Comprehension

Ex. I. Answer the following plot and character questions:

1.    Who are the main characters of the novel?

2.    Whom did Julia see passing through the room?

3.    What did she get to know about the visitor?

4.    Why did Michael and Julia decide to invite the young man to lunch?

5.    How did the young man feel when he was presented to Julia?

6.    Why didn’t Michael want the guest to be written in their book?

7.    How did Michael manage to become an actor? What engaged him to go on the stage?

8.    What did Michael use to do every morning?

9.    How many times did the young man see the play with Julia’s performance and why?

 

Ex. II. Find the passage in the text beginning with the words «He still had at fifty-two a very good figure...». Prepare good reading of it till the words «The secretary told me....» Translate it into Russian.

 

Ex. III. Find facts from Chapter 1 to support these statements:

1.    The young man admired Julia tremendously

2.    Julia’s room was the only room in the house in which she felt completely at home

3.    Michael was the best-looking actor on the English stage

 

Word study

Vocabulary Sheet:

at cost price   

to know smb inside and out  

to put smb at ease      

to bring smth over bodily      

to take weight off one’s mind          

as thin as a rail           

to set one’s mind on doing smth      

to serve the purpose well      

to turn people round one’s little finger         

to have the nerve to do smth

 

Ex. I. Find the expressions from the Vocabulary Sheet in the text, translate them into Russian and a) recall the sentences they are used in; b) use them in sentences of your own.

 

Ex. II. Find in the text the English equivalents for the following expressions:

вести счета;

по себестоимости;

дополнить слово жестом;

этого достаточно, чтобы поседеть;

слушать вполуха;

знать кого-либо очень хорошо;

навести порядок в чем-либо;

не иметь понятия, не знать;

ободрить, успокоить кого-либо;

сообщать скучные подробности;

привезти полностью, целиком;

снять груз с души;

идеальный вкус;

чувствовать себя комфортно;

худой как щепка;

решить твердо сделать что-либо;

сыграть свою роль удачно в каком-либо деле;

управлять, манипулировать людьми;

осмелиться сделать что-либо.

 

Ex. III. Find the synonym which suits the meaning of the words in the left one:

complacent    

filthy  

discreetly       

racy    

tedious           

legitimate       

bearing           

bundle

eminent          

 

Ex. IV. There are many short comparisons such as «as thin as a rail» in English to make the language more vivid and clear. Below are some of the most common ones. Complete each of them with a suitable word or words from the box. Translate them into Russian.

a pancake       

a feather

a church mouse          

an eel

the hills          

a toast

mustard          

cucumber

a daisy

a fox

as flat as         

as slippery as

as light as       

as keen as

as poor as       

as cool as

as old as         

as fresh as

as warm as     

as cunning as