Part II Second Reading

A. Exploring Themes

1. Why did Michael think that Fiona was very much alone? How was it reflected in her funeral?

2. How was the situation in the hospital connected with what politicians like Mark Winshaw were doing in the country? (p. 425)

3. What effect did Fiona's illness and her death have on Mochael? Did he change inwardly and outwardly? (p. 424)

4. What did Michael expect from his reconciliation with his mother? Did it make him happy? How did he explain the period of his withdrawal for three years?

5. What did the situation in Winshaw Towers remind Michael of? (p. 431) How did it influence Michael?

6. What information did Michael get from the book 'I was celery'. What's the meaning of Lawrence's note: biscuit, cheese, celery? (p. 426)

7. What effect did mother's confession about his father have on Michael? (p. p. 418 — 419)

B. Judging for Yourself

1. (p. 408) Explain: 'It was fate, except that I don't believe in fate'. Do you believe in fate?

2. Why do you think Michael compared his situation with that from the film 'Orpheus' by Jean Cocto? (p. 411)

3. Why do you think Fiona's death is depicted as if it were a scene from a film? (p. p. 416 — 418)

4. Why do you think Michael told Fiona 'Thank you' ? (p. 417)

C. Making Connections

1. How are patients accepted in the hospitals of this country? Are beds always available and the patients don't have to stay in the corridor?

2. Do the politicians in this couintry have always been thinking about ordinary people and their needs?

Part III Building the Vocabulary

A. Consult the English-English and English-Russian dictionaries

cubicle (p. 401)

grimness (p. 401)

presumably (p. 403)

thesaurus (p. 403)

kin (p. 405)

subliminally (p. 412)

obscene (p. 413)

incoherent (p. 417)

to allude (p. 417)

impassive (p. 423)

recumbent (p. 423)

untrustworthiness (p. 424)

to surmise (p. 424)

to expire (p. 425)

sparsely (p. 426)

to convene (p. 426)

to inflict (p. 426)

flabbergasted (p. 428)

B. Translate the following sentences

1. p. 404. It didn't actually take my mind off any thing.

2. p. 406. I fell into a frenzy of cleaning.

3. p. 407. I think I must be going to pieces.

4. p. 408. 'Hang on', - I said.

5. p. 410. I can't really put up with this job.

6. p. 410. I tried to take this in.

7. p. 418. She'd been on her own in her mother's house.

8. p. 424. Mr. Winshaw passed away yesterday.

9. p. 425. I'll bear that in mind.

10. p. 427. He wasn't much fun to talk.

Unit XIV (p. P. 436 — 465) Part I First Reading

A. Thinking about the Chapters

In what genre are these chapters written? What puzzled and even shocked you mainly in those chapters?

B. Understanding the Plot

1. What was the weather like when the solicitor started reading the will? How did he explain the presence of Phoebe and Michael? What was in the will? (p. p. 437 — 439)

2. What was Henry interested in? Where did Tabitha take her seat? Why was Michael dumb founded when talking with Tabitha? (p. p. 439 — 441)

3. What happened during the supper? (p. p. 441 — 444)

4. Who was missing at table? Where did they find Henry? (p. p. 444 — 446)

5. What was Michael's idea about the murderer? (p. p. 448 — 450)

6. What did they see in the billiard room? In what state was Mark?

7. In what state of mind were the members of the family? What did Roddy offer? What did Thomas do with Michael and Phoebe and why? (p. p. 451 — 454)

8. What can you say about Hilary's behaviour? (p. p. 454 — 455)

9. What happened next? Where did Pyles go? What happened when Roddy took a grape and closed his teeth upon it? (p. p. 456 — 458)

10. Where did they take Roddy? What put Michael and Phoebe in the clear? Whom was there no sign of? Whom did Tabitha see? How did they all explain the news about Mortimer's death? (p. p. 459 — 461)

11. What Tabitha's remarks about Michael puzzled him greatly and even stopped him in his tracks? (p. 464)

12. Why did Hilary go to see the vault and what did she find there? (p. 464 — 465)