Topical vocabulary. What sort/kind of man is he?

What is he like?

What sort/kind of man is he?

to be a man/woman of character

energetic/lively, bossy, bad – tempered, generous, sensitive/touchy, artistic/creative, adventurous/reckless, hardworking/studious/industrious, calm/stable, clever/intelligent/witty, hard – hearted, talkative, moody/ emotional/changeable, humorous, shy/embarrassed, reserved, passionate, vain/conceited/arrogant, practical, punctual, critical, perfectionist, fussy, lazy/idle, indecisive, argumentative, brave/courageous, violent/aggressive, possessive, self – confident, false, sly, cheerful, quarrelsome, optimistic, polite/tactful, sensible/level - headed, sociable/outgoing, imaginative, romantic, sympathetic, tough, reliable, kind, honest, ambitious, responsible, obedient, patient/tolerant, flexible/easy – going, hypocritical/two - faced, modest, frank/candid, just/fair, talented, curious/inquisitive, thrifty/greedy, obstinate/stubborn, pompous/ boastful, passive, considerate/thoughtful, efficient, determined, loyal/devoted

I. Learn and translate the following idioms:

a) to be the man/woman of one’s dreams

b) to know what’s what

c) to be a mine of information

d) to be in a world of one’s own

e) to be a soft touch

f) to feel at sea

g) to be at a loss for words

h) to be full of beans

i) to have a heart of gold

j) as hard as nails

k) a pain in the neck

l) to feel on top of the world

m) loser

n) to smile through one’s tears

o) to take the bull by the horns

p) to be a pillar of community

q) to leave no stones unturned

II. Distribute the traits of character into the following groups:

energetic, bossy, generous, touchy, artistic, reckless, studious, calm, witty, talkative, changeable, humorous, embarrassed, passionate, conceited, practical, punctual, fussy, idle, indecisive, courageous, violent/aggressive, possessive, self – confident, cheerful, optimistic, tactful, level - headed, outgoing, romantic, sympathetic, tough, reliable, kind, ambitious, responsible, tolerant, flexible, hypocritical, candid, just, talented, inquisitive, thrifty, stubborn, pompous, passive, considerate, efficient, loyal, sly, quarrelsome

III. Match the positive traits of character with the appropriate negative:

IV. Supply the best word or words:

V. How would you describe the person in each of these descriptions:

1. He never bought me a drink all the time we were together.

2. I have to tell her what to do every minute of the working day. She wouldn’t even open a window without someone’s permission.

3. He often promises to do things but half the time he forgets.

4. She’s always here on time.

5. She finds it difficult to meet people and talk to strangers.

6. One of the greatest things about her is that she is so aware of what people think or feel.

7. He loves money, loves “having things”.

8. Be careful what he’s saying about you behind your back.

9. He doesn’t do much – he just sits back and watches.

10. She’s not afraid to go mountain climbing.

11. Bob, on the other hand, is the complete opposite. He is always making people angry or upset because he just doesn’t consider their feelings.

12. The other thing about Bob is that he really wants to get the supervisor’s job and then become boss for the whole company.

13. He’ll tell you if he doesn’t like your make - up.

14. You won’t find him in the corner at the party.

15. He knows he is good.

16. She likes to be on top.

17. He works 24 hours a day, jogs, and plays squash.

18. She won’t share her presents with her sister.

19. He’s like a donkey.

20. He uses his common sense.

21. He wants to go to wild and unexplored places.

22. He leaves 10$ tips.

23. She kisses him on the cheek every minute or so.

24. I was moved to tears by the beauty of his sculpture.

25. He can see beauty in a pile of rubbish.

VI. What prefix forms the opposite of each of these words?

kind

reliable

sensitive

friendly

honest

pleasant

ambitious

responsible

obedient

patient

stable

VII. What nouns can be formed from these adjectives?

punctual

confident

sensitive

optimistic

generous

strong

reliable

ambitious

flexible

lazy

stupid

shy

VIII. Which of these traits of character do you most dislike in a partner? Why?

shyness

arrogance

selfishness

dishonesty

hypocrisy

possessiveness

aggressiveness

IX. Which of these qualities is most important for you in a partner?

compassion

tolerance

modesty

frankness

generosity

passion

courage

ambition

creativity

X. What sort of person are you? Tick a) or b) on the right of each exercise:

Notes: When describing character and behaviour, support description with examples, e.g. Tom is very reserved. He never talks about his feelings. If you want to describe negative qualities it is advisable to use mild language, e.g. ‘He can be aggressive at times.’ is better than saying ‘He is aggressive.’

XI. Support the following statements with examples:

1. She is a modest girl.

2. Mark is a sociable person.

3. He is a man of character.

4. He was an arrogant fellow.

5. He is a young, rich and ambitious guy.

6. He is of a romantic nature.

7. She is a kind and sympathetic creature.

8. She is as sly as a fox.

9. He is the most talented person I have ever met.

10. She has a strong character.

XII. Paraphrase the sentences, using mild language:

1. He is a cunning and dishonest person.

2. He is a two – faced scoundrel.

3. He is the most conceited person in the world.

4. What a hard – hearted thing you are!

5. I hate this guy, he is so selfish.

6. Don’t you think she is of an impulsive nature.

7. In addition to being greedy, he is so false.

8. He is a sly dog.

XIII. What questions could you ask to try to find out whether a person is the following?

Example: If you arrange to meet at 7 p.m. do you arrive at 7 p.m.?

v thrifty

v sensible

v intelligent

v original

v obstinate

v studious

v sociable

v punctual

v reliable

XIV. Discuss the personal characteristics that you would expect to find in these people:

v a teacher

v a nurse

v a politician

XV. Translate from Russian into English:

a) У нас достаточно денег, чтобы послать нашего старшего сына в Университет. Он способный, умный и трудолюбивый юноша.

b) Этот человек очень остроумен и всегда готов пошутить.

c) Если вы полицейский, вы должны быть терпеливы и внимательны к людям.

d) Он покладистый и очень общительный, вы с ним подружитесь.

e) Он великодушный и добрый человек, ненавидящий скупых и безразличных людей.

f) Он обладает сильным характером, но его настроение часто меняется.

g) Он двуличный, хитрый и бесчестный человек.

h) Она скромная и тактичная девушка с добрым сердцем.

i) Она молода, богата и эгоистична. Люди не любят ее за раздражительный и безответственный характер.

j) Он такой суетливый и нетерпеливый, что эти черты его характера вынуждают людей становиться агрессивными и нервными.

k) Что он собой представляет?

l) Он самый бесстыдный человек на свете.

m) Он довольно сдержанный и замкнутый человек.

n) У него сильный характер.

o) У него веселый нрав.

XVI. Give a detailed description to the people below, incorporate all the points listed:

a) Andrew: overweight, mid – 30s, selfish, dishonest, losses his temper, people disagree with him.

b) Becky: slim, late 50 – s, absent – minded, delightful sense of humour, helps other people with problems.

c) Carl: 18, athletic, loves sport, favourite game: football, spare time: likes going out with friends and cinema.

d) Debbie: 16, studious, enjoys reading, four brothers and two sisters, hopes to go to university, want to study foreign languages.

XVII. Each of you will be given a picture. You should look at her/his own picture and write down four or five words or phrases that immediately come to mind (write your ideas on the sheet beneath the picture).

Pass the paper on to your neighbour who should read the words/phrases and add four or five of her/his own. Then the picture is passed on again and other words/phrases are added.

When each picture with about 30-40 words/phrases is given back to the original student she/he has got a resource with which to write a short report on the picture.

XVIII. Many people believe that the time of year that you were born has an effect on your character because of the positions of the stars and planets. They divide the year into 12 periods of time, and these are known as the signs of the zodiac. People born under different signs are thought to have different characteristics. Read about your zodiac sign and make some comments about your personality, using the phrases below:

Read your sign: Is it true?

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