UNIT 1; DESCRIBING PEOPLE A.

Read and translate the text: Professor Pinkerton Professor Pinkerton lived alone and was very absent-minded. He used to arrive at the university to give a lecture and find he had forgotten to bring his notes. Or he would lose his spectacles and be unable to see the blackboard. He could never find any chalk to write with, and he often forgot the time and would talk on for hours because he had left his watch at home. But the most amazing thing about him was his appearance. His coat was rarely fastened, as most of his buttons were missing, and his shoes were usually untied because he had lost the laces. He must have lost his comb as well because his hair was always standing on end, that is useless he was wearing his battered old hat with the brim missing! His trousers were held up by an old tie instead of a belt, and cigarette ash was scattered liberally over his coat. B. Here are some words, expressions and structures that can be used for describing people's appearance: > height/size: tall, of medium height, middle-sized, short > build'weight: thin, slender, masculine, heavily-built, plump, overweight, fat > age: young, middle-aged, elderly, old, in his early thirties, in her mid-fifties, in their late forties > hair, medium-length, short, straight, curly, wavy, stiff, woolly, blond(e), fair, dark, brown, black, red, auburn, grey, white, thinning, a beard, a moustache, bushy eyebrows, pencilled eyebrows > face : oval, round, square, long; wrinkled; high cheekbones; a scar; a mole/beauty spot, pimples > eyes: green, blue, greenish-blue, grey > nose: long, turned-up, snub, large, flared nostrils, high-bridged > mouth: wide, generous, thin lips, full lips > teeth: large, small, tiny; even, uneven > chin: pointed, round, firm, weak > cheeks: rosy, pale; plump, hollow > forehead: high, low; narrow, broad > eyebrows: bushy, pencilled/crayoned, plucked out > eyelashes: thin, thick, long, short, feathery > ears: big, small, pointed > shoulders: broad(lat), narrow > complexion(ten): fair, dark, swarthy > expression: serious, cheerful, worried, friendly > general appearance: good-looking, pretty, beautiful, attractive, plain, very well-dressed, casually dressed > describing personality: affectionate, bad-tempered, aggressive, calm, cheerful, cold, easygoing, emotional, friendly, generous, honest, kind, mean, moody, nervy, polite, optimistic, pessimistic, practical, reserved, rude, self-confident, sensible, sensitive, serious, shy, sociable. TASK 1: choose five items that best describe your personality 6. Complete the text: I'm in my ... fifties. I'm very tall, and quite ... built, but I have rather... shoulders. I'm a little overweight. I have medium-length ... hair, but I'm going ... , so there isn't a lot left. I have a gray ... and a moustache. My eyes are ... and I wear .... I've got a rather long face, with a ... chin, a big nose and big ... .1 have ... lips, and I usually have a ... expression; my face changes a lot when I... . I have a high forehead; I like to think that it looks intelligent. Clothes are not very important to me, and I'm usually very ... dressed. I don't think I'm very ... but I'm not all that bad-looking either. I probably ... a bit younger than I am.

D. Discussion points 1. Would you ever answer an advertisement in a 'lonely hearts' column? 2. If you were putting an ad in a 'lonely hearts' column, how would you describe yourself? E. Read and translate the following portrait: CANBY He was a tall, thin take-your-time kind of man with seedy grey hair combed to cover a bald spot. All Canby's bones were big and heavy, and those in his wrists were knobby and red... He had watery, pale, blue eyes, such as alcoholics, old men sometimes have, but not weak, but hard and uninterested. They suited the veined, pitted, but tight-to-the-bone look of his face, which always seemed too large, the nose too large, the mouth too large, the cheekbones and black eyebrows too prominent... He looked like a man who knew he'd been somebody. F. Vocabulary of character. What sort of person are you? (Put Y for yes, N for no, S for sometimes). 1. Are you generally aware of other people's feelings? 2. Do you find it difficult to meet new people? 3. Do you frequently make people laugh? 4. Does your mood change often and suddenly? 5. When decisions have to be made, do you think first of yourself? 6. Can your friends trust you and depend on you? 7. Do you generally like other people's company? 8. Are there lots of things you want to do in your professional life? 9. Can you usually understand other people's points of view? 10. Do you worry and think too much about detail? 11. Are you usually quite a happy, smiling person? 12. Are you interested in other people and their business? 13. Do you sometimes not tell the truth because you don't want to hurt someone's feelings? Match these adjectives with the questions above: tolerant, witty, tactful, fussy, sociable, selfish, inquisitive, shy, reliable, ambitious, cheerful, moody, sensitive G. Fill in the gaps with a word from the box. Only use each word once. selfish, bad-tempered, tough, crafty, sensitive, sensible, strict, trustworthy, dull, shy, mean, reliable, stubborn, silly, nice, cheerful, sympathetic, clumsy, loyal, gentle 1. Janet is incredibly .... She always arrives on time and does her job well. 2. It's impossible to say anything to his grandmother. One word and she starts crying. She's so ...... 3. I wonder why he is so ..... He has got lots of money but he hates spending it. 4. When she was a child, her parents were incredibly ..... Whenever she did the smallest thing wrong, they would send her to bed. 5. Ann is such a ..... girl. She is always laughing and smiling. 6. Come on, Maria! You can't go on a country walk wearing high heels! Do be ......... for once. 7. I'll give you a lift home if you are ......... tome. 8. She was so ...... and understanding. When I told her my problems, I immediately felt better afterwards. 9. In westerns, the hero is always ......... He always beats his enemies and can put up with any hardship. 10. That's the second plate you've broken this week. Why do you have to be so ......? 11.1 think he's an extremely ......... boy. He laughs at stupid things and never concentrates in class. 12. Children are often really ........ They hide behind their mothers when guests come. 13. Don't be ......... Cathy. You've got to leam to share things with other children. 14. She is 100% ......... I'd leave my money, car, anything for her to look after.