The Power of Imagination (1)

Mr. Brown liked it in America, but he liked traveling very much. He made trips to Europe and Asia, and he visited India too. Once after a long trip from England to America he arrived at a small country place. There was a small hotel there. Mr. Brown got to the hotel late in the evening. At the hotel he asked the receptionist whether there were any vacant rooms there.

At that moment another traveler came to the hotel and asked for a room too. The receptionist checked if there were any vacant rooms. The only vacant room he could offer was a double room.

“Will it be convenient to you if you share the room?” the receptionist asked. “It’ll be less expensive for you, you’ll each pay half.”

At first they didn’t like the idea, but just then it began raining heavily, they were too tired to go to another hotel and agreed to spend the night in the same room. A porter showed them to their room, took in their things and wished them food night. Soon the two men went to sleep. Suddenly Mr. Brown heard some noise. He opened his eyes but didn’t see anything. It was quite dark.

“What’s the matter? ” Mr. Brown asked in surprise. The second traveler answered, “I am very sorry, I had to wake you up. I’m not well. Please, open the window quickly.”

Mr. Brown got out of bed and began looking for matches, but he couldn’t find them in the dark, so he tried to find the window. It had taken him some time until he found it. He pulled the window, but couldn’t open it. As the voice of the traveler became weaker and weaker, Mr. Brown took a chair and broke the pane. The man breathed in deeply and after a moment of silence he told, “Thank you, I am much better”. Then the two of them slept until morning.

When they woke up the next morning a large mirror in the room was broken to pieces.

The Best Driver (1)

One of the largest construction companies in the States wanted a truck driver and advertised for one in the national newspapers. A week later ten candidates applied for the job. They all brought excellent references from their former employers and were invited to the first interview. Not all the applicants were successful and after the first in­terview there were only three candidates on the final shortlist.

The Personnel Manager asked the first man:

"How near can you drive to the edge of a preci­pice (обрыв) without going over?"

The driver said, "Within an inch."

"Very well," said the manager, "you can go now and I'll let you know about the chances to get the job."

The second man answering the same question said, "I can drive within half an inch of the edge, in fact I have done it more than once."

When the third man came, the manager said: "Well, my man, and how near can you drive to the edge of a precipice without going over?"

"Indeed, sir, I have never tried and I don't want to."

"Ah," said the manager, «You are just the sort of man we ____».

Find the equivalents for принятый, распределение, потребление, богатство, общество,

поведение, предсказывать, удовлетворять, спрос, делить, широкий, иметь дело, влиять, покупать, накопления