The Hat in the Window

Miss Brothers: I want to buy the hat in the window.

Assistant: There are three hats together in the window, madam. Do you want the one with the feathers?

Miss Brothers: No. The other one.

Assistant: The small one for three pounds?

Miss Brothers: No. Not that one either. That one over there. The leather оле.

Assistant: Ah! The leather one. Now this is another leather hat, madam. It's better than the one in the window. It's a smoother leather.

Miss Brothers: I'd rather have the one in the window. It goes with my clothes.

Assistant: Certainly, madam. But we don't take anything out of the window until three o'clock on Thursday.

3. My Birthday's on Thursday

— It's my birthday on Thursday. My sixth birthday.

— My seventh birthday's on the 13th of next month, so I'm — let me think — 333 days older than you, Ruth.

— Do you always put your thumb in your mouth when you're doing arithmetic, Arthur?

— My tooth's loose, Ruth. See? I like Maths. I came fourth out of thirty-three. My father's a mathematician.

— My father's an author. He writes for the theatre. We're very wealthy. When I'm thirty I'll have a thousand pounds.

— I'm going to be an Olympic athlete. I may be thin but Mr Smith says I've got the strength of three. Watch me. I'll throw this thing the length of the path.

— Oh Arthur! You've thrown earth all over us both. I'm filthy! Now they'll make me have a bath!

4. I'd Rather Be a Mother Than a Father

Father: Where are the others?

Mother: They've gone bathing. Heather and her brother called for them.

Father: Heather Feather?

Mother: No, the other Heather — Heather Mather. I told them to stay together, and not to go further than Northern Cove.

Father: Why didn't you go with them?

M о t h e r: I'd rather get on with the ironing without them.

Father: In this weather? There's a southerly breeze. One can hardly breathe indoors.

Mother: Go and have a bathe, then.

Father: Another bathe? I can't be bothered. I'll go with you, though.

Mother: But all these clothes... who'd be a mother!

Father: I'd rather be a mother than a father! All those hungry mouths?

Exercise VI. Read the rhymes and learn them.

1. This is used for one thing near,

That means one thing over there,

These and those mean two or more,

Those are far and these are near.

2. I can think of six thin things.

Six thin things, can you?

Yes, I can think of six thin things

And of six thick things, too.

3. There was an old woman,

And nothing she had,

And so this old woman

Was said to be mad.

She'd nothing to eat,

She'd nothing to wear,

She'd nothing to lose,

She'd nothing to share,

She'd nothing to ask,

And nothing to give,

And when she did die

She'd nothing to leave.

4. I am thankful for a thousand things...

For faithful earth, for birth and breath

For thought and health and strength and mirth

And, may be, when it comes for death.

Exercise VII. Transcribe the proverbs and learn them.

1. When three Thursdays come together.

2. Thread and thrum.

3. That's neither here nor there.

4. There's nothing like leather.

5. One law for the rich, another for the poor.

6. Nothing venture, nothing have.

7. There is no smoke without fire.

8. Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones.

9. Wealth is nothing without health.

UNIT 25. [h] - no [h]

Exercise I. Read the following words paying special attention to correct pronunciation.

Exercise II. Read the following sense-groups, mind the rhythm and intonation.

(a) a hammer; a heavy hammer; herself with a heavy hammer; hit herself with a heavy hammer; Hilda hit herself with a heavy hammer.

(b) the horn; the horn of the hunter; the hoim of the hunter was heard; the horn of the hunter was heard on the hill.

Exercise III. Transcribe and intone the following sentences.

Practise reading them in pairs.

[h] 1. Humble, hairy Herbert has his hand on his heart.

2. Henry's horse has hurt his hoof in a hole while hunting.

3. Henry helps him to hobble home.

4. It's not the hopping over hedges that hurts the horses' hooves; it's the hammer, hammer, hammer on the hard high road.

5. He is head over heels in love.

6. Our hands have met but not our hearts, our hands will never meet again.

7. A helicopter has hit Allen's house.

8. Andrew spent all his holiday in hospital.

9. Ellen's husband is ill in hospital.

10. I've hurt my hand and can't hold anything.

11. I've hurt my eye and can't see anything.

Exercise IV. Read the tongue-twisters and learn them.

1. In Hertford, Hereford and Hampshire, hurricanes hardly ever happen.

2. The hammerman hammers the hammer on the hard highroads.

Exercise V. Read the text.

Dear Harriet,

I'm having a horrible holiday here! The hotel is huge and high up on a hill. I hurt my heel and had to go to hospital. The weather's too hot, and I'm hungry. Harry's quite happy, however! Next summer, I shall stay at home. Harry can go on holiday by himself.

Exercise VI. Read the dialogue, mark the stresses and tunes. Learn it. Act outthe dialogue.