Read text A

A Letter Home

23 Students' Street,

London, N.W. 4

10th November, 1992

Dear Mum and Dad,

Delighted to tell you that now I’ve got a place at the hostel and that's where I'm writing from. It's in Students' Street which is named so because there are a few colleges and a University here. We are lucky it isn't a long way from our college, either. The street is all green, lined with trees and there are still flowers in the flower-beds though it's September already.

I share the room with one of my group-mates. Of course, I know very little of her yet but she seems to be sociable and kind. She spent a few years in Paris with her parents, so she speaks French much better than anyone else in the group.

The room is quite enough for the two of us. We moved in a few days ago and everything is in its place now. You are certainly interested to know what our room looks like. Well, it's a little larger than my room at home, with a big window right opposite the door. In front of the window there is a writing-table with a table-lamp on it. On both sides of the table there are beds. I take one to the left of the table with two shelves above. On one of them I keep some of my books (others are in the drawers of the desk), on the other – a transistor-radio, an alarm-clock, a looking-glass, my favourite teddy-bear and our family photo. In the middle of the room there is a dining-table and near the door-a wardrobe. There are also a few chairs am an armchair in the right-hand corner. It's a pity we haven't got any television-set but there is one in the hall on the ground floor. So, we can watch television at odd hours, which are quite rare, though. As a matter of fact we have a lot to do at college. I'm up to my ears in studies and happy to have good living and work conditions. Here at the hostel there is a laboratory and a reading-room, and a canteen, too. There is also a kitchen next door and we can use a gas-cooker if we like. As you can see I'm settled down quite well here. Yet, I feel homesick at times. Now that I am far away I understand: there is no place like home.

Well, so much for myself. How are you and how is Granny's health? Is there any news of Lucy and Mike, what about their new flat?

Please, give everyone my fondest love.

Yours,

Mary

Text B

A Letter from Home

14 Part Avenue,

Wembley

17Th November, 1992

Mary dear,

It's less than a month that you're away from home but it seems ages. We miss you badly, so it's sweet of you to write often. We are all fairly well and pleased you are too, in your room at the hostel with a nice room-mate. Dad and I are back to work after the holidays, Granny does most of the work about the house – just the usual run of things, as you can see. I can't say I see much of Lucy and Mike, but we speak much over phone. Their latest news and chief topic of conversation is the new flat, of course. They are moving somewhere around the end of the month. As you can imagine it's quite an event for them and they are, certainly, anxious. Their new apartment is in a block of flats in a new district on the outskirts of the city. It's a pretty long way from the centre, but that doesn't matter much as there is an underground round the corner. Lucy is a little upset that the flat is on the top floor of a twelve-storeyed house, but this can't be helped and, after all, there is a lift. As far as I know, it's a two-room flat with a bathroom, a lavatory, a spacious hall and a balcony. The kitchen is very comfortable, with an electric cooker and built-in furniture. There are also a few built-in wardrobes in the hall and the bedroom which is very convenient, no doubt. There are, certainly, all modern conveniences in the flat: electricity, central heating, hot and cold water supply. Hope to see it all for myself soon and write you more then. That's our news for the present. There is little else I can say, just that we are lucky with the weather. It's fairly warm and doesn't at all look like autumn. How are things with you? We all send you our love and kisses.

Yours,

Mum

Vocabulary

Text A
delighted ( = 1 am delighted) to tell you рада сообщить вам		to keep держать, хранить alarm-clock будильник
that's where I’m writing from отсюда я и пишу		teddy-bear плюшевый медвежонок
we are lucky нам повезло		on the ground floor на первом эта­же
a long way from далеко от		at odd hours в свободное время, в свободные часы
lined with trees обсажена деревьями		which are quite rare, though кото­рые, однако, очень редки
I share the room with я живу в од­ной комнате с		as a matter of fact дело в том, что...
I know very little of her yet я ее еще мало знаю		a lot to do много дел
she seems to be sociable она кажет­ся общительной		up to my ears in studies по уши в учебе (очень занята учебой)
quite enough for the two of us вполне достаточна для нас двоих		living conditions жилищные условия
to move in въезжать (в квартиру)		work conditions условия для работы, для занятий
in its place на своем месте		canteen столовая
right opposite прямо напротив		as you can see как видите
on both sides of по обе стороны		I am settled down я устроилась
I take one я занимаю постель (one - слово-заместитель, здесь вместо bed)		Yet, I feel homesick at times. Тем не менее, временами я скучаю по дому.
the left of слева от		is there any news of есть ли какие-нибудь новости о... (news сочета­ется с глаголом в ед. ч.)
now that теперь,
когда there is no place like home нет ни­чего лучше дома
so much for myself хватит о себе
Text B
it seems ages кажется, что прошла вечность		on the top floor на последнем эта­же
we miss you badly мы очень по те­бе скучаем		storey этаж
it's sweet of you... очень хорошо, что ты...		this can't be helped ничего не поде­лаешь
fairly довольно, весьма		as far as I know насколько мне из­вестно
back to work возобновили работу		lavatory уборная
about the house по дому		spacious просторный
the usual run of things всё, как обычно		built-in furniture встроенная мебель
over phone no телефону		convenient удобный
somewhere around the end of the month где-то в конце месяца		conveniences удобства
it's quite an event for them это для них большое событие		no doubt без сомнения
to be anxious ждать с нетерпением, сильно желать; волноваться		central heating центральное отопле­ние
a block of flats многоквартирный дом		hope (= I hope) to see it all for myself надеюсь все увидеть свои­ми глазами
district район		for the present пока, на сегодняш­ний день
a pretty long way from далеко от		We all send you our love arid kisses. Привет и поцелуи вам от всех нас.
on the outskirts на окраине
round the corner за углом

1. Read and translate text A. Imagine that you are Mary’s mother. Describe your daughter’s room to your friend.

2. Read and translate text B. Imagine that you are Mary’s father colleague. Get information about Lucy’s and Mike’s new apartment.