The Umbrella man. Dip in the pool. The Butler. The Hitchhiker. My Lady Love, My Dove

УО «Белорусский государственный экономический университет»

Факультет международных бизнес-коммуникаций

Кафедра делового английского языка

УЧЕБНО-МЕТОДИЧЕСКАЯ РАЗРАБОТКА

ПО ДИСЦИПЛИНЕ

«ДОМАШНЕЕ ЧТЕНИЕ»

Для студентов 4 курса ФМЭО

Минск 2009

                                     Contents          

Roald Dahl “Ten Short Stories”

The Umbrella man………………………………………………………………2

Dip in the pool…………………………………………………………………..4

The Butler……………………………………………………………………….7

The Hitchhiker…………………………………………………………………..9

Mr. Botibol……………………………………………………………………..11

My Lady Love, My Dove……………………………………………………....14

The Way up to Heaven…………………………………………………………17

Parson’s Pleasure……………………………………………………………….20

Crime Never Pays

The Companion…………………………………………………………………23

The Case for the Defence……………………………………………………….25

A Glowing Future……………………………………………………………….28

Ricochet…………………………………………………………………………31

The Fountain Plays……………………………………………………………...34

Three is a Lucky Number……………………………………………………….37

The Adventure of the Retired Colourman………………………………………40

Sauce for the Goose……………………………………………………………..43

From the Cradle to the Grave

Tea……………………………………………………………………………….47

Mr. Loveday’s Little Outing…………………………………………………….50

The Colonel’s Lady……………………………………………………………...53

Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel’s Coat……………………………………………...56

They Gave Her a Rise……………………………………………………………60

Same Time, Same Place………………………………………………………….63

A Bit of Singing and Dancing……………………………………………………66

RONALD DAHL

“Ten short stories”

                                     The Umbrella Man

Pre-reading task:

Before you read the story look at the title and try to guess what kind of story it will be (a funny one or a tragic). Then look at the title once again and try to imagine what the story is going to be about.

Reading:

Read the story carefully and try to understand it in detail. Mind the notes to the text.

Vocabulary focus:

1. Look up and learn the following words:

banana split                  trickster                   wallet

chauffeur                      pedestrian                taxi-fare

to spot                          pub                           bow

frosty-nosed                 moustache                brim

simper                          eyelid                        barefaced liar

2. Match the words with their definitions:

1. crook            a. with thickly growing hair

2. bushy            b. with small lines on the skin, the skin of an old person

3. dodge            c. some one who deceives other people

4. wrinkly         d. to move from side to side to avoid bumping into people

5. suspicious     e. a number of people collected closely together

6. stony-faced   f. thinking that smth. is wrong or that smb. can’t be trusted

7. crowd            g. with a serious face

3. Insert the necessary prepositions. Make up short sentences with these expressions.

To go … pieces;                                            to be … … the question;

To shelter … an umbrella;                            to fish … the purse;

To ask a favour … smb.;                               to keep … … smb.;

To be … the habit;                                         to pelt … harder;

To get soaked … the skin;                             to pray … smth.

4. Insert the necessary key words or expressions to finish up the situations from the story.

1. She is especially suspicious of two things _____. With a strange man_____ which says ______.

2. ______ was another of my mother’s favourite sayings.

3. It was a fearsome thing______. Most people______ when she gives it to them.

4. “Every day I go for a lovely walk and then_______. I do it every day of the year.”

5. “Never rush things. Always_____ when you are_____.”

6. He was in a terrible hurry. He_____ along the pavement, _____ the other pedestrians and _____ like a soldier on the march.

7. The man was now without his hat and coat and he _____ his way through _____ towards the bar.

8. Then, in a manner _____ that you hardly noticed anything at all, he _____, and off he went.

9. I’ll bet he _____ for rainy days.

Reading Comprehension:

1. Correct the following statements by giving the facts from the story.

1. Yesterday evening my mother took me up to London to see my granny and have a banana split.

2. We stood on the pavement in the rain, looking for a taxi. Lots of them came and none of them had passengers inside.

3. He gave a gentle smile and said, ”I beg you to believe, madam, that I usually stop ladies in the street and tell them my troubles.”

5. We followed him back to the main street, and we watched him as he proceeded, with no trouble at all to exchange his new umbrella for another pound note. This time it was a young girl who was wearing a coat.

6. The man always went in one and the same direction.

2. Answer the following questions:

1. Why did the mother and the daughter go back into the café?

2. Why was the mother suspicious when the man first came up to them?