I. Make up fifteen questions on the text that can be used as a plan.

II. Are the following statements true or false. Correct the false ones:

1. The conversation took place between the reporter and the girl.

2. Tripp looked older because of his beard.

3. Tripp always asked for two dollars.

4. Tripp gave the reporter some facts for a very interesting story.

5. Ada took the train to New York to find her old aunt.

6. Ada stopped Tripp in the street to ask him the way to the boarding-house.

7. The young man, the girl was going to marry, was very kind to her.

8. The girl had half a dime in her hand.

9. Tripp felt happy that the girl had left.

10. The reporter made an interesting story out of the facts given by Tripp.

Vocabulary

III. Give definitions of these lexical units relying on an English-English dictionary and make up sentences with them:

1. to have a spurious air;

2. premonition;

3. to hold the championship;

4. to leave smb loose;

5. a flawless beauty;

6. to make a splendid wife;

7. to convince smb of smth;

8. to swallow up;

9. to see smb aboard;

10. to look contemptible.

IV. Translate the sentences into Russian paying attention to various stylistic devices:

1. Half of Tripp’s face was covered with short, curly red whiskers that looked like a door-mat with the “welcome” left off.

2. He had a spurious air of lightness and bravado about him that deceived no one, but was useful in his borrowing because it was so pitifully and perceptibly assumed.

3. He was looking today more miserable, more cringing and haggard and down-trodden than I had ever seen him.

4. I was driven to emphasis by the premonition that I was to lose one of the dollars on the spot.

5. It seems that George Brown still holds the championship in her youthful fancy.

6. You know, I couldn’t leave her loose in Wolftown-on-the-Hudson.

7. She was a flawless beauty. Crying had only made her brilliant eyes brighter.

8. She would have made a splendid wife, for crying only made her eyes more bright and tender.

9. Frowning upon Tripp, I argued gently and philosophically with Miss Lowery, delicately convincing her of the importance of returning home at once.

10. I impressed upon her the truth that it would be absolutely necessary to her future happiness that she should mention to Hi the fact of her visit to the city that had swallowed up the unlucky George.

11. We saw her aboard her ferry-boat, and stood watching her wave her handkerchief at us until it was the tiniest white patch imaginable.

12. Tripp looked more careworn, contemptible, and disreputable than ever.

Speaking

V. Answer the questions:

1. How many characters are mentioned in this story?

2. What are their names and occupation?

3. Where did the event take place?

4. What kind of work did the reporter do?

5. What was Tripp?

6. How old did Tripp look?

7. What bad habit did Tripp have?

8. In what way did Tripp meet the girl?

9. What made Ada come to New York?

10. What kind of a lie did Ada tell her mother?

11. In what way did the reporter help the girl?

12. What made the reporter give one dollar to Tripp?