Ex.13. Look through the texts of UNIT 4 and make up a topic about leisure and recreation in Great Britain.

Ex 14. HOME READING

You have already read about relationship between pet owners and their pets. Besides, you know a saying that a dog is man’s best friend. Read the following text and make up your own dialogues on the topic. Express your personal attitude to Bobby.

A SHAGGY DOG STORY

This is a very sentimental story about a dog. It’s the sort of true story that people in Britain love.

Normally “a shaggy dog tale” is any story which is long, complicated and difficult to believe. This story is about a real shaggy dog. It seems unbelievable, but it’s certainly true.

A shaggy dog is one with long, coarse hair like the Cairn terrier, which has a coat like an old hair-brush. A Cairn terrier is the smallest of the terriers, but it is a strong, brave little dog. The most famous one, called Bobby, has a statue of himself right in the middle of Edinburgh, the Scottish capital.

Bobby was a farm dog who lived and worked with his master, Jock, at the end of the last century. For years he worked in the country and guarded sheep with Jock. But Jock became too old for work and went away and lived his last years in Edinburgh. Bobby was very lonely on the farm without Jock. So he ran away and went on his own to the capital to fond his old friend. He looked everywhere and finally found Jock very poor and ill. After that, Bobby never left him. He even went to the pub with Jock at lunch-time and the landlord always had some extra food for the friendly little dog.

But one day old Jock died and no one saw Bobby for some time. Then he landlord of the pub saw him and offered him some food. Bobby took the food and ran away. This happened several times until one day the landlord followed him.

Bobby took him all the way to the town cemetery called “Greyfriars” and there the landlord found him on the grave of his old master.

Bobby stayed there every day, in good weather and bad. He sat under a stone when it rained and the landlord fed him so that he was never hungry. But some town officials began to ask stupid questions. Did this dog have a licence? Did he have a master? Did he have a collar? Maybe the landlord himself was wrong to give food to a stray dog.

The case went to the Provost, who was the chief judge of Edinburgh. Luckily the Provost felt sorry for Bobby. He, himself, bought Bobby a special collar with his name on it, and he gave the dog “the freedom of the city” – which is normally only for very important people.

After that Bobby became famous. Many people visited him in the cemetery and many children made friends with him. He lived for a long time – until he was 22 years old. When he died they buried him in the public park and put up a statue, with name and dates of “Greyfriars Bobby”, a small shaggy dog.

shaggy [‘ ægi] dog – пудель

shaggy dog tale [teil] – небылица, «чушьсобачья»

coarse [‘k :s] – грубая (шерсть)

togoonone’sown – добираться (самому, своим ходом)

cemetery [‘semitri] – кладбище

Greyfriars [‘greifraiəz] – францисканцы (монахи)

grave [‘greiv] – могила

stray [strei] dog – бродячаясобака

Provost [‘prvəst] – шотл.мэр

chief judge [‘d d ] – главныйсудья

Ex.15. Read and choose the sentences which are true:

1. A shaggy dog story is a romantic story of love between two people.

2. A shaggy dog looks like a collie.

3. Bobby lived all his life in Edinburgh.

4. His master Jock was a rich farmer.

5. Bobby guarded sheep and lived in the country.

6. The landlord of the pub didn’t like Bobby because he was very aggressive.

7. After his master’s death Bobby lived on his grave.

8. The town officials ordered to kill Bobby because he was a stray dog.

9. The Provost and the chief judge of Edinburgh was one and the same man.

10. The Provost liked Bobby and bought him a collar with his name on it.

Ex.16. Write the questions for those sentences:

1. This is a very sentimental story about a dog. (What sort of… ?)

2. Bobby has a statue of himself right in the middle of Edinburgh. (Where ?)

3. For years he worked in the country and guarded sheep with Jock. (How long ?)

4. Jock went away and lived his last years in Edinburgh. (Yes / No?)

5. Bobby was very lonely on the farm without Jock, so he ran away. (Why?)

6. Bobby went on his own to the capital. (How ? Who ?)

7. The landlord always had some extra food for a friendly dog. (What ? Whom…for ?)

8. The landlord found him on the grave of his old master. (Where ? Whose grave…?)

9. Luckily the Provost felt sorry for Bobby. (Yes / No ?)

10. The Provost gave the dog “the freedom of the city”. (What (предоставил)?

UNIT 15