Questions

1. When did Jack London turn to writing? 2. What changes had taken place in the USA by that time (the last decade of the 19th century)? 3. What was behind those profound socio-economic developments? 4. When did US capitalism enter its final stage of development? 5. Was the USA the only country in the world where imperialism had triggered off brutal political reaction as well as a general crisis of bourgeois culture? 6. How did the official bourgeois literature see its task? 7. In what ways did the official bourgeois literature try to divert the attention of the masses from the burning social problems of the day? 8. What fairytales did it feed to the general public? 9. What part did the concepts of general prosperity and "equal opportunity" play in the official propaganda campaign? 10. What did official writings have to say about the differences and contradictions in American society? 11. What are the names of the American writers who fought for a truly realistic art? 12. What years mark the peak of Jack London's literary career? 13. What made Jack London's novels and political essays so popular with the American working-class reader? Would you say it was his deep belief in an early victory of the socialist revolution? 14. What are Jack London's most famous works? 15. When were they written?

Ex 60 Act as interpreter. Sum up the dialogue.

A: Who looks after public order in the Soviet Union? How is privacy of citizens and safety of their property protected?

В: Как и в любой стране, в Советском Союзе есть специальные государственные органы, общественные организации и должностные лица, которые следят за поддержанием общественного порядка и за охраной личной жизни населения и их имущества.

A: I've read that under Soviet power all kinds of crime and especially dangerous crimes as well as robbery and murder have been rapidly reduced. How can you explain this?

В: В Советском Союзе, в противоположность капиталистическому миру, отсутствуют социальные и политические причины для преступлений. У нас нет эксплуатации человека человеком, все граждане социально равны.

A: Very often crimes are committed by people for reasons of unemployment, poverty as well as national inequality. What about the Soviet Union?

В: В Советском Союзе нет безработицы, нет нищеты. Все национальности имеют равные права. В этом, пожалуй, основная причина уменьшения количества правонарушений (offences).

Ex 61 Use the following words and phrases in situations of your own.

1. A Good Lesson

used to; lose things; happen; look for an important document; get excited; turn on all the lights; look under the table (behind the chairs, etc); move the piano; push the table out of one's way; be sure that ...; What if ...? a whole hour; have no time left; catch a taxi; be late for; make a decision; put things in their right places; learn one's lesson well.

2. A Cry for Help

happen; camp near a river; stay behind; do the cooking; make a fire; suddenly; a loud cry; listen without moving; run to the river as fast as one can; a big crowd; show to sth; a dangerous place; a poor swimmer; be in danger; need help badly; lose one's head; cry out for help; cry to sb; throw а горе (веревка) to sb; catch the rope; pull sb out of the water; come just in time; advise sb; explain the danger to sb.

3. A Misunderstanding

a tall building; several entrances; arrange to meet sb; wait for sb outside; expect sb to come out through the main entrance; for two whole hours; wonder what has happened; get excited; suddenly; remember; side entrance; be sure that ...; look for sb; look angry; say "Hallo" coldly; smile bitterly; explain sth to sb; see one's mistake.

Ex 62 Discuss the following, giving your arguments for or against.

1. Your friend says that people are as good as they are beautiful. You disagree with him, saying: "Beauty's but skin-deep." Generally speaking, you don't believe that a person's looks reflect his character in any way.

2. Your friend believes that honesty is the best policy. You personally think that sometimes it's better to be tactful than truthful.

Ex 63 Subjects for oral and written composition.

1. Give character-sketches of (a) Mrs Setliffe; (b) the man who came to rob old Setliffe; (c) old Setliffe.

2. Say whether you think the man did right when he came to old Setliffe's house to take back what he believed to be his own.

3. Explain why the man didn't turn to the police for help.

4. Give a description of Mrs Setliffe as she looked to the man at the beginning of the story and at the end of it.

5. Explain how it happened that Mrs Setliffe's fine words fooled the man for some time.

6. Explain why the man was so sure that Mrs Setliffe would not shoot.

7. Write an article (a) giving a true story of what happened; (b) of the kind that Mrs Setliffe would like to see in the papers.

8. Tell a story to illustrate each of these proverbs: A Friend in Need is a Friend Indeed. Друг познается в беде. Appearances are Deceptive. Внешность обманчива.

9. Explain the paradox: "If you want to be thought a liar, tell the truth."

10. It is often said that people look without seeing. What does this mean?