IX. Fire on the Laconia.

On December 19^th, 1963, the cruise ship LACONIA (leave) Southampton docks. It was a big ship with about 650 passengers and a crew of about 300 on board. People who (book) for the cruise (tell) by the adverts that this (be) “a holiday you never (forget)”. Three days after the cruise (begin), at half past eleven in the evening, the passengers (hear) the news that the ship was on fire, but that was nothing serious. At first nobody (panic), but people on the decks soon saw that the members of the crew (unfasten) life boats for an emergency. At half past twelve the passengers (instruct) to leave their cabins and get in the lifeboats quickly. People (terrify). Some fell into the sea as the crowded boats (hit) the sides of the ship on their way down. All through the night they (ride) on the 15-foot waves of the rough Atlantic until they (pick up) next morning by helicopters and rescue boats. If the cruise manager hadn’t ordered the passengers to get into the lifeboats in time, 128 people would have died.

Exercise 36. Translate the story from Russian into English, paying special attention to the italicized words.

Совет врача

Медсестра спросила меня, ожидаю ли я доктора Грея, и пригласила меня к нему в кабинет.

Доктор Грей улыбнулся мне и спросил, что меня беспокоит. Я сказал, что ужасно переутомлен (be run down). Он спросил меня, поздно ли я ложусь спать (stay up late), и я сказал, что нет. Он поинтересовался, почему я не соблюдаю нормальный режим (keep regular hours), и я объяснил, что почти каждый вечер я встречаюсь с друзьями. Доктор захотел узнать, как я провожу время, и я сказал, что в основном я хожу на вечеринки. Доктор спросил меня, удаётся ли (have the chance) мне отдохнуть (to recover) в выходные дни, но я вынужден был признать, что в выходные дни наши вечеринки длятся всю ночь.

Он спросил меня, курю ли я, и когда я сказал, что курю, доктор спросил меня, сколько сигарет в день я выкуриваю. Он был поражён, когда услышал мой ответ. Тогда врач спросил меня, занимаюсь (take) ли я гимнастикой для поддержания своего здоровья (to keep fit).

Я ответил, что для этого у меня нет времени.

«Вы поджигаете свечу (burn the candle) с обоих концов», сказал доктор Грей и добавил, «но я завидую вам, что вы так весело проводите время».

Revision

Use the most suitable tense-form of the verbs in brackets.

Text 1

The farmer and the boy

One morning a farmer met a boy and asked him if the latter wanted a job. The boy (to answer) that he (to do). The farmer (to want) to know if the boy (can) give him a good character. The boy said that he (can) and (to add) that it (to be) from Mr. Muggs, the shopkeeper, his previous master.

The farmer agreed. The farmer told the boy to go and ask Mr. Muggs to come there and speak to him. He said that he (to wait) there for some time. Twenty minutes (to pass) and then forty minutes (to pass), but Mr. Muggs (not to come).

Later in the afternoon the farmer (to see) the boy again and he said that Mr. Muggs (not to come) with the boy’s character. The boy (not to be) surprised to hear it. He said he (not to ask) Mr. Muggs to come there.

The farmer asked why the boy (not to do) it. The boy (to answer) that he (to tell) his old master who (to want) the character. The farmer not (to understand). Then the boy (to explain) that his old master (to tell) him the character of the farmer.

Text 2