VII. Suggest another title for the story and give reasons for your choice

A

1. Translate the following phrases and sentences from the text:

1.... a thin academic figure with sparse grey hair. 2. You never met him in the flesh. 3. The argument was beginning to go round in circles. 4. But none of us here - and he spread his maimed hand to take in the whole company - could equal the achievements of Spitfire Johnny. 5.... and I for one know he's dead! 6.... a fighter pilot in the R. A. F., who got shot down in a sweep over Hilversum. 7. The engine of his plane failed. 8.... he glided on over Apeldoorn and finally crash-landed a few miles away. 9. But you should have seen the difference when Johnny got going. 10.... once he took on a whole brigade and got away with it! 11. It didn't pay to go round asking a'Resistance man what his real name was. 12. At occasional off-duty moments my mind switched back to the talk in Edinhoven.

II. Find in the text English equivalents for the following Russian phrases and sentences:

руководители движения Сопротивления; упоминать о ком-л. партизан; сбрасывать оружие и боеприпасы; разговор зашел о... посмертная награда; "Готов биться об заклад!"; опознать кого-л. прервать спор; в свою очередь; в конце концов; тип самолета,

на котором он летал; у всех были клички; знать лично; уметь задавать вопросы; зайти (заехать) к кому-л.; ущемлять чью-л. гордость; разгадать тайну; они были твердо убеждены в...

III. Reproduce situations from the text using the following words and word combinations:

1. to attend a conference, to mention smb, to break up, to take smb for smb, a guerrilla fighter, to come across, to be missing, to deserve a whole chestful of medals; 2. the talk turned to..., to be gathered together, to survive, a posthumous award; 3. to hear of smb, in one's turn, after all; 4. to be shot down, the engine failed, to crash-land, to hole up, to work one's way back to; 5. to derail troop trains, to attack staff headquarters, to get away with it, to liberate; 6. the make of the plane, to adopt nicknames, to see smb in the flesh, to know personally, to get hold of ammunition, to be good at asking questions; 7. to hurt one's pride, to have neither the time nor the opportunity to do smth, to be taken in by smth, to be firmly convinced of smth

IV. Answer the following questions:

1. When and where is the scene set? 2. What kind of conference was the author asked to attend? Who were his companions at the table? How does he describe them? 3. What do we learn about the beginning of the Resistance movement in Holland? Why was it weak in the beginning? 4. Why do you think there was an argument between the fighters as to whether Johnny was dead or alive? 5. How did Johnny come to fight against the Germans in Holland? 6. How did the situation change when Johnny began to fight against the Germans? 7. Why did the Colonel ask Bloot so many questions after he heard the story of Spitfire Johnny? Were they able to answer all his questions? 8. Why did the Colonel make up his mind to investigate the case of Spitfire Johnny?

V. Find evidence in the text to support the following statements:

1. The Colonel looked upon his companions at the conference table as heroes. 2. Bloot and Ritten couldn't but admire Spitfire Johnny's heroic deeds. 3. It was difficult for the Colonel to make out the truth about Spitfire Johnny.

VI. Read the story to the end (see p. 240). Get ready to talk about:

1. The Resistance in Holland. 2. Annie Dykers' story of Spitfire Johnny. 3. The Colonel's version of the story. 4. The characters of the Resistance as shown in the story.

Дата добавления: 2014-12-27