Ex. 14. Answer the following questions. (Part I)

1. In what city did Mark Twain arrive?

2. Did he travel alone or did he have a companion?

3. Did he want to do a tour around this city?

4. Why were there a lot of people on the platform?

5. What ticket did Mark Twain want to get?

6. Was the clerk in the booking office helpful to him? What about another local official?

7. What was Mark’s mood?

8. Did Mark Twain want railway officials to know that he was a famous writer?

9. What was Mark’s companion reaction to these words? (Will this news help get tickets for the crowded train?)

10. Why did Mark Twain pay attention to the porter of a sleeping car? (Was anything unusual about the man?)

11. Could Mark hear what the porter was telling the conductor?

12. Why did Mark Twain realize that he was being talked about?

 

Ex. 15. Translate the following sentences from Russian into English. (Part II)

1. Проводник был очень вежлив с пассажирами купейного вагона.

2. Я могу быть вам чем-то полезен?

3. Я спросил у служащего в билетной кассе, могу ли я купить билет в купейный вагон?

4. Я буду вам очень благодарен, если вы покажете мне ваш город.

5. Я бы хотел почитать какой-нибудь детектив. – Вы хотите книгу английского или русского автора? – Все равно (подойдет любая).

6. После вечеринки в холодильнике ничего не осталось.

7. Научная библиотека в вашем распоряжении – вы можете читать любые книги и периодические издания.

8. Носильщик отнес наши чемоданы в вагон.

 

Ex. 16. Choose the right alternative to complete the sentence. (Part III)

1. The porter left the compartment with many ….

a) bows and cries b) bows and smiles c) barks and smiles

2. According to the porter, Mark Twain and his companion could have ….

a) nothing they wanted b) something they wanted c) anything they wanted

 

3. The passengers asked for some ….

a) mineral water b) hot water c) ice water

 

4. The porter was ready to ….

a) bring it himself b) boil it himself c) buy it himself

 

5. Mark Twain and his companion wanted the lamp to be ….

a) removed b) replaced c) hung lower

 

6. The porter promised to take a lamp from ….

a) the next compartment b) the next coach c) his office

 

7. This lamp will burn ….

a) all night large b) all day long c) all night long

 

8. The porter was sure the whole railroad will be turned inside out to ….

a) make every traveler on board the train comfortable

b) make everything to please the famous writer and his companion

c) make these two passengers feel at home

 

Ex. 17. Translate Part IV of the text into Russian. Try to be as creative as possible when doing this task!

 

Ex 18. Mark the following statements as ‘True’ or ‘False’. Correct the false statements.

1. Last year Mark Twain arrived in Washington where he was to change buses.

2. At the railway station, there were many people trying to get on the local train.

3. Mark Twain asked the clerk in the booking office if he could change the ticket.

4. There were no tickets for the sleeper train available in the booking office.

5. Mark Twain asked the local official if he could help him and his companion to get the tickets for the sleeper.

6. The local official was very polite.

7. The famous writer felt deeply hurt when nobody recognized him.

8. The porter named Willy seemed to recognize Mark Twain.

9. There was only one vacant compartment aboard.

10. The compartment was very large and comfortable: there were two berths and a couple of chairs in it.

11. Twain asked the porter if he could fix the better lamp above the luggage rack.

12. Twain's companion was very pleased with the way they were being served.

13. The porter thought Mark Twain to be Mayor of New York.

 

 

Text B

THE MAN WHO TOOK NOTICE OF

ALL THE NOTICES

 

Ex. 1. Match the English words and phrases in column A with their Russian equivalents in column B.

A	B
1. to take notice of smth	a. контролёр
2. notice	b. уборщик
3. signalman	c. уходить на пенсию
4. to run the station (business, etc)	d. напоминать
5. to polish	e. руководить станцией (компанией и т.п.)
6. ticket collector	f. начальник
7. to paint	g. обращать внимание на что-л.
8. cleaner	h. главный
9. waiting room	i. объявление, предупреждение
10. to remind	j. красить
11. to retire	k. зал ожидания
12. to be strict about the rule	l. полировать, натирать до блеска
13. master	m. строго соблюдать правило
14. chief	n. стрелочник, сигнальщик

 

Ex. 2. Read the sentences and translate them.

1. I didn’t convince (убеждать) the ticket collector that I had lost my ticket only some moments before.

2. The railway plans to modernize its wagon fleet (парк); about 480 passenger coaches will be painted in a new livery, re-painted inside and equipped with new comfortable seats.

3. There was a notice on the announcement board saying the flight had been cancelled.

4. He ran the railway station for 30 years buthad to retire on medical grounds.

5. Passengers were reminded that no smoking was allowed on this train.

6. A signalman is a railroad worker responsible for operating signals and switches.

7. Having worked as a cleaner, painter and bus driver, Neil decided to go back to University.

8. After graduating from Edinburgh University, Robert Stephenson, George Stephenson's only son, ran the Newcastle locomotive works. In 1833, he was appointed chief engineer of the London and Birmingham Railway, the first railway into London.

9. To avoid accidents, both drivers and pedestrians must be strict about the traffic rules.

10. I was so intent (сосредоточенный) on my work that I didn’t take notice of the time.

11. When the train is on motion, the train master communicates with passengers over a public address system.

12. After his demobilization from the Navy, he was accepted by the railway authorities as a signalman.

 

Ex. 3. Complete the sentences with a word from Ex 1. Several words should be used twice.

1. The tickets should not be thrown away as ___ may check them during the trip.

2. China is a vast country and the railways are the chief means of land transport

3. James had previously worked at the depot as a wagon___ but then he was promoted to the assistant of mechanic.

4. The station___ said that no trains had arrived at the station during the night because of the heavy snowstorm in the mountains.

5. I just want to ___ you that your assignments (задание) must be completed by Friday.

6. A ___ passed by our train, motioning with his green flag.

7. He ___ the piano until the wood shone.

8. All the passengers should ___ of behavior aboard.

9. Employees can ___ at 60 if they choose.

10. At each railway station, there is a ___ where passengers can rest until boarding the train.

11. The ___ engineer ordered these devices to be repaired as fast as possible.

12. The ___ made two passengers get off the train because they didn’t pay fares.

13. We finish work at six, and then the ___ come in.

14. Mark ___ never to mix business with pleasure.

15. In the UK, men usually ___ in their late 50s or early 60s.

16. On the first railways there were no signals because trains were few and traveled at low speeds. But as trains became more frequent, the railways began to employ men known as ___ to regulate the traffic.

 

Ex. 4. Translate the following sentences, paying attention to the verbs:

to allow (=to permit, to let) – позволять, разрешать

To forbid – запрещать

1. These glasses allow you to see the film in 3D format.

2. We do not allow smoking in the hall.

3. Railcard is a card that can be bought at train stations in Britain by students and people over 60. It allows them to buy train tickets at a reduced price for a period of one year.

4. Radios are not permitted in the library.

5. Visitors are not permitted to take photographs in the church.

6. We hope to visit the castle, if time permits.

7. The password permits access to all files on the hard disk.

8. Cash machines permit you to withdraw (снимать) money at any time.

9. I would like to go to Europe this summer, but my parents won’t let me.

10. Let me help to you to put the suitcase on the luggage rack.

11. The management forbids employees to accept tips from customers.

12. The United States has forbidden the use of federal funds for human cloning research.

 

Ex. 5. Practice the phrase:

It doesn’t matter … – Не имеет значения …

1. It doesn't matter what you wear – you should look neat and tidy.

2. Does it matter what I think?

3. We’ve missed the train. – It doesn't matter, there’s another one in 10 minutes.

4. Well, what were you saying about John? – Forget it, it doesn’t matter.

5. It doesn’t matter if you’re a few minutes late. We’ll wait for you.

6. It doesn’t matter what other people think. You should do what you think is best.