Letters in the Mail 20 page

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 350.

"I'll be all right," Davy said, standing up and looking sick at the sight of his own bloody hands. "If you could lif t your head a little I could pull one of the straps off, theone I undid."

"All right. I'll lift my head!"

Ben lifted his head and wondered why he felt so paralysed. With t hism ovement h ep assedo ut a gain, and this time into the terrible black pain that seemed to last too long, although he only half-felt it. He came to slowly and felt a little rested and not so paralysed.

"Hello, Davy," he said from his far distance.

"I got you off the aqualung," he heard the boy's frightened voice say. "You're still bleeding down the legs…"

"Never mind my legs," he said and opened his eyes and tried to rise up a little to see what shape he was in, but he was afraid of passing out, and he knew he could not sit up or stand up; and now when the boy had tied his arms back he was helpless from the waist up.'4 The worst had yet to come, and he had to think about it for a moment.

The only chance for the boy now was the plane, and Davy would have to fly it. There was no other chance, no other way. But now he had to think. He must not frighten the boy off. If he told Davy he would have to fly the plane, it would frighten him. He had to think carefully about how to do this; about how to think this into the boy" and persuade him to do it without knowing it. He had to feel his way into his son's frightened, childish mind. He looked closely at Davy then and he realised that it was a long time since he had really seen the boy.

He looks educated, Ben thought, and knew it was a strange idea. But his serious-faced boy was like him himself: a stern surface over something harder and wilder within. But the pale, rather square face did not look like a happy face, not now or ever, and when Davy saw his father look so closely at him he turned away and began to cry.

"Never mind, kid," Ben said slowly.

"Are you going to die?" Davy asked him.

"Do I look that bad?" Ben said without thinking about it.

"Yes," Davy said into his tears.

Ben knew that he had made a mistake, and he must never speak to the boy again without thinking carefully of what he was saying.

"Don't let all this blood and mess fool you. I have been smashed up like this before, two or three times. I don't think you remember when I was in hospital up in Saskatoon…"

Davy nodded. "I remember, but you were in hospital."

"Sure! Sure! That's right," he was trying to overcome his wish to faint of f again. "I'll tell you what we'll do. You get that big towel and put it near me and I'll roll on it somehow, and I'll get up to the plane. How about that, eh?"

"I won't be able to pull you up," the boy said, in defeat. "Ahhh," Ben said with a special gentleness. "You don't know what you can do until you try, kid. I suppose you're thirsty. There's no water, is there?"

"No, I'm not thirsty..." Davy had gone off to get the towel, and Ben said into the air with especial care:

"Next time we'll bring a dozen Coca-Cola. Ice too."

Davy brought the towel and lay it down near him, and by a sideways movement that seemed to tear his arm and chest and legs apart he got his back on to the towel and felt his heels dig into the sand, but he did not pass out.

"Now get me up to the plane," Ben said faintly.

"You pull, and I'll push with my heels. Never mind the bumps, just get me there!"

"How can you fly the plane?" Davy asked from in front of him.

Ben closed his eyes to think of how this boy felt. Ben was thinking, He must not know he has to fly it, the thought will frighten him terribly.

"These little Austers fly themselves," he said. "You just have to set the course, that's easy…"

"But you can't use your arms and hands. And you don't open your eyes."

"Don't give it a thought, Davy. I can fly blindfold with my knees. Start pulling!"

"How are you?" he said to the boy who was breathing heavily, all tired out. "You look all in."

"No, I'm not," Davy said angrily. "I'm all right."

That surprised Ben because he had never heard the tone of revolt or anger in his son's voice before; but still it must be there with a face like that. He wondered how a man could have lived with a son so long and never seenhis face clearly. The shock was wearing off. But he was physically too weak, and he could feel the blood gently flowing out of his left arm, and he couldn't raise a limb, even a finger (if he had one) to help himself. Davy would have to get the plane off and fly it, and land it.

It would be enough if he could survive long enough to talk this boy down with the plane" at Cairo. That would be absolutely enough. That was the only chance.

That thought was what helped him get into the plane. Then he was trying to tell the boy what to do, but he could not get it out. The boy was going to panic, Ben turned his head and felt it, and he said, "Did I bring up the camera, Davy? Or did I leave it on the bottom?"

"It's down near the water."

"Go and get it."

"It's going to be you, Davy. You will have to do it. So listen. Are the wheels clear?"

"Yes, I pulled all the stones away." Davy was sitting there with his teeth clenched.

"What's that shaking us?"

"The wind."

He had forgotten that. "Now this is what you do, Davy," he said, and thought it out slowly. "Give the throttle an inch, not too much. Do it now. Put your whole foot on the brakes, Davy. Good! You've done that! Now switch her on; the black switch on my side. That's fine, Davy. Now you have to push the button; and when the plane starts you open up the throttle a little."

"I can do it," the boy said, and Ben thought he heard the sharp note of his own voice in it, but not quite. "There's so much wind now," the boy said. "It's too strong and I don't like it."

"Are we facing into wind, Davy? Did you get us down wind? Don't be afraid of the wind."

He'll do it, though, Ben decided wearily and happily. Then he passed out into the depths he had tried to keep out of for the boy's sake. And even as he went out, deep, he thought he would be lucky this time if he came out of it at all. He was going too far. And the boy would be lucky if he came out of it. That was all he could think of before he lost contact with himself.

At three thousand feet on his own Davy did not think he could cry again in his lifetime. He had dried himself out of tears. He had boasted only once in his ten years that his father was a pilot. He had remembered everything his father had told him about this plane, and he guessed a lot more which his father had not told him.

It was clam and almost white up here. The sea was green. The desert was very dirty-looking with the high wind blowing a sheet of dust over it. In front the horizon was not clear any more, and the dust was coming up higher, but he could see the sea very clearly.

He understood maps. They were not difficult to understand. He knew where the chart was and he pulled it out of the door pocket and wondered what he must do at Suez. He knew that too. There was a toad to Cairo which went west across the desert. West would be easy. The road would be easy to see, and he would know Suez because that was where the sea ended and the canal began. There, you turned left.

He was afraid of his father, or he had been. But now he couldn't look at his father because he was asleep with his mouth open, and was horribly covered with blood and half-naked and tied up. He did not want his father to die; and he did not want his mother to die; or anyone; and yet that was what happened. People did die."

He did not like to be so high. It was unpleasant, and the plane moved so slowly over the earth. He had noticed that. But he would be afraid to go down into the wind again when he had to land. He did not know what he would do. He would not have control of the plane when it began to bump and lurch. He wouldn't keep it straight," and he wouldn't be able to level it off when it came near the ground.

His father might be dead. He looked and saw the quick breaths that came not very often. The tears that Davy thought had dried up in him were on the lower lids of his dark eyes and he felt them run over and come down his cheeks. He licked them in and watched the sea.

It was at the last inch from the ground that Davy lost his nerve at last; and he was lost in his own fears and in his own death, and he could not speak nor shout nor cry nor sob. He was trying to shout Now! Now! Now! but the fear was too great and in that last moment he felt the lift of the nose, and heard the hard roar of the engine still rotating and felt the bump as the plane hit the ground with its wheels, and the sickening rise and the long wait for the next touch-down; and then he left the touch- down on the tail and the wheels, the last inch of it. The plane turned as the wind threw it around in a ground circle, and when it stopped dead he heard the stillness.[...]

When they brought Davy in, it seemed to Ben that this was the same boy, with the same face he had discovered not long ago. What he had discovered was one thing. But the boy had probably not made any such discoveries about his father.

"Well, Davy?" he said shyly to the boy. "That was pretty good, wasn't it!""

Davy nodded. Ben knew he didn't think it pretty good at all; but some day he would. Some day the boy would understand how good it was. That was worth working on.

Ben smiled. Well, at least it was the truth. This would take time. It would t,ake all the time the boy had given him. But it seemed to Ben, looking at those pale eyes and non-American face, that it would be such valuable time. It would be time so valuably spent that nothing else would be so important. He would get to the boy. Sooner or later he would get to him. That last inch, which parted all things, was never easy to overcome, until you knew how. But knowing how'-' was the flyer's business, and at heart Ben remained a very good flyer.

NOTES:

waiting for the boy to be airsick – omvrpas

there were no feet to spare – 6xaїo oїeї

it's got to be – pozmїo

put on the heel brakes – samazr їa їo

to get sunstroke – їozyHHTh

will be glad to take a bite at you – OXOTHO noo6epam

Do you get that? – IIoHBTHO?

Ben was having trouble with the valve – Y Eesa naoxo

on sight – npe aepe (ex)

Git! Git! – IIposb! IIpows!

When he came to – Korpa oz npvmez a ce6s

he had been out – os 6brz 6e3 CO3HRHNfi

how to get to the boy – zaK HRATN IIOpXOp, K Mazasezy

from the waist up – ov nosca e sbrme

to think this into the boy – azymmї svo Maabїexy

to talk this boy down with the plane – pacvozmoaa

People did die. – Ho zmpї me yMrnpa

He wouldn't keep it straight – OH H

That was pretty good – 3vo 6bizo apopOB

knowing how – anavb, zax

Comprehension:

1) How old was Ben and what was his profession?

2) Why did Ben and his son Davy come to the Shark Bay?

3) What happened to Ben under the water?

4) Was he badly wounded?

5) Who was to fly the plane? Why? Did he manage to do it?

6) Describe Davy's feelings after the accident and during the flight.

7) What had Ben told Davy about the importance of the last inch during the landing? Did it help the boy not to give in when he was fighting for his and his father's life?

8) What can you say about the relations between Ben and his son? In what way have they changed?

9) Comment on the title of the story.

THE GREEN DOCTOR by O. Henry

Give Russian equivalents for the following words and expressions from the text and use fhem in the sentences of your own.

be addressed to smb, make some (much, no) difference to smb, lock the door, get in through..., become unemployed, borrow smth from smb, be delighted, come into one's money, be lucky, turn pale (red), be worth doing, keep (break) silence

III Questions on the text:

1) What was Ainsley?

2) Who was Dicky Soames?

3) What was the main reason for Ainsley's hiding Dicky's letters from Adela?

4) How did Ainsley behave when the second letter arrived?

5) What happened as a result of his behaviour?

6) Was Adela's uncle a rich person? Prove it.

7) Did he want Adela to come into his money and why did he have to change his will?

8) What did Ainsley mean saying, "Those two letters were worth reading"?

9) What proves that Ainsley's wife guessed everything?

10) Why do you think she said that the letters had been lost?

IV True or falseї

1) Ainsley read Dicky's letters before throwing them into the fire.

2) Adela often gave reason for jealousy.

3) It was a long time since Dicky Soames had gone away to Australia to join his uncle.

4) This fact made Ainsley forget his jealousy.

5) When the working hours were over Ainsley tookthe letter and left the post-office together with his fellow-workers.

6) The postmaster saw Ainsley getting out of the window and thinking that he had stolen something dismissed him.

7) Ainsley envied Dicky when he learned that the latter had come into his uncle's money.

8) When Ainsley understood that he was to blame for everything he told the truth.

V "Adela was as frank as the day" – what does it meanl There are a lot nf idioms of the same kind. Explain fheir meaning, try fo give the corresponding Russian expressions and use these idioms in the sentences of your own.

as strong as an ox

as fresh as a cucumber

as strong as nails

as busy as a bee

as sure as fate (as certainly as)

as thick as thieves (very friendly)

as hungry as a hunter

as old as the sea

as slow as a snail

VI Retell the sfory on fhe part of 1) Ainsley, 2) Adela, 3) Dicky Soames.

Unit 2

Success Story by J. G. Cozzens

I met Richards ten or more years ago when I first went down to Cuba. He was a short, sharp-faced, agreeable chap, then about 22. He introduced himself to me on the boat and I was surprised to find that Panamerica Steel was sending us both to the same

MISSED – MISSED - MISSED

Richards was from some not very good state university engineering schooP. Being the same age myself, and just out of technical college I saw at once that his knowledge was rather poor. In fact I couldn't imagine how he had managed to get this job.

Richards was naturally likable, and I liked him a lot. The firm had a contract for the construction of a private railroad. For Richards and me it was mostly an easy job of inspections and routine paper work. At least it was easy for me. It was harder for Richards, because he didn't appear to have mastered the use of a slide rule. When he asked me to check his figures I found his calculations awful. "Boy," I was at last obliged to say, "you are undoubtedly the silliest white man in this province. Look, stupid, didn't you evertake arithmetic? How much are seven times thirteen?" "Work that out," Richards said, "and let me have a report tomorrow."

So when I had time I checked his figures for him, and the inspector only caught him in a bad mistake about twice. In January several directors of the United Sugar Company came down to us on business, but mostly pleasure; a good excuse to 'get south on a vacation. Richards and I were to accompany them around the place. One of the directors, Mr. Prosset was asking a number of questions. I knew the job well enough to answer every sensible question – the sort of question that a trained engineer would be likely to ask. As it was Mr. Prosset was not an engineer and some of his questions put me at a loss. For the third time I was obliged to say, "I'm afraid I don't know, sir.

We haven't any calculations on that".

When suddenly Richards spoke up.

"I think, about nine million cubic feet, sir", he said. "I just happened to be working this out last night. Just for my own interest".

"Oh," said Mr. Prosset, turning in his seat and giving him a sharp look. "That's very interesting, Mr. -er- Richards, isn't it? Well, now, maybe you could tell me about".

Richards could. Richards knew everything. All the way up Mr. Prosset fired questions on him and he fired answers right back. When we reached the head of the rail, a motor was waiting for Mr. Prosset. He nodded absent-mindedly to me, shook hands with Richards. "Very interesting, indeed," he said. "Good-bye, Mr. Richards, and thank you."

"Not, at all, sir," Richards said. "Glad if I could be of service to you."

As soon as the car moved off, I exploded. "A little honest bluff doesn't hurt; but some of your figures...!"

"I like to please," said Richards grinning. "If a man like Prosset wants to know something, who am I to hold out on him?"

"What's he going to think when he looks up the figures or asks somebody who does know?"

"Listen, my son," said Richards kindly. "He wasn't asking for any information he was going to use. He doesn't want to know these figures. He won't remember them. I don't even remember them myself. What he is going to remember is you and me." "Yes," said Richards firmly. "He is going to remember that Panamerica Steel has a bright young man named Richards who could tell him everything, he wanted, – just the sort of chap he can use; not like that other fellow who took no interest in his work, couldn't answer the simplest question and who is going to be doing small-time contracting all his life."

It is true. I am still working for the Company, still doing a little work for the construction line. And Richards? I happened to read in a newspaper a few weeks ago that Richards had been made a vice-resident and director of Panamerica Steel when the Prosset group bought the old firm.

NOTES:

Panamerica Steel – aMepїzasczas

state university engineering school – mxoaa

Prosset group – rpynna

Exercises and Assignments on the Text

Упражнения и Задания к Тексту

Assignment # One – Задание № 1

Найдите в тексте английские эквиваленты следующих слов, выражений и оборотов:

13. было больно двигаться – _________________________________________;

14. больной и несчастный – _________________________________________;

15. у него жар – _________________________________________;

16. форма гриппа – _________________________________________;

17. записал время приема лекарств – _________________________________________;

18. темные круги под глазами – _________________________________________;

19. не слушал, что я читаю – _________________________________________;

20. немного бредил – _________________________________________;

21. никого не пускал в комнату – _________________________________________;

22. это глупости – _________________________________________;

23. его взгляд уже не был таким напряженным – _______________________________________;

24. напряжение спало – _________________________________________.

Assignment # Two – Задание № 2

Дайте русские эквиваленты следующих слов, выражений и оборотов из текста; Составьте по три предложения с каждым их этих оборотов:

look ill – _________________________________________;

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

take smb's temperature – _________________________________________;

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

there is something (nothing) to worry about – _________________________________________;

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

there is some (no) danger – _________________________________________;

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

to go to sleep – _________________________________________;

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

cannot keep from doing smth – _________________________________________;

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

do good – _________________________________________;

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

be of some (much, no) importance – _________________________________________;

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

Assignment # Three – Задание № 3

Ответьте на следующие вопросы:

1) What signs of illness could the boy's father notice when he came into the room?

When he came into the room ______________________________________________________.

2) Did the boy go to bed as his father had asked him?

_______________________________________________________________________________.

3) What did the doctor say? What did he prescribe?

_______________________________________________________________________________.

4) Find in the text the sentences which prove that something serious worried the boy.

_______________________________________________________________________________.

5) Why didn't the boy let anyone come into the room?

_______________________________________________________________________________.

6) Which of the boy's questions reviled everything to his father?

_______________________________________________________________________________.

7) What was the real reason of the boy's sufferings?

_______________________________________________________________________________.

8) In what way did father explain everything to his son?

_______________________________________________________________________________.

Assignment # Four – Задание № 4

Перескажите рассказ от лица: 1) Отца мальчика; 2) Мальчика.

Assignment # Five – Задание № 5

Найдите в тексте все Глаголы неправильного спряжения и Заполните таблицу, давая их формы. Перед выполнением Упражнений 5 и 6 Вам необходимо ознакомиться с параграфами 48, 49, 50 и 51 5 Главы «Глагол» 1 Части «Части Речи в Английском языке» Первого тома Единого Грамматического комплекса. Всю необходимую Вам справочную информацию Вы можете найти во Втором томе в Приложениях «Таблица Времен Активного и Пассивного залогов». Проверить употребление форм причастий 1 и 2 (Participles 1 & 2) (вторая, третья и четвертая формы глаголов) можно по Таблицам “Спряжение Неправильных глаголов». Обращаю внимание на то, что таблиц две: в одной дается список неправильных глаголов в алфавитном порядке – ее я рекомендую применять для быстрого поиска необходимого слова, во второй глаголы даны по типам образования формы – на эту таблицу необходимо ориентироваться при заучивании наизусть:

Assignment # Six – Задание № 6

Найдите в тексте все Предложения в Прошедшем Продолженном времени. Перед выполнением Упражнения Вам необходимо ознакомиться с параграфами 52, 53, 54 и 55 «Вторая группа Времен – Continuous Tenses» 5 Главы «Глагол» 1 Части «Части Речи в Английском языке» Первого тома Единого Грамматического комплекса. Всю необходимую Вам справочную информацию Вы можете найти во Втором томе в Приложениях «Таблица Времен Активного и Пассивного залогов».

Assignment # Seven – Задание № 7

Задайте вопросы к словам, выделенным подчеркнутым наклонным шрифтом:

1) When the doctor came he took the boy's temperature.

______________________________________________________________________________?

2) I sat at the foot of the bed and read to myself.

______________________________________________________________________________?

3) At school in France the boys told me you cannot live with forty-four degrees.

______________________________________________________________________________?

4) He had been waiting to die all day, ever since nine o'clock in the morning.

______________________________________________________________________________?

Assignment # Eight – Задание № 8

Замените все вопросы в тексте в Косвенные (Indirect Questions). Перед выполнением Упражнения Вам необходимо ознакомиться с параграфами 69, 70 и 71 «Прямая и Косвенная речь» 5 Главы «Глагол» 1 Части «Части Речи в Английском языке» Первого тома Единого Грамматического комплекса. Всю необходимую Вам справочную информацию Вы можете найти во Втором томе в Приложениях.

Assignment # Nine – Задание № 9

Составьте диалоги, используя приведенные ниже слова и выражения:

8. it aches to move

9. have a headache

10. look very sick

11. have a fever

12. take one's temperature

13. give medicines

14. avoid smth.

Assignment # Ten – Задание № 10

Опишите на Английском языке Ваш последний визит к доктору. Используйте слова и выражения из текста и Упражнения 9.

Assignment # Eleven – Задание № 11

Расскажите на Английском языке, каким образом можно предотвратить болезни. Что помогает Вам сохранять себя в хорошей форме (to keep fit)?

Assignment # Twelve – Задание № 12

Прокомментируйте следующие поговорки; постарайтесь найти максимально близкие им эквиваленты в Русском языке: