HOW SHE KILLED A TIGER
After M. Saki
Mrs Packletide came to India and she was eager to kill a tiger. She told her companion Miss Mebbin: "When I go back to England I'll take the tiger-skin with me. Imagine what a wonderful lunch-party I'm going to give in my London house — with the tiger-skin lying on the floor! And I'm thinking to give a present of the tiger-claws to Loona Bimberton on her next birthday." Miss Mebbin knew very well that Packletide hated Loona and she was always glad to do something to make her angry.
Now Mrs Packletide was ready for the shooting. A special platform was built in a tree. Mrs Packletide together with her companion climbed there, taking their guns. A goat was tied to another tree at some distance. "Aren't we in any danger here?" Miss Mebbin said. "No," said Mrs Packletide. "It's a very old tiger. He cannot jump up here even if he wants to."
"You paid two hundred pounds for this platform. Couldn't you get it cheaper? Two hundred is a lot of money!"
Their talk was interrupted4 by the coming of the tiger. The tiger saw the goat and lay flat on the ground, preparing to jump. Mrs Packletide shot her gun, and the tiger jumped up and fell on the ground, dead. In a moment a crowd gathered around the dead animal. Mrs Packletide was happy. Now the lunch in her London house seemed quite near. Suddenly Miss Mebbin noticed that the goat had a bullet-wound in its side and there were no wounds on the tiger.
"You have killed the wrong animal, and the tiger died of a heart-attack when it heard the shot," Miss Mebbin told her companion.
She was right. That was the truth, but Mrs Packletide did not like to discuss it with anyone. The villagers believed that she had killed the tiger. Many photographers came and they took a lot of pictures. Loona Bimberton refused to look at newspapers for many weeks after that. She also refused to go to Mrs Packletide's lunch-party. "It is very funny when everyone learns the truth," Miss Mebbin said a few days after the lunch-party.
"What do you mean?" Mrs Packletide asked quickly.
"I mean that you shot the goat and frightened the old tiger to death," Miss Mebbin said with a laugh.
"No one will believe it," Mrs Packletide said and her face became red.
"Loona Bimberton will," Miss Mebbin said.
"But you aren't going to discuss it with my friends, are you?"
"Well", Miss Mebbin spoke after a while, "Yesterday I saw a very nice dress in a shop," Miss Mebbin continued to say, "but it's too expensive for me..."
1 skin- шкура
2 claw - коготь
3 to climb - залезать, взбираться
4 to interrupt - прерывать
5 bullet-wound' ['bulit'wund] — пулевое ранение
6 heart-attack - инфаркт, сердечный приступ
7 to refuse - отказываться
COMPREHENSION EXERCISES
Ex. 1. Answer the questions.
1. Why did Mrs Packletide come to India?
2. How did the women prepare for the shooting?
3. What did the tiger do when he saw the goat?
4. Did Mrs Packletide kill the goat or the tiger?
5. Who believed that Mrs Packletide killed the tiger?
6. Why didn't Loona Bimberton come to the lunch-party?
7. What did Miss Mebbin want for the secret?
Ex. 2. Say if the statements are true to the text "How She Killed a Tiger" or false.
1.Mrs Packletide liked adventures.
2. Loona was Mrs Packletide's best friend.
3. The tiger was old and not dangerous.
4. Mrs Packletide was a good hunter.
5. There were pictures of Mrs Packletide and the dead tiger in newspapers.
6. Loona was angry.
7. Miss Mebbin was going to tell the truth.
Ex. 3. Put the statements in the order they come in the text "How She Killed a Tiger."
1.Mrs Packletide had a party.
2. She was shooting from a platform.
3. The tiger was ready to jump.
4. Photographers took a lot of pictures.
5. Mrs Packletide did not like to discuss the truth with anyone.
6. The goat was tied to a tree not far from the platform.
7. Miss Mebbin wanted a dress for the secret.
Ex. 4. Choose the correct Russian translation,
1. She was eager to kill a tiger.
a) Она старалась убить тигра.
b) Она мечтала убить тигра.
c) Она очень хотела убить тигра.
2. in amoment
a) через некоторое время
b) в этот момент
c) в тот же момент
3. The lunch seemed quite near.
a) Ленч вскоре приближался.
b) Ленч казался рядом.
c) Казалось, ленч будет в недалеком будущем.
4....took a lot of pictures
a) взяли много фотографий
b) взяли много картин
c) много фотографировали
5....when everyone learns the truth
a) когда все знают правду
b) когда все узнают правду
c) когда каждый знает правду
BYRON
George Gordon Byron was born on January 22nd, 1788. When he was four years old, he was sent to a small school, not far from his home. He learned little there, repeating short words from a book. One of the teachers taught the boy to love history, especially Roman history. Byron's mother brought home from a library all the historical books about Rome and Greece. George read much more than the other schoolboys. "I read eating, read in bed, and have read all the time since I was five years old."
In 1801 Byron went to Harrow School. Harrow was not far from London. His first days at school were unhappy. He was lame1 and the children laughed at him. But soon Harrow boys were under the charm2 of Byron. He didn't learn much but he had much knowledge from the books.
In October 1805, Byron entered Trinity ['triniti] College, Cambridge. "I like college life very much," he wrote to his sister. At Cambridge Byron found a friend in John Hobhouse. From his childhood Byron wrote poems. When he graduated3 from the university on January 22nd, 1808, he said, "Now I will leave England to see other countries." From 1809 to 1811Byron travelled over Greece and other parts of Europe.
In 1816 Byron left England forever. Now he was a famous man. He again travelled over Europe and went to Greece where he fought for the independence of that
country. In 1824 he fell ill with fever5 and died in Greece, far from his motherland.
On July 1st, 1824 a ship, "the Florida", brought Byron's body home to England. The famous poet was buried6 at the place of his birth near Newstead ['nju'sted].
COMPREHENSION EXERCISES
Ex.1 Answer the questions.
1. How old was Byron when he went to school?
2. What did he learn at school?
3. Where did Byron read?
4. Why did the children laugh at him at Harrow school?
5. When did he begin to write poems?
6. Where did Byron travel?
7. Where did he die?
Ex. 2. Say if the statements are true to the text "Byron" or false.
1. He went to a large school in London when he was four years old.
2. He liked to read books about adventures.
3. He studied hard at Harrow school.
4. He left England in 1916 forever.
5. He went to Italy.
6. He died in Greece in a battle.
7. The poet is buried in England.
Ex. 3. Say which periods of Byron's life these words characterise:
a) childhood;
b) university time;
c) older age.
was sent
learned very little
unhappy
laughed at him
were under his charm
repeated short words
travelled over
famous man
had much knowledge
fought for independence
found a friend
Ex. 4. Choose the correct Russian translation.
1....was sent...
a) послал
b) был послан
c) пошлёт
2....all the time
a) все время
b) во все времена
c) всё вовремя
3....forever
a) для всег<
b) навсегда
c) надолго
4....fell ill
a) упал
b) болел
c) заболел
A GREAT INVENTOR
When we think of telegraphy1, of gramophones2, of moving pictures3, we must remember the great inventor4 Tomas Alva Edison.
He was born in a little village in America in 1847. When he went to school, the teachers thought that he was stupid because he asked so many questions. The teachers were not very clever because they had to know that it is not a stupid child who asks questions but a clever one who wants to learn.
So, Edison's mother took him away from school and taught him at home. He soon learned to read, and what is more important, he learned to think. One of the first things that he went in for was chemistry. He made many experiments5 and soon knew a lot about chemistry.
Edison's parents were very poor and the boy had to work. When he was twelve, he began to sell newspapers and lived in a corner of a luggage van6. He kept his newspapers there. He had his little laboratory and library in this van. Once one of his bottles fell on the floor, broke, and set fire to the van. The master of the van was so angry with Thomas, that he not only put the boy off the van but also struck him on the head. After this Edison lost his hearing and soon became deaf7.
Deaf, without money and help, without home, he was very unhappy. One day he saw a little boy playing right in front of a coming train. Edison ran up to the child, caught him in his arms and so saved the little boy. The child's father was very thankful to Edison and wished to help him. He taught Edison telegraphy, and soon Edison became very good at getting and sending messages8. He worked as a telegraph clerk for some years in different parts of the United States, and he spent much time on the study of chemistry and electricity.
When he was twenty-two years old, he went to New York. He came to New York without any money, but he was a good telegraphist and was not afraid of the future. Like most inventors, Edison did not think much about money. He wished to find better ways of doing things.
Edison improved9 the electric lamp. He invented the machine that could "write sounds". That was the first gramophone. He also made a machine that showed "moving pictures": it was a kind of a box with a hole in front. When one looked into the hole and turned the wheel, one could see "a film", but the film lasted only for about twenty seconds, and only one man at a time could see it. Of course, those were not the moving pictures we see all over the world today, but Edison is famous for this invention, as well as for many others.
telegraphy - телеграф
gramophone - патефон, проигрыватель
moving picture - кино
inventor - изобретатель
experiment - опыт
luggage van - фургон
deaf - глухой
message - зд. телеграмма
improve - совершенствовать
COMPREHENTION EXERCISES
Ex.1 Answer the questions.
1. Where was Edison born?
2. Why did the teachers think that Edison was not clever?
3. What subject did he know best of all?
4. What did he do when he was twelve?
5. Why did the master of the van strike Edison on the head?
6. Who taught Edison telegraphy and why?
7. What machine did Edison invent?
Ex. 2. Say if the statements are true to the text "A Great Inventor" or false.
1.At school Edison asked a lot of questions.
2. His mother taught him at home.
3. He had a laboratory and library in his parents' house.
4. He became deaf at the age of twelve.
5. Edison was a good telegraphist.
6. He earned a lot of money in New York.
7. He invented the first gramophone.
Ex. 3. Add more information from the text "A Great Inventor" to the statements below.
1. Edison was not happy at school and had to leave it.
2. He knew a lot about chemistry.
3. At the age of twelve he began to work.
4. He became deaf.
5. He saved the little boy.
6. He worked in New York.
7. He invented the machine that could write sounds.
Ex. 4. Choose the correct Russian translation.
1.One of the first things that he went in for...
a) первая вещь, за которой он пошел
b) первое, чем он занялся
c) первое дело, которое к нему пришло
2....right in front of the coming train
a) справа от проходящего поезда
b) повернул направо перед проходящим поездом
c) прямо перед приближающимся поездом
3....became very good at...
a) стал хорошим
b) научился хорошо разбираться в...
c) узнал много хорошего о...
4. Like most inventors...
a) нравилось большинству изобретателей
b) как и большинство изобретателей
c) большинство изобретателей любили
5. Only one man at a time...
a) только один человек одновременно
b) только одному человеку на время
c) только один человек в данное время
THE PRINCES IN THE TOWER
The Tower of London was first planned and built in the 11th century within the Roman city walls. Its purpose1, as ordered by William the Conqueror2, was to protect3 and control the city. Since then it had, in turn, been a fortress4, a palace and a prison — the scene of murder5, execution, pageantry7 and years of solitory imprisonment8.
The Tower is one of England's finest castles and it is also one of the strongest and safest fortresses in Great Britain. So the Crown Jewels9 are kept there. It also has the finest collection of arms and armour in Britain and many other collections that display nine colourful centuries of British history.
Many people were murdered in the Tower as well. King Richard III murdered two little princes there. That's why one part of the Tower is called "The Bloody Tower".
The two young princes, Edward and Richard, were the sons of King Edward IV. When the king died in 1483, the elder of the two brothers, Edward, aged 13, became King Edward V. But two months later, Richard, who was the princes uncle and 'protector' sent the boys to the tower of London. This was in June. No one saw the two princes alive again. In the same month, Richard became King Richard III.
In 1674 some workmen in the Tower of London found the skeletons of two children under a staircase. Most historians think that they are the bones of the two young princes, Edward and Richard. Historians also believe that the boys died of suffocation11 and that their uncle Richard gave the order to murder them because he wanted to be king.
1 purpose ['p3.'p3s] — узел
2 William the Conqueror - Уильям Завоеватель
3 to protect - защищать
4 fortress - крепость
5 murder - убийство
6 execution - казнь
7 pageantry - пышное зрелище
8 solitary imprisonment - одиночное заключение
9 Crown Jewels - королевские драгоценности
10 armour - доспехи
11 suffocation - удушение
COMPREHENSION EXERCISES
Ex. 1. Answer the questions.
1. Who was the princes" father?
2. How old was Edward when he became king?
3. Who was the princes' 'protector"?
4. When did the princes disappear?
5. What did some workmen find in 1674?
6. Where did the workmen find them?
7. What do historians say about the princes death?
Ex. 2. Say if the statements are true to the text "The Princes in the Tower" or false.
1. The Tower has always been a fortress.
2. The Tower is a prison today.
3. Richard III was a good king.
4. He sent the princes to Westminster Abbey.
5. Richard III was the princes' father.
6. Workmen found the skeletons in the garden.
7. Historians believe the two princes died of an infection.
Ex. 3. Complete the sentences according to the text "The Princes in the Tower".
1. The Tower of London was built...
2. William the Conqueror wanted to...
3. The Tower of London is...
4. The two young princes...
5. Richard, who was the princes' uncle...
6. In 1674 some workmen...
7. Historians also believe that...
Ex. 4. Choose the correct Russian translation.
1.... within the Roman city walls.
a) с римскими городскими стенами. b) вокруг римских городских стен.
c) внутри римских городских стен.
2. … as ordered by
a) как было велено b) так было велено c) потому что было велено
3. aged 13
a) в возрасте 13 лет b) старше 13 лет c) выросший до 13 лет 4. The elder of the two brothers а) старше второго брата b) старший из двух братьев с) второй старший брат