The Respective Merits of Frogs and Rabbits

Roger: My rabbit can roar like a rhinoceros.

Barry: Rubbish! Rabbits don't roar, Roger.

Roger: You're wrong, Barry. My rabbit's an Arabian rabbit. They're very rare. When he's angry he races round and round his rabbit run. And if he's in a real rage he rushes on to the roof and roars.

Barry: How horrid! Really, I prefer my frog. I've christened him Fred.

Roger: Freddie Frog! How ridiculous! '

Barry: An abbreviation for Frederick. Well, you remember when I rescued him from the river last February? He was crying like a canary. He was drowning.

R о g e r: Really, Barry! Frogs don't drown.

A Dreadful Train Crash

P r u e: Weren't you in that train crash on Friday, Fred?

Fred: Oh Prue, it's like a dreadful dream.

P r u e: A tractor — isn t that right? — crossing a bridge with a trailer of fresh fruit crashed through the brick wall in front of the train?

Fred: Yes. The train driver's a friend of my brother's. I was travelling up front with him. I was thrown through the windscreen on to the grass, but he was trapped under a huge great crate. I could hear him groaning.

Prue: Fred! How grim!

F r e d: I was pretty frightened, Prue. I can promise you! I crawled through the broken crates and tried to drag him free. His throat was crushed. He couldn't breathe properly, but he menaged a grin.

Prue: How incredibly brave!

Exercise VI. Read the rhymes and learn them.

1. One, one, one

Little dog, run,

Two, two, two

Cats, see you,

Three, three, three

Birds on a tree,

Four, four, four

Rats on the floor..

2. The men in the wilderness asked of me

How many strawberries grew in the sea.

I answered him as I thought good,

As many as red herrings grew in the wood.

3. Tweedle-Dum and Tweedle-Dee

Resolved to have a battle,

For Tweedle-Dum said Tweedle-Dee

Had spoiled his nice new rattle.

Just then flew by a monstrous crow,

As big as a tar barrel,

Which frightened both the heroes so

They quite forgot their quarrel.

4. There was an old woman,

And she sold puddings and pies,

She went to the mill,

And the dust flew in her eyes,

Hot pies and cold pies to sell!

Wherever she goes,

You can follow her by the smell.

5. Little Lady Lilly lost her lovely locket

Lazy little Lucy found the lovely locket

Lovely little locket lay in Lucy's pocket

Lazy little Lucy lost the lovely locket.

6. A right-handed fellow named Wright

In writing "write" always wrote "right"

Where he meant to write right,

If he'd written "write" right,

Wright would not have wrought rot writing "rite".

7. The little black dog ran round the house

And set the bull a-roaring,

And drove the monkey in the boat,

Who set the oars a-rowing,

And scared the cock upon the rock,

Who cracked his throat with crowing.

Exercise VII. Transcribe the proverbs and learn them.

1. Little friends may prove great fiends.

2. There is neither rhyme nor reason in it.

3. Who won't be ruled by the rudder must be ruled by the rock.

4. When angry, count a hundred.

5. Truth is stranger than fiction.

6. Live and learn.

7. Live and let live.

8. Let sleeping dogs lie.

9. Let well alone.

10. Love me, love my dog.

UNIT 24. [Ɵ] - [ð]

Exercise I. Read the following words paying special attention to correct pronunciation.

3. [Ɵ] - [ð]

bath — bathe earthy — worthy

breath — breathe Martha — mother

author — other Bertha — further

Arthur — rather

Exercise II. Read the following sense-groups, mind the rhythm and intonation.

(a) that; than that; rather than that; anything rather than that; I'll do anything rather than that.

(b) both, thanks to you both, a thousand thanks to you both.

Exercise III. Transcribe and intone the following sentences. Practise reading them in pairs.

[Ɵ] (a) 1. The third Thursday of this month is the sixteenth.

2. Arthur Smith, a thick-set, healthy athlete sees three thieves throw a thing round Thea's throat and threaten to throttle her.

3. He throws one thug to earth with a thud that shakes his teeth.

4. Both the other thieves run off with a filthy oath.

5. Thea thanks Arthur for'thrashing the three thugs.

[ð] (b) 1. These bathers are breathing through their mouths.

2. Smooth breathing is rather soothing.

3. There are three brothers. These are their father and mother. This is their other brother.

4. I don't wish them other than they are.

[Ɵ] — [ð] (c) 1. I'll do anything rather than that.

2. They are always bothering Father and Mother to do things for them.

3. That means nothing other than the usual thing.

4. The Smiths keep themselves to themselves.

5. Father has a thousand and one things to ask you, Martha.

Exercise IV. Read the tongue-twisters and learn them.

1. A thatcher of Thatchwood went to Thatchet a-thatching. Did a thatcher of Thatchwood go to Thatchet a-thatching? If a thatcher of Thatchwood went to Thatchet a-thatching, Where's the thatching the thatcher of Thatchwood has thatched?

2. Theo thrust a thumb through two or three thick straw thatches.

Exercise V. Read the dialogues, mark the stresses and tunes. Learn them. Act out the dialogues.

Gossips

Judith: Edith Smith is only thirty. Ethel: Is she? I thought, she was thirty-three. Judith: Edith's birthday was last Thursday. Ethel: Was it? 1 thought it was last month.

Judith: The Smiths' house is worth thirty thousand pounds. Ethel: Is it? I thought it was worth three thousand.

Judith: Mr Smith is the author of a book about moths. E t h e 1: Is he? I thought he was a mathematician.

Judith: I'm so thirsty.

Ethel: Are you? I thought you drank something at the Smiths'.

Judith: No, Edith gave me nothing to drink.

Ethel: Shall I buy you a drink?

Judith: Thank you.

The Hat in the Window

Miss Brothers: I want to buy the hat in the window.

Assistant: There are three hats together in the window, madam. Do you want the one with the feathers?

Miss Brothers: No. The other one.

Assistant: The small one for three pounds?

Miss Brothers: No. Not that one either. That one over there. The leather оле.

Assistant: Ah! The leather one. Now this is another leather hat, madam. It's better than the one in the window. It's a smoother leather.

Miss Brothers: I'd rather have the one in the window. It goes with my clothes.

Assistant: Certainly, madam. But we don't take anything out of the window until three o'clock on Thursday.

My Birthday's on Thursday

— It's my birthday on Thursday. My sixth birthday.

— My seventh birthday's on the 13th of next month, so I'm — let me think — 333 days older than you, Ruth.

— Do you always put your thumb in your mouth when you're doing arithmetic, Arthur?

— My tooth's loose, Ruth. See? I like Maths. I came fourth out of thirty-three. My father's a mathematician.

— My father's an author. He writes for the theatre. We're very wealthy. When I'm thirty I'll have a thousand pounds.

— I'm going to be an Olympic athlete. I may be thin but Mr Smith says I've got the strength of three. Watch me. I'll throw this thing the length of the path.

— Oh Arthur! You've thrown earth all over us both. I'm filthy! Now they'll make me have a bath!

4. I'd Rather Be a Mother Than a Father

Father: Where are the others?

Mother: They've gone bathing. Heather and her brother called for them.

Father: Heather Feather?

Mother: No, the other Heather — Heather Mather. I told them to stay together, and not to go further than Northern Cove.

Father: Why didn't you go with them?

M о t h e r: I'd rather get on with the ironing without them.

Father: In this weather? There's a southerly breeze. One can hardly breathe indoors.

Mother: Go and have a bathe, then.

Father: Another bathe? I can't be bothered. I'll go with you, though.

Mother: But all these clothes... who'd be a mother!

Father: I'd rather be a mother than a father! All those hungry mouths?

Exercise VI. Read the rhymes and learn them.

1. This is used for one thing near,

That means one thing over there,

These and those mean two or more,

Those are far and these are near.

2. I can think of six thin things.

Six thin things, can you?

Yes, I can think of six thin things

And of six thick things, too.

3. There was an old woman,

And nothing she had,

And so this old woman

Was said to be mad.

She'd nothing to eat,

She'd nothing to wear,

She'd nothing to lose,

She'd nothing to share,

She'd nothing to ask,

And nothing to give,

And when she did die

She'd nothing to leave.

4. I am thankful for a thousand things...

For faithful earth, for birth and breath

For thought and health and strength and mirth

And, may be, when it comes for death.

Exercise VII. Transcribe the proverbs and learn them.

1. When three Thursdays come together.

2. Thread and thrum.

3. That's neither here nor there.

4. There's nothing like leather.

5. One law for the rich, another for the poor.

6. Nothing venture, nothing have.

7. There is no smoke without fire.

8. Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones.

9. Wealth is nothing without health.

UNIT 25. [h] - no [h]

Exercise I. Read the following words paying special attention to correct pronunciation.

Exercise II. Read the following sense-groups, mind the rhythm and intonation.

(a) a hammer; a heavy hammer; herself with a heavy hammer; hit herself with a heavy hammer; Hilda hit herself with a heavy hammer.

(b) the horn; the horn of the hunter; the hoim of the hunter was heard; the horn of the hunter was heard on the hill.

Exercise III. Transcribe and intone the following sentences.

Practise reading them in pairs.

[h] 1. Humble, hairy Herbert has his hand on his heart.

2. Henry's horse has hurt his hoof in a hole while hunting.

3. Henry helps him to hobble home.

4. It's not the hopping over hedges that hurts the horses' hooves; it's the hammer, hammer, hammer on the hard high road.

5. He is head over heels in love.

6. Our hands have met but not our hearts, our hands will never meet again.

7. A helicopter has hit Allen's house.

8. Andrew spent all his holiday in hospital.

9. Ellen's husband is ill in hospital.

10. I've hurt my hand and can't hold anything.

11. I've hurt my eye and can't see anything.

Exercise IV. Read the tongue-twisters and learn them.

1. In Hertford, Hereford and Hampshire, hurricanes hardly ever happen.

2. The hammerman hammers the hammer on the hard highroads.

Exercise V. Read the text.

Dear Harriet,

I'm having a horrible holiday here! The hotel is huge and high up on a hill. I hurt my heel and had to go to hospital. The weather's too hot, and I'm hungry. Harry's quite happy, however! Next summer, I shall stay at home. Harry can go on holiday by himself.

Exercise VI. Read the dialogue, mark the stresses and tunes. Learn it. Act outthe dialogue.

A Horrible Accident

Helen: Hello, Ellen.

Ellen: Hello, Helen. Have you heard? There's been a horrible accident.

Helen: Oh dear! What's happened?

Ellen: Hilda Higgins' husband has had an accident on his horse.

Helen: How awful! Is he injured?

Ellen: Yes. An ambulance has taken him to hospital.

Helen: How did it happen?

Ellen: He was hit by an express train. It was on the crossing just behind his house.

Helen: How horrible!

Ellen: He's having an important operation in hospital now. Poor Hilda! She's so unhappy!

Helen: Perhaps he'll be all right.

E 11 e n: I hope so.

Exercise VII. Read the rhymes and learn them.

Humpty-Dumpty sat on a wall,

Humpty-Dumpty had a great fall,

All the king's horses and all the king's men

Couldn't put Humpty-Dumpty together again.

My Heart in the Highlands

(by R. Burns)

My heart's in the Highlands, my heart is not here,

My heart's in the Highlands, a-chasing the deer,

A-chasing the wild deer, and following the roe —

My heart's in the Highlands whenever I go!

Farewell to the Highlands, farewell to the North,

The birth place of valour, the country of worth!

Wherever I wander, wherever I rove,

The hills of the Highlands forever I love.

To a False Friend

(by Th. Hood)

Our hands have met, but not our hearts;

Our hands will never meet again.

Friends, if we have ever been,

Friends, we cannot now remain;

I only know I loved you once,

I only know I loved in vain.

Our hands have met, but not our hearts.

Our hands will never meet again.

Exercise VIII. Transcribe the proverbs and learn them.

1. Handsome is as handsome does.

2. He that has ears to hear let him hear.

3. Heaven helps him who helps himself.

4. He that has an ill name is half hanged.

5. Come hell or high water.

6. Cold hands, warm heart.

7. Habit cures habit.

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