Anpilogova B. (ed.) Smile: jokes, anecdotes, short stories, for students of Russian. Book 1

Vladimirsky E., Sosenko E. — Moscow: Progress Publishers, 1971. — 102 p.Анпилогова Б.Г., Владимирский Е.И., Сосенко Э.Ю. Улыбка. Сборник рассказов советских писателей. Для лиц, говорящих на английском языке.This book is intended for English-speaking students of Russian who are still in the elementary stage. It will help the students to increase their vocabulary and will teach them to speak Russian. The book consists of two parts. Part I is composed of jokes, anecdotes and funny stories in drawings by Soviet (R. Ovivyan, L. & Y. Cherepanovs, V. Chizhikov, etc.) and foreign (H. Bidstrup, Z. Lengren, W. Busch, etc.) artists. Most of these stories have been written by the compilers themselves. The jokes and anecdotes have been borrowed from English humour, for the compilers believe that linguistic material introduced through familiar subjects and situations is easier for the student to assimilate. Part II consists of short stories on simple subjects, written by Soviet authors (T. Tess, V. Lidin, A. Pristavkin, V. Karbovskaya, etc.), which have been considerably adapted and abridged. The grammar and vocabulary are repeated from text to text, the latter being arranged in order of increasing difficulty. Nearly all the texts are followed by set phrases, colloquial expressions and grammar patterns, which are given in frames. These should be memorised by the students. Phrases and idioms that may prove difficult to understand are translated in the footnotes. A comprehensive Russian-English vocabulary is supplied at the end of the book.