Английский разговорный язык. Практическое пособие по развитию устной речи

Exercise 12

Answer the questions:

1. What do we get when we recycle waste?

2. What is the difference between recycling and reuse?

3. What is a landfill?

4. Who concentrated public attention on recycling as the principal method of protecting the environment in the eighties?

5. Why aren\'t landfills so dangerous as the general public believes?

6. What materials are most popular for recycling?

7. Why is it more economically efficient to recycle aluminium than to produce it from bauxite?

8. Why is paper so extensively recycled?

9. Why is it easy to find paper fit for recycling?

10. What portion of all plastic soft drink bottles is recycled in the USA?

Clinton Recycles

Bill and Hillary are now married 40 years. When they first got married, Bill said, «I am putting a box under the bed. You must promise never to look in it.»

In all their 40 years of marriage, Hillary never looked. However, on the afternoon of their 40th anniversary, curiosity got the best of her, and she lifted the lid and peeked inside. In the box were 3 empty beer cans and $1,874.25 in cash. She closed the box and put it back under the bed. Now that she knew what was in the box, she was doubly curious as to why.

That evening they were out for a special dinner. After dinner Hillary could no longer contain her curiosity and she confessed and said «I am so sorry. For all these years I kept my promise and never looked into the box under our bed. However, today the temptation was too much, and I gave in. But now I need to know why do you keep the empty cans in the box?»

Bill thought for a while and said, «I guess after all these years you deserve to know the truth. Whenever I was unfaithful to you I put an empty beer can in the box under the bed to remind myself not to do it again.»

Hillary was shocked, but said, «I am very disappointed and saddened, but I guess after all those years away from home on the road, temptation does happen and I guess that a few times is not that bad considering the years.»

They hugged and made their peace. A little while later Hillary asked Bill, «Why do you have all that money in the box?» Bill answered, «Whenever the box is filled with empty cans, I sell them for recycling.»

Слова и выражения:

anniversary – годовщина

confess – признаваться, исповедоваться

consider – полагать, считать

contain

– содержать

curiosity – любопытство

deserve – заслуживать

disappoint – разочаровывать

empty – пустой

guess – догадываться

hug – обниматься

lid – крышка (ящика)

lift – поднимать

peek – заглядывать ( куда-либо )

promise – обещание; обещать

remind – напоминать

sadden – печалить, опечаливать

temptation – искушение

unfaithful – неверный

curiosity got the best of her – любопытство овладело ей

in cash – наличными

doubly curious – вдвойне любопытная

as to why – по поводу причин

contain curiosity – сдержать любопытство

on the road – в дороге

make peace – заключить мир, помириться

Exercise 13

Answer the questions:

1. For how long have Bill and Hillary been married now?

2. What did Bill make Hillary promise when they got married?

3. Why did Hillary open the box on the afternoon of their 40th anniversary?

4. What did she see in the box?

5. Where did the Clintons go that evening?

6. Why did Bill think that Hillary deserved to know the truth?

7. Why did Bill put an empty beer can into the box after he had been unfaithful to Hillary?

8. Why wasn\'t Hillary too saddened at first?

9. What did she say or do after Bill told her abour the way beer cans were being recycled in the Clintons family?

Pollution Controls

Although people in general and economists in particular agree that we must control pollution of our environment, there is little agreement as to how this should be done.