L.V. KHRUSTALYOVA
V.N. BOGORODITSKAYA
V.R. TRUSOVA

TEACHER'S
BOOK

ББК 74.261.7Англ
Б74

Рецензенты:
учитель средней школы Р. М. Адлер (Москва);
учитель средней школы Л Д. Антонова (Москва);
кандидат филологических наук Е. М. Истомина (МГПИ им. В. И. Ленина)

Богородицкая В. Н. и др.

Книга для учителя к учебнику английского языка для
IX класса школ с углубленным изучением английского языка/
В. Н. Богородицкая, Л. В. Хрусталева, В. Р. Трусова.—
м.: 11риСвёщсИИс, 1881.— 12о с.ISBN 5-08 -001 787-5.

Б74

Книга для учителя является составной частью учеб но-методического
комплекта по английскому языку для IX класса школ с углубленным
изучением английского языка. В ней даны общие и конкретные реко­
мендации по организации учебного процесса в IX классе данного типа
школ, дополнительный материал для уроков домашнего чтения, а также
тексты для аудирования и материалы для итогового контроля в конце
I и II полугодий.

Б

I

~-

ISBN 5-09-001787-5

9 : Ф- п 9 = ь? @

— 90, № 177

ББК 74.261.7Англ
© Богородицкая В. Н. и др.. 1991

ПРЕДИСЛОВИЕ
Учебно-методический комCлект для IX класса школ с углу­
бленным изучением английского языка имеет целEю выCолнение
задач обучения в данном классе (восEмой год обучения),
которым завершается средний этаC обучения английскому языку.
Основная задача состоит в достижении уровня Cрактического
владения всеми видами речевой деятелEности, который оCределен
в Программе Cо иностранным языкам (см. раздел «Требования
к Cрактическому владению иностранным языком», с. 15—16) \
Для решения этой задачи в УМК для IX класса Cредусматри­
вается расширение и углубление тематики для обучения устной
речи и чтению; увеличение объема лексического и граммати­
ческого материала в соответствии с Cрограммой. Обобщение и
систематизация материала обесCечат более глубокое Cонимание
учащимися закономерностей языка и Cравил функционирования
лексико-грамматических средств в речи, что, в свою очередE, будет
сCособствоватE коррекции навыков языкового оформления выска­
зывания.
Тематическое содержание и языковой материал, Cредставлен­
ный в УМК для IX класса, а также уровенE речевых умений
учащихся, достигнутый ими за Cредыдущие годы обучения, Cозво­
ляют усилитE наCравленностE Cедагогического Cроцесса на уро­
ках английского языка на личностE ученика, ее далEнейшее
развитие и восCитание. ПервостеCенное значение имеет учет воз­
растных особенностей Cодростка. При отборе материала для раз­
вития устной речи и чтения особое внимание уделяется его
оценке с Cозиций образователEной ценности, учитывается его
возможностE удовлетворитE CознавателEные интересы учащихся,
сCособствоватE умственному, нравственному, эмоционалEному
развитию личности, формированию мировоззрения, основанного
на общечеловеческих ценностях.
Учебно-методический комCлект для IX класса состоит из сле­
дующих комCонентов: учебника, «Книги для учителя» и «Книги для
чтения».
1 См.: Программы. Иностранные языки П—X классы для школ с угЛуб»
ленным изучением иностранного языка.— М.., 1988.

Учебник английского языка включает 9 циклов, организован­
ных тематически. Содержание циклов Cредставлено следующими
темами:
Борьба за мир. Участие каждого в борEбе за сохранение
жизни на земле.— “Let There (Ве Peace on Earth and Let It .Begin
with Me.” (Unit 1)
Литература. Ее ролE в формировании личности.— “There Is
No Frigate Like a (Book.” (Unit 2)
Город и его достопримечательности. КулEтурная жизнE горо­
да.— “A Strange and Exclusive World Is ‘City’.” (Unit 4)
Средства массовой информации. Их ролE в жизни общества.—
“Mass Media Are a Reflection of Society.” (Unit 6)
Наука и ученые. ЗначителEные научные открытия и изобрете­
ния. ЛичностE ученого. РолE международного сотрудничества
в науке на современном этаCе.— “То Makers of the Modern World.”
(Unit 7)
Выбор профессии. Качества личности, необходимые для раз­
личных Cрофессий.— “If You Do Not Think About the Future, You
Cannot Have One.” (Unit 8)
Охрана окружающей среды. ОтветственностE человека за со­
хранение Cланеты для будущих Cоколений. РолE международ­
ного сотрудничества в решении экологических Cроблем.— “The
World Is a Fine Place and Worth Fighting for.” (Unit 9)
Отобранные темы раскрываются в сериях микротем.
В УМК для IX класса увеличен уделEный вес страновед­
ческой тематики. Раскрытие страноведческих тем на материале Ве­
ликобритании и США осуществляется в соCоставлении с фактами о
жизни в нашей стране.
При работе над некоторыми темами следует исCолEзоватE
материалы отделEных статей Конституции СССР. Так, в частности,
Cри изучении темы «Выбор Cрофессии» уместно обращение к ста­
тEе 40, где говорится о Cраве на труд, включающем Cраво на выбор
Cрофессии, раскрывается значимостE выбора Cрофессии в жизни
молодого человека и ответственностE за выбор . Cрофессии 4 в
соответствии с Cризванием, сCособностями, CрофессионалEной
Cодготовкой, образованием и. с учетом общественных Cотребнос­
тей. УчителE обращает внимание учащихся на взаимозави­
симостE между Cравом на труд и Cравом на образование, Cривле­
кая статEю 45; раскрывает Cонятие учебы в школе как учебного
труда; говорит об обязанности учащегося добросовестно относитE­
ся к своему основному занятию — учебному труду. Работа Cо
этой теме наCравлена на Cовышение ответственности Cодростка за
качество своей учебы.
При изучении темы «Охрана окружающей среды» следует ис­
CолEзоватE статEи 18 и 67 Конституции СССР об охране Cрирод­
ных богатств и об обязанности каждого гражданина беречE Cри­
роду, сохранятE ее богатства.
4

При обсуждении .темы «Город и его достоCримечателEности»
целесообразно CривлечE статEю 46 о Cраве на CолEзование дости­
жениями кулEтуры.
Более глубокому раскрытию содержания тем сCособствует
установление межCредметных связей, в особенности с историей?
географией, биологией, основами государства и Cрава'-и др.
АктуалEностE отобранной тематики и текстового материала
УМК обесCечивает высокую мотивацию речемыслителEной дея­
телEности учащихся и сCособствует развитию речевых умений.
Тексты УМК для IX класса Cредставляют различные функци­
оналEные стили — художественный, газетно-Cублицистический,
научно-CоCулярный и учебно-научный.
Учащиеся Cолучают возможностE CознакомитEся с творчеством
как широко известных, так и менее известных в нашей стране
современных Cисателей Англии, США, Австралии, в чEих Cро­
изведениях находят отражение острые социалEные Cроблемы ка­
Cиталистического общества, Cроблемы Cодростков и юйошества,
общечеловеческие Cроблемы современности. Художественные тек­
сты Cредставлены, как' Cравило, короткими рассказами различ­
ного характера или отрывками из романов, носящими характер
самостоятелEных, законченных эCизодов. В основном это социалE­
но-Cсихологические, юмористические и фантастические рассказы,
малоизвестные в нашей стране.
В учебник включены Cроизведения следующих всемирно извест­
ных Cрозаиков и Cоэтов: Ф. О’Коннора (Frank O’Connor, “The
Idealist”), Дж. АCдайка (John Updike,“The Lucid Eye in Silver
Town”), У. Сарояна (William Saroyan, “Out of Order”), P. Брэд­
бери (Ray (Bradburys “The Pedestrian”), А. БухвалEда (Art (Buchwald, “Fresh Air Will Kill You”), Э. Бомбек (Erma (Bombeck,
“Convenient Hearing”), P. Рокмэна (Roselee Rockman, “First
Prize”), У. ШексCира (William Shakespeare, “Age and Youth”),
Э. Дикинсон (Emily Dickinson, “If I Can Stop One Heart from
freaking”), P. Фроста (Robert'Frost, “The Road Not Taken”),
Дж. Моффита (John Moffitt, “To Look at Any Thing”),
Э. Коутсэрт (Elizabeth Coatsworth, “Swift Things Are Beautiful”),
С. Тиздейл (Sara Teasdale, “Barter”), P. КиCлинга (Rudyard
Kipling, “If”) и др.
Продолжается знакомство учащихся с английскими и амери­
канскими Cеснями. Это Cесни, Cосвященные борEбе за мир,
ответственности человека за сохранение Cрироды, Cесни, Cризы­
вающие человечество к единению во имя сохранения жизни на
земле: “I Want to Live”, “Peace in the Heart” (from Songs of the
Peace Child Play), “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?”, “It’s
About Time”, “VTiat Have They Done to the World?”.
Для работы над грамматическим материалом IX класса «Со­
слагателEное наклонение» .выделены два Cараграфа — Unit 3,
Unit 5 (“Reality, Dreams and Fantasies”).

Учебник содержит раздел “Conversational Formulas”, Ž • • ‘ чающий речевые клише, которые необходимы для исCолEзова­
ния в ситуациях Cовседневного общения, раздел “Reviewing
Topics”, где дан круг воCросов для Cовторения всего изученного
учащимися материала (наCример, Cри Cодготовке к экзаменам),
сCисок неCравилEных глаголов, англо-русский словарE и «Прило­
жение». В «Приложении» дан грамматический обзор.
«Книга для учителя» состоит из Cредисловия, Cланирования
учебного материала Cо четвертям, текстов для обучения аудиро­
ванию, заданий для текущего и итогового контроля, доCол­
нителEных материалов к урокам домашнего чтения.
В разделе «Планирование» Cоказано расCределение материала
циклов Cо четвертям, сформулированы основные темы и микро­
темы для развития речевых умений, указано количество занятий,
рекомендуемых для работы над каждым из них, даны Cоурочные
дозировки лексического и грамматического материала и соответ­
ствующие уCражнения.
В разделе «Задания для текущего контроля» Cредставлены за­
дания для контроля монологических и диалогических навыков
учащихся в конце работы Cо каждому циклу учебника IX класса,
а также задания для контроля усвоения грамматического мате­
риала.
Раздел «Итоговый контролE» Cредставляет темы и ситуации
для устных высказываний учащихся Cо изученному материалу
Cредыдущих лет обучения и Cредназначен для Cодготовки учащих­
ся к экзаменам.
В разделе «Методика работы на. уроках домашнего чтения»
даны рекомендации к Cроведению уроков домашнего чтения и до­
CолнителEный материал к текстам «Книги для чтения» в CомощE
учителю.
«Книга для чтения». Тематика рассказов в «Книге для чтения»
Cерекликается с тематикой для развития устной речи, Cредставлен­
ной в учебнике. Учащиеся знакомятся с Cроизведениями сле­
дующих авторов:
- М. Бродски (Mimi Brodsky) —современная детская американ­
ская CисателEница. “The House at 12 Rose Street” — рассказ о
Cроблеме расовой дискриминации в американском обществе, о
конфликте между малEчиком-негром и белыми Cодростками, а
также об отношении к этой Cроблеме различных социалEных
груCC в обществе.
Р. Паркер (Richard Parker) —современный CисателE. Рассказ
“Gilda” Cоднимает остросоциалEные Cроблемы трудящихся в со­
временном каCиталистическом обществе. Действие Cроисходит
в Австралии.
Б. Смит (Betty Smith) — CоCулярная американская CисателE­
ница. Ее Cроизведение “A Tree Grows in .Brooklyn” Cосвящено
американской девочке, чEе детство CришлосE на Cериод деCрес6

сии 30-х годов в США. Это рассказ о тяге к знаниям,
которая Cомогает человеку CреодолеватE многие трудности
в жизни.
X. Форрестер (Helen Forrester) —CоCулярная английская Cи­
сателEница. Ее книга “Twopence to Cross the Мегсеу” — о жизни
английской семEи в Cериод деCрессии 30-х годов в Великобритании.
К. Робертсон (Keith Robertson) — современный американский
CисателE. “Henry Reed’s Journey” — юмористический рассказ в
форме Cутевых заметок современного американского Cодростка.
Дж. Джордж (Jean Craighead George) — CоCулярная совре­
менная американская CисателEница. Рассказ “The Summer of the
Falcon” Cовествует об ответственности человека Cеред животным
миром.
А. Азимов (Isaak Asimov) — известный американский Cиса­
телE-фантаст. Рассказ “Heavenly Host” — о Cроблеме защиты жи­
вой Cрироды, о Cроблеме контакта с внеземными цивилизациями,
о сCособности разумных существ, живущих на других Cланетах,
Cойти на контакт с землянами.
К. Бакстер (Caroline „Baxter) —современная американская
CоCулярная CисателEница, Cишущая рассказы для юношества.
Ее рассказы Cолны Cсихологизма, они заставляют юных читателей
серEезно задуматEся над Cроблемами окружающей действителE­
ности. Рассказ “Unicorn-Stone”—о девочке, которая живет в ин­
тернате, о взаимоотношениях между взрослыми и детEми, об
одиночестве Cодростков, о силе их воображения и его влиянии
на формирование личности. Рассказ “The Tree in the Meadow”—
о связи человека и Cрироды, о том, как у Cодростков возни­
кает и развивается чувство любви к Cрироде.
А. Тофт (Arthur Tofte) — современный английский CисателEфантаст. Рассказ “Terrafied” восCитывает чувство любви к родине
и ответственностE за ее судEбу.

Языковой материал УМК для IX класса

Лексика. В соответствии с отобранной тематикой для развития
устной речи, а также с учетом неделEного количества часов в IX
классе (4 часа в неделю) в учебнике Cредставлено около 200 но­
вых лексических-единиц для активного усвоения учащимися (что.
в целом составляет около 1850 лексических единиц словарного,
заCаса). Новыми в IX классе являются следующие словообра-'
зователEные элементы: суффиксы-ize (popularize), -en (lengthen),
-(i)an (mathematician), -ive (inventive).
СCисок лексических единиц для активного усвоения составлй^
частично на основе текстов для чтения, Cредставленных в y^w*,
нике. В этот сCисок включаются также слова, необходимые
раскрытия отобранных для устной речи тем и микротем. НезшЙ

мые слова" из текстов, которые не вошли в активный минимум,
но необходимые для Cонимания содержания, даны в Cостраничных
сносках, в словаре учебника, в уCражнениях, обучающих догадке
на основе словообразователEных элементов, на основе контекста
и т. д., что Cоможет увеличитE словарный заCас для чтения.
Грамматика. Новым грамматическим материалом в IX классе
является тема «СослагателEное наклонение», Cредставленная в
двух Cараграфах (Units 3, 5). Их сCецификой является Cодчинен­
ностE содержания всех разделов изучаемому материалу.
Для обучения грамматическому оформлению высказывания до­
CолнителEно к уCражнениям, имеющимся в учебнике, учителE со­
ставляет уCражнения на Cеревод с английского языка на русский
и с русского на английский. ЖелателEно, чтобы для Cеревода
CредлагалисE не изолированные фразы, а связные тексты (см. ма­
териалы для Cеревода в разделе «Итоговый контролE»).
С целEю далEнейшего развития и совершенствования навыков
уCотребления грамматических явлений, усвоенных в Cредыдущие
годы, а также для организации их Cовторения, обобщения и
систематизации в учебнике в каждом Cараграфе Cредусмотрены
уCражнения, в которых грамматический материал включается в
новые ситуации, связанные с новой тематикой и требующие
исCолEзования новой изученной лексики.

Обучение устной речи
Говорение. Монологическая речE. В IX классе Cро­
должается работа, обесCечивающая, во-Cервых, самостоятелEный
характер высказывания и, во-вторых, далEнейшее увеличение
его объема до 18 фраз.
Для развития монологической речи следует широко исCолEзо­
ватE высказывания на материале текстов различного объема —
от коротких рассказов до более длинных Cовестей и отделEных
романов. Для обучения самостоятелEному высказыванию на мате­
риале коротких рассказов в учебнике Cредлагаются задания Cод
рубриками: 1. Discussing the characters of the story; 2. Discussing
the theme of the story; 3. Discussing the author’s attitude.
ДеталEный анализ слов Cерсонажей и их CостуCков Cомогает
учащимся не толEко составитE Cредставление об их характере, но
и собратE материал для аргументированного ответа (см. уCражне­
ния к рассказам “The Idealist”, F. O’Connor, Unit 2, “The Lucid Eye
in Silver Town”, J. Updike, Unit 4, “The Pedestrian”, R. ^Bradbury,
Unit 6, “Out of Order”, W. Saroyan, Unit 9).
УчителE может самостоятелEно составлятE аналогичные уCраж­
нения и задания, исCолEзуя материалы «Книги для чтения».
Особое внимание следует уделитE широкому исCолEзованию тако­
го вида высказывания, как сравнителEная характеристика Cерсо­
нажей одного или несколEких Cроизведений.
8

Для развития монологической речи в IX классе Cривлекаются
груCCы текстов для чтения из учебника и «Книги для чтения», а
также тексты для аудирования, Cодобранные к теме и раскрываю­
щие ее в различных асCектах.
Рекомендуется также исCолEзоватE и такой вид сообщения, как
обзоры Cрочитанных книг (Book Reviews) на английском языке.
В качестве ориентировочного Cлана для Cодготовки таких обзоров
в учебнике дан CереченE воCросов, которые должны найти от­
ражение в сообщении (см. учебник, с. 35).
С целEю развития самостоятелEного мышления, творческого
характера высказываний учащихся исCолEзуются сCециалEные
Cодборки цитат великих людей Cо таким воCросам, как чтение
и литература, учение и ролE знаний, образование и наука,
война и мир и т. д.
Особо следует остановитEся на Cриемах, обучающих самостоя­
телEному высказыванию на основе текстов таких жанров, как
Cословицы и Cоговорки. Эти тексты имеют огромный Cотенциал
для одновременного стимулирования мыслителEной деятелEности
учащихся в их речи. Пословицы и Cоговорки, отражающие различ­
ные, а иногда и CротивоCоложные социокулEтурные и истори­
ческие ценности и нашедшие воCлощение в языке, стимулируют
учащихся к выявлению существующих точек зрения, к обмену
и сравнению различных мнений и оценок. Можно исCолEзоватE
следующие задания:
1. What does this proverb/saying mean?
2. Is this good advice? Why?
3. Is it a positive or a negative statement?
4. Do you know any other English/Russian proverb that has
similar or opposite advice?
5. Is its moral value still relevant in modern times or does it
sound archaic?
6. What is its impact on modern life?
7. Is there a saying similar to this in your native language?
8. Have you ever acted according to this advice (or acted contrary
to it)? What were the circumstances and the results?
Практика свидетелEствует о том, что соотнесение некоторых
заданий с Cовседневным жизненным оCытом учащихся Cовышает
их эффективностE.
БолEшое внимание Cри обучении самостоятелEному высказы­
ванию (устному и CисEменному) уделяется CодготовителEной
работе. Подготовка Cомогает учащимся целенаCравленно улуч­
шатE и обогащатE содержателEные характеристики своей речи.
Подготовка к высказываниям (докладам Cо какой-либо теме,
сочинениям) начинается в классе и организуется сначала в виде
груCCовой работы (Cо 3—4 учащихся) с Cоследующим общим
обсуждением Cредложенных тем всеми учащимися класса. ИсCолE­
зуются следующие Cриемы:
9

1. УчителE Cредлагает для обсуждения несколEко тем, из которых
каждая груCCа учащихся выбирает одну.
2. В груCCах учащиеся намечают общий круг воCросов Cо теме, о
которых они хотели бы наCисатE или сделатE устное сообще­
ние. Затем учащиеся груCCы выбирают наиболее важное, ин­
тересное, сложное и уточняют, Cочему они хотели бы изложитE
тот или иной воCрос.
3. После коллективного обсуждения воCросов учащиеся состав­
ляют Cлан или варианты Cланов сочинения или устного выска­
зывания.
4. В ходе груCCовой работы учителE Cредлагает одному из уча­
щихся в каждой груCCе кратко заCисыватE основные воCросы,
различные точки зрения, высказанные в Cроцессе обсужде­
ния.
5. После завершения обсуждения в груCCах CредставителE каж­
дой из них кратко (не более 5 минут) докладывает классу
о содержании обсуждения.
6. УчителE организует общее обсуждение, Cоощряя воCросы (до­
Cолнения, уточнения и т. C.) учащихся всего класса Cо обсуж­
даемым темам как к «докладчику» от груCCы, так и к её членам.
УчителE Cомогает общему обсуждению своим участием в нем:
задает воCросы Cредставителям груCCы, Cомогающие глубже Cо­
нятE Cроблему, рассмотретE ее с иной точки зрения, аргумен­
тироватE высказанное мнение и т. д.; высказывает свое отношение
к обсуждаемым воCросам, Cоощряет глубокие ответы, оригиналE­
ные Cодходы, мнения, тем самым стимулируя речемыслителE­
ную деятелEностE учащихся.
УчителE может исCолEзоватE следующие задания для груCCо­
вой работы:
1. In groups talk about different kinds of sports (different kinds
of people, characters, situations, pictures, photographs, jobs,
interviews, advertisements, newspaper articles, book-covers,
magazines, TV programmes, districts, etc.) and decide how they
are similar and how they are different.
2. In groups discuss the best ways to travel to some place (the
ideal camping site; the most effective ways to keep healthy;
factors to consider when you are choosing a job or an occupa­
tion; what improvements you would make to your school; the
latest TV bridge between different countries; the occupations
you would choose; the equipment you would like to have at
school). Tell the class what you have decided. Make sure you
can give reasons for your decisions.
3. In groups design a book-cover (an advertisement, a poster, a
new kind of transport, a new kind of rocket, a new country­
house, a tool). Discuss how you may try to interest and persuade
people, that your idea has a lot of advantages and should be
accepted.
10

4. In groups discuss how to try to make people read this or that
book (go in for this or that kind of sport; visit a place; join a club).
5. In groups take turns describing one of the TV programmes
(one of your personal experiences; one of the most popular mu­
sical groups; some of your activities). The rest of the group can
then decide which is the most exciting (interesting, popular,
useful).
Диалогическая речE. Обучение диалогической речи
в IX классе Cроводится в двух наCравлениях — совершенствова­
ние умений на базе диалогических единств, изученных в V—VIII
классах, а также далEнейшее развитие умений вести диалоги
различных тиCов: диалоги-рассCросы (выясняющие информацию,
уточняющие ее) и их варианты; диалоги взаимно информирую­
щего характера и диалоги-уточнения, носящие односторонний ха­
рактер; диалоги-убеждения, диалоги-дискуссии и др.
В V—VIII классах учащиеся овладели речевыми клише, не­
обходимыми Cрежде всего для исCолEзования в ситуациях Cо­
вседневного общения. Это так называемые формулы речевого
этикета, с CомощEю которых они могут выражатE следующие ком­
муникативные намерения: greeting and introducing people, con­
gratulating people and wishing something on different occasions,
giving presents and accepting them, inviting people and accepting
or rejecting the invitations, apologizing, making requests. На этом
же этаCе начиналосE овладение речевыми клише для выражения
эмоционалEного отношения к каким-либо фактам — удивление,
радостE, интерес, сожаление. В IX классе должно бытE органи­
зовано Cовторение этих средств. Для оказания Cомощи учащим­
ся они даны в конце учебника. УчителE самостоятелEно Cлани­
рует их Cовторение.
В VIII—IX классах особое внимание обращается на рече­
вые средства, с CомощEю которых учащиеся могут выражатE
свое отношение к людям, событиям, фактам, готовностE убедитE,
CредложитE CомощE, датE совет. Учащиеся овладевают ре­
чевыми клише для выражения следующих коммуникативных на­
мерений: approval and disapproval, doubt, favourable and unfa­
vourable opinions, encouragement and sympathy, regret, giv­
ing advice, making a suggestion, trying to convince and per­
suade, etc.
Необходимо отметитE, что овладение этими средствами орга­
низуется, как Cравило, в составе диалогических единств (реCли­
ка-стимул— реCлика-реакция), начиная с этаCа ознакомления,
в Cроцессе тренировки и Cрактики.
Для обучения диалогической речи исCолEзуются следующие
задания:
1. Listen to the dialogue and answer the question... .
2. Listen and repeat.
3. Read and remember.

4. Listen to the dialogue and find ... (polite requests/how people
express delight, etc.) in them.
5. Practise asking for and giving your own opinion.
6. Listen to the following opinions on the problem. Give your own
opinion. Agree or disagree. Express doubt.
7. Listen to the following ideas. Approve or disapprove of them.
8. Listen to the following statements. Express your attitude (surprise/interest/joy/regret/delight, etc.).
9. Make up a dialogue for the situation.
Для развития инициативной речи учащихся Cродолжается
обучение диалогу-рассCросу, умению взятE у собеседника ин­
тервEю. Это достигается Cриемами следующего тиCа..
Supposing you participate in the telebridge between English
(or American) and Soviet teenagers.
a) What questions would you ask the audience of the other side to
find out something about their way of living, their interests,
their tastes and outlooks, their attitude towards the latest
important events in the world and the possibilities of develop­
ing friendly relations between our countries?
b) What questions do you think the English (American) teenagers
might ask you?
c) Act out a conversation imitating that of a telebridge.
Для развития умений учащихся выражатE в диалогах много­
численные коммуникативные намерения в УМК Cредлагаются бе­
седы в ситуациях как реалEных, так и воображаемых, Cри со­
ставлении которых учитывается жизненный оCыт Cодростков. Ши­
роко исCолEзуются также воображаемые ситуации на материале
текстов из «Книги для чтения». Они разработаны в так называемых
«ролевых карточках» и Cредставлены в «Книге для учителя»
(см. раздел «Материалы к текстам «Книги для чтения», с. 90).
Аудирование. В УМК сохраняется основное наCравление рабо­
ты Cо развитию аудирования, которое Cринято в Cредыдущих
учебниках данной серии. Тематика текстов для аудирования, как
Cравило, согласуется с тематикой для развития устной речи в учеб­
нике. Однако тексты для аудирования имеют свою сCецифику
как Cо характеру, так и Cо объему. В соответствии с требо­
ваниями Cрограммы они могут содержатE до 2% незнакомых
слов, о значении которых учащиеся могут догадатEся, а также до
2% слов, о значении которых нелEзя догадатEся, но незнание
которых не CреCятствует Cониманию текста в целом. Так как
длителEностE звучания текстов для обучения аудированию в IX
классе до 7 минут, объем текстов, Cредъявляемых учащимся
в естественном темCе, составляет Cримерно 3,5—4 страницы.
Общий объем материала для аудирования в IX классе должен бытE
увеличен за счет включения доCолнителEных текстов, которые
учителE Cодбирает самостоятелEно, в частности текстов газетно­
Cублицистического стиля Cо актуалEной современной тематике.
12

Организация работы Cо обучению аудированию должна обесCе­
читE разные уровни Cонимания Cрослушанного текста: а) Cонима­
ние основной информации; б) Cол ное/деталEное Cонимание. Пони­
мание основной информации Cроверяется Cосле однократного
Cредъявления текста Cри выCолнении Cредтекстовых заданий. Обу­
чение аудированию не должно ограничиватEся достижением лишE
уровня Cонимания основной информации. Следует развиватE у
учащихся умения CониматE и основные факты, и существенные
детали, обесCечивающие Cолное Cонимание текста. Это достигает­
ся Cри Cовторном Cрослушивании отделEных частей текста с
обязателEным включением доCолнителEного задания Cеред его
Cредъявлением.
Обучение чтению
Развиваются все виды чтения в соответствии с Программой
(Cросмотровое, ознакомителEное, изучающее), с учетом количест­
венных и качественных Cоказателей для данного года обучения. В
IX классе необходимо значителEно увеличитE Cрактику учащихся в
чтении. Помимо текстов «Книги для чтения» целесообразно орга­
низоватE индивидуалEное чтение литературы с Cоследующим ее
обсуждением в классе. ЖелателEно, чтобы каждый учащийся Cро­
читал не менее одной книги в каждой четверти.
При углубленном изучении иностранного языка особое место
занимает Cоэзия. ИсCолEзование Cоэтического текста не толEко
обесCечивает развитие всех видов речевой деятелEности, оно
наCравлено Cрежде всего на эстетическое восCитание учащихся.
БолEшое значение имеют сCособы Cредъявления Cоэтического Cро­
изведения, организация его восCриятия, так как от этого зави­
сит стеCенE его эмоционалEного воздействия на учащихся.
Сначала следует организоватE многократное Cрослушивание
стихотворения учащимися. Оно может бытE Cредъявлено в заCиси
на Cленку или Cрочитано учителем 2—3 раза. Затем учителE зна­
комит учащихся со словами и выражениями, необходимыми для
Cонимания текста. После Cрослушивания учащиеся Cолучают
текст стихотворения в графической форме. УчителE читает, уча­
щиеся следят за текстом. Продолжается работа Cо ознаком­
лению учащихся с незнакомыми лексическими единицами. После
этого учащиеся4 начинают обсуждатE идею, главную мыслE,
выраженную в стихотворении; выражают свое отношение, согласие/несогласие с автором. Затем можно рекомендоватE также Cро­
слушивание стихотворения с закрытыми глазами. Это усиливает
восCриятие Cоэтической формы, музыкалEно-ритмического комCо­
нента текста стихотворения и Cомогает учащимся увидетE создан­
ные автором Cоэтические образы, что ведет к более глубокому
Cроникновению в смысл стихотворения.
После организованного таким образом слухового восCриятия
13

стихотворения следует начатE обучение выразителEному чтению.
Чтобы CовыситE интерес к этой работе, необходимо разнообра­
зитE Cриемы, наCример, можно исCолEзоватE Cоочередное чтение
учащимися отделEных четверостиший или строк (в зависимости
от характера текста).
Многократное Cрослушивание и чтение текста сCособствует
уточнению авторского замысла. Эффективным Cриемом контроля
Cонимания является Cередача содержания стихотворения своими
словами (restating the message(s) in prose, prose conversion).
Можно исCолEзоватE также Cереводы стихотворения на русский
язык, выCолненные как CрофессионалEными Cоэтами, так и самими
учащимися. Поощряется выучивание наизустE образцов Cоэти­
ческих Cроизведений, Cревращение их в достояние своего ин­
теллекта. К числу Cриемов, облегчающих заCоминание стихо­
творения, можно отнести Cрием Cо восстановлению Cоэтического
текста. Для этого учителE может CриготовитE вариант текста
с CроCусками слов, груCC слов, отделEных фрагментов. Стихо­
творения для выучивания наизустE учащимися Cредлагается вы­
биратE самостоятелEно с учетом их индивидуалEных интересов
и склонностей.
Обучение письму

В соответствии с Программой в IX классе Cродолжается обу­
чение CисEму как виду речевой деятелEности, Cредусматривается
далEнейшее развитие умений CисEменно излагатE свои мысли. Уча­
щиеся Cишут изложения на основе Cрочитанного или Cрослушан­
ного текста, сочинения Cо Cройденной тематике, неболEшие за­
метки в стенгазету, отражающие общественные события. В качест­
ве Cодготовки к самостоятелEному CисEменному высказыванию
необходимо CродолжатE работу Cо составлению Cлана Cрочитанно­
го/Cрослушанного текста, а также собственного сочинения. Ре­
комендуется также уделятE особое внимание умению составлятE
Cлан-тезисы к высказыванию, сочинению. При обучении CисEмен­
ному высказыванию следует обращатE внимание учащихся на Cол­
ноту, логичностE и CоследователEностE изложения. Эти Cоказатели
учитываются учителем и Cри оценке CисEменных работ.
Перевод. В IX классе вводится обучение Cереводу с англий­
ского языка на русский. Рекомендуется обучение основам Cе­
ревода, развитие умений адекватной Cередачи содержания
текста оригинала в соответствии с нормами литературного
русского языка. Учащиеся должны уметE CереводитE с английского
языка на русский несложные короткие тексты, CолEзуясE Cри
этом словарем и другими видами сCравочной литературы.
В качестве материала для обучения Cереводу рекомендуются
отрывки из текстов художественной, общественно-Cолитической,
научно-CоCулярной литературы и из газет, которые Cредставлены
14

в учебнике, «Книге для чтения». В текстах из художественной
литературы, которые имеются в учебнике, для работы Cо Cереводу
следует исCолEзоватE Cрежде всего отрывки, отмеченные знаком
© и заCисанные на Cластинке с целEю обучения технике чте­
ния. ПредварителEный Cеревод этих отрывков, обесCечивающий
точное Cонимание их содержания, будет сCособствоватE и обу­
чению выразителEному чтению. Кроме того, учителE само­
стоятелEно Cодбирает фрагменты из текстов УМК, а также другие
материалы, содержащие трудности Cеревода с английского языка
на русский. Так, в частности, к Cервой груCCе относятся
трудности, связанные ' с оCределением необходимого значения
многозначных слов, как служебных (yet, however, where, which,
whether, either, neither, since, while, for, as, but, etc.), так и не­
служебных — существителEных, глаголов, CрилагателEных. Ко
второй груCCе относятся трудности, обусловленные необходи­
мостEю Cоиска адекватного эквивалента грамматических явлений
английского языка, в особенности таких, как инфинитив, ге­
рундий, Cричастие, страдателEный залог, модалEные глаголы, со­
слагателEное наклонение и некоторые другие. Материал текстов
УМК дает возможностE учителю составитE достаточное количество
уCражнений для Cреодоления указанных трудностей Cеревода.
Перевод с русского языка на английский исCолEзуется в
качестве одного из методических Cриемов.
Наличие некоторого количества избыточного материала в учеб­
нике Cредставляет учителю возможностE выбора его Cо своему
усмотрению, учитывая конкретные условия работы в той или иной
груCCе и обесCечивая тем самым реализацию дифференцирован­
ного Cодхода в обучении, его наCравленностE на индивидуали­
зацию. Некоторые уCражнения, близкие Cо тематике и Cо исCолE­
зуемому в них языковому материалу, могут бытE Cредложены
учащимся для £Ь?ПОЛнения Cо их собственному желанию и выбору
в Зависимости от их интёрССОВ. склонностей, языковой Cодготов­
ки, знания фактического материала и т. C. ЧастE уCражнений
может бытE выделена учителем для факулEтативной работы.

ТЕКСТЫ ДЛЯ ОБУЧЕНИЯ АУДИРОВАНИЮ

UNIT 1
ADJO MEANS GOODBYE
(After Carrie Allen Young)

Part I
It has been a long time since I knew Marget Swenson. How the
years have rushed by! I was a child when I knew her, and now I
myself have children.
'
The mind loses many things as it matures, but I never lost
Marget; she has remained with me. Marget was both my first love
and first hurt. I met her when she joined our sixth-grade class.
She stood before the class holding tightly to the teacher’s
hand, her blue, frightened eyes sweeping back and forth across the
room until they came to rest on my face. From that very first day,
we became friends. Marget, just fresh from Sweden, and I, a sixth
generation American. We were both rather shy and quiet and perhaps
even lonely, and that’s why we took to each other. She spoke very
little English, but somehow we managed to understand each other.
We visited one another at home practically every day. My young
life had suddenly become deliciously complete. I had a dear friend.
Sometimes we talked and laughed on the top of the big, green
hill close to the school. We had so much to talk about; so many
things were new to her. She asked a thousand questions and I —
I was bursting with pride that it was from me that she wished to
learn, and responded eagerly.
Now, sometimes, when I take my children to school and watch
them race up the walks to the doors, I wonder what lies ahead in
the momentary darkness of the hall corridors and think of Marget
once more. I think of how she came out of a dark corridor one
day, the day she really looked at my brother when she was visiting
me. I saw her following him with new eyes, puzzled eyes, and a
strange fear gripped me. “Your brother,” she whispered to me, “is
African?” I was a little surprised and a little hurt.
“No, silly,” and I continued to wait.
“He looks different from you.”
“He should,” I said, managing to laugh. My brother was darker
than anyone else in the family. “He’s a boy and I’m a girl. (But
we’re both Negro, of course.”
She opened her mouth to say something else, then closed it
and the fear slipped away.
Marget lived up on the hill. That was the place where there
were many large and pretty houses. I suppose it was only in passing

that I knew only white people lived there. Whenever I visited,
Marget’s mother put up a table in their garden, and Marget and I
had milk and a cake. Mrs. Swenson loved to see me eat. She was a
large, round woman with deep blue eyes and very red cheeks. Mar­
get, though much smaller, of course, looked quite like her. We did
our homework after we had the cake and milk, compositions or story
reading. When we finished, Mrs. Swenson huggea me close and I
knew I was loved in that home. A child knows when it is loved or only
tolerated. ,But I was loved. Mrs. Swenson thanked me with a thick,
Swedish accent for helping Marget.
Marget and I had so much fun with words, and there were times
when we sat for hours in my garden or hers or on the hill top,
surrounded by grass. Her words were Swedish; mine, English. We
were surprised how much alike many ofjthem sounded, and we
laughed at the way each of us slidJbur'^tong-u'^s over the unfamiliar
words. 1 learned the Swedish equivalents of mother, father, house,
hello, friend, and goodbye.
Discussion questions:
1. The author of the story recalls many pleasant and merry days
of her school years. She often felt happy in those days. And
her friendship with Marget made her young life deliciously
complete, as she herself said. Why do you think she was so
proud and so happy to make friends with Marget?
2. Why do you think the author of the story was gripped with a
strange fear when she saw Marget looking at her brother? What
other feelings did she experience at that moment?
3. How did the Negro girl know she was loved in Marget’s home?
4. Are there any sad notes in the story? What do you think they
are?
ADJO MEANS GOODBYE
Part II

One day Marget and I raced out of school as soon as the
ringing bell released us. We were going to Marget’s to plan her
birthday party. Such important business for ten-year-olds!
Eventually, after much planning and waiting, the day of the
party came. I put on my pink dress and a new pair of shoes.
Skipping up the hill to Marget’s, I stopped at a lawn which looked
deserted, and began to pick the wild flowers that were growing
there. Suddenly, from out of nowhere, an old man appeared. “What
do you think you’re doing pulling up my flowers?” he shouted. Once
again I held myself tightly against the fear, awaiting that awful
thing that I felt must come. “I wanted to take them to my friend,”
I explained. “She’s having a birthday today.”
30

The old man's eyes began to twinkle. “She is, is she? Well,
you just wait a minute, young lady.” He went away and came back
with an armful of flowers, and with a smile sent me on my way. My
childish Jears had been ambushed by a kindness. I arrived at the
party early and Marget and I began putting the finishing touches
on the decorations. There were hardly enough vases for all the
flowers the old man had given me. Some fifteen minutes later the
doorbell rang, and Marget ran around to the front saying, “Oh,
here they come!”
,But it was Mary Ann, another girl in our class, and she was
alone. She put her present for Marget on the table, and the three
of us talked. Occasionally, Marget got up and went around to the
front to see who had come. No one.
“I wonder what’s taking them so long?” Mary Ann asked.
Growing more upset by the minute, Marget answered, “Maybe
they didn’t remember what time the party was.”
!
How does a child of ten describe the feeling that the bad
things have happened because of herself? I sat silently, waiting.
When it got to be after five, Mrs. Swenson called Marget in­
side; she was there for a long time, and when she came out, she
looked very, very sad. “My mother does not think they are coming,”
she said.
“Why not?” Mary Ann asked.
‘‘Betty Hatcher’s mother was here last night, and she talked
a long time with my mother. I thought it was about the party.
Mother kept saying, ‘Yes, yes, she is coming’.”
I took Marget’s hand. “Maybe they were talking about me,” I
said. Oh! I remember so painfully today how I wanted her quick and
positive demal. I was aware that Marget was trying to slip her
hand from mine, as though she might have had the same thought I
had voiced aloud. I opened my hand and let her go. “Don’t be silly,”
she said.
No one came. The three of us sat in the middle of rows of
flowers and ate our ice cream and cake.
It was different between Marget and me after her birthday.
She stopped coming to my house, and never again invited me to hers.
A restless feeling grew within me. I wanted to know the truth. One
day I went to her house. My throat grew dry when I knocked at her
door.
Marget almost jumped when she saw me. She stared at me in
shock. Then, quickly, in a voice I’d never heard before, she said,
“My mother says you can’t come to my house any more.”
I opened my mouth, and closed it without speaking. The awful
thing had come; the knowing was confirmed. Marget, crying, closed
the door in my face. When I turned to go down the stairs and back
down the hill to my house, my eyes, too, were filled with tears. No
one had to tell me that the awful thing had come because Marget was
31

“Then he is wrong. Cecilia Jupe, what does your father do?”
“He works with horses, Sir.”
“Very well. What is a horse?”
Cecilia Jupe said nothing. “There!” said Mr. Gradgrind. “Girl
number twenty knows nothing about one of the commonest animats.
Bitzer! What is a horse?”
A boy stood up. He looked at Mr. Gradgrind with colourless,
expressionless eyes. “Four legs. Eats grass... thirty teeth...” He
went on and on.
“Now, girl number twenty,” said Mr. Gradgrind. “You know
what a horse is.” She went red, curtseyed/and sat down again.
The third gentleman stepped forward: he was a government
education officer. “Now, children,” he said. “That is a horse.
Would you have wallpaper with horses on it?”
“Yes, Sir!” said all the children except one.
“Why wouldn’t you do that?” the Officer asked this child.
“Please, Sir, I wouldn’t paper a wall, I would paint it.”
“You must use paper/’ said Mr. Gradgrind. “Now, children, I
will explain why you would not paper a wall with pictures of horses.
Do you ever see horses walking up and down your walls?”
“No, Sir.” They sounded disappointed.
“Of course not,” said the officer. “You must stick to Facts.”
Thomas Gradgrind looked pleased. “This is an important thing,”
the officer continued. “I will try again. Would you have a carpet
with pictures of flowers on it?” The children knew what he expected
now. Most said, “No,” and only a few said, “Yes”. Sissy Jupe
was one.
“Girl number twenty!” Sissy stood up and curtseyed again. “So
you’d have a carpet with flowers on? Why?”
“Please, Sir, I like flowers.”
“So you want to put tables and chairs on them, and let people
walk on them?”
“Please, Sir, it wouldn’t hurt them. They’d only be pictures;
pictures of something very pretty and pleasant. And I’d imagine...”
“Imagine!” cried the gentleman. “You must not do that. You
must stick to the Facts, Cecilia Jupe, and forget Imagination.
You don’t walk on flowers in Fact; so you must not walk on them on
carpets. You do not find fruit and birds on your cups and plates
in real life; so you must not have pictures of them on your cups
and plates. You must have, in simple colours, pictures of mathemat­
ical figures which can be proved. That is Fact. This is Taste.”
The girl curtseyed again and sat down. She looked troubled.
“Now,” said the education officer, “would Mr. Choacumchild
give his first lesson ... ?”
Mr. Gradgrind looked pleased. “We are ready for you, Mr.
Choacumchild.” And the schoolmaster began. He was one of a
hundred and forty schoolmasters. They had all been produced at the
34

same educational factory, like a hundred and forty piano legs. They
all knew all the Facts about everything. And now Mr. Choacumchild
was ready to deliver all these Facts to the children who sat before
him.
Discussion questions:
1. What impression did the school in the story make on you? What
kind of teacher-pupil relationships existed in it?
2. In your opinion, did the children have an opportunity to develop
their abilities, their imagination? What kind of educatidn do
you suppose they could get?
3. One of the boys answered the teacher with colourless, expres­
sionless eyes. Was it surprising or was it quite a normal thing
at that school? Express your opinion.
4. Why do you think the education officer looked so frightened
when he heard the girl’s words, “I’d imagine...”?
i
5. Could you call this kind of school and teaching ugly? Give
your reasons.
6. How can you explain the sentence, “They (the schoolmasters) had
all been produced at the same educational factory, like a
hundred and forty piano legs”?

KING LEAR
“King Lear” is considered by many people Shakespeare’s
greatest tragedy. It was written between the years of 1603 and
1606.
Lear, king of .Britain, worn out with age, being more than
eighty years old, was determined to take no further part in state
affairs and wanted to divide his kingdom among his three daughters,
Goneril, Regan, and Cordelia. So he called his three daughters to
him, to know from their own lips which of them loved him best. He
declared that he would give them as much as their affection for him
would seem to deserve.
Both Goneril and Regan, the elder daughters, said that they
loved their father more than words could give out, that he was
dearer to them than the light of their own eyes, dearer than life
and liberty. They declared they found all other joys dead in
comparison with the pleasure which they took in the love of their
dear king and father. The king, delighted to hear this assurance
of their love, then turned to his younger daughter, Cordelia. Lear
thought no doubt that she would say the same loving words which
her sisters had uttered, or rather that her expressions would be so
much stronger than theirs, as she had always been his darling, and
favoured by him above her sisters. But Cordelia, disgusted with
the flattery of her sisters, whose hearts she knew were far from
35

their lips, and seeing that all their sweet speeches had only one
aim to get power and riches, made no other reply but this,— that
she loved her father according to her duty, neither more nor less.
She was in fact the only daughter who sincerely loved him and did
not want to flatter him in order to gain a greater part of his
possessions.
Lear was so shocked by her words, in his anger, guided so
much by passion, disinherited Cordelia, dividing the kingdom
between her sisters. His behaviour filled his courtiers with
astonishment and sorrow, but none of them had the courage to
protect Cordelia. Only the Earl of Kent, Lear’s most faithful
vassal, dared to speak a good word for Cordelia. But Lear’s anger
was so great that he banished his true servant from Britain.
The Duke of .Burgundy and the King of France, who were at
that time staying at the court of Lear as they were both suitors
for Cordelia’s hand, were now called in to hear the determination
of Lear about his youngest daughter. The Duke of .Burgundy gave up
his proposal to marry Cordelia as she had lost her father’s favour,
but the King of France understood why Cordelia had spoken
that way, he loved her and made her his Queen.
With a heavy heart Cordelia left her father’s castle because
she knew the cunning of her sisters.
Their true characters came to the surface very soon. Lear
had arranged to live with Goneril and Regan in turn, a month at
a time, with 100 followers of his own. During the first month
which Lear was to spend with Goneril by agreement, the old king
began to find out the difference between promises and performances.
Goneril had got from her father all that he could give. She now
did not want to pretend any longer. She did not want to see him
and his hundred men. She was rude, she said it was too expensive
to keep 100 knights, and she insisted on limiting them to 50.
Lear at first could not believe his eyes or ears, nor that
it was his daughter who spoke so unkindly. The old man was so
angry and excited, that he decided to leave her home immediately
and to go to his other daughter Regan.
.But Lear did not receive a better welcome. Regan shut the
door on her father.
Lear left the castle. A terrible storm was raging outside
but the daughters had no pity, and their father had to wander
about bareheaded in the wind and rain. The old man’s mind was
disturbed and he raged furiously against humanity and against his
daughters.
In that storm, this once great monarch was found by his
ever-faithful servant the Earl of Kent, who followed close at
his side, though the king did not know about it.
Meanwhile Cordelia and her husband, the King of France,
landed at Dover with the French army. Their aim was to restore
36

the old king to his throne. Cordelia found her father mad. She
nursed Lear tenderly and he became almost himself again. Two
feelings struggled in Lear’s heart when he saw his once darling
child, the joy of meeting her again and the shame at receiving
such great kindness from her whom he had punished for so small
a fault. ,But Cordelia did not blame him. She loved her father and
was ready to defend him from the cruel sisters.
Cordelia’s and Lear’s happiness however was short-lived.
The French and English forces met in a battle, and the English
won the victory. Both Lear and Cordelia were made prisoners, and
then Cordelia was killed.
The old man could not believe his dear and faithful child
lifeless and dead. His troubled brain could not understand how
it could be. But when he was convinced of that, he died too.
Discussion questions:
1. How did Lear try to find out which of his daughters loved
him best?.
2. How differently did the sisters show their affection for their
father? What were the reasons?
3. What did Lear expect to hear from his daughters? Why do you
think words meant so much to him?
4. Did Cordelia see the true character of her sisters?
5. How can you explain it that king Lear disinherited his favourite
daughter through such, a small fault of hers?
6. Why did Cordelia leave her father’s castle with a heavy heart?
7. What was the cause of Lear’s madness?
8. How did Cordelia prove her faithfulness to her father and
her sincere love for him?
9. What events do you think made Lear change?

UNIT 3
WHAT I WISH (OH, I WISH) I HAD SAID
(After Arthur Cavanauch)

Part I
If I were a painter, as Aunt Tillybird had hoped, I would
draw this portrait of her: the red hair, the soft eyes, the quiet
smile... I would draw her sitting on a chair like a bird ready
for flight. Her father gave her the name when she was a child.
She didn’t mind the name at all. She even used it herself. “Hallo,
Robbie,” she would say when I answered the telephone. “This is
Aunt Tillybird. How’s the world treating you?” She didn’t mind
the name but I wonder about it. .Birds are tender creatures. They
can be easily hurt. I, of all the family, have cause to think
about it.

37

Aunt Tillybird was my mother’s sister, her only relative. She
was a schoolteacher and lived unmarried. She came to our house
for Christmas dinner each year, full of presents for everyone.
For us, she was a strange figure with red hair, who had travelled
to Europe twelve times to see the art museums. If my mother
hadn’t got sick one winter, Aunt Tillybird, perhaps, would never
have become a part of our lives or, at any rate, a part of
my life.
I was eleven years old that winter. All week my mother had
been in bed with a cold. At night, I could hear her coughing and
my father’s steps as he got up to give her medicine. Then, one
night she was taken to Saint Mary’s Hospital and for a week the
words “pneumonia” and “crisis” were in the house. My sister
Margaret stayed at home from school to take care of us, as my
father was at the hospital all day.
After two weeks my mother was still in hospital and I saw
'low sad my father’s face was. He sat at night in the kitchen
with Vincent, my elder brother, and talked about it. I stood
outside the door and listened. “Talking to this specialist... ,By
Saturday — ” I heard my father say.
“Robbie, go to bed,” Margaret said, coming up to me. I went
to bed thinking of my mother, “Something must happen by
Saturday.”
On Saturday it rained. We got up early. My father left for
the hospital with Vincent. Soon the phone rang. It was Aunt Tilly­
bird. “That you, Robbie? Is there any news yet?”
By lunch time she had telephoned four times.
We sat around the sitting-room that day. Dan, my brother,
was listening to a football game on the radio. Margaret was
cleaning the house.
I took my water-colours. I decided to paint a picture of
landscape and send it to my mother. I would paint "her a lot of
pictures, I thought. She would put it on the walls of her hospital
room, to make it look beautiful.
Then I heard the doorbell ring.
“Aunt Tillybird!” I shouted, and ran to the front hall. There
was something I wanted to tell Aunt Tillybird. I opened the door
and there she was. In her hand she had a wet cakebox.
“Greetings, Robbie.”
I took her umbrella and raincoat.
“Thank you, Robbie. You’re getting tall... Your dad’s not
home yet, is he?”
“No, he isn’t, Aunt Tillybird,” I said, “you know the birthday
money you sent me? I bought water-colours with it. Water­
colours ...”
At that moment we heard the front door open and my father
entered the hall.
38

“Good of you to come, Tilly,” he said.
“Greetings, James.”
Then he walked heavily into the dining-room. I saw that Aunt
Tilly’s hands were shaking. But she got up and went into the
dining-room, too. She gave a nervous laugh.
“It’s bad, Til,” my father said. “It’s bad news, I’m afraid.”
Whatever he was going to say I didn’t want to hear it. I didn’t
want the terrible news. My father was sitting in the chair where
my mother always sat. I didn’t want him sitting there. It was her
chair. Now my father was sitting in the chair as if she weren’t
coming home any more. I didn’t want to hear what he was going to
tell us about her.
I stepped into the dining-room. “You know what I was telling
Aunt Tilly about?” I said to my father. “I was telling her about
the water-colours I bought with her birthday money. And you know
what, Dad? I’m going to paint a lot of pictures for Mom, so she
can put them on the walls of her hospital room. I’ve got two drawings
already.”
“What are you talking about?” he shouted. “Drawings?”, he
took them from me and threw them on the floor. “Your mother’s
coughing blood. And you stand there talking about pictures. She
has to go away, but you don’t care about — ” he suddenly stopped
and looked away from me, “I’m sorry, Robbie.”
“That’s all right,” I picked up my drawings and put them on
the table. “It was nothing important,” I said, and walked out of
the dining-room. I stood at the front door and looked put at the
rain and the street.
“For how long would it be?” I heard Margaret ask.
“A year. Or maybe two.”
I heard Aunt Tilly say, “The money will be managed. Somehow
it will.”
“Oh, Tilly, do you know what a year at that kind of place
costs?”
I opened the door and went out. I was thinking of my mother.
What a nice place the house was when my mother was in it! Tears
were on my face.
I heard a sound behind me. It was Aunt Tillybird. “Here he
is,” she said. “The artist viewing nature!” She held my drawings
in her hand. “Your mother will be all right, Robbie. We’ll get
her well again.” “Yes,” I said, but she saw I was very sad.
She looked down at my drawings. “Say now, Robbie,” she said
after a moment. “I was thinking about something. An artist needs
to know art. He needs to visit museums and study masters. Would
you like to go to the city next Saturday and tour the Metropoli­
tan? Oh, the Rembrandts there, the El Grecos? Will you be busy
next Saturday?”
“I — I don’t think so”, I said.
"Very good. We’ll go then.”

Discussion questions:
1. Do you think Aunt Tilly was very thoughtful of her sister’s
family? Which episodes from the story show she was tender­
hearted, attentive, loving and understanding?
2. Do you think the children in the family understood how serious
their mother’s illness was?
3. How can you explain why Father was so upset and nervous when
he came home after his visit to the sanatorium? Was it de­
spair that made him speak to his son so rudely, or was there
any other reason? Express your opinion.
4. Do you think Robbie proved to be selfish when he began to
speak only on the topics which interested him?
5. Why do you think Aunt Tilly suggested that Robbie should visit
museums more often and “tour” the Metropolitan?
WHAT I WISH (OH, I WISH) I HAD SAID
Part II
I spent every Saturday at the Metropolitan Museum. Here I
could forget that my mother had gone far away from me. I had not
seen her for more than two years since that rainy winter Saturday.
She was in Greenville Sanatorium in New York.
Saturday had become like a flower, a big beautiful flowfer.
Every Saturday, I would get up early, put on a white shirt and
my Sunday suit and take the trolley car to the tali building
where Aunt Tilly lived.
The room Aunt Tilly lived, in had surprised me. It was small
and dark with only one window. There was no furniture, only a
bed covered with a shawl. Reproductions were almost on every inch
of Aunt Tiilybird’s walls. .Books were everywhere. The room was
so small that you couldn’t move about it very easily.
“You really like our Saturdays, Robbie, don’t you?” she said.
I looked at her. Her eyes were clearly blue,, like the sky
on a bright sunny day. I thought of my mother and how far away
she was. “Our Saturdays,” I told Aunt Tilly, “are all I have.”
“One day, perhaps, you’ll be a famous painter,” she often
said to me.
“When I am,” I answered, “my best painting will be a portrait
of you, Aunt Tilly.”
“Really, Robbie? Oh!”
Sometimes on a Saturday, especially at Christmas time, Aunt
Tilly liked to go to a big store on Fifth Avenue. But she didn’t
buy anything. She only looked at things. Then she opened her
small purse, shut it, and laughed.
Now and again on a Saturday Aunt Tilly took me to the pier
to look at the ships there. Aunt Tilly had travelled to Europe
40

twelve times. Aunt Tilly knew all about ships. She told one story
.liter another. Often it was cold on the pier. ,But she liked to
watch a ship depart and she stood there long after the crowds of
people bad gone. We watched the ship until there was nothing more
to see.
“You didn’t go to Europe last year or the year before?” I
told her.
“No, I didn’t.”
“Are you making plans to go?” I asked her. “You’ll go next
summer, won’t you?”
“We’ll see, Robert,” she answered. “We’ll see.”
“You know what I wish, Aunt Tillybird?” I said.
“What, Robbie?”
“I wish there were only Saturdays when I can come to you in
the city.”
Aunt Tilly was silent for a moment. “I know what you mean,”
she said. “When I was young, I felt so deeply about art. I planned
to make it my career, you know. Oh, yes, I was going to be an
artist. I began to work at school so that I could save the money
to study in Paris. ,But then — ”
“What happened?” I asked.
“Oh, I simply became one of the onlookers.”
Soon my mother came back home from the sanatorium. I was
happy. The house now became the place where my mother was, the
place which she had left and had come back, the place where I
could hear her laughing.
My life with Aunt Tilly did not end when my mother came
home. Our Saturdays continued, but now they did not happen so
often.
I was growing up. I finished school, then graduated from
college. I was writing stories for the college magazine. I had
decided that I didn’t after all want to be a painter, I wanted
to be a writer, instead.
Saturdays found me busy with my own activities. There were
stories to write for the college paper. There were parties to go
to at night. There wasn’t the time, I decided, to spend a Satur­
day walking around New York with Aunt Tillybird.
Aunt Tillybird was glad when I told her of my wish to be­
come a writer. “A Balzac in the family,” she said on the phone
one night. “A Kipling among us.” Aunt Tilly had phoned to invite
me to a Cezanne exhibition. “I have to go to a journalist’s
conference that day,” I told her. “So I’ll be busy, you see. .But
thank you for asking me, Aunt Tilly.”
There was a silence on the phone, then the little laugh.
“We’ll go another time, then. Goodbye for now, Robbie.”
“Goodbye, Aiint Tillybird,” I said.
I was twenty-seven years old the last time I saw Aunt Tilly41

bird. I had become a writer. It was a spring day, I remember, and
an old friend from college had invited me to go with him to an
exhibition of drawings at the Metropolitan.
We took the elevator upstairs, and suddenly I saw Aunt
Tillybird.
I stopped for a moment trying to see if it was she. The
small figure looked even smaller, the hair was more white than
red. And then I was sure. Of course, it was Aunt Tillybird.
“Aunt Tillybird,” I called. The small figure turned slowly.
When she saw me, a smile appeared like sunlight across her face.
“Robbie,” she said, “well, Robbie. How’s the world treating you?”
How long had it been, I wondered, since I had seen her last?
Why hadn’t I phoned her? Aunt Tilly was now living on her pension.
She looked quite old.
As I stood talking to Aunt Tilly, I knew what I should do.
What I should do was invite Aunt Tilly to see the exhibition with
us, and then, I should take her to lunch. Instead, I said, “It’s
wonderful to have met you, Aunt Tilly. I would ask you to lunch
with us, but I’m in a hurry, I have to be in the centre in an hour.”
And she replied, “Oh, yes, Robbie, dear.”
Two months later Aunt Tilly died. She had died in her sleep
without making a sound, without telling anyone.
After the funeral I went with my mother to her room to sort
through Aunt Tilly’s things: the old books, the reproductions.
In her desk I found the water-colour drawings that I had made
when I was a child.
“Poor Aunt Tilly,” I said. “She often told me she was one
of the onlookers. How hard it must have been, always to look on,
never to do anything.”
“Never to do anything?” my mother said, angrier than I had
ever seen her. “Never to do anything? Where do you think the
money came from?” she asked. “How do you think I was able to stay
at Greenville? She gave me back to all of you. Isn’t that doing
something?”
This portrait of Aunt Tilly is made of words only. It can’t
be hung on a wall, perhaps it does not matter because she is not
here to see it. Yet it is for her I have painted it.
I have kept her books. I have kept, too, the bitter memory
of my last meeting with. her. How I wish — will always wish — that
I had said, instead of goodbye, what I had never told her, as I
tell her now a thousand times in my thoughts. How I wish I had
said, “Aunt Tillybird, I love you.”
Discussion questions:
1. How did Aunt Tilly become a part of Robbie’s life?
2. Why do you think Robbie compared Saturday with a big beautiful
flower? What did Saturday mean to him?
42

3. How did Aunt Tilly’s room reveal her character and her tastes?
4. How can you explain that Robbie told Aunt Tilly a lie when she'
invited him to an exhibition?
5. When Robbie met Aunt Tilly near his house, he knew what he
should do. What he should do was to invite Aunt Tilly to see
the exhibition and then he should take her to lunch. Why do
you think he did not do it?
6. Explain why Robbie’s mother was angry with him.
7. Do you think Robbie appreciated Aunt Tilly’s true sacrifice
and modesty? Did it ever occur to him how much she had done
for him and his family? Express your opinion.
8. The author said that he kept the bitter memory of his last
meeting with Aunt Tilly. Explain why.

UNIT 4
NOT LOST
In the United States, as in many parts of the world, farmers
or persons who live in the country are often viewed as less
sophisticated and more provincial than people who live in the
big cities. There are many humorous stories told in which the
simple country boy Wins in a battle of wits with his city cousin.
This anecdote is an example of this sort of humour.
A well-dressed Easterner from a big city with a new wagon
and a beautiful pair of horses was driving along the country
roads in the Midwest, speeding a little here and going slowly
a little there, studying the scenery and enjoying the ride. He
did not pay much attention to where he was going. Pretty soon he
realized that he was tost; but he continued to drive expecting
to find his way or to meet someone who could tell him how to get
back to the town.
It was a long lonely road. For many hours he kept on driving
hoping every hilltop would bring him in sight of some farmhouse.
When it was almost dark he saw in a cornfield in front of him a
tall country boy plowing the land. He stopped his tired team of
horses near the fence and called out, “Helio, boy.”
“Hello, yourself,” the boy replied, still plowing.
“Where does this road go?”
“I haven’t ever seen it go anywhere. It always stays right
where it is,” said the boy, without stopping his work.
“How far is it to the next town?” said the stranger speaking
a little louder as the boy and his plow moved slowly away.
“Don’t know; never measured it,” replied the boy.
By this time the city man was getting angry. “What do you
know? You’re the biggest fool I ever saw.”
The boy stopped the plow and turned and looked for a long
43

time at the city man. Then he said scornfully, “Maybe I don’t
know much. Perhaps I am a fool. But at least I’m not lost!”
Discussion questions:
1. Why do you think city dwellers and villagers do not always
treat each other in a friendly manner? Are there really
reasons for that?
2. Those . who live in big cities often think they have, some
privileges or special advantages over those who live in the
country. They try to look more important. Are they right?
3. Why do you think the boy in the story was so unfriendly?
The man had not done any harm to him. How can you account
for his behaviour?

UNDER THE HIGH TREES
It was six o’clock when .Ben Smith, dreadfully tired, arrived
home from the school where he was a teacher. He had had a lot of
work and trouble that day. He dreamed of a quiet evening at home.
June, his wife, met him at the door smiling radiantly. She asked
Ben to be quick with his supper and change after that. She said
she had got everything arranged and they would go to the theatre.
Only then Ben remembered it was the very night that had been
settled for their going out. So June was realizing her dream. He
envied his daughter, a sixteen-year-old girl, who said she would
stay indoors and watch television. But suddenly he was sorry for
June who got too little entertainment even at weekends.
It was already past seven when they started for the theatre.
The weather was unusually nasty. .Ben’s nose and feet were cold.
It was raining hard. The road was wet. When they got on the bus,
the seats were full. The bus conductor told ,Ben to get off as
only seven people could stand in the bus. Ben did so forgetting
that his wife had got the tickets.
It was pouring now. Luckily Ben got on the next bus soon
enough and found a seat. He shut his eyes. When he opened them
again, the bus was past the theatre. Ben walked back feeling un­
happy. Over the doors were the words, “Under the High Trees”.
The man at the door said he could not let him in without a
ticket. .Ben was about to leave when a girl behind the ticketoffice window said: “Are you Mr. Smith? Your wife left your
ticket with me.”
Ben squeezed to his seat in the dark, stepping on people’s
feet. He asked June what the play was about. She whispered she
could not understand much as one actor, an old man, spoke very
quietly, and the other, a young man, spoke very quickly.
As soon as the play was over, they ran out. There were n
buses and it was still raining. They waited and waited and thei
44

clothes got wetter. At last Ben lost his patience and shouted:
“Taxi!”
The passing taxi stopped. Ben pushed his wife in.
“Two pounds,” said the driver when they arrived.
“What?”
“After ten o’clock in the evening the fare is higher.”
Unwillingly ,Ben paid the driver. Besides all the trouble it
turned out to be too expensive for them.
“Did you watch television, Penny?” Ben asked his daughter.
“Yes,” she said. “You can’t imagine how brilliant the play
was.”
“What was the name of it?” asked Ben as he picked up his
cup of coffee.
“Under the High Trees” was the answer. Ben Smith put his
cup of coffee on the kitchen table and went slowly upstairs to
bed.
Discussion questions:
1. Why do you think Ben Smith was not enthusiastic about going
to the theatre that night?
2. Ben envied his daughter, didn’t he? Why?
3. What feelings do you think ,Ben experienced from the moment he
heard his wife’s invitation to go to the theatre till the
moment he came back home?
4. Did Ben and his wife experience the same emotions? Compare
them.
5. What thoughts do you think were in Ben’s mind when he was
walking in the rain (when he was looking at the stage; when
he was paying two pounds to the driver; when he heard his
daughter’s remark that she had seen “Under the High Trees” on
television)?
6. Why did Ben wish he had not gone to the theatre that night?
7. How could Ben have spent that evening?

WHILE THE AUTO WAITS
(After O. Henry)
Note: Briefly about the author.
O. Henry (1862—1910) was the pen-name of William Sydney Porter. He
wrote extremely popular stories dealing chiefly with the lives of ordinary people
in large cities. The stories are often marked by sentimentality and by a surprise
ending, which came to be known as the “O. Henry ending” and was widely
imitated by other short-story writers. Collections of his stories include “Cabbages
and Kings”, “The Four Million” and others. In his early career he was a newspaperman
find a bank clerk. He served a prison term in Ohio for stealing from the
hank, although it is said that the bank’s poor bookkeeping methods were responsible
lor the shortages of funds for which he was blamed.

45

The girl in grey came again to that quiet corner of that
quiet small park at the beginning of twilight. She sat down upon
a bench and began to read a book. Her dress was grey and very
simple. Her face was very beautiful. She had come there at the
same hour on the previous day, and on the day before that, and
there was a young man who knew it.
The young man came near. At that moment the book slipped
from her fingers and fell on the ground. The young man picked up
the book, returned it to the girl politely, saying a few. words
about the weather, and stood waiting.
The girl looked at his simple coat and his common face.
“You may sit down, if you like,” she said. “The light is too
bad for reading. I should like to talk.”
“Do you know,” he said, “that you are the finest girl I
have seen. I saw you yesterday.”
“Whoever you are,” said the girl in an icy tone, “you must
remember that I am a lady.”
“I beg your pardon,” said the young man. “It’s my fault,
you know — I mean, there are girls in parks, you know of course,
you don’t know, but...”
“Let’s change the subject. Of course, I know. Now tell me
about these passing people. Where are they going? Why do they
hurry so? Are they happy?” The young man could not understand
the role he was to play.
“I come here to sit because it is only here that I can be
near common people. I speak to you because I want to talk to a
natural man, unspoiled by money. Oh, you don’t know how tired I
am of it — money, money, money! And of the people who surround
me. I am tired of pleasure, of jewels, of travel.”
“1 always had an idea,” said the young man, “that money
must be a very good thing.”
“When you have so many millions! Drives, dinners, theatres,
balls, suppers! I’m tired of it!” said the young girl.
The young man looked at her with interest.
“I have always liked to read and to hear about the life of rich
people,” he said.
“Sometimes,” continued the young girl, “I think if I ever
loved a man I should love a simple man. What is your occupa­
tion?”
“I am a very simple man. .But I hope to rise in the world.
Did you really mean it that you could love a simple man?”
“I really did,” said the girl.
“May I hope to see you again?” asked the young man.
“I don’t know, perhaps. I must go quickly now. Oh, there is
a dinner and a concert tonight. Perhaps you noticed a white auto­
mobile at the corner of the park when you came?”
“Yes, I did,” said the young man.
46

“I always come in it. The driver waits for me there. Good
night!”
And she went away. The young man looked at the elegant
figure while she was going to the entrance of the park. Then he
rose and followed her. When she reached the park gate, she turned
her head to look at the car, then passed it, crossed the street
and entered the restaurant. A red-haired girl left the cashier’s
desk, and the girl in grey took her place.
The young man walked slowly down the street, then he stepped
into the white automobile and said to the driver: “Club, Henry.”
Discussion questions:
1. Why do you think both young people pretended being not what
they actually were?
2. What impressions of each other did they both have?
3. Why was the girl’s tone so icy at first?
I
4. The young man could not understand the role he was to play
at first. Why?
5. Do you think they both wanted to change their lives? What
changes did they wish? Give your ideas.
6. Did the girl mean to impress the young man when she began to
talk about her wealth, money, precious stones and all kinds
of entertainments she seemed to be tired of? Do you think the
girl looked amusing (funny, silly) in the eyes of the young
man?
7. Why do you think the young man looked at the girl with
interest?
8. What thought do you think was in the young man’s mind when
he watched the girl crossing the street and entering the
restaurant? Do you think he wished she had been a real lady?
9. What does the incident tell us about the two young people,
their ways of life, their ambitions and desires?
10. Do you think the ending of the story is a surprise to the
readers? Does the ending make the story more interesting?
11. Can you suggest a more romantic ending of the story? Why or
why not?

UNIT 5
THE STORY-TELLER
(After Hector Hugh Munro)

Note: Briefly about the author.
The English writer, Hector Hugh Munro (1870—1916) began his literary
career as a journalist and political satirist. During 1902—1908 he was a correspondent
in Russia and later in Paris of the newspaper “Morning Post”. His first collection
of short stories “Reginald” appeared in 1904 and was followed by others. The
best known are “The Chronicles of Clovis”. They are satires on the English upper
class, on the dullness of their life and on their snobbery.
47

Part I
It was a hot afternoon, and the railway carriage was sultry,
and the next stop was nearly an hour ahead. The occupants of the
carriage were a small girl, and a smaller girl, and a small boy.
An aunt belonging to the children occupied one corner seat, and
the further corner seat on the opposite side was occupied by a
bachelor who was a stranger to their party. Most of the aunt’s
remarks seemed to begin with “Don’t”, and nearly all of the
children’s remarks began with “Why?”. The bachelor said nothing
out loud.
“Don’t, Cyril, don’t,” exclaimed the aunt, as the small boy
began smacking the cushions of the seat, producing a cloud of
dust at each blow.
“Come and look out of the window,” she added.
The child moved reluctantly to the window. “Why are those sheep
being driven out of that field?” he asked.
“I expect they are being driven to another field where there
is more grass,” said the aunt weakly.
‘‘But there is lots of grass in that field,” protested the boy;
“there is nothing else but grass there. Aunt, there lots of grass in that
field.”
“Perhaps the grass in the other field is better,” suggested the
aunt.
“Why is it better?” came the quick question.
The frown on the bachelor’s face was deepening to a scowl.
He was a hard, unsympathetic man, the aunt decided in her mind.
She was utterly unable to come to any satisfactory decision about
the grass in the other field.
The smaller girl began reciting a poem. She only knew the
first line, but she repeated it over and over again in a dreamy
but resolute and very loud voice; it seemed to the bachelor as though
someone had had a bet with her that she could not repeat the line
aloud two thousand times without stopping.
“Come over here and listen to a story,” said the aunt, when
the bachelor had looked twice at her.
The children moved listlessly towards the aunt’s end of the
carriage. Evidently her reputation as a story-teller did not rank
high in their estimation
In a low, confidential voice, interrupted at frequent intervals by
loud questions from her listeners, she began an uninteresting story
about a little girl who was good, and as she was so good she made
friends with everyone and was finally saved from a mad bull by a
number of those who admired her moral character.
“Wouldn’t they have saved her if she hadn’t been good?”
asked the bigger of the small girls. It was exactly the question
that the bachelor had wanted to ask.
48

“Well, yes,” agreed the aunt, “but I don’t think they would
have run quite so fast to her help if they had not liked her so much.”
“It’s the stupidest story I’ve ever heard,” said the bigger of the
small girls.
“I didn’t listen after the first bit, it was so stupid,” said Cyril.
The smaller girl made no actual comment on the story, but
she had long ago started a murdered repetition of her favourite
line.
“You don’t seem to be a success as a story-teller,” said the
bachelor suddenly from his corner.
The aunt tried to defend herself at this unexpected attack.
“It’s a very difficult thing to tell stories that children can both
understand and appreciate,” she said.
“I don’t agree with you,” said the bachelor.
“Perhaps you would like to tell them a story,” was the aunt’s
sharp reply.
t
“Tell us a story,” demanded the bigger of the small girls.
“Once upon a time,” began the bachelor, “there was a little girl
called .Bertha, who was extraordinarily good.”
The children’s momentarily-aroused interest began at once to
flicker; all stories seemed dreadfully alike, no matter who toldthem.
“She did all that she was told, she was always truthful, she kept
her clothes clean, ate milk puddings as though they were jam tarts,
learned her lessons perfectly, and was polite in her manners.”
“Was she pretty?” asked the bigger of the small girls.
“Not as pretty as any of you,” said the bachelor, “but she was
horribly good.”
There was a wave of reaction in favour of the story; the word
horrible in connection with goodness was something new and they
liked it. It seemed to introduce a ring of truth that was absent
from the aunt’s tales of children’s life.
“She was so good,” continued the bachelor, “that she won several
medals for goodness, which she always wore, pinned on to her
dress. There was a medal for obedience, another medal for punctuali­
ty, and a third for good behaviour. They were large metal medals
and they clinked against one another as she walked. No other child
in the town where she lived had as many as three medals, so every­
body knew that she must be an extra good child.”
“Horribly good,” quoted Cyril.
Discussion questions:
1. What kind of stories did the children’s aunt tell them and what,
in your opinion, was her purpose?
2. Did these stories -arouse the children’s interest and curiosity?
How did the children listen to their aunt? Was she a success as a
story-teller?
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3. Why do you think one of the girls called her aunt’s story about
a good little girl the stupidest story she had ever heard?
4. One of the girl’s questions was: “Wouldn’t they have saved her
(the girl in the story) if she hadn’t been good?” Do you remember
the aunt’s answer? Do you think she could give another answer?
Give your reasons.
5: How can you explain that the children’s interest in the bachelor’s
story aroused at first, then it flickered, and then flared up again?

THE STORY-TELLER

Part II
“Everybody talked about her goodness, and the Prince of the
country heard about it, and he said that as she was so very good
she might be allowed once a week to walk in his park, which was
just outside the town. It was a beautiful park, and no children were
ever-allowed in it, so it was a great honour for .Bertha to be allowed
to go there.”
“Were there any sheep in the park?”demanded Cyril.
“No,” said the bachelor, “there were no. sheep.”
“Why weren’t there any sheep?” came the inevitable question
arising out of that answer.
The aunt permitted herself a smile, which might almost have
been described as a grin.
“There were no sheep in the park,” said the bachelor, “because
the Prince’s mother had once had a dream that her son would either
be killed by a sheep or else by a clock falling on him. For that reason
the Prince never kept a sheep in his park or a clock in his palace.”
The aunt admired the answer, but she did not show her feelings.
“Was the Prince killed by a sheep or by a clock?” asked Cyril.
“He is still alive, so we can’t tell whether the dream will come
true,” said the bachelor readily. “Anyway, there were no sheep in the
park, but there were lots of little pigs running all over the place.”
“What colour were they?”
‘‘Black with white faces, white with black spots, black all over,
grey with white patches, and some were white all over.”
The story-teller paused to let a full idea of the park’s treasures
sink into the children’s imaginations; then he went on:
“.Bertha was rather sorry to find that there were no flowers
in the park. She had promised her aunts, with tears in her eyes,
that she would not pick any of the kind Prince’s flowers, and she had
meant to keep her promise, so of course it made her feel silly to find
that there were no flowers to pick.”
“Why weren’t there any flowers?”
“Because the pigs had eaten them all,” said the bachelor without
any pause.
50

“The gardeners had told the . Prince that he couldn’t have
pigs and flowers, so he decided to have pigs and no flowers.”
There was a murmur of approval at the excellence of the Prince’s
decision; so many people would have decided the other way.
“There were lots of other delightful things in the park. There
were ponds with gold and blue and green fish in them, and trees with
beautiful parrots that said clever things at a moment’s notice, and
birds that hummed all the popular tunes of the day. .Bertha walked
up and down and enjoyed herself immensely, and thought to herself:
‘if I were not so extraordinarily good I should not have been allowed
to come into this beautiful park and enjoy all that there is to be seen
in it’ and her three medals clinked against one another as she walked
and helped to remind her how very good she really was. Just then
an enormotfis wolf came running into the park to see if it could catch
a fat little pig for its supper.”
“What colour was it?” asked the children. They got very inter­
ested at this point.
“Mud-colour all over, with a black tongue and pale grey eyes.
The first thing that it saw in the park was .Bertha; her dress was so
spotlessly white and clean that it could be seen from a great
distance. .Bertha saw the wolf and saw that it was stealing towards
her, and she began to wish that she had never been allowed
to come into the park. She ran as fast as could, and the wolf came
after her. She managed to reach thick bushes and she hid herself in
one of the thickest of the bushes. The wolf came sniffing among
the branches, its mouth and its pale grey eyes glaring with rage.
.Bertha was terribly frightened, and thought to herself: ’If I had not
been so extraordinarily good I should have been safe in the town at
this moment.’ The girl was trembling very much and as she trembled,
the medal for obedience clinked against the medals for good conduct
and punctuality. The wolf heard the sound of the medals clinking
and stopped to listen; they clinked again m a bush quite near him.
He dashed into the bush, and dragged Bertha out. Soon all that
was left of her were her shoes, bits of clothing, and the three medals
for goodness.”
“Were any of the little pigs killed?”
“No, they all escaped.”
“The story began badly,” said the smaller of the small girls,
“but it had a beautiful-ending.”
“It is the most beautiful story that I ever heard,” said the
bigger of the small girls.
“It is the only beautiful story I have ever heard,” said Cyril.
Quite the opposite opinion came from the aunt.
“A most improper story to tell to young children! You have
undermined the effect of years of careful teaching.”
“At any rate.” said the bachelor, collecting his belongings and
51

getting ready to leave the carriage, “I kept them quiet for ten
minutes, which was more than you were able to do.”
“Unhappy woman!” he observed to himself as he walked down
the platform; “for the next six months or so these children will ask
her to tell them an improper story!”
Discussion questions:
1. Why do you think the aunt admired their companion’s story
at first?
2. How did the man tell the story to let it sink into the children’s
imagination? Did he succeed in it?
3. Did Bertha, the girl in the story, enjoy herself at first as she was
so-extraordinarily good? How was.she awarded for her good­
ness? Why was she so unhappy a little later that she was so
extraordinarily good?
4. What beautiful things did the children find in the story told by
their carriage companion?
5. Why do you think the aunt was angry at the bachelor’s story?
6. Why did the bachelor observe to himself that the aunt was an
unhappy woman?

UNI T 6
MARK
(After Hector Hugh Munro)

Augustus Mellowkent was a novelist with a future; that is to say
that quite a lot of people read his books and it was probable that
if he continued to write novels year by year, more and more readers
would borrow his works from the libraries and buy them in the
bookshops.
On the advice of his publisher he had taken the name of Mark.
“Women like a name that suggests someone strong and silent,
unwilling to answer questions,” he said. “Augustus suggests only
splendour but a name such as Mark Mellowkent shows someone
strong and beautiful and good.”
One morning in December, Augustus sat in his room at work
on the third chapter of his eighth novel. He had described, for those
who could not imagine it, what a garden looks like in July. He was
now describing the feelings of a young girl when she discovers for
the first time that the postman is attractive.
The author was interrupted by his servant.
“A gentleman to see you, sir,” she said giving him a card with
the name Caiaphas Dwelf on it; “says it’s important.”
Mellowkent did not think that the visitor’s mission was really
important but he had never met anyone with the name Caiaphas
before. It would be a new experience.
52

Mr. Dwell was a man of indefinite age. He had a large book
under his arm and it seemed very probable that he had left a package
of similar books in the hall. He sat down before he was asked to,
put the book on the table and began to speak.
“You are the author of several well-known books — ”
“I am engaged on a book now,” said Mellowkent.
“Exactly,” said his visitor, “time with you is of great importance.
Minutes, even, have their value.”
“They have,” agreed Mellowkent looking at his watch.
“That,” said Caiaphas, “is why you must have this book I am
showing to you. Right Here is necessary for the writing man; it is no
ordinary encyclopaedia. It is a mine of information.”
“On my shelf,” said the author, “I have many books that give
me all the information I need.”
“Here,” said the visitor, “you have it all in one book. No matter
what subject you wish to look up, Right Here gives you all that
you want to know in the shortest and best form. Historical facts,
for example: career of John Huss, let us say. Here we are: Huss
John, religious reformer. .Born 1369, burned at Constance 1415.”
“Poultry-keeping now,” Caiaphas continued, “that’s a subject
that might be very useful if you write a novel about English country
life. Here we have all about it.”
“Sporting records, that’s important too; now, how many men,
sporting men even, are there who can say what horse won the
Derby in any particular year? Now it’s just a little thing of that
sort.”
“My dear sir,” interrupted Mellowkent, “there are at least
four men in my club who can tell me not only what horse won in any
year but what horse ought to have won and why he didn’t. If your
book could give a method for protecting one from information of
this sort it would-do more than anything you have told me yet.”
“Geography,” said Caiaphas quietly, “that’s a thing that a busy
man may easily make mistakes in. Only the other day a well-known
author made the Volga flow into the Black Sea instead of the
Caspian; now with this book — ”
“On the shelf, behind you there is a very good up-to-date atlas,”
said Mellowkent. “But now I must really ask you to go.”
“An atlas,” said Caiaphas, “shows only rivers and towns. Now
Right Here gives you the scenery, traffic, types of fish — ”
Mellowkent sat and watched the salesman. A spirit of compe­
tition took possession of the author. Why could he not live up to
the name he had taken? Why must he sit here weakly and listen
to this man? Why could he not be Mark Mellowkent for a few
moments?
“Have you read my last book The Cageless Linnet?” he asked.
“I don’t read novels,” said Caiaphas.
“Oh, but you ought to read this one, every one ought to,” cried
53

Mellowkent taking the book from a shelf, “published at six shillings,
you can have it at four and six. There is something in chapter five
that I feel sure you would like, where Emma is alone in the wood
waiting for Harold Huntington — that is the man her family want
her to marry. She really wants to marry him too, but she does not
discover that until chapter fifteen. Listen: ‘It was a day when all
Nature —
“In Right Here you have full information on Nature,” said
the salesman in a tired voice for the first time, “woods, insect
life, birds. As I was saying no man who has to describe — ”
“I wonder if you would like one of my earlier books. The Reluc­
tance of Lady Cullumpton,” said Mellowkent looking for it on the
bookshelf. “Some people think it is my best novel. Ah, here it is.
I see there are one or two spots on the cover, so I won’t ask more
than three-and-ninepence for it. Do let me read you how it opens:
‘Beatrice, Lady Cullumpton came into the long -dark room.
There was hope in her eyes. In her hand she carried a fan — ’
There, what do you think of this opening?”
“I don’t read novels,” said Caiaphas angrily.
“But just think how useful they are,” cried the author, “on long
winter evenings, or perhaps when you are ill in bed — a thing that
might happen to anyone. No one ought to travel without one or two
of my novels. Perhaps you like sensation better. I wonder if I’ve got
a copy of The Python’s Kiss.”
Caiaphas did not wait any longer. With a remark about having
no time for monkey talk, he took his book and went out. He did not
answer to Mellowkent’s “Good morning” but the author saw a
look of hatred in his cold grey eyes.
Discussion questions:
1. At what moment do you think Mark Mellowkent understood
that his visitor was a salesman?
2. Did the salesman succeed in getting the writer to buy the book?
How did he advertise the book? Do you think he tried his best?
3. Do you think the salesman had been prepared for that visit?
4. It was clear from the behaviour and the words of the writer
that he did not feel like buying the book. More than that it was
clear that he tried to get rid of his sudden visitor. Do you
think the salesman did not notice that? Why was he so quiet
ignoring the writer’s indifference to his advertising methods?
5. Why do you think Mark Mellowkent watched the salesman for
so long though he was not going to buy anything?
6. What feeling suddenly took possession of the writer?
7. How did Mark Mellowkent show a real talent for advertising
his own books? What was the result?
8. Why do you think there was a look of hatred in the salesman’s
eyes when he was leaving Mellowkent’s house?
54

PAINTING THE FENCE

My wife and I were coming back from our first trip to Europe.
There were some very pleasant people on board the ship and we
were happy to get acquainted with them, and spent our time away
playing our favourite game, trying to guess what the different
people were. Soon our attention was attracted by one man with
gray hair and with deep dark blue eyes. My wife was sure that he
was a member of the .British Parliament.
,But a day later it turned out that he was an artist, and his name
was Lautisse. The librarian of the ship told us that he was probably
the most famous painter in the world. She found a book with a photo­
graph of him and his biography. It said that Lautisse had suddenly
stopped painting, saying he had decided never to paint again,
and that he had not painted anything for the last ten years.
It so happened that we became quite friendly with 1 Lautisse
and he told us that he was disappointed in painting and in people,
that he lived a very lonely life, and planned to spend a month in
New York, where nobody knew him.
My wife invited Lautisse to come to our place in the country
for a weekend. Lautisse agreed on condition that we would not
talk to him about art.
In the morning when Lautisse was to come to see us I remembered
about a job that I had to do. There was a low white fence around
our garden, that I had built myself and that I was very proud of.
The fence needed new paint, and after breakfast I went out with a
bucket full of white paint. ,But before I could begin, Lautisse came
into the garden. When he learnt what I was going to do, he suddenly
got very much excited and asked to do the work himself. I am not
Tom Sawyer — 1 did not want anybody to paint the fence for me.
But Lautisse insisted and said impatiently, “I will paint the fence.”
His eyes were shining when he was painting the fence, and after he
had finished his work he said that he had not enjoyed himself so
much in years.
We did not hear anything from him or about him for ten days.
And then suddenly, his name was in all the newspapers. A corre­
spondent in France had found out about Lautisse’s secret trip to
New York, interviewed him and wrote in an article which appeared
in the newspapers about his visit to our place.
The day after the story appeared, a reporter and a photographer
from one of the newspapers arrived at our house. He wanted to
know everything about the great man’s visit, and of courae my
wife told him about the garden fence. He took pictures of tt„ and
of the paint bucket and the next morning there was a long itCW*y Ifl
the newspaper, headed: LAUTISSE PAINTS AGAIN,
That same day a crowd of reporters, newspaMrmt|L МШГВПНП
and businessmen arrived in cars, shouting, “Whert

the fence?” Then they stood before the fence» shaking their heads
and crying, “.Beautiful! Wonderful!” They offered big sums of money
for the fence because it had been painted by the great Lautisse.
Lautisse who had painted nothing.for years, and whose pictures
were worth a quarter of a million dollars. I was so surprised that
I could not say a word. They tried again to persuade me to sell the
fence. “This is only a fence,” they said, “but it is a real Lautisse.”
I do not know how I did not lose my mind the next few days. There
were telephone calls from Detroit, Chicago, San Francisco and
Montreal. Galleries and museums sent people to talk to me. On the
fourth day, Lautisse’s friend appeared. He told me not to sell the
fence yet, but to allow the Palmer Museum in New York to exhibit
it for a week or two. He told me an interesting thing — that one
reason for the great interest in the fence and all that excitement
was because Lautisse had never, in any of his paintings used white
paint.,
The museum sent several men, who pulled the fence out of the
ground — but oh! so carefully, so lovingly — and they took it to
New York. Hundreds of people hurried to the museum to see my
fence. I laughed when I saw it — my fence had a fence around it.
The exhibition ended on Saturday, and Lautisse’s friend tele­
phoned and asked me to meet him at the museum. “I’m afraid you’lk
be greatly surprised to see what we have done,” he said. I was really
surprised; the fence was cut into pieces, all like each other. There
was something written in black paint in the bottom corner of each
piece. I came nearer. The pieces were signed by Lautisse. Lautisse’s
friends said, “Now you’ve really got something to sell!”
It was true; In one month the pieces were sold: each piece cost
ten thousand dollars. I left one peace for myself. You can see it on
the wall of our best room.
Discussion questions:
1. Why do you think Lautisse attracted the author’s wife’s atten­
tion as they were making their voyage from Europe to America?
Was there anything peculiar about him?
2. Do you think that only curiosity was a reason why the author
and his wife were friendly to Lautisse and invited him to come to
their place?
3. Do you think the author of the story and his wife were surprised
to hear from Lautisse that he did not feel like speaking about
art? Give your reasons.
4. Why do you think Lautisse was so impatient when he insisted
on painting the fence?
5. Explain why there was so much excitement about the ordinary
fence.
6. Explain why the behaviour of the pressmen shocked the author
of the story.
56

7. Why do you think the author left one piece of the fence to himself?
Was he caught like lots of lovers of great sensations by the same
madness of coming in touch with a genius?

UNIT 7
AROUND TODAY’S WORLD WITH JULES VERNE
One day, more than a hundred years ago, a good-looking man
called on an officer of the French government When the caller
gave his name to a young man in the office, the young man’s face
lighted up.
“Monsieur Verne,” he said, “please be seated. You must be
tired — you travel so much.”
Jules Verne, the writer, should have been tired indeed. In his
books he had gone around the world many times — once in 80 days.
He had travelled 60,000 miles under the sea. He had visited the
moon and journeyed down to the centre of the earth. He had seen
the wonders of Africa and talked with the Indians of South America.
There was little of the world’s geography that Jules Verne, the
writer, had not visited.
,But Jules Verne, the man, was a stay-at-home. If he was tired,
it was from writing so much. Year after year, for 40 years, he sat in a
room of his home in Amiens, France, finishing a book every six
months.
Verne was the great visualizer of things to come. He had tele­
vision working before radio was even thought of. He had helicopters
half a century before the Wright brothers flew the first airplane.
There were few 20th-century wonders that he did not visualize —
from submarines to man’s journeys into outer space.
He wrote about the wonders of tomorrow in such careful and
complete detail that university professors studied his books and
spent weeks going over his figures. When his book about a journey
to the moon was published, 500 people wrote letters asking to go on
the next trip.
Men who later got their ideas from him gladly gave him credit.
When Admiral Richard ,Byrd returned from flying over the North
Pole, he said that Jules Verne had been his guide. Simon Lake,
father of the submarine, wrote: “Jules Verne was the commanding
general of my life.”
Auguste Piccard, Marconi and many others agreed that Jules
Verne was the man who started them thinking. France’s famous
Marshal Lyautey once said that modern science was simply a matter
of finding how to do the things that Verne had put down in words.
The writer lived to see many of his imagined wonders come true.
“What one man can imagine,” he said, “another man can do.”
Verne was born in 1828. When he was 18, he went to Paris to
57

study law because his father wanted him to become a lawyer. But
he was more interested in writing. Once he met Alexander Dumas,
the author of The Three Musketeers, and they made friends. His
friendship with Dumas made young Verne want more than ever to
write. He and Dumas wrote a play which had some success. Then
Jules, following in the footsteps of the older man, decided to make
geography as interesting to read about as Dumas had
made history.
From then on, Jules paid little attention to the study of law. His
father was so angry With him that he refused to send the young man
any more money. For the next few years Jules had a hard time
finding money to buy food and clothes.
His first book was Five Weeks in a Balloon. Fifteen publishers
refused to publish it. Jules was so angry that he threw it into the
fire. ,But his wife saved it and made him promise to try once more.
The 16th publisher took it.
Immediately Five Weeks in a Balloon became a best-seller.
In 1862, at the age of 34, its author was famous. He gave up his
work as a stockbroker and promised his publisher to write two
books every year.
His next book, A Voyage to the Centre of the Earth, started
his characters down into the earth in Iceland. After a thousand
experiences they came up in Italy. Here was everything science
knew or could guess about what went on down deep in the earth.
And here was geography made wonderfully interesting by Verne’s
power to tell a good story. Readers couldn’t get enough of it.
When a son was born to the Vernes, they moved from Paris to
Amiens. There was more than enough money now. Jules bought a
fine boat for his family and built a house with a writing-room that
looked like part of a ship. He spent the last 40 years of his life there
writing his books.
Perhaps the best known of all Verne’s books is Around the
World in 80 days. A little of the story was published each day in a
Paris newspaper. People everywhere were interested in the imagi­
nary experiences of the main character.
In 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Verne wrote of submarine,
the Nautilus. It was able to do what two British scientists finally
did 75 years later: make electricity from the sea. It could also do
what today’s best submarines are at last able to do: stay under
water as long as desired.
One of Verne’s books, The Diary of an American Journalist
in the Year 2890, tells of New York. Streets 100 yards wide and
walled in by buildings 1000 feet tall. The weather is controlled; man
can grow food at the North Pole. Shops tell of what they have to
sell by means of “writing thrown against the clouds.”
Verne’s chief character publishes a newspaper which has
80 million readers. The newspaper’s reporters send reports by
58

TV from Jupiter, Mars and Venus, and people sitting in their own
living-rooms can see what is happening. It is hard to believe that
Verne’s books were written more than a hundred years ago.
The last years of Jules Verne’s life were not happy. Some
of the great writers and thinkers of his day laughed at his books.
He became ill and nearly blind. His hearing started to go. His last
books were still full of visualizations. He now visualizes a time
when governments with life-and-death power over their people
would rule a helpless world.
Jules Verne died in 1905. The whole world, including those
who had laughed at him, now honoured him. Of all the thousands
of words written about him at the time of his death, Jules Verne
would have liked best these lines from a Paris newspaper: “The old
story-teller is dead. It is like the passing of Santa Claus.”

Discussion questions:
1. Why were Verne’s readers sure of his having travelled the
world many times? What made them believe that Verne’s books
were not the fruits of his imagination but his personal experiences?
2. Jules Verne was a stay-at-home who wrote his stories about
great travels and exciting adventures without leaving his room.
What do you think made it possible to write such thrilling books?
How can you characterize Jules Verne as a writer? What.quali­
ties in your opinion did he possess which enabled him to conquer
his readers’ hearts?
3. Some of Jules Verne’s imagined wonders came true. What in­
ventions did he for see?
4. What do you think Verne and Dumas had in common? What made
them friends?
5. Do you think that Verne’s fantasy and power of imagination
gave a push to the development of some scientific ideas?
NEWTON, SIR ISAAC — ENGLISH SCIENTIST
AND MATHEMATICIAN
The great English scientist Isaak Newton was born on January
4, 1643, in the year in which Galileo died. At school he was a strange
boy, interested in constructing mechanical devices of his own design,
curious about the world, but showing no signs of unusual brightness.
He seemed rather slow in his studies. Young Isaak shone more as one
who could make things with his hands than a scholar. His neighbours
watched him making various things and thought he would probably
become a well-known clock-maker. There was ground for thinking
thus because he had already made a clock of a kind which his neigh­
bours had never heard of before. It worked by water. Besides the
water-clock, Isaak also made a sundial. His grandmother was never
59

Ml ы loss to know the hour; for the water-clock could tell it in the
house, and the sundial outside.
If Isaak was left to himself, he was either making something or
studying some book. At night he looked up at the stars, and wondered
if they were worlds like our own, and how great their distance
from the earth was. There were a lot of questions in his mind but
nobody was able to answer them.
When he grew older, he took a considerable interest in
mathematics. His ability as a mathematician and a physicist was
the most important in his life. His brain was always busy observing
different phenomena of nature and searching out its secrets.
In 1661 Isaak Newton entered the University of Cambridge
where he studied mathematics. As a young man at Cambridge
Newton had read with great interest the writings of Galileo, he knew
the geometry of Descartes and he began studying the theory of
gravitation. In 1665 when the Great Plague raged in London Isaak
Newton, along with other students, was sent home from Cambridge
to remain out of danger. At his mother’s farm something great
happened. He watched an apple fall from a tree and began wondering
what force made the apple fall. (The story of the apple has often
been thought a myth, but according to Newton’s own words, it is
true.) Newton’s discovery had perhaps the most far-reaching
effect in the whole history of science; the law of gravitation. Newton’s
experiments with light and colour made him famous. At twenty­
seven he was appointed professor and began lectures on mathematics
and optics at Cambridge.
Newton’s theory was given to the world in his great work
Elements of Natural Philosophy. It is generally considered the
greatest scientific work ever written. With this book a new period
in the development of science began. Its publication was compared
to the sunrise. His laws will be used till humanity and its science and
technology exist. That is why Newton’s work is immortal, it outlived
his time and will always live.
Newton’s contribution to science is unique. He was respected
in his lifetime as no scientist before.
Possibly the greatest intellect that the world has produced,
Newton was otherwise a rather poor specimen of man. He was ridiculously absent-minded and perpetually preoccupied with matters
other than his immediate surroundings. He devoted all his time to
science. Working at difficult questions he forgot everything else,
On such days he kept to his room, and did not allow anyone to disturb
him. Sitting half dressed on his bed he remained there in thought
all day long eating only when food was brought to him and not
noticing what he was eating.
One morning he was working very hard, and did not leave
his room to go and have breakfast with his family. The house­
keeper, however, sent one of the maids into his study with an egg and
60

*l saucepan of water. The maid had been told to boil the egg and
Mliy while he ate it, but as he wished to be alone, Newton sent her
hwny, saying that he would cook it himself. The maid left it near
Ills watch on the table, and, telling him to let it boil for three minutes,
left the room. She returned soon after and found Newton standing
deep in thought, the egg in his hand, while his watch was boiling
in the saucepan.
Isaak Newton’s temper was so mild, nothing could disturb it,
as can be seen from the following incident. He had a little dog
which was called Diamond. One evening Newton went out of his
study leaving Diamond there and when he returned a few minutes
later, he saw that a lighted candle had been pushed over on its
side among some papers and that the nearly finished work of many
years was in flames. As Newton was already an old man, the loss
was irreparable, but he did not punish the dog, he only exclaimed,
“O Diamond, Diamond, you do not know the mischief that you
have done.”
Newton, among his many weaknesses, had the great virtue of
modesty. His fame was great, but he cared little for it. All that he
had learned and discovered only made him feel how much more
there was that he did not know. Two famous statements of his are
well known. He is reported to have said, “If I have seen further
than other men, it is because I stood on the shoulders of giants.”
He is also supposed to have said, “ Г do not know what I may appear
to the world, but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playingon the seashore, while the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered
before me.”
Isaak Newton died in 1727, at the age of 85. He was buried
in Westminster Abbey along with England’s heroes. It was the
first time that national honours of this kind had been accorded in
England to a man of science. The great French literary figure Voltai­
re, who was visiting England at that time, commented with admira­
tion that England honoured a mathematician as other nations
honoured a king. The Latin inscription on his tomb ends with the
sentence, “Mortals! Rejoice at so great an ornament to the human
race!”
Discussion questions:
1. Newton’s brain was always busy observing different phenomena
of nature and searching out its secrets. Do you think this quality
enabled Newton! to become a scientist?
2. Why were Newton’s publications compared to the sunrise?
3. What is Newton’s contribution to science?
4. What do you find attractive in the personality of Isaak Newton?

61

иNIТ 8
STEAMBOAT A-COMIN’
(After Mark Twain)

Note: Briefly about the author.

Samuel Clemens, one of the great writers in American literature, grew up
in the Mississippi Valley. All the children living along the river wanted to be
river-boatmen, but Clemens achieved his boyhood ambition. He became a skilled pilot
of a steamboat, one of the best on the river.
Samuel Clemens is better known as Mark Twain, a name he chose from the
call of the boatmen as they measured the depth of the river. The following story
is taken from his book on river life, Life on the Mississippi.

When I was a boy, there was but one permanent ambition among
my companions in our village. That was, to be a steamboatman. We
had passing ambitions of other sorts, but they were only temporary
and disappeared, one by one. Only the ambition to work on a steam­
boat remained.
I first wanted to be a cabin-boy, so that I could come out with
a white coat on and shake a tablecloth over the side, where all my
old companions could see me; later I thought I would rather be
the sailor who worked on the deck. But these were only daydreams —
they were too glorious to be considered as real possibilities. Soon
one of our boys went away. He was not heard of for a long time.
He returned as an apprentice engineer on a steamboat.
Boy after boy managed to get on the river. The lawyer’s son
became an engineer. The doctor’s and the postmaster’s sons became
deck hands; four sons of the chief businessman and two sons of the
local judge became pilots. .But some of us were left miserable and
disappointed. We could not get on the river — at least our parents
would not let us.
So a short time later I ran away to St. Louis. I said I would
never come home again till I was a pilot and could return a heroi
For a while I was unsuccessful. I went fearfully on a few of' the
boats that lay crowded together at the long St. Louis pier and quietly
asked for the pilots, but no one paid serious attention to my request.
After months of useless application, the hope within me died and
I found myself without an ambition. .But I was ashamed to go home.
I began to plan a new career. I bought a ticket on an old boat called
the Paul Jones, for New Orleans. For sixteen dollars I had her mai
cabin to myself, for she was not a ship to attract the eye of wiser
travellers. When we departed and went struggling down the wid
river, I became a new person, and the subject of my own respect
I was a traveller! A word never had tasted so good in my mout
before. I had the marvelous feeling of heading for mysteriou
distant lands which I have never felt so strongly since.
62

■

Soon I got to know one of the pilots, and he taught me how to
steer the boat and made the attraction of river life stronger than
ever for me. His name was .Bixby and he agreed to teach me the
Mississippi River. If I had really known what I was about to ask of
my talents, I should not have had the courage to begin. I supposed
that ail a pilot had to do was to keep his boat in the river, but it
was not so.
Now and then Mr. .Bixby called my attention to certain things.
He told me that the easy water was close to shore and the dangerous
currents outside, and therefore we must remain close to shore. Or
he said, “This is Six-mile Point.” I agreed. It was pleasant enough
information, but I could not see the importance of it. I was not
aware that it was a matter of any interest to me. Another time he
said, “This is Nine-fnile Point.” Later, he said, “This is Twelvemile Point.” They were all about level with the water’s edge; they all
looked alike to me; there was nothing to attract my attention. I hoped
Mr. .Bixby would change the subject. But no; he would crowd up
around the point. He gave me the wheel - once or twice, but I had no
luck. I was either too close or too far from shore and so dropped back
into dishonour and got shouted at again.
The watch was ended at last, and we had dinner and went to bed.
At midnight the night watchman came and said, “Come on, .get
out of bed.”
And then he left. I could not understand why it was so necessary;
so I soon gave up trying to, and went back to sleep.
About this time Mr. Bixby appeared on the scene. Something
like a minute later I was climbing the pilot-house steps with some
of my clothes in my arms. Mr. .Bixby was close behind, shouting.
Here was something new — this thing of getting up in the middle of
the night to go to work. It was a detail in piloting that had never
occurred to me at all. I knew that boats ran all night, but somehow
I h<ad never happened to think that somebody had to get up out of a
warm bed to run them. I began to fear that piloting was not quite
so wonderful as I had imagined; there was something very real and
worklike about this part of it.
It was a rather dark night, although a few stars were out. Mr.
Bixby was at the wheel.
Soon, Mr. .Bixby turned to me and said:
“What’s the name of the first point about New Orleans?”
I said I didn’t know.
“Don’t know?”
His manner astonished me. I was out of favour again, in a
moment, but I had to say just what I had said before.
“Well, you’re a clever one!” said Mr. .Bixby. “What’s the name
<»f the next point?”
Once more I didn’t know.
“You — you — don’t know?” copying my slow way of speaking.
"What do you know?”
63

“I — I — nothing, for certain.”
“I believe you! You’re the most ignorant fellow I ever saw or
ever heard of, so help me. The idea of you being a pilot — you!
Why, you don’t know enough to pilot a cow into a barn.”
Oh, but he was angry! He was a nervous man, and he moved from
one side of his wheel to the other as if the floor was hot. He would
talk a while to himself, and then start shouting at me again.
“Look here! Why do you suppose I told you the names of those
points?”
I fearfully considered a moment, and then said, “Well, to — to —
be entertaining, I thought.”
This time I had gone too far. He shouted and shouted until he
couldn’t talk any more. Then he said to me in the quietest voice:
“My boy, you must get a little notebook; and every time I tell
you a thing, put it down right away. There’s only one way to be a
pilot, and that is to learn this entire river by memory. You’ll have
to know it just like А, В, C...”
By the time we had gone seven or eight hundred miles up the
river; I had learned to be a fairly able upstream steersman, in
daylight; and before we reached St. Louis, I had made a little
progress in night work, but only a little. I had a notebook that
was filled with the names of towns, points, islands, turns, etc.; but
the information was to be found only in the notebook — none of it
was in my head. It made my heart ache to think that I had only got
half the river written down, for our watch was four hours off and
four hours on, day and night, and there was a four-hour period
missed in my book for every time Lhad slept since the trip began...
Discussion questions:
1. What do you -think attracted Mark Twain to the career of a
steamboatman? Why did it seem so magnificent to him?
2. In your opinion, what kind of man was Bixby? Why do you think
he chose a rather aggressive manner of behaviour with Mark
Twain?
3. Can you feel it in the story how Mark Twain writes about .Bixby?
With affection and respect? Or with irony and anger?
4. How did Bixby teach Mark Twain the river?
5. In what manner did Mark Twain write about his adventures
and misadventures?

OUT OF SILENCE AND DARKNESS
Helen Keller was one of America’s best known women. Admired
for her courage and achievements in spite of not being able to see or
hear, she was known throughout the world for her self-sacrificing
work to improve the condition of the blind, the deaf and the speech­
less. When she died on June 1, 1968, the newspaper Washington
64

Post wrote: “Her life was truly one of the most remarkable phenome­
na of our time and her death just short of the age of 88 leaves the
whole world poorer.”
Helen Keller was born on June 27, 1880, in Tuscumbia, Alabama.
For the first nineteen months of her life, she was a pretty, happy
baby, normal in every way. Then a sudden illness destroyed her sight
and hearing. .Because she could not hear sounds to imitate, she
could not speak.
Until she was seven Helen lived in what she. later described as a
“no world”. She was violent, stubborn, and given to sudden seizures
of uncontrollable rage. Within her there was .a bundle of hidden
powers that were desperate from not being used.
Helen used to say that her real birthday was the day when Anne
Sullivan entered her life.
So began a teacher-pupil relationship and a friendship broken
only when Anne Sullivan died, nearly fifty years later. Miss1 Keller
always treasured the day they first met as her “soul’s birthday.”
Difficult days followed. Helen, petted and spoiled by a sym­
pathetic family, already had become a quick-tempered, often un­
controllable child. Anne Sullivan realized that her greatest
problem would be to train the little girl in self-control and obedience
without breaking her spirit. A battle of wills developed — some­
times, in fact, there was an actual physical conflict between the
difficult child and the determined young teacher. This is not greatly
surprising, since, after all, nobody had ever tried to teach Helen
before — nobody had known how to communicate with her.
Anne Sullivan was not an ordinary teacher; she was a most
extraordinary young woman. She herself had been blind as a child.
After a series of operations, Anne’s eyesight was partially restored.
The young teacher’s greatest qualification, however, was her
sympathetic understanding of this child who had neither sight nor
hearing, coupled with a great determination to help her.
Miss Sullivan began by teaching Helen to spell certain words.
She would tap the letters into Helen’s hand, then place in her hand
the article that the word described. The first word Helen learned
was “doll”. Helen described this experience: “I was at once interested
in this finger play and tried to imitate it. In the days that followed
I learned to spell in this way a great many words... I understood
that everything has a name.”
From that day forward, Anne Sullivan remained with Miss
Keller until her death. She was simply “Teacher” to Helen — and
the child made remarkable progress. Within a few weeks Helen
knew the meaning of more than a hundred words and learned new
ones every day. Very quickly she mastered not only the alphabet,
but also various forms of printing. She was not satisfied, however:
she was determined to learn to talk. Eventually, with Anne Sullivan’s
patient help, she acquired a measure of speech, although many
5 Заказ 742

65

sounds were difficult for her to pronounce, and her voice lacked
colour and an ability to vary tone.
As Helen learned to communicate, an extraordinary intelli­
gence and a spirit of rare beauty began to unfold, qualities which
grew throughout her lifetime. To her the darkness and the silence
existed no longer. Determined to go to college, this amazing young
woman went first to the Cambridge School for Young Ladies, and
in 1900 to Radcliffe College in Cambridge, Massachusetts, from
which she was graduated four years later. It was Anne Sullivan
who made this miracle possible — sitting by Helen’s side in every
class, tapping the professors’ words into her hand — reading to
her by the hour, until her own eyes were red and inflamed.
While in college, Miss Keller wrote her first book, The Story
of My Life. From this book the world first began to learn about the
unconquerable spirit of Helen Keller. Later, she wrote scores of
magazine articles and 10 more books.
And in every way Helen Keller proved that the darkness and
the silence did not exist for her. She learned to swim, to sail, to
ride horseback. Concerts were a pleasure to her — she had a per­
ception of music through waves of sound, and could feel its vibrations
through solid objects. She loved the theatre, with Anne Sullivan
at her side to translate the words of the actors by tapping them
into her hand. On her special typewriter she answered the letters
which came to her from all parts of the world.
Miss Keller and Anne Sullivan traveled widely in their efforts
to raise money for the care and education of the blind. Anne was
her lifeline to the world, and Helen once said, “If she were gone away,
I should be blind and deaf in very truth.”
After World War II, Miss Keller spent most of her time visiting
hospitals, bringing comfort and hope to soldiers and to the women
and children of other countries who had lost their sight in bombings.
Everywhere they went, Helen spoke out about the need for increased
care of the blind, for education to help them to take their place
in the world. She felt joy and delight helping others.
Moving in darkness and silence, Helen Keller, with her
enthusiasm for life and learning, was able to feel that joy was
an important force in the world, the essence of life.

Discussion questions:
1. What do you think makes Helen Keller a most remarkable
woman?
2. What do you think she owed to Anne Sullivan? What role did
Anne Sullivan play in Helen Keller’s life?
3. Why did Helen Keller call the day she and Anne Sullivan met her
“soul’s birthday”?
4. What qualities do you think enabled Anne Sullivan to teach
66

Helen so successfully? What admirable human qualities do
you think Anne Sullivan possessed?
5. Helen Keller was able to overcome silence and darkness. What
do you think it demanded on her part?

U N1 T 9
VISITOR FROM SPACE
(After Pauline Dorgan Guppy)

Part I
As the spaceship came down, Asher Cassis watched the view­
screen, gripping the back of the captain’s chair with both hands-.
The tiny ball on the screen grew rapidly until Asher could recognize
the land and deep blue water through the misty clouds of Earth.
Captain Cassis had decided to make a brief landing for
repairs. He had chosen an isolated field near a small town that
could supply necessary electrical power.
The ship floated noiselessly over the sleepy village, eased
between the trees, and touched down into a meadow. The viewscreen
showed Asher a sight unlike any film of Earth he had ever seen.
“Earth is very beautiful,” he said.
“Yes, son,” the captain said, “and our job is to keep it
that way. We will be here only a few minutes, since the Earth
people get excited when they see us. You may step outside if
you wish.”
“Thank you, Father,” Asher whispered.
Moonlight silvered the side of the ship and the leaves of
the trees. Asher stepped down the ladder and heard the unfamil­
iar crunch of dead leaves under his feet. He saw the moon shine
like a spotlight on a beautiful oak tree. Asher took a deep
breath and closed his eyes. When he opened them he was surprised
to see a young man, about Asher’s own age, who stood beside the
tree. The youth held one hand against the tree, and his mouth
hung open. Asher sensed his fear and thought hard, saying
silently over and over: “Do not be afraid. Do not be afraid.”
The young man closed his mouth and let his hand drop to his
side. His eyes were wide and dark brown, like Asher’s own.
Asher smiled at him, put out his hand, and thought, “Come here.”
The youth took a step forward.
“Do not be afraid,” Asher said aloud this time, slowly, in
the language he had learned from other visitors to Earth.
Suddenly Captain Cassis appeared in the doorway of the
spaceship.
“What are you doing here?” the captain shouted. The youth
trembled.
67

“I — I camped here last night,” he stammered.
“Let me talk to him, Fattier.” Asher smiled at the youth.
“1 am Asher Cassis from the planet Tergidor,” he said. “This is
my father, the captain of the ship.”
The youth licked his lips nervously. “I’m Brad Lewis,” he
said. “I live on the other side of the meadow.”
Asher felt that he and this boy could be friends. “Father,
may we take him for a ride?” Asher asked quickly. “He can help
in our fight to save the Earth.”
Asher watched his father rub a hand along his chin. He knew
the safest course would be to have Dr. Maxim destroy the young
man’s memory of their visit. But all his life he had dreamed
of having an Earth friend, and now sent a silent plea to his
father who wa's standing beside him.
“All right, Asher,” Captain Cassis said at last. “We will
take him for one orbit.”
“Do not be afraid,” Asher told Brad. “You will not be gone
long.”
Asher showed ,Brad around the ship.
“You look bewildered,” Asher said with a smile.
“I still can’t believe it,” Brad chuckled. “Wait until I tell
the boys at school what happened to me over the weekend!
I can send the story to the newspapers, too.”
Asher felt uneasy, but he could not believe he had been mistaken
about this youth who was so like himself. He took .Brad to the
room where records were kept of the location of every person
of their planet who lived on Earth. ‘
“You mean some of your people live on Earth?” Brad asked.
“Yes,” Asher told him. “They are trying to eliminate pol­
lution, but earthmen do not believe the problem is serious.”
“Sure, the problem is serious,” .Brad said". “Still, some people
exaggerate. Governments are studying pollution. Everything will
work out all right.” ,Brad looked around the room. “Show me
some more of the gimmicks you have around here,” he said.
Asher hid his disappointment. He was convinced he could
change .Brad’s mind about pollution. As they left the room, they
heard Captain Cassis’ voice coming over the loudspeaker.
“Asher, I want you in the command area at once.”
“Wh-what’s going on?” Brad looked worried again.
“Come!” Asher shouted. They ran back to the command area.
“What is it, Father?” Asher asked.
“We have got a distress call from the planet Zarat. They
are suffering catastrophic storms and earthquakes. We must .evac­
uate the survivors. Your friend must leave the ship immediately.”
Asher made a quick decision.
“No, Father!” He gripped his father’s arm hard. “Take Brad
with us. He must see for himself what can happen.”
68

Captain Cassis looked deep into his son’s eyes.
“All right, Asher,” he said. “The earthman will come with
us.”
“Hey, wait a minute — ” Brad interrupted.
“Do not be afraid,” Asher reassured him. “Soon you will
understand.”
Asher and ,Brad watched as the stars appear on the view­
screen, and soon they were in sight of the distressed planet.
Puffs of smoke and steam rose from the surface. Storm clouds
were visible over most of the seas. Suddenly, to the horror of
the space travelers, the entire planet burst into flames.
“We have come too late!” Captain Cassis exclaimed.
Asher saw something in the left corner of the viewscreen.
“Father, look!” Asher pointed to a tiny dot that moved in
a zigzag course. As the dot limped closer, they saw that it was
a shuttle-craft. Captain went into action.
“Didas, Rukan!” He shouted. “Get out there and get a line
on that ship!”
Within seconds, Asher and Brad saw the two rescue astro­
nauts speed toward the craft with a rescue cord. Asher and Brad
followed Captain Cassis to the landing pad.
When they arrived, Didas and Rukan had already taken the
craft through the huge doors and onto the pad. Then they saw a
middle-aged man. His clothes were torn, and water dripped from
his hair. His hollow eyes were circled with shadows. His hand
shook as he reached down to help a woman and a small child out
of the ship. In all, twenty survivors came out of the shuttle­
craft. The population of Zarat had numbered four billion.
In the general meeting room, the survivors told the story
of the death of their planet. Violent storms raged constantly.
Earthquakes were daily occurrences, causing fires and floods.
Because pollution had upset the natural balance of the planet,
scientists were powerless. As Asher listened, one thought ran
through his mind — now ,Brad would realize the importance of the
Tergidorians’ mission to Earth.
Discussion questions:
1. What human beings lived on the planet of Tergidor? How do
you imagine the level of their civilization?
2. What was their purpose of observing the Earth and coming
down onto it from time to time? Was the Earth their constant
concern? Why?
3. Why do you think the Earth youth was so nervous when he saw
the strange spacecraft and strange human beings? What feelings
do you think he experienced when he got inside the space­
craft?
69

4. Do you think Asher made up his mind to take the youth on
board their spacecraft purposefully? What was his aim?
5. Why do you think Asher’s father agreed to take the youth for
a ride though he seemed to be against it at first?
6. What disappointed Asher in his new Earth friend?
7. How can you see it in the story that the aims of the astro­
nauts were noble and their actions were another proof of
their nobility?
8. The population of the planet of Zarat numbered four billion.
The survivors were only twenty. How are these figures im­
pressive? Why?
VISITOR FROM SPACE

Part II
“Zarat was similar to Earth,” Asher told Brad later. “The
same thing could happen to your planet if the people do not
nake considerable changes in their way of life.”
To Asher’s surprise, ,Brad smiled. “You’re wrong, Asher,”
he said. “That could never happen on Earth. The government
would never allow pollution to get that bad.”
“Are you sure the government is doing enough?” Asher asked.
“Oh, come on, Asher. Don’t' be so serious. I can worry
about that when I’m older.”
“You may never get older.” Asher looked into Brad’s eyes.
But ,Brad giggled. “Don’t be crazy,” he said. “Let’s get going.
I want to get back so I can tell everybody about this crazy
ship. Man, I’ll be in the newspapers all over the world!”
Asher felt * a burning behind his eyes and swallowed the
lump in his throat. What he had hoped would be a lasting friendship with an earthman would end soon. Dr. Maxim would destroy
the youth’s memory, they would take him back to Earth, and that
would be the end of Asher’s association with him.
“What’s this place?” Brad stopped in front of large double
doors.
“This is the viewing room,” Asher told him. “We have a
collection of films here.”
“You mean movies?”
“Yes,” Asher said. “When you push a button, the film is
shown on the screen,” Asher explained.
“Fantastic!” Brad exclaimed. “Let’s try it.”
“All right,” Asher said without enthusiasm.
Brad studied the titles above each button.
“What’s this one?” he asked.
“This film shows a section of our planet that is exactly
like Earth,” Asher told him. “The area is called ‘Mimik-Earth’.
70

It is enclosed in a plastic dome, so the atmosphere remains the
same like in the best places on Earth.”
“Sounds great. Let’s look at that one.”
Asher pushed the button and sat down beside Brad, and
immediately a group of young people appeared on the screen,
driving small sports cars.
“Those little cars are neat. Where did they get them?” Brad
asked.
“They are available to all residents of Mimik-Earth,” Asher
replied.
Suddenly Asher was aware of a man beside him.
“Excuse me, Asher,” the man whispered. “Your father wants
you in the main meeting room.”
Since Brad was watching the screen with total concentration,
Asher rose and followed the man.
The doors of the main meeting room opened, and Asher saw
three men who sat with Captain Cassis at the round table. They
must have come by shuttle-craft from the home planet.
“Greetings, sirs,” Asher said.
The elderly man in the center smiled warmly as Asher came
forward. “You have brought a young earthling onto the ship, I
understand,” he said.
“Yes,” Asher said in a low voice, “but I made a mistake. He
takes nothing seriously.”
Captain Cassis spoke. “These gentlemen feel that this situa­
tion might be an excellent opportunity to put another person on
Earth.”
“But, Father,” Asher said, “Brad will not co-operate. He
would tell everything that has happened here.”
A solemn-looking man at the table leaned forward. “We do
not mean the earthling, Asher,” he said. “We mean you.”
Asher’s heart bounded into his throat. “Me?” he said. “You
mean I should take the earthling’s place?”
“The young man is a great deal like you in appearance,”
the elderly gentleman said.
The third chief looked at Asher attentively. “Yes, that is
true,” he said. “A few changes — the hair, the voice, some sessions
with Dr. Maxim for memory transfer — the illusion could be
perfect.”
“This is a great responsibility,” Captain Cassis said, “but
we would be in touch with you constantly.”
“What about ,Brad?” Asher asked. “What would become of
him?”
“Brad will go to Mimik-Earth with the other earthmen we
have placed,” Captain Cassis said.
“The boy will be perfectly happy,” the chief said. “His memories
of Earth will disappear.”
71

“Besides, Asher,” the elderly gentleman said, “unless we take
some serious measures with Earth’s situation, there will be
future for this young man and millions like him.”
Asher ran his tongue over his dry lips. “I know that is
true, but to change his life so greatly seems unfair.”
“I know how you feel, boy,” Captain Cassis said. “Think
over what we have said and let iis know what you decide.”
When Asher re-entered, the viewing room, Brad was watching
the young people swimming in the clear water among tropical
plants and brightly coloured fish.
“Do you like the Mimik-Earth, .Brad?” Asher asked as he sat
down again.
“Do I! I’d like to give anything to live there,” Brad sighed.
“Aren’t you interested in helping the people of Earth gain
that sort of life?”
“That would take years! Besides, what could I do?”
After a long pause, Asher asked, “Would you like to live
in Mimik-Earth, Brad?”
“Well, sure? Who wouldn’t?”
“We could arrange for you to go there,” Asher said quietly.
Brad smiled happily. “You mean it? Oh, wow! Could you
really do that?”
“I will talk to my father.” Asher rose and left the гоот
Later, a silver space suit lay in a corner of the entry area
A young man pulled a red sweater over his head, put on the blue
jeans and tied his gym shoes: He stood tall and stared at
himself in the mirror. His eyes were sad. Anyone from the little
town of Lakeville would have thought Brad Lewis looked more
serious than usual.
Discussion questions:
1. Why do you think it was difficult for Asher to find a common
language with the earthman when he began to talk to him
about the future of his planet?
2. Why do you think Asher said to the youth: “You may never
get older”?
3. Asher realized that his friendship with the earthman would
end soon. Did he think about it quietly?
4. How would you explain Asher’s words that he made a mistake
in bringing a young earthling onto the ship?
5. How did Asher take the decision of the Council to put him
on Earth? Why do you think the Council suggested that Asher
should take the earthling’s place? Was it a fair decision?
Was it really necessary to take such measures?
6. How do you think Asher and the earthman differed?
7. In your opinion, what is the central idea of the story?

ЗАДАНИЯ ДЛЯ ТЕКУЩЕГО КОНТРОЛЯ

UNIT I
“LET THERE BE PEACE ON EARTH AND LET IT
BEGIN WITH ME”

I. Контроль монологических высказываний учащихся.
1. Speak about the value of education and different ways to
satisfy your thirst for knowledge.
2. Explain why the road to learning is not easy. What do you
think can help you to be successful in your studies? How can
you acquire a good knowledge of different subjects?
3. Say what efforts are made by different people all over the
world to save our planet from the nuclear catastrophe.
4. Say how you imagine the future of our planet.
5. Comment on the following words: “Only one person can save
the world, and you are that person!”
II. Контроль диалогических высказываний учащихся.
1. You want to know the best way of studying for an exam and
decide to ask your teacher. What questions would you ask?
What would your teacher advise?
Act out a conversation.
2. Supposing you are. talking to a member of the delegation
from an English-speaking country. What questions do you
think he would ask you .to find out what peace activities
young people in this country participate in, and what peace
means to you? What would you say?
Act out a conversation.
III. Контроль усвоения грамматического материала (повторение).
I.

Grammar test (complex object)
a) Complete these sentences using complex object:

We heard the orator (to speak; to mention)...
I hear the announcer (to give much comment; to inform)...
I felt his voice (to tremble; to become cold)...
We watched the athletes (to throw the discus; to race)...
When I saw them (to discuss; to hurry down), 1...
73

b) Paraphrase using complex object:

He mentioned some amusing custom. I heard what he said.
His hands were trembling. We saw that he was nervous.
I dropped a letter into the letter-box. A friend of mine
passed by and saw me.
She had a wonderful smile. It was a real pleasure to look
at her when she was smiling.
c) Translate using complex object:

Мы видели, что множество людей идут к воротам стадиона.
Мэри Cочувствовала, что кто-то коснулся ее руки.
Я слышал, что ребята обсуждают новый филEм.
Мы слышали, как он уCомянул эту удивителEную историю.
Я заметил, что она Cодняла что-то с Cола.
Я Cочувствовал, как дрожит его рука. Он был чем-то наCуган.
Я люблю наблюдатE, как движутся облака.
Вы когда-нибудE видели, как тренируются фигуристы?
Я не заметил, чтобы кто-то рвал в саду цветы.
Мы услышали, что кто-то Cостучал в дверE.
Я видел, как он Cереходил на другую сторону улицы.
Моряки наблюдали, как лодка Cриближается к их кораблю.
МалEчик Cочувствовал, как слезы заCолняют глаза.
Ты слышал, как она Cела?
Я слышал, что он что-то сказал Cо-английски.
Я не заметила, как она вышла из комнаты.
Мы видели, что туристы остановилисE около здания музея.
Мы слышали, как шумит ветер, и, казалосE, чувствовали, что
холод забирается в дом.
2. Grammar test (the infinitive)
a) Use the infinitive in the required form: active or passive, indefinite, continuous
or perfect:

Speak louder if you want...(to hear).
I am glad... (to take) your advice.
He is said...(to write) a new play every year.
I expect the telegram... (to bring) in time.
Is she happy... (to pass) her exams?
I am lucky... (to see) so much of this grand city.
Take your umbrella. It seems...(to rain).
It is terrible of you... (to make) such a mistake.
She seemed...(to translate) three or four articles already,
How lucky he is...(to travel) all over the world and... (to
see) so much.
He hated... (to bother) with unimportant matters when he
was busy.
j
The idea was too complicated...(to express) in just several
words.

74

The girl pretended...(not to listen).
It is very clever of him...(to discuss) the matter with all
his fellow students.
b) Translate these sentences:

Я хочу, чтобы вы CодCисалисE на этот журнал. Я считаю
его оченE информативным и интересным.
Мы не ожидали, что Cогода будет такая дождливая.
Мы считаем, что такие обмены делегациями оченE Cолезны.
Родители ожидали, что их сын закончит школу усCешно.
Мы не ожидали, что новая телевизионная Cрограмма будет
встречена так теCло.
Вы хотите, чтобы ваши друзEя Cришли на вечер?
Мы не хотели, чтобы они отCравилисE в Cоход без нас.
Я хочу, чтобы вы меня CравилEно Cоняли.
;
Я СМИТЫю, что богатое воображение необходимо каждому
МдЛТОЛЮ.
Мм в® ожидмли, что Cредставление будет таким скучным.
Я хочу, чтобы мы м*е Cоняли важностE этого события.
Все считали его Cрекрасным врачом.
Я хочу, чтобы ответ наCисали немедленно.
3, Grammar tcM (the gerun})

a) Join these sentences. Use the gerund (active or passive):

I have shown her the letter. I am sure.
He had been interrupted several times. After that he could
not speak.
I saw them at the theatre. I remember that well.
The boy devoted much time to sports. He ran every day,
he went swimming rather frequently, and he was fond of
tennis.
She spoke with a friend in a very rude voice. She later
felt ashamed of herself for that.
The child left the room. Nobody noticed that.
She entered the room and did not greet anybody. We were
surprised.
b) Complete these sentences using the gerund forms:

The girl seemed sorry for... .
Why didn’t you mention... ?
I was sure of... .
Our team was proud... .
He suddenly stopped talking about that without... .
We changed our opinion about him after... .
We stayed at home instead of... .
75

c) Translate these sentences:

Он ничего не имел Cротив того, чтобы Cойти на выставку в
субботу.
Я уверена, что видела этого актера в какой-то другой роли.
Извините, что я наCисал это CисEмо так небрежно.
Моя мечта — CостуCитE в университет.
Он был уверен, что ответил на экзамене CравилEно.
НаблюдатE за животными в зооCарке — огромное удоволEствие для детей.
Мне стыдно, что я так вел себя среди своих одноклассников.
Мы Cровели несколEко дней за городом, Cрежде чем CоехатE в
Лондон.
Я Cомню, что Cоложил книгу на Cолку.
Я не возражаю, если мы совершим экскурсию Cо городу.
Что могло CомешатE вам CриехатE вовремя?
Мне жалE, что я не восCолEзовался возможностEю CоговоритE
с нашими гостями Cо-английски.
Какой смысл наCоминатE ему об этом?
Это оченE важный факт, и стоит уCомянутE его в вашем
докладе.
Мы не могли не восхищатEся красотой Cрироды.

!
ч

’

UNIT 2
“THERE IS NO FRIGATE LIKE A BOOK”

I. Контроль монологических высказываний учащихся.
1. Describe what kind of reader you* are. Speak about the kinds of
books you consider most attractive. Explain your preferences.
2. Speak on the topic: ‘‘Books Are the Greatest of the World’s
Wonders”.
3. Express your opinion about the course of Literature you study
at school. Are you satisfied or not satisfied with it?
What changes in the programme would you suggest? Give your
reasons.
4. Speak about the influence of literature on young people.
II. Контроль диалогических высказываний учащихся.
1. Suppose a classmate of yours has been greatly impressed by
the book he has just read. What would you say to find out
what aroused his admiration? What other questions for further
details would you ask him?
Act out a conversation.
2. Suppose a friend of yours asks you to recommend a good book
to read. What would you suggest? Find out your friend’s preferences, then try and persuade him that the book you recommend
is worth reading.
Act out a conversation.
76

|

i

3. Supposing a friend of yours does not like non-fiction. He
thinks it is boring to read. There are only very few books
of this kind which arouse feeling of curiosity. But in your
opinion, non-fiction is as attractive as any other kind of lit­
erature. Try and persuade your friend that non-fiction can
excite his interest.
Act out a conversation.
UNIT 3
REALITY, DREAMS AND FANTASIES

Контроль усвоения грамматического материала.
Grammar test
Translate these sentences:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

9.
10.

11.
12.
13.

14.
15.

ЖалE, что я не могу CрочитатE эту книгу в оригинале.
ЖалE, что мы не знаем всех обстоятелEств дела.
ЖалE, что вы сомневаетесE в моих словах.
Если бы вам задали этот воCрос, как бы вы на него ответили?
Если бы станция не была так далеко, мы бы донесли все вещи
сами.
Если бы вы толEко знали, как мне необходимо CоговоритE
с вами.
ЖалE, что мы так редко встречаемся.
Мне бы хотелосE, чтобы вы еще раз обдумали мое Cредложе­
ние, Cрежде чем отвергатE его.
Было бы ошибочно думатE, что языком можно овладетE, не
работая систематически.
Если бы я был художником, я бы обязателEно нарисовал
Cортрет этого человека: у него оченE выразителEное лицо.
Я бы Cринял это Cредложение, будE я на вашем месте.
Даже если бы она измениласE внешне, я бы всегда узнал ее Cо
голосу.
С чего бы вы начали, если бы вам CришлосE организоватE
драм атически й кружок?
Вы бы не чувствовали холода, если бы были одеты теCлее.
ЖалE, что его CисEма Cриходят так редко. Я всегда с удоволE­
ствием их читаю.
UNIТ 4
“A STRANGE AND EXCLUSIVE WORLD IS ’CITY”'

I. Контроль монологических высказываний учащихся.
1. Speak about advantages and disadvantages of a big city and
a small town. Give your reasons.
2. Speak about various facilities for leisure, sports, education,
sightseeing your city provides its people and visitors.
77

3. Describe one of your own experiences of visiting another city
(town). What were your impressions?
II. Контроль диалогических высказываний учащихся.
1. Suppose you receive a delegation from another country. .Be­
fore suggesting a programme for a sightseeing tour about
your city ask the members of the delegation about what they
would like to see; what, places they are particularly interested
in. Then suggest your programme. Try and persuade the group
that your programme will be interesting to them all.
Act out a conversation.
2. Suppose you persuade a classmate of yours to go to the exhibi­
tion (the art gallery, the science or industry exhibit) which
you have already visited and think particularly interesting.
Your classmate shows interest in your story. What questions
do you think your classmate would ask you about the things
which are on display?
Act out a conversation.
3. Your friend is trying to persuade you to go to a museum
(exhibition) with the rest of the class on Saturday. Say you
are not keen and make a counter suggestion.
Act out a conversation.

UNIT 5
REALITY, DREAMS AND FANTASIES

Контроль усвоения грамматического материала.
Grammar test
Translate these sentences:

1. Если бы он не был неутомимым тружеником, он не достиг бы
таких резулEтатов в своей работе.
2. ЖалE, что художник Cрожил такую короткую жизнE. Если бы
он не был так серEезно болен, он смог бы создатE еще много
великолеCных Cроизведений.
3. Если бы вы Cобывали в Карелии, вы бы не толEко насладилисE
красотой Cрироды, но и CознакомилисE бы с древней русской
архитектурой. ЖалE, что у вас отCуск толEко в октябре. Летом
было бы Cриятнее совершитE такое Cутешествие.
4. ЖалE, что вы не ознакомилисE с этим текстом Cеред тем, как
CереводитE его.
5. ЖалE, что вы не хотите изменитE своих Cривычек. Если бы вы
Cроводили болEше времени на свежем воздухе, вы бы чувство­
вали себя значителEно лучше.
6. Он был не совсем здоров, иначе он Cробежал бы дистанцию
значителEно лучше.
78

7. Даже если бы вы ему ничего не сказали, он бы все равно
догадался, в чем дело.

UNIT б
"MASS MEDIA ARE A REFLECTION OF SOCIETY"

1. Контроль монологических высказываний учащихся.
1. Describe what kind of TV-viewer you are. Do you feel the
attraction of television? Or do you sometimes feel it is a
waste of time to watch television? Express your opinion about
today’s television programmes.
2. Speak about newspapers (or magazines) your family and
you like to read. Explain your preferences. Say what kind
of information these newspapers (magazines) offer their
readers.
1
3. Say how all the mass media (newspapers, magazines, radio,
TV and graphic arts) reflect the life of society and what
important problems they raise.
И. Контроль диалогических высказываний учащихся.
1. Discuss one of the latest TV programmes with a classmate.
Express different opinions about it. Make sure you can give
good reasons for what you say.
Act out a conversation.
2. Suppose your friend and you are discussing which newspaper
or magazine to subscribe to. It is not a simple matter to
make a choice. Suggest your ideas and give reasons for and
against your and your friend’s suggestions.
Act out a conversation.
UNIT 7
TO MAKERS OF THE MODERN WORLD

1. Контроль монологических высказываний учащихся.
1. Comment on the following words: “Modern civilization is
everything that has been achieved thanks to science.”
2. Say why we pay tribute to great scientists of the world.
3. Say what outstanding scientists you know, in what field they
work (worked) and what they are famous for.
4. Try to explain why much attention is paid to the development
of science in our country nowadays.
5. What qualities, in your opinion, are needed to succeed in
scientific work? Give your reasons.
79

II. Контроль диалогических высказываний учащихся.
Imagine you are greatly interested in chemistry (physics
biology, medicine, space exploration, or any other branch o
science). What questions would you ask a person who is
engaged in important research in this branch of science to
find out how and where he carries out his experiments and
whether he succeeds in them? You would also like to know
what kind of education you should get to be able to work
in this field of science.
Act out a conversation.
UNIT 8
“IF YOU DO NOT THINK ABOUT THE FUTURE,
YOU CANNOT HAVE ONE”

I. Контроль монологических высказываний учащихся.
1. Say what you should take into consideration when choosing ■
a career and how you can decide whether you are suitable
for this or that career. What do you think you are capable
of?
2. How do you think a young person can best approach the future?
Say what kind of education (practice, on-the-job training)
he needs. Give your reasons.
3. Are you still hesitating about your future career? Why or
why not? Give your reasons.
4. Express your opinion about two different occupations, the one
which seems very attractive to you and the. one which you
think you will never follow. Give your reasons.
5. Express your opinion about how your school is preparing its
students to choose an occupation in future and whether it
helps you to make a decision concerning your future plans.
11. Контроль диалогических высказываний учащихся.
1. Imagine a friend of your family is a highly qualified doctor
(engineer, fashion designer, teacher, bus-driver, etc.).
Find out details of his work. Then ask him how you can
acquire the necessary education (knowledge, practice, skill)
how to become better acquainted with this profession and othe
questions for further details.
Act out a conversation.
2. Supposing you are a reporter interviewing a well-known
architect, (actor, musician). What questions would you as i
him about his career and how he began it, his present-day
activities and plans for the future?
Act out an interview.
80

UNIT 9
“THE WORLD IS A FINE PLACE AND WORTH FIGHTING FOR”

L Контроль монологических высказываний учащихся.
1. Make comments on these words: ‘‘The world is a fine place
and worth fighting for.”
*
2. Name ecological problems which are matters of people’s
great concern nowadays. Say what people do to solve these
problems.
3. Say how people from different countries and of different
nations co-operate to prevent the world’s most serious threat
to human health and life — nuclear war.
4. Name some recent publications on the ecological topics. Say
to what problems they drew the readers’ attention.
fl. Контроль диалогических высказываний учащихся.
Discuss one of the recent articles on the ecological topic with
a classmate. Express your opinions on the problem and on
the article.
Act out a conversation.

6

Заказ 742

ЗАДАНИЯ для ИТОГОВОГО КОНТРОЛЯ
Материалы для подготовки учащихся к экзаменам

I.

Темы для устных высказываний учащихся.
1. a) The peace movement has become a great power in the world
today. Name different international peace events and say
what role they play in uniting people in their struggle for
peace, disarmament and co-operation.
Say what efforts are made by different people all over the
world to save our planet from the nuclear catastrophe.
b) Peace on earth is everybody’s concern. Say why all people
on our planet should unite their efforts in order to preserve
our planet for themselves and for future generations.
Comment on the following words: “Only one person can save
the world and you are that person.”
c) Suppose you are talking to a member of the delegation
from an English-speaking country. What questions would you
ask him to find out what peace activities young people in
his country participate in, arid what peace means to him?
d) Suppose you are speaking to a member of the delegation
from an English-speaking country. What questions would you
ask him to find out his views on social issues and the
importance of peace?
2. a) Speak about the value of education and different ways -to
satisfy your thirst for knowledge.
<
b) Say what makes a person educated. What do you think can
help you to be successful in your studies? How can you
acquire a good knowledge of different subjects?
c) You want to know the best way of studying for an exam,
and decide to ask your teacher. What questions would you ask?*
d) Imagine you want to find out your classmate’s opinioef
about educational TV programmes he very frequently watches,
What questions would you ask?
3. a) Say how all the mass media (newspapers, magazines, radio*'
television and graphic arts) reflect life of society. Say MWd
the information you get from newspapers and maga^ipiB
helps you to understand the present-day world and
problems.
,
b) Try and explain why the press is often called a

82

society. Say what you find interesting and useful for your­
self in newspapers and magazines.
c) You want to find out your friend’s opinion about the
newspaper “Moscow News” and its latest publications. What
questions would you ask?
d) Suppose a friend of yours advises you to subscribe to
some magazine. What questions would you ask him to find out
what kind of material this magazine publishes, what topics
receive full coverage on its pages, and which, of them can
be attractive to you personally?
4. a) If you want to keep fit and healthy, you need exercise
Say what opportunities for sports and games you have and
what you do to keep fit.
Express your opinion about Physical Education (PE) lessons
at school.
b) You are trying to persuade another person that sport is
necessary for his health. What do you say?
Do you think that much attention is paid to sports in your
school? Do you have any sports clubs and groups? How do they
work?
c) Suppose you are talking to a well-known athlete, who has
just won the competition. What questions would you ask him
to find out why he has succeeded and what has made his
victory possible?
d) Suppose you are talking to a boy or a girl from another
country. You want to find out what sporting events are
popular in his (her) country and how he (she) can follow
them. What questions would you ask?
5. a) Speak about your own travelling experiences. Say which
of your trips was really remarkable and which turned out
a disappointment.
b) Describe a place which impressed you. Try and persuade
your listeners to make a journey to this place.
c) Suppose you have to gather information about some place
which you may choose for a successful trip. What questions
would you ask a person who has a rich travelling experience
to find out his opinion?
d) What questions would you ask an Englishman (an Amer­
ican) about possibilities of travelling and sightseeing in his
country?
6. a) Describe what-kind of reader you are. Speak about the
kinds of books you consider most attractive. Explain your
preferences. Are there any books that have left you indif­
ferent? Why?
b) Why do modern writers still write about the war? Express
your opinion. Give reasons.
c) Suppose a classmate of yours has been greatly impressed
83

by the book he has just read. What questions would you ask
him to find out what aroused his admiration?
d) Suppose you are talking to an English (American) student.
You want to find out what course of Literature they study
and whether they are satisfied with the list of authors who
make up this course. What questions would you ask?
7. a) Say whether you are satisfied with the school you go to,
with the quality of education you receive, and with your own
participation in the school activities. What can be done to
improve the quality of education? Express your opinion.
b) How do you imagine a school of the future? Suggest your
ideas.
c) Imagine you receive a group of students from an Englishspeaking country. You show, your guests round your school and
inquire about their school life, their school traditions, and
their school and after-school activities. What questions would
you ask?
d) Suppose your foreign guest and you discuss how computer
instruction is organized in your schools, and how special
computer classrooms are equipped. What questions would you
ask to find out how your guest is taught?
8. a) Comment on the saying: “No man is useless while he has a
friend.”
What, in your opinion, is the most valuable, thing about
friends?
What do you appreciate in friendship?
b) Make comments on the following: “There is no place like
home.” Try and explain why people love their homes and miss
them badly when they are far away.
c) Suppose you are talking to a friend. What questions would
you ask to find out his views on the ideal relationship in
a family?
>
9. a) Name ecological problems which are matters of people’s
great concern nowadays. Say what people do to solve these
problems. What do you think of the ecological situation of
the region in which you live?
b) Explain why so much attention is paid to ecological
problems nowadays and why people are getting alarmed and
demand urgent actions to protect nature.
c) Suppose you are interviewing a journalist who writes a
lot on ecological topics. What questions would you ask him
to find out how his newspaper (magazine) tries to draw
public’s attention to ecological problems?
d) Suppose you are talking to a person from another country.
You want to find out what is happening in his country with
regard to the problems of ecology. What questions would you
ask?
84

10* a) It is not a simple matter to choose a future career at
your age. Explain why it is so.
Are you still hesitating about your future occupation? Why
or why not? Give your reasons.
b) How do you think a young person can best approach the
future? Say what kind of education, practice, on-the-job
training he needs. Give your reasons.
c) Imagine a friend of your family is a highly qualified
doctor (engineer, teacher, fashion designer, bus-driver, etc.).
What questions would you ask him to find out details of
his work and how you can acquire a necessary education
(knowledge, skill, practice)? What questions would you ask
him to be better acquainted with this occupation (profession)?
11. a) Teenagers often complain that they do not know how to
occupy their free time. Do you agree that it is a real problem?
Express your opinion. Say how you try to solve this problem.
What is your usual evening and Sunday pastime?
b) Give your idea of an interesting and pleasant leisure.
Try and persuade your listeners that your idea is very
attractive.
c) Imagine your classmates and you are planning a hike. You
have to choose a camping place and prepare all the necessary
things. What questions would you ask those of your class­
mates who are experienced campers and can help you to
organize everything well?
d) What questions would you ask a friend of yours about his
impressions of the day he spent in the countryside?
12. a) Speak about advantages and disadvantages of a big city
and a small town. Give your reasons. Where would you live?
Say why.
b) Speak about various facilities for leisure, sports, education,
sightseeing your city provides its people and visitors. What
are the principal attractions of a big city?
c) Suppose you persuade a classmate of yours to go to the
exhibition (the art gallery, the science or industry exhibit)
which you have already visited and think particularly in­
teresting. Your friend shows interest in your story. What
questions do you think he would ask you about the things
which are oh display?
d) You have a pen-friend in London (or any other city). What
questions would you ask him in your letters about his city?
e) Those who live in big cities often prefer to spend much
of their leisure time in the surrounding countryside. Is it
surprising? What are the reasons?
13. a) Say which of the English-speaking countries you would
like to visit. Give your reasons. Say what you know about
this country and what information you would like to get.
85

b) When we get acquainted with the culture, literature and
history of another country, we begin to understand its people,
their way of life and their views better. Say in what way
this is true.
c) What questions would you ask a guide in London or a guide
who accompanies groups of tourists in their journey about
Great Britain about places which are worth visiting, and about
the places which you are particularly interested in?
d) What questions would you ask a teenager from another
country about his hobbies, interests, and his way of life?
14. a) Scientists are often called “makers of the modern world”.
Say tjow you understand these words. Express your opinion of
the importance and great value of the scientific work.
b) Say how scientists contribute to the promotion of the
economic and social advancement of all peoples. What, in
your opinion, are the most essential characteristics of a true
scientist?
c) Imagine you are to interview a prominent scientist. What
questions would you ask?
d) /Suppose you are interviewing a cosmonaut. What questions
woijld you ask to find out what kind of research he carries
out on board the spaceship and in outer space? What would
you ask him about his impressions of his life and work in
space?
15. a) Which, in your opinion, are the most popular TV programmes?
Explain your preferences. Say which programme, in your
opinion, is worth seeing. Try and persuade your listeners
to see it.
b) Describe what kind of TV-viewer you are. Do you feel the
attraction of television? Or do you sometimes feel it is a
waste of time to watch television? Express your opinion about
some television programmes.
c) Suppose a friend of yours was impressed by yesterday’s
television programme. What questions would you ask him to
find out what kind of programme it was and what interesting
items it offered?
16. a) Speak about problems that teenagers face. Who can help
you to solve these problems?
Do you have opportunities to participate in clubs, some useful
work, sports, social activities? Which activities, in your opinion,
are valuable to you?
b) Suppose you participate in a telebridge between English
and Soviet teenagers. What questions would you ask the
audience of the other side to find out something about their
way of living, their interests, their tastes and outlooks, their
attitude towards different kinds of activities?
17. a) Speak about some occupations or professions for which a
86

good knowledge of a foreign language is desirable. Give your
reasons.
b) Try and explain why a good knowledge of foreign languages
and foreign cultures grows in importance nowadays.
c) You want to know in what careers you will be able to use
foreign languages. What questions would you ask your teacher
to find it out?
18. a) Speak about the most serious problems of the present day
world which worry millions of people everywhere.
b) Say how you imagine the future of our planet.
c) Suppose you have a pen-friend in another country. You are
interested in his opinion of what may happen to the world in
the next 10 years. You want to know his views and hope that
he is as concerned about the future of our planet as you are.
What questions would you ask him?
II. Материалы на перевод для контроля усвоения грамматического
материала.
1. Если бы у туристов было болEше времени на осмотр достоCри­
мечателEностей, они бы Cосетили не толEко самые знаменитые
музеи Лондона. Они хотели, чтобы гид Cоказал им город со
всеми его контрастами, и считали, что толEко в этом случае они
смогут CонятE, что такое Лондон.
2. В Озерном крае Англии Cровел болEшую частE своей жизни
знаменитый английский Cоэт Вордсворт. Если бы Cрирода не
оказала на него такого влияния, он не наCисал бы столEко ве­
ликолеCных стихотворений о красоте этого края. Он считал,
что Cоэзия учит людей любитE Cрироду и видетE ее красоту.
Говоря об этом, он, должно бытE, был уверен, что люди станут
лучше и добрее, если будут ближе к Cрироде.
3. Однажды Дефо услышал историю о шотландском моряке, ко­
торый Cровел несколEко лет на необитаемом острове один.
Должно бытE, эта история Cроизвела на Дефо силEное вCе­
чатление, и вскоре он наCисал книгу «Приключения Робинзона
Крузо». Он оCисал Cриключения Робинзона Крузо так Cравди­
во, как будто все Cроизошло на самом деле.
4. Джек Лондон вынужден был много работатE физически и за­
ниматEся своим образованием. Но он верил в свой талант, в
то, что он станет Cисателем. Если бы он не Cрошел через все
трудности и не Cриобрел богатый жизненный оCыт, он не
создал бы свою знаменитую книгу «Мартин Иден». Ее считают
автобиографией Cисателя.
5. Многие жители маленEкого городка на МиссисиCи сожалели,
что их дети знакомы с Томом Сойером. Он создал себе оченE
Cлохую реCутацию. Но все дети восхищалисE Томом и всегда
ожидали, что он сделает что-то необыкновенное. Должно бытE,
они хотели бытE такими, как Том.
87

6. Вы, должно бытE, читали о Cутешествии на Кон-Тики. Оно
было оченE оCасным, и его участникам CриходилосE часто
боротEся за свою жизнE. Если бы они не были такими мужест­
венными, силEными людEми, не Cомогали друг другу, они не
Cересекли бы океан на своем маленEком Cлоту. Они верили,
что дружба выручит их в беде.
7. Выдающийся Cутешественник XV века Христофор Колумб вы­
нужден был долго и терCеливо ждатE, Cрежде чем он смог
отCравитEся в свою знаменитую эксCедицию в Индию. Но он не
терял веры в будущее. Он надеялся, что его эксCедиция будет
усCешной. ОченE жалE, что Колумб умер в безвестности, так и
не узнав о том, что он открыл новый континент.
8. Как известно, английская CисателEница Л. Войнич жила в те­
чении несколEких лет в Петербурге и изучала русскую лите­
ратуру. Должно бытE, Cрогрессивная русская литература ока­
зала силEное влияние на ее творчество. ЖалE, что имя Cиса­
телEницы, которая создала замечателEный образ революцио­
нера и борца Овода, Cочти забыто у нее на родине.
9. Если бы Чарлз Диккенс не исCытал сам бедностE и не видел
страданий Cростых людей, он не смог бы наCисатE о них в своих
книгах с такой симCатией и Cониманием. Он хотел, чтобы чита­
тели Cолюбили его героев, Cлакали и смеялисE вместе с ними. И
Диккенсу удалосE это. Судя Cо его CоCулярности, даже сейчас
Диккенс, должно бытE, один из самых любимых Cисателей
Англии.
10. Если бы Англия не была завоевана несколEко раз римлянами,
англо-саксами и норманнами, английский язык не менялся бы
так резко. Вероятно, он развивался бы в совершенно другом
наCравлении. Сейчас в нем можно найти огромное множество
слов иностранного Cроисхождения. Но благодаря этому его
считают доволEно легким для Cонимания и изучения.
11. У моего друга дома много книг. Он говорит, что оченE инте­
ресуется литературой. Но Cочти все его книги выглядят абсо­
лютно новыми, как будто он их никогда не читал. Когда я
сCросил друга об одном из новых романов, он ничего не мог
ответитE. Неужели он действителEно интересуется литерату­
рой? Если бы он действителEно был любителем книг, он бы не
толEко CокуCал их, но и читал бы их и обсуждал их со своими
друзEями.
12. Лермонтова считают одним из самых замечателEных русских
Cоэтов. Судя Cо его стихам, он, должно бытE, Cрожил оченE
эмоционалEную, богатую вCечатлениями жизнE. ЖалE, что он
умер так рано, в возрасте 27 лет. Он смог бы еще создатE
столEко великолеCных Cроизведений!
13. Профессор Зайцев в статEе «ПришелEцы из других миров»
CредCолагает, что, возможно, ракеты с Марса и других Cланет
CриземлялисE на нашей Cланете в Cрошлом. Он Cишет о том,
88

что были найдены изображения людей, которые выглядят так,
как будто они одеты в костюмы космонавтов. Мы все ждем от
наших ученых решения этой загадки.
14. Неужели Бернард Шоу был журналистом? — Да, он стал дра­
матургом Cосле того, как Cроработал в музыкалEном журнале
10 лет. В Лондоне он создал себе реCутацию блестящего му­
зыкалEного критика. Он также Cроявил себя как великолеCный
рассказчик. Если бы друзEя однажды не Cосоветовали ему на­
CисатE CEесу, он не стал бы драматургом.
15. ЖалE, что вы никогда не были в Ленинграде. Вам следует
съездитE в этот Cрекрасный город. Если бы вы там Cобывали,
вы бы многое узнали из истории архитектуры, живоCиси и
скулECтуры. Город богат и своими революционными Cамятни­
ками. Вы, должно бытE, читали какие-нибудE книги о достоCри­
мечателEностях Ленинграда, о его Cрошлом и настоящем. На­
деюсE, у вас Cоявится возможностE самому увидетE город.

МАТЕРИАЛЫ К ТЕКСТАМ «КНИГИ ДЛЯ ЧТЕНИЯ»
Материалы к текстам «Книги для чтения» в основном включают:
1. ДоCолнителEную информацию к тексту для учителя (Infor­
mation) .
2. Приемы контроля Cонимания Cрочитанного текста (Understand­
ing the story).
3. Приемы, стимулирующие самостоятелEное высказывание на
основе Cрочитанного (Role plays).
Количество воCросов и ролевых ситуаций зависит от материа­
ла и характера текста. (Методику работы на уроках домашнего
чтения смотрите в «Книге для учителя» к учебнику английского
языка для VIII класса, с. 12.)
THE HOUSE AT 12 ROSE STREET

(By Mimi Brodsky)
Information

The history of blacks in North Ahierica began in August, 1619
when a small, Dutch warship sailed up the James River to the
young English colony of Jamestown, Virginia.
The Dutch ship had captured a Spanish ship in the Caribbean
Sea carrying black men and women to Spanish colonies in South
America. At that time, the Jamestown colony was only 12 years
old, and the colonists were short of everything — especially of
workers to help clear and till the land, and build houses. So
the Jamestown settlers started to use the blacks as a source
of free labour.
In 1619, the English did not have the practice of slavery
but they had the practice of indentured service. That is the
ownership of a person’s labour for a period of time by another person
or group of people. Many of the first English settlers in North
America were indentured servants. They had given their labour
to pay for the ship passage to the New World, to pay old
debts, or to make up for some small crime. In some cases they were
tricked, cheated, or even kidnapped into indentured service.
.Black and white indentured servants worked side, by side at
Jamestown, clearing fields, planting crops, making roads and
building houses. The death rate at Jamestown was extremely high
90

for landowners and the need for labour was great. To meet this
demand, ships’ captains often bought, traded or captured blacks
from the Spanish and Portuguese,
Gradually the status of black servants working together
with white indentured workers started to change. Between 1640
and 1680, Virginia and the other southern colonies drifted
steadily toward the establishment of a system of slave labour.
Most white indentured servants had a set term of servitude,
and they knew it. When their period of service was over, they
were considered to be free. They usually had written contracts
stating when they would be free.
Blacks had no such contracts. They were brought to America
by ships’ captains who sold them to the highest bidder. Since
the buyers wanted to get the greatest value for the price they
paid, it became commonplace that black servants were ^indentured
for life. It also became customary that the children of black
servants were considered to be indentured from birth to death —
in other words they were held in slavery. Near the end of the
17th century all pretence that such a system wasn’t slavery
faded away.
.Because blacks could be owned for life, the demand for
black slaves outstripped the demand for white indentured serv­
ants. The demand for black labour on the large plantations of
Maryland, Virginia and the Carolinas was especially great. To
satisfy this demand, special ships were built to transport captive
blacks directly from the west coast of Africa to the slave
markets of North America. During the 18th century, the slave
trade boomed. It brought death and untold suffering to millions
of blacks. At the same time it made a great number of people
in Britain and in the .British American colonies immensely wealthy.
Throughout the 18th century, an increasing number of people
in Britain and North America spoke out against the slave trade.
But the wealthy slave owners and slave traders had powerful
friends in government and were able to defeat all attempts to end the
slave trade.
While most black slaves were held on large farms and planta­
tions, it was a usual thing for a small farmer to own slaves. A small
farmer might have one or two slaves in addition to a few white
indentured servants. By the mid-1700s many small farmers found
that it was not always profitable to own slaves. Slaves had
to be fed all year round, but the need for their labour might
vary from season to season. Some farmers found that it was cheaper
to hire day labourers when needed than to own slaves.
As small farmers started disposing of their slaves, some
were freed, but most were sold to plantations in the West Indies,
Virginia and the Carolinas. Hundreds —even thousands of slaves
might live and work on a large plantation. Food, housing and clothes
91

for the slaves were seen as costs to be kept as low as possible.
During the 1770s and ’80s the American colonists fought
for independence from Britain. They called for self-determination,
democracy, equality and recognition of the natural rights of man.
Yet many outspoken advocates of American freedom — including
George Washington and Thomas Jefferson — accepted the slavery
of'blacks. They used to say that while they personally deplored
slavery, they had to accept it as an economic necessity. They
believed that any change in the institution of slavery could
cause collapse, social and economic, of the southern regions, as they
produced tobacco, cotton and other crops.
There was also a viewpoint that slaves were secure and happy.
But most often, the idea was put forward that black slaves
were not fully human beings.
Other advocates of slavery went a step further. They used
pseudo-scientific arguments to “prove” that blacks were inferior
and therefore suited to be slaves. All these attempts to justify
slavery created a barrier between black and white communities.
Ideas and arguments used to justify the enslavement of blacks
encouraged fierce prejudice:
From the first days of slavery in America, there were escape
attempts. In colonial times, runaway slaves often took refuge in
swamps, forests, mountains, and among Indian tribes. Then, starting
with Pennsylvania in 1780, several northern states abolished
slavery. So fugitive slaves frequently sought refuge in those
“free” states. To stop that, the Congress passed the Fugitive
Slave Law of 1793. This law required the authorities of ail states
and territories to arrest and return fugitive slaves. It led to
“bounty hunting.”
Slave owners offered bounties (rewards) for the return of
runaways. It created a group of professional “bounty hunters”.
These hunters pursued fugitives across state borders in the
hope of collecting rewards.
During early the 1800s, the men and women who tried to escape
from slavery were usually alone and unaided. Their attempts
often ended in recapture or death. Then, starting in the 1830s,
people "opposed to slavery provided money, food and hiding
places for fugitives. Escape routes were mapped out. Since rail­
roading was very popular at the time, the system of escape routes
became known as the “underground railroad”. Hiding places were
called “depots”. People providing money were called “stockholders”.
And guides who led fugitives along the escape routes were called
“conductors”.
Many of the conductors were free blacks or former slaves.
They often plunged deep into slave states to contact escapees.
This was dangerous. If captured, former slaves went back to
slavery.
92

To stop the work of the “underground railroad”, a tougher
Fugitive Slave Law was passed by Congress in 1850. The 1850 law
called for “severe penalties to be imposed on anyone assisting
Negroes to escape from bondage.” It also authorized federal
marshals to “command all good citizens to aid in the capture of
fugitives.” As a result, bounty hunters were appointed as marshals
in slave states. .But it did not stop the “underground railroad
conductors”. It just made their work harder.
The most famous of the underground conductors was a young
woman named Harriet Tubman (1821—1913). In 1849 she escaped
from slavery in Maryland. She made her way to Philadelphia and
there joined the ranks of the “underground railroad”. Over the
next ten years, Harriet Tubman made 19 trips into, slave states
and led more than 300 men, women and children to freedom.
Emancipation, or the ending of slavery, didn’t happen in a
single day. It was a process that took about ten years. The
process began in April 1861 with the outbreak of the Civil War
between free states of the North and slave states of the South.
On January 1, 1863 President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipatipn Proclamation, declaring that slaves in states at war
against the United States were free. Few slaves were freed, how­
ever, since most lived in the rebellious South.
Freedom for all slaves came later, in 1865, when the war
ended and Congress passed the 13th Amendment, which completely
abolished slavery. Another amendment, the 14th, gave blacks full
citizenship rights. For a time many hoped that blacks and whites
could live together in a state of equality and tolerance. That
hope didn’t last long. Local laws and customs were used to de­
prive blacks of voting rights. Prejudice increased and discrim­
ination got worse. In most former slave states, a system of racial
segregation arose, and blacks had to use separate schools, churches,
hospitals, parks, swimming pools, lunchrooms, washrooms, bus
sections and theatre sections.
In the early years of the 20th century, lynchings — the
illegal killing of people for real or imagined crimes — greatly
increased. After the First World War, the promise of equality
and opportunity in the South for blacks seemed further away
than ever. As a result, many blacks moved away from the rural
South to the great cities of the North. Although northerners
did not practice formal segregation, blacks encountered dis­
crimination in jobs and housing. No progress occurred during
the difficult years from 1919 to 1950.
One of several cracks that appeared in the wall of segre­
gation was the Supreme Court decision on May 17, 1954, banning
segregation of the races in public schools. It inspired many
black leaders to press for integration in all aspects of American
life. At the same time the black people themselves felt that they
93

should take immediate action to end discrimination and denial
of civil rights. One opportunity for action was presented by the
arrest of a woman named Rosa Parks in Montgomery, Alabama,
on December 1, 1955, for refusing to give up her seat to a white
person on a city bus.
When Parks was taken to jail she was allowed one phone call.
She made it to E. D. Nixon, head of the local branch of the National
Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP) —
an organization of blacks and whites formed in 1909 to gain full
rights for blacks. After getting Rosa Parks out of jail on bail,
Nixon and other NAACP leaders planned a course of actions to end
segregation on buses. Nixon said, “The only way to make the power
structure do away with segregation is to take money from them
out of their pockets.” So they decided to ask Montgomery’s blacks to
boycott — not use — the city buses. This would be costy for the bus
company since most of their riders were blacks. But it would also
be hard on Montgomery’s poor blacks who didn’t have cars
and couldn’t afford taxis.
The following Monday was set for the boycott. Car pools
were organized. Black taxi owners made their cars available.
Leaflets were handed out to black families all over the city.
Since E. D. Nixon had to be out of the city on that Monday, he
asked Martin Luther King, the new pastor of the Dexter Avenue
Baptist Church to take charge of the boycott.
Early on Monday morning, December 5, 1955, King and his wife
Coretta Scott King started watching the bus stop near their
home. The first bus was empty. So was the second. The third had
two passengers — both white. Hie boycott was working. Over 95
percent of the black riders stayed off the buses. The boycott
lasted over a year and cost the city more and more money each
day. Finally, on November 13, 1956, the Supreme Court decided
that segregation on buses was unconstitutional.
The Montgomery bus boycott produced a black leader Martin
Luther King — who could move millions to action and touch the
conscience of the nation.
Moving on from Montgomery, King led direct nonviolent ac­
tions for civil rights in all parts of the country. As a result
in the South, old barriers of segregation crumbled, in the North,
more forms of discrimination in housing and jobs were slowly
chipped away.In the spring of 1963, King went to Birmingham, Alabama,
a city with a bad record of discrimination. Parks, eating places,
drinking fountains and rest rooms were segregated. King organized
local blacks to march quietly through downtown areas of Birming­
ham. At first the police arrested thousands of marchers. When
that failed to stop the marchers, the police attacked the demon­
strators with clubs, dogs and fire-hoses. The whole nation watched
94

this struggle by means of television. This caused such a public
outcry against the white authorities of Birmingham that they had
to back down and desegregate their public facilities.
A high point of the civil rights movement occurred on August
28, 1963, when 250,000 people of all races marched in Washington,
D.C. to demand that the nation keep its pledge of “justice for all”.
In one of the country’s most moving and dramatic speeches,
Martin Luther King said: “I have a dream that one day this
nation will rise up and live out these truths to be self-evident
that all men are created equal. I have a dream that one day on
the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons
of former slave-holders will be able to sit down together at the
table of brotherhood... I have a dream that my four little
children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged
by the colour of their skin, but by the content of their character.”
The focus of civil rights activity then shifted to Washing­
ton, where, after lengthy debate, the Congress passed laws pro­
hibiting discrimination in voting, education, employment, hous­
ing, and public accommodations. The Civil Rights Acts of 1964,
1965 and 1968 were landmarks in dismantling the legal basis for
discrimination.
Martin Luther King continued to conduct civil rights cam­
paigns throughout the country, and in 1964 he was awarded the
Nobel Prize in recognition of his decade of leadership in non­
violent protest against discrimination. Tragically, he was assas­
sinated in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968. ,By the time
of his death, part of his “dream” had come true.
Still, there are poor, all-black areas in American cities.
The average income of blacks is lower than that of whites. Un­
employment of blacks — particularly of young men — is higher
than that of whites. The struggle goes on.
Understanding the story
Questions:

Part I
New Neighbours
1. Who is the main character of the story?
2. What information have you got about .Bobby, his family, friend’s
interests, etc.?
3. Did Bobby live in a big and noisy town?
4. Why was .Bobby anxious to see his new neighbours? Did he mind
the colour of their skins?
5. How did Bobby’s parents greet the new neighbours?
6. What kind of people were .Bobby’s new neighbours? Were they
cultured and educated people? How do you know?

7. How did Bobby’s friends get the news of the arrival of the
new people to Oaktown? Were they willing to meet them?
8. What thoughts spoilt Bob’s merry-making?
9. Was Bobby aware of racial prejudices in his country? What
did he know about racial discrimination in the USA?
Keep Oaktown White!
1. Why did Bobby have nightmares at night?
2. What did he see when he woke up?
3. Were his parents awake? Did they do anything to stop the riot?
What did they feel about it?
4. Was it for the first time that .Bobby discovered the racial
feelings of the town people?
5. Why couldn’t he sleep on that night?
The Worst .Blow

1. Was the night incident covered by mass media?
2. Was Bobby eager to listen to the news about Oaktown?
3. What did Bobby’s parents do to support the Franklins? Was it
a natural thing to do? What were the feelings of other people
towards the black family?
4. What was the worst blow for Bobby on that day?
On the Playground
1. Did Bobby witness any signs of uneasiness in Oaktown streets?
2. Why did the boys fight on the playground?
3. How did the fight end?

Part II
No Friends
1. Was Bobby seriously hurt in the fight on the playground?
2. What pain made Bobby suffer most of all, physical or moral?
3. Who came to see Bobby?
4. Was Bobby glad to see Will? Why?
5. What did Bobby and Will talk about?
Saturday Morning
1. Did Bobby consider the time spent in bed completely wasted?
2. Why did Bobby invite Will to the swimming pool?
3. Ubat made Bobby’s mother nervous when she got to know that
Bobby had invited Will to the swimming pool?
4. Did the boys have fun in the swimming pool?
5. Why did the boys break with Stretch and take Bobby’s side?
6. How did the boys like Bobby’s idea of inviting Will Franklin
into the Patrol?

News for Will
1. Why did Freddy phone Bobby? What did he want?
2. What problems were discussed at the Patrol meeting?
3. What was Mr. Grant’s opinion on Will’s membership in the
Patrol? Did everybody present share it?
4. Did Bobby bring good news to Will? Was there anything that
spoilt his triumph?

Role Plays
1. Bobby and his mother Mrs. Myers. Bobby is planning the morning.
Mrs. Myers gives advice.
You’re Bobby. You’re having your breakfast. You eat everything
your mother gives you, but you don’t want another cup of milk.
You’re full of ideas how to spend the morning. There are so many
things to do! Soon your friends will call on you and you’ll go to
the swimming pool. You promise to be back by dinner time. First
you don’t like the idea of taking Petie to the swimming pool, then
you agree. You want your brother to have some fun, too!
You’re Mrs Myers. You’re giving Bobby his breakfast. You
insist’ on his having another cup of milk. You’re sorry that he
doesn’t want it. You ask Bobby questions about his plans for the
morning. You realize that he’s old enough to do many things, but
still you want him to follow your advice. He shouldn’t stay long
in the water, must be careful when he dives, he must be very
careful when he crosses the street, he must be back home by dinner
time. You want Bobby to take Petie to the swimming pool. It will
do him good. You’ll have a dive in the swimming pool a bit later
and take the boys home in the car.
2. Bobby and his father Mr. Myers. Bobby is frightened by the
noise coming from the street and the rocks smashing the windows
of the house next door. He wants his father’s explanations. Mr.
Myers is trying to comfort Bobby.
You’re Bobby. You’re frightened. First you comment on everything
you see through the window. Then you ask your father who these
people are. You’re shocked to know that they are Oaktown people.
You’ve been always proud of your town, and thought that people
are noble and tolerant. You never expected them to be racists.
You’re worrying about the Franklins. It must be a horrible thing
to go through. They must be awake, the children shivering with fear.
You’re, Mr. Myers. You’re explaining to Bobby what made the
people gather in a crowd and attack the Franklins’ house. These
people must be from Oaktown. They hate Negroes, but they don’t
dare to attack them when they are alone. But when they are in
a mob they feel fearless and strong. They think they’re doing
the right thing. They support segregation. They forget that the
7

Заказ 742

97.

Constitution proclaims equal rights for all people irrespective
of their race and religion. You give .Bobby a cup of hot tea and
send him to bed.
3. Bobby and Stretch. Stretch shows his indignation. He wants
the Franklins to leave town. .Bobby can’t understand Stretch. He
believes in equality of all people.
You’re Stretch. You’re very excited with the news of the night
demonstration in Rose Street. Your parents are up in arms.
They’ll do anything to make the blacks leave the town. Oaktown
is the place for whites. You want no niggers here. You envy .Bobby
who might have seen the demonstration; You wish you had partic­
ipated in it. You also wonder who had called the police. If people
keep struggling the Franklins will have to move to some other
place. You want .Bobby to slip your papers under the Franklins’
door or in their mailbox. You’re puzzled to hear that your
bosom friend .Bobby doesn’t share your indignation. Moreover
it appears that his parents called the police at night. You have
always thought that .Bobby was one of you, but he proves to be a
nigger-lover, a traitor to the white race. He ought to have his
skin tarred.
You’re .Bobby. You tell your friend Stretch about the horror of
the night when a crowd of wild people attacked the Franklins’
house. Your parents called the police, of course, but you couldn’t
sleep the rest of the night. You think that such demonstrations
are a disgrace of the nation. You’ve always been proud of your
town and its people. You knew that such things happened, but
they were in the South and long ago. You can’t believe that
your bosom friend Stretch may be a racist. You’ll never agree to put
his signs into the Franklins’ mailbox. It’s a shame to do things
like that! When you hear Stretch’s racist slogans you run away.
4. Bobby and Will. Will has come to visit .Bobby. He’s sorry
that .Bobby is hurt. .Bobby isn’t enthusiastic about Will’s visit;
but by and by he gets more friendly.
You’re .Bobby. You speak very slowly as you still don’t feel
very nice. You’re unwilling to speak about the incident on th|
playground and don’t want Will to worry about it. When you gej
to know that Will is in your troop you show no enthusiasm. WiH’|
ship is wonderful, you like it very much! In the end you dare to as®
Will how he and his family felt on the night of the racists
demonstration.
You’re Will. You’ve come to inquire about .Bobby’s health. You’j^
very thankful to him as Bobby defended the rights of Ыаск
It wasn’t a fair fight and .Bobby was very brave. You’re trans
ferred from your troop and you want to join troop 260 in Оак
town. You’re very much enthusiastic about your troop’s activ
ties. You’ve brought .Bobby the ship you’ve made yourself. Уо

explain to .Bobby how you made it and think that it would be nice to
build another ship with .Bobby some time in winter.
The night of the demonstration was terrible. You were mad.
You wanted to get out of the house and beat those people. Your
sister Ann was desperate. She took it very hard. Now she thinks
that all the whites are enemies. Still your family isn’t going
to move, no matter what the wild crowds start doing.

GILDA
Information:
Kichard Parker>
Australia
Australia is the only mainly English-speaking country in the
world, and yet it lies as far from England as it possibly could.
Eastward, America is: 10,000 miles away, Africa is 6,000 miles
to the west. To the north and north-west is Asia, and the
islands of Indonesia are almost 2,000 miles distant. Yet Australia has
had little contact with Asia. The first European colonists settled
in the north-east, and today six seventh’s of the people of Australia
live in a coastal strip 200 miles wide extending from Cairns to
Port Pirie.
Australia is rather smaller than Europe, and about the same
size as the United States of America. The Commonwealth of Austral­
ia includes Tasmania (26,215 square miles) and many smaller
islands, and has an area of nearly 3 million square miles, more than
a third of which is within the tropics.
There are three main types of country in Australia. Mountain
ranges and table lands with small river plains on the seaward
side, extend down the east coast. .Behind them the centre of the
continent is filled with vast lowlands, broken by occasional mountain
ridges. The western third is occupied by a low plateau of ancient
rocks.
The highest point, Mt. Kosciusko 7, 328 feet above sea­
level and all the peaks over 5,000 feet, rise in the eastern
mountains.
The rivers of Australia do not carry much water. The
largest river in Australia the Murray and its tributaries drain
500,000 square miles, and supply water for Australia’s chief
irrigated area. Yet, in the 1945 drought even the Murray carried
no water to the sea for several months. Many rivers of the central
lowlands which show up well on the map, such as the Finke,
Diamantina, and Cooper Creek, are rivers only after very heavy
rain and then for but short periods. The majority of the lakes shown
0П the maps of this region are dry most of the year, or are at best
in It swamps. Lake Eyre, the largest, with an area of 4,500 square
BUlles, is mostly salt mud, with water in only a few places.
99

It is not surprising, therefore, that about a third of Australia'
is either desert or fitted only for very thin grazing by stock,.
and that another third is suitable for grazing, but unlikely to havej
any considerable population. Even the areas with fairy adequate!
rainfalls have occasional but devastating droughts.
Some parts of Australia, mostly in the east, have dense evergreen
forests, but in general the most common plants are those which
are equipped to resist droughts. The characteristic forest tree is the
eucalyptus, or gum tree, of which there are 300 species.
Australia has been widely separated from the rest of the
world for so many millions of years that the bulk of its plants
and animal life has developed along lines peculiar to itself.
Sheep, cattle, horses and rabbits were all brought to Australia'
by Europeans. There are even wild camels, descented from camels
which .were brought from India to serve as beasts of burden, in
the desert. The original animals of Australia are kangaroos,
koalas (or teddy-bears which live up trees), eat only certain
kinds of eucalyptus leaves and never drink. Possums live in
trees and can hang by their tails. The Dingo, or native dog, has
now been largely exterminated owing to its habit of killing sheep.
There are 50 kinds of mice and many bats, including the huge
flying-fox which eats fruit. Australian swans are black. The Emu is
an ostrich-like bird. Australian eagle, called the eagle-hawk, is the
largest eagle in the world. The kookaburra, or laughing jackass,
is a giant kingfisher that avoids water, laughs like a maniac,
and eats snakes. Australia has many snakes of which several
varieties have poison fangs, but few are dangerous to man.
European settlers imported grains, fruit and root crops.
The early settlers lived largely on maize. Now wheat is the chief
grain crop. They also grow potatoes, sugar cane, apples, pears,
plums. Grapes are important in the irrigated area of the Murray
basin, such as at Mildura, where there is water from the river and
a rainless period of hot sunshines serve to dry them and turn
them into raisins. ,
Australia is rich in minerals. There are deposits of black
coal, brown coal, gold, iron ore, silver, lead and zinc. Australia
is also a large producer of copper.
Population. It’s perhaps strange that none of the Asiatic
navigators seems to have visited Australia before the coming of
the first Europeans. The great migrations of the Polynesia!
people which reached, among other places, New Zealand, neve
appear to have touched Australia. From the old maps it seen»
likely that the Portuguese had seen a good deal of the Australia
coast more than 400 years ago. The Dutch had reached the countjj
in 1606. The first British visitors were shipped to the coast in 162
James Cook visited Botany Bay in 1770 and charted the ea
coast With him came Joseph Banks, who made the first gn
100

collection of Australian curious plants. It was he who suggested
the policy which had so great an effect on Australian develop­
ment — the use of Botany Bay for a prison colony. Soon after,
the “First Fleet” came to Australia: 717 criminals and their
guards. Captain Arthur Philip founded Sydney and the colonizing
of the country began.
The first settlers found already inhabiting the country scattered
bands of natives, whom they called “black fellows” (though
the skins of aborigines are chocolate-brown, not black). These
people each had their hunting ground and lived a very wandering
existence, moving from camping place to camping place, never
staying long in one spot. The settlers employed many of them,
especially on sheep farms, but most of them moved farther away
into the drier central and northern areas, where crop or cattle
raising are impossible.
.
1
Here they still survive in dwindling numbers under govern­
ment supervision. Their life is very hard. They grow no crops,
keep no domestic animals, but the dingo or native dog, wear no
clothes, build no houses and make no pottery. They hunt some
game without the help of bows and arrows and depend mainly on
birds, fish, lizards, frogs, moths, roots and seeds for their food,
living often on the verge of starvation. As they live in the
area where permanent streams are scarce and droughts are often,
drink for them is more urgent than food. Aborigines have
various methods for getting water. They drain moisture from the
roots of eucalyptus trees, suck it from wet sand, collect it
from the bodies of frogs and other small animals.
The huts of aborigines are rarely more than a row of branch­
es set up to keep off the wind, covered with sheets of bark
or skins for extra-protection. They make fire by rubbing together
two pieces of wood and cook their food in hot ashes.
The men have axes of hard stone, spears with points of
stone formerly of wood and stone, now of glass or metal, stone
knives set in handles of gum, wooden clubs and shields, and the
boomerang. The women’s chief tool is the digging stick.
Children are well treated and never punished, but they have
a hard time. Food is often scarce and probably unsuitable for
children, so a sick child is a burden, and is often abandoned
when the tribe moves camp. ,Boys and girls begin to hunt for
their own food at an early age and soon learn to be independent.
Each tribe has its own language and this is often so dif­
ferent from that of its neighbours then when two tribes meet,
signs and gestures have to take place of words.

101

Understanding the story
Questions:
Part I
1. How old was Gilda when her parents brought her to Australia?
2. Where did Gilda and her parents settle when they got „ to
Australia? What was their life like there?
3. What was Gilda’s father?
4. Why did the Ronkoops have to move from one place to another?
5. Did it take them long to get to Mil dura? Why?
6. How did Gilda find herself in Mr. Prentice’s house? What
things impressed her most of all there?
7. How did Gilda like Mr. Prentice?
8. Were Gilda’s parents thankful to Gilda for the trouble she
had taken getting the water?
’9. How did Gilda like the life in Meldura?
10. Did Gilda have any problems in Meldura? What were they?
11. Why did the Ronkoops have to leave Meldura? Was Gilda eager
to go to a new place?
12. How did the Ronkoops come to know about Moogara Forest?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

6.
7.
8.

9.
10.
11.
12.

Part II
Did the Ronkoops like Moogara Forest?
Why was Gilda anxious to settle in Moogara?
What job did Mr. Ronkoop find there?
What were the advantages and disadvantages of the new
settlement?
Was the school one of the advantages of the place? Can you
prove it?
Did Gilda make progress at school?
What was the history of the old house? How did Gilda discover
it?
Did Mr. Ronkoop build a new house or did he repair the old
one?
Who helped Mr. Ronkoop with his work? Were Mrs. Ronkoop and
Gilda of much help?
How was Gilda lost in the night forest?
How was she found?
What was Gilda’s birthday present?

Role Plays
1. Gilda. and Garry. Gilda is amazed to see a girl. Gilda admires
Garry’s house. Garry is amazed to see a girl who has never been
in a house.
You’re Garry. You are telling Gilda about the history of you]
102

house. You’re surprised to hear Gilda’s story. You think that
Gilda’s life in a tent is very exciting. You wish you could live
in* a tent and travel all about the country. It must be very
romantic to have the sky over head thick with stars at night
and to wake up to the birds’ songs in the morning. You ask Gilda
a lot of questions about her life in a tent. You think that girls 'are
cranky' and unromantic. The only place they belong to is the
kitchen.You’re Gilda. You’re having an excursion about Garry’s house.
You like everything here, even the smells, but most of all you
like Garry’s room in the tower. Then you tell Garry your story.
You’re' tired of your camp life and want to set'tle in a proper
house. You’re very indignant to hear Garry’s opinion of girls.
You aren’t cranky, you’re just tired of your camp life.
2. Gilda and her mother. Gilda is crying. She doesn’t want to
leave Mildura. Mother is comforting her.
You’re Gilda, You’re desperate. You want to stay in Mildura.
You’re crying, it’s hard for you to speak to your mother. You’re
trying to explain to her why you like Mildura. You’re tired of
moving from one place to another. You want to go to a proper
school. You learn nothing when you change schools. Teachers don’t
usually care for the pupils who don’t stay long. They think her
to be dull and backward. You want to live in a house. You’re
sick and tired of the camp life.
You’re Gilda’s mother. You explain to Gilda why you have to
leave Mildura. You and father understand very well why Gilda
likes Mildura, but you have no way out. Father has been given
the sack and he must find another j'ob. The sooner the better.
When father saves money he’ll buy a house and Gilda will be
happy. She’ll go to a good school. She is a bright girl. The
only thing she needs is regular lessons. If she makes efforts
and doesn’t have to change schools she’ll be at the top of the class.
3. Gilda and Miss Heeumen. Gilda is very shy to be at a new
school. Miss Heeumen is glad to' see a new pupil.
You’re Gilda. You ask the teacher for a permission to come in.
You tell her everything about yourself and your parents. First
you speak shyly, but by and by you get the courage and start to
speak fluently and eagerly. You’re amazed to find out that the
teacher is Dutch, too. You’ve never met the Dutch in Australia.
You’ll do your best at school. You ask the teacher questions about
the school’s rules and regulations. You like everything you see
around.
You’re Miss Heeumen.You see a new pupil and greet her. You ask
the girl many questions about her parents and her life in Moogara.
You also want to know why Gilda’s parents had to leave Mildura
and settle in a new place. You’re pleased to hear that Gilda
103

is Dutch. You tell Gilda the story of your parents’ immigration.
to Australia. Then you show Gilda the school and explain to her
the school’s rules and regulations. You hope that Gilda will make
an industrious and bright pupil.

A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN
(By Betty Smith)

Information:
Brooklyn
New York has 5 boroughs: Manhattan Island, .Brooklyn, the
Bronx, Richmond and Queens.
Brooklyn is the largest of the five boroughs in population
and the second largest in area. It is situated on the southwest­
ern end of Long Island. Brooklyn now faces the problems common to
many cities. The chief one is finding adequate housing and jobs
for its growing nonwhite population.
Although growing rapidly in the late 1960s with the construc­
tion of one and two family homes, this area still contains many
old and poor brick houses.
Manufacturing, which employs more than 200,000 persons, is
of great importance in Brooklyn’s economy. Among the leading
industries are the production of metal products, food supplies, tex­
tiles machine goods and paper goods.
Among the cultural centers are the Brooklyn Museum with
extensive collections of Egyptian, pre-Columbian and primitive arts,
the Brooklyn.Children’s Museum, the Long Island Historical Society
which has one of the best collections of local history in the United
States. The .Brooklyn Public Library is one of the largest and
best equipped in the country.
.Brooklyn is a land of parks. Among them is Prospect Park
with a zoo. The park is noted for its hills, meadows, foot paths
and a lake used for boating and skating. The .Botanical Garden is
famous for its Japanese Gardens, the Garden of Fragrance for thd
blind, and a herbarium.
American Holidays
Election Day
The first Tuesday after the first Monday in November in eveg
numbered years (if devisible by four in the case of president
elections) is national Election Day.
•
The electorate in the United States is composed of sra3W
electorate as determined by constitutions and other laws in'3
states. The US Constitution sets limitations which the states nij
id! П
observe. It requires citizenship in the US, a minimum age ажм

minimum residence in the state. The minimum voting age is 18 in
all states. The common residence requirement is one year, but many
states permit voting after 6 months of residence. Mississippi, how­
ever, specifies a minimum period of 2 years.
The two major parties in the United States today are the
Democratic party and the Republican party.
The Democratic party is the older of the two parties. During
the 1780s sharp conflicts marked American politics. Establish­
ment of the Constitution in 1789, the unanimous election of George
Washington and a recommendation by the 1st Congress of a Bill of
Rights brought the development of a firmer national consensus.
Fresh conflicts soon developed in the policies the new national
government would follow. In 1790—91 Secretary of Treasure Alexan­
der Hamilton proposed a programme whose purpose was to establish
the new government and to ally it with powerful financial interest
groups. Adherents of these policies became known as Federalists.
An opposition to Federalist policies became the Republican
Party (referred as Democratic Republican). It was supported by
small farmers, producers and traders.
The policy orientations of the party included: the opposition to
Hamilton’s economic proposals, demands for government respon­
sive to popular majorities, rather than identified with what a Feder­
alist ideologist called “the few, the rich, and the good”, emphasis
on state’s rights as opposed to centralized government, and on
personal and political liberties, etc.
The Democratic Republicans came into power in 1800—1801.
The Republican Party begins its story with the introduction of the
Kansas Nebraska Bill in the spring 1854. The Bill was greatly
opposed in the North where many people were against the opening
of the Northern trails-Mississippi territory to slavery. Republicans
initially believed that slavery should be confined to states where
it already existed and that the Northwest territory in particular was
destined for family-sized farms free of slave labour.
Victorious in their second national elections in 1860 the Republi­
can Party held the presidency for next 24 years, and with only
occasional interruptions for almost three quarters of the century.
Women’s Suffrage
The right to vote became the basic demand of feminist move­
ment because the election was considered to be the fundamental
act of political life.
The vote was essential, as once gained it could be used to
eliminate other discriminations.
Although the movement was led primarily by women, it enlisted
from the beginning the support of many men. Opposition took on
different shapes in different states. There was a strong religious
opposition to women’s participation in anything that was not con105

nected directly with home and children. Economic interests wanted
to keep women as a voiceless labour force.-Political parties were
uncertain of the effect of women as voters.
.But as women in the United States entered the professions and
started to work increasingly in industry, leading feminists
made more urgent demands for suffrage on an. equal level with
men.
In the 20th century women leaders undertook more militant po­
litical tactics to press for a Constitutional Amendment. Activi­
ties of many organizations throughout the country, and the favour­
able reaction to women’s services in World War I, brought victory
for the advocates of a Constitutional Amendment to prohibit abridge­
ment of the right to vote “on account of sex”. In 1919 the Amend­
ment was passed by both houses of Congress, and by August 1920
it was ratified.
Thanksgiving Day
Thanksgiving, the most truly American of the federal holidays
in the United States, was first celebrated in 1621 by English
settlers of the Plymouth colony, and the spirit and customs of
that time have remained unchanged.
The settlers, who have since come to be called the Pilgrims,
had left their native England because they had been denied the
right to separate from the established church to worship in their
own way. They sailed to America in 1620 on the “Mayflower” seeking
a place where they could have freedom to worship. Storms blew them
to the north and after a two-month voyage they landed at what is
now Plymouth, Massachusetts, in icy November.
During their first winter, over half of the settlers died of
starvation or epidemics, but the courageous survivors, were able
to found a permanent colony. While scouting the area for fresh
water, they had unearthed a cache of Indian seed corn, and when
April came they began their planting, struggling with the rocky
soil as they had struggled with the bitter climate. A friendly
Indian named Squanto taught them how to plant the corn. Through
Squanto they were able to make peace with the neighbouring Indian
tribes and from them they learned to hunt game animals and to trap
beaver and to make a syrup from the sap drawn from the great
maple trees.
All summer the settlers watched the crops with great anxiety,
knowing that their lives and future existence of the colony depend­
ed on the coming harvest. When, finally, the fields produced a
yield rich beyond expectation, Governor William .Bradford pro­
claimed “a day of Thanksgiving unto the Lord so we might after
a more special manner, rejoice after we had gathered the fruits of
our labours.”
After 1623 Thanksgiving Days were celebrated irregularly and
106

on regional basis. Governors of the colonies proclaimed a day of
thanksgiving whenever the occasion warranted it
A national Thanksgiving Day came only after the thirteen
colonies had been united and George Washington, the Republic’s
first president, had assumed office. The resolution was adopted
and President Washington set Thursday, November 26, 1789, as the
first National Thanksgiving. In his proclamation President Washing­
ton exhorted the people of the United States to thank God for
divine care during their struggle to be free, for the peace and
prosperity that had come to the nation since the war, and, espe­
cially for the new Constitution.
Even so, Thanksgiving had no established permanence. Later
presidents did urge its observance, and controversy continued over
the date. .But the custom of giving thanks was becoming a part of
American tradition, and as the frontier territories were settled,
sentiment grew toward making Thanksgiving an annual holiday.
On October 3, 1863, in the midst of the war, President Lincoln
issued the first National Thanksgiving Proclamation since that of
George Washington in 1789 and so since Lincoln’s time it had been
the custom for the President of the United States to proclaim annu­
ally the fourth Thursday of November as Thanksgiving Day, and for
the Governors of the States to issue proclamations for their respec­
tive states. The President’s proclamation is published widely and
is read at the beginning of all Thanksgiving Day church services.
Except for an unsuccessful attempt by President Franklin
D. Roosevelt in 1939 to change the date from the fourth to the
third Thursday in November, the date has remained as fixed
in 1863.
The pattern of the Thanksgiving celebration has not changed
through the years. Just as it was at the first Pilgrim feast, .it
is a day for the gathering of the clan — to give thanks for the
years blessings, to enjoy the fruits of the harvest, and to share
with the less fortunate.
The big family dinner is planned months ahead. The whole fam­
ily gets together. .Basically the dinner menu remains as it was
in early times. That is part of the tradition. The following menu
resembles almost exactly one served a hundred years ago.
Cranberry juice
Roast turkey with dressing
Cranberry sauce
Sweet potatoes
Creamed onions
Squash
Pumpkin pie
Plum pudding
Mince pie
Milk, coffee
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Christmas
Christmas Day — December 25 — which celebrates the birth of
Jesus Christ, the founder of the Christian religion, is the biggest
and the best-loved holiday in the United States. It is the time of
warmth and gaiety, love and laughter. With roots in the Christian
tradition it has become a festival of kindness, and thoughtfulness
for others.
Cities and towns deck their streets with bells, garlands of
evergreens and glittering decorations. On the front lawns of home
trees and shrubs are strung with twinkling electric lights, and
on almost every front door hangs some red and green symbol of the
Christmas season — a wreath of shiny green holly with its bright
red berries and the words “MERRY CHRISTMAS”.
Store windows replace their usual displays of goods with
figures of Santa Claus and Christmas toys.
About two weeks before Christmas a giant spruce, balsam or
pine tree, selected for its perfect conical shape and thick leafy
branches, is set up on the parade ground between the White House
and the Washington Monument and decorated with thousands of
coloured lights. Then at dusk a few days before Christmas, as
a red-coated Marine band plays and a children’s choir sings carols,
the President of the United States presses a button which lights
the tree. This is the signal for lighting trees across the land.
Santa Claus has been a very real personage to most American
children. They greet him in department stores, at the shopping
center and at community parties, sit on his lap and after telling
him how good they have been all year they list what they hope to
find in their stockings on Christmas morning. Then, just in case
he should forget, they write him a letter and put it in the mail­
box. Each year the Post Office Department distributes thousands of
these letters to charitable organizations who try to see that the
little correspondents are not disappointed. A typical one:
TO MR. SANTA CLAUS
NORTH POLE
DEAR SANTA
I WOULD LIKE A LARGE DOLLY AND FOR TIMMY
A TEDDY BEAR
LOVE
DEBBY

P. S. WE LIVE AT THE END OF THE HALL
Christmas in the United States is, above all, a family festi­
val. “Going home for Christmas” is a cherished custom and no dis­
tance seems too great if it enables one to join the family circle
for the holiday. Schools and colleges close for two weeks, and
108

>

business firms give leave to employees for the Christmas visit to
their homes.
Just as there is special Christmas music (Christmas carols)
and decorations, so there are special Christmas foods: bright col­
oured hard candies, chocolate bonbons in little fluted cups packed
in gold-coloured boxes, chocolate-covered raisins, walnuts and
cookies, rich in flavour and gay in design. Fruit cake is another
holiday delicacy. Each cook has her favourite recipe, often handed
down from mother to daughter. There are dark fruit cakes and light
fruit cakes, but all must be rich in raisins, currants, chopped
nuts, small pieces of candied citron, orange, lemon and cherries.
An equally characteristic Christmas food is plum pudding. The
pudding is steamed rather than baked and it is usually served hot
with a creamy hard sauce or with heated brandy set aflame as it is
brought to the table.
The drink most commonly associated with Christmas is egg nog,
a rich mixture of milk, eggs, sugar and brandy. It is served in
small mugs and generally inspires a “Merry Christmas” toast.
The Christmas spirit is expressed in many charitable ways.
Religious, civic and social organizations, as well as philanthropic
individuals, see to it that the poor, the unfortunate, the or­
phans, the sick, the lonely and the elderly are remembered with
gifts and festive food. The Salvation Army, a religious philanthropic
organization, is perhaps the best known for remembering the poor.
The sight of the uniformed members standing beside their kettles
in the crowded city streets and the sound of their little bells
that solicit donations to help the needy have become a part of the
traditional Christmas scene.
Understanding the story
Questions:

Part I

1. Where did Francie live?
2. Was she born to a well-to-do family? How large was the
family?
3. What things did Francie enjoy most of all in her life?
4. How did the children of Brooklyn mark the 4th of July?
5. Was Halloween much fun?
6. Which holiday did Francie consider to be the greatest?
7. What were the customs of Election Day in Brooklyn?
8. What were Francie’s father’s politics?
9. Did mother share father’s political ideas?
10. What did mother do on Ladies Day? Did she believe that her
visits would do any good?
11. Why did Brooklyn children always remember Thanksgiving Day
with tenderness?
109

12. Did the grown-ups try to make Thanksgiving Day a real
holiday for the children?
13. What was Francie’s first organized lie?
14. Why did Francie tell a lie?
15. Did the teacher suspect anything when she gave Francie a
pumpkin pie?
16. What was the teacher’s advice?

Part II
1. What were the hints of coming Christmas in Brooklyn?
2. What things did Francie admire in the store windows?
3. How did the poor in .Brooklyn get a Christmas tree? What was
the custom of the area?
4. How old were Francie and Neely when they had their first try
for the tree? Were they brave?
5. Was it hard for the children to get the tree?
6. Could the tree man give the children the Christmas tree for
nothing in return? Why didn’t he do it?
7. Was it an easy job to bring the tree home?
8. Did the children decorate the tree? Where did they keep it?
9. What Christmas gifts did the children get?
10. Where did Francie tell her second great lie? Under which
circumstances did she do it?
11. Why did none of the children present at the party claim the
doll?
12. Why did Francie cry at the party?
13. Why was she ashamed?
14. Why didn’t Francie tell her mother the truth of how she had
got the doll?
15. Did Francie have any pangs of conscience?
16. How was everything settled?
17. Did Francie use her teacher’s advice to write a story when
she wanted to tell a lie?
Role plays
1. Mr. and Mrs. Nolan. Mr. and Mrs. Nolan are discussing election
in America. Mr. Nolan is an ardent supporter of the Democrats.
Mrs. Nolan is sceptical.
You’re Mr. Nolan. You’re explaining to your wife that the Democrat­
ic Party does a lot of good for the people in the community. You
enumerate all the benefits the party gives in exchange for a vote.
You’re going to the polls on the Election Day. It’s your duty.
You’ll do it willingly. You don’t think that one day women’ll get
the right to vote. Their duty is to look after the house, children
and husband, but if they get this right you and your wife will
go to the polls hand in hand to vote for Democrats.

no

You’re Mrs. Nolan. You’re discussing elections with your husband.
You don’t believe in politics. Republicans or Democrats — what
difference do they make? They cheat the simple-hearted people
like your husband and live at their expense. They give absolutely
nothing in return. After the elections they forget their promises
until the next election campaign. When the day comes when
women’ll get the right to vote, women will send all the crooked
politicians behind the iron bars.
2. Francie and her teacher. The teacher asks Francie what she
has done with the pumpkin pie. Francie eagerly tells her story.
You’re Francie’s teacher. You see Francie coming into the class­
room. You stop her and ask how the poor family enjoyed the pump­
kin pie. You prompt her to encourage Francie to go on with her
story. Very soon you realize that Francie is telling a lie. You
understand very well what made her tell her first lie in the classroom
and you’re sorry for the girl. You aren’t angry. You explain
the difference between the lie and rich imagination. You also
advise Francie to write a story the next time she wants to tell
a lie.
You’re Francie. You’re telling your teacher a story how you
brought the pumpkin pie to a poor family and practically saved
the two pretty girls, the twins. You’re trying to make your story
interesting and give a very detailed account of your charitable
action. Then you see that you’ve gone too far. You stop and cry.
You ask the teacher not to write a letter to your home. You
listen to your teacher’s advice very attentively, promise not
to tell lies in the future. You like the idea of writing stories.
You would like to describe so many things!

TWOPENCE TO CROSS THE MERCEY

(By Helen Forrester)

Understanding the story
Questions:
1. How had the family been spending Christmas Eve before the
parcel arrived?
2. Was it a large family?
3. How can you prove that it was a very poor family?
4. Had they expected to get a Christrpas parcel?
5. What new problem did they face after they had discovered
the contents of the parcel?
6. Why did Mrs. Hicks pay them a visit?
7. Was it a “Merry Christmas” for them after all?
in

Role Play
Mrs. Hicks, Father and Mother. Mrs. Hicks is discussing tl
family’s problems with Mother and Father. Mrs. Hicks is fir
rather shy, then she gets more and more confident. Father ,
thankful for everything Mrs. Hicks has done for them. Mothe
is cool and reserved.
You’re Mrs. Hicks. You’ve come to congratulate your neighbour
on Christmas and give them presents. You’re poor as well an
your gifts are not very rich. Some of them you made yoursef
You put the gifts on the table and say a few words about eaq
of them. Then you see the parcel and ask some questions abot
its contents. You think it’s a good thing to send Christm^
presents to the needy, though you read in a newspaper thaif
there are some people who are against this practice. When you
discover that the family has no oven to cook the turkey in you
eagerly offer your help.
You’re Father. You’re very thankful to Mrs. Hicks for her gifts;
The gloves and pullovers are just the things the children need,
You admire everything you’re given. Then you give explanations
about the Christmas parcel and examine its contents. You’re very
happy that you may use Mrs. Hick’s oven. When the turkey is
roasted, you’ll enjoy the best of Christmas!
You’re Mother. You’re very tired and probably sick. You don’t
share your family’s enthusiasm. During the visit of Mrs. Hicks
you mostly keep silent. When you speak you do it slowly and re­
luctantly. You thank Mrs.' Hicks for her gifts. It’s very kind
of her to remember them all. .But you don’t think you’ll be able
to cook the turkey. You have neither the knife to cut it and
stew on the fireplace nor the oven to cook it in.
THE SLIMMER OF THE FALCON
(By Jean Craighead George)

Understanding the story
Questions:

2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
112

Part I
Did June enjoy being a teenager?
Why did she envy boys?
What did June’s mother do to make her think differently?
What pet was June given as a present?
How did June like her new pet? What name did she give it?
What was June’s new responsibilities now that she had a
falcon?

7. How long did they keep the falcon before they started to
jesse it?
8. Why did June worry about the falcon when her brothers were
jessing it?
9. Was it a hard job to train the falcon?
10. What was June’s first success in training the falcon?
11. Was father satisfied with June’s success?
12. What were June’s methods of training?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Part II
Did the idea of running the house make June happy? Why?
Did June do her best to make a good housekeeper?
What difficulties did she meet? Did she manage to overcome
the difficulties? Did her brothers co-operate?
Did June find the time to train Zander?
What things did June manage to.teach the falcon?

Role Plays

1. June and Mother. Mother is giving June instructions in how
to run the house during their absence. June is eagerly listening
to her.
You’re June. You listen to your mother’s instructions very attentive­
ly. First you’re reluctant to take over your mother’s duties
about the house. You envy the boys who are free from chores.
Chores are dull and uninteresting. You need the time to train
your falcon. Still, you realize that your parents need the rest
and agree to take care of the house and your brothers. You
want to know what food to cook. You’re sure you’ll manage after
all.
You’re June’s mother. You call June to tell her that you and
father are taking a trip to the South. June is old enough to run
the house while you’ll be away. She’ll have to do the cooking
and cleaning the house. And to take care of her brothers as well.
She’ll be very busy and have plenty of work on her hands, but
one must start one day. When June has learned to do chores very
well they’ll manage to save the time for fun. Gradually she’ll
learn a lot about chores and when she’s married and has children
she’ll be pleased to take care of them. Then you give instructions
about the meals.
2. June and her brothers. Charles and Don are having dinner.
June is flying about the kitchen, trying to do everything prop­
erly. Charles and Don are sitting at the table, waiting for their
meals.
You’re June. You’re very tired. Cooking has given you a headache.
You look into the stove to see if the meat is ready. You forgot
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to put knives on the table. You take a plate and accidentally
drop it on the floor. While doing ail these things you keep
talking. You tell your brothers that Zander flew on her own and
obeyed you completely. You wish you could live in the fields
with Zander and eat worms and grasshoppers. They don’t need being
cooked, and cooking takes too much of your time and energy.
You’re awfully sorry that the meat is inedible. You’ve put too
much garlic into it. The cake is no better. It’s burnt. Then
you see that you haven’t peeled the potatoes. You rush to peel
them. You don’t want your brothers to be hungry. You are too
tired to go to a cafe, you would rather stay at home.
You’re Charles. You’re starving. You ask June to give you a big
slice of roast meat. While waiting for your meat you tell June
what wonderful pictures you’ve made in the field. You’ve made a
picture of Zander in the sky and in the grass eating a mouse.
You’ll send the pictures to the newspaper and probably get a
prize. You try the meat, but can’t swallow it. There’s too much
garlic in it. You may have some boiled potatoes instead. If June
hasn’t peeled them there’s no need to worry. You’ll all go to a
cafe and have a good dinner there.
You’re Don. You’re dying of hunger. You don’t see knives on the
table and tell June to give you a knife. You think it would be
nice to have a cup of tea with the cake. You are fond of cakes.
Your mum always cooks such tasty cakes! You helped Charles to
make pictures of Zander. Zander was wonderful. You smell some­
thing burning in the stove. It must be the cake! What a pity!
It’s burnt all over! You insist on going to the cafe at once.
HENRY REED’S JOURNEY
(By Keith Robertson)

Information:
San Francisco
No city in the USA has more glamour than San Francisco.
It is situated on a peninsula which is bounded on the north and
east by San Francisco ,Bay, on the south by wooded hills and
valleys and on the west by the Pacific. It has a magnificent,
landlocked harbour.
San Francisco has suffered much from earthquakes and fires —
one of the worst being the great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906,
but it has emerged triumphant from them, retaining its romantic
cosmopolitan character. The new city is much larger than the
old, but it still has its picturesque Chinatown and it still
gives an impression of gaiety, lavishness and adventure. It has
over 775,000 inhabitants. Of its many industries oil refining,
and sugar refining are among the most important.
114

Understanding the story
Questions:
1. Why did Henry come to San Francisco?
2. What kind of trip was Henry going to make?
3. What presents did Henry bring to Midge and her mother?
4. What present did he wish he could give to Midge?
5. Was Henry fond of Midge? How had he come to know her?
6. Why did Henry write a journal? What kind of book was he
going to write? Why did he think he ought to write a travel
book?
7. Did he want Midge to contribute to writing travel book?
8. How did the children plan to spend the afternoon?
9. What adventure did they have at the conference?
Role Plays
1. Henry and Midge. Henry is planning his travel book. Midge is
eager to co-operate.
You’re Henry. You’re very happy that Midge’s parents have invited
you to take this trip with them. Hie trip is sure to be very exciting.
You’ll see many interesting places on your way across the
country. You’re well-equipped for the journey. You’ve bought
many travel books but you like none of them. They give no useful
information. You’ll write a good travel book which will inform
the readers of really important things. You don’t want Midge to
write in your travel book. You don’t want a woman’s ideas.
You give Midge a present: a hammered Indian bracelet your
mother bought for her in Manila. Midge would have liked the
shrunken head you got for her much better, but your mother
didn’t let you take it.
You’re Midge. You’re happy that Henry is coming with you. You
remember the wonderful time you spent together last summer. The
summer was full of adventures! You hope that this summer will
also be exciting. Henry is always full of ideas and wonderful
plans. You dislike the travel books, too. Henry will write a
really good travel book. You’re eager to write into it, too.
Why should you write about clothes? You don’t care for clothes.
You’ll write about luna parks, zoos, ice-cream and candy.
You gasp delightedly when you see a wonderful bracelet
Henry has brought for you. You’ll wear it ail the time and never
take it off. When you hear about the shrunken head you give another
gasp. You hope to go to Manila and have a look at it one day.
2. Henry and Midge. Henry and Midge are remembering the adven­
ture at the conference of chemists.
You’re Henry. You never realized poodles are so intelligent and
industrious. Amy must have trotted back and forth at least 30
115

times’ Why does she need so many shoes? You wish you had a dog
like that. You would, teach her many wonderful tricks. You’re
sorry for the women who found themselves without shoes. The
situation was really awkward. It was kind of Doctor Allison to
take charge.
You’re Midge. You consider the situation at the conference very
funny. You had never laughed like that before. You wonder what
the women who had lost their shoes would have done if Henry and
you hadn’t made your announcement.
HEAVENLY HOST

(By Isaak Asimov)

Understanding the story
Questions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

Part I
What’s the time of action described in the story?
Who was Jonathan Derodin?
On which planet was he born?
Had he ever visited the Earth?
What was Jonathan’s mother? What kind of work did she do?
Where were Jonathan and his mother planning to spend
Christmas?
What did the folder say about the planet Anderson Two?:
How did Jonathan spend his spare time on the planet Anderson
Two while his mother was busy at the conference?
What things did he see on the planet?
What incident .did Jonathan witness in the field? What di
the Wheel look like?
How did Jonathan communicate with the Wheel?
Did Jonathan and the Wheel make friends?
Part II

1. How did the Wheels communicate with each other?
2. Did the Wheels have feelings similar to those of people
3. Did the Wheels consider people to be rational beings? Dil
people believe that the Wheels were intelligent?
4. Were people and the Wheels on friendly terms?
5. Why could Jonathan understand Jellger and failed to unde
stand his mother?
6. Why did Caradoc insist that Jonathan shouldn’t approach t
Wheels?
7. What ideas did he try to impose on Mrs. Derodin?
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Role Plays
1. Jonathan and Jellger. They greet each other and have a friend­
ly talk.
You’re Jellger. You greet Jonathan, tell him your name and ask
him his name. You saw him saving,Br о wn,BIue. Your mother doesn’t
let you approach the sound-things but you’re sure that Jon will
do you no harm. He’s friendly, not hostile. Then you explain to
Jonathan how the Wheels communicate, how they live on their planet
and how dangerous the sound-things who have killed many of the
Wheels are.
You’re Jonathan. You’re puzzled to hear the words of the little
Wheel somewhere in your mind. You tell the Wheel your name. Then
you explain why you’re here and what your mother is doing on the
planet. You hope that people’ll stop colonizing the planet and
won’t do any more harm to the native life. It’s fun to speak to
Jellger like that!
2. Jonathan and his mother. Jonathan is eager to see the plartet
Anderson Two. Mother is worrying about the conference where
she is to make a report.
You’re Jonathan. You’re glad that the quarantine time is over
and you may have a stroll on the planet. You want to explore it.
You’ve read in the folder that there are hills and fields on
the planet, crystals that are like the Earth plants and the
rocks that are like animals. The folder also says about Wheels,
but it’s not clear if they are intelligent or not. You wish you
could see a Wheel. You want to help your mother to make a con­
clusion about colonizing the planet.
YouTe Mrs. Derodin, Jon’s mother. You’re anxious about the con­
clusion you must make about the presence of intelligent life on
the planet. You’ve read that Wheels communicate with flash lights
in varying colours at various intervals. If Wheels aren’t in­
telligent people will start colonization. You don’t want to make
hasty decisions. You permit your son to explore the planet
as you’re sure it isn’t dangerous. It’s kind of Jonathan to wish
to help you.
3. Jellger, young Wheel and his mother Pink. Jellger is convinc­
ing his mother that a small sound-thing wasn’t dangerous. Mother
Pink is very anxious that Jellger might have been in danger.
You’re Jellger. You’re trying to comfort your mother who’s very
nervous. You were not in danger. The small sound-thing didn’t
intend to destroy you. He was friendly and nice. His name was
Jonathan. He’s from the planet called Earth. He could tele-flash,
it was fun to talk to him. You’re sure sound-things are intelli­
gent. Jonathan can do something to save the planet from destruc­
tion. You hope you’ll see more of him and make friends with him.
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You’re mother Pink. You’re sure that your son was in danger
when he was standing near a small sound-thing. All sound-things
are hostile. They’re bringing death and destruction to your
planet. One day they’ll kill all of you and occupy the whole of
the planet. They’ll make the planet green. You hate the colour.
It’s the colour of death. You’ve told your son more than once
that he should keep away from the green place of the sound­
things. That sound-thing might have had an exploder.
You’re doubtful that the small sound-things can tele-flash.
You don’t believe that they are intelligent. Thinking beings
can’t destroy, and the sound-things are always destroying life.
Therefore they must be unthinking. Your son is telling stories.
He’s imagined all these things.
4. Jonathan, Mrs. Derodin and Caradoc. Jonathan is trying to
convince the grown-ups that the Wheels are intelligent. Mrs.
Derodin is doubtful, Caradoc is indignant.
i
You’re Jonathan. You saw Caradoc trying to kill a Wheel with
his blaster. You think it’s a crime. Wheels are intelligent. They
communicate with flashes, they think, they are aware of the
danger people are bringing to them. You communicated with small
things, but you can’t explain how. You just heard his words in
your mind. He was a nice creature. People have no right to settle
on the planet. It belongs to the Wheels.
You’re Caradoc. You want Mrs. Derodin to write a conclusion
that there is no intelligent life on the planet Anderson Two.
No time should be wasted. The sooner people settle their colo­
nies on the planet, the better. You explain the plans of colo­
nization. Jonathan has a galloping imagination. He must have
read a lot of science fiction books. His story is nothing but
a tale. Mrs. Derodin shouldn’t let Jonathan leave the base and
wander in the fields.
You’re Mrs. Derodin. You doubt that your son is telling stories.
He’s a reasonable boy. You’ve always trusted him. You’ll have
to explore the planet yourself very carefully before you make a
decision about whether the life forms are intelligent or not. The
consequences of a hasty decision might be very serious.

THE UNICORN-STONE

Information:
Unicorn

(ВУ Caroline Baxter)

The unicorn is a fabulous beast, usually having the head
and the body of a horse, the hind legs of an antelope, the tail
of a lion, and its chief feature is a long sharp horn, set in
the middle of its forehead.
118

The medieval conception of the unicorn is that it possessed
great strength and fierceness. As a decoration on drinking cups,
the figure of the unicorn symbolized the ancient belief in the
efficacy of the unicorn’s horn against poison. In the court
ceremonials of France as late as 1780 instruments of “unicorn’s”
horn were still used for testing the royal food for poison.

Understanding the story
Questions:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Part I
What kind of school was Lucy in? Was it a good school?
Did Lucy make friends with anyone at school? Why?
Did Lucy do well at school? Did she want to do better?
Were Lucy and Mrs. Acidulation on friendly terms?
Why did Mrs. Acidulation dislike Lucy?
Why did Lucy run into the wood?
What did Lucy find in the hut?
What did Lucy do with the stone?

Part II
1. What was the first thing Lucy did in the morning?
2. Had maths been a hard job for Lucy before? Was it hard that
very morning?
3. Was Mrs. Acidulation satisfied with Lucy’s work? Did she show
her satisfaction?
4. What impulse did Lucy have when she saw the unicorn through
the window?
5. Why did Mrs. Acidulation scream?

Role play

Mrs. Acidulation and Lucy. Mrs. Acidulation is very much dissatis­
fied with Lucy’s work. Lucy feels very unhappy.
You’re Mrs. Acidulation. You’re angry with Lucy. She’s making
very little progress at school. She should make more effort, but
instead she’s inconsistent and absent-minded. She’s always day­
dreaming at the lessons. Her answers are idiotic. You’ll have to
write a letter to Lucy’s parents and inform them of the situation.
Lucy gets a bad mark. She must stay after classes and do the work
again.
You’re Lucy. Mrs. Acidulation is right. You weren’t listening
to her, you were day-dreaming. You can’t do maths, each time
you start doing maths your imagination carries you away and you
see wonderful pictures of far-off lands, animals and beautiful
friendly people. Are you really an idiot? Can anybody help you?
119

You’ll try to concentrate and make more effort. You ask Mrs.
Acidulation not to write letters home. Your parents would be very
angry. They’re always angry when you’re day-dreaming.

TERRAF1ED
(By Arthur Tofte)
Understanding the story
Questions:

Part 1
1. Who was Dor? Where did she live? What did she look like?
2. Under which circumstances did Dor meet the people from the
Earth?
3. What did this meeting mean for her?
4. How did Dor behave on board the spaceship? What did she
keep thinking about and worrying about?
5. Were the people kind to her?
6. Why did the people take Dor to Earth?
7. What things about Earth life did Dor learn from Captain
Cahorn?
8. Why did Captain Cahorn decide to take Dor to his home?

Part II
1. Who was Bob? How did he try to amuse Dor?
2. Did Dor like the Captain’s family and the things she saw in
the city?
3. What amusements on the Earth shocked and puzzled Dor?
4. What were the people’s plans concerning Tyrox?
5. What role was Dor supposed to play in this plan?
6. How did Dor carry out the task imposed on her?

Role Plays
1. Dor and Captain Cahorn. Dor is worrying about her present
situation. Captain Cahorn is explaining why Dor was taken
prisoner.
You’re Dor. You wonder why you’ve been taken prisoner. You want
the Captain to send you back to Tyrox. Your parents must be
worrying about you. You want to communicate with them, and you
think it’s possible because you’ve learnt the ship’s controls.
You give the description of Tyrox and its life and ask the Captain
a lot of questions about Earth. You’re doubtful that the Captain’s
children will like you. You look so different from Earth people.
You’re Captain Cahorn. You’re amazed how quickly Dor has learned
120

the language of the people. You hope that she finds the space­
ship comfortable and that people are kind to her. It’s surprising
that Dor has learned the control system of the ship. She must be
a very bright girl. By Earth standards she’s a genius. Dor will
communicate with tier planet. You ask Dor many questions about
Tyrox and answer her questions about Earth life. You also explain
why Dor has been taken prisoner and where she’ll live on the
Earth. You hope she’ll like your family.
2. Dor and Bob. Dor is frightened by everything she sees on the
Earth. ,Bob gives his explanations and tells Dor about the mission
imposed on her.
YouTe Dor. It’s hard for you to imagine how people could have
polluted the Earth so quickly and so terribly. You’re comparing
the Earth with Tyrox. You’re sure that such things are impossible
on your planet because the people there are taking care of
nature. The amusements and games of the people seem rough to
you. You’re sure you’ll never be happy here. When you come to
know about the plan to send you to Tyrox you pretend that you
agree to it.
You’re Bob. You describe the life on Earth, the pollution of the seas,
oceans and air and ask questions about Tyrox. The life on Tyrox
must be very happy. You’re very much excited with the car
race and football game you’ve seen on TV. It seems to you
strange that Dor doesn’t share your enthusiasm. Then you tell
Dor a secret: the plan to colonize Tyrox and send Dor with the
first ship. You make Dor promise to keep the secret.

THE TREE IN THE MEADOW
(By Caroline Baxter)
Understanding the story

Questions:
1. Why did the people living near the meadow decide to have the
elm tree chopped down?
2. Who was the first to know that the elm was dying?
3. Who convinced Miss Mortlock to hire the handymen to fell the
tree?
4. Which of Mr. Scarr’s family got interested in the tree?
5. Whom did Ricky tell about the elm? Why did he do it?
6. Was it easy for Ricky to get the information about the fall?
7. What thing made Ricky realize that there were some prepara­
tions for the fall?
8. At what time did the children plan to see the fall?
9. Who felled the elm?
121

10. Did anybody see the boys felling the tree? Did any of the
grown-ups try to stop the boys?
11. Were any of the boys hurt?
12. Did Ricky get back to school in the afternoon?
13. Who was more angry with Ricky, his mother or father?
14. What did the boys do the next day after the fall?
15. Did the boy have much fun in the meadow?
16. Did Ricky feel happy when he was going home? Did the happy
feeling last?

Role Plays
1. Ricky and Bones Jones. Ricky is trying to please .Bones Jones
and get him interested. Bones Jones is at first sceptical, then
gets excited with the idea to see the fall of the tree.
You’re Ricky. You tell Bones Jones that they are going to fell
the old elm tree. Many people, Mrs. Mortlock and your mother,
seem to be very sorry about the tree. They have always seen
it in its place. They say the old elm is a part of their life.
Still after the branch of the elm had fallen on the farm truck
Mrs. Mortlock agreed to have it felled. You find out the time of the
fall and inform the boys about it.
You’re .Bones Jones. You don’t know Mrs. Mortlock and you don’t
understand which elm Ricky is talking about. You don’t care
whether the tree is in its place or is felled down. Still it
may be fun to watch the work of the handymen. Ricky will tell
you about the time of the fall and you and the boys will go
and see it.
2. Ricky and his mother. Ricky comes back after the games near
the fallen tree, and he’s very much satisfied with himself.
Mother is very sad. She’s trying to explain to Ricky that the elm
tree was very important for them all.
YouTe Ricky. You’re sorry that Mum was worrying about you. You
weren’t far away. You were having fun with .Bones Jones and his
gang near the trunk of the elm. There is nothing left from the
elm but the trunk. It’s hard to imagine it huge and strong the
way it used to be. You’re surprised to see that mother is so unhappy
about the tree. You had never thought that the elm was so
important to her. It was but a tree.
You’re Ricky’s mother. You were worrying about Ricky. It’s
already dark and you didn’t know where he was. You’re surprised
that Ricky played silly games near the tree trunk. You’ve never
liked Bones Jones and you don’t want Ricky to make friends with
him. Ricky should be ashamed! The tree has always been near him,
it was like a friend. They woke up in the morning to see it light
green in spring, dark green in summer, yellow inc autumn
and bare in winter. It was beautiful in all the seasons. You
122

remember the time when rooks made nests on the tree’s branches
and made the elm alive and joyful. Now that the elm is dead you’ll
always be aware of the emptiness on the meadow.
Материал для осуществления речевого взаимодействия
в процессе дискуссии, диспута, ролевой игры

L Для ведущего
The purpose of today’s meeting is to make up our minds on/to reach
a decision on...
The subject of today’s meeting is...
On the agenda today is...
Today we are going to talk about...
Who’d like to begin to start the ball rolling?
What opinion do you stick to?
What do you think, M.?
I wonder if you’d like to comment, M.?
Стимулирование дискуссии:
Would you agree with that attitude?
That’s interesting, but I think, M. may have a different point
of view.
Направление дискуссии в нужное русло:
Perhaps we could go back to the main point.
That’s very interesting, but I’m afraid it’s not just to the point.
Подведение итогов дискуссии:
Can I go over the main points raised? First, many of you
think...
In conclusion I’d say that...
We all agreed to...
We’d better agree to differ...
2. Для учащихся — участников дискуссии
Выяснение деталей/уточнение мнений:
Could you be more specific about...?
Do you mean...?
I don’t follow your... What do you mean by...?
•If I understand you right...
Can you prove that...?
Could you give us some more facts (figures) to back that up,
please.
Before you/we go any further, I’d like to be quite clear about...
123

Выражение точек зрений по проблеме:
Well, I’d like to say that...
First of all I want to say that...
My feelings about... Well, my attitude has always been that...
I’d like to raise the problem of...
May I make the point about...? What I think is...
I think it’s important to consider the question of...
If I could say a word about...
Убежденность в чем-либо:
I’m convinced that...
It’s quite clear to me that...
Anybody can see that...
I’m certain that...
You can’t deny that...
I’m going to concentrate on the main points. First..., then...,
and finally...
Несогласие, выраженное в мягкой форме:
That’s an interesting point of view, but I’m not sure that...
I agree with you on the whole, but it could be said that...
I’m not sure I go along with you on that.
Выдвижение решающих аргументов:
Let’s look at the whole question from a realistic point of view.
That’s all very well, but you’ve got to take into account...
Let’s face facts.
Стремление поддержать чью-либо точку зрения:
I agree whole-heartedly with what M. just said.
That’s just what I think. I’ll go along with that point of view.
I think, M. has made a very interesting point there.
I believe there’s a lot of truth in that argument.
I think there’s a lot to be said for...
I found that a very convincing argument.
I’d like to support M.’s point of view about...
Просьба подумать:
Well, let me see...
Well, now...
Oh, let me think for a moment...
It’s difficult to give you an exact answer..., but...
I’m not too sure but...
3. Для стимулирования высказываний учеников
Confirmation
1. Good.
Yes.
124

Right.
Right you are.
Fine.
Quite right.
Note: These phrases merely indicate that the pupil’s answer
was correct. ‘Good’ does not necessarily t suggest a brilliant
answer, just that the teacher is acknowledging what the pupil said.
2. That’s the way.
That’s quite right.
That’s right.
Yes, you’ve got it.
That’s it.
You’ve got the idea.
That’s correct
3. Excellent.
Marvellous.
Magnificent.
Very good.
Fantastic.
Well done.
That’s nice.
You made a very good job of that.
I like that.
Note: These phrases are rewards for outstanding1 answers.
4. That’s perfectly correct.
There’s nothing wrong with your answer.
What you said was perfectly all right.
You didn’t make a single mistake.
That’s exactly the point.
That’s just what I was looking for.
I couldn’t have given a better answer myself.

5. No, that’s wrong.
Not really.
Unfortunately not.
I’m afraid that’s not quite right.
You can’t say that, I’m afraid.
You can’t use that word here.
Good try, but not quite right.
6. Could be.
It depends.
It might be, I suppose.
In a way, perhaps.
Sort of, yes.
Encouragement
1. That’s better.
That’s more like it.
That’s a bit more like it.
2. Try it again.
Have another try.
Not quite right. Try again.
You were almost right that time.

That’s much better.
That’s a lot better.
You’ve improved a little.
You’ve almost got it.
You’re on the right lines/track.
There’s no need to hurry.
There’s no hurry.
125

Al most right.
Not exactly.
That’s almost it.

Go on. Have a try.
Have a guess if you don’t know.

3. You read quite well.
You have a very good pronunciation.
You sound very English.
You speak/read very fluently.
You have made a lot of progress.
You still have some trouble with your spelling.
You find it difficult to read aloud.
Reading aloud is difficult for you.
You need some more practice with these words.
You’ll have to spend more time practising this.
You’re getting better at it all the time.
You’ve improved no end.
Grumbling
1. That wasn’t very good.
That was rather disappointing.
Come on, now!
I wasn’t very satisfied with that/the way you did that.
2. You can do better than that.
Come on, can’t you do any better than that?
There’s room for improvement there all right!
Try harder.
A bit more effort.
Come on, wake your ideas up.
Put a bit of life into it.
3. I hope you do it better next time.
When you try this again, I. shall expect you to...
The next time we do this, I want you all to...
From now on there will be no interrupting.
Choices
1. Who wants to come out?
Who would like to write on the blackboard?
Who wants to change the pictures?
Anybody willing to clean the board for me?
2. Which team do you want to be in?
Do you want to be in Bill’s team?
Which group would you like to join?
Is there anybody in particular you would like to work with?
3. Which topic would you like to take?
Which subject do you want to work on?
Is there a particular topic you are interested in?
I’ll leave it up to you to pick your topic.
126

СОДЕРЖАНИЕ
Предисловие.......................................................................... .
Планирование
.....................................................
Тексты для обучения аудированию..................................... 29
Задания для текущего контроля............................................ 73
Задания для итогового контроля......................................82
Материалы к текстам «Книги для чтения» .....

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