Министерство образования и науки Республики Казахстан. Костанайский государственный университет имени А.Байтурсынова. Кафедра иностранной филологии

Transcription

1 Министерство образования и науки Республики Казахстан Костанайский государственный университет имени А.Байтурсынова Кафедра иностранной филологии Т.А. Смаглий, Ю.Н. Шандецкая LEARNING THROUGH READING STORIES AND BOOKS Учебно-методическое пособие Костанай, 2017

2 УДК (075) ББК 81.2 Англ С 50 Рецензенты: Данилова Виктория Валерьевна доктор философии (PhD), магистр ПИП, старший преподаватель кафедры иностранных языков КГПИ Кандалина Елена Михайловна кандидат педагогических наук, начальник отдела международных связей КГУ им. А. Байтурсынова Никифорова Эльмира Шавкатовна кандидат филологических наук, старший преподаватель кафедры иностранной филологии КГУ им. А. Байтурсынова Авторы: Смаглий Татьяна Александровна, старший преподаватель кафедры иностранной филологии Шандецкая Юлия Николаевна, магистр гуманитарных наук, старший преподаватель кафедры иностранной филологии С 50 Смаглий Т.А. Learning through reading stories and books. Учебно-методическое пособие по чтению для полиязычных групп Костанай, с. ISBN Учебно-методическое пособие предназначено для студентов 1-2 го курсов неязыковых факультетов, изучающих английский язык как базовый. Пособие основано на аутентичных материалах и направлено на развитие навыков чтения, говорения и письма. Учебно-методическое пособие ставит целью развитие и закрепление речевых навыков на материале рассказов и литературных произведений различной тематики. Утверждено и рекомендовано к изданию Учебно-методическим советом Костанайского государственного университета им. А. Байтурсынова, _27 12 _ 2017 г, протокол _7_. ISBN Смаглий Т.А.,

3 Contents 1 Reading for elementary students (A1) 4 The gift of the Magi by O Henry 4 The art game by O Henry Soapy s winter home by O Henry... Money talks by O Henry... The troubadour by O Henry 2 Reading for elementary students (A2) 18 The charm by Jan Carew Lost love by Jan Carew Journey s end by Jan Carew Reading for pre-intermediate students (B1).. 30 Different worlds by Margaret Johnson 30 Love is blind by Brendan Dunne. 49 Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel s coat by Roald Dahl Reading for intermediate students (B2). 57 My family and other animals by Gerald Malcolm Durrell A matter of timing by Charlotte Armstrong Texts for independent studying 87 Keys for exercises 97 References

4 1. READING FOR ELEMENTARY STUDENTS (A1) THE GIFT OF THE MAGI by O Henry 1. Find the information about the Magi and their gifts (you can find this information in Russian) 2. Vocabulary gift store heavy put on thin gold chain angry quiet combs put something away (put our gifts away) 3. True/False/NG (Not Given) 1. The story happens at the beginning of the 20 th century in the USA. 2. It is autumn. 3. Jim and Della live in a one-room apartment. 4. Jim doesn t work on Monday. 5. When Jim comes home his mood changes. 6. Della has less than $2 and the holiday is next day. 7. Della is not happy. 8. Della and Jim have nothing special. 9. Della goes to Mrs. Sofronie to make a new haircut and surprise Jim. 10. The gold chain costs as much as Della s hair. 11. Della does not know if Jim will love her without her hair. 12. Jim loves Della with any hair. 13. The combs for Della cost $30, which is very expensive. 14. Della does not like Jim s present. 15. Della says she does not need combs now that she has no hair. 16. Jim has no watch because he bought the combs. 17. Jim and Della are happy. 4. Discussion What does the phrase she is the light in his dark days mean? 4

5 What do you think Della and Jim understand about special gifts? The year is We are on the streets of New York, with its tall buildings, expensive stores, and important people. But what do we know about the little people? Who lives behind that door? Who works in that small, dark office? Let s open a door and watch two young people on a cold day in December. The apartment is small, it has only two rooms. There are no pictures or photos. We can t see any special things on the table but it is a happy home. Mr and Mrs James (Jim) Dillingham Young live here. It is their first home at $8 a week. Jim works 6 days a week for $20. Every evening he walks slowly home. His days are long and his feet are heavy. But then he opens the door of the apartment. There is Mrs Young-his Della! She is the light in his dark days. She has food on the table for him, and she looks at him with her beautiful brown eyes. Jim always smiles. He is a happy man in his apartment with Della and she is happy, too. This afternoon we can see Della in the apartment. Jim is at work. Della puts her money on the table. She has $1.78 and tomorrow is Christmas. How can I buy a special Christmas gift for Jim with $ 1.75? What am I going to do she thinks. Della walks across her kitchen. What can I buy for Jim? Della looks at the window. She can see her unhappy face in it. Jim always says I like to see your hair every morning in the sun. At work I think about your hair. Mr and Mrs James D. Young have two special things: Della s hair and Jim s gold watch. The watch was a gift from Jim s father, and Jim always has it with him. Sometimes Della says Excuse me, Mr Young. What time is it? Then Jim smiles and takes the gold watch from his coat. He opens his watch and looks at it with love. Then he tells Della the time. But now Della is thinking about her beautiful hair. Quickly she puts on her thin, black coat and old hat. She goes into the street. She runs to Mrs Sofronie s store on First Street. The old woman buys hair. Can you buy my hair? Della asks. Mrs Sofronie smiles I can give you $20 for it. Ok, but, please, take it quickly Della says. Della sits down and Mrs Sofronie starts to work. Della doesn t look at her hair on the floor. At three o clock she takes the $20 from Mrs Sofronie and puts on her hat. She runs quickly to Fourth Street and looks in every store. She finds her gift for Jim: a beautiful gold chain for his watch, for $21. Della runs home and finishes the Christmas food. She is happy because she has the chain for Jim s watch. Then she sees her hair in the window. Is Jim going to love me with short hair Della thinks But I did it for him. I wanted a gift for him At seven o clock Della hears Jim at the door. He is never late. Della has her gift for him in her hand. The door opens and Jim walks into the kitchen. He looks thin and he is cold in his old coat and shoes. Then he sees Della s hair. He isn t angry, but he is quiet. 5

6 Jim, talk to me. I m going to have long hair one day. But this evening I have a special gift for you. Let s be happy. It s Christmas tomorrow, Della says. But Jim says Where is your beautiful hair? At Mrs Sofronie s store. She has my hair now and I have a gift for you. And I love you, Della says. Jim doesn t answer. He looks at Della. Then he says Della, I loved you with long hair and I love you with short hair. And, I have a special gift for you, too Della opens the gift quickly, and she finds two expensive combs for her long brown hair. Della knows these combs because she sees them every day in a store window on Fifth Street. She loves them, but now she has no hair for them! Jim, they are beautiful and in six months I can put them in my hair says Della. But wait, I have a gift for you Jim opens his gift slowly, and he looks at it. Jim, do you like it? I looked in every store. Give me your watch. Let s put in on your watch, says Della. But Jim doesn t give Della his watch. He sits down and smiles. Della, let s put away our gifts for a year he says. I don t have my watch. I went to that store near my office. They buy watches there. You can see my watch in their window now, and you have the combs. What do we have here? The story of two people. They don t have a lot of money, but they have a lot of love. And now they are going to have a happy Christmas because they understand about special gifts. 6

7 The ART GAME by O Henry Discussion 1. What do you think about Jeff and Andy? 2. What do you think about Mr. Scudder? 3. What is the lesson we can get from the story? 4. Do you think Jeff and Andy can be successful in their life? Do you think they will make a lot of money? Read and listen to the story carefully, find the factual mistakes and correct them. Jeff, my friend. Andy Tucker says one day, we aren t making any money. Let s try a new game Well, Andy, Jeff says, tell me your plan. But remember this. I don t want to take money from people. We aren t going to take money from them. They are going to buy things from us, Andy says. But that s our old game. What s new? Jeff asks. We re playing a child s game here. People buy our things for one hundred dollars. Let s move to Pittsburgh. We can find some millionaires and make a lot of money, Andy says. Why do you want to go to Pittsburg? Jess asks. The millionaires in Pittsburgh worked for their money. It s new to them. Now they want to buy beautiful, cheap things. Andy says. But what are they going to buy from us? Jeff asks. Wait and see. Andy says. After two days in the bars and restaurants of Pittsburg, Jeff and Andy meet at their hotel on Thursday evening. Let s have a drink, Jeff, Andy says. I know a Pittsburg millionaire. Where did you meet him? Jeff asks. At a little store on Twelfth Street. Pittsburg millionaires don t like expensive restaurants and bars. We talked, and he liked me. His name is Scudder. I went to his house, too. He has $20, in the bank, but he is a new millionaire. Now he wants to know about good books, the theatre, and beautiful art. He wants to be a gentleman, Andy says How is he going to do that? Jeff asks. He has teachers, and he buys expensive books and pictures Andy says. Ok, but what is he going to buy from us? Jeff asks. He has a lot of pictures his house. He has a famous little silver horse too. It s form Egypt and it s very old. I asked him about it. He said, There are two of these silver horses. I want the other horse, but I can t find it. We don t know about art. Where can we find a silver horse for Scudder? Jeff asks. 7

8 Wait and see, my friend, Andy says. On Thursday, Andy comes back to the hotel in the afternoon. He has a bag in his hand. Look, Jeff. I was in a little store near here. Look at this, Andy says. He opens the bag. Andy! Jeff says Is this a silver horse form Egypt? It is. It was under some old things in the back of the store. I said to the old man, Can I have that horse for $ 2? He said, That s a beautiful little thing. Give me $45 and it s yours. What did you give him? Jeff asks. He was unhappy with $25, and Scudder is going to be very happy. He is going to buy my little horse from you. Why from me? Jeff asks. You are going to call him. You are a famous art teacher. You want to buy his horse, Andy says. After Jeff s telephone call, Mr. Scudder arrives at the hotel. He wants to see the art teacher s silver horse. It s beautiful!! Mr. Scudder says. It s the other horse from Egypt Yes, yes, I know about your horse. Now I want to buy it. I want to put the two horses in a special place at my three-room house. I can give you $ 2,000 for your horse, the art teacher says Never? You can t buy my horse. I am going to buy yours. Here s $ 2,500, Mr. Scubber says. OK. With $2500 I can buy two or three pictures for my three-room house, the art teacher says. Now I am going to have two horses in my living room, Mr. Scudder says. Jeff runs to Andy s room. Andy is looking at his bag. Did Scudder buy the horse? he asks. Yes. He loved it. The money is in my bag. Jeff says. Good, good. Let s go. There s a plane to Cincinnati at 10.45, Andy says. Why? Let s stay in Pittsburg for the weekend. Mr. Scudder is happy and we are happy. He has two horses and we have $2500. No problems, Andy says. You are right and wrong. We have $2500, but Scudder has only one horse, Andy says. Andy, did you take that horse from his house? Jeff asks. Yes. It wasn t easy, Andy says. But why did you tell me that story about the old man and the store near here? Jeff asks. Oh, because you never want to take money from people. Mr. Scudder had a horse for his money, Andy says. But. Jeff, stop. No answers. Let s go! The train is waiting Andy says. (see page 97 for the correct answers) 8

9 Vocabulary and grammar SOAPY S WINTER HOME by O Henry jail тюрьма Soapy is angry Сопи разозлился He is going to do он собирается (что-то сделать) Put the events in the correct order Soapy steals a pen from the office. Soapy breaks the window in the expensive store. It s December. Soapy has an idea about the restaurant. Soapy has a plan to get into jail for three months and then in March he will be free. Soapy makes a new plan about finding a job and having money. Soapy goes to jail. Soapy makes a lot of noise near the theatre. Soapy can t sleep in the street because it is too cold. Soapy can t get to the restaurant. Use the key words and phrases to speak about 1) Soapy and the restaurant Expensive food and drinks, money, telephone call, policeman 2) Soapy and the store Heavy bottle, big window, a man is running away 3) Soapy and the theatre Beautiful men and women, make noise, a student from the theatre school, game 4) Soapy and the office A pen on the table, the man has a problem with the police Discussion What do you think about Soapy and his lifestyle? What do you think about Soapy s future? What is the message of the story? Soapy lives on the streets of New York. He likes the sun and the trees. He doesn t like buildings or houses or jobs. For nine months of the year, Soapy is a happy man. Then the first week of December comes. At night Soapy puts on his old coat and hat 9

10 and he puts three newspapers under him. But he is cold and he can t sleep. He gets up and he walks up and down the streets. He can t live on the streets all winter. But Soapy has a plan he has the same plan every December. He is going to do a bad thing. Not a very bad thing, but a policeman is going to put him in jail for three months for this thing. Then Soapy is going to have food and a bed for the winter. In March, he is going to finish his time in jail. He is going to be on the streets of New York again for nine beautiful months. Soapy thinks about his plan. He is going to visit a very smart restaurant. First, he is going to eat some expensive food, and then he is going to sit in the bar with a very expensive drink. After his food and drink, Soapy is going to say I am sorry, but I don t have any money. Then the men at the restaurant are going to make a telephone call. The policeman is going to come and put Soapy in jail for three months. No cold streets for the winter. Soapy smiles and walks into Sanborn s Restaurant. But the man at the door looks at Soapy s old shoes and says, You can t come in here. The people in here have money. They have good coats and shoes. Go home. You can t eat here. Soapy sits down and thinks about his plan again. This time he walks down Sixth Street. He finds an expensive store with a big window. He hits the window with a heavy bottle. Many people and one policeman hear the noise and run to the store. Soapy stands near the window and smiles. Who did this? the policeman asks. Where is the man? maybe I am that man Soapy says with a friendly smile. You aren t the man. Look! Down there! The man is running away the policeman says. He runs after the man. No jail for Soapy this afternoon. That evening Soapy walks to the street with many theaters. He sees a lot of beautiful man and women in expensive coats and dresses. They are talking and smiling. They are going to have a good time in theaters and restaurants. Near one theater Soapy sees a tall policeman too. Suddenly Soapy runs in front of the people and starts to dance. Then he makes a lot of noise. He is very friendly. He talks to the important people. Hello. How are you, my friends? What are you going to see this evening? Can I come to the theater with you? The policeman sees Soapy. He looks at him and says to the people, He is a student at the theater school. They always make a lot of noise, but they aren t a problem. It s a game for them Soapy is very angry and unhappy. How can he get to jail for the winter? He walks down the street and sees a man in the office. The man s pen is on the table near the window. Soapy outs his hand in the window and tales the pen. He walks slowly down the street. The man runs into the street and says, Stop! You have my pen Your pen? Soapy asks Then call the policeman But the man from the office doesn t call a policeman. He has problems with the police, too. He doesn t want to talk to the policeman. May be it is your pen. the man says to Soapy. 10

11 Goodbye! Soapy is going to sleep on street again today. He sits down and makes a new plan. Maybe he can get a job. Maybe he can have some money and an apartment and good shoes and a lot of food. Maybe he is too old for the street. Tomorrow he is going to find a job. This winter he is not going to be cold, and he isn t going to be in jail. He is going to be an important man. He is happy with his new plan. Then Soapy hears a person near him. Excuse me, a policeman says. What are you doing here? What s your problem? No problem, my good man, Soapy says. What s your address? Where do you work? the policeman asks. No address, no job, but I am going to look for a job tomorrow, Soapy says. No address? Come with me. Three months in jail for you, the policeman says. 11

12 MONEY TALKS by O Henry 1. What do we know about these characters? Old Mr. Rockwall Richard Ellen Lantry Mr. Kelly 2. What meaning do these words have for the story? Money Doors Time Love 3. Discussion 1. Is Mr. Rockwall a smart man? Why? 2. Do you think Richard can do without his father s help? 3. Whose view on life do you share Old Mr. Rockwall or Richard s? 4. What is the message of the story? Number 24 Park Street is a big, expensive house. Old Mr Anthony Rockwall lives there. He worked for many years and now he has a lot of money. He is old and he doesn t work. A man drives his car for him. A woman makes his food. A boy brings the newspaper to him. Mr Rockwall sits in his big chair and smiles. He is a happy man. Mr Rockwall calls his son, Richard, come here. I want to talk to you. Mr Rockwall s son comes in and sits down. He is a quiet young man of twenty one. Yes, father? Richard, the men on this street are gentlemen. They come from good families and have a lot of money. We aren t a famous old family, but we have a lot of money. My money makes you a gentleman, too. Money can open a lot of doors for you. Mr. Rockwall says with a smile. It can open some doors, father, but not every door, Richard says. My son, don t say that. We have no problems. Ask people on the street. Ask your friends. What door doesn t open with money? Mr. Rockwall asks. Money can t buy a place at the table of right people, Richard says. You are wrong, young man, his father says and he looks into his son s eyes. Son, the families of these men didn t always have a lot of money. They know about work. You make a lot of money with a lot of work Richard is quiet. 12

13 Son, what s the problem? Are you sick? What s wrong? You can talk to me, Mr Rockwall says. Father, I m not sick. I have a good home, an interesting job and a smart old father. But What s her name? Mr Rockwall asks. Oh, father. She is beautiful and very special. Her name is Ellen Lantry. She is the only woman for me, Richard says. Talk to her. Dance with her. Walk in the rain with her. She s going to love you, too, his father says You are a good young man. You are special, too But she is always with people, Richard says I never have any time with her. She never has time for me. Richard, take some money and buy some time with her. Talk to her about your love, the old man says. I can t, Richard says She is going to Europe by boat tomorrow morning. She s going to stay there for two years. This evening I m going to take her to the theatre, but it s a very short drive. I m not going to have much time with her, and you can t buy her time. Ok, Richard, now I understand. Your love for her is very strong, but she doesn t know about it. That s a problem, Mr Rockwall says. She can t know because there isn t time, Richard says and he is very unhappy. Your money can t talk to her At eight o clock in the evening, Richard goes to the beautiful young woman s house. Good evening, Richard, Miss Lantry says, Mother and Father are waiting for us at the theatre. I don t want to be late. To Wallack s Theatre, please Richard says to the driver. But at Thirty-fourth Street the car stops. What s wrong? Richard asks. I m sorry, Mr Rockwall, the driver says. There are cars to the left, to the right and behind us. We can t move. Every car in New York is sitting here. Oh, Richard, are we going to be late? Miss Lantry asks. I m very sorry, Ellen. No theatre for us this evening, Richard says. That s OK. I don t like theatre very much. I m happy here in the car with you, Miss Lantry says. Are you? Richard asks with a smile. Later the same evening Richard walks into his father s office. The old man is reading his newspaper. Father, says Richard Miss Lantry and I are in love! Very good, Richard, I m happy for you, his father says. We talked and talked. She loves me! You see! Money can t buy love, Richard says. Then the happy young man goes to bed. But let s finish his story. At seven o clock in the morning Mr Kelly comes to the door of Mr Rockwall s house. 13

14 Good morning, Mr Kelly, Mr Rockwall says You did a good job yesterday evening. Here is your $ It was difficult, Mr Rockwall. The drivers of the cars wanted $10, and the policemen wanted $50. But cars stopped for us at every street. Did it all go well? Mr Kelly asks. Well, yes. It was beautiful. Let s drink to love and to money! 14

15 Questions THE TROUBADOUR by O Henry 1. What is Sam s life like? What does he do? Where does he live? 2. Why does Sam leave the Merrydew Ranch? 3. What kind of man is Mr. Ellison? Is he an optimist/pessimist? Why? 4. Who does Mr. Ellison meet one day? 5. What does James King tell Mr. Ellison? 6. What is their second meeting like? How are two meetings different? 7. What is James King s story? 8. Why doesn t Sam play any music that night? Discussion 1) What do you think about Sam/James King? 2) Do you think the story is real? Can it happen in real life? 3) What is the message of the story? Sam Galloway is a troubadour. He moves across Texas and Oklahoma. He goes from place to place and plays music. He tells stories, too, and he talks to people about their good days and bad days. The ranchers and their families like listening to him, and Sam gets a bed and food and drink for his work. On this hot summer day, we are at the Merrydew Ranch in Texas. The Merrydews are good people and their ranch is big. There are always a lot of people in the house and there is a lot of noise. After six weeks with the Merrydews, Sam is putting his things on his horse and moving to a new place. He wants to go to a ranch with strong coffee, good food and some quiet people. That afternoon Sam arrives at old man Ellison s sheep ranch. Mr. Ellison and his man are very happy with this new visitor. The men sit at a big table in the evening. They eat and drink well. The they listen to Sam s stories and his music. Mr. Ellison always wants to hear Sam s story about an old boat and Sam tells it every evening. Mr. Ellison is a good rancher, but he is getting old. Now he has problems with his sheep and with the bank. He doesn t always have money for a lot of food and drink. He can t buy things for his house and his ranch. Every day he thinks about his problems. What am I going to do? the old man thinks. But at night he listens to Sam Galloway s music and stories. He thinks, Tomorrow is going to be OK. But it isn t OK. In the morning, Mr. Ellison gets on his horse and goes to the field. He wants to look at his sheep. On the road he meets a tall young man on a horse. Good morning, Mr Ellison says. Good morning, the young man says. Are you Peter Ellison? Yes, I am, Mr. Ellison says. What can I do for you? My name is James King, but people usually call me King James. These are my fields. I don t want your sheep here. Move them or they re going to be dead sheep. 15

16 But, Mr. King, I don t have, Mr. Ellison starts to say. You have one week, Mr. Ellison. Seven days. Goodbye. James King says. Mr. Ellison arrives home in the early morning. He is quite and his eyes are unhappy. After a little food, he sits with Sam Galloway at the table. Sam, plat some music, please. Ok, Mr. Elliosn, but why are you unhappy this evening? Problems? Sam asks. A troubadour knows about ranchers problems. Yes, a very big problem. His name is James King. Oh, King James. I know about him. People talk about him on every ranch in Texas. He has a lot of animals, and he has money in every bank in the country. He s a difficult man. Don t go near him, Sam says. That s the problem, Mr Ellison says. My sheep are in James King s field, and he doesn t want them there. I don t have any good field for sheep. But, that s not your problem. Please, play some music for me. Sam plays the music, but he watches the old man. King James is going to be a big problem for old Mr. Ellison. In the morning, Mr. Ellison goes to the store and to the bank. He is looking for an answer to his problems. He talks to some ranchers, but he can t find an answer. In the afternnon, Mr. Ellison is looking at his sheep. Suddenly King Kames comes across the field to him. Good afternoon, Mr. Ellison, the young man says. I want to talk to you. It s important. I am sorry, Mr. King. I don t have a place for my sheep. I m looking for a new field for them. Mr. Ellison says. I don t want to talk about the sheep. I have some questions for you. First, are you from Jackson, Mississippi? Yes, I lived there for twenty-one years, Mr. Ellison answers. Do you know the Reeves family in Jackson? Mr. King asks. Yes, I do. Mrs. Caroline Reeves was my only sister. Mr. Ellison, please, listen to my story. I can remember an important day in It s a cold winter day and I am only fifteen years old. I arrive in Jackson with no family, no food and no money. Mrs. Caroline Reeves sees me on the street and takes me to her house. She gives me food, a heavy coat, and good shoes. Then she finds a job for me at the Jackson hotel, and every Sunday for five years I go to her house. She is my friend and my family. In 1907, I have some money in the bank. I talk to Mrs. Reeves about my plans. She listens and she gives me some money and a gold watch. I say goodbye and then I go to Texas. I buy y first field and four sheep. Today I have a lot of fields and a lot of sheep because Mrs. Caroline Reeves was good to me one day in I want to be good to you, too. I have a lot of fields. Your sheep can stay here. And, do you have any problems with money? King James asks. The old man tells the young man about his problems with the bank and with the ranch. 16

17 You aren t going to have any problems after today. I m going to put $2000 in the bank for you tomorrow morning. I am going to talk to Mr. Brooks at the store. Buy the things for your house and your ranch. I am going to give Mr. Brooks the money for them. You re Mrs. Caroline Reeves s brother. That s very special to me. King Reeves says. Mr. Ellison goes back to his ranch with a smile on his face. He wants to hear some music, but Sam Galloway isn t in the house. In the evening, Mr. Ellison is drinking coffee at a table. The door opens, and Sam walks in. Hello, Sam, Mr. Ellison says. You are very late. Did you go to Frio for the day? Play some music for me, please. I m a happy man and tomorrow is going to be a new day. But Sam doesn t play any music that night. He sits at the table and looks at Mr. Ellison. I went to Frio, and I looked for King James. I had your big knife in my coat. He was in the hotel behind the theater. His hand moved to his knife, but I was quick. You aren t going to have any problems with him tomorrow. He s dead, Sam says. Mr. Ellison is quiet. The he looks at Sam and says, Can you play some music now? I can t understand things this evening. Maybe tomorrow.. 17

18 Discuss 2. READING FOR ELEMENTARY STUDENTS (A2) THE CHARM by Jan Carew Do you have a charm? What is it? What can be a charm? Why do you think people like to have different charms? Vocabulary 1. Translate the following words from the text 1. charm 7. wear 2. brave 8. fighting (fight-fought) 3. shy 9. a leader 4. worse 10. follow 5. laugh at 11. a bridge 6. a soldier 12. shout 2. Write out all the verbs in the past form and translate them e.g. I never spoke (говорил) to them Listen (read) to the story and finish the sentences 1. When he was young, the storyteller of conversation with other men and women. 2. He had to be a because his country was at war with another country. 3. An old man gave him a because the storyteller helped him across the road. 4. The storyteller fought because he had the charm. 5. He and his men took the bridge the help of the storyteller s charm. 6. The storyteller learnt a lesson. You can be afraid and. Answer the questions 1. What kind of man is the storyteller now? 2. What kind of person was the storyteller in the past? What did people think about him? 3. Why did the storyteller decide to help the old man? 4. How did the old man know that the storyteller was a soldier? 18

19 5. When the storyteller saw the charm, he thought that it was a girl s thing. Why did he take it with him? Why did he rely on it? 6. What kind of man was the storyteller s leader? What happened to him? 7. What did the leader tell the storyteller? 8. How did the storyteller become a leader? 9. Was the storyteller a good leader? Why? 10. What helped the soldiers take the bridge? 11. Is the storyteller a brave man? Discussion What is the message of the story? How can a person become brave? What makes a good leader? How do people become leaders? Why do people need leaders? He is a brave man, people say about me. He is never afraid. They are wrong. I wasn t always a brave man, and at times I was afraid- very afraid. I am an important man now. I have an important job. People know me and like me. They don t know that I wasn t always a brave man. I will tell you the story. I was a very shy young man. I didn t like talking to other young man; I was afraid. They ll laugh at me, I thought. Women were worse. I never spoke to them; I was always afraid of them. I try to help shy people now. I never laugh at them, because I remember that time. I was unhappy then. Then there was a war between my country and another country. I had to be a soldier. Me! I was afraid, but I had to be a soldier! And it was very dangerous. I was afraid. The other soldiers didn t talk about it, but I knew. They are laughing at me, I thought. They aren t afraid I was wrong but I didn t know about that. I felt very bad. One day I was in the town. I had a two-day holiday, away from other soldiers. I wasn t with friends; I didn t have any friends. I was very unhappy, I walked slowly past some shops. An old man stood by the road. There were not many cars on it. Why doesn t he walk across the road? I thought. Is he afraid? I went near him and then I saw his eyes. Oh, I thought. Now I know. He can t see! He wants to go across, but he can t go without help. Other people walked quickly past him. They had to go to work or to their homes. They didn t help him. They didn t have time. But I had time a lot of time. I am not doing anything, I thought. Why can t I help him? I won t be afraid of him. I took the old man s arm and I helped him across the road. 19

20 Thank you! he said. His hand felt my coat. This is a soldier s coat, he said. Are you a soldier? Yes Perhaps I said it in a sad voice. The old man put a hand into his jacket. He took something out and gave it to me. Take this, he said. It will help you. Wear it and you will be all right. Nothing bad will happen to you. He walked away and I looked at the thing in my hand. It was a small charm, pretty, nut strange. It s a girl s thing, I thought, and I put it in my coat. The next day we went to war. I was afraid - very afraid but I remembered the charm in my coat. Perhaps the charm will help me, I thought, so I took it with me. Suddenly I wasn t afraid. Why? I didn t know. Was it the charm? It was bad that day. Men died all around me. perhaps I ll die next, I thought. But I wasn t afraid. Our leader was a brave man. He was in front of us, and we followed him. Suddenly he was down. He fell to the ground and didn t move. The other soldiers stopped. They were afraid. I thought, Perhaps our leader isn t dead. I ll go and see. I went to him. The fighting was worse now, but I wasn t afraid. I ve got the charm with me, I thought. I ll be all right. I brought our leader back to a better place, and then I looked at him. He was very white and ill, but he wasn t dead. His eyes opened and he smiled at me. He spoke not easily but I heard him. Go in front. The men will follow you. The men followed me and we fought well that day. After that I was fine. Later, I was a leader, too. The men were happy and followed me. People didn t laugh at me then. But is it right? I thought. I am not very brave. It s only the charm. I didn t tell people about the charm. I had friends the first time and I was happy. One day we had to take an important bridge. There were a lot of soldiers on it, but they had big guns. The country was open, without any trees. It was very dangerous and my men were afraid. We are going to die, they said. Listen, I told them. I ll go first and you ll run very quickly to the bridge. Don t be afraid, they can t kill us all. Follow me and we ll take the bridge! I put my hand in my coat. But the charm wasn t there. What am I going to do, I thought. I can t be brave without the charm I looked at the faces of my men. They were not afraid now. I thought, My words have helped them. They aren t afraid now. They are waiting for me. They will follow me everywhere. I m their leader and I can t be afraid. I shouted: Let s go! We ran. We got to the bridge. We lost some men, but we got there! And we took the bridge! 20

21 I will never forget that day. I learnt something then about brave men. Brave men are afraid, too. But that doesn t stop them. I will also remember that old man with the charm. It ll help you, he said. He was right, I learn to be brave without it. I was a young man then, and now I am old. I am a brave man, people think. And, yes they are right, I am. 21

22 LOST LOVE by Jan Carew Vocabulary Translate the following words from the text 1. petrol 2. village 3. strange 4. a fire 5. horse 6. slow 7. sad 8. dangerous 9. clothes 10. to be afraid 2. Write out all the verbs in the past form and translate them e.g. These things happened (случилось) to me nearly ten years ago Listen (read) to the story and finish the sentences with one word 1. This story happens nearly years ago. 2. The young man lives in a city, but he drives into the. 3. He speaks to the girl because he is. 4. She takes him to an old. 5. At the end of the day, the young man tells the girl that he her. 6. The man at the garage says that everybody in the village died in a. 7. That was 350 years. 8. The village lives again for one every ten years. 9. The young man looks for but he can t find her. 10. He is going to visit the village again and this time he isn t going to. Answer the questions 1. What was the morning like? 2. Why did his car stop? 3. What was the girl like? Describe her. 4. What was the village like? Describe the village. 5. How did the man feel in the village? 6. Why did all the people in the village die? 22

23 7. What decision does the man make? Why? Discussion Is the story sad or happy? What do you think is going to happen? Does the man make the right decision? These things happened to me nearly ten years ago. I lived in a city, but the city was hot in summer. I wanted to see the country. I wanted to walk in the woods and see green grass. I had a little red car and I had a map, too. I drove all night out into the country. I was happy in my car. We had a very good summer that year. The country was very pretty in the early morning. The sun was hot and the sky was blue. I heard the birds in the trees. And then my car stopped suddenly. What s wrong? I thought. Oh, dear, I haven t got any petrol. Now I ll have to walk. I ll have to find a town and buy some petrol. But where am I? I looked at the map. I wasn t near a town. I was lost in the country. And then I saw the girl. She walked down the road, with flowers in her hand. She wore a long dress, and her hair was long, too. It was long and black, and it shone in the sun. She was very pretty. I wanted to speak to her, so I got out of the car. Hello, I said. I m lost. Where am I? She looked afraid, so I spoke quietly. I haven t got any petrol. I said. Where can I find some? Her blue eyes looked at me, and she smiled. She is a very pretty girl. I thought. I don t know, she said. Come with me to the village. Perhaps we can help you. I went with her happily and we walked a long way. There isn t a village on the map, I thought. Perhaps it s a very small village. There was a village and it was old and pretty. The houses were black and white and very small. There were a lot of animals. The girl stopped at the house and smiled at me. Come in, please, she said. I went in. The house was very clean, but it was very strange, too. There was a fire and some food above it. I felt very hungry then. That s strange, I thought. They cook their food over a wood fire! Perhaps they have np money. I met her father and mother, and I liked them. They were nice people, but their clothes were strange. Sit down, said the old man. Are you thirsty after your walk? He gave me a drink and I said. Thank you. But the drink was strange, too. It was dark brown and very strong. I didn t understand, but I was happy there. 23

24 I asked about petrol, but the old man didn t understand. Petrol? he asked. What is that? This is strange, I thought. Then I asked, Do you walk everywhere? The old man smiled. Oh, no, we use horses, he said. Horses? I thought. Horses are very slow. Why don t they use cars? But I didn t say that to the old man. I felt happy there. I stayed all day, and I ate dinner with them that evening. Then the girl and I went out into the garden. The girl s mane was Mary. This is nice, she said. We like having visitors. We do not see many people here. We spoke happily. She was very beautiful. But after a time she began to speak quietly and her face was sad. Why are you sad? I asked her. I cannot tell you, she said. You are only a visitor here. We have to say good bye tonight. You have to go now. I didn t understand. I loved her. I knew that. And I wanted to help her. Why did I have to go? But Mary said again in a sad voice, You have to go. It s dangerous here. So I said, I ll go to the next town and find some petrol. Then I ll come back. She didn t speak. I love you, Mary, I said. And I ll come back to you. You won t stop me. She said goodbye to me at the door. Her face was very sad and I was sad, too. I didn t want to go. It was midnight. The night was very dark, but I walked and walked. I was very tired when I saw the lights of the town. I found some petrol and ten I asked the name of the village. But the man at the garage gave me a strange look. What village? he asked. I told him about the village. I told him about the old houses and the people with strange clothes. Again he gave me a strange look. He thought and then he said, There was a village there. But it isn t there now. There are stories about it strange stories. What do people say about it? I asked. He didn t want to tell me, but then he said, There was a big fire in the village. Everybody died. There aren t any people or houses there now. How did it happen? I asked. And why? Oliver Cromwell killed them, he said. He was angry with the villagers because they helped him in the war. I couldn t speak. This isn t right, I thought. That war happened 350 years ago! Then I remembered the strange clothes, the long hair, the food over the fire, and the old houses. And I remembered, too, about the horses. But I don t understand, I cried. I saw the people and the village. I talked to some people there! The man looked quickly at me and then he spoke. 24

25 There is an interesting story about the village. For one day every ten years, it lives again but only for one day. Then it goes away again for another ten years. On that one day you can find the village. But you have to leave before morning, or you will never leave (read the end of the story at page 98) 25

26 JOURNEY S END by Jan Carew Discuss Do you believe in fortune telling? Do you go to fortunetellers (like Madame Zelda) to know your future? Why/why not? Vocabulary 1. Translate the following words from the text 1. journey 2. a fair 3. cost 4. intelligent 5. waiter 6. accident 7. weak 8. guard 9. get off (the train) 10. heavy 11. the right person for smth 12. worst 2. Write out all the verbs in the past form and translate them e.g. He thought (думал) Perhaps I can find a job. Listen (read) to the story. Who is speaking or thinking? 1. Shall I go in? Why not? 2. Do not go anywhere next Friday 3. I can t lose this job. It s too important for me. 4. Don t be afraid 5. This is the end of the journey for you 6. Will you work for me? Answer the questions 1. What kind of man was Tom Smith? 2. What did Tom want to do? Why did it not happen? Why couldn t he find a job? 3. Why did Tom decide to go to the fair? 4. What did Tom do at the fair? Did he enjoy the time? 5. What did Tom go to Madame Zelda? What did she tell him? 6. What letter did Tom get? 7. Why did Tom go? Why didn t he listen to Madame Zelda? 8. Who did Tom meet in the train? What was the man like? 9. Why did the train stop? What did Tom and the old man do? 10. Why did Tom help the old man? 26

27 11. What did the old man offer to Tom? Why? 12. Did Tom regret taking the train and not staying at home? Discussion What is the meaning of the title of the story Journey s end? Did Tom do everything right? Why did Tom get a job? Why couldn t he get a job earlier? Tom Smith was a nice young man. He wanted a job, but he couldn t find one. Marry people wanted to work, and there weren't many jobs. Tom felt sad because he never had money for clothes or the cinema. When he was younger, Tom wanted to be a footballer. He was good at football, and at tennis, too. He was good at every sport. But there were other, better players. Now Tom had a new idea. He thought, 'Perhaps I can find a job in a sports shop. I'll be happy then and I'll have money.' But it was only an idea. It never happened. He tried hard to find a job. He looked in the newspapers every day and he wrote letters for jobs - a lot of letters. But he never found a job. One day he saw something in the newspaper about a fair in the park near his house. 'That will be interesting,' he thought. 'It s next Saturday. I think I'll go. Yes, I'll go. I'm not doing anything this weekend, and it won't cost much.' On Saturday Tom walked to the park and bought a ticket for the fair. It was a warm summer day. The sky was blue, and the park was very pretty. There were a lot of flowers blue, yellow and red. Tom felt happy when he saw them. The fair was good, too. There were a lot of people there, and many different games. Tom played some games. He won a box of fruit and a book about sport. Then he bought an ice-cream because he was hot and thirsty 'I m having a good day!' he thought. He sat down and ate his ice cream. 'Now, what shall I do next?' Suddenly he saw in large letters: Tom Smith thought very hard. 'Shall I go in?' he thought. 'Why not? I'm not afraid of the future. Perhaps it will be interesting. Yes, I'll go in and have a conversation with Madame Zelda.' So he went in. It was very dark inside. A n old woman with grey hair and a kind face smiled at Tom. 'Hello, young man!' she said. 'Sit down and I will tell you about your future-' Tom sat down. The old woman looked at some cards on the table. 'Take three cards,' she said. Tom took the cards and gave them to her. The woman looked at the cards for a long time. Then she spoke. She didn t smile at Tom. 27

28 'Listen!' she said. 'I have to tell you something very important. Do not go anywhere next Friday. Make a journey next Friday, and you will never arrive! Something will happen on the way. Don't forget now. I can tell you nothing more. Be careful, young man.' Tom left. The sun was very hot on his face. He had no more money, and he wanted to go home. ' I m not afraid,' he thought. 'I don't go on journeys. I won t go anywhere next Friday. Every day is the same to me. I haven't got a job, so I don't go anywhere.' But on Thursday Tom had a letter. It was an answer to one of his letters! There was a job in a town thirty kilometres away. It was in a sports shop. The boss wanted to meet Tom the next day. Tom felt very happy. 'I'll have to take a train there,' he thought. 'l can't walk thirty kilometres.' Suddenly he remembered the old woman at the fair, and he felt afraid. 'Do not go anywhere next Friday, she told him. 'But what can I do?' Tom thought sadly. 'I can't lose this job. It's too important to me. I ll have to take the train tomorrow. And what can an old woman know about the future? Nothing!' But he wasn't very happy about it. And he didn t sleep well that night. The next day was Friday, and Tom went to the station. He bought a ticket at the ticket office. The train arrived, and he climbed on it. An old man sat down next to Tom. His face was intelligent under his white hair. He had a bad leg, and Tom felt sorry for him. The train left the station and went through the country. A waiter came round with some food and the old man bought a sandwich. Then he smiled at Tom and said,' Are you thirsty? I ve got some tea with me. Would you like some?' He took out a cup and gave Tom some tea. 'He's a kind man!' Tom thought. 'I really like him.' He smiled at the old man and said. 'Thank you. I'm Tom Smith. Are you going a long way?' But the old man couldn't answer. Suddenly there was a very loud noise and the train stopped. What was wrong? The people on the train were afraid. They all looked out of the windows, but they couldn't see anything. 'Don't be afraid,' Tom told his new friend. 'I ll go and see. Perhaps it's an accident. Stay here and you'll be OK.' The old man smiled. 'Thank you, my young friend,' he said. 'l will stay here. My old legs are very weak.' Tom found the guard. 'What's wrong?' he asked him. 'Why did we stop?' The guard looked at Tom unhappily. 'There is a large tree in front of the train,' he said.' We'll have to move it, but we can't do it quickly. So this is the end of the journey for you. You'll have to get off the train and walk.' 'Walk where?' Tom asked. 28

29 The guard looked at a map. 'There's a village near here. You can go there and perhaps find a restaurant or a cafe. I have to stay here with the train. I'm very sorry about your journey. But you'll get your money back.' Tom thought, 'The money isn't important. I really wanted that job!' And he felt very sad. Tom didn t say anything about the job to the old man. He helped his friend off the train and carried his case to the village. 'Thank you very much, 'the old man said to Tom. 'I know that my case is heavy. There is a computer in it, and there are a lot of papers.' Tom smiled. 'It's all right,' he said. But inside he was very sad. 'l was stupid,' he thought.' I didn't listen to the old woman, but she was right. I won't get that job now.' The old man saw Tom's sad face and asked him,' What's wrong, my young friend? ' So Ton told him the story about the job in the sports shop. Then a strange thing happened The old man smiled, and then he laughed! Why did he laugh? Tom didn t know and he felt a little angry. The old man was his friend, but this was a bad day for Tom. It wasn t funny! Tom couldn't speak or smile. The old man saw this and he stopped laughing. Then he said, 'Listen to me, Tom, and don't be sad. I 'm a rich man. I've got a lot of shops in different towns, and they're all sports shops. I want an intelligent young man to work in my new shop. It's also my biggest shop! Will you work for me? I think I know you now. You were very kind to me on the train. You're the right person for the job. What s your answer?' 'This is wonderful,' Tom said with a happy smile. 'This is the best day of my life, not the worst!' 29

30 1. Vocabulary 3. READING FOR PRE-INTERMEDIATE STUDENTS (B1) Chapters 1-4 deaf signing (sign language) to worry to fall off (fell off) pocket to lip-read soft jumper to be full of smth (it was full of people) the face goes red (his face went red) empty footprints 2. True/False/Not Given DIFFERENT WORLDS by Margaret Johnson 1. Sam s mother played the guitar before Sam was born but she never plays now. 2. Sam likes to put her hand on the guitar to feel the vibration. 3. Mum is unhappy to have a deaf child. 4. Sam s mum sometimes plays the guitar in Busy Kids Day Nursery. 5. Sam likes her mother more than her father. 6. Sam s mother is an optimistic person. 7. Sam has no secrets from her mum. 8. Sam loves the man who owns a fruit shop. 9. Sam bought a lot of necessary things in the man s shop. 10. When the young man started to speak to Sam she felt shy and didn t say a word. 11. Ron is Sam s cousin from London. 12. Ron invited Sam to the party. 13. Sam wanted to wear something fancy to the party but her mum advised her to put on casual warm clothes. 14. Sam felt uncomfortable at the party. 15. Sam didn t see Jim. 30

31 3. Speak about 4. Discussion Sam and her world Sam s love Sam and her friends Comment on the sentences from the story. Do you agree/disagree? Why?? Mum said that we can choose how to be in life happy or sad. She said, Life s short, so choose to be happy.? I felt so strange. It was almost like being on a boat on an angry sea. - What do you think will happen next in the book? CHAPTER ONE A HAND ON A GUITAR Before I was born, my mum played music with four friends. There's a photograph of them in our living room. Evie, Grace, Angela, Kate and my mum. They were the Sweet Pepper Band, and they played South American music. Mum played guitar. Mum had long dark hair. In the photograph she's wearing a big hat, a red shirt and yellow trousers. She looks South American, but she's not, she's English. She's smiling in the photograph. She looks beautiful. She's beautiful now too. But these days her hair is short and the dark brown colour comes from a bottle. Mum doesn't play her guitar very often any more. It sits in the corner of the living room waiting for Evie, Grace, Angela or Kate to visit. When I was a little girl, I liked to put my small hand on the front of Mums guitar while she played if. My hand moved a little because of the music. Mum said that was called vibration. She was happy that I could feel the vibration of her music when I put my hand on her guitar. And she wasn't angry when one day I had blue paint on my hand and I put it on the guitar. Mum liked me to feel the vibration of her music, you see. That's because I can't hear her music. My ears don't work. I'm deaf. I was born like that. Sometimes I think that's why Mum doesn't play music very often because she knows I can't hear it. And now that I'm eighteen years old, my hands are too big to put them on the front of the guitar. I don't know if Mum was sad to have a deaf baby. She tells me I was beautiful when I was born. I had lots of blonde hair and blue eyes that went brown like hers after a few months. But I don't think Mum s sad because she smiles all the time. Mum smiles more than anyone I know. She's always happy, that's one of the things everyone loves about her. The children at Busy Kids Day Nursery, where we both work, all love Mum. Busy Kids is Mum's business. She started it five years ago. Mum's really good with children. I remember when I was quite young - five or six years old - I was sad about something. I don't remember what I was sad about, but 31

32 I do remember what Mum said. We sat in a chair together with her face close to mine and she put her arms around me. We stayed like that for a while, and then she sat back so she could talk to me. Mum and I use our hands and fingers to talk to each other. It's called signing. Anyway, Mum said that we can choose how to be in life - happy or sad. She said, 'Life's short, so choose to be happy. I try never to forger those words. I try to be like my mum because I think she's a wonderful person. I don't know much about my father because he left after I was born. All I know is that he played music too, and that he's French. He lives in Paris now. Mum and my father met when he was working in Norwich for a year. They fell in love and soon got married. Dad moved into the house where Mum and I live now. Norwich is a beautiful place, but it isn't as big and exciting as Paris. I think my father got bored. Or perhaps he was sad when I was born deaf. Because that's when he went away to live with his family in Paris. He never came back. Some of my friends don't talk to their parents very much. My friend Suzanne sometimes tells her mother she's with me when she's really with her boyfriend. She does this because her mum worries about her all the time. She worries about where she is and who she's with. But Mum and I are very close, and I couldn't tell her something that wasn't true. Anyway, she doesn't worry the way Suzanne's mum does, so I usually tell her everything. But I didn't tell her when I fell in love for the first time. I don't know why. Perhaps it was because it felt so strange; because I felt so strange. It was almost like being on a boat on an angry sea. Sometimes I was afraid of how I felt. And there was another problem. I didn't know the name of the man I was in love with. CHAPTER TWO SHOPPING Just for a moment, try to think what it's like to live in my world. Stop what you're doing and put your hands over your ears. Are there no sounds at all? Or are the noises of the street just quieter than usual? I know Mum loves listening to the sounds of birds singing in the countryside when we go walking. In my world there are no birds singing. There are no noisy men working on the roads. No people leaving bars late at night shouting at each other. No babies crying. But the man I love doesn't live in my world. He lives in the hearing world. The first time I saw him, he was standing in front of the shop across the road from our house. He was putting apples and oranges onto the table outside the shop and his black hair had blue lights in it from the sun. I watched him from my bedroom window, and I smiled at how carefully he was putting the fruit onto the table. He was like an artist, not a shop assistant. Then, as I watched, a big motorbike went up the street. The young man looked up and smiled as he watched it go past. I saw the motorbike go past, but he heard it first, then saw it. 32

33 After the motorbike was gone, he went back to his fruit. But then a small girl fell off her bicycle close to the shop and he ran to help her. He knew she wanted help because he heard her. In only one minute, I already knew four things about him. He had beautiful black hair. He liked motorbikes. He was kind to apples, oranges and little girls. And, of course, he could hear. Until I first saw him, I didn't think very often about being deaf. It's all I've ever known, and I can't do anything to change it. And all my boyfriends have been deaf. But after I saw the young man, I wanted to be like most other people. I didn't want to be different. I soon found out that he only worked at the shop on Saturdays. After that I went in there to buy something each Saturday. Every week I wanted to talk to him, but every week I just smiled and paid for my things. Things that I didn't really want. Mum often looked at me strangely when I came back from the shop. 'We didn't need any apples, Samantha,' she said once. 'I bought some yesterday.' And another time, 'We've already got biscuits in the cupboard.' On Saturdays I always wanted to go to the shop, but I always felt afraid too. I never felt very comfortable as I walked across the road. I played with the money in my pocket like a child going to buy sweets. And then sometimes when I got to the shop I waited for a moment outside, reading the postcards in the window. People who want to sell things write about them on a postcard and the young man puts them in the window: 'Car, five years old. Cat needs good home, large fridge, nearly new.' One Saturday I read all of the postcards twice before I went into the shop. Then, when I was inside, I didn't know what to buy. Mum and I always go to the supermarket on Fridays and I really didn't want anything. The young man was busy selling bread and cakes to a woman with two children. This gave me time to think, and in the end I decided to buy a newspaper. The shop was often very busy on Saturdays. Usually the young man just had time to smile at me and take my money. But that morning it was different. After the woman and her children left, the shop was empty. There was only me and the young man. When I took my newspaper to him to pay for it, he smiled. But when I tried to smile back at him, my mouth felt like wood. Then he said something to me. I watched his mouth closely. We had lessons at school to help us lip-read - to watch people's mouths to read their words when they talk. I can lip-read quite well. So I watched the young man's mouth and I thought he was talking about a fire. A big fire. Then I looked down at my newspaper and saw a picture of a house on fire. It was a colour picture, and the fire was very big and red. I hoped nobody was in the house. That's what I wanted to say to the young man: 'How terrible! I hope nobody was in the house.' But I didn't say it. I didn't say anything. I don't like speaking, you see. I don't like actually using my voice. When I was a child I often tried to talk and other 33

34 children didn't understand me. Sometimes they laughed. That's why I think my voice sounds strange. And I didn't want the young man to think I was strange. When I looked up, the young man was speaking again. Then he wailed for me to answer him. But I didn't hear him, so I couldn't. So I just smiled and took my newspaper and left the shop. But as I walked across the road to my house, I felt sad because I was sure he probably did think I was strange now. CHAPTER THREE MY BEST FRIEND Mum looked at me when I went into the house with the newspaper. We signed to each other. 'Are you OK?' she asked, and I did my best to smile. 'Yes, I'm OK,' I said. She looked at me for a moment as if she didn't quite believe me, and then she said, 'Ron's here. He's in the living room.' That made me happy again. Ron is my very best friend. We lived next door to each other when we were children. Now he's a student in London, and I don't get to see him very often. He's studying to be a teacher of deaf children. He wanted to become one because of me. Ron learnt to speak to me by signing when he was very young. I went quickly into the living room. Ron was sitting on the sofa reading a magazine. When he saw me he put the magazine down. 'Hi, Sam!' he signed to me and smiled. 'Hi, Ron.' I smiled back and kissed him. 'How are you?' I was really happy to see him. I knew I could tell him about my problem with the man from the shop. Ron understood these things. I remember the first time he fell in love. It was with my friend Suzanne, actually. Mum put her head round the door. I watched her mouth move as she asked Ron if he wanted a cup of tea. She likes Ron as much as I do. When we were children, she often took both of us to the sea for the day. Once I asked Ron what the sound of the sea was like. He said. The sea's loud when it gets to the beach. But it can be soft and quiet too.' Usually I don't feel sad about being deaf, but I love the sea, and I would like to hear what it sounds like very much. I quickly told Ron about the man from the shop before Mum came back with the tea. 'Actually, I think I know him,' Ron said after a few moments. 'My brother's friend has a Saturday job at that shop. He's a student at the university. He lives in Pete's house' Pete is Ron's brother. 'I couldn't believe it! My man lived in Pete's house! What's his name?' I asked. 'Jim, Ron told me.' 34

35 'Actually, Pete's having a party at his house tonight. Come with me. Jim will probably be there.' Parties are difficult for me because I can't talk to people. It's different when I'm with my other deaf friends because we sign to each other and we laugh a lot. Going to a party with them is different to going to any other sort of party. We all speak the same language. When I'm at a party with them, I'm in the centre of things. At parties with hearing people, I'm on the outside. Or I feel as if I am. Ron knew what I was thinking. 'Come to the party,' he signed. 'Please. I'd like you to come.' 'OK' I said at last, just as Mum came in with the tea. CHAPTER FOUR THE PARTY Later I was looking at all my clothes when Mum came into my bedroom. I had a green dress in one hand and a short black skirt in the other hand. I wasn't happy with the dress or the skirt. Mum took a blue jumper from the bed and gave it to me. 'The weather man on the television says that it will snow,' she said. Then she smiled and kissed me, and I felt bad that she didn't know about Jim. I decided to tell her as soon as there was anything to tell. If there was anything to tell. It was almost spring, but it was still very cold. Ron and I stopped to buy some drinks on the way to the party and by the time we got to Pete's house it was beginning to snow. Ron looked at me as we waited at the door. 'OK?' he asked. I smiled at him. 'Yes,' I said. 'I'm OK.' A girl opened the door and said hello to Ron. I didn't know her. She was very pretty and she was wearing a nice red dress. I smiled at her and followed Ron into the house. Inside, we went into the kitchen. It was full of people. All the girls were wearing short dresses or skirts. I was the only one wearing a jumper and jeans. Ron and I took our drinks into the living room. This room was full of people too. And it was hot - very hot -but I couldn't take my jumper off because I wasn't wearing a T-shirt under it. The jumper was a mistake, but I tried to forget about it. 'The music's very loud,' I said to Ron. 'How do you know that?' he asked and smiled. 'Because I can feel it in my legs,' I told him, and it was true. It was like my hand on Mum's guitar. The vibration of the music was travelling from the floor into my feet. Then it was going right up my legs and into my body. A man came up to us. It was Pete. He said something to Ron, then looked right at me. Pete knows I'm deaf of course. 'Hello, Sam' I saw his mouth saying. 'Where's Jim?' I wanted to ask, but I didn't. I just said hello and smiled. Pete talked to us for a while, then he went to change the music. Ron talked to me. People in the room watched us talking with our hands. People often watch when I use sign language. It's interesting for them, I think. 35

36 Ron told me about the fun he was having with his new friends in London. He talked a lot about a girl called Mary. 'Is Mary your girlfriend?' I asked him, and his face went a bit red. 'At the moment she's just a friend,' he said. 'But I want her to be my girlfriend.' I thought about Jim. Where was he? Why wasn't he here? The party was in his house! Ron often knows what I'm thinking. 'He ll come soon,' he told me. Around ten o'clock, Ron was talking to some other friends across the room. I felt very hot in my jumper, so I decided to go into the garden for a short time. Outside, everything was white. There was snow everywhere, and it was beautiful. The garden looked like a big white cake, and I was the first person to walk on it. Or, I thought I was the first person to walk on it. But after a few moments I saw that I wasn't. I could see empty places in the snow made by shoes - footprints. But I couldn't see anyone. But I knew someone was there because just then something very cold hit the side of my face. Snow! 1. Vocabulary Chapters 5-7 stomach hurt (hurt, hurt) important for somebody (for me) to be sure (was sure) to nod to mind (I didn t mind) throw smth at (was throwing snowballs at me) careful to hurry it takes (40 minutes) to do smth pool (to play pool) sound (sound different) different accents peaceful 2. Answer the questions 1. Did Sam enjoy the snowball fight? Why? 2. Why was it important for Sam to start speaking to Jim? 3. Why does Sam sometimes feel like a piece of expensive glass? How is Jim different from other people? 4. Why did Sam and Jim stop playing snowballs? 36

37 5. Why did Sam worry that Jim saw her and Ron talk to each other and Ron kiss her face? 6. Why did Sam clean downstairs? 7. How did Sam get a chance to go to Jim s shop? 8. What was Jim s first question to Sam? 9. Who did Sam think about when she was cleaning mum s bedroom? Why? 10. What was the weather like in Winterton? 11. Why did Sam tell her mother about Jim in Winterton? 12. How is Jim different from Sam s previous boyfriend? 13. What did Sam learn about Jim? 14. Did Jim understand what Sam felt? How do we know that? 3. Discussion Comment on the sentences from the story. Do you agree/disagree? Why?? Love is wonderful she said, smiling again. Enjoy it while you can? I think that being deaf is a bit like swimming underwater? We lived in different worlds because I was deaf, and he wasn t. But it wasn t important. - What do you think will happen next in chapters of the book? CHAPTER FIVE SNOW FUN More snowballs flew past my face. Then I saw someone come out from behind a white tree. It was the man from the shop! It was Jim! I laughed and quickly made a snowball. Then I sent it through the air. But Jim moved so quickly to one side the snowball hit a tree behind him. So I started to make another snowball, but before it was ready, Jim threw a new one at me. I laughed again. Then I ran behind a wall and made lots of snowballs. When they were ready, I came out from behind the wall. But Jim had made lots of snowballs too, and soon I was very wet. After a few minutes I was laughing so much my stomach hurt, just the way it does when I'm laughing at parties with my deaf friends. When I looked up at last, I saw that Jim was standing quite close to me. I also saw that something was wrong. He wasn't smiling now. He was looking at me. I remembered how he looked at me in the shop and I knew it was the same now. He was waiting for me to answer him. But I couldn't. I looked into his face, waiting for him to speak again. After a while, he did, and this time I watched his mouth very carefully. There was an outside light on the side of the house. Anyway, the snow all around us made it almost as light as day. 'What's your name?' he asked. This time I knew it was very important for me say something. 'Sam,' I said carefully. 'My name's Sam. Samantha.' Then I told him: 'I can't hear what you say. I'm deaf.' 37

38 He looked at me for a very long time, and I wasn't sure if he understood. Then he smiled. 'Can you lip-read, Sam?' he asked. I nodded. 'Yes,' I said. 'Usually.' 'Then lip-read this,' he said, moving his mouth carefully. 'The time for talking has finished. Get your snowballs ready!' Then he ran away and went back behind his tree. Before I could move, snowballs were coming through the air again. I ran back behind my wall, laughing. My first snowball hit him in the face. But he sent one back which got me on my face. The snow was told and wet in my eyes, but I didn't mind. I was happy. I knew Jim was throwing snowballs at me because he liked me. Sometimes when people learn about me being deaf they're very careful with me. I feel like I'm a piece of expensive glass. It's difficult to be friends with a piece of expensive glass. Bui Jim wasn't careful with me and I liked that. Soon I was very hoc. But I didn't want to stop. I wanted to throw snowballs at Jim all night. But after about five minutes, Jim stopped. When I looked over to see why, I saw his mouth was moving. But he wasn't looking at me, he was looking at someone behind me. I turned and saw a girl standing near the house. It was the girl in the red dress. The same girl who opened the door when Ron and I arrived at the party. She was saying something to Jim and she didn't look happy. She wasn't smiling and her eyes were told. As told as her legs in the short red dress. Jim started to walk across the snowy grass. When he got near to me, he smiled and looked into my face. 'I'll win next time,' he said, then he went inside with the girl. I stayed on in the garden for a few minutes more, but it wasn't much fun now. You can't really throw snowballs at yourself. When I went back in the house I found Ron in the kitchen. 'Sam! You're still here,' he signed. 'I was looking for you.' He looked at my wet clothes. 'What happened to your jumper?' Before I could answer I saw Jim on the other side of the kitchen. The girl in the red dress was talking to him, but he wasn't listening. He was watching me and Ron speaking with our hands. Ron saw who I was looking at. 'Have you been outside with Jim?' he asked, and he smiled when my red face gave him my answer. 'I've been with Jim and about a hundred snowballs.' I smiled as I signed the words. Ron laughed. More people came into the kitchen and he moved closer to me. There wasn't enough room for him to sign now, so he spoke carefully. 'It's very good to see you, Sam,' he said. I like London, but it's not so much fun without you there'. Ron is like my brother. So when he kissed my face, I knew it was the kiss of a brother to his sister. But I didn't know if Jim knew that. CHAPTER SIX SPRING CLEANING 38

39 The next Saturday was the first Saturday in Mareh. Mum always likes us to clean the house on the first Saturday in Mareh. She calls it spring cleaning. She was cleaning downstairs, and I was cleaning upstairs. I wanted to be upstairs because I could see the shop from my bedroom window. Downstairs there are always cars in the street outside and you can't see out very well. I really wanted to see Jim again, and I looked out of the window often while I was cleaning. Once he came outside to put some fruit and flowers onto the cable, but he didn't look across the road. The snowball fight was a week ago now. A week is a long time if you're in love. It was sunny and the snow was gone now. I was sorry about that. 'Haven't you finished this room, Sam?' Mum stood in front of me, signing. She couldn't understand why I was still cleaning my room. I'm usually quite quick ac cleaning. When I'm not looking out of windows and remembering snowballs. 'Sorry,' I answered, and she smiled. 'That's OK. Actually, can you go to the shop to get a bottle of window cleaner for me? I forgot to buy some.' I couldn't believe it! She was sending me to the shop! 'Do you feel OK, Sam?' Mum asked me. 'You look hot.'' 'Yes,' I answered. 'I feel fine.' But I knew my face was red. 'Are you sure?' she said. I'll go to the shop if you want.' 'No!' I signed. I'll go.' And I quickly went downstairs and left the house. Jim was busy when I went into the shop. He was standing near the bottles of wine with a man. He was helping the man to decide which wine to buy. The man was quite short. Jim smiled at me over his head. I smiled at him, and then I went over to the bottles of cleaner. Mum always buys the same window cleaner, but I stood in front of the different bottles as if I didn't know which one was best. I wanted the short man to choose his wine quickly and leave. I wanted Jim to myself. At last the man left, carrying two bottles of wine, one-red, one white. I took my window cleaner over to Jim to pay for it. When I got there he was writing something on a piece of paper. Then he gave it to me. The writing was large and black. It was like an artist's writing. I read the words: 'I know more about snowballs than wine.' I laughed. 'Did you enjoy our snowball fight? He wrote next. I took the pen from him. 'Yes, I wrote, I did. Very much.' After he'd read my words, he looked at me. Then he started writing again. 'Is Ron your boyfriend?' I read. This time I didn't write, I spoke. 'No,' I said. 'He's my best friend. I haven't got a boyfriend.' Jim understood me without any problem. Or I think he did, because he smiled. 'Do you want to meet me tomorrow night?' he said, and he moved his mouth carefully so I could lip-read his words. 'Yes,' I said. 'I'd like that.' 39

40 'How long does it take to buy window cleaner, Sam?' Mum asked me when I got back to the house, but I only smiled. 'Sorry, Mum' I signed and hurried quickly upstairs. It wasn't until I started cleaning Mum's bedroom that I thought about the girl in the red dress again. Who was she? But I was afraid of the answer. I liked Jim too much and I didn't want to think about the girl in the red dress. CHAPTER SEVEN A NEW BOYFRIEND Next day, Mum and I went to Winterton for a walk. Winterton is one of my favourite places. It's cast of Norwich, by the sea. Winterton is where Mum took me and Ron when we were children. It takes about forty-five minutes to drive there. We put on our coats and made some coffee and some sandwiches to take with us. On the beach it was told but sunny. Some children were running by the sea with their dog. As we walked along, I told Mum about Jim. When I was finished, my face was a bit red. 'You really like him, don't you?' she said, looking at me. It was windy by the sea. Mum's hair was all over her face, but I could see her smile through it. 'Yes,' I said, 'I do.' Just for a moment, she looked a little sad. She walked ahead a short way, then she looked back at me. 'Love is wonderful,' she said, smiling again. 'Enjoy it while you can, Sam. Enjoy it while you can.' I did enjoy myself that evening. Very much. Jim and I went to a bar in the centre of Norwich. It was in the old area of town, close to the river. There was a pool table in the bar. I like playing pool. Ron taught me how to play, years ago. Now I'm better than him. Jim saw me looking at the pool table and the next moment he was putting some money into the side of it. We played and I won easily. It only took five minutes. My last boyfriend got angry when he lost. Bur when I looked at Jim I saw that he was laughing. I liked that. 'Very good!' he said. 'But my snowballs are better than yours! Then he looked at me. 'Can you understand me?' I smiled. 'Yes,' I said. 'I can understand if you speak slowly. Can you understand me?' Jim smiled too. 'Yes,' he said, 'I can understand you very well.' We sat down together at a table and for the next two hours we talked. Most of the time we spoke to each other, and sometimes we wrote things down. I didn't think about how we were talking. I was too interested in what we were saying. This was what I found out about Jim. He was twenty-one years old and he was studying English at university in Norwich. This was his last year as a student. His family lived in Derbyshire, in the middle of England. He had a brother of twenty-five, a sister of seventeen and a dog called Sky. He liked walking in the hills near his family home. He told me that in winter the hills were often white with snow. Winter was his 40

41 favourite time. Then he told me the only two things he didn't like about Norfolk: there weren't many hills and it didn't snow very often! Mum has told me that people who live in different places in England sound different when they speak. People from Derbyshire sound different to people from London, and people from London sound different to people from Norwich. They have different accents. So I knew that Jim probably had a different accent to the other people around us in the bar. Then Jim wanted to know about me, so I told him about my job at Busy Kids. I said that I spent a lot of my time playing, and that the children don't mind about me being deaf. I won't always work at Busy Kids, 'I finished, I like working there but I also like writing stories. One day I want to write a book.' 'I'm sure you will,' Jim said. 'You'll write a book and you'll be famous.' 'I just want to be happy,' I wrote on his piece of paper. But I was already happy. Happy being with Jim. 'What's it like to be deaf?' Jim asked then, and I thought for a moment. 'You don't mind me asking you that, do you?' Jim asked. 'No,' I wrote. 'I want to tell you. But it's difficult' 'I think it must be very peaceful,' Jim said. 'I like noise, but sometimes I need to be quiet. That's when I go to the countryside for a walk.' He laughed. 'But actually the countryside can be a very noisy place! There are cars and animals and birds singing.' 'Mum likes listening to the birds sing,' I told him. 'Yes, I do too.' he said. And the sound of the wind in the trees. 'Sometimes my world is too quiet,' I said, and Jim touched my hand. 'Don't be sad,' he said, and I smiled. 'I'm not sad,' I said, and it was true. I was very happy, being with Jim. 'I think being deaf is a bit like swimming underwater,' I told him. 'You know, when you're swimming and you look up through the water. Everything looks different. The water changes everything.' Jim moved his chair near to mine and took my hand in his. 'Fish always live in the water,' he said. 'It's all they know.' 'Yes,' I said, and I knew he understood what I was trying to tell him. 'Fish don't know that the water makes things look different.' When the bar closed, Jim walked home with me. He had his bicycle with him. It was dark, so I couldn't read his lips, but I didn't mind. It was nice just to be with him. We lived in different worlds because I was deaf, and he wasn't. But it wasn't important. Outside my house, we stopped under a street light. Jim looked into my eyes. 'What's your mobile phone number? So I can text you.' I told him my mobile phone number. Then I showed him how to say goodbye in sign language. He tried it a few times. Then, he showed me another way to say goodbye. With a kiss. I liked that way best. 41

42 1. Vocabulary Chapters 8-11 look cross band means everything to him stay away from smb world was broken into pieces to be pleased to do smth (was pleased to see) happy ever after play drums 2. Answer the questions 1. Why did Sam feel she was living in a dream? 2. Why was Sam hurt when she met and talked with a girl in a red dress? 3. What was Sam s mother s plan? 4. What usually happened in the books that Sam read? How was it different from real life? 5. What did Sam know about the girl in a red dress from Jim? 6. Did Ron help Sam? Why? 7. Why does Mum tell Sam about her father? How is it related to Sam s situation? 8. How are these connected? drums guitar happiness love being deaf Discussion Comment on the sentences from the story. Do you agree/disagree? Why?? But real life is different to stories? sometimes it s more important to feel than think? it s better to feel afraid than to feel sad? Sometimes you have to fight for what you want CHAPTER EIGHT THE GIRL IN THE RED DRESS That evening was the beginning of something wonderful, because Jim and I met often after that. Sometimes he went out with his friends or stayed at home to study. But we saw each other as often as we could. We met in cafes or in bars, or we just went for walks. Sometimes we used pen and paper to talk, but usually I read his lips. I showed him some more sign language too. But often we didn't have to talk at all. We just liked being together. When we weren't together we sent each other text messages and s. In this way we spoke to 42

43 each other every day. Sometimes I felt I was living a dream, a very good dream. I was in love and I was very happy. Until the day I met the girl in the red dress again. The girl from the party. It was a Monday morning and I was on my way to work. Mum had left early to meet a new parent, so I was walking. It was a sunny day, and I was feeling good. I went to the shops to buy food for the children's lunches and then I walked through the park. I was probably thinking about Jim, because I was always thinking about Jim. I didn't see the girl with the red dress until she stood in front of me. She wasn't wearing a red dress that day, of course, but I knew who she was. 'Hello,' I said, but she didn't say anything. She just stood there and looked at me. Then, when she started speaking, she talked really quickly. Too quickly. 'Please,' I said. 'Can you speak more slowly? I can't understand you.' She looked cross. 'What?' I saw her say. 'I can't understand you! My face went red, but I tried again, speaking carefully. 'Please speak more slowly so I can read your lips. I'm deaf.' When she spoke again, she spoke very slowly. Too slowly. I could understand every word. 'Jim was my boyfriend before he met you,' she said. 'My boyfriend. We were very happy together. Very happy. I'm good for him in a way you can never be good for him. How can you be good for him? You can't hear his music!' 'His music?' I didn't understand what she meant. She looked at me. 'Don't you know about his music?' she said. Jim plays in a band! I can't believe you don't know that! The band means everything to him. Everything. And he needs to be with someone who can hear his music. Jim writes songs. Didn't you know that? You really don't know Jim very well, do you? He writes songs and he plays them to me before he tries them with the band. He could never do that with you, could he? So stay away from him, understand? You'll never make him happy the way I do.' She waited for a moment to see if I would say anything, but I was too hurt inside to speak. Hurt and afraid. So she said it one more time: 'Stay away from Jim.' Then she left. There was a seat in the park under a tree. I sat down on it and watched her walk away. My head hurt. It was lull of her words. She was Jim's girlfriend until he met me. Was that true? Why didn't he tell me? And he played music in a band... Was that true as well? I thought I knew Jim, but now... I didn't know what to believe or to think I only knew that I was afraid. Very afraid. I knew why Jim never spoke to me about his music. Because I'm deaf. Just then I felt my phone ring. I took it from my bag and looked at it. There was a text message from Jim. Meet me tonight. I love you, Jim I didn't answer the message. 43

44 Mum looked at me when I arrived at Busy Kids. 'Are you all right, Sam?' she asked me. 'You look ill.' 'I'm OK,' I signed and I took the shopping into the kitchen where we make the children's lunches. Mum followed me. 'Sam?' she said. 'What is it?' I didn't want to talk about it. But Mum's face was very worried, so I told her. 'You must speak to Jim,' she said. 'Do you want me to phone him?' 'No,' I said. 'No, thank you. I need to thank.' I was sad all day. No, I was worse than sad. My happy world was broken into pieces. At four o'clock Mum told me to go home early. 'I've got a friend coming for dinner, but I'm busy here,' she said. 'Can you cook something?' I was happy to go home early, but I wasn't hungry. But I made a pizza for Mum and her friend. Mum got home at six o'clock and went to have a shower. When somebody comes to the front door at our house, the lights go on and off. Then I know that someone's there. The lights in the kitchen went on and off while I was making a salad and Mum was in the shower. I went to the front door to see who it was. I could see a man through the glass. It was Jim. I opened the door. He was smiling, but I couldn't smile back. I was pleased to see him, but I was sad too, because of the meeting with the girl. 'Hi, Sam,' he said. 'These are for you.' Then I saw he had some flowers. Beautiful flowers. Red roses, lots of them. Flowers for a boyfriend to give to his girlfriend. But in my head I saw the girl from the party in her red dress. The roses were the same colour as her dress. Did Jim give her roses when he was her boyfriend? 'Thank you,' I took the flowers from him, and when I looked up again, Jim was saying something. Except of course I didn't know what it was. I don't think I have ever felt so sad about being deaf as at that moment. Jim took the flowers back from me and put them down on a table inside the house. Then he put his arms around me. I knew he was trying to show me what he wanted to say to me. It was the same thing as his text message, the same thing as the roses: 'I love you.' I was happy that Jim loved me. But I was still sad because I knew love wasn't enough. CHAPTER NINE PIZZA AND TALKING When I was about fifteen years old, my favourite books and films were all love stories. The stories were all the same. There was a man (the hero) and a woman (the heroine). They met. But there was always a problem which meant they could not be together at first. Perhaps the hero was hurt by love in the past and didn't want a girlfriend now. Or the heroine had an important job and didn't have time for a boyfriend. Anyway, these books or films always finish in the same way. The hero and 44

45 the heroine know that they are in love, so the problems aren't important. The only important thing is their love. When we tell children stories we often finish, 'and they were happy ever after'. It's the same with love stories. The hero and the heroine are always 'happy ever after'. Happy together always, with no problems. But real life is different to stories, and I'm not a heroine. Anyway, I read hundreds of those books when I was fifteen, and there was never a story about a deaf girl with a boyfriend who played music. I moved away from Jim as Mum came down the stairs. Her hair was wet, but she was smiling at Jim. I soon saw that he was the friend coming to dinner. 'I don't want you to be sad,' she signed to me while Jim put the roses in some water, 'so I phoned Jim and asked him to dinner. After we've eaten, you can tell him why you're sad. And until then, I can find out more about him.' She was smiling like the children in the Busy Kids nursery smile sometimes. When they've done something a little bad. I don't usually feel angry with the children, and I couldn't feel angry with Mum. While we are the pizza, Jim and Mum talked. Mum laughed a lot. I knew she liked Jim. Of course she liked Jim. Sometimes Mum signed to me to tell me what she and Jim were talking about: his studies at university, his family, her days as a musician with the Sweet Pepper Band. 'Jim's father plays guitar,' she told me. 'He was quire famous when he was a young man. Isn't that interesting?' Mum was like a young girl. She was having fun talking to Jim. But I sat quietly, watching them. I didn't eat very much. I wasn't hungry. I think Mum was asking Jim more questions about his family. But I just felt sad that I didn't already know about his father being a famous musician. After two months of being Jim's girlfriend I didn't know his father was a famous musician. I didn't know about Jim playing in a band. And I didn't know that the girl from the party was his girlfriend before me. What else didn't I know? 'I'm going out now,' Mum said to me after dinner. 'I'll wash the plates when I come home. You stay here and calk to Jim.' I saw her say goodbye, and then she left. I took Jim's plate. 'Do you want a coffee?' I asked him. 'No, thank you,' he said. He was looking at me, waiting, but I didn't know what to say or how to begin. I only knew that I wanted to sign to him what I was thinking and feeling. I wanted him to understand signing. Signing is my first language and I wanted to talk to him about the girl from the party in my first language. Jim waited until I was looking at him. 'Your mum told me what happened,' he said. 'She told me about Lauren.' So, I thought, that's what she's called. Lauren. I didn't like her and I didn't like her name. 'Sam,' Jim said, 'Lauren wasn't my girlfriend when you and I met at the party. We did go out together for a few months, but that was last year. We're just friends now. Or we were friends.' Oh, I'm so angry with her for hurting you! 45

46 I didn't think Jim would lie to me. But he didn't tell me about his music... Jim knew what I was thinking. 'I'm sorry I didn't tell you about my music,' he said. 'You didn't tell me because it's a problem,' I said, but he didn't agree. 'No,' he said, 'that's not true.' 'Yes, it is,' I said. I told him he loves music and I can't hear music. It's a big problem- I told him he doesn't want a deaf girlfriend, he wants a hearing girlfriend. But now Jim couldn't understand me. I wasn't speaking very well because I was angry and sad. So I wrote it down for him: 'You want a girlfriend who can hear your music. I'm not good for you.' Jim's face was very sad. 'Don't say that,' he said. 'It isn't true. I know what I want, and that's you. You are good for me, Sam. You're very good for me.' When I didn't answer, Jim started to write again: 'I want to be with you, Sam.' 'I want to be with you too.' That's what I wanted to write. But I didn't, because I couldn't forget Lauren's words. Maybe Jim did want me. Maybe Lauren just wanted to hurt me. But her words were true. I could never know Jim, the man who played music. So, could I ever really know Jim? CHAPTER TEN JIM S BAND Jim went home after that. I told him to go because I needed to think. Before he went, he wrote something down and gave it to me. I read it after he left. It said: 'I believe that sometimes it's more important to feel than to think. We love each other. Don't forget that.' I didn't forget it. I thought about it all the time. But I also remembered Lauren's words. And Jim's music. It was the worst time of my life. Mum knew I was sad. 'Take a holiday from work, Sam,' she told me. 'Visit Ron in London.' I thought it was a good idea. I always had fun with Ron. So I went. But it's difficult to have fun with anyone when your world is in pieces. I was in London, not Norwich, but I still was thinking about Jim; I wasn't having fun at all. And I soon saw that Ron and his friend Mary were boyfriend and girlfriend now, not just friends. Ron felt bad about Jim and me. He tried not to be too happy about Mary when I was there. He didn't want me to feel worse. But every time he looked at her, he smiled. And I understood. Of course I understood! Until a week ago it was the same for me. I felt happy every time I looked at Jim. But not anymore... A few days later, when it was time for me to catch the train home, Ron took me to the station. We stood together on the station platform with hundreds of people hurrying to work around us. Ron signed to me, 'Sam, I don't think of you as my deaf friend,' he said. I think of you as my kind, funny friend. I'm sure it's the same for Jim.' 46

47 'I'm so lucky to have you as my friend,' I told him. We kissed and said goodbye, and then I got on the train. I wanted to believe Ron, but Lauren's words were always in my head: 'Jim wants to be with someone who can hear his music.' I knew it was true. When I got home Mum looked at me. She saw in my face that nothing was different. 'Send Jim a text message, Sam,' she said. 'Please. Speak to him. I hate to see you like this.' 'I can't,' I told her. She looked at me for a long time. 'Do you know what I think?' she said. 'I don't think this is about Jim at all. I think it's about your father.' I looked at her, but I didn't say anything. I wanted to know what she meant. 'I didn't want to tell you this,' she said, 'but now I think its best.' Mum's face was sad, and I felt afraid. 'What is it?' I asked. She closed her eyes for a moment. 'Your father left us because he met another woman: a woman who didn't have any children and who thought your father was wonderful. She didn't want to play guitar or have children. She only wanted to be with him. Sam, your father didn't leave because you were deaf. He left because he didn't want to be a father to any child.' Mum was very sad now. She was crying and her face was wet. I wanted to put my arms around her, but she started signing again. 'You think Jim will leave you after a few months because you're deaf. But I think you're wrong. Jim isn't the same as your father. He doesn't just think about himself. He's a good man and he loves you.' She smiled at me. 'Oh, Sam, I understand, I really do. When you love somebody you feel afraid. But it's better to feel afraid than to feel sad. Sometimes you have to fight for what you want.' She put her arms around me and soon we were both crying. Then, after a few minutes, she smiled at me. She looked happy now, like Mum again. 'Get your coat,' she told me. 'I know where Jim is. We can go to see him.' I didn't ask any questions, I just did what she said. I wanted to see Jim. I wanted to see him very much. Mum drove through the city centre. I didn't know where we were going or how she knew where Jim was- I was busy thinking about love stories and about the problem keeping me from Jim. It wasn't that I was deaf and it wasn't because my dad left when I was born. It was me. I was making problems because was afraid. I was fighting against something I really wanted, and it was stupid. I could never kill my love for Jim; it was too strong. After ten minutes the car stopped and I saw we were near a church. But Mum didn't go into the church, she went up to the building next to it, St Marks Church Hall. Before she opened the door, I stopped her. 'How did you know where to find Jim?' I asked her. Mum smiled. 'I came here while you were in London,' she said and smiled again. 'Follow me. It's all right.' 47

48 Then she opened the door and went in. After a moment I went in after her. And there was Jim with four other men. They were playing music, and I knew this was Jim's band. Jim was playing drums. There were four drums of different sizes. Jim was playing all of them. His hands were moving very quickly. Quicker than Mums hands when she's speaking to me. I watched him play for a few moments. At first he didn't see me, but I was happy just to look at him. It was very good to see him again. And now I was really seeing him. Because this was the Jim who played music: this was the real Jim. CHAPTER ELEVEN HAPPY EVER AFTER I knew the music was loud because I fell the vibration of the sound in the floor under my feet- Mum put her hands over her ears. When Jim saw me there was not as much vibration because he stopped playing his drums. He got up and walked over to me and his friends stopped playing too. I think everyone was looking at us, but I'm not sure. All I remember is Jims smile and the love in his eyes before he kissed me. As I kissed him back, I forgot to be afraid. This was Jim and I loved him. There was nothing to be afraid of. After a few moments he moved about a metre away and started to sign to me. He made some mistakes, but I understood. Just as he understood when I spoke to him. And I remembered his fast hands on the drums... There was no problem. This is what he signed to me: 'Your mum taught me some sign language. Now I'll teach you to play drums. Come with me.' Before I could answer, Jim took my hand in his. We moved to stand with his friends. Mum was smiling at me. Everyone was smiling. Jim stood behind me and his hands were on my hands and then I was playing the drums. And the vibration travelled from the drums to my hands and up my arms to my head. It was wonderful. As wonderful as my small hand on the front of Mum's guitar. 48

49 LOVE IS BLIND by Brendan Dunne 1. Vocabulary blind miserable extra work neighbor opposite complain violin disturb stare at smb turn off concentrate on smth hurry up drop exist face turns red to fail a bench wave at smb ignore deliver frightened (to be frightened, sound frightened) to be confused 2. Write a number (1 10) on the left to put these sentences in order.. He writes an to his friend from Shanghai.. He sees Helen in the park.. He takes the letter across the street.. He picks up Helen s white stick.. He can t sleep and gets up late.. He hears Helen practising a classical piece.. He tries to study irregular verbs.. He practises the guitar with the headphones on.. He doesn t want lunch in the cafeteria.. He drops his schoolbag. 49

50 3. Circle True or False for these sentences. 1. Lang lives in Berlin. True False 2. Helen doesn t like dogs. True False 3. Helen plays classical music. True False 4. Deshi fails a geography test. True False 5. Helen s dad complains about Deshi s music. True False 6. Helen goes to school by car. True False 7. Deshi s dad died last year. True False 8. Deshi s band played a concert at his old school. True False 4.Discussion 1. Compare two stories ( Different worlds and Love is blind ). What is the same in these two stories? What is different? After moving to a new country, Deshi s life seems miserable. But maybe it s not all bad Hi Lang I m writing in English because I know we both need to practise. Thanks for your last . I m sorry I didn t write back sooner. I started school the day after we arrived in Boston and I m very busy with extra work. I hate it here. I can t understand what anyone says to me. Their accents are very strange. I miss Shanghai and I miss playing in the band with you. CRASH! were the best! I don t know anyone who plays rock music here. I try to practise the guitar, but the neighbour who lives opposite complained yesterday. He was very angry. His daughter plays the violin and he said that my horrible noise disturbed her. Later, I saw her staring out of the window at me. I think she hates me too. She s really beautiful... I ve got to stop now. Mum is home from work and I haven t finished my homework. Please write back soon. I want to hear more about what you re doing in London. Have you found anyone to play music with? Can you understand the accent yet? Deshi PS: I think I m in love! Deshi turned off the computer and opened his English book. He had lots of homework but it was difficult to concentrate on irregular verbs. He couldn t stop thinking about the girl in the building opposite and her beautiful eyes. He opened his bedroom window and looked across the street. Her window was open too and he could hear her practising a piece of classical music. It sounded sad. She s really good, thought Deshi, and she probably hates rock music! Have you finished your 50

51 homework? Deshi s mum opened the door. Hurry up, dinner will be ready in half an hour, and please tidy your room! Suddenly, Deshi didn t feel hungry. Deshi couldn t sleep that night and he got up late the next morning. He ran out of the house in time to see the bus leaving. Oh no! He was going to be late again. He looked around and there she was! She was sitting in her dad s car with the window open. He dropped his schoolbag and she turned to look at him. He couldn t move. Her eyes were green. He d never seen anyone with green eyes before. He smiled at her but she just stared at him as if he didn t exist. Deshi could feel his face turning red. He picked up his bag and ran off. He had a terrible day at school. He failed another maths test and the English teacher shouted at him for not concentrating in class. At lunch time, he couldn t eat. The food in the cafeteria was horrible, it just made him feel sick. And then, finally, he had to stay late after school for extra English, so he missed the bus again. He decided to walk home. He was crossing the park near his street, thinking about how he missed his school back in Shanghai and all his friends. He thought about his dad, who had died three years ago, and that made him sad. Then he saw her. She was sitting on a bench with her dog. Oh no, she s seen me, he thought. He didn t know what to do, so he smiled and waved at her but she just ignored him again. Idiot! he said to himself. Why did I wave? Now she really hates me. Later that evening, Deshi was in his room, practising his guitar with the headphones on. His friends in Shanghai thought he was very good. He had started a band with his friend Lang and they had played a concert at school. But now he didn t want anyone to hear him playing, especially her. He was thinking about getting a classical guitar when his mum came into the room. She was holding a letter. The postman delivered this to the wrong building, she said. It s for the building opposite. Can you take it across while I m making dinner? And please, tidy your room! OK, Mum! he said. Deshi felt bad. Mum worked hard all day and then she had to look after him too. Maybe he should do more to help. Deshi went down to the street feeling really unhappy. Life was difficult since Dad died. Mum was always working. School was really difficult and he had no friends in Boston. He was outside the opposite building when suddenly the door opened. Oh no, it s her again, he thought. The girl was coming down the steps when she dropped something. It bounced down the steps and stopped at Deshi s feet. Without thinking, he picked it up. Hello? she said, sounding frightened. Who s there? Deshi was confused. Er, I live across the street. Are you OK? Oh, are you the boy who plays the guitar? she said. Hi, I m Helen. I wanted to tell you I really like your music and I m sorry my dad complained. He worries about me too much. Deshi looked at what he was holding. It was a white stick. She was blind. 51

52 Pre-reading MRS. BIXBY AND THE COLONEL S COAT by Roald Dahl - Is lie possible in the relations between husband and wife? In what cases? - Have you ever been in such situation when you had to lie somebody? When you were deceived? 1. Vocabulary While-reading While you read the story think of the title, which suits it Post-reading Explain the words and word combinations to earn an average amount of money to be full of life suspect the truth mink coat hardly dared to think pawnbroker ingenious plan 2. Answer the questions 1. What were the relations of Mrs Bixby and her husband Colonel 3. Prove that Mrs Bixby loved neither the husband nor the Colonel 1. What was the present that she got from the Colonel 2. What did she decide to do with it? Why? 3. If you were Mrs Bixby what would you do? 4. Who took the present from the pawnbroker? 5. What did Mrs Bixby get? 6. What is the message of the story? 52

53 4. Work in groups Present the story from the point of view of Mr Bixby Colonel Mink coat 5. Work in groups 6. Writing Present the story from the point of view of Mr Bixby Colonel Mink coat Write what you think will happen to Mr. and Mrs Bixby. How will their relations develop? Mr. and Mrs. Bixby lived in a small apartment in New York City. Mr. Bixby was a dentist, who earned an average amount of money. Mrs. Bixby was a woman who was full of life. Once a month she would get on a train and travel to Baltimore to visit her old Aunt Maude. At least that was what she told her husband. What she really did was see a gentleman known as the Colonel and spend all her time in Baltimore in his company. The Colonel was wealthy and lived in a charming house just outside of town. He had no wife and no family, only a few loyal servants, and in Mrs. Bixby's absence he amused himself by riding horses and hunting. Year after year the pleasant friendship between Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel continued without a problem, and never once did Mrs. Bixby's dentist husband suspect the truth. Then, after one visit just before Christmas, Mrs. Bixby was standing at the station in Baltimore, waiting for the train to take her back to New York. It had been a thoroughly enjoyable visit and Mrs. Bixby was thinking how different it all was from her dull husband at home, when suddenly one of the Colonel's servants appeared through the crowd and presented her with a large cardboard box. Mrs. Bixby: "Good heavens! What s he brought? What a big box! Was there a message?" There had been no message, and as soon as she was on the train, Mrs. Bixby found a place where she could open the box in private. Mrs. Bixby: "How exciting! A Christmas present from the Colonel...I think it's a dress. It might even be two dresses. Or it might be a lot of beautiful underclothes. I won't look. I'll just feel around and try to guess what it is. I'll try to guess the color as well, and exactly what it looks like. Also how much it cost -- Good heavens! It can't be true." 53

54 What the Colonel had given her was the most magnificent mink coat she had ever seen. The fur was almost pure black, with a touch of blue in it, as well, as deep rich blue. But what had it cost? She hardly dared to think. Then she saw there was a letter in the box, as well -- a farewell note from the Colonel! He had heard her say once how fond she was of mink and asked her to accept it as a farewell gift. For his own personal reasons he would not be able to see her anymore. Mrs. Bixby: "Well! Imagine that! Well, I've lost one thing, but gained another. Wait--there's something written on the other side: 'Just tell them a nice generous aunt of yours gave it for Christmas'." "The man must be mad! Aunt Maude doesn't have that sort of money--she couldn't possibly give me this...but if Aunt Maude didn't, then who did?" In the excitement of finding the coat and trying it on, she had completely forgotten the most important detail. In a couple of hours she would be in New York, and even a man like her husband Cyril would start asking questions if his wife suddenly walked in from a weekend wearing a fabulous new mink coat. Mrs. Bixby thought to herself: "I think he's done this on purpose just to annoy me. He knew perfectly well I wouldn't be able to keep it. But I must have this coat! I must! Very well, my dear. You shall have the coat, my dear. But don't be afraid. Sit still and keep calm and start thinking. You've fooled him before. The man has never been able to understand very much apart from his business. So sit absolutely still and think." Some time later Mrs. Bixby stepped off the train in New York and walked quickly to the exit. She was wearing her old red coat again, and was carrying the box in her arms. She signaled for a taxi. Mrs. Bixby: "Driver, do you know of a pawnbroker that is still open around here? Stop at the first one you see, will you please?" At the pawnbroker's Mrs. Bixby told the driver to wait for her. Inside she made up a story about losing her purse and all her money, and left the fur coat with the pawnbroker in exchange for fifty dollars in cash and a pawn-ticket which she insisted have no name or address on it, but simply the word 'ARTICLE.'" The important thing was not to lose that ticket--anyone finding it could go there and claim the coat. But Mrs. Bixby was not about to let that happen. She would tell her husband that she'd found the ticket in the back seat of the taxi and could hardly wait to claim whatever it was on the following Monday morning. A most ingenious plan-- if it hadn't been for her husband. Mrs. Bixby: "Wouldn't it be wonderful if it were a real treasure?" Mr. Bixby: "We can't know what it is yet, my dear. We shall just have to wait and see." Mrs. Bixby: "I think it's absolutely wonderful! Give me the ticket and I'll go over immediately on Monday morning and find out!" Mr. Bixby: "I think I'd better do that. I'll pick it up on my way to work." Mrs. Bixby: "But it's my ticket! Please let me do it. Why should you have all that fun?" Mr. Bixby: "I'd rather you didn't handle it if you don't mind." 54

55 Mrs. Bixby: " But I found it. It's mine. Whatever it is, it's mine, isn't that right?" Mr. Bixby: "I suppose you haven't thought that it might be something for a man, a pocket watch, for example." Mrs. Bixby: "In that case, I'll give it to you for Christmas. But if it's a woman's thing, I want it myself. Is that agreed?" Mr. Bixby: "That sounds fair. Why don't you come with me when I pick it up?" Mrs. Bixby: " Uhh-- no, I don't think I will. You see, it'll be more exciting if I stay here and wait" Monday morning came at last, and as Mr. Bixby was about to leave for the pawnbroker's on his way to work, his wife made him promise to telephone her if it turned out to be something really nice. About an hour later, when the phone rang, Mrs. Bixby rushed to answer it before the first ring had finished. Mr. Bixby (on the telephone): "I've got it!" Mrs. Bixby: "You have? Oh, Cyril, what is it? Was it something good?" Mr. Bixby: "Good? It's wonderful. You wait till you see this. You'll faint. Mrs. Bixby: "Darling, what is it? Tell me quickly." Mr. Bixby: "You're a lucky girl, that's what you are." Mrs. Bixby: "It's for me then?" Mr. Bixby: "Of course it's for you, though I can't understand how it was pawned for fifty dollars. You'll go crazy when you see it." Mrs. Bixby: " What is it?" Mr. Bixby: "Try to guess." But Mrs. Bixby couldn't guess. Instead she insisted on going down to her husband's office herself to get it, even though it might disorganize his day. Later when she rang his bell, her husband in his white dentist's coat opened the door himself. Mrs. Bixby: "Oh, I'm so excited." Mr. Bixby: " So you should be. You're a lucky girl, did you know that? We re through for now. Go and have your lunch, Miss Pulteney. You can finish that when you get back." This last was directed to his assistant, who was busy putting his instruments away. He waited until the girl had gone, then walked over to the cupboard where the coats were hung. Mr. Bixby: "It's in there. Now shut your eyes for a moment...all right now. You can look!" Mrs. Bixby: "I don't dare to." Mr. Bixby: "Go on, have a look--mink! Real mink!" At the sound of the word she opened her eyes quickly, and at the same time started forward to grab the coat in her arms. But there was no coat. There was only a stupid little neckpiece in her husband's hand. Mrs. Bixby put a hand up to her mouth and started to back away. She was sure she was going to scream. Mr. Bixby: "What's the matter, my dear" Don't you like it?" 55

56 Mrs. Bixby: Why, yes...i...i think it's very nice...beautiful..." Mr. Bixby: "It quite took your breath away for a moment, didn't it?" Mrs. Bixby: "Yes, it did." Mr. Bixby: Very good quality. Fine color, too. Here. Try it on...it's perfect. It really suits you. It isn't everyone who has a mink, my dear." Mrs. Bixby: "No, it isn't." Mr. Bixby: "I'm afraid you mustn't expect anything else for Christmas. Fifty dollars was rather more than I was going to spend, anyway. Go and buy yourself a nice lunch, my dear." Mrs. Bixby moved towards the door. She was going to go over to that pawnbroker's and throw that miserable neckpiece right into his face and if he refused to give her back her coat, she would kill him. Mr. Bixby: "Did I tell you that I was going to be late tonight? It'll probably be at least 8:30, it may even be 9:00" Mrs. Bixby: "Yes, all right. Good-bye." Mrs. Bixby went out closing the door loudly behind her. At that exact moment, Miss Pulteney, her husband's assistant, came past her on her way to lunch and greeted Mrs. Bixby, smiling brightly. She walked in a very confident way, and she looked like a queen, exactly like a queen in the beautiful black mink coat that the Colonel had given to Mrs. Bixby 56

57 4. READING FOR INTERMEDIATE STUDENTS (B2) MY FAMILY AND OTHER ANIMALS by Gerald Malcolm Durrell Gerald "Gerry" Malcolm Durrell, OBE (January 7, 1925 January 30, 1995) was a naturalist, zookeeper, conservationist, author and television presenter. He founded what is now called the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and the Jersey Zoo (now renamed Durrell Wildlife) on the Channel Island of Jersey in 1958, but is perhaps best remembered for writing a number of books based on his life as an animal collector and enthusiast. He was the youngest brother of the novelist Lawrence Durrell. Early life and education Durrell was born in Jamshedpur, India on 7 January He was the fourth surviving and final child of Louisa Florence Dixie and Lawrence Samuel Durrell, both of whom were born in India of English and Irish descent. Durrell's father was a British engineer and as was commonplace and befitting family status, the infant Durrell spent most of his time in the company of an ayah (nursemaid). Durrell reportedly recalled his first visit to a zoo in India and attributed his life-long love of animals to that encounter. The family moved to England after the death of his father in 1928 and settled in the Upper Norwood - Crystal Palace area of South London. [1] Durrell was enrolled in Wickwood School, but frequently stayed at home feigning illness. Corfu Mrs Durrell moved with her three younger children (Leslie Durrell, Margaret Durrell and Gerald) to the Greek island of Corfu in 1935, following her oldest son Lawrence who had already moved there with his wife. It was on Corfu where Durrell began to collect and keep the local fauna as his pets. The family lived on Corfu until This interval was later the basis of the book My Family and Other Animals and its successors, Birds, Beasts, and Relatives and The Garden of the Gods, plus a few short stories like "My Donkey Sally". Durrell was home-schooled during this time by various family friends and private tutors, mostly friends of his eldest brother Lawrence (later a famous novelist). One of Durrell's tutor's friends, the Greek doctor, scientist, poet and philosopher Theodore Stephanides, became Durrell's greatest friend and mentor, and his ideas left a lasting impression on the young naturalist. Together, they examined Corfu fauna, which Durrell housed in everything from test tubes to bathtubs. Another major influence during these formative years, according to Durrell, was the writing of French naturalist Jean Henri Fabre. 57

58 The publication of My Family and Other Animals in 1956 made Durrell a notable author, in addition, bringing him public recognition as a naturalist. Royalties from this book, which made bestseller lists in the United Kingdom, helped fund Durrell's next expedition. Durrell's growing disillusionment with the way zoos of the time were run, and his belief that they should primarily act as reserves and regenerators of endangered species, made him contemplate founding his own zoo. His 1957 trip to Cameroon for the third and last time was primarily to collect animals which would form the core collection of his own zoo. This expedition was also filmed, Durrell's first experiment with making a cinematographic record of his work with animals. The success of the film To Bafut with Beagles, together with his popular and autobiographical radio programme Encounters with Animals, made Durrell a regular with the BBC Natural History unit for decades to come, as well as generating much-needed funds for his conservation projects. On his return from Bafut, Durrell and wife Jacquie stayed with his sister Margaret at her boarding house in the seaside resort of Bournemouth. His animals were housed in her gardens and garage on a temporary basis, while Durrell sought prospective sites for a zoo. To his dismay, both Bournemouth and Poole municipalities turned down his suggestion for a zoo. This experience provided material for his book A Zoo in My Luggage. A hard, outdoor life led Durrell to health problems in the 1980s. He underwent hip-replacement surgery in a bid to counter arthritis, but he also suffered from alcoholrelated liver problems. His health deteriorated rapidly after the 1990 Madagascar trip. Durrell died of septicaemia following a liver transplant on 30 January 1995, shortly after his 70th birthday. His ashes are buried in Jersey Zoo, under a memorial plaque bearing a quote by William Beebe. "The beauty and genius of a work of art may be re-conceived, though its first material expression be destroyed; a vanished harmony may yet again inspire the composer; but when the last individual of a race of living beings breathes no more, another heaven and another earth must pass before such a one can be again." (The Bird, 1906) A memorial celebrating Durrell's life and work was held at the Natural History Museum, London on 28 June Participants included personal friends such as David Attenborough and HRH Princess Anne. Before reading I Choose the best answers 1) Which of these can fly? A. spider B. pigeon Part 1 Chapters

59 C. beetle D. tortoise 2) Which of these is used for killing? A. villa B. microscope C. bullet D. spot 3) Which of these can you travel in? A. streetlamp B. cab C. microscope 4) Which of these is an insect? A. snake B. beetle C. spider D. magpie 5) Which two of these are for animals? A. cab B. villa C. zoo D. cage II Which of these are you afraid of? beetles snakes scorpions spiders none of them While-reading Read the introduction to the book. Answer the questions. 1. Who will shoot animals in Corfu? 2. Who will worry about their skin? 3. Who will bring animals home? 4. Who will write in Corfu? 5. What did Gerald and Larry both do when they grew up? Discuss When Gerald Durrell was young, his dream was to work in a zoo. What is your dream job? Introduction 59

60 We need sun sunshine a country where we can grow George says Corfu is wonderful. Why don t we go there? So we sold the house and ran from the English summer. We travelled by train with all our clothes and most important belongings: Mother s cookbooks, Leslie s gun, something for Margo s spots, Larry s books, my favourite insects and Roger, my dog. The Durrels, an English family, go to live on the Greek Ireland of Corfu. Gerald, the youngest son is about ten years old, he s interested in plants and animals all sorts of animals. There are animals in every corner of the house says his brother Larry. There is danger at any time of the day or night The Durrels go to Greeze for their health and the sun, and they meet a lot of interesting people. They find that life there is very different from life in England. Each person in the family has very different ideas and, like any family, they often disagree. Gerald Durrel was born in 1925 and went to Corfu in 1935 and stayed until the start of Word War II in After the war Durrel got his dream job working in a zoo. Later he travelled to many parts of the world to find animals and to make films about them. In 1939 he started his own zoo on the British island of Jersey. It s called Durrel wildlife and you can still visit it today. Its main work is to protect the kinds of animals that may die out. Durrel wrote two more books about his family s stay in Corfu: Birds, Beasts and Relatives and The Garden of the Gods. He wrote a lot of books about his work with animals. His brother Lawrence Durrel (Lary in this story) was also a famous writer. Gerals died in LARRY S IDEA Answer the questions: What is this chapter about? Who are the main characters? Why is the title of the chapter Larry s idea? True or false? 1. All members of the author s family had problems with their health. 2. Mother really liked the idea of Larry to go to Greece. 3. Larry accepted the idea of mother to go to Greece first to see the place with pleasure. 4. They travelled to Greece by plane and took all belongings with them. After July came the cold winds and the grey skies of August. My family had all their usual illnesses. My mother and I had bad colds. My brother Leslie had a problem with his ears. My sister Margo s spots were worse than ever. Only my oldest brother, Larry, was healthy, but he found the rest of us very difficult to live with. 60

61 Why do we stay in England in this weather? he asked Mother. They are ill and you are looking older every day. I m not, mother replied. She was reading at the time. You are, Larry said. We need sunshine a country where we can grow. Yes, dear. That s a good idea, Mother answered, not really listening. George says Corfu is wonderful. Why don t we go there? If you like, dear. It was important to keep Larry happy. When? asked Larry with surprise. Mother realized her mistake and put down her book. Perhaps, you can go first and look at the place, she said cleverly. If it s nice we can all follow. Larry looked at her. You said that last time. I waited in Spain for two months and you didn t come. No - if we are going to Greece, let s go together. But I ve only just bought this house! Mother answered. Sell it again then! That s stupid, dear, said Mother I can t do that. So we sold the house and ran from the English summer. We travelled by train with our clothes and most important belongings: Mother s cookbooks, Leslie s guns, something for Margo s spots, Larry s books, my favourite insects and Roger, my dog. From Italy we caught a boat. We slept when the boat left and then, very early the next morning, we watched for Corfu. The sea turned blue, then purple, and suddenly there was a sleeping island in front of us. We sailed nearer and, above the noise of the ship, we could hear the high clear sounds of the insects. CHAPTER ONE WE MEET SPIRO PART I THE PINK VILLA How are the key-words related to the chapter? The problem with horses. A lot of dogs following the cab. The problem with all villas. The driver speaking English. The villa they were looking for. Discuss What mistakes does Spirro make when he speaks English? Correct his mistakes in these sentences. a. Don ts you worrys yoursefs about anythings, Mrs Durrells. Leaves everythings to me. b. Be carefuls. We don ts wants to worrys your mothers. c. Don ts says that! With a mothers likes yours, you musts kisses her feets. 61

62 We left the ship and walked towards the town. Larry found two cabs, put the bags in one and sat in the second. Then he looked round angrily. 'Well?' he said. 'What are we waiting for?' 'We're waiting for Mother,' Leslie explained. 'Roger's found a streetlamp.' 'Dear God!' said Larry, and then shouted, 'Come on, Mother, come on. Can't the dog wait?' 'We waited an hour in Naples for you,' said Margo. 'I had a stomach problem,' Larry explained coldly. 'Well, he's probably got one too,' Margo replied. Then Mother arrived and the next problem was getting Roger into the cab. He didn't like the horses, and he didn't want to climb in behind them. In the end we had to lift him up and throw him in while he cried like a baby. The horses were frightened and started moving, and we found ourselves on the floor of the cab with Roger underneath us. 'Really!' said Larry, as we sat up again. 'Everyone's looking at us!' 'Stay calm, dear,' said Mother. 'The hotel isn't far.' Roger put his head over the side of the cab and saw four dirty dogs lying in the sun. The dogs saw him and ran after us. More dogs heard the noise and came to play. When we arrived at the hotel, there were twenty-four animals in the road and Larry was hitting them with his umbrella. He hit Leslie too. 'What are you doing?' Leslie shouted. 'It was an accident,' said Larry. He tried again and knocked Mother's hat to the ground. We ran into the hotel the Pension Suisse with Roger in our arms, and shut the door behind us. The dogs continued to make a terrible noise outside. The man behind the hotel desk looked at us. Mother walked towards him, with her hat on the side of her head and carrying my insects. 'Our name's Durrell,' she said calmly. 'I think you have some rooms for us.' 'Yes, Madame,' said the man, watching Roger carefully, 'they're on the first floor: 'Then we'll rest before lunch,' she said, and we all went upstairs. The next morning we started looking for a house with Mr Beeler from the hotel. We drove round the island and looked at villas in all sizes and colours. At each one Mother shook her head. 'Madame Durrell,' Mr Beeler said at last.'what is the problem with all these houses?' 'Didn't you notice?' she asked. 'None of them had a bathroom: 'But Madame,' Mr Beeler replied, 'why do you want a bathroom? Have you not got the sea?' The next morning we went out without him. Taxi-drivers fought to drive us, and Mother was soon quite frightened by the crowd. We could not understand a word of Greek. `Can't you do something. Larry?' she asked, pushing away the arms of a large driver. Then we heard a loud voice above the noise. 'Hoy!' shouted the voice. 'Why's don'ts yous have someones who can talks your own language?' We turned and saw an old American car. Behind the wheel was a short, fat man with a big brown face. He lifted himself out of the car and walked towards us. 'You wants someones who can talks your own language,' he repeated, 'nom these criminals. Just a minutes.' He shouted loudly in Greek until the other drivers went back to their cars, waving their arms and clearly unhappy. Then he turned to us again. Wheres your wants to gos?' he asked. 'We are looking, Mother said, 'for a villa with a bath-room' The nun thought for a minute. 'Bathrooms? You wants a bathrooms? Get into the car.' We climbed in. While we drove dangerously fast through the narrow streets, our driver talked to us. `Yous English? English always wants bathrooms... I gets a bathrooms in my house... Spiro's my name they alls calls me Spiro Americano because I lives in America... eight years in Chicago... That's where I learnt my goods 62

63 English... Wents there for good moneys... Then after eight years I says: "Spiro," I says, "you haves enough moneys now." Sos I comes backs to Greece... brings this car best ons the island...' We drove along a little white road through the fields and the trees to the top of a hill, and Spiro suddenly stopped the car. `Theres you ares,' he said, pointing with a fat finger. Mother opened her eyes for the first time since the beginning of the journey and looked. Spiro was pointing at the side of a hill that came up from the shining blue sea. Half-way up the hill was a small pink villa. CHAPTER TWO OUR NEW HOME Pre-listening Discuss What, do you think, their new home is like? Vocabulary Square To pay the bill To shoot Gun Bullet To hit Pot Stomach To be bored Calm Timeless While listening 1 Listen to the first part and compare your suppositions. While listening 1 Listen to the rest of the story and answer the following questions. 1. Why did the family want to live in the villa as soon as they saw it? 2. Why did the members of the family call Spirro their friend? What did he do for them? 3. What jokes did Larry and Leslie make about their mother? 4. How did Margo, Leslie and Larry spend their time? 5. How did the mother spend her time? 6. Did they like living on the villa? 63

64 Post listening Discussion Do you like their new home? What do you like in it? Would it be interesting or boring for you to live with the characters on the villa? How would you spend your time there? II You are moving to a foreign country with your family for a year. What will you take? What will you leave behind? a. Write a list. b. Compare your ideas with other students. Writing The Durrell family go to Corfu to live. If you could take your family anywhere in the world, where would you choose? Why? Write your ideas. The villa was small and square in its little garden. The flowers in the garden smelt beautiful and we could hear the sound of insects singing together. As soon as we saw it, we wanted to live there. Spiro now looked after us. 'Don'ts you worrys yourselfs about anythings, Mrs Durrells,' he said. 'Leaves everythings to me.' He took us shopping and laughed at the prices until they came down. He spoke to someone at the bank when our money was late from England. He paid the hotel bill, put our bags in the car and drove us to the house. But Spiro was not just our taxi-driver. He was also our friend. He watched us like a kind uncle, and he loved Mother. 'Be carefuls: he often said. 'We don'ts wants to worrys your mothers: `Why not?' Larry always answered. 'She's never done anything for us... why should we think about how she feels?' 'Master Larrys, that's not funny!' `He's right, Spiro,' Leslie said seriously. 'She's not a very good mother.' 'Don'ts says that!' Spiro shouted. 'With a mothers likes yours, you musts kisses her feets: Now the house was our home, we all started to do the things we were interested in. Margo put on a very small swim-suit and sat in the sun. Larry spent the day in his room, writing; he only came out for meals. Leslie took out his guns and practised shooting at tins in the garden. After one very noisy morning, Larry ran out fans room. 'I can't work like this!' he cried. `But I've got to practise: Leslie replied. `Why don't you take the bullets out of the gun, dear?' Mother asked. `That's not possible,' Leslie explained, looking at her with surprise. `I'm trying to hit the tins!' In the end Leslie moved his tins away from the house. Mother spent a lot of time in the kitchen with her pots. She talked to herself while she cooked, and the house was always full of beautiful smells. When she was able to leave the kitchen, she worked in the garden. I also enjoyed the garden, a land of plants and insects. I spent hour after hour on my stomach, watching the secret lives of small animals and learning from them. Roger sat next to me on the grass, clearly bored. Each day was calm and timeless, and we did not want it to end. But after the night there was a new day, as colourful and unreal as the one before. CHAPTER THREE 64

65 THE POSE-BEETLE MAN Before reading Discuss Who will make the most trouble for the family on the island, do you think? Who will want to go home first? While-reading Answer the questions: Margo Leslie Gerald Roger Larry 1. What and who is this chapter about? 2. What do you know about the Rose-Beetle Man? 3. How did the family start their day? 4. Why did the author eat his breakfast hurriedly? 5. Why did the author call Roger his friend? 6. How did the author and the Rose-Beetle Man talk to each other about Rose- Beetles? 7. How did the author and the Rose-Beetle Man bargain about the price of a tortoise? 8. How did the children spend time with Achilles? 9. What other animal did the author buy from the Rose-Beetle Man? 10. How did Quasimodo behave? Why? 11. What was a surprise for the family? We ate breakfast every morning under the trees. After the coffee, bread and eggs, the family started to talk about their plans for the day. I was not interested in these conversations because I knew what I wanted to do, and I had to finish eating as soon as possible. 'Eat slowly, dear: Mother said quietly. 'You don't need to hurry.' Didn't I? Roger and a world of other animals were waiting for me. Together, Roger and I walked and played. He was a perfect friend for an adventure. He watched when I fell and laughed when I stood up again. He sat quietly while I watched a new insect. If I spent too long in one place, he lay down in the shadows and slept. Roger and I met a lot of people. One of the strangest and most interesting was the Rose-beetle Man. I first saw him on a high, empty road, carrying bags of vegetables and boxes of chickens on his back. With one hand he played a pipe and in the other he held pieces of string. On the end of each piece of string was a rose-beetle, gold and green in the sun. These beetles flew noisily round his hat, trying to escape from the strings. When he saw us, the Rosebeetle Man stopped with a jump and lifted his hat. He smiled, touched his pockets and then moved a finger and thumb together. I realized that he wanted money and that he could not speak. So, in the middle of the road, I talked and he used his face and his body to reply. I asked about the beetles. He pointed at the sky and held his arms out. 65

66 Aeroplane, of course. He pointed at the beetles, then at me to show 'children', and waved the beetles round his head. The man sat down at the side of the road and opened one of his bags. Inside were six small tortoises. My favourite was quite small with bright eyes and a beautiful colour. I asked about the price. The Rose-beetle Man showed me ten fingers, but I knew Greek country ways now and I showed him two. He showed me nine fingers; I showed three. He thought with closed eyes and then showed me six. I offered five. Roger looked bored. The man thought for a minute. Then he gave me the tortoise. We named the tortoise Achilles. After a few weeks we put him out in the garden, but he always came to us when we called his name. He ate from our hands. Achilles liked people. When we sat or lay down in the garden, he usually fell asleep at our feet. Sometimes he decided to practise climbing on bodies lying in the sun, and then I had to lock him inside. One day Achilles was not in the garden. We all walked through the trees, calling his name. Finally we found him, dead, at the bottom of a deep hole. Not long after that I bought a young pigeon from the Rose-beetle Man. He was fat and yellow, and Larry gave him the name of Quasimodo. Because he had no parents to teach him, Quasimodo decided that he was not a bird. He walked everywhere, and when we went for walks he ran behind us. He also loved music. If we played songs, he sang; if we played dance music, he danced. He slept in the sittingroom, and one day we found a white pigeon's egg on the sofa. It was a surprise for us, but it was a surprise to Quasimodo too. He or she became wild and difficult and moved into the garden. From time to time we saw her with a good-looking male pigeon. CHAPTER FOUR THEODORE Before reading Discuss What can the child like Gerald learn living on the pink villa? What do you think the mother wants Jerry to learn? Who could help him with it? Vocabulary Handwriting - правописание Deep voice глубокий голос To write down - записывать Circle - круг Spider - паук To shake one s hand пожать чью-либо руку Microscope микроскоп While-reading 66

67 How are the key-words related to the story? Small circles on the grass Meeting Theodore Spider s holes An important person for Gerry A box and a letter from Theodore Summer and winter time After reading Discussion Why do you think Jerry liked Theodore? Was he a usual teacher? What would you like to change in your school/university teachers? What is an ideal teacher like? Why? Role play Work with another student. Discuss the best way to teach Gerry in Corfu. Student A: You are Larry. Student B: You are Margo Mother decided that I needed a teacher. This was a problem on a Greek island. 'He's all right, said Leslie, 'He can read, can't he? And I can teach him to shoot' 'He really must learn to dance: Margo said. 'Yes, dear, Mother replied, 'but first he needs French... and handwriting that sort of thing: 'The child is only interested in one subject, said Larry. 'Every time I open a matchbox, an insect flies out. George could teach him.' `That's a very good idea: Mother said happily. George was a friend of Larry's. He was a very tall, thin man with a deep voice, and he taught me a lot of different subjects. He also showed me how to write down everything I noticed while I was watching animals. I realized that I could learn much more when I wrote things down and studied them. One afternoon Roger and I went for a long walk in the hills. When we got tired, I lay on the grass and watched the insects. I suddenly noticed small circles in the grass. I touched one, and the circle lifted. It was a door over a hole that went down into the ground. It was beautiful, but what kind of animal made homes like this? I had to know. I called Roger and ran to George's house. When I arrived, there was another man in his sitting-room. I stopped at the door, feeling uncomfortable. `Good evening: George said, laughing. `Do you want more lessons?' I told George about the little circles in the grass. 'Alt: George replied. 'Gerry, this is Theodore Stephanides. I think he can help you. Like you, he is a lover of plants and animals. Theodore, this is Gerry Durrell: To my surprise, the man stood up, crossed the room and shook hands with me. 'I am very pleased to meet you, he said. 'Now... er... there is a kind of spider in Corfu that... er builds homes like that... Of course, it is possible that I am wrong...' 'Perhaps you would like to come and see?' I said hopefully. 'I mean, if it isn't too much 67

68 trouble: 'Why not?' Theodore answered. 'I can walk with you now Thank you, George, for a wonderful tea' He shook George's hand and put his hat on. I took Theodore to the place and showed him the little doors. `Ah ha,' he said, 'yes... urn... yes: He lifted the door with a small pocket-knife, looked inside and then let the door fall. 'Yes, this is a spider's home, but it's empty. The spider usually hides inside and holds the door with her legs. When an insect walks past, the spider opens the door and catches it: We walked silently down the hill, then Theodore shook my hand and said goodbye. He was, to me, a very important person. He knew a lot, and when he spoke to me I did not feel like a child. I liked him for that. I ran to tell my family about my conversation. I wanted to see Theodore again and to ask him other questions, but I was not hopeful. I was wrong, because two days later Leslie brought a small packet back from town. 'I met your friend, he said. 'This is for you.' I looked at the packet in surprise and then I opened it quickly. Inside was a box and a letter. My dear Gerry Durrell, I think this pocket microscope will be useful for your studies. It is not a very good microscope, but it will help you with your field work. Yours, Theo. Stephanides PS. If you have nothing better to do on Thursday, perhaps you would like to come to tea. So, for the rest of that summer and the warm, wet winter that followed, Spiro drove me into town every week and I had tea with Theodore. CHAPTER FIVE LARRY HAS ANOTHER IDEA Before reading Match the words with the definitions Feel at home going or coming Intelligent a picture that has been painted Paintings smart, clever Borrow to take and use sth that belongs to sb else, and return it to them at a later time To be on the way to change the place where you live, have your work To move to feel very comfortable where you live Translate the sentences from Russian into English - Где твоя сестра, она снова опаздывает! - Она уже идет. В гостях у подруги я чувствую себя, как дома потому, что она очень гостеприимная. Он не хотел покидать свой родной город и переезжать в Москву, но мама была уверена, что такой умный ребенок должен учиться в лучшем университете страны. Мне нужно занять денег, чтобы выставить картины в престижном музее. While-reading 68

69 Complete the sentences 1. Larry decided to invite his friends to the villa because Mother didn t like intelligent people because Larry thought that Mother had to prepare for his friends arrival Mother thought the detective stories to be good because Mother advised Larry Mother didn t like Larry s idea Larry couldn t tell the friends not to come When Larry said about moving to another house Mother felt... and... After reading Discussion If you were Mother would you like Larry s idea? Why yes/no? When some idea comes to your mind do you always take into consideration other people s (relatives, friends ) opinion about it? Do you follow their advice or get your own way? As soon as we felt at home, Larry wrote to all his friends. 'I've asked a few people to stay for a week or two,' he told Mother one morning. `We need some intelligent conversation.' 'That's nice, dear,' said Mother, without thinking, 'but I hope they're not too intelligent. I can't talk about books and paintings all the time.' 'You don't have to talk about painting: said Larry. 'But per-haps you can hide some of those terrible detective stories that you read.' 'They're very good stories,' said Mother. 'I borrowed them from Theodore. But you must tell the Pension Suisse when your friends are coming: 'Why?' asked Larry with surprise. 'Because they will need rooms, of course,' Mother answered. 'But they're coming here...' 'No, Larry, where are they going to sleep? There just isn't room here, dear. You must tell your friends not to come' 'But they're on the way,' Larry said. 'There's an easy answer: let's move to a bigger house' 'And when they go? What do we do with a larger house?' `Ask more people, said Larry, surprised that Mother was so slow. Mother looked at him. 'Really, Larry,' she said, 'you make me very angry. We are not going to move to another house: She walked out of the room. 69

70 PART TWO THE YELLOW VILLA CHAPTER SIX SCORPIONS! Before reading The chapter is called Scorpions. Look at the picture. What you think is going to happen? do While-reading Tick the things that happen. 1. Larry s friends paint the new villa Mrs Durrell employs a Greek husband and wife to work in the garden and house. 3. Gerald puts the scorpions in the matchbox to frighten Larry The scorpion and baby scorpions run all over the table A scorpion bites Lugaretzia on the leg Evevryone leaves the dining-room while Gerald finds all the baby scorpions Gerald learns a lot of French from a Belgian with a small beard Gerald s teacher Peter spends more time with Margo than with Gerald.... After reading Discussion What was Lugaretzia like? Do you like people of her kind? Why yes/no? Writing You are Roger, the dog. Describe the time Larry opens the matchbox and the scorpions climb out onto his hand. Use the first person I to tell the story. The new villa was very large a tall, square house with yellow walls, green windows and a red roof. It stood on a hill near the coast. Spiro, of course, found the house and moved everything for us. Larry's friends writers and painters came and went. An old man worked in the gardens and Mother brought his wife into the house to work for us there. Her name was Lugaretzia and she was really only interested in her health. She carefully described every problem that she had. When she arrived, it was her stomach; later, the problem was her feet. She cried when she walked and she cried more loudly when she saw one of us. Larry started eating breakfast in his room after Lugaretzia took off her shoes in the dining-room to show us her toes. The old wall 70