When a Courtship Ends
The challenge
Exercise 1
Fill in the gaps with the following verbs:
think, can (2), tell, have(2), can not (2), start, seem, pass, begin, to be, see, break up.
“I ………….. I had found the right person for me. ‘I …………. spend forever with this guy,’ I ……….. myself. But after two months of dating, I …………… to break up with him. I …………… believe that what …………… so great ……………. end so fast!”—Anna.
“It …………… as if we …………… be more alike. In my mind, I already …………… us married. As time …………., however, I ………….. to realize how different we …………... When I …………. what a huge mistake I was making, I …………… with him.”—Elaine.»
Exercise 2
Find the equivalents of the following in the text:
Встречаться……………………………
Подходящий человек…………………………….
Расстаться…………………….
Огромная ошибка…………………..
Сделать ошибку……………………
Однако…………………..
Exercise 3
Find these sentence connectors and the expressions used with them in the text:
После двух месяцев отношений; казалось будто бы мы "похожи, как две капли воды"; со временем, я начала осознавать; мысленно, я нас уже поженила; когда я увидела.
Exercise 4
Put the verbs in the Past Simple
«WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
A breakup can be painful, even for the person who………………… (to initiate) it. “I…………… (to feel) terrible!” says a young woman named Sarah, who……………. (to break up) with her boyfriend after six months. “One minute this person…………….. (to be) in my life and in my future; the next minute he…………… (to be) gone. Then I’d hear songs that…………… (to be) special to the two of us, and that would remind me of the good times we…………. (to have). I’d be at places that…………….. (to be) special to us, and I’d feel the pain of his absence. I…………… (to feel) all of this even though I……………….. (to be) the one who……………… (to initiate) the breakup!»
Exercise 5
Find the following expressions:
- Особенный для;
- Напоминать о хороших временах;
- В одно мгновение;
- Боль его отсутствия;
- Быть инициатором разрыва;
- Нам обоим;
- Он исчез (ушел);
- Болезненный.
- Именно я спровоцировала разрыв.
Exercise 6
Translate (having in mind the sentence “I was the one who initiated the breakup”)
- Именно я осознала, насколько мы разные.
- Это он сделал огромную ошибку.
- Это она чувствовала боль его отсутствия.
- Это я ушла.
- Это она думала, что нашла подходящего человека.
- Именно я мысленно нас поженила.
- Это ты думала, что мы похожи, как две капли воды.
- Это она думала, что сможет быть вечно с этим парнем.
- Это он не мог поверить, что то, что началось так хорошо, могло так быстро закончиться.
Exercise 7
Pay attention to the usage of ‘would’ in the text:
I’d hear songs; that would remind me of; I’d be; I’d feel.
What could ‘would’ mean?
Exercise 8
Complete with the following verbs in the past simple:
Teach, happen(2), go through, can(2), have, take(2), pass.
«Learn from what …………...
“After time ……….., I ………… better analyze what ………….,” says a young woman named Marcia. “However, I ………… to wait until I ……….. look at things rationally rather than just emotionally.” Adam, mentioned earlier, feels similarly. He says: “It …………. a year for me to get over the breakup. It …………… even longer for me to turn the experience into something constructive. What I …………… …………… me a lot about myself, the opposite sex, and relationships. I feel much less pain now about the breakup.»
P.S. Is there any difference between the verbs ‘teach’ and ‘learn’?
Exercise 9
Find the following expressions:
Намного меньше; женщина по имени; пережить (восстановиться); спустя какое-то время; мне понадобился год; мне понадобилось даже больше времени; чувствует что-то подобное; я смогла лучше проанализировать; обратить опыт во что-то созидательное; упомянутый ранее.
Exercise 10
Find the sentence connectors in the text:
- ………………………….
- ………………………….
- ………………………….
- ………………………….
The heart does heal
“When my boyfriend broke up with me, I felt guilty, confused, lonely, and even worthless. Being hurt at heart is one of the hardest things to deal with. But God didn’t create us with the ability to love simply to torture us with it. He also made us with the ability to heal»
Exercise 11
What do you think could mean the usage of the auxiliary DOES in the headline?
Exercise 12
Find the following phrases:
Ранить в само сердце, быть раненным в само сердце, чувствовать вину, сложнее всего справиться, способность любить, создать(2), чувствовать одиночество, мучить нас этим, чувство никчемности, способность выздороветь (исцелиться), чувствовать себя сбитым с толку, пытать.
Exercise 13
These adjectives are synonyms and antonyms for the 4 words from the text. Find them and match.
Word 1 ………………………
Synonyms …………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Antonyms ……………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Word 2
Synonyms…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Antonyms……………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Word 3
Synonyms…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Antonyms……………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Word 4
Synonyms…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Antonyms……………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Embarrassed
She seemed almost embarrassed by her own outburst.
I was embarrassed about forgetting his name.
Befriended
Shortly after my arrival at the school, I was befriended by an older girl.
Guiltless
I didn't like him, and felt completely guiltless about it.
If the couple are guiltless why did they offer a bribe?
Innocent
Stop playing innocent and answer my questions, please.
He was the innocent party in the breakdown of the marriage.
Puzzled
He looked puzzled so I repeated the question.
Scientists are puzzled as to why the whale had swum to the shore.
Baffled
I'm baffled why she hasn't called.
I’m baffled by her decision.
Perplexed
We are all perplexed as to how this happened.
Investigators are perplexed by the pilot’s mistake.
Clearheaded
Although the police and newspapers praised her quick thinking and clearheaded response to the attack, after the initial shock wore off, Jane felt anything but clearheaded.
Alone
He lives alone.
She was sitting all alone in the hall.
Single
The apartments are ideal for single people living alone.
Are you still single?
Insignificant
He made her feel insignificant and stupid.
Unimportant
I was just a young girl from a small town and I felt very unimportant.
Inferior
Her obvious popularity made me feel inferior.
.Women are often regarded as inferior.
Abandoned
The child was found abandoned but unharmed.
Precious
You are infinitely precious to me.
Worthy
He’s a very worthy man, I suppose, but he’s very dull.
She felt she was not worthy to be on the stage with all these glamorous people.
Respectable
I’m a respectable married woman.
Ashamed
I’ve done nothing to be ashamed about.
She was ashamed of what she had done.
You act as if you’re ashamed to be seen with me.
Sheepish
He came into the room looking distinctly sheepish.They were obviously a little bit sheepish about the misunderstanding.
Exercise 14
Translate, please:
- Я не была инициатором разрыва, но меня ранили в само сердце.
- Мне было сложно справиться с чувством вины. (в английском варианте слова стоят наоборот).
- После двух месяцев свиданий, я поняла, насколько мы разные.
- Женщина по имени Линда, чувствовала что-то подобное.
- Песня напомнила мне об огромной ошибке.
- Я упоминала это ранее.
- Вы чувствовали боль, когда расстались с молодым человеком?
- Он нашел подходящего человека?
- Она смотрела на вещи скорее эмоционально, чем рационально.
- Она обратила опыт во что-то созидательное (позитивное)?
- То, через что она прошла, не было (не ощущалось) замечательным.
- Его отсутствие не научило меня многому о себе.
