II. Match the beginning and the end of the sentences.

6) He surveyed the fence,	a) and the fragrance of the blossoms filled the air.
1) If he hadn’t run out of whitewash	b) and all the summer world was bright and fresh, and brimming with life.
2) In order to make a man or a boy covet a thing,	c) but alacrity in his heart.
7) Life to him seemed hollow,	d) and then wended toward headquarters to report.
8) Saturday morning had come,	e) and existence but a burden.
9) The boy mused awhile over the substantial change which had taken place in his worldly circumstances,	f) and all gladness left him and a deep melancholy settled down upon his spirit.
3) The locust-trees were in bloom	g) it is only necessary to make the thing difficult to attain.
4) Tom gave up the brush with reluctance in his face,	h) were always there waiting their turns, resting, trading playthings, quarrelling, fighting, skylarking.
10) White, mulatto, and negro boys and girls	i) and Play consists of whatever a body is not obliged to do.
5) Work consists of whatever a body is obliged to do,	j) he would have bankrupted every boy in the village.

 

III. Answer the questions.

1. When do the events described in the fragment take place?

2. What epithets and metaphors does the author use to render the atmosphere of the day?

3. How does Tom feel about the work he has to do? What negatively coloured words does the author use to render his feelings?

4. What made the task of bringing water from the pump appealing to children?

5. Why does the author use the allusion “the slaughter of innocents” to describe Tom’s mood in the second fragment? What is the original meaning of this expression? Where does it come from?

6. What treasures did Tom trade from the boys?

7. How many coats of whitewash did the fence have as a result?

8.  What great law of human action did Tom discover?

9.  What difference between work and play does Mark Twain formulate?

10. What does the author denote by the word “headquarters”? How does this word render Tom’s attitude to Aunt Polly?

IV. Summarize the main ideas of the fragment.

VOCABULARY FOCUS

 

I. Find in the text the English equivalents for the following words and phrases.

Нежелание, обменивать, растительность, манящий, приключение, успокаивающий, развлечение, богатый, значительный, существенный, пустой, ненавистный, груз, аромат, ссориться, драться, время ничегонеделанья, человеческий, головастик, воздушный змей, достигать, мудрый, понимать, размышлять.

 

II. Match the words to make word combinations.

1) deep	a) harp
2) fire-	b) melancholy
3) hateful	c) stricken
4) jews-	d) change
5) poverty-	e) soldier
6) Saturday	f) philosopher
7) substantial	g) morning
8) tin	h) work
9) wise	i) circumstances
10) worldly	j) cracker

 

III. Insert the missing word.

1. All the summer world was … and fresh.

2. By the time Ben was fagged out, Tom had … the next chance to Billy Fisher for a kite.

3. He had had a nice, good, idle … all the while.

4. He remembered that there was … at the pump.

5. Life to him seemed hollow, and … but a burden.

6. The … costs them considerable money.

7. The fragrance of the … filled the air.

8. The locust-trees were in …

9. There was … in every face and a spring in every step.

10. Work consists of whatever a body is … to do.

 

IV. Insert the missing preposition.

1.  … the time Ben was fagged …, Tom had traded the next chance … Billy Fisher … a kite.

2. A deep melancholy settled … … his spirit.

3. He had discovered a great law … human action, … knowing it

4. Jim came skipping … at the gate … a tin pail.

5. Play consists … whatever a body is not obliged to do.

6. The boy mused awhile … the substantial change which had taken place … his worldly circumstances.

7. The retired artist sat … a barrel … the shade close …

8. Tom gave … the brush … reluctance … his face.

9. Tom said … himself that it was not such a hollow world, … all.

10. Tom was literally rolling … wealth.