The Case of the Arctic Hero
Date: 2015-10-07; view: 492.
Narrator:Dr. DeLator is talking to his young friend Charles Makin.
DeLator:Don't tell me Charles; let me guess. You were trying to impress a young lady but your plan backfired and you got your face slapped.
Narrator:Charles nodded glumly, and said:
Charles:This time I was absolutely sure I had my story down pat. Yet something went wrong I can't figure out what.
DeLator:Well, what happened?
Charles:You've heard of Gertrude Morgan? Her grandfather sailed with Admiral Byrd, and her cousin climbed Mount Everest. If you haven't combed icicles from your whiskers, you don't rate with her.
DeLator:So what did you do?
Charles:Well,I took her to dinner on Christmas Eve, and it seemed a good time to bring out my Arctic Circle story. I opened by commenting that I had once spent Christmas Eve in less comfortable surroundings. And then I told her about the morning that Lieutenant Craven and I were mushing back to the Navy's Arctic Observation Weather Station. Suddenly Craven fell and fractured his leg. Ten minutes later the stretch of ice we were crossing broke loose and we began to drift out to sea.
DeLator:That sounds like an impressive story! What then?
Charles:I realized that Craven and I and the dogs would freeze to death unless I started a fire. Alas, we had used up all our matches. I got out a small magnifying glass from our instrument kit. And then I tore off sheets from our reports and laid them on a steel instrument box. By focusing the sun's rays through the glass onto the paper, I started a good fire. Fortunately, a boat picked us up after twenty-four hours. The captain said I was something of a hero.
DeLator:But I'll bet Miss Morgan didn't think so, Charles. And no wonder!
Narrator:What was wrong with Charles's story?
Exercise 2. Guess the words from the text according to their meanings below:
1. close relative, a child of one's uncle or aunt
2. solve or understand
3. tapering spike of ice hanging where water has dripped
4. any of the long stiff hair on the face of a cat or other mammal
5. conditions, or scenery around a person, place, or thing
6. lines or narrow beams of light
7. material made in sheets from wood pulp or other fibers
8. state of combustion producing heat, flames, and smoke
9. day-to-day meteorological conditions of a place
10. small vehicle for traveling across water
11. the highest mountain in the world
12. mass of salt water covering three quarters of the earth's surface
Exercise 3. Find the right answer to the last question: What was wrong with Charles's story?
1. Gertrude didn't like when Charles said that he was something of a hero.
2. Charles didn't have enough wood to keep up the fire during twenty four hours.
3. He couldn't start a fire from the sun's rays in the polar night.
4. Gertrude Morgan was very aggressive and didn't like to listen to very long stories.
5. Gertrude wanted to dance with Charles but he didn't invite her.
6. Charles forgot to pay for the dinner and she had to pay herself.
Exercise 4. Describe each character using the following list of attributes:
| Charles | Gertrude | Dr. DeLator |
The list of attributes:
absent-minded – ðàññåÿííûé
adventurous – ëþáÿùèé ïðèêëþ÷åíèÿ
capable – ñïîñîáíûé, îäàð¸ííûé
confident – óâåðåííûé
clever – óìíûé
creative – òâîð÷åñêèé
dishonest – íå÷åñòíûé
easygoing – äîáðîäóøíî-âåñ¸ëûé
educated – îáðàçîâàííûé
energetic – ýíåðãè÷íûé, ïîäâèæíûé
funny – çàáàâíûé, ñìåøíîé
friendly – äîáðîæåëàòåëüíûé
generous – ùåäðûé
greedy – æàäíûé
good-natured – äîáðîäóøíûé
hard-working – òðóäîëþáèâûé
helpful – ãîòîâûé ïðèäòè íà ïîìîùü
honest – ÷åñòíûé
imaginative – îáëàäàþùèé áîãàòûì âîîáðàæåíèåì
impatient – íåòåðïåëèâûé
indifferent – áåçðàçëè÷íûé
kind – äîáðûé
lively – æèâîé, âåñ¸ëûé
loyal – âåðíûé, ïðåäàííûé
merry – âåñ¸ëûé
mysterious – òàèíñòâåííûé
open-minded – ñ øèðîêèì êðóãîçîðîì
patient – òåðïåëèâûé
proud – ãîðäûé
reliable – íàä¸æíûé
respectful – óâàæàåìûé
self-confident – ñàìîóâåðåííûé
selfish – ýãîèñòè÷íûé
sincere – èñêðåííèé
sensible – çäðàâîìûñëÿùèé
spontaneous – íåïðåäñêàçóåìûé
talkative – ðàçãîâîð÷èâûé
unselfish – áåñêîðûñòíûé
wise – ìóäðûé
witty – ñîîáðàçèòåëüíûé
Exercise 5. Make up sentences about each character choosing from the following table:
| Charles Makin Dr DeLator Gertrud Morgan | was | a reliable person a proud woman a dishonest man imaginative spontaneous sensible self-confident helpful friendly energetic | because | - he always knew what, when, how and why. - if a man is not a hero he doesn't rate with her. - she had a very good reaction and acted very quickly without any explanation. - he loved his friends and was very sorry when something went wrong. - his friends could trust him their secrets. - he could imagine the stories which had never happened. - he was sure in his success. - he told Gertrude untruthful story. - what she did was unexpected for others. - he always helped his friends in their needs. |
Exercise 6. Retell the story using the key phrases:
1. The title of the story is …
2. The author of the story is …
3. The main characters of the story are …
a. Dr DeLator was …
b. Charles Makin was …
c. Gertrude Morgan was …
4. This story is about a young man Charles who wanted to impress a lady Gertrude Morgan but his plan …
5. Charles told Gertrude that once he spent …
6. When Charles was telling her his story he …
7. Charles didn't realize that he couldn't start a …
8. Gertrude understood that Charles didn't tell her … and he got his …
9. When Dr. DeLator listened to Charles's story to the end he …
10. The moral of the story is that …
Exercise 7. Work in small groups. Put the sentences of the following texts in the right order according to their Russian versions, copy the texts into your notes and then read with good intonation.
Before you start working pay attention to the following words and expressions:
Vocabulary:
to forgive somebody at once – ïðîñòèòü êîãî-ëèáî âîò òàê ñðàçó
over-confident – ñàìîóâåðåííûé
naïve/credulous – íàèâíûé
a wise advice – ìóäðûé ñîâåò
to fall asleep – çàñûïàòü
to melt away with one's dreams – ðàñòâîðèòüñÿ â ìå÷òàõ
to have one's head in the clouds – âèòàòü â îáëàêàõ
to tell lies – ñîâðàòü
to blow one's own horn – ïîõâàëÿòüñÿ, õâàñòàòüñÿ
to come back from one's dreams – âåðíóòüñÿ/ñïóñòèòüñÿ íà çåìëþ
knight – ðûöàðü
to spoil (spoilt, spoilt) – ïîðòèòü
liar – âðóíèøêà
to marry a man – âûõîäèòü çàìóæ
to be a winner of the situation – áûòü õîçÿèíîì ïîëîæåíèÿ
to stay alone – îñòàòüñÿ îäíîé
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| Part 3. Arctic Story | | | Task 1. |