she put Jack back in the bag and went away. But she forgot to tie the bag. So while she was away, Jack crept out of it, opened all the cupboards in the house and filled the bag with all the pots that he could find. After that he went away, and soon he was safely home.

When the witch came back she emptied the bag on the table again and broke all the pots that she had. After this she never caught Jack any more.

* for free — бесплатно

** carry away — уносить

*** take care — позаботиться, присмотреть

**** if you take me out — если вы вытащите

***** fill it full of thorns — наполните ее колючками

УПРАЖНЕНИЯ

1. Choose the correct variant:

1. The witch asked Jack for some thorns.

2. The witch asked Jack for some buttermilk.

3. The witch asked Jack for some stones.

4. The witch did not ask Jack for anything.

2. What is buttermilk?

1. a white liquid produced by the cows

2. a dairy product from the top of milk

3. a sour liquid which remains after the butter was separated from milk

4. a sweet liquid

3. Who is a witch?

1. a woman whose husband died

2. a woman who owns or manages a farm

3. a woman who got married young

4. a woman who possesses evil magic powers

4. Why did Jack refuse to give the witch some buttermilk?

1. Because he did not want to give her buttermilk for free.

2. Because he was greedy.

3. Because she did not ask politely.

4. Because he did not have any buttermilk.

5. Why did the witch recommend Jack to eat less?

1. Because he drank much.

2. Because he was very fat.

3. Because her bag was very heavy.

4. Because she wanted to boil him.

6. Why did the witch stop catching Jack?

1. Because she found another boy.

2. Because she did not see him anymore.

3. Because she understood that it was useless.

4. Because she liked him.

7. Choose the correct variant:

1. When she did it she saw she did not have enough water to boil the boy.

2. When she did it she saw she did not have enough power to boil the boy.

3. When she did it she saw she did not have enough strength to boil the boy.

4. When she did it she saw she did not have enough money to boil the boy.

8. Why did Jack fill the witch’s bag with all the pots that he could find?

1. Just in case*.

2. He wanted to cheat her.

3. He liked filling the bags with pots.

4. He did not need pots anymore.

9. Why did the witch come back to the town all the time?

1. Because she did not know the right way.

2. Because she had a weak memory.

3. Because she liked the town.

4. Because she was superstitious.

10. Choose the necessary verb:

The witch asked some men who were ___________ the hedge by the road to take care of her bag till she came back.

1. brushing

2. making

3. doing

4. building

11. Choose the correct verbs:

Jack ___________ to give the witch any of his buttermilk, so the witch ___________ him into a bag that she ___________ over her shoulders.

1. refused, carried, put

2. put, carried, refused

3. carried, refused, put

4. refused, put, carried

12. Choose the correct prepositions:

into — with — on — out

1. I’ll put you ___________ my bag and carry away.

2. Then the men took Jack ___________ of the bag, and he gave them the buttermilk.

3. When she came home she emptied the bag ___________ the white table again.

4. The witch left the bag ___________ some men who were mending the road.

13. Answer the questions:

1. How many persons are mentioned in the story?

2. What is Jack’s occupation?

3. What do witches usually do?

4. What do you like and what don’t you like in the characters?

5. What would you do if you were the main character of the story?

6. What is the end of the story?

7. Retell the story.

14. Fill in the table:

	went	going
put	put
come		coming
	left	leaving
give		giving

* Just in case. — На всякий случай.

How Jack Went to Seek his Fortune*

Once upon a time there was a boy named Jack**, and one morning he decided to go and seek his fortune.

He did not go very far and he met a cat.

“Where are you going, Jack?” said the cat.