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2. Transcribe and intone the sentences below. Pay attention to the differentiatory
function of stress in the italicized words
1. a) He spoke with no trace of
accen
t. b) The way you
accent
these words tells me you
were not born in England. 2. a) That’s very
abstract
. b) One can
abstract
several general
rules from an examination of these facts. 3. a) He was not on the
missing list
. b) They
couldn’t find the
missing list
, it’s been missing for several days. 4. a) “That’s what I call a
silver tip
” the taxi-driver said contentedly. b) This is obviously a
silver tip
’, no other
metal would have been strong enough for the job. 5. a) You will need a
permit
in order to
visit that place. b) The job has to be done very quickly; it does not
permit
of any delay. 6.
a) We entered a very
dark room
. b) A
darkroom
is a room for photographic processing. 7.
a) Who is going to
refund
our losses? b) The
refund
did not amount to too much but it was
extremely welcome. 8. a) This is all the
spending money
you’ll get from me for this
month. b)
Spending money
is easy; making it may prove more of a problem.
3. Copy out these texts. Observe correct rhythmic groups. Mark the stresses and
tunes
Cutting Off with a Shilling
Sheridan, the famous English playwright, wanted his son Tom to marry a young
woman of a large fortune. The youth was in love with a
penniless girl and refused
pointblank to obey his father.
Out of patience with his son, Sheridan threatened him: “If you don’t immediately
obey me, I shall cut you off with a shilling.” “When you really make up your mind to cut
me off with a shilling,” said the youth, “you will have to borrow it first, sir.”
Sheridan burst out laughing and dropped the subject altogether.
Aesop and the Traveller
Aesop was a clever man who lived many hundreds of years ago in Greece. He wrote
a lot of fine stories. He was well known as a man who was fond of jokes. One day, as he
was enjoying a walk, he met a traveller who asked him, “My good man, can you tell me
how soon I shall get to town?” “Go!” Aesop answered. “I know that I must go,” protested
the traveller, “but I should like you to tell me how soon I shall get to town.” “Go!” Aesop
said again. The traveller went on. After he had gone some distance, Aesop shouted after
him, “You will get to town in two hours.” The traveller turned round in surprise. “Why
didn’t you tell me that before?” he asked. “How could I have told you that before,” Aesop
answered, “if I did not know how fast you could walk.”
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4. Read these jokes. Define what intonation patterns should be used to convey
humour
Asking Too Much
An Englishman was driving along a country road in Ireland and met a man carrying
a heavy bag.
“Can I take you into town?” the Englishman asked.
The Irishman said, “Thank you,” and got into the car.
In a few minutes the driver saw that the Irishman was sitting with the heavy bag still
in his hand.
“Why don’t you put your bag down?” he asked. “Well, “
answered the Irishman,
“you’ve given me a ride in your car. I can’t ask you to carry my bag as well.”
***
“You say that I am the first model you ever kissed?”
“Yes.”
“And how many models have you had before me?”
“Four. An apple, two oranges, and a vase of flowers.”
***
Soph
: But I don’t think I deserve an absolute zero.
Prof
: Neither do I, but it is the lowest mark that I am allowed to give.
***
A young writer sent a number of manuscripts to a celebrated newspaper columnist,
asking his advice as to the best channel for marketing the writings. The manuscripts came
back with this curt note:
“The one channel I can conscientiously recommend as the greatest outlet for articles
of this type is the English Channel.”
5. Read this text as if you were reading it to a) children; b) students
STILL NOT PERFECT
A small schoolboy often wrote: “I have went,” instead of “I have gone”. At last his
teacher said:
“You must stay after school this afternoon and write ‘I have gone’ a hundred times.
Then you will remember it.”
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When the teacher came back he found a letter from the boy on his desk. It said:
Dear Sir,
I have wrote “I have gone” a hundred times, and now I have went.
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