Home, sweet home! The English like their home; they are deeply attached to it. Poets, writers in prose describe its quiet pleasures, its comfort, and its sweetly familiar atmosphere. Thousands of songs were composed about Home. Home, sweet home! Words Home, Cosy have worked their way into vocabularies of most languages of the globe. Home means one’s country when one is abroad; home means one’s family; home is one’s government – Home Office, Home Secretary; home is the country’s independence – Home Rule, Home Guards, Home Regiment and so on, and so forth. Home is the residence, the dwelling, the habitation, the house - home is everything! That is why the English prefer a club to a café or a restaurant, a boarding –house to a hotel. Away from their homeland the English do their best to adopt the ways of Home Life in food, in dress, in manners, in everything – as far as possible. And very often in their outlook, in their approach to life around them. In France, in Ethiopia or Japan they will have porridge in the morning, they will have a ritual of tea drinking, they will dress up for dinner; they will sleep with their window open in Alaska or at the North Pole; they will read their  usual morning newspaper and will often write letters To the Editor.

            The English do like sitting by the fire (coal, gas, wood, electric) in their Sweet Home; they are very fond of reading. There are more daily papers read in Britain than anywhere else in the world. The fireplace is the natural center of interest in the room. For many months of the year they like to sit round the fire and watch the dancing flames. In the evening when the members of the family come home, they like to gather round the fireplace and exchange the day’s experience.

            Everyone has a hobby of some kind. It is rare to meet a person without a hobby nowadays. Dogs, cats, white mice, beetles, birds of any kind, exotic fish and exotic plants; collecting things: stones, shells , buttons, trade marks, postcards, pens, pencils, door knockers, door knobs, door handles, gloves, foreign and home coins and paper money – all these are hobbies. There are occupational hobbies such as book-binding, wood and metal cutting, model making and radio- construction. The most common and by far the most popular are both gardening and photography.

            The English people like animals very much. Pet dogs, cats, horses, ducks, chickens, canaries and other friends of man have a much better life in Britain than anywhere else. They do all they can to make animals feel well in their homes, and outside their homes, too. The English people believe that they are the only nation in the world that is really kind to animals.

            Another thing- they like the Nature, the fields, the woods, the beasts, the birds. Every year there are thousands of letters sent to the editor of The Times to say they heard the first cuckoo. The outdoor exercise is a must, too. They go for a walk in all weather. And they are fond of picnicking.  A picnic under a slashing rain is a national feature of the English. Rain, snow, hail - no matter, they must be out of doors a few hours a day and take the dog out, too.

Most English love gardens and this is probably one reason why many people wish to live in houses more than flats. They want to have a bit of land where they could plant something: tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage, potatoes, or grow flowers. They love flowers very much.

            The English are disciplined and law-abiding.   They sit out with angelic patience, sometimes under pouring rain, sometimes the whole night till early in the morning, forming queues (for theatres, cinemas, any first night show, or even at a bus stop). At weekends an Englishman queues up at the bus stop, travels out to Richmond, queues for a boat, then queues up for tea,  then queues up for ice-cream… , then queues at the bus stop and has the time of his life.

            Englishmen are naturally very polite and are never tired of saying "Thank you” and "I am sorry”. You never hear loud talk in the street. They will never shut the door in your face but will hold it open for you.

English people do not shake hands when meeting one another; they just smile and say, "Hallo”          .

Englishmen do not show their emotions even in tragic situations. They seem to remain good-tempered and cheerful under difficulties.

The English are a funny lot, a very peculiar lot of people…. However it should be remembered that the English are distributed according to their class, their income, their education, their manners.

English Character

Exercise 1

Error correction

Everyone has a hobby of some a kind. It is a rare to meet a person without a hobby nowadays. Dogs, the cats, white mice, beetles, birds of any kind, exotic fish and exotic plants; collecting things: stones, shells, few buttons, trade marks, postcards, pens, little pencils, door knockers, door knobs, door handles, gloves, foreign and home his coins and paper money – all these are hobbies. There are occupational hobbies such as the book-binding, wood and metal cutting, model making and radio- construction. The most common are and by far the most popular are both gardening and is photography.

Exercise 1

Error correction Answer

Everyone has a hobby of some a* kind. It is a* rare to meet a person without a hobby nowadays. Dogs, the*  cats, white mice, beetles, birds of any kind, exotic fish and exotic plants; collecting things: stones, shells, few* buttons, trade marks, postcards, pens, little* pencils, door knockers, door knobs, door handles, gloves, foreign and home his* coins and paper money – all these are hobbies. There are occupational hobbies such as the* book-binding, wood and metal cutting, model making and radio- construction. The most common are* and by far the most popular are both gardening and is* photography.

Exercise 2

The following text is mixed up. Arrange all parts of it in the correct order.

a. Every year there are thousands of letters sent to the editor of The Times to say they heard the first cuckoo.

b. They go for a walk in all weather.

c. Rain, snow, hail - no matter, they must be out of doors a few hours a day and take the dog out, too.

d. The outdoor exercise is a must, too.

e. Another thing- they like the Nature, the fields, the woods, the beasts, the birds.

f. A picnic under a slashing rain is a national feature of the English.

g. And they are fond of picnicking.

Exercise 2

Mixed up text. Answer

1. E, 2 A, 3 D, 4 B, 5 G 6 F A, 7 C

Exercise 3

Inset the necessary words

            The English do like sitting by the fire (coal, gas, wood, electric) in their Sweet Home; they are very --1-- of reading. There are more daily papers read in Britain than --2-- else in the world. The fireplace is the natural center of interest in the --3--. For many months of the --4-- they like to sit round the --5-- and watch the dancing flames. In the --6--when the members of the --7--come home, they --8--to gather round the --9--and exchange the day’s experience.

Exercise 3

Inset the necessary words.Answer

1 fond 2 anywhere 3 room 4 year 5 fire 6 evening 7 family 8 like 9 fireplace

Exercise 4

Cross out the wrong answer

The English people like/have liked animals very much. Pet dogs, cats, horses, ducks, chickens, canaries and other friends of man have/has a much better life in Britain than anywhere else. They do/had done all they can/could to make/have made animals feel/has felt well in their homes, and outside their homes, too. The English people believe/are believing that they are/is the only nation in the world that is /was really kind to animals.

Exercise 4

Cross out the wrong answer

1. like 2.have 3. do 4. can 5. make 6. feel 7. believe 8. are 9 is

Exercise 5

Put in articles where necessary

            The English are disciplined and law-abiding.   They sit out with angelic patience, sometimes under pouring rain, sometimes whole night till early in morning, forming queues (for theatres, cinemas, any first night show, or even at bus stop). At weekends Englishman queues up at bus stop, travels out to Richmond, queues for boat, then queues up for tea, then queues up for ice-cream…, then queues at bus stop and has time of his life.

Exercise 5

Put in articles where necessary    answer text

            The English are disciplined and law-abiding. They sit out with angelic patience, sometimes under pouring rain, sometimes the *whole night till early in the * morning, forming queues (for theatres, cinemas, any first night show, or even at a * bus stop). At weekends an* Englishman queues up at the* bus stop, travels out to Richmond, queues for a* boat, then queues up for tea,  then queues up for ice-cream… , then queues at the* bus stop and has the* time of his life.

Exercise 6

Put in the necessary prepositions

            Englishmen are naturally very polite and are never tired saying "Thank you” and "I am sorry”. You never hear loud talk the street. They will never shut the door your face but will hold it open you.

English people do not shake hands when meeting one another; they just smile and say, "Hallo”.

Englishmen do not show their emotions even tragic situations. They seem to remain good-tempered and cheerful under difficulties.

The English are a funny lot, a very peculiar lot people…. However it should be remembered that the English are distributed according their class, their income, their education, and their manners.

Exercise 6

Put in the necessary prepositions answer text

            Englishmen are naturally very polite and are never tired of* saying "Thank you” and "I am sorry”. You never hear loud talk in* the street. They will never shut the door in* your face but will hold it open for* you.

English people do not shake hands when meeting one another; they just smile and say, "Hallo”          .

Englishmen do not show their emotions even in* tragic situations. They seem to remain good-tempered and cheerful under difficulties.

The English are a funny lot, a very peculiar lot of* people…. However it should be remembered that the English are distributed according to* their class, their income, their education and their manners.