Revision Exercises

(based on the Introductory Material)

Exercise 1. Make up several questions of different types (including indirect questions) based on the following sentences: 1, 6, 10, 13.

Exercise 2. Make up several sentences on the analogy of sentences 1, 4, 12, 13.

Exercise 3. Comment on the following sentences: 1, 5, 13.

Exercise 4. Develop the following sentences into short situations: 4, 10, 11, 12.

Exercise 5. Build dialogues round the following sentences: 2, 14, 16.,

12. Contemptuous, contemptible

Introductory material

Read and translate the following sentences paying special atten-.tion to the words in bold type.

1. He’s irritable, impatient ... rather contemptuous of what I say or do. 2. She wondered whether his sarcastic manner, with its contemptuous tolerance for so many persons and things she admired, was merely a facade to conceal a profound weakness. 3. Madelone Leroy sat at luncheon, cool, almost contemptuous of the looks levelled at her. 4. He sat by the side of Vanamee, who ate but little, preferring rather to watch the scene with calm observation, a little contemptuous when the uproar around the table was too boisterous. 5. If Mr Pott had a weakness, it was, per­haps, that he was rather too submissive to the somewhat contemptuous control and sway of his wife. 6. Mr Jingle only answered with a contemptuous smile, and replied to his menaces by a shout of triumph. 7. Fabermacher was contemptuous with an intensity that removed his attitude from any trace of childishness. 8. «I know that you’re callous and heartless, I know that you’re selfish, selfish beyond words, and I know that you haven’t the nerve of a rabbit, I know you’re a liar and a humbug, I know that you’re utterly contemptible. And the tragic part is» — her face was on a sudden distraught with pain, — «the tragic part is that notwithstanding I love you with all my heart.» 9. It was trickery of the most contemptible order, a thing he believed to be unknown to the old school of politics and statesmanship to which he was proud to belong. 10. It seemed to her faintly contemptible that he who was so timid of saying absurd things, who so feared to be ridiculous, should use baby talk.

EXPLANATORY NOTES

Contemptuous ajd. Scornful, disdainful, e.g. a ~ look; a ~ manner; with an air of ~ indifference. Derivative: contemptuously adv.

Contemptible adj. Despicable; worthless; mean, e.g. a ~ fellow; a ~ conduct.

Derivative: contemptibly adv.

The difference between contemptuous and contemptible is absolutely clear-cut thanks to the use of: different adjective-forming suffixes. However, these adjectives are sometimes confused by Russian learners because of the identity of the root word. Contemptuous implies showing contempt while contemptible suggests deserving or provoking contempt. (Compare the Russian adjectives: презрительный and презренный, which are also derived from the same word with the help of different suffixes.)

Exercises

Exercise 1. Translate the following phrases into Russian; use them fn sentences or situations.

1. A contemptible person. 2. A contemptuous remark. 3. A contemptible thing to do. 4. A contemptuous air. 5. A contemptuous retort. 6. A contemptuous smile. 7. A contemptible action. 8. Contemptuous of public opinion. 9. A contemptible means. 10. Utterly contemptible.

Exercise 2. Answer the following questions:

1. Do you agree that Matthew Brodie is a contemptible character? State your reasons. (A. Cronin, Hatter’s Castle) 2. What is your attitude to people who are contemptuous of public opinion? 3. What is a snob? Can you give examples from English literature? 4. Did James Brodie treat his wife respectfully? (A. Cronin, Hatter’s Castle). 5. What does a contemptuous smile imply? 6. What do you think of Ruth’s conduct with respect to Martin? (/. London, Martin Eden) 7. What sort of behaviour can you regard as contemptible? Give several examples from everyday life. 8. In what way did Mrs Page treat A. Manson? State your reasons. (A. Cronin, The Citadel) 9. What are, in your opinion, the most contemptible traits of character? Why? 10. What sort of offer is sure to be rejected contemptuously by an honest person? Give several illustrations of this.

Exercise 3. Paraphrase the following phrases and sentences using one of the words under discussion.

1. A disdainful manner. 2. Despicable behaviour. 3. A contemptuous shrug. 4. A look full of contempt. 5. A mean act. 6. A worthless fellow. 7. A scornful smile. 8. A disdainful attitude. 9. A mean person. 10. He had hearty contempt for his fellow-writers which he expressed with zest. 11. He’s a worthless creature. I suppose I shouldn’t have been taken in by him if I hadn’t been as worthless as he. 12. Walter had always held him in contempt. 13. A thrill of pride passed through her, and at the same time a faint sensation of contempt for a man who could love so slavishly. 14. She spoke with exaggerated contempt. 15. She had only contempt for herself because once she had felt contempt for Walter. 16. The sight infuriated Andrew. He laughed contemptuously, offensively.

Exercise 4.* Fill in the blanks using one of the words under discussion.

1. «I’m ambitious for my child. That’s the difference between us,» she said with a faintly ... look. 2. She had rushed to tell her mother, laughing ... . 3. When she entered the witness box, her head was tilted at an exaggeratedly ... angle. 4. Although he liked rather than disliked his stepfather he felt ... of him and had never regarded him as a person with any sort of authority. 5. His tone was so ... that she flushed with anger. 6. But Mrs Ferreira thought that he was trying to placate her and made her ... and over-confident. 7. Erik’s smile was bleak and ... . 8. I think that shooting the boy’s dog in revenge was a ... thing to do. 9. Sit down, you ... pup, and listen to me for a minute. 10. A look of ... hostility flashes across her face. 11. When the mother answered her voice was surprisingly ... .

Exercise 5. Complete and expand on the following sentences using one of the words under discussion.

1. The word «nigger» ... 2. The way you treated that man ... 3. Did he accept the offer? Oh, no ... 4. I cannot justify his behaviour because ... 5. Cowards and traitors are ... 6. When she learnt the truth ... 7. Mary Graham knew well enough that ... (G. Gordon, Let the Day Perish) 8. Honest, straightforward people ... 9. Those who are … 10. She said those words with a ...

Exercise 6. Use the following sentences in situations.

1. What made-her now so contemptuous of her behaviour was the realization that ... 2. «I have to meet someone,» I said. He raised his eyebrows with a faint, contemptuous smile. 3. Council tenants have been treated in a shameful, arbitrary, and contemptible way. 4. He had done a foolish and a contemptible thing, which was not warranted however bad her actions had been.

Exercise 7. Make up a list of nouns that go with the adjectives contemptuous and contemptible; use several of the resulting phrases in short dialogues or situations based on the subject matter of English or American novels.

Exercise 8. Translate the following sentences into English.

1. Я бы никогда не поверил, что он может совершить такой низкий поступок. 2. Она оглянулась и презрительно посмотрела ему вслед. 3. Сын не мог не презирать пьяницу отца. 4. В ответ на вопрос он презрительно пожал плечами. 5. Она относилась к нему с некоторым презрением. 6. Ее презрительная гримаса вызвала возмущение всех присутствующих. 7. Это был низкий человек с маской добропорядочности на лице. 8. «Он презренный об­манщик!» — закричала она. 9. Ее презрительная улыбка рассердила его, и он ушел. 10. Она сидела на скамейке с видом презрительного равнодушия и наблюдала за прохожими.