- •The enormous radio
- •We went upstairs and five minutes later were on the door-step. I called a taxi and offered the young man a lift.
- •'She’s very well,' said Mrs Tower with a certain dryness.
- •The secret life of walter mitty
- •The happy man
- •Treacle tart
- •Nunc dimittis1 by r. Dahl
- •The serenade by g.B. Shaw
- •Skin by r. Dahl
- •Student’s home reading guide The birds by d. Du Maurier
- •1. Transcribe and practise reading the given words, learn their Russian equivalents.
- •2. Vocabulary
- •3. Find in the story the English for:
- •4. Find words and phrases in the story with the following meanings:
- •9. From the story, write out all the bird names and give their Russian equivalents.
- •10. Are you a careful reader?
- •11. Answer the questions and do the following tasks:
- •The Enormous Radio
- •5. Find words and phrases in the story with the following meanings:
- •6. State the difference between:
- •7. Give Russian equivalents of the phrases below:
- •8. Say what you know about:
- •9. Explain what is meant by:
- •10. Rephrase the sentences from the story (without using the underlined parts).
- •11. Are you a careful reader?
- •12. Answer the questions and do the following tasks:
- •1. Transcribe and practise reading the given words, learn their Russian equivalents.
- •2. Vocabulary
- •3. Find in the story the English for:
- •4. Find words and phrases in the story with the following meanings:
- •5. Give Russian equivalents of the words and phrases below:
- •11. Are you a careful reader?
- •12. Give a detailed description
- •13. Answer the questions and do the following tasks:
- •The secret life of walter mitty
- •1. Transcribe and practise reading the given words, learn their Russian equivalents.
- •2. Vocabulary
- •3. Find in the story the English for:
- •4.Find words and phrases in the story with the following meanings:
- •5. Give Russian equivalents of the words and phrases below:
- •6. Say what you know about:
- •7. Rephrase or interpret the given sentences (without using the underlined parts).
- •8. Find in the story 3 sentences containing the word ‘down’. Translate them into Russian. Note the effect of ‘down’ on the meaning of the verb. Translate the sentences below into Russian.
- •9. Are you a careful reader?
- •10. Answer the questions and do the following tasks:
- •The happy man
- •1. Practise reading the words below. Learn their Russian equivalents.
- •2. Find in the story the English for:
- •3. Vocabulary
- •Treacle tart
- •1. Transcribe and practise reading the given words, learn their Russian equivalents.
- •2. Vocabulary
- •3. Find in the story the English for:
- •8. “Should we be expected to call him ‘your Grace’, or ‘Sire’, or something?” How would you address Julius? Do the matching and see if you know suitable greetings for various people.
- •9. Are you a careful reader?
- •10. “To this Mr Lees turned a deaf ear…”. What other phrases with the word ear do you know? Give Russian equivalents of the following idioms:
- •11. Answer the questions and do the following tasks:
- •Nunc dimittis
- •1. Transcribe and practise reading the given words, learn their Russian equivalents.
- •2. Vocabulary
- •3. Find in the story the English for:
- •4.Find words and phrases in the story with the following meanings:
- •5. Give Russian equivalents of the words/phrases and sentences below:
- •The serenade
- •1. Transcribe and practise reading the given words, learn their Russian equivalents.
- •2. Vocabulary
- •3. Find in the story the English for:
- •4. Find words and phrases in the story with the following meanings:
- •5. Give Russian equivalents of the words and phrases/sentences below:
- •6. Explain what is meant by:
- •7. Say what you know about:
- •8. Rephrase or interpret the given sentences (without using the underlined parts).
- •9. Are you a careful reader?
- •10. Answer the questions and do the following tasks:
- •1. Transcribe and practise reading the given words, learn their Russian equivalents.
- •2. Vocabulary
- •3. Find in the story the English for:
- •4. Find words and phrases in the story with the following meanings:
- •5. Give Russian equivalents of the words, phrases and sentences below:
- •Contents
- •1. The Birds by d. Du Maurier ……………………………………………………………3
- •8. The Serenade by g.D. Shaw..……....…………………………………………………116
6. Say what you know about:
a) Roosevelt; b) Kleenex; Buick; c) a firing squad.
7. Rephrase or interpret the given sentences (without using the underlined parts).
1. We can’t make it, sir. It’s spoiling for a hurricane… 2. The Old Man’ll get us through… 3. We’re having the devil’s own time with McMillan… 4. Coals to Newcastle, bringing Mitford and me up here for a tertiary. 5. The new anaesthetiser is giving way! 6. If you would take over, Mitty? 7. The attendant vaulted into the car, backed it up with insolent skill, and put it where it belonged. 8. Walter Mitty raised his hand briefly and the bickering attorneys were stilled. 9. …Mitty let the man have it on the point of the chin.
8. Find in the story 3 sentences containing the word ‘down’. Translate them into Russian. Note the effect of ‘down’ on the meaning of the verb. Translate the sentences below into Russian.
1. It seems that you’ll have to be cutting down on your expenses if you’ve really decided about the car. 2. There’s no reason why you should look down on people.
3. The offer was turned down. 4. They say the house burnt down. 5. The engine keeps breaking down. 6. Films like that get me down. 7. The old houses will soon be pulled down. 8. The office was shut down. 9. In 2005, the Council had voted down a petition to close the factory. 10. Stop putting yourself down – it’s getting annoying.
9. Are you a careful reader?
1. Who was Gregory Fitzhurst? 2. “They’re so damn cocky, … they think they know everything.” Who did Walter Mitty mean? 3. Where did the Mittys do their shopping? 4. Walter Mitty was to wait for his wife at a hotel. (True or False?)
5. “Couldn’t you have put them on in the store?” What is Mrs Mitty talking about?
10. Answer the questions and do the following tasks:
1. What do you know about the author of the story?
2. Speak about a) Walter Mitty’s attitude towards his wife, b) Mrs Mitty’s attitude towards her husband, c) their type of family relationship in general.
3. Analyse Walter Mitty’s fantasies considering
Walter Mitty’s role;
difficulties aggravating each imaginary situation;
Walter Mitty’s personal qualities revealed in each particular daydream;
what in Mitty’s real world triggers each dream;
‘linking elements’ that Walter Mitty’s daydreams have in common;
the details of Walter Mitty’s real life, which get incorporated into each particular dream.
4. Walter Mitty has particular problems with the modern marvel of his time: the car. If you were to update J. Thurber’s story, how might you show Mitty’s clumsiness or incompetence in the 21st century?
5. Does the author want us to respond to his character? Are we to relate to him? Laugh at him? Feel sorry for him? To what extent is Mitty like most people?
6. Comment on the final episode of the story. What did Walter Mitty imagine in that dream, do you think? Why is he described as ‘inscrutable to the last’, in your opinion?
7. Are Walter Mittys born or made?
8. Daydreaming: is it good or bad?