1. Transcribe and pronounce correctly the words from the story.

Bury, awkward, sigh, knee, coax, squashed, bowl, gigantic, neighbours, vague, flour, knife, cough, saucepan, solemn, scissors, dove, frighten.

2. Comprehension Check

1. How was Ma Parker earning her living?

2. What tragedy had she gone through lately?

3. Do you think the literary gentleman she was working for cared much about the tragedy?

4. Did Ma Parker’s life differ greatly from the life depicted by the literary gentleman?

5. Do you think Ma Parker loved her grandson dearly?

6. How does the episode with the escaped cocoa characterize the literary gentleman?

7. Ma Paker felt very deserted, didn’t she?

8. Do you think crying out might help Ma Parker?

3. Match the following definitions in the left column with the words in the right column. Find sentences with these words in the story.

1. to be concerned or interested.	to be a success
2. mental or emotional unhappiness or distress.	to overcome
3. to become distressed or upset.	to lend an ear
4. a person of little worth or usefulness.	to run out of smth
5. to achieve a high position, to make a lot of money, to be admired a great deal.	to make a fuss about smth
6. being in the habit of.	to bear a grudge
7. terrible.	dreadful
8. to deal with a problem and control it.	good-for-nothing
9. to have no more of anything left.	to break down
10. to become angry or excited about something and complain.	misery
11. to have unfriendly feelings towards smb because of smth bad they did in the past.	to care
12. to listen in a patient and sympathetic way to somebody.	to be accustomed

4. Choose the right word from the above exercise for each of the sentences below.

1. I ……………….. to sleeping late.

2. Molly had fought and ……………. her fear of flying.

3. They ……………… ideas.

4. I don’t know why everybody …………………about a few mosquitoes.

5. There is no doubt it was an accident and I ………………………

6. Once inside, we didn't ………. whether it rained or not.

7. “Our happiness or ………… depends on our dispositions, and not on our circumstances” (Martha Washington).

8. Because he was being so kind and concerned, I …………… and cried.

9. Where is that ………………. son of yours?

10. They are always willing to ………… and offer what advice they can.

11. They suffered ……….. injuries.

12. We hope it will be a commercial …………….

5. Consult your dictionary and give all possible derivatives from the following words.

to tie	cruel	to breath	to care	to dread
to allow	to dream	to dress	to bear	misery
to pray	to produce	to appear	to offend	possible