Scene III

Notes:

jet lag jet-lagged	if you are suffering from jet lag, you feel tired and slightly confused after a long journey by aeroplane across parts of the world where the time is different
gorgeous	if you say that something is gorgeous, you mean that it gives you a lot of pleasure or is very attractive
glorious	if you describe something as glorious, you are emphasizing that it is very beautiful or wonderful, and makes you feel very happy
fabulous	if you describe something as fabulous, you are emphasizing that you like it a lot or think that it is very good
stunning	a stunning person or thing is extremely beautiful or impressive
super	some people use super to mean very nice or very good; a slightly old-fashioned use
paradise	according to some religions, paradise is a wonderful place where people go after they die, if they have led good lives. You can refer to a place or situation that seems beautiful or perfect as paradise and a paradise
Elizabeth Stabblefield (Bitsy)	a guest at the wedding party
to set someone up (for something) to set someone up with something	to set the scene for something to happen to someone
to be stuck on someone or something (Am. E. slang)	enamored with someone or something; obsessed with someone or something
Ma Bell (Am. E. slang)	American Telephone and Telegraph Company; any telephone company

break-up	the break-up of an organization or a country is the act of it separating or dividing into several parts
to shut off to shut oneself off to new ideas	to keep separate or away
to hog	if you hog something, you take all of it in a greedy or impolite way
Tim Draper	an employee at Trask Industries

Vocabulary:

opening	an opening is a good opportunity to do something, for example to show people how good you are
to get a grip	if you get a grip on yourself, you make an effort to control or improve your behaviour or work
to end up	if you end up doing something or end up in a particular state, you do that thing or get into that state even though you did not originally intend to
small world (it’s a ~)	said when you are surprised because you have met someone you know who it was very unlikely that you would meet, or when you have found out that someone is connected to you in a way that you did not expect
to kowtow	if you say that someone kowtows to someone else, you are critical of them for behaving very humbly towards that other person, because they are afraid of them or hope to get something from them

Task 1. Who said these things? In what situations?

1. It’s the perfect opportunity. He’s happy. He’s had a little champagne. We look for an opening. Trust me.

2. A: Total idiots.

B: In the right place at the right time.

A You’re like one of those crazed cops, aren’t you? The kind nobody wants to ride with because his partners all end up dead or crazy.

3. Oh no, it’s just like paradise. It’s like paradise with little gold palm trees.

4. Glorious. Fabulous. Stunning. Really. Super. Elegant. Perfect.

5. I’ve been trying to set you up with a radio network but my bosses think you’re stuck on acquiring television and won’t even listen.

6. Go ahead and laugh. He wants us to meet with his people first thing Monday.

Task 2. Explain these sentences (Who said them?):

1. Glad you could make it. Oren and Barbara Trask.

2. Talk about a small world.

3. You know, I really, … I just realized I’m hogging the father of the bride and I see Phyllis coming.

4. Oren Trask, the man who said, “What if we slice the bread before we sold it?”

Task 3. Fill in the gaps in the sentences with an appropriate word or phrase from the list below (the list includes some words that are not suitable).

get a grip, kowtow, end up, an opening, a small world, finish, a coincidence

1. It’s such __________! I met a friend of a friend at a party in London recently, who taught English in Singapore with one of my friends from high school.

2. __________ on yourself. Don’t act hastily (foolishly).

3. Every time they went dancing they ____________ in a bad mood.

4. All she needed was ___________ to show her capability.

5. See how stupidly they __________ to persons higher in the hierarchy.

Task 4. Number these sentences in the correct order; from 1 to 9

• Okay, so we are not exactly invited. But he’s here and we’re here, so that makes us…

• No, no, I loved it. I had fun and you were amazing.

• Is he jet-lagged from somewhere or he just lunches late?

• Actually, I really should go powder my bathroom… nose. Darling, will you wait here?

• Bitsy. That’s right. You want to do it, do it. Excuse me. Bitsy, don’t break my heart and tell me you don’t remember me.

• What are we supposed to do, jump out of the wedding cake?

• If you’ve got the right property, I’d love to hear about it.

• Talk about a small world. Here we’ve just met and yet I feel as though I’ve spent so much time working with you in a way. I’m in Mergers and Acquisitions at Petty Marsh.

• I hope I’m not being rude, but who are you?

Task 5. Listen again (once or twice) to what Tess said to Trask on the dance floor.

1. Fill in the gaps in the text with an appropriate word or phrase from the list below (the list includes some words that are not suitable).

2. Why do you think it sounds so compelling? What aspects of Trasks career does it reveal to us?

a) Kowtowing to, shutting himself off to, foresaw, looked into, away, break up, bow to, microwave technology, applied, used

That’s what I said. I said that the man who in 1971 ___________ 1) the future and saw that it was named ___________ 2), the man who ___________ 3) Japanese management principles while the others were ___________ 4) the unions, the man who saw the Ma Bell ___________ 5) coming from miles ___________ 6), I mean, this man did not get to be this man, you, by ___________ 6) new ideas.

Task 6. Discuss the following:

Against all (the) odds, Tess succeeded in getting Oren Trask interested in her project.

List all those things that contributed to her success in implementing this seemingly mad scheme.