Short stories for reading and discussion. Пособие по домашнему чтению

power with which the instrument I carried would respond to a skilful performer. We parted; and I saw him enter the house of Linda. A few minutes later, I was in the garden, looking up at them from my place in the shadow as they sat near the open window. Their conversation did not reach me: I thought he would never go. The night was a little cold; and the ground was damp. Ten o’clock struck — a quarter past — half past — I almost resolved to go home. Had not the tedium been relieved by some pieces which she played on the pianoforte, I could not have held out.At last they rose; and I was now able to distinguish their words. “Yes,” she said, “it is time for you to go.” How heartily I agreed with her! “But you might have sung the serenade for roe. I have played three times for you.” “I have a frightful cold,” he said. “I really can not. Goodnight.” “What nonsense!You have not the least symptom of a cold. No matter: I will never ask you again. Goodnight, Mr. Porcharlester.” “Do not be savage with me,” he said. “You shall hearmesingitsoonerthanyouthink,perhaps.”“Ah!yousaythatvery significantly. Sooner than I think! If you are preparing a surprise for me, I will forgive you. I shall see you at Mrs. Locksley Hall’s tomorrow, I hope.” He assented, and hurried away, fearful, I suppose, lest1 he should betray his plan.When he was gone, she came to the window, and looked out at the stars. Gazing at her, I forgot my impatience: my teeth ceased to chatter. I took the horn from my travelling bag. She sighed; closed the window; and drew down a white blind. The sight of her hand alone as she did so would have inspired me to excel all my previous efforts. She seated herself so that I could see the shadow of her figure in profile. My hour was come. Park Lane was nearly still: the traffic in Oxford Street was too distant to be distracting. I began. At the first note I saw her start and listen. When the completed phrase revealed to her what air I was playing, she laid down her book. The mouthpiece of my instrument was like ice; and my lips were stiff and chilly, so that in spite of my utmost care I was interrupted more than once by those uncouth giggling sounds which the best cornists can not always avoid. Nevertheless, considering that I was cold and very ner-

1 lest (formal, old-fashioned) = in order that the started thing should not happen; in case.

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vous, I succeeded fairly well. Gaining confidence as I went on, I partly atoned for the imperfection of the beginning by playing the concluding bars with commanding sonority, and even achieving a tolerable shake on the penultimate note.

AnencouragingcheerfromthestreetasIfinished,showedmethat a crowd was collected there, and that immediate flight was out of the question. I replaced the horn in my bag, and made ready to go when the mob should disperse. Meanwhile I gazed at the shadow on the blind. She was writing now. Could she, I think, be writing to me? She rose; and the shadow overspread the window so that I could no longer distinguish her movements. I heard a bell ring.Aminute later the door of the house opened. I retreated behind an aloe tub; but on recognizing the servant whom I had bribed, I whistled softly to him. He came towards me with a letter in his hand. My heart beat strongly as I saw it. “All right, sir,” he said. “Miss Linda told me to give you this; but you are not to open it, if you please, until you get home.” “Then she knew who I was,” I said eagerly.

“I suppose so, sir. When I heard her bell, I took care to answer it myself. Then she says to me, ‘You’ll find a gentleman somewhere in the pleasure ground. Give him this note; and beg him to go home at once. He is not to read it here.” “Is there any crowd outside?” “All gone, sir. Thank you, sir. Goodnight, sir.” I ran all the way to Hamilton Place, where I got into a hansom1.

Ten minutes afterwards I was in my study, opening the letter with unsteadyhands.Itwasnotenclosedinanenvelope,butfoldedinthree, withacornerturneddown.Iopeneditandread,«714,ParkILane,Friday. « Dear Mr. Porcharlester — « I stopped. Had she then given him credit for my performance? A more immediately important question was whether I had any right to read a letter not addressed to me. Curiosity and love prevailed over this scruple. The letter continued thus. «I am sorry that you have seen nothing in my fancy for Schubert’s serenade except matter for ridicule. Perhaps it was an exaggerated fancy;

1 hansom = hansom cab – a two-wheeled horse-drawn carriage whose driver sits on a high outside seat at the back, used until early in the 20th century, usually as a kind of a taxi.

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but I would not have expressed it to you had I not believed you capable of understanding it. If it be any satisfaction to you to know that you have cured me of it thoroughly, pray believe that I shall never again hear the serenade without a strange mixture of mirth and pain. I did not know that a human throat could compass such sounds; and I little thought, when you promised that I should hear your voice sooner than I expected, that you contemplated such a performance. I have only one word more:Adieu. I shall not have the pleasure of meeting you at Mrs. Locksley Hall’s tomorrow, as my engagements will not permit me to go there. For the same reason I fear I must deny myself the pleasure of receiving you again this season. I am, dear Mr. Porcharlester, yours truly, Linda Fitznightingale.»

I felt that to forward this letter to Porcharlester would only pain him uselessly. I felt also that my instructor was right, and that I have not the lip for the French horn. I have accordingly given it up. Linda is now my wife. I sometimes ask her why she persists in cutting Porcharlester, who has pledged me his word as an officer and a gentleman that he is unconscious of having given her the slightest ground for offence. She always refuses to tell me.

TASKSAND EXERCISES

Pre-reading Tasks

1. Read a few words of G.B. Shaw biography. What works made him famous?What is he more to you a playwright ora story writer?

George Bernard Shaw was an Irish playwright. Born in Dublin, he moved to London at the age of twenty and lived in England for the remainder of his life.Although Shaw’s first profitable writing was music and literary criticism, his talent was for drama, and during his career he authored more than sixty plays. Nearly all of his writings deal sternly with prevailing social problems, but are leavened by a vein

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of comedy to make their stark themes more palatable. Shaw examined education, marriage, religion, government, health care, and class privilege and found them all defective, but his ire was most aroused by the exploitation of the working class; his writings seldom fail to censure that abuse. An ardent socialist, Shaw wrote many brochures and speeches for the Fabian Society. He became an accomplished orator in the furtherance of its causes, which included gaining equal political rights for men and women, alleviating abuses of the working class, rescinding private ownership of productive land, and promoting healthful lifestyles.

Shaw married Charlotte Payne-Townshend, a fellow Fabian, whom he survived. They made their home in Ayot St. Lawrence in a house now called Shaw’s Corner. Shaw died there, aged 94, from chronic problems exacerbated by injuries he incurred by falling.

2.Interpret the title of the story and speculate of the possible plot. When do we hear serenades? Have you ever heard a serenade? Does it create any romantic atmosphere in life?

3.Before reading the story transcribe the following words paying attention to their pronunciation:

1.colonel – ___________________

2.guineas – ___________________

3.doubt – ____________________

4.prudence – __________________

5.fatigue – ____________________

6.melancholy – ________________

7.scruple – ___________________

8.menace – ___________________

9.prompter – __________________

10.chronic – ___________________

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While-reading Tasks

4. Find the English equivalents for the words and word-com- binations listed below:

1.любительский спектакль ________________________________

2.дружелюбный молодой человек __________________________

3.иметь преимущество над к-л в чьих-либо глазах ____________

4.избавиться от к-л ______________________________________

5.подглядывать __________________________________________

6.начать разговор ________________________________________

7.быть склонным к ч-л ___________________________________

8.остановиться на ч-л голос _______________________________

9.доверять к-л в ч-л ______________________________________

10.дать основание для обиды ______________________________

5. Use the means of affixation to build nouns denoting ‘a performer’. Remember the context where they are used. Mind there are some different affixes in English to denote that idea:

6. Listen to the story on the attached CD and prepare the passage given below for artistic reading. Make sure you know how to translate it into good Russian: “I made light of this hint… the happiest man in England.”

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Reading Comprehension

7.Answer the questions on the plot of the story:

1.What was Colonel Green organizing that day?

2.Why was the performance not to act?

3.Who were the guests invited to the performance?

4.Why was Linda so affectionate towards Mr. Porcharlester?

5.What would you say about Linda’s interest in music?

6.Was the performance a success?

7.Why did Green take horn blowing lessons?

8.What results had he achieved as a cornist?

9.What preparations did Green do to arrange his project of serenading Linda?

10.Who did Green meet on his way to Linda’s house? Did it change his plans?

11.What did Mr. Porcharlester feel about singing the serenade for Linda? Did he do it anyway?

12.Did Green have any audience while he was playing the serenade for Linda?

13.What did Green receive after his performance of the serenade?

14.Why did Green hide Linda’s letter from Mr. Porcharlester?

15.Did Linda learn the truth about that night’s performance of the serenade? What feelings did she have towards Mr. Porcharlester after that night?

16.Why did Green keep it a secret that he was responsible for everything?

8.Make charactersketchers of ColonelGreen;Mr.Porcharlester; Linda Fitznightingale.Was it a love triangle they formed?Was Linda in love with Mr. Porcharlester? What feelings did Green have for Linda?

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9.Make a summary of the story within ten sentences:

a.follow the love line of the story;

b.make it Mr. Porcharlester’s story.

10.Speak about the plot:

1.time arrangement;

2.stories within the story;

3.the climax.

11.Speak about the humour of the story. What kind of humour is it: humour of the language or humour of the situation? Find the situations to prove your point of view.

12.Comment on the title. Does the word serenade add any romance to the story? Who is the most romantic person in the story?What can love make people do? Can a person become a liar because of love? Does love make people better or worse? Prove your point of view.

13.Give yourown image of true love?Who was truly in love in the story? Was it love that approve of Green’s behaviour?

14.Role-playing cards:

1.Act out a talk between Colonel Green and Mr. Porcharlester.

2.Act out a dialogue between Linda and her servant.

3.Make up a dialogue between Colonel Green and Linda as his wife and act it out in class.

Vocabulary Building

15. A. Give the Russian for the following word combinations used in the story:

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a fairy play in three acts – a cornist from the band – with perfect good humour – to relapse into insensibility – to have the pluck to do sth – a mixture of mirth and pain –

to say with ill-bred jocosity –

B. Use the given word combinations in sentences of your own to illustrate their meaning.

16.Explain the meaning of some utterances used in the story. Give your comment on the situations they are used:

1.I will keep my hands in my pockets.

2.Boys will be boys.

3.…she is always at me for it.

4.Do not be savage with me.

5.I made light of this hint…

6.I have lived on it for the last three days…

17.Give synonyms to the following words in the word combinations. Remember the context they are used to express their meaning:

1.(to describe) minutely – __________________________________

2.a mature (age) – ________________________________________

3.(to be) at leisure – ______________________________________

4.(to be) at hand – _______________________________________

5.(to agree) heartily – _____________________________________

6.(to play) an air – _______________________________________

18.Give the opposite to the following words with the help of affixation. Make possible word combinations to illustrate their meaning:

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1.useful – _____________________________________________

2.conscious – __________________________________________

3.respectful – __________________________________________

4.chief – ______________________________________________

5.ill-bred – ____________________________________________

6.groundless – __________________________________________

7.famous – ____________________________________________

8.animate – ____________________________________________

9.patience – ____________________________________________

10.sensibility – __________________________________________

19.Fill in the prepositions if necessary:

1.My house is famous … staging different theatrical performances.

2.It was a well-known piece written … me … usual. 3. One of the front seats was occupied … a beautiful lady. 4. … her eyes he looked a mature man … deep respect. 5. I’ve been dreaming … this kind of skirt … long. 6. He had always tried to get rid … that habit. 7. … spite … his disbelief I managed to do it. 8. If you are preparing a surprise … me, I will forgive you. 9. He was sitting … his study checking the mail … unsteady hands. 10. I left home … once … the same reason.

20.Express the same in English using the words from the list active words:

1.Это был необычный любительский спектакль в трех актах. Среди гостей был невысокий дружелюбной молодой человек, который всем старался помочь найти свои места.

2.Ведущаяактрисаявноимелапреимуществонадостальными актерами в труппе.

3.У него была привычка говорить громким голосом, он мечтал избавиться от нее с самого детства.

4.Она позвала его, но он не остановился. Этого ей было достаточно, чтобы обидеться и не разговаривать с ним целую неделю.

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5.Я знаю его больше десяти лет. Ты можешь ему доверять, он человек чести.

6.Ему следует отдать должное, он всегда был хорошим отцом для своих детей.

7.С чего ты хочешь начать наш разговор?

8.Моя сестра всегда была склонна к бессмысленным поступкам.

9.Вы можете доверять этому человеку во всем. Он — очень надежный.

10.Тебе следует избавиться от этой нехорошей привычки.

Building Grammar Skills

21. Remember the following verbs and fill in the grid:

22. Fill in the articles where necessary:

1. … few minutes later, I was in … garden, looking up at … couple from my place in … shadow as they sat near … open window. 2. Their conversation did not reach me: I thought he would never go. … night was a little cold; and … ground was damp. 3. “But you might have sung … serenade for me. I have played three times for you.” “I have … frightful cold,” he said. “I really cannot. Goodnight.” “What nonsense! You have not … least symptom of … cold. “

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