ENGLISH AND AMERICAN PROVERBS AND SAYINGS.TEST.
Russia may seem very different from America, Australia, Canada and England, but the wisdom from all these countries is often the same.
1. Pick up the English proverb or saying which is closest in meaning to the Russian one.
1.Лиха беда начало.
A. The early bird catches the worm. B. To start from scratch. C. Many hands make light work. D. Well begun is half done.
2. Плохому танцору и ноги мешают.
A. A bad workman always blames his tools. B. Handy Andy. C. Jack of all trades.
D. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
3. Собака на сене.
A. Jack of all trades. B. A dog in the manger. C. Let sleeping dogs lie.
D. It's a dog-eat-dog world.
4. Ложка дегтю в бочке меда.
A. To have a bee in one's bonnet. B. A feather in one's cap. C. A bolt from the blue.
D. A Fly in the ointment.
5.Друзья познаются в беде.
A. A fair weather friend. B. A friend in need is a friend indeed. C. A man is known by the company he keeps. D. Birds of a feather flock together.
6.Поспешишь – людей насмешишь.
A. A miss is as good as a mile. B. Easy come, easy go. C. Learn to walk before you run. D. Haste makes waste.
7.Хорошо там, где нас нет.
A. Good fences make good neighbours. B. The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. C. There's no place like home. D. Nothing to write home about.
8.Рыбак рыбака видит издалека.
A. Blood is thicker than water. B. All for one and one for all. C. The best of friends must part. D. Birds of a feather flock together.
2. Many proverbs tell you what NOT TO DO. Complete these well-known ones.
1. Don't count your chickens ___________ .
2. Don't cry over _________________ .
3. Don't change horses ______________ .
4. Don't make a mountain _____________ .
5. Don't throw pearls _______________ .
6. Don't cross your bridges ____________ .
7. Don't put all your eggs _____________ .
8. Don't put the cart ________________ .
3. Match the meaning of the proverb with the actual proverb listed below.
a) Live not to eat, but eat to live.
b) Make the best of a bad situation.
c) Cross the stream where it is shallowest.
d) Practice what you preach.
e) Give credit where credit is due.
f) Learn to walk before you run.
g) Strike while the iron is hot.
h) Never spur a willing horse.
1. You should behave the same way you advise others to behave.
2. Accept your present position without complain, learn to tolerate difficulties that can't be helped.
3. Choose the right moment to act; take advantage of a sudden opportunity.
4. Don't urge a person who works well to work harder and faster.
5. Filling the stomach is not the purpose of life.
6. We should recognize the good points of others, even if we don't like them.
7. Knowledge cannot be acquired all at once, but only step by step.
8. Don't make difficulties for yourself by doing things the hard way.
4. Match the meaning of the proverb with the actual proverb listed below.
a) Curiosity killed the cat.
b) A faint, heart never won a fair lady.
c) A drowning man will clutch at a straw.
d) Who chatters to you will chatter of you.
e) What is bred in the bone will never come out of the flesh.
f) Who keeps company with the wolf will learn to howl.
g) You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours.
h) Give knaves an inch and they will take a mile.
1. We inherit certain characteristics from our ancestors and pass them on to our descendents.
2. If you mix with evil companions you will soon be as wicked as they.
3. A timid or easily discouraged person won't be very successful in life.
4. A person in extreme difficulties will try every possible means of escape, however unlikely.
5. If you grant some people a small favor, it only encourages then to take more than you offered.
6. It is foolish or dangerous to be so inquisitive.
7. You help me and I'll help you in return.
8. A gossip who tells you tales about others will tell others tales about you.
5. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb given.
1. There's many a good tune ______ on an old fiddle. (PLAY)
2. The road to hell _______ with good intentions. (PAVE)
3. Poet's are bom, not _______. (MAKE)
4. Many ______, but few ______. (CALL, CHOOSE)
6. Write out the following sayings, pairing them with their meanings below.
1. To bum one's bridges means
2. To keep others at arm's length means
3. To take a leaf from someone else's book means
4. To play with fire means
5. To have one's feet on the ground means
6. To be in someone's black books means
7. To keep one's fingers crossed means
8. To add a feather to one's cap means
a) to have incurred that person's displeasure.
b) to decide to go forward, come what may.
c) to be practical and moderate in outlook.
d) to profit by another's example.
e) to achieve a success which adds to one's reputation.
f) to hope for a successful outcome.
g) to remain aloof.
h) to meddle in a potentially dangerous situation.
7. Compete these well-known proverbs.
1. Out of the frying pan ________
2. Liars should have ________
3. Those who live in glass houses ________
4. Laughter is the best ___
5. Don't trouble trouble until ________
6. Rats desert ________
7. A rotten apple ______
8. No living man ______
9. United we stand, _____
10. Let sleeping dogs ___
8. Match each of the following common proverbs with the most appropriate situation from the list below.
a) There's many a true word spoken in jest.
b) A burnt child dreads the fire.
c) Forewarned is forearmed.
d) A straw will show which way the wind blows.
e) Take the rough with the smooth.
1. It shouldn't have caught you by surprise. I told you he was going to quit soon.
2. Until now my road through life has been pretty easy but there are bound to be some difficulties ahead.
3. Of course she was joking when she told you, but still there could be something to it.
4.1 know the fact that he didn't come was a small thing, but still it might be an indication of things to come.
5. Her heart was so broken when he broke off the engagement suddenly. I don't know if she will ever be able to love again.
9.PROVERBIAL PROBLEMS. There is a word missing from each of these proverbs. Choose the correct one from the three possibilities.
1. A bird in the hand is worth two in the ____ . a)bush b)tree c)sky
2. Let sleeping dogs ____ . a)sleep b)dream c)lie
3. Many ____ make light work. a) servants b)hands c)cooks
4. Curiosity killed a ____ . a)mouse b)kitten c)cat
5.Prevention is better than ____ . a)punishment b)cure c)medicine
6. ____ is thicker than water. a)Coffee b)Blood c)Soup
7. An Englishman's home is his ____ . a)security b)castle c)palace
8. Birds of a ____ flock together. a)family b)cage c)feather
9. It's no use crying over____ milk. a)sour b)spilt c)tinned
10. ____ begins at home. a)Charity b)Learning c)Love
11. Every ____ has its day. a)flower b)event c)dog
10. Find Russian equivalents of the proverbs.
1.If you sell the cow, you sell her milk.
Если ты продаешь корову, ты продаёшь её молоко.
2. Fools grow without watering. Дураки растут без полива.
3. If you cannot make the best, make the best of what you have.
Если ты не можешь поступить / сделать что-то лучшим образом, максимально используй то, что у тебя есть.
4. The grass is always greener on the other side.
Трава всегда зеленее на другой стороне.
5. You cannot get a quart into a pint pot. Ты не можешь поместить кварту в кружку / котелок / горшок объёмом в пинту.
6. Success is never blamed. Успех никогда не винят.
7. To pray without one’s beads. Молиться без своих чёток.
8. Store is no sore. Запас - не болячка.
A.Просчитаться, ошибиться. Не заглянув в святцы, бух в колокола.
B. Везде хорошо, где нас нет.
C. Снявши голову, но волосам не плачут
D. Бочку в напёрсток не выльешь.
E. Запас — не беда. Кашу маслом не испортишь.
F. За неимением гербовой пишут на простой.
G. Победителя не судят.
H. Дураков не сеют, не жнут, они сами родятся.
11. What are their Russian equivalents?
| Too many cooks... | twice shy. |
| Don't make a mountain.. | . on the other side of the hill. |
| The early bird... | spoil the pudding. |
| Don't count your chickens... | before the horse. |
| Don't put the cart... | …before they're hatched. |
| Make hay while.. | . two in the bush. |
| A bird in the hand is better than. | .. isn't gold. |
| The grass is always greener. | .. catches the worm. |
| Curiosity.. | catches the worm.. |
| Don't bite the hand that... | … the sun shines |
| All that glitters. | .. feeds you. |
| You don't know what you have until.. | . out of a molehill. |
| Out of sight, out of. | .. what you sow. |
| Slow and steady. | .. what you sow. |
| Once bitten ,.. . | .it's gone.. |
| You reap | ...killed the cat |