Chapter XV Active vocabulary:

Dainties, chime in with, to feel strongly on the subject, crave for sth., to clamour for sth., to grind away (at), strain away, ply sb. with the customary stretchers, to yearn to take sb. by the hand, superfluous, to dodge up and down, to be of a stout and short-winded build, to tear oneself away, smart at handling a craft, spry, to damp sb's ardour for sth., to break out into sobs, to secure the services of sb., fretful haste, vehement striving, a bane, to overtake, the sublime equanimity, to grow cheeky over sth., as ill-luck would have it, scramble out of water, to be suddenly forced upon sb., to go punting, to make an exhibition of oneself, to chaff sb. unmercifully, not to grasp one's mistake at first, to deride sb., to have sufficient decency left in sb., unavailing efforts, a cursory view, in an ignominious fashion.

Vocabulary

1. Match the lexical units with their definitions and recall the context in which they are used:

1) dainties a. warm emotion, enthusiasm

2) clamour for sth. b. make good-humoured fun of

3) grind away at c. mock, laugh scornfully at

4) ardour d. delicious food

5) spry e. bringing contempt, disgrace, shame

6) bane f. poison; cause of ruin or trouble

7) chaff g. complain angrily or make a demand

8) deride h. work or study hard and long

9) ignominious i. lively, nimble

2. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate lexical units given below.

1. I was glad to notice they had … in them to look very foolish. b) All his efforts to escape were … c) They commenced … unmercifully. d) The boy tried …

for the outrigger and showed them two or three very comfortable-looking boats. e) The interview is, however, extremely brief, most of the conversation being on his part, your remarks being mostly of an exclamatory and monosyllabic order, and as soon as you can … you do so. f) Pulling a heavy boat against a strong stream … for me now. g) It seemed to me that I was doing more than my fair share of the work on this trip, and I was beginning …

The lexical units to be inserted: to feel strongly on the subject, unavailing, to chaff, sufficient decency left, to damp their ardour, to have few attractions, tear oneself away.

3. Translate the following phrases:

1) железное мнение; 2) проклятая лодка; 3) растягиваться на подушках; 4) пыхтеть (потеть) на веслах; 5) поверхностный обзор; 6) Истина обязывала меня поддержать Джорджа; 7) Мне эта идея совсем не импонировала; 8) высокомерная невозмутимость; 9) Так устроен мир.

4. Rephrase the last paragraph (p.121).

Elements of text analysis

Work in pairs.

1. Highlight the naval terms in the text of the chapter and account for their use.

2. Compose a synonymic row of the verbs with the invariant meaning of «to mock at sb.» used in the chapter and point out the differences in their meaning.

3. Comment on the specific use of the word «hand» in the analysed chapter.

Speaking

Work with a partner. Discuss the following episodes using the given vocabulary units:

a) J's love of work (fascinate, to throw out a wing, to be in one's possession for years and years, a finger-mark, to take pride in sth., crave for, overscrupulous, to comfort sb., a cast-iron opinion).

b) The old river hand, what he does and what he tells you he has done (stiff pulling, to stretch oneself out upon, to encourage, perspiring novices, to grind away steadily, pull up, drop off to sleep).

c) Scepticism of the young generation (the time-honoured lies, the cistomary stretchers, first efforts in the art of oarsmanship).

d) J's experience in rafting (to acquire a taste for the water, the proprietor, to yearn to take you by the hand, to draw sb. towards sb., a kindly meant offer, superfluous, reluctant, anxiety to meet sb., to dodge up and down, to be on the spot).

e) George and eight other gentlemen hire a boat fr the first time (racing outrigger, to take sb's fancy, to damp their ardour, to launch the boat, to receive a violent blow, to dip the oar into the water, to be carried under the arch, to break into sobs).

f) A very sad accident that happened to a young man who went punting for the first time (to grow cheeky over sth., to march to the head of the punt, to plant one's pole, to walk off the punt, to cling to the pole, not to take the proper precaution, a spare pole, scramble out, to be forced upon sb., to drift helplessly down midstream).

g) Pleasures of friendship (mocking at a person taken for a friend): (to shoot up and down stream, to jump to the conclusion, to make an exhibition of oneself, to chaff, to grasp sb's mistake, to withdraw behind a tree, to shout ribaldry, to deride sb., to have sufficient decency, to insult sb.).