16.4. Practice in communication

(Contradiction / Denial)

* 16.4.1. Read and try to remember:

A. You said (that) you liked tennis.

B. 1. I never said that/anything of the sort.

2. That's not right.

3. I'm sorry, but I don't think I did (polite).

4. With respect, that's not what I said (formal).

5. I deny having said that.

6. I don't remember saying that.

7. Did I really say that?

16.4.2. Someone tells you that you said:

1. a woman's place was in the home;

2. girls were easier to bring up than boys;

3. travelling was dull;

4. English was an easy language to learn;

5. you were going to get married.

16.4.3. Read the dialogue and then dramatize it.

BARRISTER: You told the Court that you were a friend of the defendant's.

WITNESS: I'm sorry, that's not exactly what I said.

BARRISTER: What exactly did you say, then?

WITNESS: I said we'd been neighbours for many years.

BARRISTER: But you said you knew him very well.

WITNESS: With respect, that's not quite right. I said I knew him well by sight.

16.4.4. A friend tells you that you said you would stop doing something. Contradict/deny everything he/she says.

Model: A. But you said you'd stop smoking.

B. ...

16.5. General understanding

16.5.1. Read the text. Try to understand it and be ready to answer the questions.

The man who escaped

(Episode 16)

1. Masters told Coke that Hugo owned a large garage in the North of London. Cars that had been damaged were taken there to be repaired. It was also where the secret documents Hugo sold were kept before they were micro-filmed and sent abroad.

They got into Masters' white Jaguar and drove there. Coke sat in front with Masters. Kate sat behind. It was almost evening when they got to the garage. It was at the end of the street and was surrounded by shops and small houses. They parked at the end of the street. People were beginning to close their shops and go home. The garage stood open until six. Coke sat and watched the lights go off. When the last one had been turned off and the garage was completely dark, Coke turned to Masters again.

«Now tell me exactly where the documents are kept before they're sent off», he said.

2. At first Masters didn't answer. He had become a little braver again. Coke pressed the pistol into his stomach. «Because of you, I've been kept in prison for four years. Because of you, my life has been ruined. I'll kill you here and now if you don't answer! ». Masters looked at the pistol and went pale. «They're kept in Hugo's office, in an ordinary file in his desk», he answered. «And the microfilms?» Coke demanded. «They're kept there, too». «Do you know if any documents have been sent off recently?» «Some were sent last week. I know. I sent them myself», Masters said. «And will there be any there now, waiting to be sent off?» Again Masters hesitated. Coke pressed the pistol even harder into his stomach. «I don't know. There might be. Hugo told me he was going to give me some soon», he said.

3. Coke gave Kate the pistol. She was still sitting behind Masters. «Keep him here until I get back», he said. «But what are you going to do?» she asked. «Break into the garage if I can. Perhaps I can find proof that Hugo sells these things. If I do, I'll phone the police». «But what if you don't? What if you are seen and caught before you can find anything at all?» Kate asked. But Coke had already started walking towards the dark garage. In the dark winter evening, it looked very much like a prison.

16.5.2. Choose the correct answer. Don't use the text.

1. The garage was...

a) in the middle of the street with no houses around;

b) at the end of the street with many cars around;

c) at the end of the street with shops and small houses around.

2. Masters said that...

a) there were no secret documents in the garage;

b) there might be some secret documents in the garage;

c) all the documents had been sent away.

3. Coke wanted to break into the garage...

a) to find proof that Hugo was a spy;

b) to find Hugo;

с) to find proof that Masters was a spy.

16.5.3. Answer the teacher's questions. (Books closed.)

1. What did Masters tell about the garage in the North of London?

2. Till what time was Coke waiting?

3. Where were the documents kept?

4. What for did Coke want to break into the garage?

16.5.4. Give a short summary of the text (4-6 sentences).