TASKS for Chapters 7-10

I. Find the following words and phrases in the text and translate them into Russian:

Placidity – спокойствие

to make frantic scenes – создавать безумные сцены

to give sb. a look of scorn – бросить взгляд полный презрения на кого-либо

lavishness- щедрость

 to know how to pull strings adroitly – искусно пускать в ход связи

 to fall out of love - разлюбить

close-cropped hair – коротко стриженные волосы

to resist an inclination – еле удержаться

weather-beaten skin – обветренная кожа

coltish grace -  щенячья грация

to be on active service – быть в действующей армии

confinement -  лишение свободы

to run a theatre – руководить театром

effusive - несдержанный

virile air – неуверенный в себе

to set one's mind to smth. – сосредоточиться на чем-либо

disconcerting - замешательство

it's a knock out – выдающийся человек

amiability -  дружелюбие

affable manner- мягкая дружелюбная манера

to exercise great ingenuity in (doing) smth.- проявлять большую избирательность делая что -  либо

to be unperturbed – быть невозмутимым

shrewdness - проницательность

to grizzle – возмущаться, ворчать

it's a mere commonplace – это просто банально

exorbitant - безмерный

to be conciliatory – быть примирительным

to foster one's career – способствовать продвижению чьей-либо карьеры

acumen - сообразительность

to have one's face lifted – подтянуть кожу лица

it's no good crying over spilt milk – уже нет смысла горевать

to have little flirtations – легко флиртовать

masseuse -  массажистка

gossip column – колонка светской хроники

the world of make-believe – мир фантазий

II. Answer the following questions:

1. What did Michael and Julia do when the war broke out?

Michael went to war with the help of his father, one of whose old brother officers was an important personage at the War Office, he very soon got a commission. Julia wanted to be near him in France and to become a nurse but Michael made her stay and she went on acting.  

2. Why do you think Michael enjoyed the war?

Michael enjoyed the war because everyone likes him despite the was an actor and he was popular among soldiers.

3. Do you think love is important for a successful family life?

Undoubtedly, love is very important but it is not the most important part of family life.

4. How did it happen that Julia fell out of love with Michael?

She realized that he no longer smelt like a youth, he smelt like a man

5. How did Michael manage to find the money to rent a theatre? What was the theatre called? Who was in the partnership with him?

Finally the money was found by a rich woman who was interested in Julia. It was called the Siddons Theatre. His partner was Dolly.

6. Why was Julia against Michael's taking up directing?

Julia was against her husband’s taking up directing because she doubted in his success: Michael had no fantasy and his ideas were commonplace. 

7. What kind of director was Michael?

Michael ran the the-atre with the method and thrift with which he ran his home and made every possible penny out of their successes.

 8. What irritated Julia in Michael more and more? How did he change in Julia's eyes?

6. Why was Julia against Michael's taking up directing?

Julia was against her husband’s taking up directing because she doubted in his success: Michael had no fantasy and his ideas were commonplace. 

 9. Why was Julia sad when she thought of her married life?

It made Julia a little sad to think how much she had loved him. Because her love had died she felt that life had cheated her.

10. Why was Michael happier than he had been before?

When Julia fell out of love with Michael, she no longer made any demands on him. Moreover, the man thought with satisfaction that the birth of the baby had calmed his wife down; she was much easier to get on with, she never made scenes any more. At the same time, Michael was happier when he founded his own theatre, where plays were crowned with success.

11. Julia's dresser and maid was a Cockney, wasn't she? Please prove it using the examples from the text.

“It'd only fidget me to 'ave a lot of elephant's tusks in me mouth."

“I'm young enough to dress 'er. And maid 'er”.

 12. Who was the unknown man who sent flowers to Julia? Why did she write him a thank you note?

It was Mr. Thomas Fennell. She was naturally polite and it was, besides, a principle with her to answer all fan letters. That was how she kept in touch with her public.

III. Make up a list of words and phrases describing Michael's appearance and character. Say what you think of him.

·        He had a very good figure

·        He was the best- looking actor on the English stage

·        the thinness of his mouth

·        he had a gallant bearing

·        He had an easy manner and he talked like a gentleman

·        He was good-looking and kindly

·        His voice was a trifle thin

·        He was easy enough in ordinary dialogue

·        Very simple-minded in some ways

·        He had no fantasy and his ideas were commonplace

·        He devoted anxious care to his figure

·        He was prudent and all he wanted was admiration

IV. Comment on the phrase from chapter 9: "Roger had been entered for Eton within a week of his birth." Comment on it. Give a short presentation on public schools in Britain.

Julia and Michael were successful and rich enough to give his son the best education.

Eton College, often informally referred to as Eton, is a British independent boarding school located in Eton, near Windsor in England. It educates over 1,300 pupils, aged between 13 and 18 years and was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI. Eton is one of nine English independent schools, commonly referred to as "public schools", included in the original Public Schools Act 1868. Following the public school tradition, Eton is a full boarding school, which means all pupils live at the school, and is one of four such remaining single-sex boys' public schools in the United Kingdom (the others being Winchester College, Harrow School and Radley College) to continue this practice. It has educated nineteen British Prime Ministers and generations of aristocracy, and has been referred to as the chief nurse of England's statesmen.

VI. Give a summary of chapters 7-10. (in written form)

Julia and Michael got married and everything was quite and calmly. Once the war broke out and the man enlisted with the help of his father while Julia stayed in America and went on acting. She wanted to be near him in France and to become a nurse but Michael made her not to go. Julia waited for him but then suddenly realized that she did not love him anymore. Julia gave birth to a baby-boy and left the stage for a few months. Michael decided to open his own theatre and made it with the help of Dolly de Frieze who was very rich and was interested in Julia. Michael was a good manager and director and so the couple earned a lot of money and sent his child to Eaton.

TASKS for Chapters 3-6

I. Explain in English or give definitions of and find contextual synonyms for the following words and phrases:

Asset - a useful and desirable thing or quality

a sumptuous supper - splendor suggesting great expense – lavish

extravagance - excessive or unnecessary expenditure or outlay of money

thrift - economical management; economy – frugality

to remonstrate - to say or plead in protest, objection, or disapproval - affirm equanimity - mental or emotional stabilityimperturbability

at a loose end - in an uncertain or unsettled situation or positionon the mooch

to jeopardize - to put in risk - to run chances

alacrity - cheerful readiness, promptness, or willingnesseagerness

susceptible to - admitting or capable of some specified treatment

obsequious - servilely compliant or deferential

a retainer - a servant or attendant who has served a family for many years

II. Find quotations in the text. State their meaning and their function.

"Neither a borrower nor a lender be," Polonius - We hear the quotation from Michael and that’s why we can suppose that it’s his life motto. Unlike Julia, he doesn’t like spending money and prefer saving it. Because of this attitude to money he doesn’t let himself to take or give it to anybody.

"I could not love thee, dear, so much, loved I not honour more," Richard Lovelace (Tell Me Not, Sweet) – This quotation shows Michael’s attitude to love, wedding and Julia.

 "Lord, what fools these mortals be," Shakespeare (A Midsummer Night's Dream) – This quotation Jimmie said to Julia because of his misunderstanding how she could love Michael because, in Jimmie’s opinion, she’s much too good for Michael.

III. Explain the metaphor "she is a millstone round his neck." Who does it refer to?

This metaphor refers to any actor who decides to marry a young actress who is not successful yet. It’s difficult to become famous and successful being married. That’s why it’s necessary to reach something and only then get marry.

IV. Comment on the context of the following phrases:

- "He was too modest to resent an unfavourable criticism." (Ch.3)

Michael was too modest to resent it though he realized that he is still an actor only because of his appearance.

- "... after all he was born a gentleman." (Ch.4)

This phrase refers to Michael because his parents thought that a career of an actor is not good for his son. They preferred him to become a military man.

- "He is going to be a flop." (Ch.5)

The phrase refers to Michael who was going to America as an actor. Jimmie supposed him to be an ordinary actor without a great talent that’s why he thought Michael to get a failure.

- "'I suppose it's beastly of me,' she thought, 'but thank God, thank God.'" (Ch.6)

Julia said this phrase after she’d found out about Michael’s return from America. She was afraid that he forgot her and stopped loving and she was really glad that he was going to come back.

VI. What techniques are employed by the author to make the reader see the events through Julia's eyes?

To help us understand Julia’s emotions the author uses such emotional words as filthy pig, beast, devil, brute, rotten old eunuch.

There are allusions in the text to show that for Julia her stage was her home and life.

The author uses the inner speech to show Julia’s emotions and attitudes to things: ("He doesn't love me. He doesn't care a damn about me. I hate him. I'd like to kill him. Blast that American manager."), ("By God, it was a put-up job."), ("I'd better get up. He wouldn't know how to sit down. God, that scene that Jimmie made him do over and over again!"), ("The blasted fool, why does he talk all that rot? Doesn't he know I'm crazy to marry him? Why doesn't he kiss me, kiss me, kiss me? I wonder if I dare tell him I'm absolutely sick with love for him.").

VII. Answer the questions:

1. Who was Jimmie Langton and what role did he play in Julia's and Michael's lives? – Jimmie Langton was the head of the troupe in the theatre at Middlepool. He was a fat, bald-headed, rubicund man of forty-five; an eccentric, arrogant, exuberant, vain and charming fellow. Michael and Julia met each other in his theatre.

 2. When did Julia and Michael join the Middlepool Theatre Company? 3. How did Julia and Michael get to know each other? - Michael played the boy and Julia played Regina. They heard one another their parts and after rehearsals lunched together to talk of them. Soon they were inseparable.

4. What did Julia like about Michael? - His most engaging trait was his good humour. He bore Jimmie Langton's abuse with equanimity. When tempers grew frayed during a long rehearsal he remained serene. It was impossible to quarrel with him.

4. What did Michael think of good looks and decent families? – He thinks that decent families are more important than good looks because everyone can have a good appearance but not everyone can belong to a decent family.

5. How did Julia feel about her family? – She feels good with it and she wasn’t embarrassed wither father’s profession.

6. What were Michael's views on marriage? – “I think an actor's a perfect fool to marry young. There are so many cases in which it absolutely ruins a chap's career. Especially if he marries an actress. He becomes a star and then she's a millstone round his neck”.

8. What did Michael read newspaper reviews for? Did Julia share his views? – In newspapers reviews he would like to find information and opinions about himself and articles about Julia he reads briefly without special attention.

9. Who invited Julia to Michael's house for the Holy Week? – It’s Michael’s mother, Mrs. Gosselyn

10. Did Michael's father meet Julia's expectations? - Julia found the Colonel a much less alarming person than she had expected. He was thin and rather small, with a lined face and close-cropped white hair. His features had a worn distinction. He reminded you of a head on an old coin that had been in circulation too long. He was civil, but reserved. He was neither peppery nor tyrannical as Julia, from her knowledge of the stage, expected a colonel to be. She could not imagine him shouting out words of command in that courteous, rather cold voice.

11. What impression did Julia produce on Michael's parents? Michael: "You've made a tremendous success with my people. They've taken an enormous fancy to you. Father told me you were very ladylike, and not a bit like an actress, and mother says you're so sensible."

12. Was the proposal expected by Michael's parents? – Yes, it was. They bore a look of happy expectancy.

14. What steps did Julia take upon finding Michael was leaving for America? – She came to Jimmie and began blaming him and asked not to let Michael go.

15. Was Michael a success in America? – No, he had a great failure there.

16. Did Julia keep in touch with him while he was away? – “Julia wrote to Michael constantly, pages and pages of love and gossip, while he answered once a week, four pages exactly in a neat, precise hand. He always ended up by sending her his best love and signing himself hers very affectionately, but the rest of his letter was more informative than passionate. Yet she awaited its coming in an agony of impatience and read it over and over again”.

17. Was Julia eager to meet Michael straight at the station? - She decided to meet him and booked two rooms in a hotel.

18. What were Michael's impressions after staying and working in America? –“ After a fortnight of rehearsals, Michael was thrown out of the part for which he had been engaged, and for three or four weeks was left to kick his heels about till something else could be found for him. He opened in due course in a play that ran less than a month in New York. It was sent on the road; but languished and was withdrawn. After another wait he was given a part in a costume play where his good looks shone to such advantage that his indifferent acting was little noticed, and in this he finished the season. There was no talk of renewing his contract”.  

20. What was Michael going to do in England and what were his prospects? – He had a desire to open his own theatre where Julia will be able to play.

VIII. Summarize the events of chapters 3-6.

During the time Julia belongs to Jimmie’s troupe she meets Michael and falls in love with him. They spend a lot of time together and shortly after Michael introduces Julia to his parents and makes her a proposal. Julia accepts it with pleasure. One day she gets to know that Michael is going to leave for America to work there as an actor. She was disappointed and afraid that he can forget her and stop loving. However after a year Michael returns to England because he failed in America. Julia is happy about it and meets him at a station.