May I Borrow Your Chainsaw * Текст для чтения

Уровень сложности: средний

An American way of getting along with neighbours and helping one another in many small ways is traced to the long period of settlement Newly settled parts of the country and recently founded towns tried to attract farmers, tradesmen and professionals of all types. “Come to Greensburg and grow with us!” was a typical slogan of the time. Newcomers were made welcome, and neighbours would help wherever they could with difficult job of building a home, raising a barn, breaking the soil or starting a business.

Today, most American neighbourhoods still function through a network in which tools, advice and help-are offered, asked for, and exchanged. Your neighbour’s lawnmower just broke down, so he borrows yours. You use his extension ladder and his experience to put up the new television antenna. The woman across the street has a copying machine in her office at work. Might it be possible for her to make copies of a few pages for your daughter? Your daughter or son will be happy to baby-sit for her kids again this Saturday night. That tree in the backyard is getting far too big. Didn’t Jack, down the street, buy a new chainsaw last winter? A new family moves in, and after a few days neighbours stop by to say “hi!”. Whether or not they will be friends, it’s the friendly thing to do. Such casual coming and going, borrowing and lending, offering and receiving of help among neighbours is typical of most Americans. As would be expected, this is more typical of small and medium-sized cities and the suburbs than big cities.


chainsaw — пила

to get along — зд. ладить,быть в хороших отношениях, уживаться

to trace — зд. проследить, установить, восходить, вести родословную

settlement — поселение

tradesman — торговец

barn — амбар, сарай

to break the soil — обрабатывать землю

network — сеть

neighbourhood — п, соседство, округа, квартал adj. местный, районный

tool — инструмент

lawn — лужайка

lawnmower — газонокосилка

extension ladder — стремянка

casual — случайный, непреднамеренный

to borrow — брать в долг

to lend — давать в долг

medium-sized — среднего размера


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