The world made up of stories...

I, Robot by Isaak Asimov_Gloria and Robbie (part_1)

Read the chapter Robbei (from the beginning to the words "when the interruption came"- page 6) and complete the following exercises:

Gloria and Robbie

Vocabulary:

chubby – пухленький

forearm – предплечье

to lean – опираться

recess – углубление, ниша

profound – глубокий, полный

incessant – непрерывный

to pout – надувать губы

dismay – тревога

to pant – задыхаться

to dodge – увернуться

void – пустота

disheveled – взъерошенный, растрепанный

to squat – присесть на корточки

ponderously – грузно

coaxing – уговаривания

appallingly – угрожающе

scant – слабый, недостаточный

enchanting – очаровательный

irrefutable – неопровержимый

current – поток

blunt – тупой

sped – ускорившийся

to evoke – вызывать

flushed – покрасневший

tumbled – падать

intermittent – прерывистый

rapidly – мгновенно

to compose oneself – собираться

elaboration – разработка

Task 1. Answer the questions:

1. Who are Gloria and Robbie?

2. What did Gloria and Robbie do in the yard?

3. How does the author describe Robbie’s appearance?

4. Explain why the author uses these phrases “the basest ingratitude”, “gross unfairness” and “unjust accusation” to describe Gloria’s behavior.

Task 2.

Onomatopoeia is the naming of a thing or action by a vocal imitation of the sound associated with it (as buzz – жужжать, hiss – шипеть). Some more examples of Onomatopoeia: a duck: quack; a frog: croak; a cat: mew or meow; a sheep: baa; a pig: oink; a cow: moo; a dog: bark or howl; a lion: roar; a cock: cock-a-doodle-doo.

So a lot of new verbs appeared in the English language: bleat –блеять; bray – кричать (об осле); buzz – жужжать; chatter – стрекотать (о сороке); cluck – кудахтать; crow – кукарекать; grunt – хрюкать; hiss – шипеть (о змее); purr – мурлыкать; neigh – ржать; squeak – пищать (о мыши); trumpet – трубить (о слоне).

Now find in the text all the words relating to the sound of animals and things.

Task 3. Arrange the words in the pairs of synonyms: to look, to taunt, to spank, to gaze, to sing, to blow up, pace, to mock, to shriek, stride, alarm, to scream, to slap, to chant, dismay, to pout

Task 4. Organize the verbs into groups relating to: face, movements, sounds: to squeal, to veer, to wrinkle, to crinkle, to shrill, to blink, to crane, to dash, to past, to scurry, to pout, to dodge, to inch, to crawl, to withdraw, to whirl, to run, to press, to shout , to emerge, to shriek.

face
movements
sounds

Task 5. Find in the text the English for:

получить лучший угол обзора
ничтожное ползание
нижайшая неблагодарность
слегка подражая жестам матери
цветной зонтик
полная несправедливость
несправедливое обвинение
играть козырями
катушки высокого сопротивления
воздушные горки
неопровержимая логика
неустрашимое мужество
совершенно бесхитростно
сломя голову

Truth or Fail: Literature Edition

Reading makes life easier

I, Robot by Isaak Asimov_Introduction

Dear readers, now we are going to publish chapters I, Robot by Issak Asimov with comprehension and language exercises. They are illustrated by a young talented artist Daria Buffet from Yalta. The aim of her paintings is to create the world of love and kindness.

Read the Introduction to the story and complete the following exercises:

Vocabulary:

hectic – беспокойный, лихорадочный

destined – предназначенный

projected – планируемый

stirrings – волнение

relay – реле

platinum – платина

iridium – иридий

variables – переменные

lushly – напыщенно

occiput – затылок

to hackney – говорить банальности

gears – шестеренки

breed – племя, порода

to nudge – подталкивать

verbatim – дословно

to dismantle – демонтировать

blasphemers – богохульники

Task 1. Say if the statements are true or false. Expand on the true and correct the false ones.

1. The events described in Introduction take place in 2020.
2. U.S. Robots was founded in 1992.

3. Susan Calvin demonstrated the first robot with voice at Psycho-Math seminar.

4. Dr. Alfred Lanning’s robot was supposed to be used on the Earth mines.

5. Robot psychologist was a pioneer job in 2008.

6. Dr. Calvin likes robots more than human beings.
7. Interplanetary Press is read in the entire Solar System.

8. The author uses a special pocket computer to record Dr. Calvin’s story.

9. Robbie was the first robot that could speak.

10. Robbie was the first robot sold as a nurse.

Task 2. Answer the questions.

1. When and where does the action take place?

2. Who is Susan Calvin?

3. What is her bio?

4. Who is Alfred Lanning?

5. What is the story of U.S Robots?

6. How does the author describe the buildings of U.S Robots?

7. What is the difference between the world without robots and with them (according to Dr. Calvin)?

Task 3. Match the adjectives with their definitions.

1) hectic	g) marked with irritation or anger
2) clumsy	m) no longer useful or acceptable, not modern or current
3) frosty	f) exactly the same
4) plain	l) extremely silly and unreasonable
5) spongy	j) having and showing true and constant support and loyalty
6) identical	h) easy to notice or understand
7) sharp	c) cold and unfriendly
8) transparent	a) characterized by activity, excitement, or confusion
9) frail	k) relating to a belief or way of behaving that is based on fear of the unknown and faith in magic or luck
10) faithful	e) soft, elastic and full of cavities
11) superstitious	b) moving and doing things in a very bad or awkward way and tending to drop or break things
12) ridiculous	d) having no decoration
13) out-of-date	i) easily damaged or destroyed

Task 4. The author uses these adjectives to describe Susan Calvin, mankind, robots. Find them in the text and organize into three groups.

Adjectives: frosty, large, frail, clumsy, alone, not angry, colorless, superstitious, faithful, unbeautiful, plain, great, sharp, strong, useful, devoted, human, ridiculous