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2.5. Verbs in focus.
Match the verb on the left with their synonyms on the right. Use the left side words to fill in the gaps in the sentences below.
| take over | A | rush out | |
| hang on | B | depend on | |
| dart out | C | compensate for | |
| keep out | D | recover from | |
| count on | E | accept responsibility for | |
| make up for | F | make stay outside | |
| get over | G | hold on; last |
1. This beautiful autumn is... the wet summer.
2. The cat... the door and was gone.
3. It'll take him ages... the break up with his girlfriend.
4. He is not the person... because he never keeps his word.
5. A cold can be cured in seven days, but left to itself it will... for a week.
6. Warm clothes help... the cold.
7. Large companies are... smaller firms by buying their shares.
2.6. Storing vocabulary.
Paraphrase the following sentences.
1. Keep the tray away from sun rays until the seeds begin to produce shoots.
2. She sipped her wine, enjoying every drop.
3. He moved carefully, up the stairs, avoiding the ones that creaked.
4. The evening was absolutely spoilt as more people were leaving the party. Her hair turned a deep golden shade in the rays of the sun.
5. Let's go out and have a fancy dinner to raise our spirits.
6. The kids have been nagging at me to buy them new trainers.
Choose from the following: creep, from bad to worse, sprout, pester, hue, chase the blues away, savour.
2.7. Insect idioms in focus.
Pay attention to some of the tiniest creatures living in idiomatic English. Think of mini-stories to illustrate the correct meaning of the phrases.
1. Have ants in one's pants.
A. be unable to sit still
B. be itchy and screechy
C. be bitten by ants
2. Be fit as a flea.
A. healthy and vigorous
B. tiny
C. be a good jumper
3. Have butterflies in one's stomach.
A. suffer from indigestion
B. have eaten too much
C. be nervous
4. Be as mad as a hornet.
A. be furious
B. be weird
C. be slightly angry
5. Have a bee in one's bonnet.
A. have a strange ornament on one's hat
B. constantly talk about something you consider important
C. have a insect on one's hat
6. Be a fly on the wall.
A. be able to see everything without being noticed
B. be annoying
C. be an extra person in the company
2.8. None or neither?
Both Kitty and Anna caught some grasshoppers in the yard, but neither of them understood what it meant (2 people only). None of the other members of the family knew either (three or more people). Now, practice a little.
1. The teacher asked all the pupils one after another, but... knew the answer.
2. I didn't buy anything because... of the dresses were what I wanted!
3. Cars can be parked on... side of the street in downtown.
4. In fact,... of my parents agreed with my career choice but I persevered.
5. I feared I'd made many mistakes, but there turned out to be.... Great!
6. After leaving school, he maintained contact with... of his two best friends.
7. The place looked deserted. We could see signs of life on... riverbank.
2.9. More grammar.
Ann dreamed, "If only I could have a new dress!" What do you think the other members of the family dreamed about?
e.g. Mother Walsh dreamed, "If only grasshoppers didn't cornel"
III. POST-READING
3.1. Feelings.
When someone mentions grasshoppers in this country, right away there come to mind sure associations. What do we, native speakers of Russian / Belarusian see in our mind's eye then? Do natives speakers of English see eye-to-eye with us?
3.2. Dreams, dreams, dreams...
Here comes a shooting star for you. Make your wishes — quickly! If only you could / would / did / etc.!
3.3. Roleplay.
Dramatize the story you have read. In fact, it WAS a dramatic moment, wasn't it? The characters may be family members, and their neighbours and friends.
3.4. Hold a contest!
Exercise your skills in memorizing English words. Learn as many words as you can that name various insects — from A to Z. Hold a contest in your study group to find out who will turn out to be the greatest expert on insects.
3.5. Poetry corner.
Enjoy reading the following anonymous poem. It is as small as an insect but full of meaning nevertheless. Can you spot the elephant of meaning — or the grasshopper?
WAY DOWN SOUTH
Way down south where bananas grow,
A grasshopper stepped on an elephant's toe.
The elephant said, with tears in his eyes,
"Pick on somebody your own size."
NEIGHBOURS
I. PRE-READING
1.1. SHARE amusing (or not very) reminiscences connected with your neighbours next door. What are your neighbours like — a God's gift or a nuisance?
1.2. DISCUSS the idea of sharing, food in particular. How often do you do it to let your neighbourly feelings show?
1.3. TELL A STORY OF A VERY unexpected visit. It can be your own experience or something you have heard from other people. How unusual was all that?
II. READING
2.1. Understanding the title.
Read the first paragraph of the story written by Elizabeth Ann Hardy. When do you think the events took place?
Sarah and Mama had finished baking. The air in the cabin was stifling, hut it smelled of good things to eat. Mama wiped her hands on her apron and put the clean mixing howl back on the shelf. Her hair was pulled hack in a knot, but a few wisps had escaped and formed damp curls along the back of her neck. Sarah stooped to offer little Jessie a cookie from the full plate. Suddenly she heard Mama gasp and turned to look. In the open doorway there stood two Indians...
2.2. Reading for pleasure and enrichment.
Read the story to the end and answer the question: Was there any good reason for Mama to gasp? The following words will be useful for better understanding of the events.
Stoop — to bend the body forwards
Breechcloth — an Indian garment
Leggings — a covering for the leg (from the knee to the instep)
Bundle — something tied or wrapped together
Hide — an animal skin
Chest — a large strong wooden box for storing things
Edge — to move slowly
Scoop — to pick up with your hand, cup, spoon, etc.
Sarah had not been this close to an Indian before. She had seen them only from a distance when she went with Papa to the fort. Last year, when her family had just arrived from the East, she'd heard the men talking about some kind of trouble with the Indians. There hadn't been any since, but she could tell Mama was alarmed. The Indians stood silently. One was a man; the other a boy, a little taller than Sarah. They were dressed in breechcloths and moccasins. The man wore deerskin leggings. The boy held a small bundle. Mama edged nearer to the table and rested one hand a few inches from the knife that lay there.
The man saw the knife, too, and held out his empty hands, palms up. Mama nervously smoothed her apron.
"What do you want?" she said.
The man took the bundle from the boy and held it out. He said some words Sarah could not understand. Mama looked puzzled. The man spoke again and made gestures as though he were eating. Mama frowned and bit her lip. The Indian started to speak again, then noticed Sarah's plate of cookies. He pointed to them and said more strange words, once again offering the bundle. Sarah could see now that it was the tanned hide of some small animal. Mama looked as though she were considering. Then she motioned for the two Indians to come inside.
"Sarah, offer our guests some cookies."
Sarah approached the man timidly and held out the plate. He hesitated, then took a cookie. The boy still waited, motionless, in
the doorway, watching Sarah through dark eyes. Sarah thought of a deer she had surprised one day in the woods.
Why, he's as scared as I am! She thought. For some reason this gave her courage. She smiled and held out the cookies. The boy glanced at the man and then took one.
Sarah put the plate on the table and returned to the corner where Jessie sat on the floor playing with a spoon.
"Have another," Mama said, pointing at the plate.
The man replied in his own language, and once again Mama bit her lip, trying to understand. This was like the guessing game Sarah had played with her friends in the East. Only this wasn't a game; it was real. It had something to do with the cookies, she knew. It had been a long time since they'd had any, but a few days ago wagons had arrived at the fort carrying sugar and other supplies.
Suddenly Sarah had an idea.
"Mama, maybe it's not the cookies. Maybe it's something in them."
Mama looked at her thoughtfully, then smiled. Taking a cup from the shelf, she walked over to the cupboard. She pulled out a sack, untied it, and reached in with the cup. Turning so the Indians could see, she let the sugar trickle back into the sack. The man looked pleased. He talked very fast now, holding up the bundle.
"You were right, Sarah," Mama said. "He wants to trade that piece of leather for some sugar." As she spoke, she lifted the lid of a chest where she kept the empty sacks.
She took a clean one and began to scoop sugar into it. They would run out before the next supply wagons came. After one more scoop she tied the top of the sack in a firm knot. She handed it to the Indian and accepted the bundle in return.
"Thank you," she said as she fingered the soft leather. "This will be very useful."
The man responded in his strange language. He and Mama stood there for a moment, like the soldiers at the fort when they saluted each other. Then, as quietly as they had come, the Indians turned and walked away. For a while Sarah and Mama stared at the empty doorway. Finally, Mama took a deep breath.
"Well," she said. "We'll certainly have a story to tell Father when he comes in." Sarah could imagine how Mama would tell it. With a twinkle in her eye, she would say, "Some neighbors came by today. They had cookies with us and borrowed some sugar."
2.3. True of false?
1. Sarah was used to serving Indians in her cabin.
2. All the Indians in the neighbourhood were friendly and peaceful.
3. The Indian boy was as frightened as Sarah, possibly even more so.
4. The Indians were ready to take by force what they needed.
5. It was quite a taste to figure out what the Indians wanted.
6. The family had plenty of supplies and could easily spare some sugar.
7. The neighbours parted most respectfully.
2.4. Points of view.
What did they mean by those gestures/movements?
1. Mama edged nearer to the table and rested one hand a few inches from the knife that lay there.
2. Mama frowned and bit her lip.
3. The Indian pointed to the cookies and said more strange words, offering the bundle.
4. She smiled and held out the cookies.
5. The man saw the knife and held out his empty hands palms up.
6. He and Mama stood there for a moment, like soldiers at the fort when they saluted each other.
2.5. Verbs in focus.
Translate into English using the following expressions: hold out, arrive at, pull out, run out (of), hand to, come by.
1. Мэри открыла шкаф и вытащила старую, любимую майку.
2. Продавец упаковал подарок и подал его*девочкам.
3. Заходи, если будешь поблизости.
4. Девочка дала щенку печенье, но тот трусливо (испуганно) попятился.
5. Когда мы прибыли на станцию, билетов не было.
6. У нас кончился порошок, сбегай в магазин, пожалуйста.
2.6. Storing vocabulary.
1. Seeing how many mistakes I'd made, the teacher... at me disapprovingly.
2. The audience... at the splendour of the scenery and costumes.
3. "Let me read your.... I'll tell you about your destiny", said an old woman.
4. The boy was new at school and looked around....
5. A thin... of smoke rose from somewhere in the wood.
6. The teacher looked dead-serious but everybody notice a... in his eye.
7. I could hardly breathe in a... crowded bus.
8. The police officer... for me to pull over.
Choose from the following: wisp, stifling, gasp, palm, motion, timidly, twinkle, frown.
2.7. Grammar in focus.
Describe the behaviour of the characters as though you saw everything with your own eyes.
e.g. Mama looked as though she were considering.
1. The Indian gestured as though...
2. The Indian boy didn't dare take a cookie as though...
3. Sarah smiled at the boy as though...
4. The unexpected guests disappeared in the wink of an eye as though...
III. POST-READING
3.1. Roleplay.
A. Dramatize the 'pale-faced' continuation of the story. Sarah's dad is home from wherever he was and hears Mum's story. B. Dramatize the 'Indian' version of how the story continued. The Indian and his son are back to the tribe and bring sugar and news.
3.2. Project work:
American Indians' heritage.
Look at the photograph. It showsthat American Indian culture has survived no matter how hard they tried to wipe it out. Learn more about this unique and di verse culture and
present your findings in class.
In this photo, Oklahoma residents celebrate their uniquely Native American heritage at the Red Earth Festival in Oklahoma City.
DISCUSSION (STORIES 11 –15)
CROSS-CULTURAL STUDIES
There is a story in this section, Neighbours, that deals with American history. Discuss the title of the story and decide on what the author had to say by it. To the best of your ability, discuss the role Native American culture played — and plays — in the American "melting pot" of nations.
MEET THE CHARACTER
Select a character that not only appears in this section but also appeals to you. Describe his/her personal achievements thoroughly like a good mentor should. Presentation in the first person singular is not unwelcome.
GRANDMOTHERS' TALES
Mornings with Grandma is a story of happy childhood. The taste of this happiness is the taste of granny's cooking, as well as many other things. Do you think one's mother's mother plays a major role in any family? Can you say the same about your own family? Please, discuss.
POERTY RECITAL
Choose one poem found in POETRY CORNERS and recite it in class describing its message and the beauty of the language.
TEACHERS AND STUDENTS
Do you find the profession of a teacher appealing? Or do you find all teachers to be just like Ol' Stoney — boring, boring, boring? Share ideas on the new things you understood about the profession after having read a story by Caroline Spring.
SO-O ZOO-LOGICAL!
Hold a contest in your group. Learn as many words as you POSSIBLY can which name plants and animals and insects and reptiles — all the creatures that crawl, fly, run, swim or simply grow. Play a Survival Game in which the winner is the one who knows more words than anybody else.
THE HOUSE THAT LACKED A BOGLE
I. PRE-READING
1.1. SHARE your experiences of reading ghost stories. Do you honestly believe that ghosts do NOT exist?
1.2. DISCUSS the importance of established traditions as well as superstitions, too. Do you consider it important for individuals or families or even nations to respect some well-established nonsense?
1.3. PROVE that of all countries of the UK Scotland is the most exciting in terms of its folklore and mythology.
II. READING
2.1. Understanding the title.
The title of the story written by Sorche nie Leodhas suggests the idea that the work is supposed to be funny and entertaining to read. Can you explain why?
2.2. Reading for pleasure and enrichment.
Read the story and answer the question: Why did it matter so much in St. Andrews to have a house with a bogle? The following words will be useful for better understanding of the events.
Bogle — a spirit, a ghost (Scottish)
Be amiss — if something is amiss, there's a problem
Bide — to stay somewhere, often for a long time
Kirkyard — a churchyard (Scottish)
Pay heed to — to pay attention to
Bagpipe — a traditional Scottish musical instrument
Sassenach — a jocular or negative nickname for an English person (Scottish)
There was once a house that lacked a bogle. That would be no great thing, but it happened that this house was in St. Andrews. That being a town where every one of the best houses has a ghost or a bogle, as they call it, of its own, or maybe two or even more, the folk who lived in the house were terribly ashamed. What good was it to be having a fine big house if there was no bogle in it? In St. Andrews, anyway!
The man of the house could be reckoned a warm man with a tidy lot of money at his banker's, while his neighbor MacParlan had a hard time scraping enough to barely get by. But the MacPar-lans had a bogle that had been in the family since the time of King Kenneth the First, and they had papers to prove it.
The woman of the house had two horses to her carriage, and Mrs MacNair had no carriage at all. But the MacNairs had three bogles, and it fair put one's teeth on edge to hear Mrs. MacNair going on about them and their doings.
Tammas, the son of the house, told his parents that he couldn't hold up his head when chaps talked about their bogles at his school and he had to admit that there weren't any at his house at all.
And then there was Jeannette, the daughter of the house (her name was really Janet but she didn't like the sound of it, it being so plain). Well, she came home one day and burst into tears. And when they all asked her what was amiss, she said she'd been humiliated entirely because they hadn't a bogle, and she'd never show her face outside the house again until her papa got one for her.
Well, it all came to this. Without a bogle, they could cut no figure at all in society, for all their money. They did what they could, of course, to set the matter right. In fact, each one of them tried in his own way, but not letting on to the others, however, lest they be disappointed if naught came of it. The man of the house kept an eye on MacParlan's house and found out that MacParlan's bogle liked to take a stroll by nights on the roof. So one night, when all the MacParlans had gone off somewhere away from home, he went over and called up to MacParlan's bogle, "Do you not get terrible tired of haunting the same old place day in and day out?"
"What way would I be doing that?" the bogle asked, very much surprised.
"Och, 'twas just a thought I had," said the man. "You might be liking to visit elsewhere maybe?"
"That I would not," said the bogle flatly.
"Och well," said the man, "should you e'er feel the need o' a change of scene, you'll find a warm welcome at my house anytime and for as long as you're liking to stay."
The bogle peered down at him over the edge of the roof.
"Thank you kindly," said he, "but I'll bide here wi' my own folks. So dinna expect me."
And with that he disappeared.
So there was naught for the man to do but go back home.
The woman of the house managed to get herself asked to the MacNairs' for tea. She took with her a note to the MacNairs' bogles, telling them she was sure the three of them must be a bit cramped for room what with there being so many of them and the MacNairs' house being so small. So she invited any or all of them to come over and stay at her house, where they'd find every comfort that a bogle could ever wish.
When nobody was watching, she dropped the note in the drawing room, where she was sure the MacNairs' bogles would find it.
The MacNairs' bogles found it all right, and it surprised them. They didn't know exactly what to make of the note when they'd read it. But there was no doubt the woman meant it kindly. Being very polite bogles, they decided that she deserved an answer, and since none of them was very much for writing, the least they could do was to send one of themselves to decline the invitation.
The bogle met up with the woman of the house just as she was coming out of the linen press with a pile of fresh towels in her arms. She'd have been startled out of her wits had she not been so glad to see the bogle. "Och then!" said she. "You'll be stopping here I hope?"
"I'm sorry to be disappointing you," said the bogle, "but I'm not staying. I'm needed at home."
"Och now," said the woman, "and could they not make do without you just for a month or two?" But she could see for herself that the bogle was not to be persuaded. In fact, none of them could accept her invitation. That's what the bogle had come to tell her.
"Tis a sore thing," complained the woman, "what with all the money paid out for the house and all, that we have no bogle of our own. Now, can you tell me why?"
"I would not like to say," said the bogle.
But the woman was sure he knew the reason, so she pressed him until at last the bogle said reluctantly, "Well, this is the way of it. The house is too young! 'Tis not anywhere near a hundred years old yet, and there's not been time enough for anything to have happened that would bring it a bogle of its own. And forby..." The bogle stopped talking at that point.
"What more?" urged the woman.
"W-e-e-ell," said the bogle slowly, "I'd not be liking to hurt your feelings, but your family is not, so to speak, distinguished enough. Now, you take the MacParlans and the MacPhersons and the Mac Al-istairs — their families go back into the far ages. And the MacAlpines is as old as.the hills and rocks and streams. As for the MacNairs," he added proudly, "well, the MacNairs is the MacNairs. The trouble with your family is that there is nothing of note to it. There's no clan o' the name. The name has not even a Mac at the front of it."
"Aye," said the woman slowly, "I can see that fine."
And so she could. For the truth was that they had come from Wigtown and were not a Highland family at all.
"Well," said the bogle, "that's the way it is. So I'll bid you good night." And away he went like a drift of mist, leaving the poor woman of the house alone and uncomf orted.
The daughter of the house had taken to her bed and spent her time there, weeping and sleeping. So there was no one left to have a try but the son, Tammas. It must be admitted he did the best he could, even if it turned out that he was maybe a little bit too successful. Tammas kept out of the way of his friends on account of
the shame that was on the family, he being young and full of pride. He only went out by night, taking long walks in lonely places all by himself.
One night he was coming back from one of these walks, and he came along by a kirkyard. It was just the sort of spot that suited his gloomy thoughts, so he stopped and leaned over the wall to look at the gravestones. All those graves lying there, he thought, with many a bogle and not a one of them for us. 'Tis not fair.
He stopped to think about the injustice of it, and then he said out loud, "If there's a bogle amongst you all who's got no family of his own, let him come along with me. He can bide with us and welcome." And with a long, deep sigh he turned back up the road and started for home.
He'd not gone twenty paces past the end of the kirkyard, when he heard a fearful noise behind him. It was so eerie that it near raised the hair right off his head. It sounded like a cat yowling and a pig squealing and a horse neighing and an ox bellowing all at once.
Tammas scarcely dared turn and look, but turn he did. And he saw 'twas a man coming toward him. He was in Highland dress, and he carried a pair of bagpipes under his arm, and that was where the noise was coming from.
"Whisht, man," called Tammas, "leave off with the pipes now. The racket you're making's enough to wake the dead."
'"Twill do no such thing," said the piper. "For they're all awake already and about their business. As they should be, it being midnight." And he put his mouth at the pipes to give another blow.
"Och, then ye'll wake all the folks in St. Andrews," protested Tammas.
"Och nay," said the piper soothingly. "St. Andrews folk will pay us no heed. They're used to us. They even like us." -
By this time he had come up to where Tammas stood. And Tammas took another look at him to see who the piper was. And 'twas no man at all. 'Twas a bogle!
'"Tis a strangely queer thing," said the piper sadly. "I've been blowin' on these things all the days of my mortal life till I plain blew the life out o' my body doing it. And I've been blowing on them twoor three hundred years since then, and I just cannot learn how to play a tune on them."
"Well, go and blow somewhere else," Tammas told him, "where it's lonely, with none to hear you."
"I'd not be liking that at all," said the piper. "Besides, I'm coming with you."
"With me!" Tammas cried in alarm.
"Och aye," said the piper, and then he added reproachfully, "you asked me, you know."
"I suppose I did," Tammas admitted reluctantly. "But I'd no idea there'd be anyone there listening."
"Well, I was there," the piper said, "and I was listening. So I accept the invitation, and thank ye kindly. Let's be on our way." And off he stepped, with his kilt swinging and the pipes going at full blast.
When they got home, Tammas opened the door, and into the house the two of them went. All the family came running to see what was up, for the pipes sounded worse indoors than out since there was less room there for the horrible noise to spread.
"There!" Tammas shouted at them all, raising his voice over the racket of the bagpipes. "There's your bogle for you, and I hope you're satisfied!"
And he stamped up the stairs and into his room, where he went to bed with his pillow pulled over his ears.
Strange to tell, they really were satisfied, because now they had a bogle and could hold their own when they went out into society.
It all turned out very well, after all. The daughter of the house married one of the sons of the MacNairs and changed her name back to Janet, her husband liking it better. And she had a Mac at the front of her name at last, as well as her share of the three MacNair bogles, so she was perfectly happy. The mother and father grew a bit deaf with age, and the piping didn't trouble them at all.
But Tammas decided he'd had all he wanted of bogles and of St. Andrews as well. So he went off to London where he made his fortune and became a real Sassenach. In time, he even got a Sir before his name, which gave him a lot more pleasure than he'd ever have got from a Mac. The bogle never did learn to play the bagpipes, though he never left off trying. But nobody cared about that at all. Not even the bogle.
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