Lesson 12

Ch. 30-32

1. Find the English equivalents in the text and recollect the situations they are used in:

Ch. 30: a physical appeal	to inflict the torture
a vague element	the homely stateliness of their time
the daily intimacy	a prosperous bagman
the capable	Ch. 32: self-satisfaction
fashioning fingers of the artist	a sardonic sincerity
to be in the cruel grip of appetite	to run straight into
I racked my brain	readiness for the hand-to-mouth
conception of gratitude	demure appearance
Ch.31: to fetch the things	I was intrigued

2. . Explain in English and give your own examples:

Ch. 30, 31: to pass for, at all events, the love will cease, could never endure a foreign yoke; he bore himself most unbecomingly;

Ch. 32: frequent, to trifle away, to bid smb. good-evening, to be excited by the encounter, the fancy.

3.Answer the questions and do the assignments:

1/ Do you agree with the author that Blanche’s action was “the result of a physical appeal”? Have you got any other explanation?

2/ Do you agree that Strickland didn’ fall in love with Blanche? Why?

3/ Why did Stroeve leave the author on the following day? Did he want to go to the studio himself? What for? While telling everybody about his misfortune what did he expect?

4/ How did he bear himself? What incident happened to him one day?

5/ Did the author have a chance of seeing Mr. Strickland and Blanche? How did it happen? Was he satisfied or disappointed with the meeting? What did he want to see in them?

4. Comment on the following:

1/ “Love makes a man a little more than himself, and at the same time a little less. He ceases to be himself”

2/ “There is no cruelty greater than a woman’s to a man who loves her and whom she does not love; she has no kindness then, no tolerance even, she has only an insane irritation”.

Lesson 13

Ch. 33-36

1. Find the English equivalents in the text and recollect the situations they are used in, give your own examples :

Ch.33: пожать плечами	быть полными ужаса
покачать головой	в грубоватой манере
быть вне себя	Ch. 35: как мы прожили тот день
что посеешь, то пожнешь	впасть в тревожное забытье
скорбные глаза	не сметь настаивать
она может рассчитывать на меня	чуть слышно вскрикнул в отчаянии
Ch. 34: добром не кончится	меня словно кольнуло в сердце
пошевелить губами	Ch. 36: справляться о ком-либо
не торопись, расскажи все по порядку	от его обычной говорливости не осталось и следа

2. Answer the questions:

1/ How did Stroeve learn that the author had seen Strickland and Blanche?

2/ What did he want to know? Was he frightened? Why?

3/ What happened one summer morning? How did Stroeve learn about what had happened?

4/ What did Stroeve do for his wife after she was taken to the hospital? Why did he take the author with him?

5/ What did they hear from the doctor?

6/ How did the author try to calm Dirk Stroeve?

7/ Did the nurse calm them down after they came to the hospital again? What did she tell them about?

8/ What was the end of the tragedy?

3. Write an esse: “Blanche’s decision is an act of weakness ( or strength)”