- •Preface
- •Abbreviations
- •Something for nothing
- •T a s k 1. Which of the following phenomena/characteristics/ideas reflect natural features of the modern world? What would you exclude?
- •Reading Tasks
- •Post-Reading Tasks
- •Salvatore
- •Read the translation of the words from the text.
- •Explain the meaning or give the definitions to the following expressions. Use a dictionary if necessary.
- •Reading Tasks
- •Salvatore (before and after illness);
- •The girl he loved;
- •Post-Reading Tasks
- •Mrs bixby and the colonel’s coat
- •Think of any situations where you can use the following expressions.
- •Reading Tasks
- •Post-Reading Tasks
- •The hitchhiker
- •Reading Tasks
- •The hitchhiker speaks non-standard English. Find the examples in the text and explain the differences, e.G. Guv’nor, doin’, ’im, ’oo, etc.
- •Find the examples from the text to prove the following ideas.
- •Post-Reading Tasks
- •The children
- •Reading Tasks
- •Post-Reading Tasks
- •The butler
- •Reading Tasks
- •Post-Reading Tasks
- •Dip in the pool
- •Reading Tasks
- •Post-Reading Tasks Discuss the following ideas.
- •The umbrella man
- •Reading Tasks
- •Post-Reading Tasks
- •In case he is a criminal what must be “the right punishment”’ for him?
- •In the opposite case what can be his excuse? How can we justify him? the garden party
- •Reading Tasks
- •Post-Reading Tasks
- •The sound machine
- •Study the expressions that show different feelings and emotions.
- •Reading Tasks
- •Is Klausner mad? Is he a genius? Is he capable of inventing and seeing things which ordinary people are unable to? Post-Reading Tasks
Reading Tasks
T a s k 1. Say whether the statements are TRUE or FALSE. Correct the false statements.
Jake heard that strange conversation by chance.
At first he had no intention to participate in this swindle.
He couldn’t resist a temptation to get “easy money”.
He decided to get that money because he was broke.
He was sure of his success and safety because it wasn’t at all risky.
Jake had to take some safety measures as he realized the whole danger.
He understood that it was involved in something illegal.
Having the envelope on him he was happy and relaxed.
T a s k 2. What is Jake like? Fill in the table and explain.
Feature
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Your comment |
risky |
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adventurous |
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… |
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T a s k 3. What was Jake feeling at the beginning of the story? How was his mood changing and why?
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Post-Reading Tasks
Discuss the following ideas.
“I couldn’t help it I can resist everything except temptation”, says a character in one of Oscar Wild’s plays. Is Jake a similar kind of character? Is he a loser or a winner by nature? What do you think?
Divide the story into parts (any number) and give titles to them.
How do you appreciate what happened to Jake? Analyze the whole situation from different sides. Choose appropriate definitions from the table and fill in the gaps. Suggest your own ideas.
Experience |
Negative Positive Useful Bitter |
He lost his money, life was at risk |
Lesson that life taught him |
……… |
……… |
Adventure
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……… ……… |
……… ……… |
A turning point in his life |
For the worse? For the better? |
……… ……… |
… |
……… |
……… |
The author deliberately left the ending of the story open. How do you interpret that? Do you think it makes the story more effective? Less effective? What effect did he hope to create by this? What do you think? Discuss your versions.
Which of the things you think could happen next?
Event |
Will happen |
May happen |
Won’t happen |
Your comments |
1. It was a joke of Jake’s friends. They had a party. |
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2. Jake is kidnapped. His family has to pay $100,000 ransom |
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3. Jake’s wife and daughter are kidnapped on the same conditions. |
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4. It was just a bad dream of Jake. |
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5. …
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What ending do you prefer? Happy or unhappy? Why?