Sweet Temper

– I hate negative people

– I couldn’t agree more.

– I hate people who are miserable all the time.

– I couldn’t agree more.

– I hate people who are never satisfied.

– I couldn’t agree more.

– I hate people who are against everything.

– I couldn’t agree more.

– I hate people who criticize other people all the time.

– I couldn’t agree more.

From “BBC Five Minutes’ Instant English”

1) Try to modify the dialogue changing the verb “ hate ” for its

opposite.

e.g. I hate negative people. – I love agreeable people.

2) Replace “I couldn’t agree more” with other conversational formulas.

e.g. I should say so.

That’s just what I think.

You can say that again.

3) Role play both the original and the modified dialogues.

4) The verbs hate, dislike, loathe, detest are synonyms but they have different degrees of intensity of feeling.Study their meanings and try to order them on a scale, starting from the weakest to the strongest.

detest – hate strongly; dislike – not like;

loathe – feel disgust for; hate – have violent

dislike for.

Scale

weakest ß ----------------------------------------------------à strongest

K Read the dialogue “At the Hairdresser’s”. What types of men are opposed in it? Can you name any other male type?

At the Hairdresser’s

A: Oh, yes! My husband’s wonderful!

B: Really? Is he?

A: He is big, strong and handsome!

B: Well, my husband isn’t very big or strong, but he is very

intelligent.

A: Intelligent?

B: Yes, he can speak six languages.

A: Can he? Which languages can he speak?

B: He can speak French, Spanish, Italian, German, Arabic and

Japanese.

A: Oh!.… My husband’s very athletic.

B: Athletic?

A: Yes, he can play football, cricket, rugby, can swim, ski and

skate.

B: Can he cook?

A: Pardon?

B: Can your husband cook? My husband can’t play sports but he’s an excellent cook. And he can sew and iron and… he is a good husband.

A: Really? Is he English?

1) How is surprise (or slight doubt) expressed in the dialogue?

2) What does the phrase “Is he English? ” hint at?

3) Try to think of a dialogue, which may take place between two men talking about their wives (or girlfriends).

4) Role-play both the dialogues.

L Learn to discuss different people. Make use of the following.

1. What kind of person will never take a risk? (spend more than he can afford, take anything to heart, arrest anyone’s attention, lose his temper, do a silly thing, disobey instructions, wave in the face of danger, fail his friend).

2. What kind of people are quick to see the point? (are usually surrounded by people, friends, are easily forgotten, are often lonely, think only for themselves, feel uneasy in company, keep their thoughts to themselves, easily lose their patience, enjoy other people’s confidence).

3. What kind of people are called business-like? (good mixers, poor mixers, colourful, discreet, just, level-headed, sympathetic, revengeful, squeamish, persistent, haughty, humble, placid, broad-minded, vulgar, vain, ambitious).

4. What do you call a person who is unlike others? (can’t keep a secret, can appreciate a piece of art, feels deeply, pokes his nose into other people’s affairs, intrudes his views on others, is always sure of himself, is mostly in high spirits, gets annoyed easily, keeps on forgetting things, says what he thinks, has no moral principles).

5. What traits of character would you appreciate in a mother, a father, a bosom friend, a teacher...?

6. What traits of character are required to make a good doctor, economist, teacher, lawyer, journalist?

M You know that emotional condition plays a decisive role in our life. Say when people feel good, great, proud, joyful, uneasy, anxious, lonely, miserable, low.

N What qualities do you admire most in other people? Put these qualities into order of importance:

ambition creativity good looks

honesty independence intelligence

loyalty sense of humour strength

tenderness understanding warmth

What other important qualities are missing from this list?

O Which of these characteristics do you and your partner consider to be more attractive and less attractive?

ambitious enthusiastic outspoken self-confident

artistic frivolous passionate sensitive

cautious gregarious reserved serious

earnest introverted resourceful shy

easy-going out-going ruthless spontaneous

1) Which unattractive characteristics can you tolerate in your friends and relations?

2) What kind of people do you get on with best?

3) What kind of people do you find it hard to get on with?

P Work in small groups. Ask your partners these questions.

1. What kind of person do you think you are?

2. What sign of the zodiac were you born under? Do you think this affects your character?

3. How true to your nature is the description of your zodiac sign?

4. What are the essential factors that help to mould a person’s character: background and environment; educational possibilities; cultural standards; circumstances?

5. What are the ways and means by which a person’s character is revealed and estimated: appearance; speech characterization; manners and attitudes; likes and dislikes?

R Read the description below. What makes the description come to life is the detail and examples that we give. Select the parts of the description which give examples and details. Make notes under these headings where information is given.

The first thing everyone notices about him is his height – he is tall, almost two metres. The second thing is how skinny he is. He is as thin as a rake. He looks as if he has not eaten for months and yet he is always eating. He never bothers much about his appearance, except for his hair. I joke about him looking like an angry hedgehog when he gets out of bed in the morning – his short, brown hair all spiky and sticking out. He spends hours trying to comb it flat but with no success.

He is patient and kind. He always helps me with my maths, even if it means giving up a night out with his friends. He is also calm. I’ve only ever seen him angry once.

We get on each other’s nerves sometimes, but I wouldn’t change him for the world.

S Write about either your favourite person, or your least favourite person, or anyone else. Try using this plan.

Paragraph 1 Say who you want to describe and why

Paragraph 2 Physical description

Paragraph 3 Character description

Paragraph 4 Conclusion – sum up your feelings about this person