A Bit of Singing and Dancing

by Susan Hill

I. Expressions under study:

spruce (adj.) at the back of one’s mind

sinewy to be disgraced

to ply to give smb. a new lease of life

to take sth. on trust disconsolate

forthright within one’s means

to read between the lines to get oneself thoroughly chilled

taxing deceased

to be accustomed to sth. to speak one’s mind

to appear in one’s eyes to act out of character

impeccable manners avid

nippy dapper

dearth

II. Study the words and word combinations above mentioned. Use them in the situations from the story. Make up sentences of your own to illustrate their usage.

III. Give corresponding words or word combinations from the active vocabulary:

someone who has died, especially recently;

nicely dressed;

feeling extremely sad and hopeless;

slightly cold;

to make smb. very cold;

a lack of sth.;

to be made to feel ashamed; to lose the respect of people, usually so that you lose a position of power

to act untypically;

to guess smb.’s real feelings from sth. they say or write;

neat and clean;

to say exactly what you think about sth., in a very direct way;

become healthy, active, or happy again after being weak, ill, or tired; the chance to live or last longer, or with a better quality of life

having strong muscles;

needing a lot of effort;

to be used to doing sth.;

to work; to use a tool, especially in a skillful way

not costing more than you can afford;

to believe that sth. is true without having any proof;

saying honestly what you think, in a way that sometimes seems rude; direct and honest in manner and speech (forthright?)

completely perfect ways of behaving in social situations;

a thought or feeling influencing you even though you are not thinking about it. used about a thought, etc., if you are aware of it but it is not what you are mainly thinking about

very enthusiastic about sth.

IV. Find the English equivalents of:

страдающие лица

спешить домой

в ее пользу

искажение

в ее голове возникло множество вопросов

мороз

бахрома

ежемесячные взносы

гвоздика в петлице

перевернутый котелок

галька

прикованный к постели

противоположный взгляд

усыпанный

быть в нужде, нуждаться

чувствовать головокружение

удар

задернуть шторы

ругать

влажный

встреча

когда наступит подходящий момент

парикмахер

чердак

недоступный

уверять

судебный процесс

V. Transcribe the following words:

archipelagos, Ceylon, cellist, Singapore, twilight, bereaved, promenade, fortuitous, issuing, genteel, neurotic, casserole, wicked.

VI. In the text find the words that have the following meanings:

a large strong wall built out into the sea to protect the shore from the force of the waters;

calm, confident, and in control of your feelings, even in difficult or unexpected situations;

the period of time after sth. such as a war, storm, or accident when people are still dealing with the results;

a place where a hole in a piece of clothing has been repaired neatly with wool;

cold and without any pleasant features;

doing sth. too quickly, without thinking carefully about whether it is sensible or not.