Assingnments

1. Make sure you know the pronunciation of the following words. Write them down and transcribe them.

avenue, court, matron, rheumatism, Albert, nephew, jaundice, landscape, Somersetshire

2. Prepare an expressive reading of the paragraph “They heard of him … he was to arrive that afternoon.”

3. Scan the text of the story to find the answers to the following questions. First read the questions, be sure you’ve got them well in mind and then start scanning. Stop reading the text the moment you have found the necessary information.

1. When was the house built?

2. Who was the real master of the house?

3. Who was expected to come to the house?

4. When did George Meadows go away to sea?

5. Who went to fetch George Meadows?

6. Why did Mrs. Meadows invite the narrator to look in and see George Meadows?

7. Why wasn’t George Meadows married?

8. When did George Meadows die?

4. Read the story carefully and write out sentences in which the following words and phrases are used. Memorize them. Use them when discussing the story.

weather-beaten

stolid

sturdy

unpretentious

upstanding

to be in the prime of life

a united family

upright

dignified

to be all in a flutter

to go to sea

to come to the conclusion

steady

to have smth. in common

to quieten down

to do sb. good

to take a liberty with sb.

an exile

to make a fortune

to make a success of

to boast

5. Paraphrase or explain the following sentences.

1. Their life was patriarchal.

2. I’ll see you out yet, Emily.

3. … the house, grey and weather-beaten, looked as much a part of the landscape as the trees that surrounded it.

4. George Meadows, crippled with rheumatism, … wanted to see once more the house in which he was born.

6. Support or challenge the following statements. Make suitable quotations to prove your point of view.

1. Captain Meadows really loved Emily Meadows.

2. Mrs. Meadows was quite satisfied with her marriage.

3. Emily Meadows and George Meadows were glad to see each another.

4. George Meadows was satisfied with his life.

5. Mrs. Meadows and George Meadows had much in common as far as their points of view were concerned.

6. Uncle George had made a success of his life.

7. Look through the story again and find answers to the following comprehension question.

1. Why did the Meadows deserve their happiness?

2. What traits of character made Mrs. Meadows a good master of the house?

3. Why did the story of Uncle George amuse the narrator?

4. What letter did the family receive one day?

5. Why did George Meadows leave the house?

6. Why did Emily choose Tom for her husband?

7. Why was Uncle George so eager to return home?

8. Why was it strange to look at Mrs. George and Captain Meadows?

9. What fact was George Meadows proud of?

10. What did the old man boast of?

11. How did Captain Meadows die?

8. Pick out words and phrases which describe the appearance of:

1. George Meadows;

2. Emily Meadows;

3. the members of the Meadows family (George, his wife and children).

9. Find words and phrases which describe the character of :

1. Emily Meadows;

2. George Meadows;

3. The members of the Meadows family.

Get ready to speak on these points using the vocabulary you have written out.

10. Dramatize the dialogue between Mrs. Meadows and Uncle George. Render the dialogue in indirect speech.

11. Imagine that you are George Meadows. Tell the story of your life.

12. Tell the story of Uncle Meadows as Emily Meadows might tell it.

13. Opinion questions.

1. What was George Meadows’s motto as far as money was concerned? Do you side with him here?

2. Do you think George Meadows was sincere when he said, “If I had the chance of going through my life again, I’d take it.” What makes you think so?

3. How do you understand the words said by Mrs. Meadows, “But fate had been kind: death had written the full stop in the right place.”?

4. What do you think made the narrator admire and respect Captain Meadows? Did he really deserve admiration and respect?

5. Could you tell if Mrs. Meadows had found the answer to her problem whether she had married the right man?

14. Give a character sketch of:

1. George Meadows;

2. Emily Meadows.

15. Divide the story into logical parts. Entitle each.

16. Make up an outline of the story.

17. Give a two-sentence summary of the story.