get off a bus; heavy traffic; crowds of people; be late for the theatre; cross the street in the wrong place; catch sb; explain the traffic rules to sb; hope that sb will not do it again (repeat the same old mistake).
Happy Birthday to You
arrange a birthday party; send letters (invitations); get everything ready for the party; make coffee (tea, etc); have enough food and drinks; be excited; wait for one's guests; wear a new suit (dress, etc); put on all the lights; arrange the flowers; have a really wonderful time; do some dancing (singing); drink (to) sb's health; wish sb many happy returns of the day; last till midnight (of the party).
Ex 52 Discuss the following, giving arguments for or against.
1. It's about nine o'clock and two friends are just leaving the cinema (theatre). They discuss the film (play). One of the friends liked it, the other didn't.
2. Your friend says that watching TV is bad for people. For one thing, people were much healthier when there was no TV, for another, they used to meet their friends more often. You say that a person can learn a lot if he watches TV regularly.
3. You are discussing the "generation gap" with your friends. You see the reason for it in the different interests and aims of the younger and older generations. Your friends disagree with you, saying that the reason lies in the different understanding of one's rights and duties.
4. A TV language programme, no matter how good, is of little use in learning a foreign language.
Ex 53 Subjects for oral and written composition.
1. Describe an evening in the Brown family.
2. Describe an evening in your own home.
3. Give a brief talk on a TV programme the whole family enjoys watching in the evening.
4. Describe a busy railway station a few minutes before a holiday train leaves.
5. Someone stops you in the street and asks the way to the railway station. Tell him the shortest way, using such landmarks, as a monument, a new school building, a metro station, an intersection, a cinema.
6. Write down a telephone conversation between yourself and a friend in which you make an arrangement to go to the cinema and to have tea at your friend's flat afterwards.
7. Tell a story to illustrate the proverb "All's well that ends well".
8. Complete the following letter:
Dear Nick (Tanya),
I was surprised to get your letter this morning, saying that you waited for me the other evening. I am, of course, very sorry that you did so. I sent a telegram in the morning to say that I wasn't coming.
The matter is that....
LESSON FIVE
Text: "To Kill a Man" by Jack London1.
Grammar: Complex Object
Adverbial Clauses of Time.
TO KILL A MAN
She moved through the big rooms and wide halls of her house. She was looking for a book of poems she had put somewhere and only now remembered. She opened the door of the dining-room and went in. The room was dark and she turned on the lights. As the light came on, she stepped back and cried out.
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In front of her, near the wall, stood a man. In his hand was a gun.
"Oh," she said. "What do you want?"
"I think I want to get out. I've lost my way here," he answered ironically.
"What are you doing here?"
"Just robbing, Miss, that's all. I didn't expect to find you in, as I saw you with your old man in an auto.2 You are Miss Setliffe, aren't you?"
Mrs Setliffe saw his mistake, but she was pleased.
"Now please show me the way out," the man said.
"And what if3 I cry out for help?" asked the woman.
"I must-kill you then," he answered slowly. "You see, Miss, I can't go to prison. A friend is waiting for me outside, and I promised to help him."
"I've never met a robber before," the woman said, "and I can't tell you how exciting it is. Won't you stay a few minutes and talk? I want you to explain the whole thing to me. You don't look like a robber at all. Why don't you work?"
"I did my best, but there's no work for me in this city," he said bitterly. "I used to be an honest man before I started looking for a job. And now I must go."
But Mrs Setliffe did not want to lose her robber. Such things did not happen often in her life.
Turning to the man she said: "I can't really make you stay, but, come, sit down, and tell me all about it here at the table."
She took her seat at the table and placed him on the other side of it.
She saw him look about the room, then put the gun on the corner of the table between them. But he was in a strange house and did not know that under the table, near her foot, was an electric bell.
"It's like this, Miss," he began. "I'm not a robber and I didn't come here to steal. You see, I had a little mine once, and old Setliffe took it away from me. I had nothing left. And as my friend needs money badly I just came to take something back from your father. I am really taking what is mine."
"I feel you're right," she said. "But still robbery is robbery."
"I know that," he answered. "What is right is not always legal. That's why I must go."
"No, wait." The woman suddenly took up the gun. At the same time she pushed the bell with her foot.
A door opened behind him, and the man heard somebody enter the room. But he did not even turn his head. Without saying a word, he was looking at the woman, into her hard cold eyes.
"Thomas," she said, "call the police."
The servant left the room. The man and the woman sat at the table, looking into each other's eyes. She enjoyed this moment. She already saw the newspapers with the story of the beautiful young Mrs Setliffe who had caught a dangerous robber in her own house.
"When you are in prison," she said coldly, "think of the lesson I've taught you. Now, tell the truth. I didn't believe a single word of your story. You lied to me."
He did not answer.
"Say something," she cried. "Why don't you ask me to let you go?"
"Yes, I'll say something. You looked so kind and soft and all the time you had your foot on the bell. Do you know what I'm going to do? I'm going to get up from this chair and walk out of that door. But you're not going to shoot. It isn't easy to kill a man and I'm sure you can't do it."
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With his eyes on her he stood up slowly. She began to pull the trigger.
"Pull harder," he advised. "Pull it, and kill a man."
At the door the man turned round. He spoke to her in a low voice as he called her a bad name.
(Adapted)
NOTES
1. Jack London (John Griffith) (1876-1916) was born in San Francisco in a very poor family. He had worked at factories; he had travelled across the ocean as a sailor; he had walked from San Francisco to New York with an army of jobless workers. After reading the "Communist Manifesto", Jack London becamean enthusiastic believer in socialism. During the sixteen years of his literary career, he published about fifty books; short stories, novels, essays. One of his best works is "Martin Eden" (1909).
2. auto: automobile
3. What if...?: , ...?
VOCABULARY
lose vt (lost) 1. , (also fig) lose a book (ticket, friend, etc); one's voice (head); money (work, time, etc) Phr lose one's way (= get lost) , ; 2. lose a game (a competition, war, etc)
expect vt , ; , expect a visitor (letter, question, rain, etc) I didn't expect to see you today. We expect you to help us. expectation n
be (dis)pleased ( They were pleased with his answer. We are pleased to meet you.
promise vt promise sb (one's) help (a book, a ticket, etc); He promised to come soon; promise n Phr give (make) a (one's) promise ; keep one's promise ; break one's promise ; promising a promising student (writer, singer, etc)
look vi 1. , How did he look when you saw him? He looked happy (pleased, sad, ill, well, older, worn out, tired, etc). Phr look like ( ) What does she look like? ? ( ?) She is tall, very good-looking; 2. , - look like (= be like) sb He looks like his father. He looks like a doctor.
honest an honest man (face, smile, decision, answer, etc) Phr be honest with sb () - dishonest a , ; (dis)honesty n
make vt (made) , make sb do sth; make sb work (read, speak, think, laugh, cry, etc); make sb angry -; make sb (un)happy - () etc
need vt ( -/-) need a book (dress, pair of shoes, etc); need money (time, (sb's) help, (sb's) advice, etc); How much time do you need to do the work? need n , Phr be in need (of sth) ,
badly adv , is badly ill. We need your help badly.
feel vt (felt) 1. , , I felt somebody push me in the crowd. What did you feel when you first travelled by air? 2. , We felt that he was right; vi 3. How do you feel? I feel well (better, all right, bad, ill, etc); feeling n, , spoke with feeling. I had a feeling that somebody was watching me.
even adv didn't even look at me when I entered.
without prep 1. (-, -; ) It's difficult to translate the article without a dictionary. We decided the question without him. Phr do without (sb/sth) (-/ -) can't do without music; 2. ( ) She left the room without saying a word.
enjoy vt ; enjoy a film (concert, book, trip, etc); I enjoy talking with him. Phr enjoy oneself , If you want to enjoy yourself, go and see the new comedy; enjoyment n ,
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own ( ) My elder brother has a family of his own. He told the story in his own words.
danger n Phr in (out of) danger () ; dangerous ; a dangerous plan (game, road, river; dog; man; etc); dangerous work
believe vt 1. believe a story (sb's words, etc); I believe him (what he says, etc); believe in sb/sth -/-; belief n ; ; I have great belief in his honesty (this doctor, this theory, etc). His beliefs are well-known; 2. , , I believe that he is right. We believe him to be a good musician.
soft a 1. a soft pencil (apple, etc); 2. , , a soft voice (look, sound, light, colour, breeze, etc); soft music
pull vt , She was pulling the child by the hand. Don't pull the door, push it. Phr pull oneself together ;
advise vt If you don't feel well, I advise you to stay in bed; advice n () always gives me good advice. Phr a piece of advice () ; take (sb's) advice (--)
WORD COMBINATIONS
look for (sb/sth) (-/-)
turn on the light(s) (water, gas) (, )
turn off the light(s) (water, gas) (, )
find sb in - (, )
you see
at all (),
do one's best () ,
take a seat ,
It's like this
teach sb a lesson -
in a low (loud, soft, etc) voice (, )
EXERCISES
COMPREHENSION
Ex 1 Answer the following questions.
1. What was Mrs Setliffe doing at the moment when the story begins? 2. What made her step back and cry out when she entered the dining-room? 3. What was the man doing in the house? 4. Why was Mrs Setliffe-pleased when the man called her "Miss Setliffe"? 5. Why did Mrs Setliffe want the man to stay and talk to her? 6. How did the man explain why he had come to rob old Setliffe? 7. What made the woman believe that he wasn't a real robber? 8. What was she planning to do? 9. How did it happen that the man left the house and she didn't stop him? 10. Why was the man sure that she wouldn't shoot?
Ex 2 Look through the text once again, and:
1. Tell as much of the background story of (a) Mrs Setliffe, (b) the man who came to rob Mr Setliffe, as you possibly can.
2. Explain why the man had turned robber.
3. See if you can find facts proving that the "robber" was not only more honest than Mrs Setliffe, but that he was also the better person.
4. Explain why the author gave no name to the man who came to rob Mr Setliffe.
5. Pick out the episode which, in your opinion, is the culminating point of the story.
6. Say if the characters are described directly, through the author's description, or indirectly, through their actions, behaviour or speech.
7. Say if you expected this kind of ending to the story, or it was unexpected.
Ex 3 Find in the text the English for the following words and phrases, and use them in retelling and discussing the text.
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; -; ; -; ; ; .
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