Vocabulary notes
Date: 2015-10-07; view: 419.
| inward (a.) | directed towards the inside, going in; situated within; mental, spiritual |
| perpetrator (n.) | a person who commits or performs (blunter, crime, hoax, thing regarded as outrageous) |
| unmitigated | not modified; absolute |
| bungling (n.) | mismanagement; failure at(task) bad or clumsy work |
| platitude (n.) | commonplace remark, esp. one solemnly delivered |
| to hit off (v.) | (not formal) to copy (smb or smth); say exactly what was meant |
| contented | satisfied; willing to be content with |
| time and again | on many occasions |
| resentment (n.) | indignant or bitter feelings |
| to elucidate (v.) | throw light on, explain |
| to recognize (v.) | realize or admit that; acknowledge existence |
· Explain the meaning of the following words and word combinations . Recall the situations from the story.
| 1. | to hover round smth |
| 2. | to go unpunished |
| 3. | to commit a crime |
| 4. | to accomplish smth |
| 5. | to come to light |
| 6. | to alter smth |
| 7. | to be at a loss / to pause at a loss |
| 8. | to go to extremes |
| 9. | to do the trick |
| 10. | to cope with smth |
| 11. | to induce smb / to induce smb to do smth |
| 12. | to be at liberty |
| 13. | to do smth without fail |
| 14. | to put smth on smth |
| 15. | to pursue smth |
· Questions (when possible make use of the words and word combinations given above).
1. What was the subject of conversation?
2. What happened?
3. How many people were in the house when the accident took place? Why could each of then be suspected?
4. What kind of person was Dr. Rosen? What made him move to England?
5. What was Charles Templeton? Speak about his background.
6. What was so peculiar about the letter Dr. Rosen tossed over to the secretary?
7. Who turned out to be the real murderer?
· Comment on the following:
1. “... A lot of people are stupid. And stupid people get found out, whatever they do. But there are quite a number of people who aren't stupid, and one shudders to think of what they might accomplish unless they had very strongly rooted principles.”
a) Do you agree? Justify your point of view.
2. “...Most people would be only interested in who took the money, and it turned out to be the most unlikely person just like in detective stories! But the real person it was life and death to was the one who had done nothing... Mrs. Arthur's innocence was shown. But some people may go through a life-time crushed by weight of a suspicion that is really unjustified.”
a) Why are people so often mistaken when judging someone?
b) Why do in many cases people judge by appearances and words and not by deeds?
c) How may an unjustified suspicion ruin a person? Give more than one reason.
3. Gretta committed a cold-blooded murder and got off scot-free...
a) What do you think of the punishment? Has she been punished yet? Why? What might be her punishment?
b) Are such criminals ever punished? Justify your point of view.
· Characters:
a) Which of the adjectives and word combinations characterize the main heroes of the story? (Your choice should be illustrated by the facts from the story)
strict; proud; reserved; observant; greedy; practical; sensitive; romantic; a man of purpose; kind-hearted; sympathetic; to be a deep one; to foresee; tactician; strategist; scrupulous; curious; pushy; heartless; persistent; not easily frightened; shrewd
b) Give character sketches of the main heroes of the story.
- Talking points.
1. The problem of penalty for a crime? Does it exist nowadays?
2. How can crime be restricted? Which measures would you suggest to improve the situation?
· Prepositions
1. When you talk ... undiscovered crimes and unsolved crimes, you are talking ... two different things. ... the first category come all the crimes that Scotland Yard never hears ..., the crimes that no one even knows have been committed .
2. Ninety - nine people ... ... a hundred are doubtless ... your way ... thinking.
3. They felt differently ... her, and they didn't leave her... charge of the house when they went ..., which made a great difference ... her, and other people began to get a feeling ... her too. And then it suddenly came... that it was the governess.
4. But there's the other aspect ... the case - the one I was speaking ... . There were four people who might have done the trick. One's guilty, but the other three are innocent. And unless the truth is found ..., those three are going to remain ... the terrible shadow ... doubt.
5. The thing started quite suddenly ... the war and spread ... an amazing extent. Numberless people were victimized ... it. The authorities were not successful ... coping ... it.
6. I have done what I set ... to do. The organization can never be gotten together. But there are many members ... it... liberty.
7. Life went... peacefully at King's Gnaton ... five months and then the blow fell. Dr. Rosen fell ... the stairs one morning and was found dead ... half an hour later.
| <== previous lecture | | | next lecture ==> |
| THE FOUR SUSPECTS | | | ACCIDENT |