1. Reproduce the situations from the chapters where these lexical items are used.

2. Comment on or paraphrase the following sentences from the chapters.

• Fabian moved from place to place in waves of welcome;

• I felt the wrong age, in the wrong place;

• I doubted that I could ever get rid of Scranton;

• They skied with a devoted British recklessness;

• She looked at me challengingly, as though daring me to comment on this;

• Education. Hah! How to grow up useless in three languages. And expensive;

• Didi Wales’s remark about my natural habitat had had its effect;

• I owe something to my reputation as a gentleman;

• I felt the power of Miles Fabian’s arguments in favour of wealth;

• I hesitated to talk fearing that I somehow would betray my outsiderness;

• One must learn the rules of the game.

3. Answer the questions.

• Why didn’t Grimes want to see St. Moritz again?

• Who did Grimes come across in Gstaad (in the bar)?

• What happened to the Wales family?

• What kind of doubts did Grimes have about his marrying Eunice? Were they groundless?

• What made Grimes so worried while skiing?

• What brought Didi Wales to Gstaad?

• How do you account for Didi Wales’s dream of becoming an archaeologist?

• What shocked Didi Wales about Grimes being surrounded by Fabian and the ladies?

• What kind of philosophy did Fabian have?

• What attracted Fabian in real estate business?

• Who unexpectedly appeared in Gstaad one evening?

• Describe the usual routine of ski resorts as they are depicted in the book;

• What subjects were brought up for discussing in the course of the party?

• Why did Grimes feel ill at ease at the party?

4. Do you agree or disagree with the following? Quote the text to prove that.

• Grimes was nostalgic about his home country;

• Grimes was amazed to meet somebody from the USA in Gstaad;

• Didi Wales was on good terms with her friends;

• Grimes had a rich imagination;

• Didi Wales had had a crush on Grimes since her childhood;

• So many business deals made Grimes dizzy;

• Such parties were not Grimes’s cup of tea;

• Grimes was a decent man of principle.

5. Topics for developing argumentation and rhetorical speech skills. Dwell on the following subjects.

• Live your own life – you can bring a horse to the water, but you can’t make it drink;

• Speak about ‘small talk’ as a peculiar characteristic of polite well-bred people (any tips);

• Luck and risk – their contribution to people’s wealth;

• Name the greatest of all inventors. Accident. – M. Twain

• Luck never gives; it only lends. – Swedish Proverb

• Those who have succeeded at anything and don’t mention luck are kidding themselves. – L. King

• Shallow men believe in luck. Strong men believe in cause and effect. –R.W. Emerson

• If you don’t take risks, you’ll have a wasted soul. – D. Barrymore

• To win you have to risk loss. – J.-C. Killy

6. Insert the right prepositions.

• Fabian had not brought ………………… the subject of Eunice again on the trip from Bern, and I was grateful………….. him ……………… it.

• The economy of the planet is suffering …………………. overpopulation, fright, wars, a bad conscience, and an overabundance of available cash.

• I refrained………………… telling her that when she reached my age she would find everybody didn’t get what they wanted.

• ……… this weather and ……….. this time of day, the town looked magical.

• My mother is recovering …………her heartbreak in Palm Beach. And I'm stashed ………… here.

• You never showed ………., like the rest of the boys.

• I doubted that I could ever get rid ……… Scranton and pretend to be anything but what I was - a man trained as a kind of superior technician, dependent …….. a payroll.

• Fabian could educate me ………. a degree, but there were limits.

• It's a tribute ………. our beauty.

• The chair mounted silently and we got a view ………. the whole town spread ………. ……… the sunlight.

• I saw them ……. . the stores the day they came, buying ……… everything ………… sight.

• I think you're being a little harsh ……… them.

• ………. the end of the afternoon we had made an offer ……. a six-month option ………. a hilly stretch of ground ………. the road, about five miles ……….. Gstaad.

• Fabian merely looked quietly pleased ……….. the day's work.

• Bill Sloane had not contributed ………. my finest hours in Europe.

• Assembled for celebration, the guests were a joyous company of equal friends, secure ………… disaster, ……….. petty care.

• The subject of politics came ……….. with the dessert.