Proper names:

Leacock [‘ li:kok], Pinkerton [‘pinketen], Baron Rothschild [‘baren ‘rotшilt], Gould [‘gu:ld], Montgomery [ment’gameri].

Notes on the text:

1. The accountant was a tall, cool devil. - банковский служащий был высокий, невозмутимый человек.

2. I found no voice to speak - Я растерялся и не мог вымолвить ни слова.

3. it made me worse - зд. Я еще больше растерялся.

4. Here ... - Вот ...

5. While the fit is on us - пока мы в настроении.

6. how to write it out - как выписывать (чек)

7. What ! - Как! Что!

Phrases to remember:

to do business - заниматься делом.

to look round - оглядеться.

to open an account- открыть счет в банке.

to reveal a secret -открыть тайну (секрет).

to lead the way to - вести кого-либо куда -либо.

we are safe from interruption here - нам здесь не помешают.

to tell the truth - по правде говоря.

to draw a cheque - выписать чек (взять деньги из банка).

for present use - на текущие расходы.

they had the impression that ...- у них создалось впечатление , что ...

in surprise - с удивлением, удивленно.

I had a feeling that ... - Мне показалось, что...

to make a poor attempt to do smth - тщетно пытаться сделать что - то.

to catch the (someone’s) meaning (of) - уловить смысл.

a roar of laughter - взрыв хохота.

Prepositional & Adverbial Phrases.

To look round, to be about to do smth., to go up to, in alarm, to be safe from, to call to someone, to step into, to draw out (money), for present use, in surprise, to keep money in cash.

Grammar notes on the text.

1. He said unkindly loud. “Loud” is an adverb here. Some English adverbs have two forms. One has to remember the idiomatic usage of English adverbs without “-ly”.

Don’t talk so loud. They laughed loud & long.

But:

He insisted loudly on his rights.

A loudly-dressed person.

2. He gave it me ...

In colloquial speech, when the indirect object is a pronoun , the preposition “to” is sometimes not used.

But: Give it to Mary.

Exercises.

1.Answer the following questions.

1. How did a bank affect the hero of the story?

When he goes into a bank he gets irritated. The clerks irritate him; the wickets irritate him; the sight of the money irritates him; everything irritates him.

2. What made him go to the bank though everything irritated him there?

His salary had been raised to fifty dollars a month and he felt that the bank was the only place for it.

3. Why did he wish to see the manager ?

He did't know why he said.

4. Why did the manager take him to his private office?

Author said that he wanted to see him alone.

5. Why did the manager have a false impression of the visitor?

He had gathered from his mysterious manner that he was a detective.

6. Why did the visitor dislike the way the manager spoke to the accountant?

This gentleman was opening an account, he would deposit fifty-six dollars.

7. What shows that the man was very excited & embarrassed ?

He poked the ball of money to the accountant.

8. What did he have to do to have his money deposited?

The accountant took the money and gave it to another clerk. He made the visitor write the sum on a slip and sign his name in a book.

9. How can you explain his desire to draw a cheque the moment he deposited his money?

His idea was to draw out six dollars of it for present use.

10.What surprised the clerk when he looked at the cheque the man had written out?

The visitor wrote whole sum to draw out all.

11. How did he explain his decision to draw out all his money?

An idiot hope struck him that they might think something had insulted him while he was writing the cheque and that he had changed his mind. He made a wretched attempt to look like a man with a fearfully quick temper.

12. Where did the man keep his money after his visit to the bank?

He kept his money in cash in his trousers pocket and his savings in silver dollars in a sock.

2. Paraphrase the following using the words & prases from the list below.

1. His eyes were fixed on the ground, I did not know why he seemed so awfully and embarrassed. 2. I had the pleasure of being introduced to Frank last night. He’s an extra nice person, I think. 3. The moment I cross the examination room I get so terribly nervous. 4. I am about to keep all my money in a savings-bank since next month. 5. I always had an idea that people who were about to fly in a plane must feel excited. 6. If you want to have good seats, you’ll have to reserve them beforehand. 7. If I were you I would consult your father what your next step should be. 8. We didn’t expect him to take us to his private office to talk about such unimportant things. 9. Have you got to propose copy of the article? Peter has been asking if he could have a look at it. 10. You do not intend to draw out all your money, I presume? 11. The policeman examined the documents with a very grave expression on his face.

3. Replace the following words & word combinations by those from the text & vocabulary.

not responsible – bank no more to make angry – to be quick temper pay –draw out grave & important – sepulchral to go & bring – to give it to extremely good – extra good to conclude – to have a feeling to to be going to – about to serious - grave to have in mind as a purpose – to make a poor attempt to do smth to go to someone for advice or information – to consult

4. Give antonyms for the following.

responsible – irresponsible , unaccountable

to reduce – enhance , enlarge , escalate , extend , raise

kind – bad, angry

to withdraw money from a bank – to draw a cheque

slow – agile , fast , lively , quick , rapid

calm – noisy, loud, boisterous

5. Make up questions on the text using the given words & phrases.

What of the sight does rattle the visitor?

Who did look relieved?

When did very embarrassing situation in the bank?

Whose meaning the visitor did catch?

Who did make a poor attempt to look like a man with quick temper?

What did the clerk say in surprise after writing sum?

How much money did the visitor want for present use?

Where did the manager lead the way to?

Why did the visitor look round in a bank?

Who did consult the visitor about the deposit?

6. Suggest the English for the following from the text.

я имел в виду – my idea was

на текущие расходы – for present use

у нас создалось впечатление, что – we had the impression that

Как! – What!

вместо – instead of

я очень смутился – in surprise

все до копейки – every cent of it

мне в голову пришла абсурдная мысль – an idiot hope struck me

передумать – to change smb’s mind

вспыльчивый человек – a man with a fearfully quick temper

один только вид его – The very sight of him

я тщетно пытался – I made a wretched attempt

по правде говоря – to tell the truth

открыть счет в банке – to open an account

заранее – beforehand

пройдите сюда – come in here

7. Which words from the text answer the following definitions.

to hurt someone’s feelings – to rattle

money in the form of coins or notes – cash

to go & bring – to go & poke

a piece of paper money – bill

to put money in a bank to be kept safely – to deposit

to write one’s name on – to sign one’s name in

the entrance to a building or room – crossing the threshold of a building or room

a person who manages – manager

controls or directs a business or a department of a business – director

a person who keeps accounts in a business – business men

to make know what is secret – to have an awful secret to reveal

a strong box in which money & other valuable things are kept – safe

a number of cheques fastened together in paper or cardboard covers – a chequebook

a person whose business is to get information especially about how crimes have been commited – detective

difficult or impossible to understand or explain – shocking

sudden excitement caused by danger – finding no voice to speak