51. to start in with his mother (colloq.) — to begin to talk with his mother (Russ. Начинать, заводить)
52. ambiguous — not clear, because there is a possibility of more than one interpretation
53. prowl cars — police cars specially equipped with shortwave radio telephone connection with the headquarters
54. a... woman in slacks airing a boxer — a... woman in wide, loose-fitting trousers taking a boxer for a walk (boxer — a short-haired dog of a German breed, Russ. боксер)
55. Venetian blinds — жалюзи "
56. swallow — believe something which is untrue
EXERCISES
Exercise I. Practise the pronunciation of the following a) words and b) word-combinations:
11 gangster, murderer, serious, ingenue, appendicitis, dial, vaguely, comedian, recess, suspect, obscurely, dangerous, disarm, crucial, technique, tangerine, refrigerator, linoleum, channel, mustache, cushion, foyer, perfume, patrol, pince-nez, bullet, counterspy, incomprehensible
Exercise II. Drills, a) Read and repeat; b) Use the structures in sentences of your own:
I. 1. He was the last to be chosen in games.
1 He was the first to hear the scream.
2 She was the second to leave the apartment.
3 Peter was the first to get up on Sunday.
II. 1. She looked as though (as if) she liad just come from the beauty parlour.
10 She screamed as if he had threatened to shoot her.
11 He ate grapes, seeds and all, as though he had made up his mind to oppose his mother..
a) He turned very pale, as if he had suddenly fallen ill.
2. 1. He was excused from writing on the blackboard.
20 She was excused from attending lectures.
21 He was excused from going on the excursion.
22 They were excused from writing the test.
3. 1. He kept listening for shots.
20 She kept complaining about the light in the living room.
21 He kept thinking of what he had seen.
22 He kept looking up at the windows of the apartment.
4. 1. She must have said that fifty times by now.
20 He must have threatened her with a pistol.
21 She must have cried for help.
22 She must have hammered on the front door.
23 She must have been frightened to death.
24 He must have lost his reason.
Exercise III. Replace the words In Italics by equivalents from the
text:
1. The killer was tried and punished. 2. All the Peters were kind of friends because of the history teacher. 3. Every time the teacher said Blaisdell needn't write on the blackboard Peter was very pleased. 4. Peter the Great's parents gave him all the money he wanted to make themselves pleasant to him. 5. She always spoke in a soft voice as though she was just going to laugh. 6. Mr. Chalmers wasn't wearing his glasses, and the little hair he had was mussed all over his head. 7. The vestibule looked just as it always did. 8. He knew he ought to get upstairs quickly with a suitable reason (explanation) for being out.
Exercise IV. Find in the text English equivalents for the following and use them in sentences of your own:
А)включить телевизор; смотреть телевизор; передавали довольно хорошую программу; переводить на другую программу (вертеть регулятор); рекламные передачи; была одна и та же передача по всем программам (каналам); выключить телевизор; оставить свет
C) вопить; сломать руку; рука на перевязи; освободить от чего-либо; не сгибать колени; быть бесстрашным; просто ради практики; вопрос техники; револьвер; пуля; целиться (в); угрожать; застрелить; отравить
B) лифт; лифтер; квартира; входная дверь; штора; жалюзи; захлопнуть окно; распахнуть дверь; жилой дом, где сдаются квартиры
Exercise V. Ask twenty questions about the text.
Exercise VI. Construct 8 statements that are not true to fact and ask the students to correct them. (See p. 147 Ex. VIII)
Exercise VII. Answer the following questions using words and expressions from the text:
1. What was happening on the screen Peter was watching? 2. How did Peter behave in his mother's absence? Why did he behave the way he did? 3. Why had Peter the Great become Peter's friend? 4. What sort of man was Peter going to be when he grew up? How did he practise being fearless? 5. What sounds did Peter hear in the middle of a pushup? What two voices could he clearly distinguish? 6. What sort of couple lived next door to Peter's flat? In what way were the Chalmers different that night from what they usually looked? 7. What was Peter's intention when he opened the door? 8. Why did Peter fail to be fearless? 9. What happened In the morning? 10. Why did Peter turn the set off after turning it on automatically? 11. What did he begin to understand after his night's experience?
Exercise VIII. A. Retell the story according to the following plan:
a) Peter watches the television programs.
b) The incident that helped Peter to win Peter the Great's admiration.
c) Peter trains himself to be strong and fearless.
d) Peter's neighbours, Mr. and Mrs. Chalmers.
e) A scream from the vestibule. Peter falls to show himself fearless.
f) Peter tries to find out what has happened in the Chalmers' apartment.
g) Peter meets the Chalmers in the doorway. The effect it has on his mind.
B. Retell the following episodes from the story using the given words and expressions:
a) Describe television programs:
to kill each other; to be shot; thrown off the roof; slowly poisoned; to be brought to justice; private detective; death by the knife; spy; two guns apiece; the FBI men; to leave corpses behind; television commercials; educational programs; comedians; all over the dial; to fiddle with the dial; on all the channels; to turn on (off) the set; to broadcast; there was a program on; scenes of threat and violence on the television set
2. Describe the episode that gave Peter a conscious feeling of confidence and pride in himself:
to weigh... pounds; to wear glasses; to be the last one to be chosen; to call out; so awfully funny; to do something pretty good for; on account of; responsible for each other; at recess; as if he was going to; to grab the cap; defeat; to show up; to duck; to hit on the top of the head; to fall to the ground yelling; to carry off; admiringly; you have to admit; in the sling; to be excused from; to hang around; divorced; to make up to; a feeling of confidence; was going to be a dangerous man; six feet tall; to develop his arms; to do pushups; to keep at it; to dive under the gun; to have quick reflexes; from now on; to practise being fearless; in the dark; just for practice
3. Describe the Chalmers before, after and during the night incident:
a scream came; the sound of fists beating (hammering) on the front door; to yell; a man's voice; like an animal (beast) in a cave; to growl; unreasonable; on her knees; to lean against; to point a gun (at); kind of fat; a pretty blond; soft and pink complexion; beauty parlor; soft voice; was about to laugh; strong smell of perfume; to wear pince-nez glasses; to be getting bald; would say; torn dress; black streaks; hair mussed all over his head; heavy pistol; to point at; get inside; to have on (a fur coat, a red hat with feathers); to hold open; to start walking past; arm in arm
4. Describe Peter daringly awake at midnight:
in front of the screen; to eat grapes; the seeds and all; to stare critically; if his mother were at home; fiddling with the dials; to grind the seeds; enjoy the solitude; to imagine himself hurling bottles at; didn't put on the light; you had to practise; in the dark; two tangerines; just for practice; to show his mother; he'd have turned off the set; not to waste time; to do pushups; to make sure; to look up at; to turn off the television; to look nervously around; to start walking slowly; to get a good look at himself; feeling the way he had felt; put out his hands; feinted with his eyes; put the uneaten grapes back; to turn on (leave on) the light; to throw into the fireplace; four tablespoons of magnesia; to get into bed; it was hard to tell; still awake; to start in with; what he was doing up at twelve o'clock; to keep listening (for); under the covers
Exercise IX. Use the following phrases in sentences of your own:
2. to put (turn, switch) on; to turn (switch) off the lights (the television set, the radio, the gas, etc.); to leave on the lights (the television, the radio set, the gas).
In the text:
He didn't put on the light in the kitchen.
He always turned on lights wherever he went.
Peter reached over and turned the set off.
Examples: a) Turn on the radio, please. There's going to be a musical program at six twenty, b) Don't turn off the gas (leave on the gas), I've got to boil the eggs.
3. to put (slam) shut; to push (throw, fling) open. In the text:
He saw a hand come out through the blind... and slam the window shut.
Then there was some more hammering..., and he threw the door open.
Examples: a) She drew the curtain and pushed the window open.
12 He flung the front door open and was gone in a jiffy.
13 She pulled the blinds shut and turned off the light.
1 wherever, whatever, whenever, whoever.
In the text: He always turned on lights wherever he went.
Examples: a) Show her in whenever she calls. I need her badly, b) Whatever she says, don't answer.
Exercise X. Add tail-questions to these sentences:
1. It's getting colder,...? 2. You left the light on in the kitchen,...? 3. Peter's mother was not at home,...? 4. There were four boys in the class with the same name,...? 5. He has been doing pushups this month,...? 6. Peter didn't worry about the fearless part,...? 7. Our heighbours are quiet,...? 8. It's a nice day today,...?
Exercise XI. Change these sentences as in b):
10 I must let her in.
11 I've got to let her in.
1. He must turn off the television set. 2. I must be fearless. 3. You have to help your friends. 4. We have to pull down the blinds. 5. I must sit up late.
Exercise XII. Change these sentences as in b):
1. She has probably said that fifty times by now.
2. She must have said that fifty times by now.
1. It seems certain he has left his wife. 2. I am sure mother has noticed the light in the kitchen. 3. There is no doubt the police have found out about the murder. 4. She was probably very pretty when a young girl.
Exercise XIII. Choose the correct word from those in brackets:
(hurl — throw — toss)
1. 1. She... the window open and looked out into the street. 2. The man opened the cage, reached inside and... the snow-white birds into the air. 3. He ducked and... a chair at the man with a pistol. 4. The woman stopped, felt in her pocket and... a penny to the beggar. 5. He put out his hands as though he expected somebody to... him something.
(kill — murder)
2. 1. An old lady was... for her pearls. 2. He was... in an accident. 3. I'll tell you exactly what he is trying to do: to... two birds with one stone. 4. "I'm afraid James has been...," said the girl breathing hard. "We must go there at once."
(old — elderly)
3. 1. The new teacher was an... lady with numorous wrinkles round her eyes. 2. Some day when I am quite..., I shall feel it terribly. 3. Some are... in heart at forty, some are young at eighty (proverb). 4. He is not..., I should say; he is an... gentleman in his late forties!
Exercise XIV. Topics for discussion:
a) Discuss the television programmes Peter used to watch and their effect on his mind.
b) Trace Peter's conduct throughout the story and try to account for it (Peter at school, Peter daringly awake at night, Peter tries to be fearless and fails).
c) Describe Mr. and Mrs. Chalmers. Imagine what happened before and after the scene in the vestibule.
d) Use the story as an illustration to the fact that grownups— parents and teachers — sometimes fail to understand the psychology of the children they have got to bring up.
e) Speak on the peculiarities of a teenager.
f) Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the television.
g) Tell a story in which a boy in his teens plays a considerable part.
h) Speak about a film the hero of which is a boy.
Exercise XV. Render In English:
«Летний вечер в нью-йоркском Сентрал-парке. К столбу прислонился подвыпивший (tipsy) мужчина. Медсестра катит по дорожке коляску, в которой сидит инвалид без ноги, с перевязанной головой. В руке у девушки сумка. Внезапно перед коляской появляется молодой человек, выхватывает сумку из рук медсестры и пытается бежать». Так в одном из номеров журнала «Штерн» (ФРГ) начинается репортаж о росте преступности среди американской молодежи. В данном конкретном случае, отснятом на пленку (fixed by а camera), грабитель обречен (is doomed). «Отрезвевший» в доли секунды (sobered in a fraction of a second) мужчина настигает преступника и вместе с подоспевшим инвалидом, уже с двумя ногами, надевает на него наручники (puts а pair of handcuffs on the man). Сестра (в действительности агент-мужчина) выхватывает пистолет, чтобы отогнать сообщников (accomplices) грабителя. Операция закончена».
Это одно из рядовых дел, совершенных специальной группой нью-йоркской полиции. Сейчас в такие группы, называемые «анти-крайм юнитс», входят 200 специально натренированных агентов. В среднем за сутки им удается арестовать на месте преступления (catch red-handed) 20 грабителей. Для 11-миллионного Нью-Йорка это капля в море. Согласно данным городской полиции, здесь орудуют 147 гангстерских банд, насчитывающих 19 тысяч человек.
Предпринимаемые полицией меры, какими бы радикальными и смелыми они ни казались, практически не достигают цели. Полиция воюет с преступниками, а не с преступностью — социальным явлением, имеющим глубокие корни в американском обществе.
Exercise XVI. a) Retell and comment on the text that follows;
a) Pay attention to the words and word-combinations below and use them in speaking on the text:
radio service, permanent background noise, to crack stale jokes, to hall, to boast, keen observer, to speak on behalf of, relevant (irrelevant) questions, to issue statistics, a special feature, to initiate, average American girl, unassuming, at a loss, unsolved problem, quiz programmes, radio-commentator, on the air, to take off the air, leftish tendencies, commercials, to interrupt a performance, ravishingly beautiful, irresistibly desirable, to pull down people to, intellectual level
b) Sum up the author's view of the United States radio programmes;
c) Find some points of resemblance between this text and Irwin Shaw's story "Peter Two".
d) Speak on some typical features of American Ò. V. and radio services.
Литература
1. Аракин В.Д., Селянин Л.И., Куценко А.В. и др.. «Практический курс английского языка», М- «Владос» 2001 год, 520 стр.
2. Голицынский Ю.Б. «Всемирно известные истории», С-П- «Каро» 2000 год, 144 стр.
3. Головчинская Л.С. «Англичане говорят так», М- «АСТ» 2000 год, 272 стр.
4. Зубанова О.В. «Учебное пособие по английской и американской литературе», М- «Менеджер» 1997 год, 224 стр.
5. А. Конан- Дойль, О. Генри, У.С.Моэм «Учебное пособие/ Составитель Т.П. Скорикова», М- «Менеджер» 2000 год, 192 стр.
6. Позднякова Л.Р. «История английской и американской литературы», Ростов н/Д- «Феникс» 2002 год, 320 стр.