Task 1. Agree or disagree with the following statements. If you don’t agree with some of them share your own points of view

1. They bought a puppy because they had a very happy family life.

2. It was the husband who decided to take the puppy.

3. The dog stayed by her side through a difficult divorce.

4. She was directed to another veterinary clinic.

5. She didn’t like the veterinarian.

6. She was allowed to come and visit the dog.

7. The lady and the doctor shared their stories about their life, families, etc.

8. She was advised to take the dog home to be with her for a couple of days.

9. The dog was her best friend and a guardian angel.

10. Two years to the day Bosco passed away she married Dr.Summers.

 

Task 2. Now will you answer the questions on the text?

1. Why did Jennifer and her husband go on a vacation?

2. Why did Jennifer want to take a puppy?

3. What was the puppy’s name first? And then?

4. Was Bosco a loyal friend to Jennifer? Prove it.

5. What happened 9 years to the day they met?

6. Was it a very complicated illness?

7. Did the treatment succeed?

8. What choice did Jennifer have to make?

9. Who helped her overcome her grief? How?

10. What happened 3 years later?

11. What was Bosco for Jennifer?

 

Task 3. In your point of view how many logical parts there are in the story? What are they?

Task 4. Right now try to retell the story to your partner or to your teacher. We believe that some phrases will be of great help to you. You can find them at the end of the grammar reference at p.117

 

OK. So now off you go to the next story!

Story 5. STEPMOTHER

(After J. Greenwood)

Before reading the text make sure that you know these proper names

Tummill Street

London

Jimmy

Polly

Mrs. Burke

 

Acording to the titile of the story, it’s not pleasant to be read. Do you also think so? Now you’re welcome to read the story “Stepmother”.

I was born at Number Nineteen, Tummil Street, London. My mother died when I was five years old. She died fifteen minutes after my sister Polly was born.

As my father worked from morning till night, he had no time to look after Polly and me, so he married again soon. He married Mrs Burke, who was much younger and more good-looking than my mother.

But I did not like my stepmother and she did not like me. So we began to hate each other; but she did not show her hatred¹ when my father was at home. She beat me very often and she made me work very hard. From morning till night she found work for me to do. I looked after the baby. When she was awake, I took her for a walk, carrying her in my arms, and she was very heavy. I cleaned the rooms, went shopping, etc. there was always work for me to do.

One day a woman came to see my stepmother and they drank a lot of gin. All the money that my father had left for our dinner was spent. When the woman went home, my stepmother said to me in tears, “Oh, what shall I do, Jimmy, dear, what shall I do? Your father will come home soon, and there’s no dinner for him. He will beat me cruelly! What shall I do, what shall I do?”

I was sorry for her, she had tears in her eyes, and she called me “Jimmy, dear” for the first time. I asked her if I could help her and she said at once, “Oh, yes, you can help me! When your father comes home in the evening, Jimmy, dear, tell hem that you lost the money he left for our dinner.”

“How could I lose it?” I asked in surprise.

“You can tell him that I sent you to buy some food. Suddenly a big boy ran against you and the money fell out of your hand and you could not find it. That will be very easy to say, Jimmy, dear, please, say it to your father!”

“But he’ll give me a good beating for it!” ² “Oh, no, he won’t! I shall not let him beat you, you may be sure! Here is a penny for you, go and buy some sweets with it!”

So I went off and spent my penny on sweets. When I came back and opened the door, my father was at home waiting for me with his waist-belt in his hand. I wanted to run out of the room, but he caught me by the ear.

“Stop a minute, young man!” he said. “What have you done with the money?”

“I lost it, Father,” said I in fear and looked at my stepmother.

“Oh, you lost it! Where did you lose it?”

“In the street, Father. Ask Mrs Burke, she knows!”

I told him what my stepmother had asked me to tell him. I was not much surprised that he did not believe my story. But me stepmother’s words surprised me very much.

“Yes, he told me the same thing,” she said, “but he is a liar! He has spent your money on sweets. I can’t beat him, he is your child, but you can give him a good beating!”

And she stood by while my father beat me with his belt till the blood showed³. I hated my stepmother so much now that I wanted to see her dead.

 

Notes:

¹to show one’s hatred – показывать чью-л. ненависть

²to give a good beating – выпороть, устроить хорошую взбучку

³till the blood showed – пока не появилась кровь

 

Well, you’ve just read the story “Stepmother”. Now let’s see how well you know it. Do the following tasks, please.

Translation tasks

Task 1. Find Russian equivalents to the following English word combinations from the text.

from morning till night; much younger and more good-looking; to hate each other

there was always work for me to do; in tears; to beat cruelly; to run against smb.; in fear; by the ear; to see somebody dead

 

Task 2. Find English equivalents to the following Russian word combinations from the text.

через 15 минут после рождения моей сестры; не было времени присматривать за мной и Поли; заставлять много работать; все деньги были истрачены; впервые; не позволять бить; истратить деньги на сладости; с ремнем в руках; удивляться; стоять рядом