UNIT 4.

APPEARANCE AND SELF-IMAGE

PART 1. PERSONAL APPEARANCE
Lead-in
A/ Scan the quotations and think if they present belief or disbelief in telling
personality by appearance. Give your commentary on each quotation. Which
would you agree with?
Appearance cheats. Handsome is as handsome does. You can’t tell a
book by its cover. A clean glove often hides a dirty hand. One man
differs from another in three things: his voice, his appearance, and his
mind.
B/ Read the introduction about the influence of appearance on self-image.
Answer the following questions:
- Do you believe that the first impression sticks with people?
- Would you agree that the way you look can help represent or hide your
personality?
- Do you personally judge people by appearance? Give your explanations.
The style you dress, fix your hair represents your self-
esteem and self-confidence. Besides your image can
result in the way how people see and evaluate you be it
in the home, school, community or professional setting.
Appearance may create an authentic, appropriate,
attractive, and affordable or negative image.
Intelligence, knowledge, ability, initiative, and effort are
vital to success of any kind, but regardless of who you
are, how old, and what your role or goal, ongoing image
management can give you the personal/professional
presence you need.
As an individual life or social activity is highly complex
and competitive, you should know that your appearance can affect: the way you feel;
the way you act or behave; the way others react or respond to you.
VOCABULARY IN USE
1. Appearance is an outward or visible aspect of a person or thing, or ‘the way
somebody / something looks or seems to be’. The sentences below will help you
understand how verbal descriptions of appearance can present images. Remember if
you need to describe somebody you can refer to a verbal way, that is you can use
nouns, adjectives, verbs and adverbs that characterize height, build, age,
complexion, colour and length of hair, or depict face shape and its parts (eyes, nose,
mouth, chin), the manner a person acts or moves.

A/ Read the following descriptions and underline the words and phrases that
describe characteristics of physical appearance in every block of sentences. Find
their equivalents in Russian.

1. Mary is short and in her early twenties. She’s got an oval face with a birthmark on
the left cheek, long black curly hair and a small nose. Her eyes are chestnut-
brown.2. Paul’s tall and in his early thirties. He’s got a long face and long black hair.
His nose is quite large and he’s got a small mouth and clearly cut small chin.3. Sally
is short and plump. She’s in her late sixties. She’s got a square face, shoulder-length
wavy grey hair and a wide mouth. Her eyes are green.4. Mike’s tall, well-built and
middle-aged with a square face. His mouth is wide, and his nose is rather big. He
has large dark brown eyes and short grey hair.5. Jacob was the most handsome man
I’d ever met – tall, with neatly cut moustaches and two nice dimples in his slightly
plump cheeks, a straight and thin nose and deep-blue eyes, but what made him
utterly attractive for women was his friendly smile. 6. He paused, peering over to
where Trent was sitting with a grim, immovable face, listening with little show of
interest. He drew a long, deep breath and moved over nearer to the doorway. His
manner was suddenly changed.7. He was a tall handsome man more than six feet
high, and very stout. His face was red and blotchy, with a network of little purple
veins on the cheeks, and his features were sunk into its fatness. His eyes were
bloodshot. His neck was buried in rolls of fat. But for a fringe of long curly hair,
nearly white, at the back of his head he was quite bald; and that immense, shiny
surface of forehead, which might have given him a false look of intelligence, on the
contrary gave him one of peculiar imbecility.
B/ Skim the descriptions in part A again and write down the words or phrases that
are used to present:

General appearance Face:

Height: Hair:
Build: Eyes:
Age: Mouth:
Nose:
2. Read and compare the explanations about differences between two
synonyms – beautiful and handsome.
Beautiful is used to describe ‘pleasing
to the senses or to the mind’ (from:
beauty, the quality of being pleasing);
when it is used to describe a person it is
not recommended to be referred to a
male (e.g. a beautiful woman/ face/
baby/ voice/ poem/ smell/ evening/
countryside/ weather/ music/ timing).
Handsome is mainly used: 1. (of
man’s face) ‘attractive’ (syn. good-
looking); 2. (of woman) ‘fine looking
in a dignified way, with large strong
features rather than small delicate
ones’; 3. well-proportioned, stately,
gracious, pleasing to look at (a
handsome horse/ house/ city/ couple).

Find these words in the sentences below and note what words they are attached
to as attributes (people or objects). Think about the best Russian equivalents
for beautiful and handsome in every case.
1. Her beautiful hair gleamed like molten gold in the warm firelight. Her sea-
blue eyes were full of soft laughter and allurement.
2. Leslie laughed – beautiful laughter that seemed akin to all the mirth that
had echoed through the little house in the vanished years.
3. "She is very beautiful," agreed Gilbert, so heartily that Anne almost
wished he were a LITTLE less enthusiastic.
4. Beautiful Alice laughed and said it was forty years since he had been her
Aunt Una's lover. He had been a tall, handsome young man then, and her
Aunt Una was a beautiful girl of nineteen.
5. The soldier wore a handsome green and gold uniform, with a tall hat in
which was a waving plume, and he had a belt thickly encrusted with jewels.
6. The mansion was stately without, commodious and elegant within; the
park was spacious and beautiful, chiefly on account of its magnificent old
trees.

3. Translate the sentences into Russian. Think about the best equivalents that
may be used to describe appearance.
1. When we went into the garden I saw in one corner of it an old stone bench
arched over by a couple of pear trees and all grown about with grass and
violets. And an old man was sitting on it--a bent old man with long, snow-
white hair and beautiful sad blue eyes. 2. Everybody says it as well as I. To be
sure, I never thought as it was any harm to say a young man was handsome;
but to be sure I shall never think him so any more now; for handsome is that
handsome does. A beggar wench! 3. "Peter is growing to be a very fine looking
boy," decreed Felicity. "I notice he's got ever so much handsomer since his
father came home," said Dan, with a killing sarcasm that was wholly lost on
Felicity, who gravely responded that she supposed it was because Peter felt so
much freer from care and responsibility. 4. He was waited upon over the
factory, shown the machinery by George, who, in high spirits, talked so
fluently, held himself so erect, looked so handsome and manly, that his master
began to feel an uneasy consciousness of inferiority. What business had his
slave to be marching round the country, inventing machines, and holding up his
head among gentlemen? He'd soon put a stop to it. 5. He was a handsome
person with pleasing manners, and was a general favorite in the factory.
Nevertheless, as this young man was in the eye of the law not a man, but a
thing, all these superior qualifications were subject to the control of a vulgar,
narrow-minded, tyrannical master. 6. The marriage was highly approved of by
Mrs. Shelby, who, with a little womanly complacency in match-making, felt
pleased to unite her handsome favorite with one of her own class who seemed
in every way suited to her. 7. They were married in her mistress' great parlor,
and her mistress herself adorned the bride's beautiful hair with orange-
blossoms, and threw over it the bridal veil, which certainly could have rested
on a fairer head; and there was no lack of white gloves, and cake and wine, of
admiring guests to praise the bride's beauty, and her mistress' indulgence and
liberality. 8. As they drew nearer to the Emerald City the travelers were filled
with admiration for the splendid scenery they beheld. Handsome houses stood
on both sides of the road and each had a green lawn before it as well as a pretty
flower garden. 9. Most striking of all was the picture of a very tall, pale girl
with golden hair drawn back into a ponytail, on whose head was perched a
confection of black net and feathers. She looked rather pretty but not beautiful.
4. Study the words and word-combinations that are used to make general
description of a person’s figure or statue in vocabulary lists below. Consult the
dictionary and think which words can be called synonyms (words that mean
the same or nearly the same) or equanyms (words that denote various kinds
of one category, e.g. various kinds of precious stones, i.e. emerald, diamond,
ruby, etc.). Fill in the gaps in the sentences, using the words or phrases that suit
them to the best. Get ready to translate the sentences into Russian.
A/ attractive; elegant; gorgeous; stunning
1. Talking to Elizabeth was like talking to an ……. version of oneself. 2. At a
quiet place on a safe street I tightened the line of my custodian in front of an
……. , refined saloon. 3. As for the Pumpkinhead, every stitch of his …….
clothing dripped water. 4. When I saw her I noticed she was wearing a …….
look, as if she had seen a ghost and got petrified. 5. He examined the contents
of the closets and selected an ……. suit of clothing. 6. She was devotedly
attached to her husband; the great anxiety of her life was to make herself as
……. to him as possible. 7. Perhaps before the end of our tramp together, I
shall have a few verses of it to submit to the ……. taste of the reader. 8. But
you get my idea; you see what a ……. dramatic surprise I would wind up with
at the palace. 9. Here, under her few square yards of thatch, she watched winds,
and snows, and rains, ……. sunsets, and successive moons at their full. 10. To
make a good poem, the subject must be interesting, and treated in an …….
manner. 11. She was now lying on the faded sofa of the pretty little drawing-
room, the once ……. furniture of which had been gradually growing shabby,
under the influence of four summers and two children. 12. He had already quite
a collection of prizes, worthless books on bad paper, but in ……. bindings
decorated with the arms of the school. 13. The President's final decision came
with ……. suddenness.
B/ plain; homely; ugly; awkward
1. I confess, whether beautiful or ……. , women who earn their own living
have a peculiar attraction for me. 2. Her mother was a woman of useful …….
sense, with a good temper, and, what is more remarkable, with a good
constitution. 3. Naturally there was an ……. pause on my part. 4. She had been
a very small child when she had heard one aunt say of her to another, "What a
pity she is such a dark, ……. little thing.” 5. "I'm so afraid, Cecily, that I'm
going to be ……. all my life," said poor Sara with a tremble in her voice. 6.
She was the first who summoned presence of mind enough to give a …….
answer to Turlington's strange question. 7. After that, when we went in to
supper, the place and the meal would have a more ……. look than ever, and I
would feel more ashamed of home than ever, in my own ungracious situation.
8. From the middle of the building an ……. flat-topped octagonal tower
ascended against the east horizon. 9. I thought him very ……. at first, but I do
not think him to be so now. He’s got a kind heart. 10. She was a …… woman,
with a small weazened face and body and eyes that glowed. 11. Once upon a
time there was a widow who had two daughters; one of them was beautiful and
industrious, the other …… and lazy. 12. Johnson, with all his faults, is a man to
whom that great word "respectable" is always given, and I am known to be so
intimate with his wife, his slighting me has an …… look. 13. Their heads were
too big for their bodies and their faces were decidedly …… to look upon. 14. I
heard you once say (when you were not aware that I was within hearing) that
the vainest women were always the …… women.
C/ slim – slender – lithe
1. Juliet herself, tall and ……., with all the fire of youth and perfect health on
her young face, was obviously contented. And she had a ……. oval face.
2. Close to the gateway he met Lady Arabella, clad as usual in tightly fitting
white, which showed off her ……. figure. 3. But his swarthy complexion, his
long ……. figure, and his grave and graceful politeness of manner were
enough to betray his Oriental origin to any intelligent eyes that looked at him.
3. The ……. man with the scar on his cheek was still close by us. 4. She had
plunged the breakfast dishes into a tin dish-pan and was bending above it with
her ……. arms bared to the elbow, the steam from the hot water beading her
forehead and tightening her rough hair into little brown rings. 5. He was
famished for a sight of the girl whose ……. hands had gripped his life with a
giant's grasp. 6. Indeed, she was a ……., delicate woman as women go, but to
me she was so ethereally ……. and delicate that I was quite prepared for her
arm to crumble in my grasp. 7. He was a thin-faced, yellow-haired youth,
rather above the middle size, comely and well shapen, with straight, …….
figure and eager, boyish features. 8. What he saw was a great, round, buglike
body supported upon two ……. legs which ended in delicate feet, the toes
curling upward. 9. TARA of Helium rose from the pile of silks and soft furs
upon which she had been reclining, stretched her body languidly, and crossed
toward the center of the room. 10. Clumps of fruit-trees marked the villages;
……. palms put their nodding heads together above the low houses; dried
palm-leaf roofs shone afar, like roofs of gold, behind the dark colonnades of
tree-trunks. 11. The trees were ……., mirthful, erect bright, slender, and
graceful, of eastern figure and foliage, with bark smooth, glossy, and parti-
colored. 12. A sailor had jumped overboard at Constantinople one night, and
was seen no more, but it was suspected that his object was to desert, and there
was a ……. chance, at least, that he reached the shore. 13. Her sister, Miss
Watson, a tolerable ……. old maid, with goggles on, had just come to live with
her, and took a set at me now with a spelling-book. 14. She was as ……. and
……. as a young, white-stemmed birch tree.
D/ obese – corpulent – plump – fat (about figure)
1. His round and ……. body seemed to float low between the chairs. 2. He was
a man of middle height and of a ……. figure; he had sandy hair, worn very
short and now growing gray, and a small bristly moustache. 3. He was short
and ……., and waddled comically; his eyes were very "slanting," as Rose said;
his queue was long, so were his nails; his yellow face was ……. and shiny, and
he was altogether a highly satisfactory Chinaman. 4. Imagine to yourselves a
little, ……. man, much wider than he was long, round and shiny as a ball of
butter, with a face beaming like an apple, a little mouth that always smiled, and
a voice small and wheedling like that of a cat begging for food. 5. He was
married to an American woman, ……. and slatternly, fallen to this pass by
Heaven knows what process of degradation. 6. She was supposed to be the
most ……. woman in England, and was accommodated on the ground-floor of
the house in consequence of the difficulty of getting her up and down stairs. 7.
Our visitor bore every mark of being an average commonplace British
tradesman, ……., pompous, and slow. 8. She was a big woman, in stature
almost equaling her husband, and ……. ; besides, she showed virile force in
the contest – more than once she almost throttled him, athletic as he was. 9.
"There are men in the world," Wingrave continued, "called philanthropists,
amiable, ……. creatures as a rule, whose professed aim in life it is to do as
much good as possible”. 10. She was a woman of thirty-seven, rather tall and
……., without being fat; she was not pretty, but her face was pleasing, chiefly,
perhaps, on account of her kind brown eyes. 11. They present the same rosy
complexions and straw-colored mustachios, the same ……. cheeks, vacant
eyes and low forehead; and they utter, with the same stolid gravity, the same
imbecile small talk. 12. An angry answer trembled upon his lips, but Oom
Sam, white and with his little ……. body quivering with fear, came hurrying
up to them in the broad track of the moonlight. 13. On the contrary, having
always fed heartily on pumpkin-pies, doughnuts, Indian puddings, and other
Puritan dainties, she was as round and ……. as a pudding herself. 14. With his
jutting nose, flat-topped skull and sable garments he recalled an ……. raven,
and when he heard of the disaster he manifested his astonishment and concern
in a most plebeian manner by a low and expressive whistle. 15. The new-comer
regarded the doctor with that beaming but breathless geniality which
characterizes a ……. charwoman who has just managed to stuff herself into an
omnibus.
E/ Read some recommendations on the correct usage of words like fat,
overweight, obese, plump, chubby, big, well-built and get ready to tell if there are
such cultural precisions in the Russian language culture.
Don’t make a blunder or how to sound polite
when talking about obese people

In general no one would like to be called fat or obese. Fat sounds rather direct. You
might use it about yourself (I am so fat at the moment!
I should stop eating cakes!), but it will sound offensive if you use it when talking about
someone else.

Obese is a word used by doctors and dieticians to describe the state of the body that is
threatening a person’s health. But there are more polite ways to put it and avoid criticism.
If you want to tell your friend that s/he has got fatter than s/he usually are or than they
should be, use ‘overweight’ with ‘slight/a little’ to make it less significant and
unimportant: She is a little / slightly overweight.

Instead of obese use informal chubby, that is used especially of children or of rounded
body parts such as cheeks or knees. Mind, that plump means ‘fat and rounded’ in a
pleasant way, especially when talking about a woman (if she can’t hear it), but if it goes
about men you’d better refer to big, well-built, they are fairly polite ways to describe
somebody with a large, strong, or fat body (i.e. For a big man like him, air travel might
be uncomfortable).

(for more details: http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/overweight;

http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/177244/a-polite-way-to-say-that-
someone-is-fat)
5. Study the word definitions in the English language dictionaries and state
differences in the meanings of the synonyms given below. Using the British
language text corpuses in the Internet find some sentences that might
demonstrate specificity of their usage in the context. Pay attention to the
semantic references of these words in the sentence (i.e. note if they are used to
describe a man or a woman of a certain age, if they are used to show a person
positively or negative, if they don’t sound offensive, etc.).
a/ wrinkled – lined – weather-beaten (about face); b/ rough – gentle – kindly (adj)
– mild – amiable (about face expression or character); c/ pale – fair – olive –
sallow – swarthy (about complexion); d/ beady – small – slanting – cock-eyed
(about eyes); e/ aquiline – snub – straight – crooked – pointed (about nose); f/
stocky – heavy-built (about figure).

READING
6. In the diary Bridget Jones describes
how she spent her first day after New
Year Eve.
She gave it a title ‘An Exceptionally
Bad Start’. After you have read three
pages of her diary think if you agree
that Bridget’s first day was really a
disaster. Give your reasons.
A/ Read the first page of the diary and
answer the following questions:
• Why did Bridget get angry with Geoffrey Alconbury?
• What did Una mean when she said, ‘Tick-tock-tick-tock’?
• How did Bridget feel in the company of family people? Why?

Page 1
11.45 p.m. Ugh. First day of New Year has been day of horror. Cannot quite
believe I am once again starting the year in a single bed in my parents’ house.
It is too humiliating at my age… Eventually I set off for the Turkey Curry
Buffet far too late. I got to the Alconburys’ and rang their entire-tune-of-town-
hall-clock-style doorbell…
I watched resignedly as Una Alconburys’ form – intriguingly deformed
through the ripply glass door – bore down on me in a fuchsia two-piece.
‘Bridget! We’d almost given you up for lost! Happy New Year! Just about to
start without you.’
She seemed to manage to kiss me, get my coat off, hang it over the banister,
wipe her lipstick off my cheek and make me feel incredibly guilty all in one
movement, while I leaned against the ornament shelf for support.
‘Sorry. I got lost’.
‘Lost? Durr! What are we going to do with you? Come on in!’
She led me through the frosted-glass
doors into the lounge, shouting, ‘She got
lost, everyone!’
‘Bridget! Happy New Year!’ said
Geoffrey Alconbury, clad in a yellow
diamond-patterned sweater. He did a
jokey Bruce Forsyth step then gave me
the sort of hug which Boots would send
straight to the police station.
‘Hahumph,’ he said, going red in the
face and pulling his trousers up by the waistband. ‘Which junction did you
come off at?’
‘Junction nineteen, but there was a diversion… ‘
‘Junction nineteen! Una, she came off at Junction nineteen! You’ve added an
hour to your journey before you even started. Come on, let’s get you a drink.
How’s your love-life, anyway?’
Oh God. Why can’t married people understand that this is no longer a polite
question to ask? We wouldn’t rush up to them and roar, ‘How’s your marriage
going? Still having sex?’ Everyone knows that dating in your thirties is not the
happy-go-lucky free-for-all it was when you were twenty-two and that the
honest answer is more likely to be ‘Super, thanks’.
Not being a natural liar, I ended up mumbling shamefacedly to Geoffrey,
‘Fine,’ at which point he bloomed, ‘So you still haven’t got a feller!’
‘Bridget! What are we going to do with you!’ said Una. ‘You career girls! I
don’t know! Can’t put it off for ever, you know. Tick-tock-tick-tock.’
‘Yes. How does a woman manage to get to your age without being married?’
roared Brian Enderby (married to Mavis, used to be president of the Rotary in
Kettering), waving his sherry in the air…
B/ Read the second page of the diary and say if the statements are true or false:
• Bridget didn’t enjoy the party because she knew nobody there.
• Bridget didn’t like Mark Darcy due to the way he was dressed.
• Una Alconbury did her best to help Bridget find a new date.
• Bridget Jones felt uncomfortable because she thought that everybody was
watching her.
• Bridget Jones felt ashamed when she was asked if she liked reading.

Page 2
‘Come along and meet Mark,’ Una Alconbury sing-songed before I’d even had
time to get a drink down me. Being set up with a man against your will is one
level of humiliation, but being literally dragged into it by Una Alconbury while
being watched by an entire roomful of friends of your parents, is on another
plane altogether.
The rich, divorced-by-cruel-wife Mark – quite tall – was standing with his back
to the room, scrutinizing the contents
of the Alconburys’ bookshelves:
mainly leather-bound series of books
about the Third Reich, which Geoffrey
sends off for from Reader’s Digest. It
struck me as pretty ridiculous to be
called Mr Darcy and to stand on your
own looking snooty at a party. It’s like
being called Heathcliff and insisting
on spending the entire evening in the
garden, shouting ‘Cathy’ and banging
your head against a tree.
‘Mark!’ said Una, as if she was one of
Santa Claus’s fairies. ‘I’ve got someone nice for you to meet.’
He turned round, revealing that what had seemed from the back like a harmless
navy sweater was actually a V-neck diamond-pattern in shades of yellow and
blue – as favored by the more elderly of the nation’s sports reporters. As my
friend Tom often remarks, it’s amazing how much time and money can be
saved in the world of dating by close attention to detail. A white sock here, a
pair of red braces there, a grey slip-on shoe, a swastika, are as often as not all
one needs to tell you there’s no point writing down phone numbers and forking
out for expensive lunches because it’s never going to be a runner.
‘Mark, this is Colin and Pam’s daughter, Bridget,’ said Una, going all pink and
fluttery. ‘Bridget works in publishing, don’t you, Bridget?’
‘I do indeed,’ I for some reason said, as if I were taking in a Capital radio
phone-in and was about to ask Una if I could ‘say hello’ to my friends Jude,
Sharon, and Tom, my brother Jamie, everyone in the office, my mum and dad,
and last of all all the people at the Turkey Curry Buffet.
‘Well, I’ll leave you two young people together,’ said Una. ‘Durr! I expect
you’re sick to death of us old fuddy-duddies.’
‘Not at all,’ said Mark Darcy awkwardly with a rather unsuccessful attempt at a
smile, at which Una, after rolling her eyes, putting a hand to her bosom and
giving a gay tinkling laugh, abandoned us with a toss of her head to a hideous
silence.
‘I. Um. Are you reading any, ah… Have you read any good books lately?’ he
said. Oh, for God’s sake.
I racked my brain frantically to think when I last read a proper book. The
trouble with working in publishing is that reading in your spare time is a bit
like being a dustman and snuffling through the pig bin in the evening. I’m
halfway through Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, which Jude lent
me, but I didn’t think Mark Darcy, though clearly odd, was ready to accept
himself as a Martian quite yet. Then I had a brainwave.
‘Backlash’, actually, by Susan Faludi,’ I said triumphantly. Hah! I haven’t
exactly read it as such, but feel I have as Sharon has been ranting about it so
much. Anyway, completely safe option as no way diamond-pattern-jumpered
goody-goody would have read five-hundred-page feminist treatise.
‘Ah. Really?’ he said. ‘I read that when it first came out. Didn’t you find there
was rather a lot of special pleading?’
‘Oh, well, not too much…’ I said wildly, racking my brains for a way to get off
the subject. ‘Have you been staying with your parents over New Year?’
‘Yes,’ he said eagerly. ‘You too?’
‘Yes. No. I was at a party in London last night. Bit hangover, actually.’ I
gabbled nervously so that Una and Mum wouldn’t think I was so useless with
men I was failing to talk to even Mark Darcy. ‘But then I do think New Year’s
resolutions can’t technically be expected to begin on New Year’s Day, don’t
you? Since, because it’s an extension of New Year’s Eve, smokers are already
on a smoking roll and cannot be expected to stop abruptly on the stroke of
midnight with so much nicotine in the system. Also dieting on New Year’s Day
isn’t a good idea as you can’t eat rationally but really need to be free to
consumer whatever is necessary, moment by moment, in order to ease your
hangover. I think it would be much more sensible if resolutions began
generally on January the second.’
‘May be you should get something to eat,’ he said, then suddenly bolted off
towards the buffet, leaving me standing on my own by the bookshelf while
everybody stared at me, thinking, ‘So that’s why Bridget isn’t married. She
repulses men.’
C/ Read the third page of the diary and say why Bridget Jones felt ashamed and
blushed? Who is to be blamed in it – Mark Darcy, Una Alconburys or
Bridget’s Mother?
 Page 3
The worst of it was that
Una Alconbury and
Mum wouldn’t leave it
at that. They kept
making me walk round
with trays of gherkins
and glasses of cream
sherry in a desperate bid
to throw me into Mark
Darcy’s path yet again.
In the end they were so crazy with frustration that the second I got within four
feet of him with the gherkins Una threw herself across the room like Will
Carling and said, ‘Mark, you must take Bridget’s telephone number before you
go, then you can get in touch when you are in London.’
I couldn’t stop myself turning bright red. I could feel it climbing up my neck.
Now Mark would think I’d put her up to it.
‘I’m sure Bridget’s life in London is quite full enough already, Mrs
Alconbury,’ he said. Humph. It’s not that I wanted him to take my phone
number or anything, but I didn’t want him to make it perfectly obvious to
everyone that he didn’t want to. As I looked down I saw that he was wearing
white socks with a yellow bumblebee motif.
‘Can’t I tempt you with a gherkin?’ I said, to show I had had a genuine reason
for coming over, which was quite definitely gherkin-based rather than phone-
number-related.
‘Thank you, no’, he said, looking at me with some alarm. ‘Sure? Stuffed
olive?’ I pressed on. ‘No, really.’
‘Silverskin onion?’ I encouraged. ‘Beetroot cube?’
‘Thank you,’ he said desperately, taking an olive.
‘Hope you enjoy it,’ I said triumphantly.
Towards the end I saw him being harangued by his mother and Una, who
marched him over towards me and stood just behind while he said stiffly, ‘Do
you need driving back to London? I’m staying here but I could get my car to
take you.’
‘What, all on its own?’ I said.
He blinked at me.
‘Durr! Mark has a company car and a driver, silly,’ said Una.
‘Thank you, that’s very kind,’ I said. ‘But I shall be taking one of my trains in
the morning.’
(Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding)

TALK AND DISCUSSION

7. While describing some people at the party Bridget Jones mentions some
names and titles that represent facts from modern British culture and life style.
Do you know:
• what Turkey Curry Buffet / New Year’s Resolutions might mean?
• who Bruce Forsyth / Heathcliff / Mr. Darcy / Will Carling are?
• who and when wrote the books ‘Men are from Mars, Women are from
Venus’? ‘Backlash’ ?
Skim the text again and find sentences in which the names and book titles are
mentioned. Get ready to explain how they help to describe the way Bridget
Jones sees the party. What type of personality is she? Give your reasons.
8. Find in the text and write down descriptions of Mark Darcy’s clothes,
manners and say how it characterizes his personality.
9. Would you criticize or agree with the opinion of Tom, Bridget’s friend, who
said that
‘It’s amazing how much time and money can be saved in the
world of dating by close attention to detail. A white sock here, a
pair of red braces there, a grey slip-on shoe, a swastika, are as
often as not all one needs to tell you there’s no point writing down
phone numbers and forking out for expensive lunches because
it’s never going to be a runner’.
10. Do you know what the word ‘Singleton’ means? Check the dictionary and
write down the variants of its meaning. Skim the diary again and think if there
is any Singleton among the guests of the Alconburys’. Explain your point of
view.
VOCABULARY IN USE
11. Describing haircuts and styles. Study the pictures with various haircut
and hair dressing styles. Find the names of ordinary or trendy styles you, your
friends or group mates prefer these days.

Look at the photos again, find and write down the words that name the
following ways to dress hair:

Haircut (male) Hairdo (female) Styling hair by interweaving

12. From the jumbled words below build up word combinations that can
describe appearance and self-image, as in the example: good-looking. Some of
the combinations are hyphenated. Some words may be used more than once.
good- aged;
heavy- built;
over- complexion;
 light dressed;
long- faced;
middle- haired;
normally legged;
red- looking;
round- tanned;
stocky weight
sun
well-

13. Describe people you know using active vocabulary of this unit. Give
information about their height and build; the length, cut and style of hair;
general appearance (completion, face), style of clothes:
1/ your best friend,
2/ your ideal of a handsome man / a beautiful woman,
3/ one of the top actors / actresses of Hollywood,
4/ one of the popular sportspersons of this year.

14. Imagine that you are asked to make a survey on the most popular ways to
dress one’s hair for ‘Modern Trends Guide’. Ask the following questions to
3-4 students from your group and get ready to make a brief report on the
results.
1/ What are the trends in hair style these days? Which hair cut do you find
more preferable for men (eg. a crew cut, a flat-top or a ponytail)? Which hair
style is more popular with women (wavy, curly, pigtails, plait)?
2/ What is a trendy haircut for every day in your area? For a wedding day?
For a birthday party? For taking an exam?
3/ Which haircuts would suit girls and boys when they are at school? When
they go to a fitness center or a gym?
4/ If you go to your friend’s birthday party how would you dress your hair?
Would you choose permed / layered / bob hair or French plait/ braid?
Explain your preference.
5/ Have you ever tried dreadlocks or cornrows? Do you know when and
where these trends came to European hair fashion from?
15. Translate into Russian. Think about words and phrases that will help to
visualize descriptions of appearance and character.
A/ 1) She looked straight into his eyes. Her own were large, of a very dark
brown, and starry. 2) She had a lovely figure, everyone admitted that; she was
fairly tall for a woman, and she had long legs. It was a pity she had never had a
chance of playing Rosalind. 3) The critics hadn't really liked her Beatrice. It
was that damned blank verse. Her voice, her rather low rich voice, with that
affective hoarseness, which wrung your heart in an emotional passage or gave
so much humour to a comedy line, seemed to sound all wrong when she spoke
it. 4) He was an eccentric, arrogant, exuberant, vain and charming fellow. He
loved acting, but his physique prevented him from playing any but a few parts,
which was fortunate, for he was a bad actor. 5) The two of them made a
handsome couple, and everyone who met them were surprised to notice how
much they resembled each other. 6) In a brown coat and gray flannel trousers,
even without make-up, he was so handsome it took your breath away, he had
an easy manner and he talked like a gentleman. 7) It was his beauty that saved
him, for Jimmie Langton quickly came to the conclusion that, notwithstanding
his perseverance and desire to excel, he would never be more than a competent
actor. His voice was a trifle thin. It gave then more the effect of hysteria than of
passion. 8) When Julia was a child of twelve this actress was a boisterous, fat
old woman of more than sixty, but of great vitality, who loved food more than
anything else in the world. She had a great ringing laugh, like a man's, and she
talked in deep, loud voice. 9) She glanced at the skin under his eyes; it was
faintly violet and unwrinkled. Notwithstanding the ageing beard he was quite a
young man; he could not have been more than thirty. She wondered if he was a
Spanish grandee.
B/ 10) Donna Lucia, the host's wife waddled up and in her low, sweet voice
passed the time of day with us. Though middle-aged now and portly, she had
still traces of the wonderful beauty that 30 years before had driven artists to
paint so many bad portraits of her. Her eyes, large and liquid were the eyes of
Hera and her smile was affectionate and gracious.
11) He stood naked at the edge of a cliff. The lake lay far below him. A frozen
explosion of granite burst in flight to the sky over motionless water. The water
seemed immovable, the stone flowing. The stone had the stillness of one brief
moment in battle when thrust meets thrust and the currents are held in a pause
more dynamic than motion. The stone glowed, wet with sunrays. The lake
below was only a thin steel ring that cut the rocks in half. The rocks went on
into the depth, unchanged. They began and ended in the sky. So that the world
seemed suspended in space, an island floating on nothing, anchored to the feet
of the man on the cliff. His body leaned back against the sky. It was a body of
long straight lines and angles, each curve broken into planes. He stood, rigid,
his hands hanging at his sides, palms out. He felt his shoulder blades drawn
tight together, the curve of his neck, and the weight of the blood in his hands.
He felt the wind behind him, in the hollow of his spine. The wind waved his
hair against the sky. His hair was neither blond nor red, but the exact colour of
ripe orange rind. His face was like a law of nature – a thing one could not
question, alter or implore. It had high cheekbones over gaunt hollow cheeks;
gray eyes, cold and steady; a contemptuous mouth, shut tight, the mouth of an
executioner or a saint.
12) A young woman stood before the railing, speaking to the reception clerk.
Her slender body seemed out of all scale in relation to a normal human body;
its lines were so long, so fragile, so exaggerated that she looked like a stylized
drawing of a woman and made the correct proportions of a normal being
appear heavy and awkward beside her. She wore a plain gray suit; the contrast
between its tailored severity and her appearance was deliberately exorbitant –
and strangely elegant. She let the fingertips of one hand rest on the railing, a
narrow hand ending the straight imperious line of her arm. She had grey eyes
that were not ovals, but two long, rectangular cuts edged by parallel lines of
lashes; she had an air of cold serenity and an exquisitely vicious mouth. Her
face, her pale gold hair, her suit seemed to have no colour, but only a hint, just
on the verge of the reality of colour, making the full reality seem vulgar.
Keating stood still, because he understood for the first time what it was that the
artists spoke about when they spoke of beauty.

16. Translate into English. Find English words and phrases that will make
descriptions of appearance and character picturesque and clear.
Миссис Форестер была очень хорошей
женщиной. Добрые люди часто так
говорят о женщине, когда им нечего
сказать о ней. Миссис Форестер не
была ни красивой, ни образованной.
Кроме того, она была нелепа и глупа,
но чем больше вы ее узнавали, тем
больше она вам нравилась, и когда люди спрашивали почему, вы лишь
могли сказать, что она просто хорошая женщина. Она была ростом со
среднего мужчину, у нее был крючковатый нос и большой рот,
бледно-голубые близорукие глаза и большие безобразные руки. Ее
кожа была морщинистой и грубой, из-за этого она сильно красилась.
Ее волосы были окрашены в золотистый цвет и тщательно расчесаны.
Что она только не делала со своей внешностью, чтобы скрыть
агрессивную мужественность, но все ее усилия были тщетны. Она
выглядела как артист водевильного жанра, играющий женскую роль.
Интонации ее голоса были женскими, но, находясь рядом, вы
постоянно ожидали, что они перейдут в мужской бас, она сорвет
золотой парик, под которым обнаружится лысая макушка.
На ней всегда было много дорогих украшений, и она тратила очень
много денег на самую модную одежду, которую получала от портних
из Парижа. Хотя ей было 50, вкус у нее был по-прежнему плохой. Она
выбирала платья, которые выглядели изысканно только на
хорошеньких молодых манекенщицах.
Движения ее были неловкими, а жесты неуклюжими. Если она
входила в гостиную, в которой был дорогой предмет из жадеита, ей
удавалось столкнуть его на пол. Если она обедала с вами и у вас был
набор фужеров, которыми вы дорожили, один она, наверняка,
разбивала. Однако, Несмотря ни на что, вы все равно всегда говорили,
что Миссис Форестер очень хорошая женщина.

17. Render the text into English

Законы моды
Вы всегда заранее продумываете стиль одежды, отправляясь на работу
или на ужин к друзьям. У вас всегда при себе носовой платок. Ни при
каких обстоятельствах вы не наносите макияж на людях. До Пасхи или
после Дня Труда стараетесь не носить ничего льняного или белого. На
крестины и на свадьбу приходите только в белом. На похороны – только в
черном, и никогда не носите черное летом. Эти старые правила
передавались в нашей семье от матери к дочери и никто не пытался их
оспаривать.
А вот сегодня, когда я пытаюсь внушить своей дочери, что нельзя носить
вещи с пятнами от еды, что на одежде не должно быть дырок, а обувь не
должна быть явно грязной, моя 15-летняя дочь Сара говорит: «Мама
занудствует».
В былые времена существовало множество правил. Моя прабабушка
носила длинные черные юбки и ботинки с высокой шнуровкой. Ее волосы
были всегда собраны в пучок над высоким воротничком блузки. Она
никогда не выходила из дома, не надев две нижние юбки: фланелевую и
из чистого хлопка.
Моя мама тоже пыталась жить по правилам. «Женщинам с карими
глазами нельзя носить синее», – учила ее мачеха. И мама до сих пор не
носит синее. Сумочка у нее всегда того же цвета, что и туфли.
Моему отцу всегда нравились женщины в красивых платьях. Он не
любил темные цвета и считал, что женщины, которые носят темные
колготки, хотят этим сделать какое-то политическое заявление. Он также
считал, что у женщин должны быть вьющиеся волосы, хотя на сам
процесс завивки взирал с изумлением и ужасом. Каким-то непостижимым
образом наши волосы должны быть уложены локонами без завивки. И это
была непростая задача, если учесть, что в нашей семье волосы у всех от
природы прямые.
Старые правила были лишь началом катехизиса моды, которые
определили стиль разных поколений, разделив стильных Нас и
несведущих Их. На словах мое поколение пыталось избавиться от всяких
правил. Мы много говорили о том, что о человеке надо судить по уму, а
не по одежке. Я вижу теперь, что это были пустые разговоры. Я до сих
пор могу часами собираться, пытаясь создать впечатление, что я одета по
моде, что это мой собственный стиль, и, в то же время, что мне
безразлично, модно это или нет. Это слишком коротко, это не сочетается,
в этом я выгляжу слишком молодо, а это меня чересчур старит. Это меня
толстит, а в том я выгляжу слишком бледной. Пока я стою перед
зеркалом, Сара смеется надо мной. «Ты отлично выглядишь, мам», –
говорит она.
Моя дочь не хочет принадлежать к стильным Нам, ей нет дела и до Них.
Она просто хочет выглядеть Собой. Но у нее есть сотни своих правил.
Было время, когда моя дочь носила только розовое и только платья.
Теперь она предпочитает только черное и темно-зеленое. Ее любимые
брюки – синие джинсы с рваными коленками. «Это не дырки», –
возмущается она, когда я протестую. – «Это для вентиляции! И это
модно!» В 15 лет она разработала личную систему правил в одежде,
такую четкую и индивидуальную, на которую ни я, ни моя мама никогда
бы не решились. Но, как говорится, все возвращается на круги своя.
Теперь она часто собирает волосы в пучок. На выход у нее есть длинная
расшитая черная юбка, с которой она надевает черные ботинки на
высокой шнуровке и водолазку. Я думаю, моя прабабушка была бы
довольна. В конце концов, мода – это свод правил, меняются лишь те, кто
их устанавливает. ( Сузан Чивер)
PROJECT WORK
18. Imagine that you are ordered an article on the hair dressing style of actors
and actresses when they come to Film festivals or Awarding ceremonies. For
your article you may find information on the following sites of world famous
film festivals:
a/ the US Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Award Ceremony
(the Oscar Award http://oscar.go.com);
b/ the Golden Globe Award (www.goldenglobes.com);
c/ Berlin International Film Festival (http://www.berlinale.de/en/);
d/ Cannes International Film Festival (www.festival-cannes.com).
 PART 2. CHARACTER AND PERSONAL QUALITIES
Lead-in
Read the introduction and get ready to give your opinion:
• Do we now prefer to judge personality by the clothes a person wears, or by
the gadget s/he owns ?
• Would you agree that a personal image may be groomed to the goals a person
is urged to in a certain period of life?
• How could image influence a personal failure? Or can help boost success?
What you wear and how you
look is important, but what is
more important is your
behavior, or the manners you
act or communicate with
others. Your appearance
should be groomed to your
personal values and attitudes to
yourself and people around.
Personal qualities being
adjoined to appearance affect
your life, especially your personal success in public, if they meet expectations
of others.

VOCABULARY IN USE
19. Read the abstracts and think which headlines can match each one to the
best.
Your clothing and grooming affect the way you feel.

A-⎕

Your clothing and grooming affect the way you act or behave.

B-⎕
 Your clothing and grooming affect the way you think.

C-⎕

Your clothing and grooming affect the way others react

and respond to you.
D-⎕

1. …….…….……
You can’t afford to think negatively about yourself due to some aspect of your
appearance. When you appear authentic, attractive, and appropriate, you think
more positively about yourself, your situation, and others.

2. …….…….……
You can’t afford to feel depressed, unproductive, uncomfortable, antagonistic,
argumentative, self-conscious, inferior, or full of self-doubt. A positive
personal appearance is a fast, effective way to boost self-confidence and
overcome anxiety regarding ability or acceptance.
When you appear attractively dressed and groomed, personally authentic, and
appropriate for the occasion, you feel more comfortable, confident, capable,
cooperative and productive.

3. …….…….…….
You can’t afford to act awkward, insecure, submissive, out-of-place, or out-of-
order. Nor can you afford to act defensive, defiant, arrogant, aggressive,
affected, superior, or conceited. A positive personal appearance is one of the
most effective ways to improve behavior and enhance performance level or
productivity. When you appear attractively dressed and groomed, personally
authentic, and appropriate for the occasion, you act more secure, at ease,
mannerly, competent, and naturally able to do your best.

4. …….…….……
Your appearance is the one personal characteristic that is immediately obvious
and accessible to others. You can’t hide it. Your appearance makes strong
statement about your personality, values, attitudes, interests, knowledge,
abilities, roles, and goals.
You can’t afford to be seen as disrespectful, antagonistic, pretentious, scatter-
brained, irresponsible, ineffective, or unproductive. Otherwise you will form a
negative impression or would build barriers between you and others because of
unattractive, inappropriate, distrusting, or offensive appearance.
When you appear attractively dressed and groomed, personally authentic and
appropriate for the social occasion, your image attracts and others are more
likely to perceive your positive traits and regard you more favorably.

20. Match the words from ex. 19 with the definitions:

1/ antagonistic A. one who is combative, contentious, quarrelsome
2/ appropriate B. one who causes embarrassment or discomfort
3/ argumentative C. one who has an excessively favorable opinion of
oneself; vain
4/ authentic D. one who is sure of oneself and one's abilities,
correctness, or likelihood of success

5/ awkward E. one who is worthy of trust, reliance

6/ conceited F. one who opposes and contends against another; an
adversary
7/ confident G. one who fits the situation, is compatible
8/ insecure H. one who feels socially ill at ease, excessively and
uncomfortably conscious of one’s appearance or
behavior
9/ productive I. one who experiences discomfort caused by stress or
strain; uneasiness.
10/ scatter-brained J. one who is unresistingly or humbly obedient; inclined
or willing to submit to orders or wishes of others
11/ self-conscious K. one who can yield favorable or effective results
12/ submissive L. one who displays a conscious sense of being above or
better than others; supercilious
13/ superior M. one who is giddy; thoughtless, incapable of
concentration or attention
14/ uncomfortable N. one who feels anxious or afraid; not confident or
certain

21. How are the words that describe character traits built?
In English there are pairs of adjectives that represent positive and negative
qualities of personality. Some of them are words that have one root, the
opposition of meaning is made by adding prefixes un-, in-, il-, im-, ir-, dis-.
Such words are called antonyms.
A/ In the text in ex. 19 find the words with negative prefixes and think if there
are any phonemic regulations that explain the choice of the negative prefixal
forms.
B/ In the table below you may see another way of presenting opposite quality
in another word. Match the adjectives with their opposites:
1 clever a antagonistic
2 cruel b considerate
3 extrovert c courteous
4 friendly d introvert
5 generous e kind-hearted
6 gregarious f quiet
7 patient g short-tempered
8 rude h stupid, half-witted
9 selfish i tight-fisted / mean
10 talkative j unsociable

C/ Check the words in a dictionary and write down the antonyms for the
following adjectives:
appropriate, argumentative, attractive, authentic, awkward, capable,
competent, conceited, confident, cooperative, inferior, offensive, productive,
pretentious, secure.

Which would require a negative prefix and which not?

22. Some characteristics of a person can be either positive or negative, it

depends on the point of view of a speaker.
A/ Words in the right-hand column mean roughly the same as the words in the
left-hand column, except that they have negative rather than positive
connotations. Consult a dictionary to find differences in their semantic
meanings and give examples:

determined obstinate, stubborn, pig-headed

thrifty/economical miserly, mean, tight-fisted
self-assured self-important, arrogant, full of oneself (colloquial)
assertive aggressive, bossy (colloquial)
 original peculiar, weird, eccentric, odd
frank/direct/open blunt, abrupt, brusque, curt
broad-minded unprincipled, permissive
inquiring inquisitive, nosy (colloquial)
generous extravagant
innocent naive
ambitious pushy (colloquial)

B/ Do you think that the speaker likes or dislikes the people s/he is talking
about?
1. Dick’s very thrifty. 2. Molly’s usually frank. 3. My tutor is quite broad-
minded. 4. Sam can be aggressive. 5. Dick’s quite bossy. 6. I find Dave
self-important. 7. Don’t you think Jim is being rather nosy today? 8. Jill is
rather original.
Now reword the sentences above to give the opposite impression.
Example: Dick's very stingy.

C/ It has become popular to publish questionnaires which are supposed to

analyze your character for you. Look at the words below and then match them
to the question which aims to decide whether a person is like that.
There is one extra word!
Example: If you arrange to meet at 7 p.m., do you arrive at 7 p.m.? Reliable

A. pessimistic C. sensitive E. extravagant G. inquisitive

B. argumentative D. sociable F. assertive H. reliable

⎕ 1. Do you prefer to be in the company of other people?

⎕ 2. Do you find it easy to tell your boss if you feel he or she has treated you
badly?

⎕ 3. Do you always look out of the window if you hear a car draw up?

⎕ 4. Do you often buy your friends presents for no particular reason?

⎕ 5. Do you frequently disagree with what other people say?
⎕ 6. Do you lie awake at night if someone has said something unkind to you?

D/ Ask questions (see C) to find out whether a person is the following:

thrifty
blunt
sensible
intelligent
even-tempered
original
obstinate

23. Fill in the gaps using the following words:

active, friendly, healthy, honest, jealous, mean, obstinate, polite, rude, talkative,
serious, shy, sociable, untidy.

1. Sally is a very ............. person. She never tells lies. 2. Bill is a quiet boy.
He’s quite .............. 3. Robert always wants what others have. He’s a very
………….. person. 4. Susan is a ............. person. She finds pleasure in
demonstrating good manners in public. 5. Jack never spends any money.
He’s ........... . 6. Phil has bad manners. He’s very ……….. . 7. Gill is
............., she likes talking to other people. 8. Peter never changes his mind,
even if he is not right. He is ............. . 9. I’d like to have a friend with good
manners. – And can you be ............. to people yourself? 10. Her boyfriend
never smiles. He is rather ………….. . 11. My roommate always leaves his
clothes on the floor. He is …………. . 12. He enjoys meeting new people.
He is rather …………. . 13. My granny is still very …………., she does a lot
of exercise. 14. A person who smokes can’t be called ............. .

24. Choose five or six adjectives to write some sentences that best describe
your character, provide explanation to your opinions of yourself.
Example: Sociable – I think I am sociable because I love being with other people.

Ask your partner how they feel about your opinions, whether they have the
same impression about your character traits and whether they have these traits
themselves.
25. Check the meanings of these words that describe feelings and emotional
states in the dictionary and put them into suitable categories (mark the words
as positive (P), negative (Neg), neutral (N)). Then use seven of them to
complete the sentences below. Translate them into Russian. Get ready to give
back translation.
depressed moody confident cheerful resolute
curious pessimistic realistic optimistic fed up
1. I’m .......... with everyone asking me to do things for them all the time.
Nobody ever says thank you or help me. 2. My dad has a rather ..........
attitude towards the future of our planet. He’s convinced global warming will
destroy the planet climate very soon. 3. We must be ....... and do everything
possible to improve the transport facilities in our city. 4. Zolla seemed very
......... . He wasn’t nervous about making that speech in the public meeting at
the college. 5. You’re not being very ......... about our plans for the summer.
We just couldn’t afford to go on holiday to a place like Wien. 6. You never
know how Ann will feel – happy or sad – she can be very ......... . 7. I’m
.......... to know how many students passed the exam, aren’t you?

READING
What are you like? Do you know how stop being unhappy?
26. Skim the article and choose the best summary:
a. Dealing with problems in your life.
b. Finding out how to take things easy.
c. Learning to be more positive.

Better and better! Getting better!

Take a couple of minutes to lie still in bed and reflect on the day ahead. Do you
feel cheerful or fed up, excited or bored? Or do you, perhaps, feel nothing? Go
on, prod your subconscious to consider your situation. Unless you get pleasure
from living a passive and non-eventual life, having a non-committal attitude
can actually be as bad as being pessimistic. So, as you walk yourself through
events of the day ahead, if you feel pretty average about things, then try and
aim higher. It will mean that you get much more out of life. So there you are,
lying in bed. Picture yourself showering, making breakfast, catching the bus,
attending classes or meetings, shopping, cooking supper, watching TV or
video, texting your friends and acquaintances, and finally getting into bed
again.
Did your spirits sink at the thought of any of it? If so, pluck what it was out of
the timetable and examine it more closely. Is it a must-do, non-negotiable
event? For instance, you may not mind the idea of going to work but hate your
duties or the daily commute. Find out what options you have to make changes
or find alternatives. In the meantime, come up with a strong and confident
affirming statement about the person you wish to be and the way you wish to
tackle these life changes.
Once you have a clear picture of the things in your life that make you feel low,
either eliminate, minimize or improve them and the way you manage them. If
getting everything organized in the morning is a nightmare, you need to apply
some lateral thought to the process. Encourage everybody to help with the
morning routine. Make people around responsible for some parts of their own
organization. If everyone is leading busy lives in the household, it makes no
sense for one person to be a martyr. Be realistic about your own stamina and
stress limits and appreciate the importance of keeping yourself fit and happy.
Agree new regimes with family members or housemates as a sensible training
exercise, and stick with it until everyone takes their equal share. Instead of
feeling miserable about your chores and responsibilities, adopt a positive
approach and acknowledge that they are an essential component of life.
Pessimism, doubt and negativity can often disguise themselves as realism.
Facing up to the facts can sometimes be healthy but it’s essential not to poison
hope and optimism with negative thoughts. Observing how you think is vital.
You really need to tune into hearing those negative waves as soon as they start
and see a more positive alternative view. To find this perspective, you may
need to examine closely the experience or subject of your attention. Be curious
and interested in life, the things, the people that make up your day. Be resolute
that you will find a positive in everything and everyone.
The logical rationale for having a positive attitude is compelling. Nobody
knows for sure what each day will bring and whether its end will mark a
personal triumph or disaster. Make yourself work out what good things will
happen. Today could be the day you meet your sole mate, or when you are
praised or promoted. Carry a list and photographs of things in your life that are
rewarding or make you feel happy. This can include loved ones, favorite
flowers, song tracks, a cutting from a newspaper that made you laugh, or a
theater ticket that reminds you of a wonderful occasion. If you need reminding
that good things do happen, taken this collection out and relive fond memories
and thoughts.
Even if today has been a bad day, you needn’t go to bed depressed because
your optimism didn’t pay off. Why? Well, because tomorrow is another day. In
the same way that a single look or a sour comment can instantly kill a feeling,
so a bubble of optimism arising from even the most minor triumph will
eventually get bigger if you refuse to let yourself look on the dark size. That is
the great thing about life.

27. Read the text again and choose the answers for questions 1-5 which you
think suit best the content.
1/ What does the writer advise people to do before getting up in the morning?
a. Calmly contemplate their day ahead.
b. Organize their routine to maximize their time.
c. Decide which undesirable activity they could dispense with.
d. Reject the idea of having to fulfill their obligations successfully.
2/ The writer offers to deal with difficult aspects of our home lives by
a. freeing up more time to handle them more effectively.
b. delegating some responsibilities to others.
c. learning to control stress by taking more exercise.
d. asking for outside help to relieve pressure.
3/ The writer initially implies that adopting a realistic attitude towards life can
a. have a counterproductive effect on our lives.
b. encourage us to look on the bright side of life.
c. enable us to find solutions to our problems.
d. help us be more analytical in our approach to life.
4/ The writer justifies having a positive outlook on the day by saying it will
a. make the outcome of our day more predictable.
b. help us blank out of less desirable events in our lives.
c. give us renewed energy to face up to problems in life.
d. reinforce our appreciation of what makes life worthwhile.
5/ According to the text, how should we react to having had a bad day?
a. Focus on the one positive thing that happened, however, insignificant.
b. Try to communicate our feelings about it to another person in a positive
way.
c. Tell ourselves it is perfectly acceptable to feel down after a day like that.
d. Stay positive and believe that tomorrow will be a better day.

28. Prepare a short report on the advice given in the article. Give your critical
feedback on it. Do you agree with every suggestion of the writer? Can you add
anything from your own experience?
VOCABULARY IN USE
29. Translate the following abstracts to revise the active vocabulary of this unit.
A/ Consult the unit wordlist and use as many adjectives to describe character as
possible:
1. Шон Коннери получил всемирную известность после того, как сыграл
роль Джеймса Бонда в первых фильмах об агенте 007. Его персонаж
очень смел и не боится рисковать своей жизнью ради выполнения
сложных заданий агенства МИ-6. Он также очень умен, быстро
придумывает, как выйти из сложной ситуации и всегда побеждает.
2. В фильме «Телохранитель» Уитни Хьюстон блистательно сыграла роль
Рейчел Мэррон. Ее героиня красива, весьма экстравагантна и эгоистична,
она не хочет думать о других. Кроме того, она упряма, хочет быть самой
первой и самой лучшей, из-за этого она часто упрямится. Она не хочет
слушать советы профессионального телохранителя, и из-за этого она и ее
сын едва не погибают. В последнюю минуту телохранитель (Кэвин
Спейси) спасает ее жизнь, но сам получает серьезное ранение.
3. Дэвида Духовного знают лишь те киноманы, которые любят
фантастику о пришельцах. Он сыграл роль Агента Малдера в ТВ-сериале
«Секретные материалы». Малдер весьма недоверчивый человек, он с
подозрением относится к людям. Его персона весьма загадочна, и даже
близкие к нему люди мало знают о нем.
4. Джиллиан Андерсон также стала известной благодаря роли Агента
Скалли в ТВ-сериале «Секретные материалы». Скалли весьма
независима, она все обдумывает и сама принимает решения. Она дружит
с агентом Малдером и всегда пытается помочь в его расследованиях, но
она не любит рисковать.
5. Джулия Робертс – одна из самых востребованных актрис Голливуда. Ее
фильмография впечатляет – она снималась в «Красотке» с Ричардом
Гиром, в «Свадьбе лучшего друга» с Рупертом Эвереттом и Камерон
Диас. За последние пять лет она сыграла шесть главных ролей в фильмах.
Ее героиня всегда умна, уверена в себе, порой упряма в достижении своей
цели. Она красива, но не всегда выглядит супермодной. Она общительна
и отзывчива, готова помогать людям, делиться с ними всем, что может
позволить себе. У нее уже есть три премии «Золотого глобуса». Она была
неоднократно номинирована на «Оскар», но получила его только один раз
– в 2001 г. за главную роль в фильме «Эрин Брокович». Джулия Робертс
прекрасно справляется с любыми ролями – гламурных актрис,
застенчивых и робких девушек, хитрых и коварных дам. Она прекрасно
сыграла роль в фильме «Белоснежка: месть гномов». За лучшую женскую
роль второго плана в новом фильме «Август: Графство Осейдж» Джулия
Робертс была номинирована Американской киноакадемией на «Оскар-
2014».
B/ Render the text into English. Then think if you believe in the facts
mentioned in the text.
А вы умеете угадывать характер человека
по форме его губ и улыбке?
Если да, то вам не нужды гадалки и гороскопы. Форма губ человека
может многое сказать о его характере. Искусству разгадывания
характера человека по чертам его лица более пяти тысяч лет, но и
сегодня оно востребовано и популярно. Так что давайте попробуем
угадать характер по губам.
Люди с полными губами обычно весьма ответственные. Вы можете
доверять им, положиться на них, они всегда сделают то, что им
поручили. Они также весьма решительны и принимают решения
быстро. С другой стороны, они часто любят командовать, указывать
всем и каждому, что и как делать.
Люди, у которых верхняя губа тонкая, а нижняя полная, весьма
энергичные. Они много и напряженно работают, готовы участвовать в
любой деятельности. Они весьма амбициозны, хотят быть всегда
первыми, иметь успех. Однако, они могут быть эгоцентричными. Порой
кажется, что они думают только о себе и полностью забывают о
чувствах других людей.
Люди с тонкими губами считаются решительными (непреклонными).
Они всегда знают, что хотят от жизни и делают все возможное, чтобы
достичь своей цели. Они аккуратны, умеют проявить заботу о других.
При этом они бывают несколько замкнутыми, не любят
демонстрировать на публике свои чувства и эмоции, редко выражают
свое мнение вслух. Однако они могут проявлять жадность и
скаредность, скорее всего их можно назвать экономными, они не тратят
деньги впустую, не любят давать взаймы деньги и одалживать свои
вещи.
Еще бывают губы с уголками, загнутыми вниз. Когда смотришь на
такого человека, кажется, что он чем-то недоволен или расстроен.
Однако такие люди могут оказаться весьма щедрыми Они готовы
 раздавать подарки друзьям, помогать малознакомым людям. Они
весьма образованы, легко и быстро обучаются. С другой стороны, они
бывают весьма сентиментальны, а порой обидчивы. Их легко
расстроить. Так что, когда общаетесь с такими людьми, будьте
предельно осторожны.

PROGECT WORK
Describing Character
30. Choose a partner you know well. Go to Socionics Type Assistant
Test at http://www.socionics.com/sta/sta-1-r.html?0:::
Read the guidelines carefully before taking the test.
1) Take the test yourself, but do not show your results to your partner, save the
words you’ve chosen to describe yourself and the results of the test as a
screenshot or txt file.
2) Take the test as if you were your partner, choosing words that characterize
him/her best, then save the results.
3) Share the results of your test with those of your partner and see what they’ve
got for you! Compare the list of words that you have done for yourself and the
list done by your partner for you. Is there much mismatching?
4) Prepare a joint written report with your partner including the lists of words
and results of the test, work out a layout of the report that would present the
results of the project in a clear-cut way.
TEST YOUR VOCABULARY
31. Describing general appearance. Characterizing personality and emotions
(46 points)
A/ One odd word out. Which word doesn’t belong to each group? (10 points)
1 a – well-dressed b – elegant c – smart d – curly
2 a – wavy b – straight c – curly d – plump
3 a – plump b – slim c – fat d – chubby
4 a – handsome b – attractive c – pretty d – bald
5 a – long-haired b – bald c – slight d – short-haired
6 a – fair b – dark c – red d – wavy
7 a – muscular b – ugly c – fit d – athletic
8 a – scruffy b – young c – elderly d – middle-aged
9 a – ugly b – pretty c – plain d – unattractive
10 a – slim b – slight c – thin d – overweight

B/ Answer these remarks with the opposite description (5 points).

Example:
A: I thought you said he was the short, chubby one.
B: No, quite the opposite, he’s the tall, thin-faced one.
11
A: Was that his brother, the dark-skinned, wavy-haired one?
B: No, quite the opposite, his brother’s ….....................
12
A: She’s always quite well-dressed, so I’ve heard.
B: What! Who told you that? Every time I see her, she’s .....................
13
A: So Charlene’s that rather plump fair-haired woman, is she?
B: No, you’re looking at the wrong one. Charlene’s … ................
14
A: So, tell us about the new boss; good-looking?
B: No, I’m afraid not; rather … .......................
15
A: I don’t know why, but I expected the tour-guide to be middle-aged or
elderly.
B: No, apparently she’s only ….....................

C/ Read the descriptions below and nominate every attitude toward life and
other people in one word or phrase. In some cases two-four synonymous
variants or antonyms may be used (6 points).
16 enjoying other’s company;
17 disagreeing with others;
18 taking pleasure in others’ pain;
19 relaxed in attitude to self and others;
20 not polite to other people;
21 telling the truth to other people;
22 unhappy if others have what one does not have
oneself;
23 looking on either the bright or the black side of
things;
24 outward-looking or inward-looking (i.e. to the world
around one or to one's own inner world);
25 calm or not calm with regard to attitude to life;
26 practical, not dreamy in approach to life;
27 feeling things very intensely

D/ Fill in the gaps with the words build, figure (3 points)

28 My elder cousin has the ……. of a rugby player.
29 The actress had a beautiful slim ……. .
30 My mum has kept her ……. quite well considering her fifties.
31 Police are looking for a young man of slim but muscular ……..
32 I’ll lose my ……. if I eat too much chocolate.
33 We use ……. to refer to the shape and size of somebody’s body, usually in
connection with strength and muscle.

E/ Chose the word that suits the gap better (7 points).

34 The driver became grateful / suspicious when the customs officer started
asking questions about what was in the back of his truck.
35 I was furious / offended with him. He had promised not to say anything and
then went and told everyone.
36 We were delighted / enthusiastic with their decision – it was exactly what
we had been hoping for.
37 She was in love and felt ashamed / reckless – not caring what anyone
thought or what happened to her next.
38 My boss is emotional / ruthless – he doesn’t care about any pain he causes
to other people.
39 She’s being aggressive / secretive about her exam results – we don’t know
if she passed or failed.
40 All she talks about is money – she’s become so conscious / materialistic
these days.

F/ Choose the adjective which describes how each person feels

(5 points).

41 I can’t believe you took the money without asking! a/ suspicious

b/ furious
42 Wow, that’s amazing! a/ impressed
Did you really do it yourself? b/ reckless
43 I’m not saying it’ll be easy, but I’m sure we can a/ offended
manage it. b/ positive
44 That’ll never work, it’s much too complicated and we a/ ashamed
don’t have enough help. b/ disbelieve
45 This is great – I really love it. a/enthusiastic
Everyone should try it! b/suspicious

G/ Fill in the gaps with one of the words that best suits the context (10 points):
corpulent, chubby, fat, handsome, lithe, overweighed, plain, plump, slender,
slim, stocky.

46. Her uncle was ……. enough, but he wasn't very tall or very cynical;
neither did he wear eyeglasses nor carry his hands in his pockets. He used to
wear ……. coats and suits.
47. What he saw was a great, round, buglike body supported upon two …….
legs which ended in delicate feet.
48. An unusually ……. lithe young fellow, and an unusually handsome …….
girl; much alike; both very dark, and very rich in colour; she of almost the
gipsy type; something untamed about them both; a certain air upon them of
hunter and huntress.
49. He was dandiacally dressed, seemed to tell something under twenty years
and had a ……. wistful face atop of a heavy, lumbering, almost ……. figure,
which however did not betoken inactivity.
50. He was yet on his way to the White Hart, when two ……. gentlemen and
one thin entered the yard, and looked round in search of some authorized
person of whom they could make a few inquiries.
51. She was a ……., trim, tidy little woman, with smooth, dark hair, dark eyes,
and a merry little mouth.
52. Presently, they saw a little ……. man sitting on a bench before the door.
53. Her mother was a woman of useful ……. sense, with simple tastes in
clothes, but what she felt ashamed of was that she was slightly ……..
54. There must have been a hundred of them – short, ……. men, with great
beards that covered their faces.
55. His beaming, ……. face was a picture of benevolence and kind-
heartedness.
Unit 4. WORDLIST
I Personal appearance
Face:
good-looking / lovely / pretty / stunning /
attractive / sunburned / (sun)tanned / plain / ugly /
unattractive / wrinkled / lined
wrinkle: deep / little / facial
smile: gentle / kindly / wry / bristle
eyebrow: bushy/thick/dark/raised/arched
eyelashes: long/dark/thick/curly/false
complexion and skin: dark /pale / light /
strawberry and cream / ruddy / olive / sallow/
swarthy / freckled
cheeks: soft / chubby/ sunken / hollow / long
/short /shoulder-length /cropped
chin: strong / weak / pointed / double / dimpled
eyes: bright / blue/green (dark/light) /
brown(hazel) / small / beady / sparkling /
twinkling/ deep-set / sunken / bulging / protruding
/ slanting / cocked / piercing / penetrating / steely /
bloodshot / watery / puffy
nose: aquiline /сrooked / hooked / pointed /
Roman / snub / straight / full / thin / thick
lips: dry / chapped / cracked / flushed / rosy / red
/ ruddy / pale
teeth: white / perfect / crooked / protruding
forehead: large / high / broad / wide / sloping
beard: long / full / bushy / wispy / goatee
moustache (US mustache)long / thin / bushy /
droopy / handlebar
General appearance: elegant / smart / scruffy /
well-dressed / (un)tidy-looking
II. Personal character
Personality:
extroverted / introverted
original / eccentric
reserved / self-possessed
easy-going / even-tempered /
sociable
optimistic / pessimistic
commonplace / undistinguished
relaxed / tense
Body (build):
figure of average / slim / slender / lithe / athletic /
muscular / stocky / heavy-built obese / corpulent /
stout / over-weight / on the plump side / anorexic
neck: long / short /thick / slender/scrawny
shoulder: broad / narrow / sloping / rounded /
hunched
waist: small/tiny/narrow/slim/slender
back: straight/bent/arched/broad
arms: thin / slender /muscular
hands: big / large / small / manicured
fingers: long / short / fat / slender / delicate / bony
Clothes: formal /objectionable / provoking / smart
/ fashionable /stylish/ elegant
outfit / get-up / garments /attire / ostentatious /
dressed up
careless / slovenly/ immaculate / informal / casual /
creased / rumpled
Hair: blonde / fair (light/dark) / brown / (jet-)
black / auburn /red / ginger/ grey / silver / white /
straight / curly / wavy / frizzy / spiky / thick / thin /
fine / bushy/ thinning / dyed /bleached /soft /silky
/dry /greasy /shiny/
a bald /balding /shaved head
a receding hairline
a bald patch/spot
to attain happiness / felicity
for all I know
indulgent parents / boss
to indulge the whims / the child in everything
Intellectual ability
intelligent / bright / clever / smart,
shrewd / able / gifted / talented
/ brainy (coll.)
sensible / down-to-earth
sensitive
honest / trustworthy / reliable / sincere
quarrelsome / argumentative
impolite / rude / ill-mannered / discourteous
cruel / sadistic
jealous / envious
Lacking ability:
stupid / foolish / half-witted / simple/ silly /
brainless / daft / dumb /dim
(predominantly coll. words)
Clever, in a negative way (using brains to
trick or deceive): cunning / crafty, sly