Read at Leisure, Learn with Pleasure!

Е. Б. Шулекина 

Read at Leisure,  
Learn with Pleasure! 

Учебно-методическое пособие 

Москва 
2022 

УДК 811.111(076) 
ББК 81.432.1я73  
 Ш95 

Рецензенты: 

М. К. Абаева, канд. филол. наук, доцент, доц. Казахского  
национального педагогического университета им. Абая, 

Алматы, Казахстан; 

М. А. Бородина, канд. филол. наук, доцент, доц.  
факультета иностранных языков Российского  
университета дружбы народов, Москва, Россия 

Шулекина, Е. Б. 
Ш95  
 Read at Leisure, Learn with Pleasure! : учебно-методическое 
пособие / Е. Б. Шулекина. — Москва : Директ-Медиа, 
2022. — 132 с. 

 ISBN 978-5-4499-3181-8 

Учебно-методическое пособие представляет собой сборник 
из 26 адаптированных произведений на английском языке 
уровня Elementary, Pre-Intermediate и Intermediate. Это рассказы-
притчи, затрагивающие философские проблемы, интересные по 
содержанию короткие рассказы известных классиков. К каждому 
тексту даются слова, вопросы к содержанию рассказа, вопросы 
для обсуждения и задания для индивидуальной работы. Пособие 
поможет студентам, используя уже знакомую лексику, свободно 
обсуждать прочитанное, расширить кругозор, пополнить словарный 
запас, закрепить грамматику, повысить интерес к чтению 
на английском языке. 
Издание предназначено для студентов и людей старших возрастных 
групп, стремящихся совершенствовать свой уровень в 
изучении английского языка. 

УДК 811.111(076) 
ББК 81.432.1я73 

ISBN 978-5-4499-3181-8
© Шулекина Е. Б., текст, 2022
© Издательство «Директ-Медиа», оформление, 2022

От автора 

Современное образовательное пространство харак-

теризуется большим разнообразием учебного и дидакти-

ческого материала для изучения иностранного языка. 

Тем не менее проблема привлечения обучающихся к глу-

бокому осмысленному чтению иноязычной литературы 

остается крайне актуальной. 

Настоящее пособие разработано на основе много-

летней практики автора в системе дополнительного 

образования. Генеральная цель пособия — усиление кла-

стера досугового чтения, а также чтения для удоволь-

ствия. Посредством специально выстроенной системы 

заданий чтение текстов на английском языке становится 

понятным, интересным, а значит мотивирующим читате-

ля к накоплению читательского опыта и совершенство-

ванию своей читательской компетенции. 

Методология работы с пособием предполагает как 

групповые, так и индивидуальные формы обучения. На 

первых этапах разбор представленных текстов проводится 

под контролем учителя/педагога. Когда учебный алго-

ритм усваивается обучающимся, он может работать с 

текстами самостоятельно. 

Оригинальность данного пособия обусловлена набо-

ром рубрик для работы с текстами, а также содержанием 

вопросов и идей, затрагиваемых автором и предлагаемых 

для обсуждения. Ведь осмысленности в чтении можно 

достичь, только размышляя, обдумывая прочитанное. 

Данная задача с успехом решается с помощью правильно 

подобранного текстового материала.  

Авторская разработка апробирована в течение не-

скольких лет работы в «возрастных классах» по програм-

ме обучения английскому языку граждан пенсионного 

возраста на базе центра социального обслуживания 

ГБУ ТЦСО «Проспект Вернадского», г. Москва. Методика 

одобрена слушателями, также на нее получены положи-

тельные отзывы специалистов в области высшего фило-

логического образования.  

С искренними пожеланиями интересного чтения! 

Read at leisure, learn with pleasure! 

Елена Борисовна Шулекина 

Story 1  

The Best Time for Apples 

The children were at a lesson at a country school. The 

lesson was about the seasons of the year. 

“There are four seasons in a year,” said the teacher. 

“They are: spring, summer, autumn and winter. In spring it is 

warm and the trees are green. 

In summer it is hot, and there are a lot of flowers in the 

fields, in the parks and in the gardens. 

In autumn there are a lot of apples. They are red and 

sweet and good for eating. In winter it is cold and it snows...” 

Suddenly the teacher stopped and looked at John. 

“John, stop talking! Now, answer my question! Can you 

tell us when is the best time for apples?” 

“Yes, I can. It is when the farmer is not at home and there 

is no dog in the garden,” said John. 

Words to the text: 

• seasons

• a field

• it snows

• good for eating

Questions to the text: 

1. What was the lesson about at a small school?

2. Why did the teacher ask John a question?

3. Did the teacher tell the pupils a lot about the seasons?

4. Who liked apples?

Questions for discussion: 

1. Why was John talking at the lesson?

2. Where did John take apples?

3. What answer did the teacher want to hear?

4. How did John know that there was not anybody in the

garden? 

5. What mark do you think the teacher gave John?

Tasks for independent work: 

• Copy out the sentences with there is / there are from

the text and translate them. 

Story 2 

A Good Lesson 

Once a rich English woman called Mrs. Johnson decided 

to have a birthday party. She invited a lot of guests and a sing-

er. The singer was poor, but he had a very good voice.  

The singer got to Mrs. Johnson’s house at exactly six 

o’clock as he had been asked to do, but when he went in, he 

saw through a door that the dining-room was already full of 

guests, who were sitting round a big table in the middle of the 

room. The guests were eating, joking, laughing, and talking 

loudly. Mrs. Johnson came out to him, and he thought she was 

going to ask him to join them, when she said, “We’re glad, sir, 

that you have come. You will be singing after dinner, I’ll call 

you as soon as we’re ready to listen to you. Now will you go 

into the kitchen and have dinner, too, please?” 

The singer was very angry, but said nothing. At first he 

wanted to leave Mrs. Johnson’s house at once, but then he 

changed his mind and decided to stay and teach her and her 

rich guests a good lesson. When the singer went into the 

kitchen, the servants were having dinner, too. He joined them. 

After dinner, the singer thanked everybody and said, “Well, 

now I’m going to sing to you, my good friends.” And he sang 

them some beautiful songs.  

Soon Mrs. Johnson called the singer. 

“Well, sir, we're ready.”  

“Ready?” asked the singer. “What are you ready for?”  

“To listen to you,” said Mrs. Johnson in an angry voice.  

“Listen to me? But I have already sung, and I’m afraid I 

shan’t be able to sing any more tonight.”  

“Where did you sing?”  

“In the kitchen. I always sing for those I have dinner with.” 

Words to the text: 

• to be hired 

• an employer 

• fee 

• arrogant 

• pride 

Questions to the text: 

1. Who invited a singer to the party? 

2. Was the singer rich or was he poor? 

3. What was the singer invited to the party for? 

4. When did Mrs. Johnson ask him to sing? 

5. Where did the singer have dinner? 

6. Why did the singer refuse to sing? 

Questions for discussion: 

1. Did Mrs. Johnson pay the singer? 

2. Do you think the singer will show his pride next time? 

3. Explain the title of the text. Who received a good les-

son in your opinion? 

4. Did you enjoy reading this story? Why?

Tasks for independent work: 

• Find and copy out the sentences in Continuous Tenses

from the text. 

Story 3 

Old Man’s Story 

One evening several tourists who were staying at a hotel 

in Manchester were having dinner in the hotel restaurant.  

Fish was brought and while they were eating it, some of 

them told interesting stories about finding rings and other 

things inside fish. An old man who had only listened to their 

stories and never spoken a word, suddenly said that he would 

like to tell them an interesting story, too.  

And this is what he told them: 

“When I was a young man, I lived in New York and was 

going to marry a beautiful young girl whose name was Alice. 

About two months before our marriage I was sent to England 

for a fortnight. I went to say goodbye to Alice and gave her  

a ring. She gave me hers and said that she would be waiting 

for me. But I had to stay in England six months, and not  

a fortnight as I had planned. Late in September my work was 

done at last and I was able to leave for New York. 

Next morning, when I was already aboard the steamer,  

I was looking through the morning newspaper, and what do 

you think I saw? Alice was going to marry another man!  

I couldn’t believe my eyes, but it was true. I was so angry that I