Бунеева ИМ - Сычева АА - HOW TO DISCUSS A STORY 2

МИНИСТЕРСТВО ОБРАЗОВАНИЯ И НАУКИ РФ
ФЕДЕРАЛЬНОЕ ГОСУДАРСТВЕННОЕ
БЮДЖЕТНОЕ ОБРАЗОВАТЕЛЬНОЕ УЧРЕЖДЕНИЕ
ВЫСШЕГО ПРОФЕССИОНАЛЬНОГО ОБРАЗОВАНИЯ
«ВОРОНЕЖСКИЙ ГОСУДАРСТВЕННЫЙ УНИВЕРСИТЕТ»
HOW TO DISCUSS A STORY 2
Учебно-методическое пособие
Составители:
И.М. Бунеева
А.А. Сычева
Воронеж
2015
Утверждено Научно-методическим советом факультета романо-
германской филологии 9 декабря 2014 г., протокол № 4
Рецензент к.ф.н. доц. Е.Л. Пивоварова
Учебно-методическое пособие подготовлено на кафедре английской

филологии факультета РГФ Воронежского государственного университета.
Авторы выражают благодарность А.В. Лукину за помощь в создании

настоящего пособия
Рекомендуется для студентов 1-го курса английского отделения,

обучающихся по образовательной программе 45.03.02 «Лингвистика»
(профиль 01 «Теория и методика преподавания иностранных языков и
культур», профиль 02 «Перевод и переводоведение», профиль 03 «Теория и
практика межкультурной коммуникации»)
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Методическая записка
Настоящее учебно-методическое пособие является продолжением

пособия «How to Discuss a Story» и предназначается для взаимосвязанного
развития умений аудирования и говорения у студентов первого курса
английского отделения с целью подготовки их к экзамену за первый
семестр (аспекты аудирование и говорение).
Создание данного пособия обусловлено необходимостью обновить
предназначенные для прослушивания и обсуждения рассказы в связи с
неудовлетворительным качеством звукозаписи имеющихся.
Пособие состоит из основной части и трёх приложений. Основная
часть состоит из 13 разделов, представляющих собой задания к рассказам,
начитанным носителями языка.
Каждый из разделов имеет следующую структуру:
а) задания, предшествующие прослушиванию рассказа;
б) задания, выполняемые после прослушивания текста.
Задания, предшествующие прослушиванию рассказа, вводят
студентов в тематику текста, снимают некоторые лексические трудности
(например, имена собственные), активизируют фоновые знания, а также
совершенствуют умение работать со справочной литературой. Кроме того,
студентам предстоит выяснить значение отдельных ключевых слов и
выражений.
Затем студенты прослушивают рассказ несколько раз, причём каждый
раз с новым заданием. Так, после первого прослушивания с помощью
вопросов по содержанию текста выявляется его общее содержание. После
второго и третьего прослушиваний студенты выполняют задания типа теста
двоичного и множественного выбора и другие задания, направленные на
выяснение мелких подробностей, что позволяет перейти к следующему
этапу работы – детальному пересказу.
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Задания типа Talking Points направлены на развитие у студентов
умения определить тему и основную идею рассказа, оценить содержание с
точки зрения его нравственной и социальной значимости и увязать его с
личным опытом. В задании представлены проблемные вопросы,
стимулирующие говорение, развивающие у студентов творческий подход к
интерпретации текста.
Затем студентам предлагаются задания, позволяющие суммировать
обсуждение рассказа в парах, для чего используется материал,
представленный в трёх приложениях.
В Приложении 1 приводится примерный план обсуждения рассказа.
Приложение 2 предлагает слова и словосочетания, необходимые для
анализа любого художественного произведения.
В Приложении 3 представлен рассказ и его примерное обсуждение,
что послужит моделью-образцом и облегчит студентам работу над
рассказами.
Для данного пособия были отобраны рассказы классиков и
современных английских и американских писателей. Все рассказы
относятся к уровню Intermediate и Upper-intermediate, что соответствует
требованию к языковой подготовке студентов первого курса.
Структура пособия единообразна и даёт возможность работать над
ним в любом удобном для преподавателя и студентов порядке.
Рассказы располагаются в порядке нарастания сложности, что
позволит преподавателю выбрать текст в зависимости от подготовленности
аудитории.
Задания можно выполнять полностью или частично, пособие можно
использовать как для аудиторных занятий, так и для самостоятельной
работы.
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Каждый раздел пособия содержит также дополнительные задания,
которые могут использоваться для индивидуальных занятий студентами,
чей уровень сформированности навыков аудирования, интонирования и
транскрибирования текста несколько отстаёт от требуемого.
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A Pair Of Silk Stockings
I. Before Listening Tasks
Read carefully the following words and expressions. Make sure you know
what they mean. Use a dictionary if necessary.
counter oyster
costly agreeable
to work wonders cable car
II. After Listening Tasks. Comprehension check.
A. General Comprehension
Listen to the story once to answer the following questions:
1. How much money did Mrs Sommers come into?
2. Was Mrs Sommers used to spending substantial sums of money?
3. Was Mrs Sommers an economical shopper?
4. What did Mrs Sommers plan to buy first?
5. What was the reason for Mrs Sommers’ behaviour that changed her
shopping plans?
6. What colour stockings did Mrs Sommers choose?
7. What did Mrs Sommers do after buying the stockings?
8. What thing(s) did Mrs Sommers buy in the shop?
9. What reaction did Mrs Sommers cause in the restaurant?
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10. How did Mrs Sommers feel in the theatre?
11. What did Mrs Sommers wish most on her way home?
B. Detailed Comprehension
Listen to the story another time and say if these statements are true or false:
1. Mrs Sommers spent the money as soon as she got it.
2. Mrs Sommers knew what she would spend her money on in the very
beginning.
3. The vision of her children looking fresh and tidy did not excite her
much as it was a usual thing for their family.
4. Sometimes Mrs Sommers liked to recollect her past.
5. There was no stopping Mrs Sommers when she saw a good bargain.
6. Mrs Sommers was very fastidious choosing shoes for her children.
7. Mrs Sommers didn’t want to spend much on the shoes.
8. Mrs Sommers usually had lunch in a café.
9. Mrs Sommers didn’t tip the waiter as the meal was very expensive.
C. Explain the words and expressions given in part I and reproduce the
situations in which they were used.
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III. Speaking
a) Retell the story as close to the text as you can.
b) Talking points:
1. Are you a compulsive shopper? Do you know people whose hobby

is shopping? How do you feel about spending your free time going shopping?
2. Do you think it was usual of Mrs Sommers to spend money on

herself?
3. Why do you think Mrs Sommers “knew the value of bargains”, do

you think she was greedy?
4. Do you think she looked like a usual shopper that day?
5. Do you think such a relief as of Mrs Sommers’ could last long? Will
she regret her indulgence?
6. What would you splash out on if you had a considerable sum of

money to spend?
c) Choose one of the talking points and sum up the discussion in pairs
(see Appendix 1-4, part I)
IV. Improve your listening skills.
Listen to the following passage from the story and fill in the blanks.
She seated herself at a 1)_____ table. A waiter came 2)_____ to take her
order. She ordered 3)_____ oysters, a 4)_____, something 5)_____, a glass of
6)_____ and a cup of 7)_____. While waiting to be served she removed her
8)_____ very slowly and set them beside her. Then she picked up her 9)_____
and 10)_____ it.
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The tell-tale heart
what they mean. Use a dictionary if necessary.
to give an insult well up
vulture a crack in the lantern
make up one’s mind stone dead
undo a lantern with a light heart
many a night villain
1. Had the old man ever shown any scorn or disrespect for the story-
teller?
2. How did the story-teller feel about one particular eye of the old
man’s?
3. For how long had the story teller been creeping into the old man’s
room?
4. What did the story teller want to destroy?
5. What happened on the last night that eventually resulted in the

murder?
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6. What was the sound so familiar to the story-teller that he heard after
a while in the old man’s room?
7. Why did the story-teller decide to open his lantern a bit?
8. What frightened the story-teller so much first?
9. Why did the police come?
10. Where did the story-teller hide the victim’s body?
11. Did the story-teller arouse any suspicion in the police officers?
12. What went wrong when the police came?
Listen to the story another time and choose the right variant:
1. The story-teller decided to kill the old man
a) just as he noticed him having a strange eye.
b) when he entered the old man’s house.
c) after realizing what effect the old man’s eye had on him.
2. Why did the story-teller keep peeping into the old man’s room?
a) He liked to see the old man sleep.
b) The old man’s Evil Eye was always closed.
c) He didn’t have courage to do away with the man.
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3. What led to the story-teller’s immediate action?
a) He heard the police coming.
b) He heard the neighbours’ scream.
c) He thought the neighbours would hear the old man’s heart beat.
4. What time did the police come?
a) At nine in the morning.
b) At four in the morning.
c) At five in the morning.
5. How did the story-teller try to stop the strange noise?
a) He closed the window.
b) He tried to talk louder.
c) He and the police officers moved to the old man’s room.
6. What made the story-teller confess his crime?
a) The police heard the old man’s heart beating.
b) They found the body under the floor.
c) The story-teller was paranoid and thought that the police had already
solved the crime and were mocking at him, so he could not bear it any longer.
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7. Which of the story-teller’s senses was sharpened by the decease
most?
a) The sense of hearing
b) The sense of sight
c) The sixth sense
III. Speaking
b) Talking points:
1. Do you think it is a usual detective story? What makes it different?
2. Why do you think the author chose such a title for the story? How
can you interpret it?
3. Despite the story-teller’s attempts to prove his sanity, what illustrates

his madness?
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When I had made an end of these labours, it was 1)_____ o’clock in the
morning. As a clock sounded 2)_____, there came a noise at the 3)_____ door. I
went down to open it with a light heart – for what had I to fear? There entered
4)_____ men, who said they were 5)_____. A cry had been heard by 6)_____
during the night; suspicion of a 7)_____ had been aroused; information had been
given at the police office, and the officers had been sent to 8)_____ the building.
Angelina’s Dress
Read carefully the following proper names, words and expressions. Make
sure you know what they mean. Use a dictionary if necessary.
Proper names:
Henry and Susan Wilson
The Avalon Girls’ Service Club
Margo
Giulio Someone of Rome
Forbes Department Store
Louis
Mrs Harding
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Words and expressions:
gravy
hair pulled back into а single braid
brightly lit
layaway
deposit
floated out of the store
to sew
neckline
1. What did the Wilsons have for dinner? Why?
2. What request did Angelina plan to make at dinner? Why did she
choose this time?
3. What was the Christmas Festival?
4. Who belonged to Avalon Girls’ Service Club?
5. What did members of the Girls’ Club do?
6. What dress did Angelina have for the Christmas Festival?
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7. What does ‘layaway’ mean?
8. What did Angelina’s layaway plan involve? How was she going to
pay for the dress?
9. Did Angelina manage to secure any job?
10. Did Angelina collect enough money for the dress?
11. What did Angelina decide on her Christmas outfit in the end?
B. Detailed Comprehension.
Listen to the story another time and decide if the following statements are
true or false:
1. Angelina’s father was unemployed.
2. Angelina had a sister.
3. Mrs Harding was Margo’s mother.
4. Angelina was good at sewing.
5. Angelina had some money.
6. After paying the deposit, Angelina had 10 days to find the rest of the
money.
7. Angelina earned $20 baby-sitting.
8. The shop went out of business before Angelina could pay for the
dress.
9. In the end, Angelina bought a cheaper dress.
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10. Angelina gave all her money to charity.
Choose the correct answer:
1. How old was Angelina?
a) 9
b) 10
c) 11
2. Angelina’s hair was
a) blond
b) brown
c) ginger
3. Angelina’s father’s name was
a) Louis
b) Henry
c) Doug
4. The dress Angelina wanted to buy was
a) blue
b) grey
c) red
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C. Explain the words and expressions given in part I and reproduce the situations
in which they were used.
III. Speaking
b) Talking points:
1. Why didn’t Angelina tell her parents about her layaway plan?
2. Why did Mrs Harding want to help Angelina?
3. Why didn’t Angelina accept Mrs Harding’s help?
4. Do you know any other Christmas stories? Tell the class.
Listen to the following passage from the story and fill in the blanks:
Angelina felt like 1)__________. She could get the dress on

2)__________. Angelina was so 3)__________ that she told Mrs Harding about
the Avalon Service Club’s work and its 4)__________. Mrs Harding wished her
5)__________. She sounded as if she 6)__________. Angelina almost floated out
of the store. As she left, she saw a 7)__________ in one window that she
8)__________. She supposed it said something about the wonderful
9)__________.
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The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Proper names:
New York Katrina Van Tassel
Tarry Town Brom Van Brunt
Ichabod Crane Daredevil
valley
burial place
in the open
like a giant monster
knocked him off his horse
A. General Comprehension.
1. Where is Sleepy Hollow?
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2. How did the headless horseman lose his head?
3. Why was Ichabod Crane a good name for the man?
4. What was Ichabod’s job?
5. Why did Ichabod Crane fall for Katrina?
6. What excuse did Ichabod use to see Katrina frequently?
7. What made it difficult for Ichabod to fulfil his goal of marrying

Katrina?
8. Who lent Ichabod a horse?
9. What was Ichabod’s mood when he left Katrina’s house that night?
10.Who was most likely responsible for Ichabod’s encounter with the
headless horseman?
Listen to the story another time and choose the correct answer:
1. What are most of Sleepy Hollow’s inhabitants by descent?
a) British
b) German
c) Dutch
2. Ichabod was especially
a) violent
b) stout
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c) tall
3. Which of the following was Ichabod Crane least skilled at?
a) horseback riding
b) singing
c) teaching
4. What did the headless horseman do when Ichabod turned around?
a) He disappeared suddenly.
b) He threw his head at Ichabod.
c) He turned into a skeleton.
5. What of Ichabod’s belongings was found after he disappeared?
a) his hat
b) his pants
c) his coat
III. Speaking
b) Talking points:
1. Contrast Ichabod Crane and Brom Van Brunt.
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2. Discuss how Ichabod’s powerful imagination leads to his
downfall.
3. How do you feel about the fact that Brom, not Ichabod, married
Katrina?
1)__________ and 2)__________ men would not have tried. But Ichabod
had a 3)__________. He could not fight 4)__________ in the open. So he did it
5)__________ and 6)__________. He made many visits to Katrina’s farm and
made her think he was helping her to 7)__________.
Time passed, and the town people thought Ichabod was 8)__________.
Brom’s horse was never seen at Katrina’s house on 9)__________ anymore.
The Birth of a Star
I. Before Listening Task
sure you know what they mean.
Henry the Milky Way
Anna nebula
Stella to feel sick and tired
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pushchairs ultrasound scan
nappies
II. After Listening Tasks. Comprehension Check.
1. What is Henry?
2. What does he do every day?
3. What does he enjoy doing most of all?
4. Why is Henry very excited today?
5. What news does his wife have for him?
6. What makes Henry forget about stars, nebulae and clouds?
7. What picture does Henry see when Anna is having an ultrasound

scanning? What does it remind him?
8. Which of the pictures means more to him?
9. What does Anna start to feel in November?
10. How does Anna’s state change in January?
11. Why is it impossible for Henry to see the birth of a star from its
beginning to its appearance?
12. What star enters his life?
13. What name does Henry choose for his little daughter?
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Listen to the story another time and state whether these statements are true
or false (T/F). Give explanations where necessary:
1. Henry is an astronomer, which means that he only looks through the

telescope at the sky.
2. Henry is very excited because he has seen the birth of the new star.
3. Henry is very happy that he’s going to be a father.
4. Ann starts to put on weight and looks like a whale, which Henry
doesn’t like.
5. Henry thinks that by next Christmas there will be three people in

their family.
6. Henry doesn’t care about seeing a new star any more because he
can’t live long enough to see its birth from its beginning to its appearance.
7. Anna hasn’t chosen the name for their baby.
III. Speaking
b) Talking points:
1. Do you think Henry is fond of his job? What makes him so excited
about it?
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Why does the problem seem so serious and important to him?
Why does he arrive home feeling tired?
2. What news, do you think, his wife told him?
Why does it make him forget about his work?
What does he keep thinking of now?
3. Why do Anna and Henry go to the doctor together?
Does Henry find anything in common between distant images of planets

and the image he is looking at now?
Why does it mean to him much more than distant stars?
4. What stages does Anna go through? How are her looks and feelings
changing? Why does Henry call her ten times a day on her mobile phone?
5. What does the author mean saying that a new star entered Henry’s
life? Why does Henry choose the name Stella for his little daughter? What does it
mean? How can you explain the title of the story “The Birth of a Star”? Does the
author mean the new star in the sky or the little girl, or, perhaps, both?
(see Append. 1-3)
IV. Improve your listening /pronunciation skills. Listen to the following

passage from the story, fill in the blanks, intone and transcribe the passage:
It can take as long as 1)__________ million years for a star to

2)__________, but Henry doesn’t 3)__________ about 4)__________ his star
any more. He knows that although he may be the 5)__________ person to see a
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new star, it is 6)__________ for him to see the birth of the star from its
7)__________ to its 8)__________. But he doesn’t care, because a
9)__________ star has just 10)__________ his life.
Coming Back Up
what they mean:
bungee jumping elastic rope
scribbled exhilarated
you get your way damage to internal organs
to give in to get tangled in the rope
gatecrashing to dislocate an arm
a dry ditch a bike without brakes
A. Listen to the story once to answer the following questions:
1. What people, do you think, are driving along the road to nowhere?
2. What sign attracts their attention?
3. What does the girl insist on?
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4. Is the boy willing to go?
5. How do they get to the bungee jumping place?
6. What kind of place is it? Is it safe, with all the necessary equipment?
7. What kind of people do they meet?
8. Why are they all shouting and laughing?
9. How is the boy who has done bungee jumping feeling?
10. What arguments does the boy have against bungee jumping?
11. Who is more adventurous – the boy or the girl?
12. What does the boy think about himself? Does he want to try bungee
jumping?
13. Who does the jumping and how does it feel?
14. What is the most exciting, thrilling and wonderful thing of all for the
day?
B. Listen to the story another time and choose the right variant; give
reasons where necessary:
1. When the young people see the sign “Bungee jumping, 5 km” they
are driving along the road
a) in a town.
b) in the mountains.
c) in some unknown place.
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2. The girl wants to go to that place because she wants
a) to see what’s going on.
b) to do the bungee jumping.
c) her friend to jump.
3. In the middle of the wood they see a group of
a) 20 people.
b) 15 people.
c) 16 people.
4. The boy
a) says that bungee jumping is dangerous.
b) is going to say that bungee jumping is dangerous.
c) wants to, but doesn’t say that bungee jumping is dangerous.
5. The boy does the bungee jumping and thinks that it’s
a) useless.
b) dangerous but thrilling.
c) dangerous.
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C. Explain the words and expressions in part I and reproduce the
III. Speaking.
b) Talking points:
1. What, do you think, are the relations between the main characters? How
does the writer characterize them?
2. Bungee jumping is a dangerous sport. Why were the young people on

the bridge laughing and enjoying themselves? What attracted the main characters
to that place? Were both of them equally eager to try bungee jumping?
3. It was the girl who wanted to do the bungee jumping, but, actually, the
boy did. Why, do you think, he jumped? Did he want to prove something to
himself or his girlfriend?
4. The story is told in the first person. Why does the author choose this way
of telling the story? Does he want it to sound more convincing? Does he want to
show how the main characters are changing? What is his message? Is it somehow
connected with the title of the story?
c) Choose one of the talking points and sum up the discussion in pairs (see
Append. 1-3).
IV. Improve your listening/pronunciation skills. Listen to the following

passage from the story; fill in the gaps, intone and transcribe the passage:
28
You know what I want to say:
Danger!!! Danger to internal 1)_____! Safety 2)_____! Damage to your

3)_____! The rope can 4)_____ you! You can get tangled up in the 5)_____! You
can dislocate your 6)_____ or your 7)_____! It’s certain that you will get
8)_____ on your arms! What happens if the rope 9)_____? Who knows who
these people are? Have you any 10)_____ how far 11)_____ from a hospital we
are?
The Comeback
I. Before Listening Task.
sure you know what they mean. What geographical names are presented in the
list?
Fausto Ruiz Sydney
London to slam the door
New York to sing in a triumphant concert
Moscow to boo
Buenos Aires to hiss
Tokyo he stormed off the stage
II. After Listening tasks. Comprehension Check.
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1. Where did Fausto arrive?
2. What impression of the city did he get? Was it the same? Had it
changed?
3. What café did he walk into? Did he remember the place and the
people there?
4. Why did Fausto finally stand up and walk out slamming the door?
What made him angry?
5. What did he remember when he arrived at the main square?
6. How famous was Fausto 20 years ago?
7. What happened when Fausto sang in the theatre of his hometown?
8. How did he feel about it? Why did he storm off the stage and out of
the theatre?
9. What decision did he take?
10. Why did he change his decision 20 years later?
11. What did he see when he walked into the theatre and what did he
feel?
12. What did he feel when he visited the old house in which he used to
live?
13. What pleasant surprise did he have when he reached his house?
14. What was written at the bottom of the statue?
30
a) Listen to the story another time and say whether these statements are
true or false:
1. Fausto Ruiz, a famous singer, was fifty.
2. When he came back to his native town he found it changed beyond

recognition.
3. Twenty years ago Fausto gave a concert in the local theatre which
was a terrible failure.
4. All the people that Ruiz met on his way were strangers, unknown to
him.
5. The people ignored Fausto because they didn’t recognize him.
6. Ruiz was pleasantly surprised when he saw a statue of himself.
b) Explain the words and expressions given in part I and reproduce the
III. Speaking.
b) Talking points:
1. Why did Fausto Ruiz come back to his home town? Did he feel
nostalgic? Did he expect a warm welcome? Was everything new to him? Could
he still find some old buildings and familiar places and people?
2. Why, do you think, twenty years ago Fausto’s concert in the local
theatre was a terrible failure? He was at the height of his fame, was very popular
31
all over the world. Why did the citizens of his native town throw rotten fruit and
vegetables and old shoes at him? Were they jealous of his success and fame?
Were they angry that he hadn’t been in the city for a long time?
3. Why did all the people Fausto met ignore him? Why didn’t they
react when he shouted that he was a famous singer?
4. Why, do you think, the people put up a statue of Fausto Ruiz? Were
they proud of the famous singer?
5. How can you account for the writing on the statue? Was Fausto dead
or alive? Was it his soul that travelled through time and space? Could he be
dreaming? Could it be a nightmare?
(see Addend. 1-3).

passage from the story; fill in the gaps; intone and transcribe the passage:
There was silence as Fausto walked onto the stage. Then he began to
1)__________ one of his 2)__________ known songs. And at the end of the song
there was just 3)__________. Nobody 4)__________, nobody 5)__________,
nobody 6)__________. Fausto waited, very 7)__________ for a moment, then
8)__________ to sing another song. At the end of the song there was
9)__________ for a moment, then the people began to 10)__________ and to
11)__________.
32
A Visitor to the Star
sure you know what they mean. Comment on the geographical names. Where are
the places situated?
Anna Winter
Joseph Adoga
Lagos
Nigeria
the Serengeti
Chinua Achebe
Ben Okri
Wole Soyinka
extra-strength mosquito repellent
front line award-winning journalist
a big international chain of hotels
starving people
famine
fighting for the cause of free speech
33
A. General comprehension.
1. What did Anna Winter think was the greatest problem about her
work?
2. What did Anna worry about when she landed in Lagos airport?
3. What was she going to do in Africa?
4. Where did Joseph Adoga work?
5. What did he usually do?
6. Why did Anna’s agency get in touch with Joseph and how did he
take the news?
7. Where did Joseph go to meet Anna?
8. What was Anna’s impression of the hotel where she was staying?
9. What was the restaurant like where Joseph took her to have a meal?
10. Why wasn’t Anna satisfied with it? What did she expect to see?
11. What was Anna going to write about Nigeria?
12. What did Joseph write about in his paper?
13. What did Joseph offer Anna to write about and why did she refuse?
14. Why didn’t Joseph like Anna’s title “Darkness at Noon”? What did
he think of Nigeria?
15. Why did Joseph recommend Anna to write about some Nigerian
writers and intellectuals?
34
16. Why wasn’t Anna interested?
17. What kind of article did Anna start writing on board the plane?
18. What did Joseph write in his article?
B. Detailed comprehension
Listen to the story another time and choose the right variant; give reasons
where necessary:
1. Anna Winter thought that her job was
a) dangerous.
b) not easy.
c) adventurous.
2. She was going to stay in Nigeria for
a) a week.
b) a day.
c) a month.
3. Joseph worked in the local
a) daily newspaper “The Star”.
b) weekly newspaper “The Star”.
35
c) monthly newspaper “The Star”.
4. a) Dozens of languages are spoken in Africa.
b)Hundreds of languages are spoken in Africa.
c) Thousands of languages are spoken in Africa.
5. The title of Anna’s future article was going to be
a) “Darkness in Africa”.
b) “Darkness at Noon”.
c) “The Dark Continent”.
III. Speaking.
b) Talking points:
1. The author starts his story with the description of Anna Winter and
Joseph Adoga. Compare and contrast the two characters. What brings them into
contact?
36
2. Where did Joseph live? Where was Anna staying? What was wrong
with her hotel? What did she expect from her local colleague?
3. Where did Joseph take Anna for a meal? Why was she disappointed?
What did she expect to see? What was her idea of Africa and Nigeria?
4. What did Joseph try to explain to Anna about his country, about
Africa? Why wasn’t Anna interested? Why didn’t she want to write about a good
restaurant, happy children at school?
5. Why did Joseph always wonder that people always talked about
“darkness” in Africa? What people did he mean – Africans or Europeans? What
darkness did he see in London? Why didn’t Anna want to write about Nigerian
intellectuals and writers?
6. What articles did both journalists write? Were they true to life? Why
couldn’t they understand each other?
C. Choose one of the talking points and sum up the discussion in pairs
(see Append. 1-3).

“I’ve got a good idea,” said Joseph. “Why don’t you write an
1)__________ about 2)__________ life here in Lagos… you know, so many
articles about 3)__________ are just about 4)__________ or 5)__________ or
6)__________... but that’s not the 7)__________ of many of our lives.”
Anna looked 8)__________. Joseph continued.
37
“Why don’t you write about some ordinary 9)__________, a
10)__________ like this 11)__________ children at school…”
The Golden Boys
sure you know what they mean.
Mr Morelli purse
Mr and Mrs Hamilton
Richard
Philip
Mrs Moffat
deckchair
swimming races
to have a barbecue
a gold necklace
watermelon
a very safe friendly beach
38
A. General comprehension.
1. Where did the boy and his family go on holiday?
2. Why did the boy feel bored?
3. What did they usually have for lunch?
4. What did the family usually do on the beach?
5. What can you say about the Hamiltons and their children?
6. Why did the boy hate Richard and Philip?
7. What did the boy’s parents think of these two boys?
8. What party did Richard and Philip organize one day?
9. Who did they invite?
10. Did the boy come too?
11. Did all the people enjoy themselves?
12. What happened after the barbecue when Mrs Moffat woke up?
13. Where was her bag found?
14. What did Mrs Moffat discover when she got her bag back?
15. Who did she accuse of stealing the money?
16. What happened when the police arrived?
17. Who took Mrs Moffat’s purse and why?
39
18. Why didn’t the boy’s parents go to that place on holiday any more?
19. Why did they never talk about Richard and Philip?
Listen to the story another time and say if these statements are true or false;
give reasons where necessary:
1. When they were on holiday the boy’s parents always went for a swim,
but he preferred to read books.
2. There was a small café on the beach where they always had lunch.
3. Philip was two years older than Richard.
4. Richard and Philip were popular, people liked them.
5. Mrs Moffat preferred to go on holiday without her family.
6. The boy came to the barbecue party, ate a couple of hamburgers but
didn’t talk to anybody.
7. Mrs Moffat was sure that Richard and Philip had stolen her purse.
8. Richard and Philip couldn’t answer the police officer’s questions

because they knew nothing about Mrs Moffat’s bag and money.
40
III. Speaking.
b) Talking points:
1. Why did the boy feel bored when every August the family went on
holiday? Did the writer use a lot of repetitions to stress this feeling? Why didn’t
the boy enjoy his holiday?
2. Why did the boy hate the Hamilton children? Did he feel jealous? Did he
want to be as tall, handsome and friendly as those golden boys? Why did his
parents want him to be like Richard and Philip? Did it help the boy to become
friendlier and more communicative? Did it influence his attitude to Richard and
Philip? Why?
3. Why did the boy leave the barbecue party after a while? Why did he
make sure nobody saw him leave? What plan did he have? Why didn’t he hesitate
to carry it out? Did his plan work?
4. Do you think the police found out that Richard and Philip hadn’t taken
the bag and the money? Did Mrs Moffat find her purse? Did Mr and Mrs
Hamilton believe that their children weren’t thieves? Did all of them understand
that somebody had played a dirty trick on the boys?
5. Why didn’t the boy’s parents talk about Richard and Philip any more?
Do you think they understood that such words had done a lot of harm to their
son? Why didn’t they go to the same place again?
6. How can you account for the title of the story? What is the message of
the story? Does it touch upon the problems of upbringing parents have to face?
41
(see Append. 1-3).

I was 1)_____ years old the last summer we went there. Perfect Richard
and perfect Philip 2)_____ to the beach one day and 3)_____ that they were
going to have a 4)_____ at 5)_____ time. They were going to 6)_____ for
everyone! “Forget your 7)_____ sandwiches,” they 8)_____, “come and have
some 9)_____ or barbecue 10)_____ with us! We’re 11)_____ to cook!”
The Man with the Scar
Proper names:
The Palace Hotel
Guatemala City
Nicaragua
42
… caused by a sabre or by a fragment of shell
his face went oddly with his large and fat body
an exile
a ruffian
rebel (verb, noun), rebellion, rebellious troops
if his ammunition hadn’t given out
tried him by court-martial
was sentenced
playing poker
execution
courtyard
firing squad
the condemned men
as though they were puppets in a toy theatre
gave a gasp of surprise
soul of my heart
stabbed her in the neck
high-flown language
43
1. Why did the author notice the man?
2. Describe the man’s appearance.
3. Where could one see the man? What did he usually do?
4. Who told the author the story of the man?
5. How did he characterize the man with the scar?
6. Where was the man from and why was he tried by court-martial?
7. What was the sentence?
8. How did he spend the night before the execution?
9. How was the execution carried out? Why was there a pause?
10. What was the man’s last wish? Was it fulfilled?
11. What did his wife look like?
12. What happened when the man and his wife met?
13. Why couldn’t the general execute the man?
14. What did he order his soldiers to do?
15. Where did the man get the scar?
44
1. The man with the scar was tall and well-built.
2. The man was a ruffian and a bandit, that’s why he was tried by
court-martial.
3. The man was sentenced to death.
4. The man spent the night in prison playing cards.
5. The firing squad shot 5 rebels.
6. The man’s wife was very young and beautiful.
7. The man kissed his wife and shot her in the neck.
8. The general ordered his two soldiers to take the man to another
country.
III. Speaking
b) Talking points:
1. Do you agree that appearances reflect people’s personalities? How

does the appearance of the man with the scar reflect his personality?
45
2. How did the man spend the night before the execution? Was he
afraid to die? How can you characterize his behavior?
3. Why did the man with the scar kill his wife? The general thought it
was a noble gesture. Do you agree? What sort of love was it?
4. Why, do you think, the story is called “The Man with the Scar”?
She was in black, with a 1)__________ over her hair, and her face was
2)__________ white. She was 3)__________ more than a girl, a 4)__________
creature with little 5)__________ features and 6)__________ eyes. Her
7)__________ was such that as she ran, her mouth 8)__________ open and the
agony on her beautiful face, even the 9)__________ soldiers ho looked at her
gave a gasp of 10)__________.
The Luncheon
Proper names:
46
Paris
the Latin Quarter
Foyot’s
the Balkans
to beckon
to keep body and soul together
far beyond my means
salmon
caviar
I never overload my stomach
wonderful for digestion
just a bite
giant asparagus
to find myself 10 francs short
peaches
were not in season
enough for a quite inadequate tip
to have a revenge
47
she weighs 21 stone (133.3 kg)
stone=6.33 kg
II. After Listening Tasks.
A. General Comprehension.
1. Where did the author catch sight of the woman? Did he recognize
her at once?
2. Why did he remember their first meeting?
3. Where did he live in those days and how much did he earn?
4. Why did he agree to meet her at Foyot’s?
5. What did the lady look like? What did the author pay attention to?
6. Why was he startled when the menu was brought?
7. What was she constantly repeating throughout the luncheon?
8. What food did the lady order? What did the author order for himself
and why?
9. Why did he refuse to have some wine and asparagus?
10. What was he going to do if there wasn’t enough money to pay the
bill?
11. What happened when they were waiting for the coffee?
12. Could he pay the bill? Why was he sure the lady thought him mean?
13. What kind of revenge did he have at last?
48
Listen to the story another time and choose the right variant. Give reasons
where necessary:
1. They met
a) at the cinema
b) at the theatre
c) at the restaurant
2. The young man had
a) 18 francs to live on
b) 80 francs to live on
c) 800 francs to live on
3. He was sure that a modest luncheon would cost
a) 15 francs
b) 50 francs
c) 150 francs
4. The young author was prepared to be an attentive listener because
a) he was fond of literature.
b) he didn’t like to talk much.
c) the lady was inclined to speak about him and his book.
5. The man’s mouth watered when he saw asparagus in the shops

because
49
a) they were horribly expensive.
b) he felt sick at the sight of them.
c) he really loved them.
6. After they had ordered asparagus the man was afraid that
a) he would find himself 10 francs short.
b) he had only 10 francs left.
c) he wouldn’t have enough money to pay the bill.
7. When after the luncheon the young author said he would eat nothing
for dinner that evening he
a) was joking.
b) had no money to buy his dinner.
c) decided to follow the lady’s advice.
III. Speaking
b) Talking points:
1. Why do you think the lady wrote to the author? Do you think many
people send letters to writers?
50
2. Why did the lady ask the young writer to give her a luncheon at
Foyot’s? Why did she order the most expensive things? Did she understand that
the man might be short of money?
3. Why did she keep saying that she never ate much for luncheon? Was
it a trick? Why was she sure the man would pay for anything she ordered?
4. Which words does the author use to describe the lady’s teeth? Why
does he pay special attention to this detail when he describes the woman’s
appearance? What colouring does it give to the story?
5. Why does the author describe the lady’s taking a peach as “a terrible
thing”?
6. What advice did the lady give to the young author? Was he going to
follow it?
7. The author says he has had his revenge. What revenge does he
mean?
V. Improve your listening skills.
Then a terrible thing 1)__________. While we were waiting for the

2)__________, the head 3)__________, with a smile on his 4)__________ face,
came up to us 5)__________ a large basket full of 6)__________ peaches.
Peaches were not in 7)__________ then. Lord knew what they 8)__________. I
51
knew too – a little later for my 9)__________, going on with her 10)__________,
absent-mindedly took one.
A Friend in Need
Proper names:
Edward Hyde Burton
Kobe, Japan
Yokohama
British club
Grand Hotel
Lenny Burton
the creek of Tarumi
Shioya club
to draw conclusions
kindliness
52
small and frail
a remittance man
to have an instinct about cards
he went broke
a namesake
pawned everything he had
he was down and out
to commit suicide
he was all to pieces
beacon
on account of the currents
he was taken aback
in vain
to be drowned
1. What does the author think about the way we judge people we meet?
2. What news did he read in the newspaper?
53
3. Why did Mr Burton interest the author?
4. How did they meet and how did they spend the time?
5. What did Mr Burton look like? What attracted the author in that
man?
6. When and where did Mr Burton tell the author the story of his
namesake?
7. What kind of man was young Burton?
8. What brought him to Mr Burton one day?
9. What idea did Mr Burton suddenly have when the young man said
he had swum for his university?
10. Why was the young man taken aback?
11. What was the author’s reaction to the story?
12. How did Mr Burton explain why he had offered his namesake to
swim round the beacon?
1. The author is sure that the first impression of a person is always

right.
2. The author met Mr Burton at the British club in London.
3. Lenny Burton was a remittance man like Mr Turner.
4. Young Burton got his money from home every three months.
54
5. Mr Burton promised his namesake to give him a job in his office if
he swam to the beacon.
6. Young Burton got drowned because the sea was stormy.
III. Speaking
b) Talking points:
1. What was the author’s first impression of Mr Burton? Could he

imagine that such a person who “wouldn’t hurt a fly” was capable of sending a
person to death? Do you think the author would believe the story if he hadn’t
heard it from his own lips? Do you agree that the first impressions of a person are
always right?
2. Why did Mr Burton promise his namesake a job if the young man
swam around the beacon? Did he remember that there was no vacancy in his
office? Did he know that the young man would be drowned? Why did Mr Burton
come to the creek?
3. Why did Lenny Burton agree to swim round the beacon? Did he
know anything about the currents? Was he in a good physical form? Did he
understand he could get drowned? Did he want to commit suicide?
55
4. Why did Mr Burton tell the author this story? Why did he call it
rather funny? Why did Mr Burton give a little mild chuckle when the author
asked him if he knew of the young man’s possible death?
5. How can you comment on the title of the story?
I think the chief thing that 1)__________ me most about Burton was his
2)__________. There was something very 3)__________ in his mild blue eyes.
His voice was 4)__________; you could not imagine he could raise it in
5)__________; his smile was kind. Here was a man who 6)__________ you
because you felt in him a real 7)__________ for his fellows. He had charm. But
there was nothing 8)__________ about him: he liked his game of 9)___________
and his cocktail, he could tell a good and 10)__________ story, and in his youth
he had been something of an 11)__________.
56
The Boar-Pig
Proper names:
Mrs Philidore Stossen
Mrs Cuvering
Matilda Cuvering
Tarquin Superbus
Claude
“Belinda, the little breadwinner”
Henri Quatre
Children’s Fresh Air Fund
grass paddock
shrubbery
emerge from there
mingle with the guests
everyone of any consequence in the country
57
get in by a roundabout way
to cut across the grass
suitably arrayed for a country garden party
infusion of Almanack de Gotha
ensuing gooseberry garden
state barge
rural trout stream
furtive haste mingled with the stateliness of their advance
search-lights
exalted position
medlar tree
…had foreseen exactly where it would break down in execution
jolly well
clambered back again
exchanged the narrow limits of his sty for the wider range of the grass
paddock
discomfited
in recriminatory but otherwise orderly retreat from the unyielding obstacle
came to a halt
villainous-looking
58
intruder
…champing his jaws
disconcerting
to become aware of sth
she would have been anything but pleased
she hailed the fact of the child’s presence
to be under a cloud
a bucketful of raspberry trifle
forcible feeding
in moments of flurry
ferocious beast
… with cold dignity
… with growing exasperation
to fetch s.o.
half a crown
receptacle which formed a detached outwork of her toilet
offering
to net sth
quite two pounds ahead of me
with much probing and plucking and many regretful murmurs
59
beleaguered
seven- and-sixpence
shilling
under their breath
took possession of the donation
over-ripe
squashy
by dint of throwing the fruit in front of him
at judicious intervals
to decoy
delivered captives
minx
savage
unwarrantably
1. Why was it so important for Mrs Stossen to be at the garden party?
2. How were Mrs Stossen and her daughter going to get to the party?
60
3. Who was watching Mrs Stossen and her daughter making their way
through the grass paddock?
4. Who was Matilda? Was she French? Why did she speak French?
5. What surprise was in store for Mrs Stossen and her daughter at the
gate dividing the paddock from the gooseberry garden?
6. Who was Claude? What kind of child was he?
7. Why wasn’t Matilda allowed to go to the party?
8. What purpose were Matilda and Claude collecting money for?
9. What advantages did Claude have on the collecting job?
10. How did Matilda rescue the ladies from the boar-pig?
Listen to the story another time and say if the following statements are
true or false:
1. Mrs Stossen and her daughter were not invited to Mrs Cuvering’s
garden party.
2. Mrs Cuvering wasn’t on speaking terms with Mrs Stossen.
3. Mrs Stossen and her daughter couldn’t come to the party because
they had nothing suitable to wear to it.
4. While Mrs Stossen and her daughter were crossing the paddock they
came across a wild boar-pig.
5. Matilda Cuvering was a teenager.
61
6. Claude was younger than Matilda.
7. That day Matilda was told to look after Claude.
8. Claude was a difficult child. It was impossible to make him go to

sleep after lunch.
9. Matilda thinks Russians are stingy of money.
10. In the end, Mrs Stossen and her daughter persuaded Matilda to fetch
somebody to take the boar-pig away.
III. Speaking
b) Talking points:
1. Why do you think the author uses such words as hostile, expedition,
intruders, retreat, beleaguered speaking about Mrs Stossen and her daughter?
What effect is achieved by the use of these words?
2. What is your opinion of Matilda? Do you think it was mean of her to

blackmail the ladies? Why did she do it?
3. What can be inferred from the story about morals and manners of the
society which Mrs Stossen and her daughter belonged to?
62
“To a garden party, yes; to the garden party of the 1)__________, certainly
not. Every one of any consequence in the county, with the exception of
2)__________, has been asked to meet 3)__________, and it would be far more
4)__________ to invent explanations as to why we weren't there than to get in by
a roundabout way. I stopped Mrs. Cuvering in the road 5)__________ and talked
very pointedly about 6)___________. If she didn't choose to 7)__________ and
send me an 8)__________ it's not my fault, is it? Here we are: we just
9)__________ the grass and through that little 10)__________ into the garden.”
63
Appendix 1
A PLAN OF DISCUSSING A STORY
I. Identify the main elements of the story:
a) historical and social background setting (when and where the scene is
laid);
b) the plot: introduction; the main body; climax; conclusion; moral;
c) the main characters;
d) the theme of the subject matter of the story; major and minor themes
(what does the story deal with?).
II. What do you think of the author’s style? What means does the author
use to depict the main characters, to describe the setting, to create the atmosphere
of the story? (narration, description, stylistic devices).
III. Assessing the story, sharing impressions:
a) How would you define the genre of the story?
b) What do you think the title means? How does it relate to the theme of
the story?
c) Through whose eyes is the story told? Can you feel the author’s
position, his affection toward the characters? Do you share the author’s point of
view?
d) What is the message of the story? What conclusions about life and
people does the story head to?
e) How much does the story help readers to understand human nature and
psychology of people, the nature of conflicts they face?
64
Appendix 2
USEFUL VOCABULARY
Identifying the main elements of the story:
the story (scene) is set in …
the scene is laid in …(e.g. the story is set in London in the late 19th
century)
the action takes place
the opening paragraph
the story opens with a description of … (a blue sky)
at the opening / at the end of the story
as the plot progresses / goes on …
as the story unfolds …
main characters, central characters
minor characters
to portray the characters truthfully / convincingly
to give a truthful, lifelike, etc. representation of a character
the narrator of the story
first-person narration
the story is narrated in the first person
the main character learns this lesson at the end of the story
65
situation in which characters find themselves
the state of mind of the character
the attitude toward the narrator changes as the story progresses
Analysing the author’s style
to pay particular attention to the connection between the style and the
major theme
How does the ending relate to the title of the story?
the story has a richly humorous and ironic tone
the ironic contrast between the characters’ actions and thoughts
the warm humour of the piece
the adjectives create the atmosphere …
to discover the inner meaning of the characters’ thoughts and actions
the action moves at a leisure pace
the dialogue is kept to a minimum
Assessing the story
humorous / detective / horror / love story
psychological story
the story is chiefly concerned with / chiefly deals with
66
to hold the reader’s attention
to keep the reader interested
it’s a very enjoyable story
the story deals with important / eternal problems
the author is trying to convey his thoughts about life
the main point the author is trying to make is …
the main idea he/she is trying to express
to carry a deep social / psychological message
the story is told through the eyes of …
to feel optimistic / pessimistic at the end of the story
to increase the humour of the situation
to grasp the full significance
the author feels sorry for / sympathises with the characters
the plot focuses on …
the plot has an unexpected twist
the story reaches a dramatic climax
Characters: convincing; predictable; realistic; weak; original.
Plot: boring; involving; dramatic; moving; entertaining; confusing;

exciting; dull; funny.
67
Appendix 3
EXAMPLE STORY
Love Drug
(after O’Henry)
Jim, a poor young man, was a boarder at old Riddle’s. Jim and Rosie, old
Riddle’s daughter, loved each other and wanted to get married but Rosie’s father
did not want to hear about it. He hoped to find a rich husband for his daughter.
Jim had a friend who worked at the chemist’s. His name was Pilkins.
Pilkins seemed to be a quiet man unable to do anything wrong. One afternoon
Jim called at the chemist’s. He looked excited, his face was red. He said to
Pilkins, ”Old Riddle has been angry with me lately though I don’t know why.
Probably he learned that Rosie and I loved each other. This week he hasn’t
allowed Rosie to go out with me. He doesn’t want me to live in their house any
longer. So Rosie and I decided to elope and get married this night. I’ll be the
happiest man if Rosie doesn’t change her mind. One day she says she’ll do it, the
same evening she says she won’t. She lacks courage. I’m at a loss what to do.”
Pilkins was attentively listening to every word Jim said. “So we’re going to
elope this night,” Jim went on; “but I’m afraid Rosie will change her mind again.
You can help me, Pilkins.” “What do you mean?” Pilkins asked him. “I say,
Pilkins, is there a medicine that’ll help Rosie keep her courage and love me
more? I could give it to her at supper tonight. Then she wouldn’t change her mind
and we’d get married. Can you give me such medicine?” asked Jim.
Pilkins was shocked to hear the news. He turned white but Jim took no
notice of it. He had no idea that Pilkins was secretly in love with Rosie. Without
68
saying a word Pilkins went out into another room and took a powder of morphia.
“Rosie will sleep for hours if she takes the powder,” he thought to himself.
“Here’s the medicine you asked me for,” he said giving the powder to Jim.
“Put it in Rosie’s tea.”
Pilkins hoped to set up a chemist’s shop of his own and marry Rosie one
day. When Jim left he hurried to Mr. Riddle’s house.
“Thank you very much,” said Mr. Riddle angrily. “So he thinks I’m an old
fool. Well, I’ll ruin their plan. As soon as he comes near Rosie’s room he’ll find
his death there.”
All that night Pilkins waited for the news but no news came. At nine in the
morning he ran out and walked towards Mr. Riddle’s house. The first man he saw
in the street was Jim with a happy smile on his face.
“Why, what are you doing here?” said Pilkins. “You can congratulate me,
Rosie and I got married last night,” Jim said.
“Congratulations! But… but what about the medicine – “ “Oh, the

medicine you gave me?” interrupted him Jim. “Well, at supper last night I looked
at Rosie and said to myself, “Rosie loves you dearly. You shouldn’t give her the
medicine.” Then I looked at her father. “If you marry Rosie you’ll be connected
with her family. It would be good if he loved you,” I thought. And I put the
medicine in Mr. Riddle’s cup of tea. “Thank you for the medicine,” said Jim and
hurried away.
69
EXAMPLE DISCUSSION
Student 1: The story “Love Drug” written by O’Henry is both educative

and entertaining. I think it is typical of his stories as well as some other features,
the background setting, for example. In my opinion, the action takes place in
America at the beginning of the 20th century. What do you think?
Student 2: I agree with you, in America boarding houses were popular

then. The setting is typical of O’Henry’s stories where main characters are often
boarders and they are poor. At the opening of the story we meet Jim, the main
character of the story and one of such typical O’Henry’s characters. What is your
opinion of Jim?
Student 1: Well, like all romantic characters, Jim is poor and very much in
love, he is eager to marry Rosie, the daughter of the owner of the boarding house
known as Old Riddle, but he is not sure if she loves him much enough and if she
is ready to elope with him and marry secretly, because Rosie’s father is naturally
against their marriage. But don’t forget that at the opening of the story we also
meet another character, Pilkins!
Student 2: Oh, yes, he is a really important character! He is the one who

makes the plot so dramatic and exciting! Pilkins is Jim’s friend who works at the
chemist’s. He is a quiet man who is unable to do anything wrong, or so it seems.
But still waters run deep.
Student 1: Right you are. As the story unfolds, we learn that Pilkins turns
out to be secretly in love with Rosie; what’s more, he is hoping the marriage to
her will bring him the money to set up his own chemist’! Isn’t his plan selfish and
even cruel?
Student 2: I think it really is. As the plot progresses, we learn that Jim asks
him for help: he wants a drug to make Rosie love him. Pilkins gives Jim some
70
powder of morphia and hurries to warn Old Riddle about Jim’s plan. Mr. Riddle
promises that Jim will find his death in the morning. This is when the story
reaches the climax, isn’t it?
Student 1: Indeed, this is a very tense moment! The story ends well,
though. As the morning comes, we learn that Jim is married to Rosie. He put the
powder into Old Riddle’s cup at dinner as he realized Rosie loved him dearly but
her father didn’t, so it would be good if he did! So Mr. Riddle slept when Jim and
Rosie got married. I don’t think I could predict such an original end!
Student 2: Me neither! The story is very dynamic and involving although it

looks so simple. I guess, it looks so simple because of the author’s style. The
action moves at a fast pace and there is no descriptive writing.
Student 1: I absolutely agree with you. The author mostly uses narration to
depict the main characters, to describe the setting, to create the atmosphere of the
story.
Student 2: Absolutely. I would say, the language of the story is rather

plain, there’re practically no stylistic devices, and this is probably a stylistic
device in itself, this simplicity makes the story closer to real life, it shows that
something of the kind could happen to any person. The author doesn’t give
detailed descriptions of the characters of this story, which is not typical of
O’Henry who is known for bright and detailed descriptions that let us judge about
the characters. We mostly judge about the characters of the story by their actions.
By the way, I have noticed that Pilkins is the only person the author gives any
description at all! I wonder why!
Student 1: Well, perhaps this is done to attract the reader’s attention to him
and suggest he is the key figure in the story.
71
Student 2: Yes, perhaps. I also think there is an ironic contrast between his
actions and thoughts and what other people think of him. Perhaps this is the only
ironic element in the story.
Student 1: Oh, no, I can’t agree with you here! I think the “fairy-tale”
happy end is an ironic element too. We all know that in real life things tend to
turn out in a less happy way.
Student 2: That’s true. The story does sound like a kind of fairy-tale,
simple and original. The title “Love Drug” adds to this impression. It suggests
that love can be inspired with a special medicine. However, there’s a well-known
proverb which teaches that love cannot be inspired or influenced, the heart either
loves you or not.
Student 1: Oh, yes, the idea of a love drug sounds quite impossible. Do you
think the author sympathizes with any of the characters?
Student 2: Well, I can’t say for sure. The story is told through the author’s
eyes and he doesn’t show his attitude towards the characters. We follow the plot
and make our own conclusions. Don’t you think so?
Student 1: Oh, I do. I think the story really helps understand human nature
and psychology. To my mind, the characters of this story are just like many
people we meet every day. For example, Jim is young and passionate, silly
because he is hopelessly in love, he is ready to trust anyone he knows. He is
romantic, that’s why he plans to elope with Rosie instead of trying to come to
terms with Rosie’s father. Luckily, his love is wise. He realizes that Rosie loves
him and it is impossible to make her love him more.
Student 2: Good point! I absolutely agree. As for Pilkins, he is a real

businessman, his common sense is stronger than romantic feelings such as
friendship and love. He is selfish, he wants Rosie to be his wife no matter if she
72
loves him or not, and he wants his own business. And as to Rosie’s father, I
understand him, too!
Student 1: Really?
Student 2: Yes, I think Old Riddle is a typical father of a beautiful

daughter. He wants only the best for his girl and no one can blame him if he
doesn’t like Jim, because Jim is poor, Passion will pass, money and a good
position in society is what Rosie will need, he thinks.
Student 1: You may be right. I believe this story teaches us to trust the
people we love and respect them and their feelings. We must be tolerant and
wise. This concerns both Jim, who wanted to make Rosie love him more, and her
father, who wanted her to act as he thought was good for her.
Student 2: That’s right. If there’s a problem, it is always better to talk

things over than ask another person for help, as Jim did when he came to Pilkins.
I hope this story will make us wiser!
73
Appendix 4
EXPLANATION OF LITERARY TERMS
One of the keys to appreciate literature is an awareness of literary devices

writers use to enrich their language and create complexity within a story. In order
to understand the plot (the elements of character, time, place and action in a
story) and the themes (the subject of the story) you should be familiar with such
stylistic devices as metaphor, simile, symbol, etc.
Read the following explanation of some literary terms:
Atmosphere
Atmosphere refers to a dominant feeling in a story. It points to the mental

and moral environment of the story and is different from the setting, which
describes the physical environment in which characters operate. Frequently the
setting helps create the atmosphere.
Setting
The setting of the story refers to the time and place in which the action
unfolds. It can also depict the society and its values. The setting helps us
understand the characters and themes of the story.
Simile
A simile is an explicit comparison that contains the word like and as. E.g.
He woke up … feeling like a bottle of champagne… The simile suggests that the
person’s mood is as bright and lively as the famous drink.
74
Epithet
An epithet is an attributive characterization of a person, thing or

phenomenon. Epithets show purely individual emotional attitude of the speaker
towards the object spoken of, they describe the object as it appears to the speaker.
E.g. The glow of an angry sunset.
Metaphor
A metaphor is an implied comparison in which one element is described in

terms of another to create a connection. Unlike a simile, a metaphor is more
indirect, and the reader has to work at understanding the two elements involved.
E.g. the sunrise of her smile; the rain that came down in buckets
Personification
Personification is a figure of speech in which animals or things are given

human characteristics. Personification heightens out imaginative response to
what is being described.
E.g. Dawn was just breaking with a guilty air. (Dawn, a natural
phenomenon, is described as displaying the behavior of someone who has done
something wrong.)
Repetition
Repetition can be a most effective way of creating atmosphere or of

pointing to a theme in a story.
Symbol
A symbol may be a person, an object or an action that represents

something else because of an association with it.
75
E.g. new fallen snow is recognized as a symbol of purity; a red rose stands
for romantic love; the lion is a symbol of courage and strength.
Humour
Humour takes many forms. It ranges from exaggerated situations, funny

lines to comic characterization and funny plot.
Irony
Irony occurs when a person says one thing but really means something
else. It also exists when a person does something that has the opposite effect from
what he or she intended. It can be used to convey both the seriousness and
humour of situations.
Point of view
Point of view refers to the specific character or narrator through whose

eyes all or part of the story unfolds.
Stories are usually narrated in the first or third person. A story narrated in
the first person means that it is told by a participating character using the pronoun
“I”. In third-person narration the point of view of the narrator is necessarily
subjective, since this character does not know what others may think or want.
In a story narrated in the third person (he, she, they) the narrator who is not
taking part in the story may give a complete view of the characters and events.
Sometimes the narrator can penetrate the thoughts of one or two characters only
and provide a subjective view of characters and events.
Very rarely stories are narrated in the second person using the pronoun you
as a direct address to the reader thus drawing the reader into the story.
Narration is the presentation of events in their development.
76
Description is the presentation of the atmosphere, the scenery etc. in the
literary work.
Dialogue, or conversation, reflects characters, situations in which they find

themselves and often helps push the plot along.
Tone
The tone of a story refers to the attitude of the writer or to that of the
characters in the story. For example, the tone may be humorous, sarcastic, ironic,
cheerful, pessimistic, angry, unfeeling or satirical.
Flashback
The flashback is a narrative technique in which a narrator or character

interrupts the present time and returns to the past, through this device some
aspect of the character or incident is illuminated. The flashback is often used to
highlight the significance of certain events.
All these forms of presentation, as a rule, interrelate in a literary text.
77

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Рецензент к.ф.н. доц. Е.Л. Пивоварова

Учебно-методическое пособие подготовлено на кафедре английской

Авторы выражают благодарность А.В. Лукину за помощь в создании

Рекомендуется для студентов 1-го курса английского отделения,

Настоящее учебно-методическое пособие является продолжением

I. Before Listening Tasks

to work wonders cable car

II. After Listening Tasks. Comprehension check.

Listen to the story once to answer the following questions:

1. How much money did Mrs Sommers come into?

2. Was Mrs Sommers used to spending substantial sums of money?

3. Was Mrs Sommers an economical shopper?

4. What did Mrs Sommers plan to buy first?

6. What colour stockings did Mrs Sommers choose?

7. What did Mrs Sommers do after buying the stockings?

8. What thing(s) did Mrs Sommers buy in the shop?

9. What reaction did Mrs Sommers cause in the restaurant?

1. Mrs Sommers spent the money as soon as she got it.

4. Sometimes Mrs Sommers liked to recollect her past.

7. Mrs Sommers didn’t want to spend much on the shoes.

8. Mrs Sommers usually had lunch in a café.

a) Retell the story as close to the text as you can.

1. Are you a compulsive shopper? Do you know people whose hobby

2. Do you think it was usual of Mrs Sommers to spend money on

3. Why do you think Mrs Sommers “knew the value of bargains”, do

4. Do you think she looked like a usual shopper that day?

6. What would you splash out on if you had a considerable sum of

IV. Improve your listening skills.

I. Before Listening Tasks

to give an insult well up

vulture a crack in the lantern

make up one’s mind stone dead

undo a lantern with a light heart

many a night villain

II. After Listening Tasks. Comprehension check.

Listen to the story once to answer the following questions:

4. What did the story teller want to destroy?

5. What happened on the last night that eventually resulted in the

7. Why did the story-teller decide to open his lantern a bit?

8. What frightened the story-teller so much first?

9. Why did the police come?

10. Where did the story-teller hide the victim’s body?

12. What went wrong when the police came?

1. The story-teller decided to kill the old man

a) just as he noticed him having a strange eye.

b) when he entered the old man’s house.

a) He liked to see the old man sleep.

b) The old man’s Evil Eye was always closed.

c) He didn’t have courage to do away with the man.

a) He heard the police coming.

b) He heard the neighbours’ scream.

4. What time did the police come?

a) At nine in the morning.

b) At four in the morning.

c) At five in the morning.

5. How did the story-teller try to stop the strange noise?

a) He closed the window.

b) He tried to talk louder.

c) He and the police officers moved to the old man’s room.

6. What made the story-teller confess his crime?

a) The police heard the old man’s heart beating.

b) They found the body under the floor.

a) The sense of hearing