Пособие по домашнему чтению для студентов II курса. Учебное пособие

3.The narrator was ready to give up on Polly after his first attempt to teach her logics.

4.Polly enjoyed her classes on logical fallacies.

5.Pollybecameactuallymoreintelligentaftershelearntthefallacies.

Working with the Vocabulary

1. Read the story, and find the following words and word combinations in the text and give their Russian equivalents.

astute, adj a faddist

to be swept up

acraze

araccoon coat to be in the swim

to have the makings to smarten up keen, adj

to wane

to take up smth

afallacy

doggedly to fire away

to hammer away without letup

2.Remember the contexts in whichWord List items are used, say who or what they are referred to.

3.Explain what it means:

to have nothing upstairs to go steady (old-fashioned) a logic-proof head

to knock smb out pin-up proportions

4. Fill in the gaps with prepositions from the story:

1. It so happened that I knew where to get my hands … a raccoon coat.

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2.I nodded with satisfaction. “In other words, if you were … the picture, the field would be open. Is that right?”

3.I sat down in a chair and pretended to read a book, but … the corner of my eye I kept watching Petey.

4.It happened that I, as a law student, was taking a course in logic myself, so I had all the facts … my fingertips.

5.I went … it, as in all things, systematically.

5.Fill in the prepositions:

A. up (3) away (2) out of (2) out on at in about

1.The company needs to smarten … their act if they are to keep customers.

2.He was swept … by the general enthusiasm for the war.

3.She kept hammering … at that point all through the meeting.

4.The movie just knocked me ….

5.I made sure I had all the facts … my fingertips before attending the meeting.

6.She’s only marrying him to get her hands … his money.

7.Morris is likely to win, with Jones … the picture now.

8.Since leaving the company, he’s no longer … the swim of things.

9.‘Do you mind if I ask you something, Woody?’‘Fire ….’

10.… the corner of her eye she saw the dog running towards her.

11.Roger took painting … for a while, but soon lost interest.

12.IwanttolearnGermanbutIdon’tknowthebestwaytogo…it.

B. up (3) away (2) out of (2) out on at in about

1.“I’d like to ask you some questions about your childhood, if I may.” “Fire ….”

2.I know their address is here somewhere, but I can’t lay my hands … it right now.

3.Have you ever thought of taking … acting?

4.You’ll have to smarten … if you want to work in television.

5.I saw something move … the corner of my eye.

6.They made seven co-productions and have swept … Moscow in dance.

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7.She went … her preparations in a quiet businesslike way.

8.The headteacher takes her duties … inAugust.

9.He has all the latest statistics … his fingertips.

10.How should I go … finding a job?

11.Injury has effectively put Woods … the picture as far as international matches are concerned.

12.Keep on hammering … at achieving your goals.

6.Paraphrase the words and word combinations in italics, using your Active Vocabulary

1.I want to find somewhere a brand new phone.

2.He is such a fashion follower.

3.Itisacommondeceptionthatwomenareworsedriversthanmen.

4.Her first novel has all the qualities of a classic.

5.She was cleverandquickenoughto realize that what Jack wanted was her money.

6.The latest fitness fashion is sweeping the country.

7.By the late seventies the band’s popularity was beginning to de-

cline.

8.I think she is a charming girl.

9.Without turning her head she noticed him coming closer.

10.The leaflet tells you how to start making a will.

11.They’ve got interested in golf.

12.She keeps discussing the same point for three whole pages.

13.“I’ve got a few questions.” ‘OK then, go on.”

14.She’sreallyturnedintoastylishwomansincesheleftuniversity.

15.She would fight tenaciously for her rights as the children’s

mother.

16.Withers with a leg injury is not playing today, so Jackson is in goal today.

17.We have all the facts and figures available at our disposal.

18.Dan was greatly impressed by the performance.

19.She’s rubbing shoulders with show-biz people, so she definitely knows what’s going on there.

20.I think they’ve been going out for a year already.

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7. Translate into Russian:

1.Do you know where I can get my hands on a second-hand television?

2.The villagers were going about their business as usual.

3.Peter will take up the management of the finance department.

4.I keep hammering away at this point because it’s important.

5.He has the makings of a world-class footballer.

6.It was an astute move to sell the shares then.

7.Alot of people who picked up the first Harry Potter book just to see what the craze is about, ended up buying the other 6 books.

8.With his perfect college-boy looks, he’s the latest teenage pin-up.

9.Her enthusiasm for the whole idea was waning rapidly.

10.She had wisely smartened herself up.

11.Hetty went out a great deal. She was young, sure of herself and in the swim.

12.Although the men fought doggedly on, a sense of hopeless despair engulfed them.

13.He did not particularly want to take up a competitive sport.

14.“I want to clear up some questions that have been puzzling me.” “Fire away.”

15.Don’t be a food faddist! Always be careful in all your health endeavors, never take any one aspect of your health program to an extreme position.

8.Translate into English:

1.Давай выкладывай, что у тебя там,» — сказала я ему. — «Да? все в полном порядке.» — Но краем глаза я заметила, как он быстро отвернулся и тяжело вздохнул. И на все мои последующие вопросы он упорно повторял, что ничего не случилось

ибеспокоиться не о чем.

2.Все выходные мне пришлось много работать над составлением нового проекта.

3.Слава со временем тускнеет, и многие лидеры сходят с политической арены.

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4.Увлечение здоровым образом жизни приводит к тому, что все больше людей решают заняться каким-нибудь видом спорта.

5.У вас есть все качества, чтобы стать хорошим лидером.

6.А ты никогда не мечтала заняться чем-нибудь творческим? — Мечтала всю сознательную жизнь. Мечтала книги писать. Но не знаю, с чего начать.

7.Я решила взять с собой ноутбук, чтобы вся информация была под рукой.

8.Питер — настоящий чудак. Как только появляется новая модель телефона, он непременно покупает ее. Он просто помешан на современных технических устройствах.

9.Влияние политической партии стало ослабевать после волны забастовок в стране.

10.Каковы причины столь повального увлечения интернетом? Почему все больше времени пользователи предпочитают проводить за компьютером? — Думаю, для многих это прекрасная воз-

можность быть в центре событий.

11.У Лизы были все данные, чтобы стать известной пианисткой.

12.В этой сложной ситуации он вновь проявил себя как талантливый и дальновидный политик.

13.Ее красота поразила всех собравшихся гостей.

14.Ты не знаешь где можно достать эту книгу?

15.Шубы из енота считаются одними из самых теплых.

16.У был небогат, но имел много друзей, которые часто приглашали его на светские мероприятия, поэтому так или иначе он всегда находился в гуще событий.

17.Она увлекла слушателей своим рассказом о жизни на острове.

18.Краешком глаза я увидела, как она вошла в зал и села на самый последний ряд.

19.Всю ночь она, не смыкая глаз, работала в кабинете,

ик утру новая книга была дописана.

20.Во время повального увлечения тюльпанами в Европе луковицы тюльпанов ценились на вес золота.

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21.Это было время повального увлечения книгами о магах

иволшебниках.

22.Немного подумав, я решила найти себе хобби и заняться вышивкой.

23.После недели упорной работы весь мой энтузиазм начал понемногу испаряться.

Detailed Comprehension

1. Answer the questions:

1.What was the narrator’s opinion of himself? How does it characterize him?

2.Why does Petey crave for a raccoon coat?

3.Why does the narrator fancy Polly Espy?

4.How does the narrator plan to get Polly’s mind up to his standards? What makes him choose logic for that?

5.What fallacies does the narrator explain and teach to Polly?

6.Was teaching Polly a challenging task? Why? Why does the narrator never give up?

7.Does the narrator really love Polly? Does she love him in re-

turn?

8.Was Polly in love with the narrator?

9.Is the ending ironic? Can you comment on it?

10.How can you comment on the title?

2. Speak about:

1. Petey Bellows

−Why do you think the author calls his character “Petey” and not “Peter”?

−How does the narrator characterize his roommate?

−How important is it for Peter to be in the swim?

−Why does he agree to choose the coat over his girlfriend? How does this characterize him?

2.Polly Espy

−What qualities made Polly the right kind of wife in a lawyer’s career?

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−Commentonthe languageused by Polly. Pick up the words that make up her active vocabulary. What effect does the language create?

−Can we consider Polly a humorous character? Why / why not?

3.The narrator of the story

−Find proof that the author is satirizing an arrogant, self-satisfy- ing young man. Pay attention to the adjectives the narrator picks up to describe himself.

−The narrator trades a raccoon coat for a real person. What does it say about him? What’s your opinion of the very idea of exchanging an object for a person?

−Why does the narrator refer to Pygmalion and Frankenstein? Are these allusions expressive and suitable?

−Do you think the narrator gets what he deserves in the end, when his plot backfires on him? Why / why not?

−Can you trade feelings, calculate or plan them?

3.Speak about the style of the narrative

The story is abundant in stylistic devices. Study the text carefully and find examples of the following:

1.Simile

2.Hyperbole

3.Metaphor

4.Antithesis

5.Inverted order of the sentences

6.Parallel constructions

7.Irony

Whateffectdoestheauthorachievebyeachofthestylisticdevices?

4. Comment on the following:

1.“… you mustn’t take all these things literally. I mean this is just classroom stuff. You know that the things you learn at school don’t have anything to do with life…”

2.“You don’t understand. It’s the thing to do. Don’t you want to be in the swim?”

3.“I was well-aware of the importance of the right kind of wife in furthering a lawyer’s career.”

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5. Act out the conversations between:

1.The narrator and Petey: the narrator trading the raccoon coat for Polly.

2.The narrator and Polly: the narrator trying to teach fallacies to

Polly.

3.The narrator and Polly: the narrator confessing his feelings to

Polly

6.Make up a dialogue between:

1.Polly discussing her new boyfriend with friends.

2.Petey and other guys on campus after he got a raccoon coat.

3.The narrator sharing his impressions with a friend of his after his first date with Polly.

4.ThenarratorandPeteyafterPollychosethelattertogosteadywith.

Consolidating the Material

1. Prepare the passage for artistic reading and translate it into Russian:

1.“It is not often that one so young……… <….>….I’d give anything for a raccoon coat.Anything!”

2.“I had my first date with Polly….<…>…..These will take up tonight.”

2.Do this quiz to test how well you remember the details of the

story:

4.Polly Espy was a perfect wife-to-be for the narrator because …

a)she had the makings of being such a lady.

b)she had pin-up proportions.

c)she was well-read and intelligent.

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d) she had no boyfriend at that time

5. The narrator went home for the weekend …

a) to fetch a raccoon coat for Petey b) to see his parents

c) to get his father’s car d)toborrowmoneyfromhisdad

6.On the first date with Polly the narrator wanted … a) to have a good time and enjoy the evening

b) to see a good movie and have dinner c) to teach her something new

d) to see how much work he’d have to do

7.“Exercise is good. Therefore everybody should exercise.” This

is …

9. The narrator thought that Polly became worthy of him because …

10.Polly agreed to go out with Petey again because …

a)she wanted to revenge the narrator for the hard time he had given her.

b)he never accused her of being not very intelligent.

c)he was in the swim like the Big Men on Campus.

d)she had learned everything she could from the narrator.

Culture Corner

1.Fallacies are defects in an argument which cause an argument to be invalid, unsound or weak. Do some research and find examples of some other logical fallacies.

2.Make sure you know the following stylistic devices:

1. Simile is a figure of speech comparing two unlike things, often introduced with the words “like”, “as”, or “than”.

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2.Hyperbole is a figure of speech in which statements are exaggerated.

3.Metaphor is a trope (or stylistic device) in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable but seems similar. For example, if you want to say that someone is very shy and frightened of things, you might say “you are a mouse”.

4.Antithesis is a rhetorical or literary device in which an opposition or contrast of ideas is expressed.

5.Irony is a stylistic device in which the word is used in the opposite meaning in the context. (”You are so brave” addressing it to a coward).

6.Parallelism is the use of successive verbal constructions in poetry or prose that correspond in grammatical structure, sound, meter, meaning, etc.

7.Inversion is reversal of the usual or natural order words, used typically for rhetorical effect.

Skin

by Roald Dahl

That year — 1946 — winter was a long time going. Although it was April, a freezing wind blew through the streets of the city, and overhead the snow clouds moved across the sky.

The old man who was called Drioli shuffled painfully along the sidewalk of the rue de Rivoli. He was cold and miserable, huddled up like a hedgehog in a filthy black coat, only his eyes and the top of his head visible above the turned-up collar.

The door of a cafe opened and the faint whiff of roasting chicken brought a pain of yearning to the top of his stomach. He moved on glancing without any interest at the things in the shop windows — perfume, silk ties and shirts, diamonds, porcelain, antique furniture, finely bound books. Then a picture gallery. He had always liked picture galleries. This one had a single canvas on display in the window. He stopped to look at it. He turned to go on. He checked, looked back; and now, suddenly, there came to him a slight uneasiness, a movement

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