Assignment 9 Chapter 8 (pp. 192-218)

1. Transcribe, pronounce and translate the following words:

surreal, rapacious, nausea, etiquette, chandelier.

2. Find the following words and expressions in the text, look them up in the English-English dictionary and translate them into Russian. Reproduce the situations in which they are used:

to fall greedily on sth (p. 192), to string sb along (p. 205), to chuck sb out (p. 205), to potter (p. 206), to set up house (p. 206), to cover for sb (p. 209), to give sb one of sb’s looks (p. 209), to take to doing sth (p. 212), to have second thoughts (p. 214), to rally round (p. 214).

3. Find the English for the following words and expressions and reproduce the situations in which they are used:

месса, церковная служба (с. 192), пересмотреть бюджет (с. 195), учиться на чьих-либо ошибках (с. 197), в два раза больше (с. 198), покрывало (с. 201), приоткрыть окно (с. 201), сбежать (с. 216), обменяться взглядами (с. 216).

4. Answer the questions and do the tasks:

1) Why did they have to dine by candlelight?

2) Why did Carmel eat too few potatoes and fall greedily on steaks?

3) What do you make of Carmel’s answer to Susan’s question about Carmel’s hairstyle and her future intentions?

4) Describe Mr. Millington. Say what impression he makes on you.

5) Find out the meaning of the synonyms in Carmel’s description of Julianne: “She’s flourishing. Thriving. She’s been awarded a medal.” Why does she use both words?

6) What made the girls, Carmel and Julianne, more popular than ever?

7) Write out metaphors from p. 194, which Carmel used to describe Karina.

8) Why did Carmel have to restrict her food intake? What luxury could she afford and why?

9) Why was it important for Carmel to knit a sweater that would have made her mother gasp?

10) What made Carmel think that Julianne considered her the subject of an experiment?

11) Comment on the way Lynette spoke:

a) “It will be strikingly original.” (p. 198)

b) “She’s put on a terrific amount of weight. I do feel sorry for her.” (p. 194)

c) Sue sat at the end of the table yawning hugely. “Don’t you think we ought to be allowed to come down in our dressing gowns?”

“There would be some melancholy sights,” Lynette said. (p. 202)

What is peculiar about her manner of speaking? How does it characterize her?

12) What made Carmel angry with Karina while the latter was pressing the sweater? Comment on the following: “She might have terminally scorched it, if her big mouth hadn’t made me intervene.”

13) Why did Carmel think that Tonbridge Hall was drawing her and Julianne together?

14) Why did Carmel think Niall made up his mind to leave her? What was he afraid of? Consider her dreams and the style of the language she used when she, for example, spoke about a fox fur coat, which she could not afford at that moment, as a proper solace for a cold night.

15) What shows that Carmel did not sympathize with Sue (pp. 205-207)?

16) What did Carmel mean describing Sue as a thing of shreds and patches? Comment upon the metaphor.

17) The word rapacious is used metaphorically in the text. Use an English-English dictionary to learn the meaning of the word and comment upon its use in this context: “Julia gave me one of her looks, what I called her rapacious looks: plundering the thoughts out of people’s hearts.” (p. 209).

18) Explain the following: “A family conference. That’s what you need.” Do you discuss your own problems with your family?

19) Why did Carmel go to the shoe-repairer’s?

20) What did Julia think Sue should do? Why did Claire want Sue to have the baby? Why did Carmel think that Sue’s life would be over if she had the baby? What advice would you give Sue if any?

21) How were the girls dressed on the Guest Night? What impression did they want to make? What did the Secretary of the State look like?

22) What did Carmel dream of after the Guest Night?

23) What were they served for dinner that night? Was the food different from their usual meals?

5. Read and translate the passage on p. 218 from “That night I dreamt of …” up to “… pressed against my stripped fingerbones.”.

6. Fill in the character sketch pages. Compare your notes with your partner.

7. Translate the sentences into English using the vocabulary of ex. 2, 3.

1) К сожалению, люди больше склонны учиться на своих ошибках, чем на чужих.

2) Они обменялись взглядами в знак согласия.

3) Пришла пора принять окончательное решение. Больше нет времени сомневаться или менять свое мнение.

4) Мне нужно выйти на десять минут. Ты не сможешь прикрыть меня на это время, если кто-нибудь спросит обо мне?

5) Сильно проголодавшись за время похода, ребенок набросился на еду и съел в два раза больше своей обычной нормы.

6) Она посмотрела на меня так, как она обычно смотрела в гневе, и я не решился задать больше ни одного вопроса.

7) Брат с сестрой сбежали утром, и уже после обеда по всему городу были развешены фотографии с описанием их особых примет.

8) Не позволяйте никому обманывать себя!

9) Они решили сообща помочь своему другу.

8. Discuss the following in class:

Do you find it reasonable to give other people advice and insist that they should follow it when they have serious problems? Or do you think that it is up to a person to decide what to do with his / her life unless he / she turns to you for help? Can you possibly help other people without interfering in their affairs?