I. Active vocabulary:

to be absorbed in smth.

easel

to put it into execution

to make a decision

to give smb. a rocket

sitter

to drop a brick

collapse

to sacrifice

to mislead smb.

to pin smb. down (to a promise, etc.)

to own up

to blush with pleasure

II. Exercises:

1. Give your own situations based on your outside reading. Use the following expressions:

to sacrifice

to mislead smb.

to pin smb. down (to a promise, etc.)

to be completely absorbed in smb.

to own up

2. Make up dialogues using the following:

to drop a brick

to pin smb. down to a promise

to give smb. quite a turn

Comprehension check:

1) What is a “safe place”?

2) Why did Demoyte turn on Mor when the latter came to Brayling’s Close the next day after the accident with the car?

3. Correct the following wrong statements. Enlarge upon your answer:

a. Mor disliked the idea of sitting for a portrait.

b. When Demoyte suggested paying for Felicity’s study at the University, Mor jumped at the opportunity.

c. When Mor was leaving Demoyte’s house, he was treading on air.

4. Complete the following sentences:

a. When Handy saw Mor under the windows, she was a bit frightened.

b. Demoyte had been sitting for a portrait for the large part of the afternoon and was rather irritable. He especially…

c. When Rain asked Demoyte to put on his usual clothes, he was angry with Mor and he was going…

III. Questions:

1. Iris Murdoch writes “He wanted to see Rain Carter desperately. It was all so inexplicable.” Was Mor’s behaviour really inexplicable?

2. With what purpose does Iris Murdoch make smth. which was really unimportant in Mor’s view look like smth. important? With what ideas of existentialism is it in keeping?

IV. Tasks:

Speak on the following:

1. Rain Carter at work. Her method of painting portraits.

2. Character of Mr. Demoyte. Pay attention to the following items: his social position, his appearance, attitude to his work, his interests and attitude to different people.

3. Mor’s meditations of their outing. His decision not to tell anything to his wife.

4. Mor’s visit to Demoyte. His sitting for a portrait. Describe the moonlit night and how it was scattered into fragments by Miss Handforth’s words. What is it significant of?

Chapters 8, 9

I. Active vocabulary:

• to look (be) exasperated

• pull yourself together

• to forbid

• to bring penalties down upon…

• to expel; expulsion

• to make a row

• to feel dizzy

• to blackmail

• disgust

• to invent excuses

• to turn the place topsy-turvy

• His heart sank.

• to be short with smb.

• sulky

• to be tickled pink

II. Exercises:

1. Give situations with the following expressions:

blackmail

disgust

to look (be) exasperated

to expel

to feel dizzy

2. Make up dialogues with the following expressions:

□ pull yourself together

□ to make a row

□ to be tickled pink

3. Write and be prepared to read a short story using most of the vocabulary.

Comprehension check:

1. Answer the questions:

a) Why do you think felicity lied to her mother when she decided to go to Don?

b) What does Felicity’s behaviour in Don’s room testify to? What kept her worrying throughout the visit?

c) Why couldn’t Felicity bring herself to like her brother’s friend? Do you find Jim Carde a likable figure?

d) Why did the children decide to raid Miss Carter’s room?

e) Why does Iris Murdoch include the scene of Mor’s children reading his letter to Miss Carter into the book?

f) How did the children feel when they were discovered in the house?

g) Why did Mor invent excuses for staying at school?

h) What was Rain Carter’s reaction when she was presented with flowers by the Mor children? What was their parents’ opinion of it?

i) Kids are usually happy to go on vacation. Why wasn’t Felicity? Why was she more tearful than ever?

2. Complete the following sentences:

a) At St. Bride’s the school tower was forbidden to climb on and…

b) Felicity was near to tears and Don tried to comfort he…

c) Felicity felt…about the art master.

d) When the day of Nan’s departure to Dorset came, Mor was relieved…

3. Correct and simplify the following statements:

a) Mor hurried home every evening. He was happy to go home.

b) Mor never spoke to Nan about his dream to become a member of parliament.

c) Rain was displeased when the Mor children gave her flowers.

d) Felicity was glad to go to Dorset.

4. Find the following phrases in the book

to take in the scene

to put the evil eye on smb.

in one’s shirt sleeves