Part II Second Reading

A. Exploring Themes

Try to understand why the characters act as they do. What thoughts about life, art the author is attempting to convey?

1. How does 'a block of marble' characterize Roddy?

2. Speak on Mortimer's attitude to his family (p. 209) Do you find anything in common with his family? (p. 213)

3. Why did Phoebe agree to spend the weekend with Roddy?

4. Explain: (p. 210) '… if you had asked yesterday I probably would have accepted.'

5. What is the significance of the words by Findlay: «Meaning that … My reference, Michael, is to yourself.' 'The real mystery is you.'

6. Translate: (p. 235) ' … and one which … (p. 236) … that the window itself could have no memory.' How are Michael's thoughts about life and particularly his life connected with the image of mirror in the film «What a Carve Up!» and «Orpheus»?

B. Judging for Yourself

1. Why do you think Phoebe wanted to meet Roddy?

2. Do you think Roddy refused to help Phoebe because she was a poor painter?

3. Do you think Findlay Onyx was a peculiar person?

4. Do you think Tabitha was a mad person?

5. Do you think Michael really loved Fiona or just pitied her?

C. Making Connections

1. Do you think the situation with Roddy and Phoebe can take place in any country? Why?

Part III Building the Vocabulary

Consult the English-English dictionary for the following words and phrases:

acclaim (p. 203)

option (p. 207)

ulcer (p. 208)

vocation (p. 209)

to be unresponsive (p. 211)

folio (p. 211)

to discount (p. 212)

small talk (p. 212)

obsessive (p. 213)

gusto (p. 215)

apologetic (p. 216)

to be at loggerheads with smb. (p. 216)

to retreave (p. 218)

dealing (p. 219)

reverie (p. 219)

atonement (p. 220)

replica (p. 221)

vengeance (p. 228)

afoot (p. 229)

calamitous (p. 230)

a quack physician (p. 230)

cornucopia (p. 234)

B. Translate into Russian and explain the idioms and phrasal verbs in English

1. She was pleased with the way things had worked out with Roddy. (p. 203)

2. … she hadn't been obliged to go through with it. (p. 203)

3. I'm quite a tough little cookie, you know. (p. 205)

4. I knew that something special had arrived on my doorstep. (p. 219)

5. Is anything the matter? (p. 207)

6. She was on the point of trying up the bandage. (p. 209)

7. But for the next few hours she managed to bottle up her rage (p. 212)

8. I'm, as the saying goes, on a bender. (p. 217)

9. We didn't choose to be driven into the corner. (p. 217)

10. Mr. Farringdon was adament on that point. (p. 220)

11. It's obvious that Germans had tipped him off. (p. 224)

Explain what these words and allusions mean:

gothic

a terraced house

kitch

erzatz

Florence Nightingale

Unit VIII (p. P. 241 - 274) Part I First Reading

A. Thinking about the Chapters

What do you feel after reading the chapter about Dorothy? Do you sympathize with her husband George?

B. Understanding the Plot

1. Who was George Brunwin? Was Dorothy a suitable wife for him? What does the author tell us about Dorothy and George? (p. p. 241 — 244, p. p. 259 — 260)

2. What was Dorothy's main occupation? (p. p. 244 — 246) What way did she make her career? How did she construct her agricultural empire?

3. What impressed Michael when he went for a walk to Mr. Martel's farm? (p. p. 246 — 248)

4. What was being done to increase the production of eggs and chickens? Were the methods aggressive? Why? (p. p. 248 — 251)

5. Who helped Dorothy and how? Why did she get substantial loans from the state? What guaranteed her profits? (p. p. 244 — 245) Did she consume what she produced? (p. p. 252 — 255)

6. What was Dorothy's pig management based on? (p. p. 256 — 257)

7. Why did Michael write that Dorothy had killed her father? 9p. p. 255 — 256)

8. Why was Michael's aim to catch the 3. 35 train? Why did anxiety and anticipation shiver through him? (p. p. 261 — 262)

9. How did he spend his journey in the tube carriage and then in a carriage of the Sheffield train? What did he brood on? (p. p. 261 — 264)

10. How did he get acquainted with Alice Hastings? In what business was she? What did she think about Michael's book? How did she look? What did she suggest? Was Michael intending to agree? Why? (p. p. 264 — 271)

11. What did Michael tell Alice about Joan? (p. 268)