Ordering a Meal

— Is this table free, waiter?

— I'm sorry, sir, those two tables have just been reserved by telephone, but that one over there's free.

— What a pity! We wanted to be near the dance floor. Still, it doesn't matter, we'll take it... The menu, please.

— Here you are, sir. Will you dine a la carte or take the table d'hote?

— Well, let's see. What do you think, darling?

— Oh, I don't want much to eat. I'm not very hungry. I think I'll have — er — some oxtail soup and fried plaice with chips.

— Hm. I'm rather hungry. I'll start with some hors d'xuvre.

— And to follow?

— A grilled steak with baked potatoes and peas,

— Will you have anything to drink, sir?

— Well, I'm rather thirsty. Bring me half a pint of bitter. What about you, darling?

— Well, I don't care for beer, but I will have a glass of cherry.

— Very good... What sweet would you like?

— I'll have fruit salad.

— So will I. And we'll have two coffees, please.

— Black or white?

— White, please. Oh, and two liqueur brandies.

— What a lovely waltz they are playing. Shall we dance?

— Yes, I'd love to...

— Waiter! The bill, please.

— Very good, sir.

— Here you are.

— Thank you very much, sir.

Make up a dialogue of your own, using some of the phrases of the dialogue above.

This exercise is meant to develop your ability to read and retell a story with correct intonation.

a) Listen to the story "Insufficient Local Knowledge" carefully, sen­tence by sentence. Mark the stresses and tunes. The teacher will help you to correct your variant. Practise reading your corrected variant.

b) listen carefully to the narration of the story. Observe the peculiari­ties in intonation-group division, pitch, stress and tempo. Note the use of temporizers. Reproduce the model narration you have listened to.

This exercise is meant to test your ability to analyze and reproduce material for reading and retelling.

A) Read the joke silently to make sure you understand each sentence. Underline the sentence expressing the essence of the joke. Split up each phrase into intonation groups if necessary. Locate the communicative centre of each sentence. Mark the stresses ana tunes, concentrate your attention on the attitude expressed. It is not expected that each student will mark the story in exactly the same way. Discuss your variants in class. The teacher will help you to choose the best variant. Practise your corrected variant for test reading,

b) Retell the joke in your own words:

The father of a family, who was angry with his children because they were displeased with their food, exclaimed an­grily one day at dinner: "You children are intolerable; you turn up your noses of everything. When I was a boy, I was often glad to get dry bread enough to eat." "Poor papa," said Rose, "I'm so glad you are having such a nice time now living with mama and us."

SECTION FIVE Compound Tunes FALL + RISE

All the tunes containing more than one nuclear tone are called compound.

The Fall + Rise is a combination of the High Fall and the Low Rise.

The fall and the rise always occur on separate syllables. The fall starts from a very high level and ends very low. Any syllables occurring between the High Fall and the Low Rise are said on a very low pitch. Notional words are stressed. The fall­ing part marks the idea which the speaker wants to empha­size and the rising part marks an addition to this main idea.

The combination of the High Fall with the Low Rise is used in sentences expressing highly emotional reaction to the situation. It is often heard:

1. In statements, sounding apologetic, appreciative, grateful, regretful, sympathetic, persuasively reassuring, pleading, plaintive.

е.g. Whose turn is it then? — It's `mine ,actually.

How did this get broken? — I'm most `terribly ,sorry.

2. In questions:

a) In special questions, sounding plaintive, pleading, weary, despairing; sometimes warm, sympathetic.

е.g. Sorry I'm late. — Oh why „can't you „come on _/time for once?

b) In general questions, conveying a plaintive, pleading, sometimes impatient tone.

е.g. He played very badly today. — Will he ever be any ,better d'you think?

3. In imperatives, sounding plaintive, pleading, reproachful.

е.g. It's all so depressing. — `Cheer ,up. (It can't „last for ,ever.)

I've nothing to do with it. — Now `do be ,reason-able, Charles.

4. In exclamations, warm, sympathetic, encourag­ing, sometimes plaintive, puzzled, surprised.

Greetings and leave-takings sound pleasant and friendly being pronounced this way.

е.g. Good night, Peggy. — Good night, Mrs. ,Smith. See you on Friday. — Right you ,are!