Chapter XIV Active vocabulary

The retina of memory, to bequeath sth., wax-works show, dismal, to be smothered in roses, dainty splendour, slap-up supper, to begin skittishly, to overhaul the hampers, the odds and ends, to thicken the gravy, to evince great interest in the proceedings, to stroll away with an earnest and thoughtful air, to come off a poor second, to splutter and steam, to regard sth. as a challenge, prey, to get at sth., a blood-curdling yelp, a constitutional, to soothe the nerves, to be dead against the business, to give sb. fits, to go for a mouch, to trudge through the fields, to conjure up the picture of oneself, to dismiss that train of thought, to be crammed, to assault a policeman, to be wet to the skin, hackneyed phrases, a weord sort of glimmer flickering among the trees, to flash across sb.

Vocabulary

1. Rephrase the following word-combinations and recall the situations in which they are used:

a) to bequeath a certain amount of money, b) dainty splendour, c) a veritable picture, d) cheerfully and skittishly, e) to evince great interest in the proceedings, f) a blood-curdling yelp, g) to do a constitutional, h) to soothe the nerves, i) to be dead against sth., j) to give sb. fits, k) to conjure up the picture, l) to dismiss that train of thought, m) crammed hotels, n) hackneyed phrases.

2. Fill the gaps with the appropriate lexical units given below.

a) … in the drowsy sunlight of a summer's afternoon, Wargrave makes a sweet old picture as you pass it, and one that … long upon … of your memory. b) He has … me his golden watch. c) He decided to settle down after years of …. d) It seemed difficult to believe that the potato-scrapings in which Harris and I stood could have … four potatoes. e) We picked out all … and …, and added them to the stew. f) Six months …, but there was always the same coldness. g) We … through the dark, silent fields, talking low to each other. h) I … when I began to write this book that I would be strictly truthful in all things; and so I will be even if I have to employ … for the purpose.

The lexical units to be inserted: the remnants, linger, bequeath, the retina, roaming, mellowed, hackneyed phrases, the odds and ends, trudge, elapse, come off, resolve.

3. Translate the following from Russian into English:

a) Мы начали энергично, даже можно сказать, резво. b) Джордж все перемешал, а затем сказал, что, кажется, осталось много свободного места, и мы провели ревизию обеих корзин и достали всякую всячину и остатки, и добавили их в рагу. c) Когда чайник начинал плеваться и пускать пар, Монморенси рассматривал это как вызов и собирался напасть на него, но только как раз в этот момент кто-нибудь всегда подбегал и уносил его добычу, прежде чем он мог добраться до неё. d) Его отец был категорически против этого дела с самого начала и говорил на эту тему без всякого сочувствия.

Elements of text analysis

1. Work with a partner. Highlight sentences containing the verbs of motion in the text. Point out the difference in the meaning of these verbs.

Speaking

Work in pairs. Discuss the following episodes using the active vocabulary units:

a) George makes an Irish stew (slap-up supper, to begin cheerfully, even skittishly, peeling and scraping potatoes, to overhaul the hampers, to evince great interest in the proceedings).

b) Montmorency and the kettle (splutter and steam, to advance towards the kettle in a threatening attitude, a blood-curdling yelp, to rush at it).

c) The story of a young fellow who was studying to play the bagpipes (to contend with the opposition, active encouragement, to be dead against the business, to give sb. fits, a person of mere average intellect).

d) George and J. go for a mouch round Henley (the time slipped by, to trudge through the dark, silent fields, to conjure up the picture, to dismiss that train of thought, crammed hotels, to flash across sb.)