Газета

Учебно-методическое пособие для студентов

Автор-составитель

Малкова

Наталья

Вячеславовна

2011

THE PAPER

STUDENT’S BOOK

COMPILED BY

NATALIA MALKOVA, Associate Professor

CONTENTS

Plot summary

Unit 1

Unit 2

Unit 3

Unit 4

Unit 5

Plot

Henry Hackett is the metro editor of the New York Sun, a fictional New York City tabloid. He is a workaholic who loves his job, but the long hours and low pay are leading to discontent. He is at risk of experiencing the same fate as his Publisher, Bernie White, who put his work first at the expense of his family.

The paper's owner, Graham Keighley, faces dire financial straits, so he has Alicia Clark, the managing editor and Henry's nemesis, impose unpopular cutbacks. Henry's wife Martha, a reporter on leave and about to give birth, is fed up because Henry seems to have less and less time for her, and she really dislikes Alicia Clark. She urges him to seriously consider an offer from Paul Bladden to leave the Sun and become as an assistant managing editor at the New York Sentinel, a fictional newspaper based on The New York Times, which would mean more money, shorter hours, more respectability...but might also be a bit boring for his tastes.

A hot story confronts Henry with tough decisions, deadlines and personal crises. He literally has to yell "stop the presses" to correct an injustice, while his star columnist, McDougal, is threatened by an angry and drunk city official named Sandusky that McDougal's column had been tormenting for the past several weeks. Their drunken confrontation in a bar leads to gunfire, which gets Alicia shot in the leg through the wall. And Henry's wife is rushed to the hospital at the end of a wild 24 hours.

Cast

• Henry Hackett

• Bernie White

• Alicia Clark

• Martha Hackett

• Michael McDougal

• Graham Keightley

• Marion Sandusky

• Paul Bladden

• Susan

• Janet

• Phil

• Carmen

• Robin

• Ray Blaisch

• Lou

• Deanne White

• Howard Hackett

• Augusta Hackett

• Carl

Unit 1

Fill in the gaps or finish the sentences.

1)

Martha: The "Daily News" kind of kicked your …………today. "Welcome to New York. You're Dead."

Henry: They got that? How did they get that? It happened in Brooklyn at midnight. I can't believe this. Did "Newsday--" I don't know-- Did they-- Did "Newsday--" Don't show me. They got it. I don't want to see the "Post."

Martha: What do you guys have today? Oh, "No Parking, Except For Me." Really, Henry. McDougal's gotta ………………….the parking commissioner again?

Henry: Good……………, though, isn't it? That's great art. Look at that. Sandusky double-parked in front of his office.Hon, look. You're missing it. Commissioner of the whole city, double-parked, no ticket. This doesn't …………………you?

Martha: Sweetie, it's horse shit.I know it's horse shit. I tried to get the damn Brooklyn thing. Wilder won't answer his beeper. He's up there jerking off. You okay?

Martha: You never really appreciate bladder control until it's gone.

Henry: Oh, boy. I'm sorry, honey. Look at that "Sentinel"…………………….. See, this kind of stuff is just shameless."Nepal Premier Won't Resign." That is-- They're just trying to sell newspapers. That's sensationalism, and I……………………………….

Martha: I miss everybody. Say hi to everybody for me. Everybody except Alicia. Who else do I hate?

Henry: You're not gonna …………………again today, are you?

Martha: That was a one-time thing. I've got a million projects. I never even get to finish a book when I'm reporting.Or the baby's room. I really want to get to that dresser.

Henry: I gotta go.

Martha: If you weren't making a sacrifice too, that would be different. That would be a lot different.

Henry: I know. Gonna call me later?

Martha: Wear a tie for the interview. And promise me you won't …………………….on purpose, okay?

Henry: Why would I………………………?

Martha: Henry, you know those days that can change your whole life? This is one of them for us. For good or bad, it can happen either way today. So don't ……………it.

2)

Henry: Who's trying to kill you now?

McDougal: Sandusky.

Henry: The parking guy?........................................................?

McDougal: My columns aren't………………..

Henry: Give it up, would you? Get it out of your system. So they towed your car and scratched it a bit.

McDougal: Six thousand dollars. Six thousand dollars damage to a vintage automobile.

Henry: You're …………………..now, babe.

McDougal: I bust my ass...to find something fresh, and when I get it, I bang it like a cheap drum. People love this shit. You should read my mail…………………………………………….., will you? How the hell are you supposed to sleep around here?

Henry: Jeez. What are these?

Janet: Subway……………….., West th Street this morning. Did you find the one with the--

Henry: Is that an arm?

Janet: Yeah, you found it.

Henry: Don't put these on my desk in the morning, okay? Not until I've had three cokes. Three Cokes, then a picture. That's the rule.

3)

Henry: Look, Bernie. I know you know about the "Sentinel" interview. It's an …………………………………………. thing. It's really more sideways than up. You can ………………………….. anytime.

Bernie: What are you looking for? You want me to make it easy for you to go to another paper? You want a ………….. uptown? You want me to wait outside and think positive thoughts? That's not my job. My job is to keep your ass downstairs.

Henry: What am I supposed to do?

Bernie: I don't know.

Henry: It's……………………. It's more money. It's less hours. Martha-- We're having the baby, and she ………………..her job.

Bernie: So it's for her. That's okay.

Henry: Not just for her. It's for me too. Bernie, you've got kids. How'd you keep doing the job?

Bernie: Don't ask …………………advice from a guy with two ex-wives...and a daughter that won't speak to him. The problem with being my age is everybody thinks you're a father figure... but you're really just the same asshole you always were. You do have a problem, Henry, but it's your problem.

Henry: Thanks, Bernie. You've been a big…………..

Answer the questions.

1. What was at the top of the news at WINS that morning? What happened in Williamsburg?

2. Why would the fact that a guy gets home from work at 4:00 make anyone mad?

3. Who from Martha’s point of view kicked Henry’s butt?

4. Which papers managed to write about the murder in Williamsburg first?

5. Does it enrage Martha that Commissioner of the whole city, double-parked, no ticket?

6. Why couldn’t Henry get the damn Brooklyn thing?

7. What happened to Donald Trump?

8. Why did Henry’s wife say, that it was the day that could change their whole life?

9. Why does Henry want to work for "The Sentinel"?

10. Who was trying to bigfoot Wilder?

11. Is it easy to give love to children, beeing a journalist? Why?

12. What was written on the car, where men were killed?

13. Who is Bernie?

14. What did Henry’s wife ask him for when she called?

15. Who's trying to kill McDougal and why?

16. Why did McDougal write his articles about parking guy?

Finish the sentences in your own words.

Who said this?

Match the words.

To be caught over

Mad it

Miss in

Jerk a sacrifice

Go with

Make stomped

Make nuts

Land off

Go up

Get on

Chop sleeping

Jump out

Give at

To do a sacrifice

Complete the dialogue with the verbs from the box. Use the correct form.

Are the statements true (T) or false (F)?

1. The murder in Williamsburg was a plain as the nose on your face retaliation for the murder of a black youth last week in Green point.

2. Martha was happy to see nice Henry’s pajamas.

3. Martha also offered to pour battery acid down Henry’s throat.

4. Martha never even got to finish a book when she was reporting.

5. In Fort Green two dozen cops were hassling anybody with a suspicious face and a record on that Williamsburg murder thing.

6. Henry saw a man, sleeping in his office, and this man was McDonald.

7. Henry made an appointment for an interview at “The Sentinel”

8. “No Parking, Except For You” was the headline of that day’s paper.

9. Donald Trump jumped off a building, landed right on Elaine.

10. Henry didn’t hear Alicia because she was in a tunnel.

11. Bernie White got a prostate the size of a bagel.

12. The slogan of WINS is “You give us 15 minutes; we’ll give you the world.”

13. One man wanted to know the plural of “conference”.

Put the conversation into the correct order.

Choose the right variant.

I. I bust my ass to find something fresh, and when I get it, I --- it like a cheap drum.

1) broke

2) took

3) bang

4) treated

II. We'll see you when you …..in, okay? All right.

1) get

2) hurry

3) enter

4) join

III. - What, are the presses running? - Yeah. Sunday travel ……….

1) partition

2) parcelling

3) section

4) part

IV. Tell him to ….it ……. . - He'll love that.

1) work …over

2) make up

3) turn up

4) do…over

V. I got political……….., guest……....celebrity ……….--

The only thing I don't have is a dead…………...

1) editors

2) columnists

3) reporters

4) managers

VI. You want me to……… it easy for you to go to another paper?

1) do

2) release

3) make

4) let

VII. Unless you want to …………….two days in a row on the same story.

1) write the same

2) deal with this

3) get stomped

4) make trouble for us

VIII. Alicia wants to see you before the staff………….

1) rally

2) gathering

3) meeting

4) forum

Explain what is meant. Translate the sentences into Russian.

1) Elevator music will knock you out.

2) You give us 15 minutes; we’ll give you the world. It's already degrees in Central Park... working its way up to a downtown high of .

3) A racial slur spray painted on their car.

4) You never really appreciate bladder control until it's gone.

5) You're not gonna go nuts again today, are you?

6) We should have somebody there. Unless you want to get stomped two days in a row on the same story.

7) So don't blow it.

8) He's a real yo-yo.

9) You're ranting now, babe.

10) I know it's none of my business, but...do you really want to count pencils uptown?

11) The phone is slipping out of my hand.

Learn the words

flare – вспышка

slur – клевета

retaliation – кара/ возмездие

managing editor –ответственный секретарь / редактор

lousy –вшивый/ мерзкий

horrendously –жутко/ кошмарно

reek of –вонять/ затхлый / вонючий

sideways –в сторону/ со стороны

father- figure –мужчина, который заменяет отца

Unit 2

Fill in the gaps or finish the sentences.

1)Bernie: Two days after a black kid is killed in a neighbouring community two white businessmen named Hanson and MacGregor get shot up, with racial epithets written on their car. Now the “New York Sun” decides to run a parking story.

Alicia: Keighley called me at 7:00 this morning.

Bernie: Yeah, I’ll bet he did. Metro, I …………………… we’re all over the subway.

Henry: Three pieces. A tick-tock, list of injured, search for heroes. Standard transportation wreck ………….

Bernie: We got any art?

Joe: Yeah. Eddie picked up some nice spaghetti shots.

Bernie: Did they find the motorman yet?

Henry: Yeah, drunker than a skunk in his neighbourhood bar.

Alicia: Oh, God, he derails his train and ………………………………………………………. to have a few beers?

Henry: What do you do after you …………………………………………………?

Alicia: I have a cigarette and go to sleep.

Henry: Here you go. We got an above-average bank robbery in the Bronx. That’s good. An exploding hand grenade in Hoboken.

Bernie: What about something fun? Don’t we have anything fun today?

Henry: Nazis marching in New Jersey.

Bernie: Nazis are a barrel of laughs. Features.

Carl: We got Alison’s profile of the teenage hit man. We got Grace finally done with that Hollywood ……………………………………………… chart and part three in our continuing saga on penile implants.

Henry: By the way, could we possibly get another dick drawing? It looks like a map of Florida. It also looks like, I think, the 5th at Shinnecock Country Club, doesn’t it? I would play over the water,

……………………………….., as a suggestion.

Bernie: All right. Business.

Jerry: Dow’s up. Trade figures came out at 8:00, Nothing shocking. But I’m telling you, I’m …………………… Watergate out there on Staten Island with the zoning commission thing. If you guys could just give me a couple of city-side reporters--

Bernie: Wait. How is it possible that you always have Watergate somewhere?

Jerry: Listen, I’m--………………… off, Carl! I mean it this time. I got a ………………. from the commission

chairman’s ex-wife and she’s plenty ready to talk.

Anna: His ex-wife?

Jerry: His first ex-wife.

Bernie: There’s a ……………………. source. Yeah. Foreign.

Anna: Terrorists blew up a restaurant in Paris, killing five. None from New York. Ferry boat capsized in the Philippines, drowning. None from New York. There was a violent coup in Bahrain.

All: None from New York!

Anna: Witnessed! Witnessed by two people from Long Island. Oh, Henry, this might interest you. —

Henry: What’s that?

Anna: The mother whale in the Ukraine had triplets.

Henry: She told me she was on the pill!

Bernie: All right. So, page one, subway sounds like our ………………………, right?

Henry: I don’t think so. I don’t think so. You know, TV’s gonna be all over it. They already are. It’s a minor derailment. And Carmen has got great day two stuff on the Williamsburg murders. If they make a bust, we have to follow upon that.

Alicia: The subway’s a major story.

Anna: Nobody died.

Copy guy: Somebody got …………………………………….

Alicia: Yeah, that helps.

Henry: Minor derailment.

Alicia: All I’m saying is people got maimed, and we have pictures of it.

Henry: Goddam it! So we fucked up yesterday! Why do you want to tuck our tail between our legs and take it for and do what everybody else does? Let’s stand alone. Let’s …………………………………

Alicia: We’re a ………………………… paper. People want the subway.

Henry: Are you market research all of a sudden? Not everything is about money.

Alicia: It is when you almost fold every six months.

2) Bladden: I’ve been reading “the Sun” these past few weeks. L find it ……………….. We’re thinking of letting our hair down a little bit around here. ………………… in some coverage of the outer boroughs. Nothing new for you, of course, but for us, well, we’re “The Sentinel”. We cover the world.

Henry: Right. So I’ve heard.

Biadden: I won’t dick around with you. I talked with Vince last night. He’ll go with my recommendation. So congratulations. The job is yours if you want it.

Henry: Thank you.

Gladden: You don’t look …………………………………………

Henry: No— You know, I’m gonna have to think about that. I have to talk to my wife, You understand. Gladden: Yes, of course. But I would like a decision first thing in the morning. And don’t disappoint me. I

think you’re a serious ………………………………….., Henry.

Henry: Thank you.

Gladden: No, I mean it. You guys have got a cute little paper. Sometimes you really pull one out.

Henry: Thanks. It is a cute paper.

Gladden: You kind of ……………………………………………. on that one last night, though.

Henry: Yeah.

Gladden: I want to tell you, before I came over to this job I ………………. had any administrative experience at all. I had very minimal …………………………….skills.

Henry: Excuse me. I’m curious. For instance what would our-- your Metro ……………. be tomorrow?

Gladden: Henry, you don’t work here yet.

Henry: You’re right. You’re right. Sorry.

Bladden: As I was saying about this book, I think it’s something that you...

Henry: You know what I’d go with? Subway. Don’t you think?

Bladden: …would find enjoyable.

Henry: You know, though that Williamsburg thing is pretty interesting. You guys got anything on that? You do, don’t you? It’s funny. You can always tell, one newspaperman to another-- You can just tell there’s something. What have you got? What do you guys have …………………..? Come on. They make a bust? No, I’d know if they made a bust. What are you guys sitting on?

Bladden: Let’s just say that our coverage will be comprehensive.

Henry: Got you. Comprehensive. I understand. Anyway, I’d love to ……………………………it.

3) Bernie: For God’s sake, Alicia, you’re the ………………………………of the sixth largest paper in the country.

Alicia: All I want is to be …………………….compensated.

Bernie: You can’t come in here every six months.

Alicia: I have other ……………….Don’t make me …………………………………………….

Bernie: Does this have to be today? Do we have to do this today?

Alicia: I have pressures-- real pressures.

Bernie: I see. Pressures. I know you loved ………………………. I know Keighley shoved you into this.

Alicia: I never knew how …………………it was gonna be. There are not exactly a lot of laughs around my office these days.

Bernie: You’re in management. If everybody loved you, you’d be doing something wrong. But the fact is,

I think you’re …………………………..miracles with the job.

Alicia: Exactly. I have 300 people doing the work they need 750 for over at “Newsday.”

Bernie: I know. Thank you. But there’s no more money for you. There’s a ceiling in this business, and

you’re …………………………………….on it.

Alicia: Okay. Fine. My contract’s …………. in 18 months. I’d like permission to start interviewing now. You leave me no choice. That contract leaves me no choice.

Bernie: Pardon me saying this, and I know I’m no one to talk but the problem isn’t with your contract. It really isn’t. No ……………………….