A fare-dodger

(a) She talks on and on about her opinions and ideas.

(b) He keeps count of every penny he has and only spends money if he must.

(c) She likes to mention all the famous and important people she’s met.

(d) He makes his employees work extremely hard.

(e) She crosses the road without bothering to look at the traffic.

(f) He’s lazy and prefers not to work.

(g) She drops rubbish anywhere and never puts it in the bin.

(h) He drives very inconsiderately of other drivers.

(i) She’s only interested in leaving work and going home.

(j) She avoids paying when she travels on public transport.

(k) He dresses and behaves in a very careless, often disgusting way.

(l) He’s a bit wild, always getting into fights and other trouble.

Exercise 24. Explain the meaning of the following proverbs and use them in the situations of your own.

1. A dog in the manger. 2. A good name is better than riches. 3. A word is enough to the wise. 4.. Custom is a second nature. 5. Fortune favours the brave. 6. Handsome is as handsome does. 7. He will never set the Thames on fire. 8. A little body often harbours a great soul. 9. All that glitters is not gold. 10. He that is full of himself is very empty. 11. You cannot judge a tree by its bark. 12. Still waters run deep.

Exercise 25. Use your dictionary to clarify your understanding of the following idioms. Translate them. Make up situation to prove your proper understanding of each idiom.

1. to be all sugar and honey; 2. to be an ass in a lion skin; 3. to wear one’s heart upon one’s sleeve; 4. to control/hold/keep one’s temper; 5. to fly/get into a temper; 6. to loose one’s temper; 7. to be out of temper with smb. or smth; 8. to put smb. out of temper; 9. to be quite a character; 10. to recover/regain one’s temper; 11. to throw dust in one’s eyes; 12. to have a big mouth; 13. to cost an arm and a leg; 14. to keep one’s fingers crossed; 15. to put one’s best foot forward; 16. to be born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth; 17. to be all skin and bones; 18. to cut one’s teeth; 19. to give someone the cold shower.

Exercise 26. Say whether you know a person about whom you could say that he or she is:

1. as busy as a bee; 2. as melancholy as a cat; 3. as merry as a cricket; 4. as slippery as an eel; 5. as true as steel; 6. as innocent as a babe unborn; 7. as cunning as a fox; 8. as neat as a new pin; 9. as thin as a rake; 10. as obstinate as a donkey; 11. as wise as an owl.

Exercise 27. Read and translate the following text.