LESSON 2

Appearance and Character

The best mirror is an old friend.

A little man often cast a long shadow.
Don’t judge men by their appearance.
Nothing shows a man’s character more than what he laughs at.
Character is the result of two things: mental attitude and the way
we spend our time.
TOPICAL VOCABULARY
1. The human body 1. Людське тіло
attractive / unattractive привабливий / непривабливий
good-looking / pleasant-looking / beautiful / приємної зовнішності / красивий / чарівний /
charming / lovely / pretty милий / гарненький
common / plain / usual / ordinary звичайний / простий
ugly / handsome негарний (потворний) / гарний (про
чоловіків)
height / shape зріст / статура (форма)
tall / short / middle-sized (medium / average) високий / низький / середнього зросту
to look like виглядати, бути схожим
What does he look like? / What is he like? Як він виглядає? / Який він (про характер)?
2. Build (frame) / figure 2. Тулуб / фігура
large / heavy / powerful / stocky / fat / stout великий / важкий / могутній / коренастий /
товстий / повний
small / slim (lean) / slender /graceful маленький / худий / стрункий / граційний
well-made / clumsy figure добре складений / незграбна фігура
3. Parts of the body 3. Частини тіла
head / neck / forehead / mouth / jaw / ears голова / шия / чоло / рот / щелепа / вуха
moustache / beard вуса / борода
broad / narrow shoulders широкі / вузькі плечі
chest / waist грудна клітка / талія
leg / foot (pl. feet) нога (від стегна до п’яти) / стопа (мн. стопи)
arm / hand / elbow / palm рука / рука (кисть і пальці) / лікоть / долоня
fingers: thumb / index (forefinger) / middle / пальці: великий палець / вказівний /
ring / little середній / безіменний / мізинець
toe / nail палець на нозі / ніготь
hair (color): red / fair / blond / chestnut / волосся (колір): руде / світле / блондин(ка) /
grey / black (dark) / brown / brunette каштанове / сиве / чорне (темне) / шатен(ка) /
брюнет(ка)
hair (type): thin / thick / straight / short / волосся (тип): тонке / товсте / пряме / коротке
long / wavy / curly / curled / bold-headed / довге / хвилясте / кучеряве / лисий
hair-cut / hair-do (hair-style) / fringe / plait стрижка / зачіска / чубчик / коса
face: oval / square / long / round / wrinkled / обличчя: овальне / квадратне / довге /
freckled / scar / mole кругле / у зморшках / у ластовинні / шрам /
родимка
nose: straight / aquiline / hooked (turned up) ніс: прямий / орлиний / кирпатий / курносий
lips: full (thick) / thin / well-cut
teeth: (un)even / perfect / false teeth
cheeks: clean-shaven / stubby / with dimples
chin: double / massive / pointed
eyes: blue / brown / hazel / grey / bulging /
cross-eyed / short-sighted / long-sighted
eyebrows: bushy / arched / thin
to raise / frown(ed) one’s brows
eyelashes / eyelids
4. Traits of character
behavior / to behave oneself
self-esteem / manners
sleepyhead / sweet-tooth / chatter-box / big
mouth / big-head
to lose (lost; lost) one’s temper
emotional states:
1) positive:
cheerful (merry) / calm / serious / easy-going
/ trustworthy / proud / obedient / happy
(glad) / in high spirits (in a good mood) /
excited / dedicated
2) negative:
bore (to be bored – I’m bored) / nuisance /
irritable / hot-tempered / disobedient /
superstitious / boastful / touchy / villain /
self-confident / upset (sad) / in low spirits (in
a bad mood) / disappointed / depressed
(distressed) / jealous
powers of mind:
smart (clever, bright, intelligent) / wise /
witty / stupid (dull, silly, fool) / well (ill)-
bred / educated / gifted (talented)
volitional powers:
1) positive:
brave / courageous / hard-working / modest /
attentive / responsible / generous / tactful /
polite / reliable / sociable / honest (frank,
sincere) / fair / independent / strong-willed /
flexible / persistent
2) negative:
coward / shy / stubborn / weak-willed / lost /
foxy (cunning) / unreliable / rude / strict /
selfish / impolite / greedy / irresponsible /
lazy (idle)
INTRODUCTORY TEXT
People Around the World
губи: повні / тонкі / чітко окреслені
зуби: (не)рівні / ідеальні / вставні
щоки: поголені / неголені / з ямочками
підборіддя: подвійне / масивне / загострене
очі: блакитні / темно-карі / світло-карі / сірі /
витрішкуваті / косоокий / короткозорий /
далекозорий
брови: густі / дугою / тонкі
дивуватися / хмурити брови
вії / повіки
4. Риси характеру
поведінка / поводитися
самооцінка / манери
сонько / ласун / балакун / базікало / хвастун
вийти з себе
емоційний стан:
1) позитивний:
веселий / спокійний / серйозний / легкий у
спілкуванні / надійний / гордий / слухняний /
щасливий (радісний) / в хорошому настрої /
схвильований (піднесений) / відданий
2) негативний:
нудний (мені нудно) / надокучливий /
дратівливий / запальний / неслухняний /
забобонний / хвалько / образливий /
негідник / самовпевнений / засмучений / у
поганому настрої / розчарований /
пригнічений (у відчаї) / ревнивий
(заздрісний)
розумові здібності:
розумний / мудрий / кмітливий / дурний /
добре (погано) вихований / освічений /
обдарований (талановитий)
вольові якості:
1) позитивні:
хоробрий / відважний / працьовитий /
скромний / уважний / відповідальний /
щедрий / тактовний / увічливий / надійний /
дружелюбний / чесний (відвертий) /
справедливий / незалежний / вольовий /
гнучкий / наполегливий
2) негативні:
боягуз / сором’язливий / упертий /
безхарактерний / розгублений / хитрий /
ненадійний / грубий / суворий / егоїст /
неввічливий / жадібний / безвідповідальний /
лінивий
Notes to the text:
pale complexion – блідий колір обличчя repulse people – відштовхувати людей
Mediterranean countries – країни depend on – залежати (від)
Середземномор’я plump person – пухка (повненька) особа
flattish nose – приплюснутий ніс features of character – риси характеру
slanting eyes – розкосі очі double nature – подвійна природа
get in touch with – контактувати (з) too reticent – занадто стримані
vice versa – навпаки
People from different countries don’t look the same. For example, people from countries
such as Denmark, Norway and Sweden are usually tall. They have fair hair, blue eyes and a pale
complexion.
Most people in Mediterranean countries such as Italy, Spain and Greece are rather
short. They have usually got dark wavy hair, brown eyes and light brown skin.
Most people from central and southern parts of Africa have got black curly hair and very
dark skin. They have also got dark brown eyes, full lips and a wide, flattish nose.
The Chinese are quite short, with thick black hair and dark, slanting eyes. They have got
a small nose and a yellowish complexion.
Those who live in hot countries wear light clothes like shorts, T-shirts and sandals.
People from northern countries such as Canada, Russia and Finland wear too much clothes in
winter – coats, hats, scarves, winter boots and other warm things.
During our life we get in touch with many people. We all know a proverb: “So many
characters, so many people” and it is really true. Character is the
most important thing in a person which attracts or repulses other
people. In general, character doesn’t depend on appearance. So,
a very beautiful girl can be angry, nervous person who hates
everybody and everything. But an ugly plump person can be
really nice and friendly.
Each of us has good and bad features of character. We
can say: “He is a bad man as he is rude or unreliable. And he is a
good man because he is courageous, generous, kind-hearted.”
Some features have double nature. For example:
modesty, stubbornness, persistency and others. Modest people
are usually polite, but sometimes they tend to be too reticent.
A lot of things can change person’s character. If you are a
kind man and you have grown up with rude, cruel people you can
become the like of them or vice versa. Some people have a
strong character and they can try to change themselves.

1. Comprehension questions.
1. Do people from different countries look the same?
2. People from Denmark have a yellowish complexion, don’t they?
3. What countries belong to Mediterranean ones? How do people living there look?
4. Are the Chinese short or tall?
5. What do people in hot countries wear?
6. Why do people from northern countries wear too much clothes in winter?
7. What features of character can be of double nature? Why?
8. What can change a person’s character?

2. Find the following words and word combinations in the text, translate them.
Виглядати однаково, досить низький, кучеряве волосся, повні губи, темна шкіра,
носити легкий одяг, приказка, приваблювати людей, залежати від зовнішності, нервова
людина, ненавидіти, неприваблива людина, гарні риси характеру, добросердний,
скромність, змінити характер, жорстокий, стати схожим на них, намагатися змінитися.

VOCABULARY PRACTICE
1. Find the topic-connected words among jumbled letters in the box.

2. Match the synonyms in two columns.

1. frank A. silly
2. clever B. wavy
3. stupid C. well-built
4. curly D. intelligent
5. slender E. honest
6. sad F. awful
7. ugly G. boring

3. Match the antonyms in two columns.

1. weak A. ugly
2. pretty B. lazy
3. false C. strong
4. industrious D. active
5. calm E. honest
6. sad F. kind
7. cruel G. cheerful

4. Find the description to the adjective.

1. honest A. doesn’t like to work or exercise, feels happy doing nothing
2. funny B. positive person and positive about the future
3. lazy C. thinks things will end badly, the opposite of optimistic
4. jealous D. tells the truth
5. optimistic E. doesn’t say much, prefers to listen
6. quiet F. doesn’t like to talk about his achievements
7. rude G. makes people laugh
8. pessimistic H. wants what other people have, doesn’t like others to succeed
9. modest I. shares what he has with other people
10.generous J. not polite and offends people

5. Read and translate the dialogues.

A.: My friend Rich is coming to town next week. Have you ever met him?
B.: No, I haven’t.
A.: He’s kind of crazy, but a great guy.
B.: Yeah, why do you say so? What’s he like?
A.: He’s really hard-working, but very much a loner. He’s pretty talented and can do just about
anything.
B.: Sounds interesting. Is he married?
A.: No, he isn’t.
B.: What does he look like? Maybe my friend Alice would be interested in meeting him.
A.: He’s tall, slim and good looking. Your friend would find him attractive. What’s she like?
B.: She’s outgoing and very athletic.
A.: Really? What sports does she like playing?
B.: She’s a great tennis player and also goes cycling a lot.
A.: What does she look like?
B.: She’s kind of exotic looking. She’s got long dark hair and piercing black eyes. People think
she is rather beautiful.
A.: Do you think she would like to meet Rich?
B.: Sure! Why don’t we hook them up?
A.: Great idea!
*****
A.: I have a big favour to ask you! Can you meet my friend at the airport today evening? I don’t
have time at all.
B.: Of course. No problem. How does she look like?
A.: She is an attractive blonde with green eyes. She is not tall. She likes wearing sporty clothes.
She’ll have a bright orange suitcase.
B.: I hope there won’t be several blondes with orange suitcases...
A.: Don’t worry, I’m going to describe your appearance to her.
B.: Tell her that I’m going to wear a brown jacket and black jeans.
A.: For her it will be enough to know that you are almost two meters tall.
B.: You are right, it’s hard not to notice me.

6. Choose the correct words to complete these sentences.

1. He has such an innocent face. He couldn’t have done something so awful (adventurous /
inexperienced / innocent). 2. The little boy’s __________ behaviour always gets him into
trouble, but he is so cute even when he’s bad (mischievous / active / supportive). 3. She is a very
_________ person; she would never do anything stupid like that (frank / sensible / supportive).
4. The director of the company likes me, but she is giving someone else the job because she
thinks that I am too _________ (generous / responsible / inexperienced). 5. He donated one
million dollars to our city’s art museum. What a _________ gesture (frank / generous /
responsible)! 6. I suppose there’s one advantage in growing up with _________ parents – you
learn how to follow rules (active / patient / strict). 7. My grandmother is 74 years old, but she
still maintains a _________ lifestyle: she walks a mile every day before breakfast and swims on
the weekend (responsible / sensible / active). 8. When you are annoyed by a problem at work,
it’s best to be _________ and look for a solution rather than get angry (innocent / patient / frank).
9. She wanted to go mountain climbing since she was a little girl. She always had an _________
nature (adventurous / mischievous / innocent).

7. Complete the following sentences.

1. Your sister is a real beauty … . 2. He was a handsome young man … . 3. The woman who
opened the door was … . 4. My niece is such a nice little thing … . 5. The most remarkable thing
about her face is … . 6. She looks the very picture of her mother: she has the same … . 7. The
girl charmed everybody; she … . 8. Can you describe that man? – Sure, he … . 9. Is your friend
as beautiful as she used to be? – It’s a pity, but she is not. She … . 10. She is 25, she looks … .
 8. Translate into English.
1. Її мати невисокого зросту, повненька, темноволоса та сіроока. Дочка зовсім на неї не
схожа. Вона – висока, струнка блондинка з великими блакитними очима, темними
бровами та віями. У неї великий, але гарний рот, прямий ніс та чудовий колір обличчя.
2. Мій сусід був високим худорлявим чоловіком п’ятдесяти років. Його обличчя було не
надто привабливим. У нього був великий ніс, маленькі темні очі та тонкі губи. Але коли
він говорив або посміхався, обличчя одразу ж ставало дуже приємним. 3. Це була літня
жінка років за 60, із сивим волоссям, досить огрядна, але все ще красива. 4. Дівчинка
чарівна з її круглим обличчям, великими синіми очима й кирпатим носиком.

9. Read and translate the following text, do the exercises below.

Beauty
For the Greeks beauty was a virtue: a kind of excellence. If it
occurred to the Greeks to distinguish between a person’s “inside”
and “outside”, they still expected that inner beauty would match
beauty of the other kind. The rich young Athenians who gathered
around Socrates found it quite paradoxical that their hero was so
intelligent, so brave, so honorable – and so ugly. One of Socrates’
main pedagogical acts was to be ugly – and teach those innocent,
good-looking young people of how full of paradoxes life really was.
They might not believe Socrates’ lesson. Several thousand
years later, we are more wary of the enchantments of beauty. We not
only split off the “inside” (character, intellect) from the “outside”
(appearance); but we are actually surprised when someone who is
beautiful is also intelligent and talented.
A beautiful woman, we say in English. But a handsome man. “Handsome” is the
masculine equivalent of a compliment which has accumulated certain demeaning overtones
(принизливий підтекст), by being reserved for women only.

 Comment upon underlined words.

 Give synonyms to the adjective “beautiful”.
 Give synonyms to the adjective “ugly”.
 Are adjectives “beautiful” and “handsome” absolute synonyms? What is the difference
between them?
 What is more significant for you, inside or outside beauty? Why?
 Describe appearance that you consider ideal.

HUMOUR TIME
- Do you feel like a glass of orange juice?
- Why? Do I look like one?
*****
A man and a little boy entered a barbershop together. After the man received the full
treatment – shave, shampoo, manicure, haircut, etc. – he placed the boy in the chair.
“I’m going to buy a green tie to wear for the parade,” he said. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
When the boy’s haircut was completed and the man still hadn’t returned, the barber said,
“Looks like your daddy has forgotten all about you.”
“That wasn’t my daddy,” said the boy. “He just walked up, took me by the hand and said,
Come on, son, we’re going to get a free haircut!”