A Fight at the Newsagent’s

What happened at the newsagent’s one morning when the kids started bullying Marcus again? Who got Marcus out of trouble?

Marcus and Will looked at the fact that it was a girl who had to defend Marcus differently.

Who is ‘ he ’ in each of the following sentences? Choose the correct name and sum the points of view of these two people up.

He thought it was great that Ellie had defended him. Marcus / Will

He thought that the status of a victim could not help a boy to create

romantic relationship with a girl. Marcus / Will

He did not mind being protected by a girl. Marcus / Will

He was sure romances did not develop that way. Marcus / Will

He did not find the situation pathetic. Marcus / Will

He did not mind being treated like a pet. Marcus / Will

Will had to tell Rachel the truth about himself and Marcus.

Make up a summary of this part of the chapter (chapter twenty-eight) using Active Vocabulary.

Why did he have to do it? Wouldn’t it have been better to keep on lying?

What was Rachel’s reaction?

Did her attitude to Will change when she learnt that Marcus was not Will’s son?

v Names

Will ’s full name is William. Another diminutive of William is Bill.

One of Will’s neighbours used to call him Bill.

Why do you think it irritated Will?

Comment on the statement: “Bill wouldn’t smoke spliffs and listen to Nirvana.” (p.187)

Siouxsie of the Banshees (191) – Siouxsie Sioux – an English singer-songwriter and a lead singer of the rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees and of its splinter group The Creatures (gothic rock combined with post-punk and avant-garde), notorious for aggressive behavior. If you find her picture on the Internet, you will be able to imagine how Ellie might look like.

The Roadrunner (191) – a heavy metal rock band.

Drugstore Cowboy (192) – a 1989 crime drama written and directed by Gus Van Sant. Matt Dillon stars in the title role in the film.

Camden Lock (194) – a district in London.

Ryan Giggs (195) – a Welsh footballer who plays for Manchester United.

Michael Jordan (195) – a famous American basketball player.

Pamela Anderson (195) – a Canadian American actress, model, producer, author, activist, and former showgirl.

pop the question (186) (infml) – to propose marriage

blithely (186) – весело, небрежно

blithe – 1) весёлый, жизнерадостный, счастливый

Syn: convivial, ebullient, elated, genial, jovial, light-hearted, cheerful

Ant: dismal, gloomy, ill-humoured, melancholic, morose, sad, sullen, tranquil

2) небрежный, несерьёзный Syn: casual, heedless

with a stoop (187) – сутулиться, горбиться

Let's cut the crap. (187) (infml) = Let’s ignore all this rubbish/nonsense and get down to the real matter. (Хватит молоть чепуху) (‘crap’ is a common word for ‘shit’)

to burp (188) (infml) – отрыгнуть

ostentatiously (188) – напоказ, нарочито

groin (189) – пах, паховая область

minutiae (190) – детали; мелочи

cords (192) – trousers, made of corduroy (вельвет)

pertinent (193) – relevant; relating to the matter at hand

nudge (194) – слегка подталкивать локтем

sepia (194) – сепия (ярко-коричневая краска)

understatement (195) – underestimation (преуменьшение, занижение; сдержанное высказывание, замалчивание)

sneak (out of) (198) – проскользнуть, прошмыгнуть незаметно

snivel (200) – хныкать; шмыгать носом

a red herring (200) – (часть выражения: to drag/draw a red herring across the path/track/trail) что-л. сбивающее со следа, намеренно отвлекающее внимание, сделанное для отвода глаз; отвлекающий манёвр (From the custom of using the scent of a smoked, dried herring (which was red) to train dogs to hunt).