Questions
1. What remains a characteristic feature of life in present-day America? 2. What conclusion did a special US Congress committee come to concerning the causes of racial unrest in the country? 3. What are the living conditions of the coloured community? 4. What is life like in the ghettoes? 5. How does the Columbian writer Maria Isabel de la Vegas describe the position of a black person in the USA? 6. What were the impressions registered by a US Senator in a report concerning the black community in the state of Missisippi? 7. What convinced him that there was a plan for the extermination of the black population in that state? 8. Why is the coloured population especially hard hit by unemployment? 9. Why do the coloured people often say about themselves that they are the last to be hired and the first to be fired? 10. What are the chances of promotion for a coloured person?
Ex. 34. Retell the following in English.
1. ЖЕЛАННЫЙ ГОСТЬ
Прежде чем выехать в Даллас на встречу с читателями, один известный американский писатель позвонил в гостиницу и спросил, может ли он приехать с собакой.
Хозяин отеля ответил:
— Я не видел собаки, которая засыпала бы в постели с горящей сигарой в зубах и портила бы мебель. Нет собаки, которая, уезжая, увозила бы с собой полотенца и наволочки. Поэтому я с удовольствием приму вашу собаку!
a welcome guest; Dallas; a towel; a pillow case.
2. НА ВСЕ ВКУСЫ
Настоящий хозяин отеля обязан учитывать вкусы своих гостей. Этот факт не подлежит никакому сомнению. Впрочем, у одного австрийского дельца желание угодить гостям приняло несколько странные формы. В холле своего альпийского отеля он приказал повесить большое объявление. На нем написано: «Убедительная просьба к американским туристам не возвращаться в номер позже двух часов ночи, к шведским—не вставать раньше шести утра, к итальянским — не кричать после десяти вечера. К сведению туристов из Великобритании, с собаками въезд в отель запрещен».
Неизвестно, советовался ли хозяин с социологами перед тем, как повесить это объявление. «Антиреклама» привлекла огромное количество туристов: от желающих остановиться именно в этой гостинице буквально нет отбоя.
a hotelkeeper; an Austrian businessman; Alpine; to put up a notice; to enjoy enormous popularity.
Ex. 35. Read and retell the following story.
THE HOSPITABLE TAXI-DRIVER
(an episode from Charlie Chaplin's "Autobiography")
That evening when I arrived in New York, every hotel was filled. After driving round for over an hour, the taxi-driver a rough-looking fellow of about forty, turned and said: "Listen, there is no sense in trying to get into any hotel at this hour, and you're unlikely to find any other accommodation, so you'd better come home to my place and sleep there until the morning."
"That's very kind of you," I said, feeling embarrassed, and introduced myself.
He was surprised, and smiling broadly said: "My wife will get a kick* out of this."
We arrived somewhere in the Bronx** and entered one of the ordinary-looking houses. He led me to a back room where there was a large bed, in it a boy of twelve, his son, was sleeping. "Wait," the driver said, then he lifted the boy and put him over to the edge of the bed making room for me. Then he turned to me, "Get in there."
I was going to refuse, but his hospitality was so touching that I could not refuse. He gave me a clean night-shirt and I climbed into bed carefully for fear of waking or disturbing the bov.
I never slept a wink.*** In the morning when the boy got up and dressed, through my half-closed eyes I saw him give me an indifferent look and leave the room. A few minutes later he and a young lady of eight, evidently his sister, came into the room. Still pretending to be asleep I saw them staring at me wide-eyed and excited. Then the two of them left.
It wasn't long before I heard a whisper in the passage, then the driver gently opened the door to see if I was awake. I assured him that I was.
"We've got your bath ready," he said. "It's at the end of the passage." He had brought a dressing-gown and some slippers**** and a towel. "What would you like for breakfast?"
"Anything," I said apologetically.
"Whatever you want — bacon and eggs, toast and coffee?"
"Wonderful."
They timed it perfectly. The minute I finished dressing, his wife came into the room with a hot breakfast. There was little furniture but a centre table, an armchair, and a sofa; a couple of photographs of family groups hung on the wall over the sofa. While eating breakfast alone I could hear the noise coming from a crowd of children and grownups outside the house.
"They are beginning to know that you're here," smiled his wife, bringing in the coffee. Then the taxi-driver entered, all excited. "Look," he said, "there's a big crowd outside and it's getting bigger. If you let those kids get a look at you, they'll go away, otherwise the Press'll get on to it and you're sunk."
"By all means, let them come in," I replied.
And so the children came in, giggling,* and walked around the table while I drank my coffee. The taxi-driver outside was saying: "All right, don't make a fuss, line up, two at a time."
The next day the driver, in a stiff collar, and his wife, all dressed up, came to visit me at the Ritz. He said the Press had been bothering him to write a story for the Sunday papers about my staying at his house. "But," he said, "I wouldn't tell them a thing without your permission. After all it's up to you."
"Go ahead," I said.
Ex. 36. Use the following words and phrases in situations. Equality of Nations in the Soviet Union
A. the October Socialist Revolution; to open a new era in the history of mankind; to found the first socialist country in the world; to build up a socialist society; to put an end to all forms of exploitation of man by man; to unite equal nations and peoples of the USSR into one big friendly family; the "Declaration of the Rights of the Peoples of Russia"; to be published on November 16, 1917; to run as follows...; to promote the principles of equality and sovereignty; the right of nations to self-determination; to guarantee the free development of national minorities; the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics; to be set up on the initiative of V. I. Lenin in December 1922; to be based on principles of complete equality; to unite 15 Union Republics.
B. a Socialist Republic; to have one's own Constitution, legislative organs of power; to have the right to a free economic, political and cultural development; to enter into direct contacts with foreign states and conclude agreements and exchange diplomatic representatives with them; to make great progress in the development oi national culture; to set up higher educational establisments in Union Republics; speedy economic and cultural development; to be a base for establishing genuine equality between nations.
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Ex. 37. Tell the story of the picture.
the Deep South; to have been driving for hours; to ask the way; to put up at a hotel; the colour bar.
The hotel, sir? Turn right, go as far as the prison, then turn left, past the police station and another prison, then you'll see a movie house with a "White Only" sign, move straight on till you get to the Black district, then turn left.
Ex. 38. Subjects for oral and written composition.
1. Tell the story as if you were: a) Dr Nicholas; b) Dr Ingram; c) the receptionist; d) Mr. Bailey; e) a guest who happened to witness the scene.
2. Give character-sketches of a) Dr Nicholas; b) Dr Ingram; c) Mr. Bailey.
3. Write a summary of the text.
4. The struggle of the coloured community in the USA for its rights.
5. The causes of the Civil War in the USA. Say whether the victory of the Northerners over the troops of the Confederation brought freedom to the Negro population in the true sense of the word.
6. Explain why an episode of the kind described in the text would be altogether unthinkable in the Soviet Union.
7. Write a letter to a hotel making a reservation, and then another confirming your reservation.
8. Describe your stay at a hotel.
Lesson Ten
Text: "A Vote of No Confidence" from "No Love for Johnnie" by W. Fienburgh1
Grammar: Verbals. General Review.