nâkamais augstâk iepriekðçjais saturs Angïu valoda DU TSC
Nâkamais: THE SMOKING CHIMNEY Augstâk: ang1 Iepriekðçjais: HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY

Read the story and get a general idea.

''HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY?"

A certain tyrant was in the habit of writing verses which he himself thought perfect. Since he was a king, the people to whom he showed them didn't contradict him and praised them to the skies. One day the tyrant showed his verses to a learned man who found them poor. This made the king so angry that he sent his critic to prison. Some time passed and he made up his mind to pardon the critic. When the man returned from prison the tyrant invited him to dinner. Again he showed him his verses and again asked what lie thought of them. The learned man turned to the guards who stood by and said, "Take me back to prison!"


EXERCISES

I Learn and practise the pronunciation of the following vocabulary.


1. a certain - kaut kâds - $\text{\selectlanguage{russian}\inputencoding{cp1251}{íåêèé}}$

2. a tyrant - tirâns - $\text{\selectlanguage{russian}\inputencoding{cp1251}{òèðàí}}$

3. to be in the habit - bût paraduðam - $\text{\selectlanguage{russian}\inputencoding{cp1251}{èìåòü
ïðèâû÷êó}}$

4. to write verses - rakstît dzejoïus - $\text{\selectlanguage{russian}\inputencoding{cp1251}{ïèñàòü
ñòèõè}}$

5. to think perfect - uzskatît par lielisku - $\text{\selectlanguage{russian}\inputencoding{cp1251}{ñ÷èòàòü
ñîâåðøåííûì }}$

6. since - tâ kâ - $\text{\selectlanguage{russian}\inputencoding{cp1251}{òàê êàê}}$

7. a king - karalis - $\text{\selectlanguage{russian}\inputencoding{cp1251}{êîðîëü}}$

8. to show (showed, shown) - parâdît - $\text{\selectlanguage{russian}\inputencoding{cp1251}{ïîêàçûâàòü}}$

9. a learned man - zinâtnieks - $\text{\selectlanguage{russian}\inputencoding{cp1251}{ó÷¸íûé}}$

10. to contradict - runât pretî - $\text{\selectlanguage{russian}\inputencoding{cp1251}{ïðîòèâîðå÷èòü}}$

11. to praise - slavçt - $\text{\selectlanguage{russian}\inputencoding{cp1251}{õâàëèòü}}$

12. to find smth poor - uzskatît kaut ko par sliktu - $\text{\selectlanguage{russian}\inputencoding{cp1251}{ñ÷èòàòü ÷òî-òî ïëîõèì}}$

13. it made the king angry - tas sadusmoja karali - $\text{\selectlanguage{russian}\inputencoding{cp1251}{ýòî ðàññåðäèëî êîðîëÿ}}$

14. to send (sent) - nosûtît - $\text{\selectlanguage{russian}\inputencoding{cp1251}{ïîñûëàòü}}$

15. prison - cietums - $\text{\selectlanguage{russian}\inputencoding{cp1251}{òþðüìà}}$

16. to make up one's mind - nolemt - $\text{\selectlanguage{russian}\inputencoding{cp1251}{ðåøèòü}}$

17. to invite - aicinât - $\text{\selectlanguage{russian}\inputencoding{cp1251}{ïðèãëàøàòü}}$

18. to turn to - pagriezties - $\text{\selectlanguage{russian}\inputencoding{cp1251}{ïîâåðíóòüñÿ}}$

19. to stand by - stâvçt blakus - $\text{\selectlanguage{russian}\inputencoding{cp1251}{ñòîÿòü ðÿäîì}}$



II Answer the questions.


1. What habit was a certain tyrant in?

2. What did he think about his verses himself?

3. Whom did he show his verses?

4. Did people like his verses?

5. Why did they like his verses?

6. Who found the verses poor?

7. What made the king angry?

8. Where did he send the learned man?

9. What did the king make up his mind to do in some time?

10. Where did the king invite the learned man?

11. What did the king show to the learned man?

12. Did the learned man praise the verses?

13. What did the learned man say?



III Read and reproduce the dialogues.


1.

K. I like to write verses very much.

M. Hail to your majesty!

K. Come on and read my verses!

M. Oh, the verses are perfect, especially this one about a cow!

K. Do you really find them nice?

M. Sure, your majesty! I've never read anything better! The choice of words is so exact!

K. And what about the rhyme?

M. The rhyme is superb! I'm in raptures.

2.

K. Hallo, professor! I know that you are a specialist in poem writing.

P. I am a literary critic.

K. Here are my verses, have a look and express your opinion on them!

P. I've read your verses in several magazines.

K. And you liked them, didn't you?

P. Not in the least! It's mere nonsense!

K. What? How do you dare to speak like this?

P. I tell you the truth, believe me!

K. And you believe me, that you'll be in prison immediately, you scoundrel!



IY Make up and act out dialogues, using the following vocabulary.


1. Come on and read my verses, the verses are perfect, the choice of words is exact, the rhyme is superb, to find nice, I've never read anything better, I'm in raptures.

2. A literary critic, have a look, express your opinion, not in the least. It's mere nonsense, how do you dare to speak like this?, to tell the truth, believe me, in prison.



Y Prove it by the facts from the story.


1. A certain tyrant was in the habit of writing verses.

2. The people praised his verses.

3. The verses were poor.

4. The learned man was a brave person.

5. The critic was an honest man.



YI Retell the story according to the given plan.


1. A certain tyrant was in the habit of writing verses.

2. People praised his verses to the skies.

3. The tyrant showed his verses to a learned man.

4. The learned man didn't like the verses.

5. The king sent his critic to prison.

6. The critic was an honest and a brave man.



YII Topics for discussion.


Speak on: It's difficult for the people of the kingdom to be objective to the creation of the king. Give similar examples from our life and literature. "Honesty is the best policy." - Give your opinion on this. Is it easy to be honest and always frank in life? Are you always honest in judging other people's work? Flattery is liked by everybody isn't it? Have you ever flattered anybody?


nâkamais augstâk iepriekðçjais saturs Angïu valoda DU TSC
Nâkamais: THE SMOKING CHIMNEY Augstâk: ang1 Iepriekðçjais: HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY

2002-06-06