THE COMPOSER

When ___ composer sets out to write ___ piece of music, he

is usually quite definite about what he is going to create; for
although ___ music is intangible, there is nothing vague about it.
___ composer has to be ___ practical workman. He may, for
instance, be asked to write ___ opera for ___ particular occasion.
For this he would need ___ help of many other practical artists.
Here is ___ kind of way ___ opera could be made, from its very first idea to its actual
presentation on ___ stage of ___ opera house.
___ composer will probably begin by drawing up ___ time-schedule of ___ work, as if
he were ___ architect-builder. Then he finds ___ right librettist to work with, and they discuss
the chosen story in detail, plan its general outline, and divide it into scenes – even into ___
arias, ___ recitatives and ___ choruses. When ___ librettist has written his first draft of ___
words, ___ composer studies it, pointing out weak syllables that destroy ___ rhythm. As soon
as ___ libretto is satisfactory, ___ composer begins to set it to ___music, working at it day
after day until it is finished.
(from “The Story of Music” by Benjamin Britten and Imogen Holst)

I. Fill in with the right article:

1. Have you fed ___ dog? 18. He plays ___ violin as a professional.
2. ___ dolphin is my favourite animal. 19. They generally have ___ breakfast at 8 o’clock.
3. ___ Budapest is the capital of ___ Hungary. 20. It is not visible at ___ night.
4. We hope we’ll have ___ good time at the 21. He translated the book from ___ English into
party! ___ Romanian.
5. The murderer was sent to ___ prison. 22. ___ book she bought is about Mozart.
6. They always travel by ___ bicycle. 23. Is ___ German language difficult to learn?
7. ___ breakfast is always at 9 o’clock. 24. What ___ kind girl she is!
8. ___ breakfast was delicious. 25. I think ___ movie is excellent.
9. They elected him ___ president. 26. She has ___ piano lessons in ___ morning.
10. We never read ___ Times. 27. Is your father ___ famous guitarist?
11. Peter likes to lie in ___ bed until very late. 28. It takes me ___ hour to get to Bacău.
12. He boasts to have climbed ___ Mount 29. How many times ___ week do you have
Everest. counterpoint classes?
13. Don’t play ___ fool with me! 30. Yes, I can play both ___ piano and ___ violin.
14. As ___ matter of fact, she doesn’t like him. 31. Do you like ___ music?
15. He suffers from ___ diabetes. 32. She was hired as ___ assistant professor.
16. ___ hand in ___ hand we crossed the 33. Peter Hill, who is ___ Professor of Music at
bridge. ___ University of Illinois, signed ___ article.
17. ___ Danube flows into ___ Black Sea. 34. I like flowers in ___ spring.

The definite article
The life of the musician is not easy.
the – înaintea subst. la sg şi pl:
the musician, the musicians
+ pronunţie: înaintea sunetelor
consonantice/ semiconsonantice (u,
y, w) the guitar, the unicorn
- înaintea vocalelor, h mut: the
artist, the instrument, the honour şi
pt subliniere: These are the [θi:]
facts.
Folosire:
- cu subst. menţionate anterior
I bought a book. The book is mine.
- cu funcţie generică, at când subst.
denumeşte un reprezentant al unei
clase: The horse is a beautiful
animal.
- cu nume proprii: the United
States, construcţie cu of: The
University of Bucharest, the
Browns, the Danube, the Black
Sea, the Sahara, the Cape of Good
Hope, the Lido (Hotel), the
National Theatre, the British
Museum, The Times
- expresii:
anumite instituţii: be at/study at the
university (Am. E.), approach the
town,
mijloace de transport: sit on the
bike, be on the bus/plane, take the
train, sleep in the car
mom ale zilei si ale nopţii: in the
morning/evening, wake up in the
night, in the daytime, during the
day
nume de boli: the plague, the flu,
the measles
THE ARTICLE
The indefinite article
A great musician studies a lot.
Sg only
a - înaintea sunetelor
consonantice/ semiconsonantice
(u, y, w)
a violin, a university, a uniform
an – înaintea vocalelor, h mut
an echo, an hour, an honest man
Folosire:
- pt introducerea unei noţiuni care
nu a fost menţionată anterior: I saw
a great movie last night.
- cu funcţie numerică, are valoarea
lui one: I have an orange, two
apples and a lemon.
- cu funcţie generică, cu subst
numărabile la sg, pt a reprezenta o
clasă: A postman delivers letters.
- după vb ca to be, to become, cu
subst care denotă ocupaţia,
profesia, naţionalitatea, starea unei
persoane (de obicei nu se traduce):
He is a Frenchman. (dar He is
French) She is a conductor.
Nu se foloseşte!
- cu subst nenumărabile : iron,
milk, sugar
The zero article
Music is my life.
Ø nu este exprimat. Se foloseşte:
- cu subst nenumărabile la sg :
Haste makes waste. Light travels
faster than sound. + precedate de
adj: I like American jazz/ ancient
history.
(exc. Se fol. art. hot. the când
avem o constr. cu of: I like the
music of the Irish.)
- cu subst numărabile la pl, cu
referire la toţi membrii unei clase:
Children like to play.
- cu nume proprii: Tom, Professor
Jones, Mr and Mrs Smith, Lord
Nelson; membrii familiei, folosiţi
ca referinţă unică: Father, Daddy,
Dad, Mother, Mummy, Mum,
Grandpa, Grandma, Uncle …
- diviziuni de timp: Monday,
April, sărbători: Easter Day
- denumiri geografice: Europe,
Asia, Romania, Japan, Bucharest,
London, Lake Ontario, Mount
Everest, cu adj: North America,
modern England, industrial NY
- expresii: anotimpuri: in spring,
during summer,
anumite instituţii: be in bed/
hospital/ prison, be at/go to
school/ university/ sea, be at/ go
home, be in/ leave town
mijloace de transport: travel/
leave/ come by bicycle, boat, bus,
car, train, plane
mom ale zilei si ale nopţii :
at/before dawn/daybreak, sunrise/
sunset, at/ around/ before noon/
midnight, at/by night, day and
night
mesele zilei: have/before/at/after
breakfast/lunch/dinner/supper
nume de boli : anaemia, diabetes,
appendicitis
Structuri paralele: arm in arm,
hand in hand, day by day, face to
face, from dusk till dawn, from
morning till night, from beginning
to end, from right to left, from east
to west.
II. Listen to this song and fill it in with the right articles:

It's A Good Day

Peggy Lee (1946)

Yes, it's ___ good day for singing ___ song,

And it's a good day for moving along
Yes, it's a good day, how could anything be wrong,
A good day from ___ morning till night

And it's ___ good day for shining your shoes,

And it's a good day for losing ___ blues
Everything to gain and nothing to lose,
___ good day from morning till night

I said to ___ sun, "good morning, sun

Rise and shine, today"
You know you've gotta get going
If you're gonna make a showing
And you've got the right of ___ way

'Cause it's a good day for paying your bills

And it's a good day for curing your ills,
So take ___ deep breath and throw away ___ pills
'Cause it's a good day from morning till night!

III. Translate into English:

1. Muzicianul pe care îl cunosc este în camera cealaltă.

2. Ce piesă muzicală minunată!

3. Pianistul repetă de dimineaţa până seara.

4. Toamna devin mai melancolic.

5. Înainte de micul dejun, citesc o pagină nouă.

6. Când plec în vacanţă, iau de obicei trenul.

7. Pe la miezul nopţii, el i-a cântat o serenadă.

8. Mierea e dulce.

9. El este compozitor. El este compozitorul acestei minunate opere.

10. Londra este capitala festivalului de jazz în această vară.