Vocabulary Training

I. Understanding Word Meaning from Context.

Choose a word or a word group that has the same meaning as the word in bold. Use the example sentences and refer back to the text to help you guess the meaning.

1. Only a tiny minority hold such extreme views.

a. very strange b. very small c. different d. stupid

2. He charged a relatively modest fee.

a. high b. large c. unfair d. not very large

3. I was startled to find her sitting in my office.

a. glad b. pleasantly surprised c. unpleasantly surprised d. happy

4. She flashed him a false smile of congratulation.

a. pleasant b. warm c. sincere d. insincere

5. He thoroughly examined the papers before signing them.

a. quickly b. attentively c. poorly d. hastily

6. She deals with all correspondence promptly and efficiently.

a. thoroughly b. quickly c. attentively d. slowly

II. Find two words with the meaning opposite to “tiny” in the text.

III. Look up the word “mean” in a dictionary. How many meanings does it have (as a verb, a noun and an adjective)? In what meaning is it used in the text? Illustrate three meanings with examples of your own.

IV. Explain the following words in English. Use an explanatory dictionary if necessary. If a word has several meanings, point out the meaning in which it is used in the text.

1) to flatter 2) talkative 3) generous 4) tip 5) revenge

V. Note how each of the following idioms is used in the text:

1) to catch sight of; 2) in answer to; 3) by all means; 4) at the sight of; 5) to be obliged to; 6) to make up one’s mind; 7) can’t bring myself to do smth.

Now use each of these idioms in an example of your own. Try to relate them to your own experience.

NOTE. We should distinguish between author, writer and narrator.

The words author and writer are often interchangeable. They both are used to describe a person whose occupation is book writing, the word author being more common in this meaning.

The word writer tends to designate a person who has written a particular text, not necessarily a professional writer.

The narrator is an imaginary or half-imaginary person who tells the story in fiction. The narrator may be very close to the actual author but should never be confused with him/her. The narrator may be the author at a different stage of his/her life, which changes the whole perspective. We should not always “believe” the narrator, the narrative may be false, misguided, biased etc. The narrator may be unreliable. This is partially applicable to nonfiction as it is difficult to come across writing that is totally unbiased. As a result, in contemporary literary theory the word “narrative” is used in relation to both fiction and nonfiction.

Recounting and Interpreting Details

Whenever possible, use details from the text to support you point of view.

1. What was the narrator’s profession?

2. Why did he agree to have luncheon with the woman who wanted to have a talk with him? What was the only thing that might prevent him from doing this?

3. Comment on the narrator’s phrase “I was too young to say no to a woman”. Did the narrator change over the years, to your mind?

3. What did the narrator expect of this luncheon?

4. Describe the appearance of the woman at the time when the luncheon took place.

5. Why did the narrator worry during the luncheon?

6. How did the woman describe her eating habits? What were they in reality?

7. Name everything that the woman had for luncheon in the order that it came in the story. Enumerate the dishes that the narrator had.

8. Why were the peaches so expensive?

9. In what way did the narrator plan to solve his problem if the bill proved impossible for him to pay?

10. How did the woman’s appearance change over the years? Can you calculate her weight in kilograms?

11. What advice did the woman give to the narrator? Was she being sincere, to your mind?

12. Why did the woman call the narrator “a humorist” after the luncheon?

13. Can you explain what the narrator meant in the following lines: a) Did I remember? (after the first two paragraphs) b) But I have had my revenge at last (the last line)?

14. Can you explain the humour of the story? What are the most amusing points in the story? Can you find any instances of irony?

Creative Follow-up Work

I. Tell the story shortly from the waiter’s perspective.

II. Find as many words and expressions related to the topic “food” in the text as you can. Use them to make up a short story of about 150 words.