Unit I people and their life Conversational topic: Characterizing people

The delineation of person's appearance more often than not is associated for us with the estimation of a person and our aesthetic attitude towards him. In brief outlines, nevertheless, we must content ourselves with speaking of it but in general terms. Thus, a person may appear nice to deal with, good looking or ugly. There may be kind of rapport between us or the admittance of its absence may turn out to be absolutely indispensable.

The description of appearance includes the description of the face, actions and manners as well as clothing.

External signs, and this should be laid special emphasis on, are undoubtedly indicative of character. Different traits and characteristics of a person such as responsibility, will power, kindness and others can be expressed by the features of the face in general. The characteristics possessed by a person will be found to be indicated also by parts of the face – eyes, mouth, chin, hair, beard or moustache. The Persians, for instance, must esteemed those people who had long and crooked noses. Much can be learnt of a person's nature from the mode of carrying his head, body, etc. To be able to read a person's character is an asset to be worth developing.

The delineation of a person's appearance can be invaluable in life. It can be of great importance in finding a suitable partner in life, forming new friendships, in selection of personnel in one's business or even in finding a criminal or a person lost in unfamiliar surrounding.

The study of a person's looks as we believe adds to your knowledge of people and make our life, on top of it, more pleasurable, clear and distinct.

Words to remember

asset ['æsәt] – достоинство;

crooked ['kru:kid] – кривой;

delineation [di'lini'eiʃn] – очертание;

indispensable ['indi'spensәbl] – необходимый, незаменимый;

moustache [mә'sta:ʃ] – усы;

rapport [ræ' pɔ:t] – взаимопонимание;

trait [treit] – характерная черта, особенность.

Exercises

1. Give the English equivalents to the following phrases.

1) Ассоциироваться с чем-либо;

2) эстетическое отношение;

3) приятно общаться (иметь дело);

4) уделять особое внимание;

5) быть выраженным;

6) обладать характеристиками;

7) манера держать голову;

8) подходящий партнер;

9) отбор персонала;

10) незнакомое окружение.

2. Comment on the following.

1. “I wish some power would give us the gift of seeing ourselves as others see us. It would free us from many a blunder and foolish notion”.

(R. Burns)

2. “By the age of thirty we are all responsible for our face”.

(Zen saying)

3. Take a piece of paper, put your name at the top and then write a short description of another member of your group. Don’t mention his/her name, sex, age, or any colours in your description. Pass the papers around the auditorium. Each time you receive the paper write down the name of the person you think it is and pass it on. You may be surprised by the results!

4. Make up a dialogue for the following situation.

Peter Bennett and a friend of his, John, have come to the station to meet Peter’s father’s friend. Peter has never seen him, but he’s got his photo. Now Peter and John are standing at the entrance of the carriage discussing which of the passengers leaving the carriage might be the man they need.

5. Make up a story to prove one of the following sayings.

1. Appearances are deceitful.

2. Beauty lies in lover’s eyes.

3. The face is the index of the mind.

4. A fair face may hide a foul heart.

5. You should kiss a lot of frogs before you find a prince or a princess.