The TV Blackout by Art Buchwald

Текст 21

Discuss the following

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1 Он прописывал лекарства для больных канареек

2 Он был владельцем зоо магазина

3 Он считал себя профессионалом

4 На дворе был сырой зимний день

5 Его костюм хоть и был новым, однако выглядел дешево и плохо сидел.

6 Разве этот шум не действует вам на нервы?

7 Хозяин хотел выставить посетителя из магазина.

It was a nasty winter day.

The owner of the shop was a real professional.

He could hardly find answers to the questions about pets.

A pleasant-looking visitor came to the merchant’s shop.

The proprietor’s daily custom was to perch on a high stool, behind the counter, unfold his morning paper, and digest the day's news.

The owner immediately understood that the visitor wasn’t going to treat him well.

The owner wasn’t going to give the customer a discount.

The customer bought the doves for five dollars.

He tossed the doves into the air.

“a tight melon- like stomach” is an example of such stylistic device as similie. What other examples of simile can you give? Compose a story and use as many examples of simile as you can.

Retell the text briefly. Give a character sketch of the main hero(es).

Give a character sketch of the main hero.

What is your attitude towards the main character of the story?

What are your emotions after reading the story? Did you like the plot?

Find grammatical phenomena and structures which you have studied during the semester

A week ago Sunday New York city had a blackout and all nine television stations in the area went out for several hours. This created tremendous crises in families all over New York and proved that TV plays a much greater role in people's lives than anyone can imagine.

For example, when the TV went off in the Bufkins's house panic set in. First Bufkins thought it was his set in the living-room, so he rushed into his bedroom and turned on that set. Nothing. The phone rang, and Mrs. Bufkins heard her sister in Manhattan tell her that there was a blackout.

She hung up and said to her husband, "It isn't your set. Something's happened to the top of the Empire State Building."

Bufkins looked at her and said, "Who are you?"

"I'm your wife, Edith."

"Oh," Bufkins said. "Then I suppose those kids' in there are mine."

"That's right," Mrs. Bufkins said. "If you ever got out of that armchair in front of the TV set you'd know who we are."

"Oh! they've really grown," Bufkins said, looking at his son and daughter. "How old are they now?"

"Thirteen and fourteen," Mrs. Bufkins replied.

"Hi, kids!"

"Who's he?' Buskin’s son, Henry, asked.

"It's your father," Mrs. Bufkins said.

"I'm pleased to meet you," Bufkins's daughter,Mary, said shyly.

There was silence all around.

"Look," said Bufkins finally. "I know I haven't been a good father but now that the TV's out I'd like to know you better."

"How?" asked Henry.

"Well, let's just talk," Bufkins said. "That's the best way to get to know each other."

"What do you want to talk about?" Mary asked.

"Well, to begin with, what school do you go to?"

"We go to High School," Henry said.

"So you're both in high school!" There was a dead silence.

"What do you do?" Mary asked.

'I’ m an accountant, ' Bufkins said.

"I thought you were a car salesman," Mrs. Bufkins said in surprise.

"That was two years ago. Didn't I tell you I changed jobs?" Bufkins said.

"No, you didn't. You haven't told me anything for two years."

"I'm doing quite well too," Bufkins said.

"Then why am I working in a department store?"

Mrs. Bufkins demanded.

"Oh, are you still working in a department store? If I had known that, I would have told you could quit last year. You should have mentioned it," Bufkins said.

There was more dead silence.

Finally Henry said, "Hey, you want to hear me play the guitar?"

"You know how to play the guitar? Say, didn't I have a daughter who played the guitar?"

"That was Susie," Mrs. Bufkins said.

"Where is she?"

"She got married a year ago, just about the time you were watching the World Series."

"You know," Bufkins said, very pleased. "I hope they don't fix the antenna for another couple hours. There's nothing better than a blackout for a man who really wants to know his family."

Дата добавления: 2014-12-23