Лучшие смешные рассказы / Best Funny Stories. Джером Клапка Джером

nearby a group of peasants were working in the field. An old woman and a young girl, with ropes about their shoulders, were drawing a harrow,[25] an old man was guiding them. They paused for a moment at the wire fencing, and looked through. It was an odd contrast; the two worlds divided by the wire fencing – so slight, almost invisible. The girl swept the sweat from her face with her hand; the woman pushed back her grey locks underneath the handkerchief about her head; the old man stood himself with some difficulty. So they stood for a minute, gazing with quiet faces through that slight fencing.

      Was there any thought, I wonder, passing through their brains? The young girl – she was very nice in spite of her ugly garments. The woman – she had a wonderfully fine face: clear, calm eyes under a square broad brow.

      The old man bent again over the guiding ropes. They moved forward up the hill. It is Anatole France,[26] I think, who says: Society is based[27] upon the patience of the poor.

      Упражнения

      1. Выберите правильный вариант:

      1. Baseball is gaining favour more and more throughout Europe.

      2. Hockey is gaining favour more and more throughout Europe.

      3. Football is gaining favour more and more throughout Europe.

      4. Basketball is gaining favour more and more throughout Europe.

      ОТВЕТ:

      Football is gaining favour more and more throughout Europe.

      2. Who won greater applause from the crowd?

      1. Adams

      2. Tammas

      3. Anatole France

      4. Doherty

      ОТВЕТ: Doherty

      3. Who does not understand how to play?

      1. The Englishman

      2. The Frenchman

      3. The German

      4. The Spanishman

      ОТВЕТ: The Englishman

      4. How many peasants were working in the field?

      1. One

      2. Two

      3. Three

      4. Four

      ОТВЕТ: Three

      5. What is a club?

      1. It is a round object.

      2. It is a stick used to hit a golf ball.

      3. It is a piece of equipment used to play tennis.

      4. It is a hollow rubber ball.

      ОТВЕТ: It is a stick used to hit a golf ball.

      6. What does an English novelist do?

      1. He teaches English.

      2. He plays golf.

      3. He writes novels.

      4. He reads novels.

      ОТВЕТ: He writes novels.

      7. Выберите правильный вариант:

      1. Tennis and the ministry don’t seem to go together.

      2. Golf and shopping don’t seem to go together.

      3. Football and the ministry don’t seem to go together.

      4. Golf and the ministry don’t seem to go together.

      ОТВЕТ: Golf and the ministry don’t seem to go together.

      8. What does the Frenchman prefers to play with?

      1. The Frenchman prefers to play with his head.

      2. The Frenchman prefers to play with his legs.

      3. The Frenchman prefers to play with his hands.

      4. The Frenchman prefers to play with his fingers.

      ОТВЕТ: The Frenchman prefers to play with his head.

      9. Where did a young couple go for their honeymoon?

      1. to Belgium

      2. to England

      3. to Scotland

      4. to France

      ОТВЕТ: to Scotland

      10. Выберите нужный глагол:

      At dinner-time he noticed that it seemed a pretty place they __________ found, and suggested to stay there another day.

      1. had

      2. have

      3. will

      4. are

      ОТВЕТ: had

      11. Выберите нужные глаголы:

      Fat men, between paroxysms of coughing, _______ you of the goals they _______ when they were extraordinary forwards.

      1. told, score

      2. tell, score

      3. had told, scored

      4. tell, scored

      ОТВЕТ: tell, scored

      12. Выберите нужный предлог:

      He makes a life-long labour _________ his sport, and to it sacrifices mind and body.

      1. by

      2. at

      3. of

      4. with

      ОТВЕТ: of

      13. Ответьте на вопросы:

      1. Who tells the story?

      2. What is the name of the famous French writer mentioned in the story?

      3. What have you learned about golf?

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

      5. What would you do if you were playing golf?

      6. What is the end of the story?

      7. How can you explain the title of the story?

      8. Retell the story.

      14. Заполните таблицу:

      ОТВЕТ:

      Should We Say What We Think, or Think What We Say?

      A mad friend of mine says that the main word of the age is Make-Believe.[28] He claims that all social intercourse is founded on make-believe. A servant enters to say that Mr. and Mrs. Bore are in the living-room.

      “Oh, damn!” says the man.

      “Hush!” says the woman. “Shut the door, Susan.[29] How often am I to tell you never to leave the door open?”

      The man creeps upstairs on tiptoe and enters his study

25

were drawing a harrow – тащили за собой борону

26

Anatole France – Анатоль Франс, французский писатель и литературный критик (1844–1924).

27

is based – зиждется

28

Make-Believe – притворство

29

Susan – Сюзен