Tommy’s house

Marina Nitsinska

Дорогие читатели!Я бы хотела превратить изучение английского языка для вас в увлекательный процесс с помощью книги, где за языковым слоем – лексикой, грамматикой стоит более глубокий подтекст.В этой книге удивительная история, раскрывающая внутренний мир героя, сопровождается упражнениями, направленными на отработку лексико-грамматического материала и развитие навыков устной речи и логического мышления.

CHAPTER 2

Lilly

Lilly was Tommy’s younger cousin. She was almost five. The little girl with pure freedom in her magnificent black eyes and fair tresses visited the house with her mum occasionally.

Lilly asked too many questions with her squeaky voice and made much noise. It irritated Tommy. Dressed in a short yellow skirt and a green t-shirt with flower print, she could whirl in front of the mirror and sing a child’s song.

She had a handmade date bones bracelet¹ on her right wrist. The girl said that it was her talisman. She was in the habit of touching and twisting the glossy brown bones with her tiny fingers. Lilly never took it off and allowed nobody to touch it.

The little girl attracted all parents’ attention and admiring glances, though the boy considered her to be a spoilt, capricious child. When he refused to play with her or to give the little girl some toys, parents often scolded Tommy for his behaviour.

Lilly was a really lively child. Everything in the world aroused her keen interest. She was open to any activity and capable of vivid communication with everyone.

“Tommy, what is your favourite book?”

“I like all books.”

“Well, don’t you have a special book that you would read again and again?!”

“No, I don’t.”

“Tommy, what season do you like most of all?”

“I like winter, though all seasons are good enough.”

“Oh, Don’t you like swimming in the lake and admiring the flowers in your garden in summer?!”

“I do.”

“Tommy, where would you like to travel?”

“The whole world.”

“And what is the place of your dream?”

“There are a lot of them on the planet.”

“Tommy…”

“I have to go.”

Three Lilly’s questions were the little man’s limit of patience. He got tired of her activity very quickly. Usually Tom tried to avoid speaking to the girl. Her emotional reactions made him nervous. The girl could tell him some amusing stories, gushing with admiration, but he stayed aloof. She shared her profound impressions with him, but it didn’t touch him, he just didn’t care. For this reason he hardly ever spent time with her. He often slipped away and hid in one of the rooms when she stayed at the house.

HELPFUL WORDS AND NOTES

squeaky voice [skwi_kɪ] [vɔɪs] — писклявый, визгливый голос

to irritate [ɪrɪteɪt] — раздражать, надоедать

to be in the habit of doing smth [bi] [ɪn] [ðə] [hæbɪt] [əv] [duɪŋ] — иметь привычку делать что-либо

glossy [glɔsɪ] — глянцевый, гладкий

to consider smb to be [kənsɪdə] [tə] [bi] — считать кого-либо кем-либо, каким-либо

spoilt child [spɔɪlt] [ʧaɪld] — избалованный ребёнок

to scold [skəuld] — ругать (ся), ворчать

lively [laɪvlɪ] — живой, активный,

весёлый

to arouse keen interest [ərauz] [ki n] [ɪnt(ə)rəst] — вызывать большой интерес

to be capable of smth [bi] [keɪpəbl] [əv] — быть способным на что-либо

limit of patience [lɪmɪt] [əv] [peɪʃ(ə)n(t)s] — предел терпения

to gush with admiration [gʌʃ] [wɪð] [_ædməreɪʃ(ə)n] — захлёбываться от восторга

aloof [əlu f] — равнодушный,

отчуждённый

profound impression [prəfaund] [ɪmpreʃ(ə)n] — глубокое, сильное впечатление

to touch [tʌʧ] — трогать, задевать за живое, волновать

VOCABULARY AND GRAMMAR TASKS

I Fill in the gaps with the words and phrases from the list below in the appropriate form.

squeaky voice; spoilt child; to gush with admiration; to irritate; to touch; to scold lively; to consider; to be limit of patience;

aloof

1. Don’t ______________ your small cousin for her wild behaviour. Try to talk to the girl and explain everything to her.

2. She often __________________________even when she sees something ordinary.

3. His sister ________________ me, especially when she pronounces words with her high _____________________.

4. The governess tries to teach manners and to bring up that _________________.

5. That boy looks remote, he ________________________ cold and tough.

6. Actually, he is not so ________________, he can be really _____________ when somebody or something __________________ the strings of his soul.

7. Lady Canterville was stressed to _____________________________when she saw a ghost in the castle again.

II Complete the following sentences:

1. I am in the habit of _______________.

2. I am capable of _______________.

3. I am not capable of _______________.

4. It made a profound impression on me when _______________.

5. It arouses my keen interest when _______________.

6. I hardly ever _______________.

III Open the brackets using the verbs in Present Simple or Past Simple.

1. This curious girl usually (ask) a lot of questions about everything she (see) in the museum.

2. Lilly (lose) her gorgeous talisman somewhere in the house yesterday.

3. Where you (hide) the bracelet?

4. What song his cousin often (sing) when she whirls in front of the mirror?

5. This serious boy usually (not find) exciting the stories his little sister (tell) him.

6. Professor Whitehouse (say) that he (know) several scientists who (make) that experiment a long time ago.

7. The girl’s mother (call) the teacher every day and (ask) about her daughter’s progress.

8. Why the student (show) his essay to the rest of the group?

9. Doctor Sam regularly (give) new prescriptions to Granny.

10. Tommy hardly ever (speak) to his capricious cousin.

DISCUSSION TASKS

I Describe Lilly. Tell about her nature.

II Answer the following questions.

1. What was Tommy’s attitude to Lilly?

2. What was the parents’ attitude to Lilly?

3. What did parents often scold Tommy for?

4. What did Lilly wear on her right wrist?

5. Did Tommy and Lilly have much in common?

6. How did Tommy behave when Lilly asked him questions?

7. What was Tommy’s usual reaction to Lilly’s stories?

8. What did Tommy do when his cousin stayed at his house?

9. Why did he avoid Lilly?

10. What Lilly’s character traits were unlike Tommy’s features?

TALKING POINTS

I Describe the appearance of your sister/brother/cousin/friend.

II Tell about his/her temper, habits, special features.

III Tell about the place where he/she lives.

IV Answer the following questions.

1. What do you have in common with your sister/brother/cousin/friend?

2. What are you different in?

3. Do you get on well with him/her?

4. What do you like about this person?

5. What do you not like about him/her? Why?

Примечания

1

A handmade date bones bracelet — браслет ручной работы из финиковых косточек