what sort of social event to organize for the pupils of form 9 "A". In the course of the discussion opinions differ. You must decide
whose arguments sound more convincing.
C h a r a c t e r s :
1. Anna K., aged 23, is fond of pictorial art and suggests visiting the town's art gallery where the works of M.Vrubel are on
display at present ("Pan", "The Swan Princess", "Seated Demon" among them). The harmonious combination of the fantastic and the
real, the gorgeous colour schemes are sure to appeal to the pupils of form 9 "A". What they want is something noble and worthy, an
uplifting experience.
2. Victor M., aged 25, does not share Ann's enthusiasm for classical art. He has nothing against it personally but thinks that teen-
agers need a different kind of artistic experience, something that they can possibly share in. He wants to take the pupils to a pop
concert to be held in the near future not far from the school. According to him young people prefer pop to the classical arts. It is
closer to their own experience of life, and provides an emotional outlet and release. Picture galleries are for elderly spinsters with
nothing to do.
3. Katherine L., aged 51, resents Victor's outburst and tells of her own school days: they used to visit the Tretyakov Gallery
every week and studied the art of the famous Russian painters of the 18th and 19th centuries. A professional artist showed them
round the Gallery. It was all thanks to this very artist that she fell in love with classical art. She remembers as if it were yesterday the
joy of listening to his lively descriptions of the subtleties of the composition and colour combinations. It is unacceptable to her that
the younger generation should be allowed to remain indifferent to such a wealth of classical heritage.
4. Marina K., aged 24, listened with pleasure to the views of her supervisor K. L. and couldn't agree more. She suggests invit ing
a specialist from the Museum of Fine Arts to give a lecture on the history of English painting. She had been present at the lecture on
the French impressionists and loved every minute of it. The slides were a dream. "English painters" might be great fun too. She
knows the telephone number and offers to do it herself.
5. Alexandra T., aged 23, is rather sceptical about Marina's project. Experience tends to show that pupils from 9 "A" make a
point of not participating in any of the schools activities, they are unlikely to be attracted to something so sophisticated and dry as a
lecture on art, slides or no slides. She puts forward the idea of a film, perhaps even about a painter, but not on any account a lecture.
6. Helen B., aged 23, admits she is no great art specialist herself, nevertheless she believes in handing down one's cultural her-
itage from one generation to the next. Why not take the pupils on an excursion to Abramtsevo, the former estate of the famous art-
patron Mamontov, where Korovin and Vrubel worked on stage decorations and Valentin Serov painted his famous "Girl with
Peaches". Even if the pupils fail to appreciate the works of art, a day in the open air is sure to do them a world of good.
7. Lucy B., aged 24, does not care for fine arts and is not ashamed to admit it. 9 "A" has worked hard all year. How can one expect
them at the end of term to continue taking an active interest in serious, heavy subjects such as classical art. What they need now is
diversion, relaxation, a chance to unwind. Why not organize a picnic, perhaps on bicycles. She knows some fine woods not too far
away where they could escape from the bustle of the city and play volleyball, badminton or whatever.
20. Group Discussion.
Topic 1. Is the appreciation of pictures a special faculty which only a few can possess?
T a l k i n g p o i n t s :
1. The excellency of style is not on the surface, but lies deep. It is the florid style which strikes at once. There is no need to be
ashamed of one's apparent dullness.
2. The habit of looking at good pictures is in itself a means by which taste can be formed and the scope of one's enjoyment wid-
ened and developed.
3. The acquisition of good taste is a matter of time. Painting in
this respect does not differ from other arts (poetry, music).
*
Topic 2. A great painting enriches our experience of life, just as a great poem does or a great musical composition
T a l k i n g p o i n t s :
1. The more we look at it the more it reveals and this is not necessarily because of the amount of detail and incident it contains.
2. Great painters make us see and think a great deal more than the objects before us, they teach us to look at a scene through their
eyes, with something of their own imagination.
The masterpieces of painting, like the masterpieces of music and poetry transform experience; they are an inexhaustible source of
beauty which derives from the originality of the artist's outlook, his capacity for combining form and colour into a harmonious unity.
Topic 3. "Aesthetic effects" make art especially engaging and illuminating
T a l k i n g p o i n t s :
1. Mood: Often works of art project powerful moods, the moods of people or animals, or even the moods of landscapes,
buildings. The viewer who misses this paradoxical capturing of character in mere paint loses much of the value that art offers.
2. Motion: This includes not only renderings of objects in motion — the horse race, a hunting scene but also qualities of motion
in a metaphorical sense. Novice viewers see the energy of depicted action in a Delacroix but not the equal energy in the brush strokes
of a Van Gogh, or the upyearning of the elongated figures in an El Greco.
3. Symptoms and reinforcers: These are tactics that intensify an effect without really having anything to do with the effect. For in-
stance, an artist might arrange the light in a painting so that shadows fall upon the face of a sad person; a bright background might
intensify a figure's sadness by contrast, or a dark one intensify it by concordance.
Unit Six
SPEECH PATTERNS
1. You tricked that blockhead out of them.
George always managed to trick Tom out of some money. At the market I was cheated out of three roubles.
2.I am not to be trifled with.
I am not to be shouted at. He is not to be interfered with. She is not to be laughed at.
3. Lady (giving way to her temper).
Never give way to your despair. She gave way to her tears. Don't give way to panic.
Who are you that you should presume to speak to me in that coarse way?
4.Who are you that you should shout at me? Who is she that we should wait for her? Who is he that he should order
us about?
5. The moment he takes them, she hurries across to the other side of the room.
The moment he saw Jane, he rushed to her. The moment she turns up, send for me. The moment you need me, I'll
come.
6.It will cost you nothing to give it to me.
It cost him a lot of trouble to help us. It required me much effort to move the furniture. It will take you little time to do
the job.
7.It has been sent to you out of sheer malice.
I did it out of despair. She acted out of fear. He contradicted her out of sheer
spite.
8.Then why not send it to her husband?
Why not go there at once? Why not open the window? Why not tell her the truth?
EXERCISES
