Яков Аракин - Практический курс английского языка 2 курс

narrator of this story with Max Beerbohm as to associate the boy on whose behalf "How We Kept

Mother's Day" is told with Stephen Leacock. The character of the narrator is frequently introduced in

fiction. It is a stylistic device, especially favoured by short-story authors (see "A Day's Wait" by

Hemingway or "A Friend in Need" by W. S. Maugham), which helps the reader to look at the

described events as if "from within".

2. I n v e r s i o n (change of the usual order of words) may be used for stylistic

purposes either to focus the reader's attention on a certain part of the sentence or to achieve an

emotional effect, е.g. ... and framed in the window of the railway-carriage, was the face of our

friend...

3. R e p e t i t i o n is another stylistic device used for the purposes of emphasis. It may

consist in repeating only one word, so that with each repetition the emotional tension increases,

e.g. ... but it was as the face of a stranger — a stranger anxious to please, an appealing stranger, an

awkward stranger.

The repetition of the same syntactical pattern twice or several times is called

s y n t a c t i c a l p a r a l l e l i s m , е.g. It prevents them from feeling out of it. It earns

them the respect of the guard. It saves them from being despised by their fellow-passengers.

ESSENTIAL VOCABULARY (I)

Words

banker n

final adj

obedience n

bureau n

guess υ

obedient adj

departure n

impress υ

obey υ

disobedient adj

impressive adj

platform n

earn υ

light υ

prevent υ

envy υ

move υ

serve υ

familiar adj

mystery n

service n

fellow-passenger n

sociable adj

Word Combinations

to see smb. off

to wave farewell to smb.

to break the silence

to shuffle from foot to foot

to pass the time

to make (leave, produce)

to be familiar with smth. (to smb.)

an impression on smb.

in the old days (in the olden days)

to put out the light

a letter of introduction

to serve smb. right for...

to earn one's living

EXERCISES

1. Bead the text and explain the following points (A. Grammar, B. Word usage,

C. Style):

A.1. Explain the use of tenses in: a) the second sentence of the text; b) the following

sentence: "A middle-aged man was talking earnestly to a young lady. .".

2. Point out sentences in which oblique moods are used and explain the meaning conveyed

by the form of the verb in each case.

3. Comment on the use of the auxiliary did in "he did act".

4. Why is the indefinite article used before the word director in "I am not, alas, a director"?

B.1. Explain the meaning of "the next window but one". (Make up sentences of your own

with the pattern "the next ... but one".)

2. Find a pair of antonyms in the passage beginning with "In a flash" and explain their

meanings. Use them in sentences of your own.

3. What is the meaning of the word platform in the following fragment: ... "On the platform,"

he answered. "You mean," said I, "that you recite at concerts?"

4. Comment on the meaning of keep in "Many Americans ... cannot afford to keep friends in

England" ( cf.: to keep dogs, horses, to keep a cat, a canary, etc.). What is the effect achieved by the

unusual word combination to keep friends and by the whole sentence ("Many Americans cannot

afford to keep friends in England", i. e. some of them can and probably do)?

5. How do you understand the words feeling out of it in "It prevents them from feeling out of

it"?

C.1. a) What is the author's purpose in using inversion in: "framed in the window ... was the

face of our friend"? b) Why is the word stranger repeated four times in the second part of the same

sentence? What is the effect achieved by the repetition?

2. What is the effect achieved by the syntactical parallelism in the passage beginning with

"Of course it is worth it"? ("It prevents them...", "It earns them...", "It saves them...")

3. Point out passages bearing touches of humour. Does the author present the character of Le

Ros seriously or humorously? (ironically? satirically? mockingly?) Illustrate your answer by

sentences from the story.

II. a) Write the transcribed words in traditional spelling. Explain the rules for

reading. Think of some other words spelled in the same way:

1.klRsp, pRs, lRst; 2.'prPspqrqs, "kPnSI'enSqs, "kPnSqs, 'Pbviqs, ' xNkSqs; 3.saIt, laIt,

dI'laIt; 4.E:n, 'E:nINz, 'E:nIstlir; ges, 'veIgI.

b) Mark the stresses and explain the reading rules. Translate the words into

Russian:

hospitable — hospitality; prosperous — prosperity; festive — festivity; final — finality.

III. a) Write oat from the story the sentences with the following words:

stiff — awkward; obviously — evidently; earnestly — gravely; to recognize — to identify;

prosperous — rich; to force — to pump up.

b) Explain the difference between the synonyms within each pair. (See Notes

on p. 18.) When in doubt, consult dictionaries.

IV. Answer the questions. Argue your answers:

1. Where is the scene laid in the story? 2. How did the seers-off feel and why? What were

they doing to pass the time? 3. What made the narrator of the story think that the man who was

seeing off a young lady was not her father? 4. Who was the man? Under what circumstances had the

narrator met him before? What made him hard to recognize? 5. What made the narrator ask Le Ros

where he acted? 6. Why did the answer make him think that Le Ros recited at concerts? 7. Why was

he bewildered when Le Ros said he had first met the young lady he was seeing off less than half an

hour before? 8. What can you say about the activities of the Anglo-American Social Bureau? 9. How

can you explain Le Ros's success as an employee of the Bureau? 10. How did, in Le Ros's opinion,

the seeing-off ceremony help Americans? Do you think it was a good idea? 11. What is the

implication of the word afford applied to friends? Can friends really be afforded or not afforded? 12.

Did Le Ros take seriously his job and himself in the role of a professional seer-off? How does it

characterize him? 13. What is the author's (not the narrator's!) attitude to Le Ros? What is the

author's irony directed against?

V. Study Vocabulary Notes, translate the illustrative examples and a) give

synonyms of:

naughty adj, good adj (about a child), put an end to;

b) give antonyms oft

familiar adj, obey υ, departure n , light n , light υ;

c) give derivatives of:

press, serve, prevent, earn, obey, familiar.

VI. Fill in appropriate words (coasult Essential Vocabulary (I) list):

1. He advised Frank, "You'll do better if you stay at school until seventeen. It can't do you

any... ." 2. At the age of thirteen Frank Cowperwood was able ... a little money now and then. 3. The

auctioneer noticed Frank and was... by the solidity of the boy's expression. 4. After his lonely dinner

Soames ... his cigar and walked out again. 5. Jim... the captain's order to ride for Doctor Livesey at

once. 6. No one could... Captain Flint's orders. 7. They could not many till Salvatore had done his

military .... 8. I knew that his heart was ... by the beauty and the vasmess and the stillness. 9. I shall

choose the job I am most... with. 10. The miller was counting over bis money by the ... of a candle.

11. "I'm at your..." means "I'm ready to ... your commands". 12. He was peering into the darkness ...

by a single candle. 13. "Why don't you go Into the country?" repeated June. "It would ... you a

lot......!" 14. They were at their little table in the room, where Carrie occasionally ... a meal. 15.

When the boy was with us he was friendly and....

VII. Express in one word (see Text Eight aad Vocabulary Notes):

a payment made in return for one's work, coming last at the end of smth., to do what one is

told, the effect produced on the mind or feelings, a side view of the human face, pale in colour, to

bring food and put it on the table, something strange or secret, fond of society.

VIII. The following statements are not true to fact Correct them, using the

conversational formulas given in the Reminder:

E x a m p l e :

The author turned up at Euston to meet a friend of his.

— Oh, no, he didn't. He turned up at Euston to see his friend off.

1. The seers-off felt quite at ease on the platform. 2. No one tried to break the silence on the

platform. 3. The fit of coughing helped the situation. 4. There was every sign of the train's immediate

departure when they came to the platform. 5. The face of Le Ros didn't seem familiar to the narrator.

6. Le Ros was very sorry to see the narrator. 7. Le Ros said he worked on the stage. 8. Le Ros said he

was a director of the Anglo-American Social Bureau. 9. The narrator fully understood why Le Ros

had been unsuccessful on the stage. 10. Le Ros explained that all the fees were paid over to the

employees. 11. Le Ros looked like a beggar when the narrator saw him on the platform. 12. The

narrator didn't envy Le Ros. 13. Le Ros said that one can act without feeling. 14. There were no

signs of Le Ros being moved when he saw the young American off. 15. The narrator was not moved

when seeing his friend off. 16. The narrator wanted Le Ros to teach him to conceal his feelings.

R e m i n d e r: I'm afraid I don't agree. I think you're mistaken (there). I don't think you are

right. I see what you mean, but.... I'm not so sure. On the contrary! You can't be seriousl I doubt it. I

disagree with you. I should't say so. I object to it. Far from it. Surely not. Noth'ing of the sort! Just

the other way round!

IX. Insert prepositions where necessary:

1. I saw the mysterious stranger ... the morning. 2. I met her ... the first time ... a warm sunny

morning ... last spring. 3. I recognized her face ... the window. 4. I saw no sign ... envy ... her eyes. 5.

Did you confess ... anything ... return? 6. Wait... me ... platform No. 3 ... the St. Petersburg railway-

stafion ... half past ten. 7. What have you got ... your hand? 8. I never acted ... the stage. 9. She

smiled ... her fellow-passengers. 10. I heard him recite ... a concert ... last week. 11. Talk ... her ... the

fee. 12. He struck the table ... his hand. 13. Did they supply you ... everything? 14. I recognized

her ... your description. 15. Just a minute. I shall consult... the timetable. 16. What prevented you ...