UNIT 1. CHARACTER AND PERSONALITY

 

1.2. Clothes (don’t) Make a Man

 

1.2.5

B

The Emperor’s New Clothes

 

Many years ago there was an Emperor who spent all his time and money on dressing up in expensive clothes. He loved riding round in his wonderful garments so that everybody could see him. He didn’t care about his country very much because he was more interested in what was in or out of fashion. His palace was full of wardrobes containing clothes he had worn only once.

One day two dishonest men appeared at the palace and said they could make beautiful clothes, which had magical properties. Only clever people would be able to see them – they would be invisible to anyone who was stupid or not good at their job. The Emperor thought this was an excellent opportunity to find out who was wise and who was foolish in his kingdom, and whether or not people are suitable for their jobs. He gave the two men a large sum of money and told them to start work immediately.

The two men were given gold and silver thread (which they put in their pockets and kept for themselves) and they started making the clothes. They pretended to work hard all day and night, though of course there was nothing on their weaving machines – they were empty! Soon everyone in the city knew about their work and the magical properties of the clothes they were making, and they all wanted to find out if their neighbours were stupid or not.

After several weeks the Emperor wanted to know how they were getting on. How much progress had they made? When would the clothes be ready? He decided to send an old and honest minister, who was certainly clever and good at his job, to visit the two men.

The minister entered the room where the two men were working. They looked very busy – they were cutting and sewing with great energy – but to his horror, he couldn’t see what they were working on! It was as if they were cutting the air with large scissors and sewing it together!

‘Ah, we’re so pleased you’ve come’, said one of the men. ‘The work is going well, as you can see, and it should be finished by the end of the week.’ And the man showed him the different colours and patterns of the material as if they were in front of his eyes. The minister blinked and could still see nothing. ‘Goodness! He thought to himself, ‘I must be stupid! I can’t see a thing! I must be careful not to let anyone find out or they will think I’m stupid and I will lose my job.’

‘Oh, marvelous!’ he said. ‘What beautiful colours! What wonderful patterns! I’ve never seen anything like it!’ He returned to the Emperor and told him the clothes were the most beautiful he’d ever seen. The Emperor sent a second minister and the same thing happened. So he made up his mind to go and see the clothes for himself, taking all his ministers with him.

On entering the room, the Emperor found the two men looking very proud of themselves. ‘We’ve finished,’ they said. ‘Here you are. What do you think of them? Aren’t they the most beautiful clothes you’ve ever seen?’ The Emperor saw nothing. The men acted as if they were holding clothes, and all the ministers smiled and nodded and commented on the patterns and designs – but he saw nothing. ‘I must be stupid!’ thought the Emperor. ‘Everyone else can see them – but I can’t. Nobody must find out!’

‘Yes, these are beautiful clothes indeed!’ said the Emperor. ‘What wonderful colours and designs!’

‘Would you like to try them on? Said one of the men. ‘We need to see if they fit. We must check they are not too big or too small.’

So the Emperor took off his clothes and put on the invisible clothes. He had no difficulty in getting into them. He stood in front of he mirror and said ‘Yes, they fit perfectly.’ And all the ministers around him agreed.

‘Look, your majesty,’ said one of the men. ‘You have forgotten to do up one of the buttons.’

‘Oh, yes’ said the Emperor with an embarrassed laugh. ‘I didn’t see it.’ And he pretended to do up the button. ‘These clothes will last forever,’ said one of the men. ‘They’ll never wear out.’

Then one of the ministers suggested there should be a procession through the city so that everyone could see the Emperor’s new clothes and admire them. There was no way out for the Emperor because he knew he could not refuse. He would have to go through with it.

The next day the procession took place and everyone shouted and cheered. ‘What wonderful clothes!’ they all said to one another. ‘How well the colours go with the Emperor’s crown!’ But one small boy said ‘Look! The Emperor has nothing on! – He isn’t wearing any clothes!’ The people around the boy heard this and started whispering, and soon everybody was saying ‘He’s got nothing on!’ The Emperor heard them, but he thought ‘I must not stop. I must carry on or it will ruin the procession.’ So he continued walking along even more proudly than before, with his ministers helping to carry his invisible clothes.

 (Adapted from Hans Andersen’s fairy tale)

 

1.2.6

B

Listen to the sentences.

 

Decide what you would say in the following situations.

 

1. It’s very cold outside and your friend is about to leave without a coat. What do you say?

2. You have been invited to an important dinner party. You are not sure if you need to wear very smart clothes or not. What do you say?

3. A man comes to your house to repair the TV. His shoes are very dirty. You want him to remove them before he comes in. What do you say?

4. You are in a clothes shop and you see a nice pair of trousers. You are not sure if they are the right size or if they’ll suit you. What do you say to the shop assistant?

5. You can’t fasten the button on your shirt. You ask for help. What do you say?

6. You look at your shoes and you see there are holes in them. What do you say?

7. You have been asked to make a speech in front of a large audience. At the last moment you feel very nervous and decide you can’t do it. What do you say?

8. You’re trying to put on some shoes but they are too small for you. What do you say?

9. You are asked if you want to continue studying at college or leave and find a job. You want to continue your studies. What do you say?

10. You saw a thief in a green jumper and blue jeans. The police ask you what he was wearing. What do you say?

     

1.2.8 

 

1

W1 – woman 1, W2 – woman 2 W1: Well, what do you think of this one? W2: Mm. It doesn’t really go with the colour of your jumper. Why don’t you try on the red skirt? W1: OK… Goodness, I can’t get into it. And if I do, I won’t be able to do the buttons up. It’s no good. I’ll have to go on a diet. W2: What about this one? I think this is fantastic! You’ll look out of this world in it. W1: Do you think so?

 

2	A – shop assistant, M - man A: Hello, can I help you? M: Yes, please. I’d like to try on these trousers. A: Of course, sir. The changing rooms are just over there.

 

3

H – husband, W - wife W: Aren’t you going to get changed? H:  No, I’m going like this. W: You can’t go looking like that. H:  Well I’m not going to dress up just to have dinner with my parents. W: That’s not the point. That shirt’s filthy, and it’s worn out. Look, it’s got holes in it. Take it off and put on that one I gave you for Christmas.

 

4	W – Woman, A – Shop assistant W: Excuse me, I can’t get my foot into this shoe. Can I try on a size 6? A: I’m afraid you’re out of luck, madam. We’re completely out of stock in that particular size.