номер 1, страница 86 - гдз по английскому языку 5-11 класс учебник Latham-Koenig, Oxenden

1 READING

a Would you describe yourself as an animal-lover? Have you ever had a pet? How attached to it are / were you?

b Look at the title of the article. Does it imply that the writer likes animals or dislikes them?

c Now read the article once. Match each paragraph 1-7 to its topic.

his attitude to dogs

his current feelings about kittens

people's preference for animals over children

his general attitude to cats

future plans about pets in his household

his childhood experience of pets

his children's attitude to animals

In defence of
not liking animals

1 Our household at the moment is infested – sorry, blessed – with cats. Six of them. Having got rid of one, Dylan, last year – may he rest in peace – leaving only his infirm and senile brother, Floss, behind, my wife accepted a kitten. This kitten has just given birth to four of her own fluffy balls. I have to admit that the expression 'cute as a kitten' does not seem to be an arbitrary one. They are extraordinarily loveable. They meow and play and generally make the world a fluffier place. I like them.

2 But I doubt that it will last. I am a lifelong pet sceptic. Confronted with the kittens, it briefly slipped my mind why I was sceptical. I am now beginning to remember. The house is starting to smell. Cats come on to the bed in the morning at 6.00 a.m., sit on your head and wake you up. They drink the water in your bedside glass. If you close the door, they wait outside complaining until you open it, so they can sit on your head, etc. Their lovability is more than offset by their extraordinary flair in the art of being annoying.

3 My prejudice is not confined to cats – to dogs I am positively averse. They are needy, time-consuming, easy to trip over, and frequently smell bad. Also, they have been known to bite people – certainly a lot of dogs in my neighbourhood appear to have evolved specifically for this purpose.

4 There are people – 'animal-lovers' is the term – who find people like me, people who care very little about other species, barely human. If I were feeling apologetic, I would only say that I grew up in a house without pets, and so have never quite become acclimatized to them. My only pet was a stickleback I caught in the canal, which died after six hours in my mother's household bucket. And a tortoise, whose shell I found mysteriously empty one day.

5 But I'm not feeling apologetic. Should I feel sorry because I can stare at my children awestruck by love, but not feel the same way about another species? I cannot accept that people who don't much care for animals are emotionally defective. If anything, the reverse is true. Anybody who leaves their inheritance to a donkey sanctuary rather than research for, say, children's cancer, strikes me as profoundly cynical about the human race.

6 Human beings are difficult to love – they are complex, contrary, and they often let you down. Animals are simple and easy to love. But it's a soft option. My children appear to adore animals, but in a highly partial way. They ooh and aah when they see lambs frolicking in the fields, but then sit down and eat their Sunday lunch with mint sauce without a second thought. This is sentimentality rather than genuine love.

7 But for the moment, cynic or not, I am content to have the gorgeous balls of fluff around the house. Three are being given away, we're keeping one, and Floss can't be for this earthly realm much longer. That will leave me with two. I can live with that, just about, as long as no one asks me, ever, to clean out the litter tray.

Glossary

stickleback a small, freshwater fish with sharp points on its back

tortoise

mint sauce a sauce traditionally eaten in the UK with roast lamb

litter tray a shallow box full of a dry substance used by cats as an indoor toilet

d Read the article again. Then look at extracts 1-7 below which summarize the main idea of each paragraph. Circle the bold phrase which explains what each extract means.

1 I have to admit that the expression 'cute as a kitten' does not seem to be an arbitrary one.

= There are good reasons / no good reasons for thinking that kittens are cute.

2 Their lovability is more than offset by their extraordinary flair in the art of being annoying.

= Cats are more loveable than annoying / more annoying than loveable.

3 My prejudice is not confined to cats – to dogs I am positively averse.

= I dislike cats even more than dogs / dogs even more than cats.

4 I would only say that I grew up in a house without pets, and so have never quite become acclimatized to them.

= Because I never had pets when I was young, I'm not used to / I don't like living with them.

5 I cannot accept that people who don't much care for animals are emotionally defective.

= I believe that it's completely normal / quite strange for people not to like animals.

6 My children appear to adore animals, but in a highly partial way.

= My children have a very consistent / inconsistent attitude to animals.

7 I can live with that, just about, as long as no one asks me, ever, to clean out the litter tray.

= I'm happy to have / prepared to tolerate having pets in my house.

e Talk to a partner.

1 Is the tone of the article...?

a humorous

b neutral

c serious

2 Do you think the writer's attitude to animals is...?

a realistic

b sentimental

c hard-hearted

3 What is your attitude to animals: 2a, b, or c? Explain why.

By Tim Lott in The Guardian

a Описали бы вы себя как любителя животных? У вас когда-нибудь был домашний питомец? Насколько вы к нему привязаны/были привязаны?

Ответ:

Yes, I would describe myself as an animal-lover. I have a dog named Rex. I am very attached to him, he is my best friend. We go for walks and play every day.

Да, я бы назвал себя любителем животных. У меня есть собака по кличке Рекс. Я очень к ней привязан, это мой лучший друг. Мы гуляем и играем каждый день.

b Посмотрите на заголовок статьи. Подразумевает ли он, что автор любит животных или не любит их?

Ответ:

The title "In defence of not liking animals" implies that the writer dislikes animals and is going to explain or justify this position.

Заголовок "В защиту нелюбви к животным" подразумевает, что автор не любит животных и собирается объяснить или оправдать эту позицию.

c Теперь прочтите статью один раз. Соотнесите каждый параграф 1-7 с его темой.

Ответ:

1 – his current feelings about kittens (его текущие чувства по поводу котят)
2 – his general attitude to cats (его общее отношение к кошкам)
3 – his attitude to dogs (его отношение к собакам)
4 – his childhood experience of pets (его детский опыт с домашними животными)
5 – people’s preference for animals over children (предпочтение людьми животных детям)
6 – his children’s attitude to animals (отношение его детей к животным)
7 – future plans about pets in his household (будущие планы по поводу домашних животных в его доме)

d Прочтите статью еще раз. Затем посмотрите на отрывки 1-7 ниже, которые обобщают основную идею каждого параграфа. Выберите фразу, выделенную жирным шрифтом, которая объясняет, что означает каждый отрывок.

Ответ:

1 good reasons (веские причины)
2 more annoying than loveable (более раздражающие, чем милые)
3 dogs even more than cats (собак даже больше, чем кошек)
4 I'm not used to (я не привык)
5 completely normal (совершенно нормально)
6 inconsistent (непоследовательное)
7 prepared to tolerate (готов терпеть)

e Поговорите с партнером.

1 Каков тон статьи...? a юмористический b нейтральный c серьезный

Ответ:

a humorous

a юмористический

2 Как вы думаете, отношение автора к животным...? a реалистичное b сентиментальное c бессердечное

Ответ:

a realistic

a реалистичное

3 Каково ваше отношение к животным: 2a, b, или c? Объясните почему.

Ответ:

My attitude is realistic (a). I love animals and I think they are great, but I understand that having a pet is a big responsibility. You need to care for them, feed them, and spend time with them, and it's not always easy.

Мое отношение реалистичное (a). Я люблю животных и считаю их замечательными, но я понимаю, что иметь домашнее животное — это большая ответственность. Нужно о них заботиться, кормить их и проводить с ними время, и это не всегда легко.