Chapters twenty-six – twenty-eight (pp. 186-211)

Active Vocabulary

1. get the wrong end of the stick (infml) (186) - неправильно понимать что-л.,

составить неправильное представление о чём-л., заблуждаться

 (Compare: get the right end of the stick - правильно понимать что-л.)

2. misapprehension (187) -                неправильное понимание, недоразумение

3. to fancy sb (infml) (188, 201) -             испытывать симпатию к к/л, любить,

нравиться

4. sore spot (191) -                         больное место

5. to have a limited life-span (205) - иметь короткий, непродолжительный

                       срок службы, быть недолговечным

6. to give erroneous impression (206) -    производить ложное впечатление

7. to be appalled at/by sth (208) -       быть потрясённым, шокированным ч/л,

                       ужаснуться ч/л

8. to let one’s imagination run riot (208) - дать волю фантазии,

                                                             разыграться (о воображении)

9. to make up (a story) (208) -        придумать (историю)

 

I. Find in the novel the following words and phrases. Learn them. Get ready to reproduce the situations in which they were used. Try to use them in answering the questions and discussing the characters and the events of the novel.

II. Find in the novel words or word combinations with the following meaning. Put them down, translate them into Russian. Reproduce the sentences where they are used.

1. dreadful, horrible (186) ___________________________________________

2. to annoy (187) __________________________________________________

3. effectiveness (188) _______________________________________________

4. to convince sb (188) ______________________________________________

5. different (191) __________________________________________________

6. the time in a person’s life between childhood and adulthood (195) _________

7. not to see, hear or notice sb/sth (195) ________________________________

8. crazy, mad (198)(198)(199)(201) ___________________________________

9. to talk (198) (infml) ______________________________________________

10.  to go quickly (198) ______________________________________________

11.  to cry bitterly (199) ______________________________________________

12.  squint-eyed (201) _______________________________________________

13.  to get angry (203) ________________________________________________

14.  to embrace sb (205) _____________________________________________

15.  to give sb a hard time, to bully (205) ________________________________

 

III. Find in the novel the English equivalents of the following Russian words or word combinations.

1. по собственному опыту (187) ______________________________________

2. взаимность (189) (191) ___________________________________________

3. избавляться от к/л (191) _________________________________________

4. подловить к/л (на ошибке) (192) ___________________________________

5. уместный (193) _________________________________________________

6. угрожать к/л (197) ______________________________________________

7. кормить остатками обеда (объедками) (198) _________________________

8. страшный, жуткий (199) _________________________________________

9. напуганный, отчаявшийся, паникующий (200) _______________________

10. пристально смотреть к/л в глаза (202) _____________________________

11. нарушение прав человека (202) __________________________________

12. жертва, потерпевший (204) ______________________________________

13. биологический отец (206) _______________________________________

14. с чистой совестью (207) _________________________________________

IV. Find in the novel words opposite in meaning.

imaginable (194) _______________             apprehension (187) __________________

similar (191) __________________        overstatement (196) _________________

loyal (192) ___________________              sleepy (194) _______________________

 

V. Think of how you could translate the following sentences into English. Find in the novel the corresponding sentences and compare them with your translation.

Я не понимаю. – Тут и понимать нечего. (186) ___________________________

 __________________________________________________________________

Мне нравится эта девушка. Я хочу с ней дружить. Мне бы хотелось, чтобы она была моей подругой. (188)____________________________________________

Ты переживаешь из-за этого? (193) _____________________________________

Я всё испортил? (199) ________________________________________________

Извини, что-то до меня никак не доходит. (206) ___________________________

Mastering the pronunciation

Consult dictionaries. Transcribe and translate the following words. Practise reading them.

enthusiasm __________________      minutiae __________________________

efficacy _____________________      mutuality _________________________

humiliating __________________      reciprocation ______________________

stimulant ____________________     miaow ____________________________

romance ____________________     sincerity ___________________________

erroneous ___________________     decency ___________________________

riot ________________________     blithely ___________________________

 

In his conversation with Marcus, Will had to introduce the topic of sex. Why did they bring this question up?

  Speak on the similarities and differences in the girls Will and Marcus fancied and in their attitude to these girls.

Answer the questions.

1. How did Will explain to Marcus the reason why he could not confess to Rachel that he did not have a son?

2. Why do you think Marcus agreed to pretend to be Will’s son?

3. What ‘tricky’ questions did Marcus ask Will to practise before their conversation with Rachel?

4. Why did Will feel crushed when they arrived at Rachel’s house and started talking?

5. Did Rachel’s and Will’s houses look alike?

Describe Ali, Rachel’s son. Was there anything in common between Ali and Marcus?

Describe Ali and Marcus’s meeting. What happened at the end of it?

 

Marcus noticed some secret weapon Will used when talking to attractive women which helped him to win their favour. What was it? Did Marcus try to practise it on someone? Did it work out?

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).

mooch about / around (202) – бездельничать; околачиваться, шляться, слоняться

pervert (202) – человек, страдающий извращением; извращенец  

slag (203) (Br vulgar slang) – an offensive word for a woman, used to suggest that she has a lot of sexual partners

wham (204) – (межд.) бам!, бух!, трах!

gerbil (205) – песчанка (грызун)

envisage (208) – обдумывать, представалять себе, предвидеть, предусматривать

geeky (208) (see commentary for page 28 “nerd”, “geek”)

baffled (209) – озадаченный; сбитый с толку; недоуменный

precursor (209) – предшественник; предтеча, предвестник

Lesson 11