Vocabulary extension

1. Read the following text and translate the word combinations given below each point of the outline. Retell the text following the points:

BEING ILL

"You don't look your usual self this morning," said my wife at breakfast.

"No, I'm not feeling up. to much," I said. "I don't know what I've got, but I hardly slept a wink all night, and new I've got a splitting headache."

"Poor old thing," she said, feeling my forehead. "It feels as if you'd got a bit of temperature."

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"Nonsense,. dear," I said, trying to be brave. "It's probabty •nathing more than a hang-over after last night's party. I j.ust ought not to drink gin, that's all. It's time I realized it doesn't agree with me."

At work, I felt ghastly all morning. My head was now throbbing violently and there were moments when it felt as if the whole office was going round. At eleven o'clock I took a couple of aspirins with my coffee, but they didn't seem to do any good. By lunchtime I had to admit that I was running a temperature: I felt hot and shivery at the same time.

I called my secretary in. "Look, Pam," I said, "I'm not feeling too well. I'm going to take the rest of the day off. You might as well do the same when you've finished the letters. Perhaps you would ring up Fraser and let him know."

"Yes, of course, Mr. Carter. You do look poorly. I hope you haven't caught this nasty 'flu' that's around."

Feeling rather sorry for myself, I put on my overcoat and wrapped a scarf round my neck."

When I got home I went straight to bed and my wife gave me a hot-water bottle. I certainly felt better lying down.

"I'll bring you some lunch in a minute," said my wife.

"No, thank you," I said. "I couldn't eat a thing. All I want is a glass of water. Then I think I'll sleep for a bit." .. "Don't you think I'd better call the doctor?" she said. "I shouldn't be surprised if you've got this 'flu', like Mrs. Higgins."

Mrs. Higgins was our daily help, and she'd been off work ftr the last few days.

Then I must have dozed off, for I woke up, sweating all over, to hear the doctor coming up the stairs. "Quite an epidemic of it." I heard him say to my wife. I sat up, feeling stiff and uncomfortable; my pyjamas were sticking to me.

"Now then," said the doctor, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Let's have a good look at you." He opened his bag and stuck a thermometer in my mouth. While he was waiting he took my pulse, then he took out the thermometer and looked at it. "Just over a hundred and two," he mumbled. He put a stethoscope to his ears and listened to my chest. "Now the throat. Say 'Ah'. Silence. Looks a bit sore. Does' it hurt when you swallow?".

"It's flu all right. The throat's nothing serious." He looked for his pen. "Lcok here, I'm going to keep you in bed for a day or two. Keep taking plenty of aspirin to bring your temperature down, and I'll give you some pills to help you to sleep at night. You should stay away from work for the rest of the week and take it easy. It's much better to shake it off in one go if you can. Otherwise, if you go back to work too soon,, it might drag on indefinitely."

For two days I was terribly weak. Whenever I had to get out of bed, I felt giddy and was glad to lie down again. Moreover, I couldn't face eating anything; all I wanted was lots of drink and plenty of sleep. I didn't even feel like reading.

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Then, suddenly, I felt much better. My temperature was almost back to normal, my appetite came back, and I felt I wanted to do something useful. Now my wife had to struggle to keep me in bed. "You're not to overdo it," she said. "Flu takes it out of you more than you think." So I spent the time propped up with lots of pillows, catching up with my reading. In fact, it was now all rather pleasant, and I was very touched to receive a get-well card from Pam.

(From "Mozaika", No. 1, 1966)

Outline

1. In the morning I have a splitting headache and look poorly (you don't look your usual self; I'm not feeling up to much; I hardly slept a wink; I've got a splitting headache; I've got a bit of temperature; it's time I realized ...; it does not agree with me).

2. In the office I can hardly do any work and leave early (to feel ghastly all morning; to throb violently; to go round; to do no good; to run a temperature; to feel hot and shivery; to take the rest of the day off; "You might as well do the same, Pam"; to catch flu).

3. At home I go straight to bed and my wife calls a doctor (to go straight to bed; a hot-water bottle; I couldn't eat a thing; to doze off; to sweat all over).

4. The doctor examines me and says I have flu (to stick a thermometer in one's mouth; to take one's pulse; to listen to one's chest; "Your throat's a bit sore"; to keep smb'in bed for a day or two; to bring one's temperature down; to stay away from work; "Take it easy"; to shake it off in one go; to go back to work; to make a prescription; to feel rotten; "I'll drop in again"; to keep smb well-covered up).

5. I am much better on the third day (to get out of bed; to feel giddy; to feel like reading; to be back to normal; to come back; to be propped up with pillows; to catch up with one's reading; to receive a get-well card).