Hunting for a Job by S.S. McClure
I reached Boston late that night and got out at the South Station. I knew no one in Boston except Miss Bennet. She lived in Somerville, and I immediately started out for Somerville. Miss Bennet and her family did all they could to make me comfortable and help me to get myself established' in some way. I had only six dollars and their hospitality was of utmost importance to me.
My first application for a job in Boston was made in accordance with an idea of my own. Every boy in the Western states knew the Pope Manufacturing Company, which produced bicycles. When I published my first work "History of Western College Journalism" the Pope Company had given me an advertisement, and that seemed to be a "connection" of some kind. So I decided to go to the offices of the Pope Manufacturing Company to ask for a job. I walked into the general office and said that I wanted the president of the company.
"Colonel Pope?" asked the clerk.
I answered, "Yes, Colonel Pope."
I was taken to Colonel Pope, who was then an alert energetic man of thirty-nine. I told Colonel Pope, by way of introduction, that he had once given me an advertisement for a little book I had published, that I had been a College editor and out of a job. What I wanted was work and I wanted it badly.
He said he was sorry, but they were laying of hands. I still hung on. It seemed to me that everything would be all up with me', if I had to go out of that room without a job. I asked him if there wasn't anything at all that I could do. My earnestness made him look at me sharply.
"Willing to wash windows and scrub floors?" he asked.
I told him that I was, and he turned to one of his clerks.
"Has Wilmot got anybody yet to help him in the downtown' rink?" he asked.
The clerk said he thought not.
"Very well", said Colonel Pope. "You can go to the rink and help Wilmot out for tomorrow."
The next day I went to the bicycle rink and found that what Wilmot wanted was a man to teach beginners to ride. I had never been on a bicycle in my life nor even very close to one, but in a couple of hours I had learnt to ride a bicycle myself and was teaching other people.
Next day Mr. Wilmot paid me a dollar. He didn't say anything about my coming back the next morning, but I came and went to work, very much afraid that I would be told I wasn't needed. After that Mr. Wilmot did not exactly engage me, but he forgot to discharge me, and I came back every day and went to work. At the end of the week Colonel Pope sent for me and placed me in charge of the uptown' rink.
Colonel Pope was a man who watched his workmen. I hadn't been mistaken when I felt that a young man would have a chance with him. He often used to say that "water would find its level", and he kept an eye on us. One day he called me into his office and asked me if I could edit a magazine.
"Yes, sir," I replied quickly. I remember it flashed through my mind that I could do anything I was put at '96 that if I were required to run an ocean steamer I could somehow manage to do it. I could learn to do it as I went along'. I answered as quickly as I could get the words out of my mouth, afraid that Colonel Pope would change his mind before I could get them out.
This is how I got my first job. And I have never doubted ever since that one of the reasons why I got it was that I had been "willing to wash windows and scrub floors". I had been ready for anything.
Paraphrase the sentences using phrases from the text:
1) Miss Bennet and her family received him very warmly.
2) Everybody tried to help him to find some kind of job.
3) Their concern and hospitality were very important to him.
4) He told Colonel Pope that he was unemployed and needed any job very much.
5) The man thought that everything would be lost for him if he didn't find a job.
6) He has never ridden a bicycle in his life.
7) Mr. Wilmot neither employed the journalist nor dismissed him.
8) The boss made him responsible for the uptown rink.
9) It suddenly occurred to him that his willingness to do any job had helped him to get his first job.
Give Russian equivalents for the following words and expressions from the text and use them in the sentences of your own.
to get oneself established in some way
of utmost importance
hospitality
application for a job
earnestness
look at smb. sharply
to teach beginners
he did not exactly engage me
in a couple of hours
to change his mind
Answer the questions to the text:
1) Who was the only person the author knew in Boston?
2) In what way was he received? Why was it of great importance to him?
3) What made the young man apply for a job at the Pope Company?
4) Describe Colonel Pope. What was his reaction to the young man's story?
5) Why did the man still hang on though he found out that the company was laying off hands?
6) What question did the Colonel ask him?
7) Describe the young man's job and say whether he was good at it.
8) Why did the man continue to work for Mr. Wilmot though he hadn't engaged him?
9) What happened at the end of the week?
10) What job was the young man offered in the long run?
11) What idea flashed through his mind?
12) What helped the man to get his first job?
Discuss the following:
1) Say if you agree or disagree with the statement "water would find its level". How do you understand it? Give examples in support of your opinion.
2) Give a character sketch of the main hero. Compare him with the heroes of the story "Success Story."
3) Is the problem of unemployment acute nowadays? Why? Is this problem interconnected with the problem of wasted lives? Give your grounds.
What is your attitude towards the main character of the story?
Text 7
A Foul Play by R. Ruark
In 1943 Lieutenant Alexander Barr was ordered into the Armed Guard aboard the merchant ship, like many other civilian officers with no real mechanical skills – teachers, writers, lawyers.
His men were the rag-tag' of merchant service and knew very little of it. Lieutenant Alec Barr had his crew well in hand except one particularly unpleasant character, a youngster called Zabinski. Every ship has its problem child, and Zabinski was Alec's cross. If anybody was drunk and in trouble ashore, it was Zabinski. If anybody was smoking on watch, or asleep on watch, it always was Zabinski. Discipline on board was hard to keep and Zabinski made it worse.
Alec called the boy to his cabin. "I've tried to reason with you'," he said. "I've punished you with everything from confinement to ship to extra duty. I've come to the conclusion that the only thing you may understand is force. I've got some boxing gloves. Navy Regulations say they should be used for recreation.
We are going to have some.
"That's all right", Zabinski said smiling.
Alec announced the exhibition of boxing skill. A lot of people gathered on deck to watch the match.
It didn't take Lieutenant Barr long to discover that he was in the ring with a semiprofessional. They were fighting two-minute rounds. But from the first five seconds of the first round Alec knew that Zabinski could knock him out with a single punch if he wanted to. But Zabinski didn't want to, he was toying with his commander, and the snickers' grew into laughter.
In the third round Alec held up a glove. "Time out!", he said. "I'm going to my cabin, I'll soon be back". He turned and ran up to his cabin. In the cabin there was a safe. Alec's duty was to pay wages to his personnel. Alec Barr opened the safe and took out a paper-wrapped roll of ten-cent coins. He put this roll of silver coins into his glove and returned on deck.
"Let's go!" he said and touched gloves with Zabinski. It had pleased Zabinski before to allow the officer to knock him from time to time because it gave him a chance for a short and painful punch. But now the silver-weighted glove crashed into the boy's chin and Zabinski was out. He was lying on the floor motionless.
Alec Barr looked briefly at the boy. "Somebody throw some water on him," he said coldly to the seamen. And he went up to his room to clean his cuts and put the roll of coins back to the safe. After that Lieutenant Alexander Barr had no more personnel trouble aboard ship.
Answer the questions
Was the crew competent at navigating a ship?
Who was a trouble-maker on board?
Discipline on board was hard to keep and Zabinski made it worse, didn’t he?
What did the Lieutenant Alexander Barr decide to do to improve discipline on
board ?
What kind of tricky way did Alec undertake to teach his opponent a lesson?
Did the winner feel satisfied or distressed after the fight?
Did Alec have any problems with seamen ever after?
True or false
Alec announced the exhibition of boxing skill.
It didn't take Lieutenant Barr long to discover that he was in the ring with an amateur.
In the third round Alec held up a glove and asked for time out as he needed a doctor’s help.
"Somebody call for a doctor," Alec said coldly to the seamen
After that Lieutenant Alexander Barr had one more personnel trouble aboard .
Give Russian equivalents for the following words and expressions from the text and use them in the sentences of your own.
the snickers' grew into laughter
merchant service
civilian officer
pay wages
paper-wrapped roll
painful punch
on deck
crashed into the boy's chin
motionless
looked briefly
to clean his cuts
more personnel trouble
Retell the text briefly.
Give a character sketch of the main hero.
What is your attitude towards the main character of the story?
What are your emotions after reading the story? Did you like the plot?
Do you know anything about the author of this story?
Find grammatical phenomena and structures which you have studied during the semester
Text 8
Jimmy Valentine's Reformation by O. Henry
Jimmy Valentine was released that day.
"Now, Valentine," said the warden', "you'll go out today. Make a man of yourself. You are not a bad fellow really. Stop breaking open safes and be honest."
"Me?" said Jimmy in surprise. "Why, I've never broken a safe in my life." The warden laughed. "Better think over my advice, Valentine."
In the evening Valentine arrived in his native town, went directly to the cafe of his old friend Mike and shook hands with Mike. Then he took the key of his room and went upstairs. Everything was just as he had left it. Jimmy removed a panel in the wall and dragged out a dust-covered suitcase. He opened it and looked fondly at the finest set of burglar's' tools. It was a complete set made of special steel. The set consisted of various tools of the latest design. Over nine hundred dollars they had cost him.
A week after the release of Valentine there was a new safe-burglary in Richmond. Two weeks after that another safe was opened. That began to interest the detectives. Ben Price, a famous detective, got interested in these cases.
"That's all Jimmy Valentine's work. He has resumed business. He has got the only tools that can open any safe without leaving the slightest trace."
One afternoon Jimmy Valentine came to Elmore, a little town in Arkansas. A young lady crossed the street, passed him at the corner and entered a door over which was the sign "The Elmore Bank". Jimmy Valentine looked into her eyes, forgot what he was and became another man. She lowered her eyes and blushed slightly. Young men of Jimmy's style and looks were not of ten met in Elmore. Jimmy called a boy who was standing on the steps of the bank and began to ask him questions about the town and the people of the town. From this boy he learnt that this girl was Annabel Adams and that her father was the owner of the bank.
Jimmy went to a hotel and registered as Ralf Spencer. To the clerk he said that he had come to Elmore to start business. The clerk was impressed by the clothes and manner of Jimmy and he was ready to give Jimmy any information. Soon Jimmy opened a shoe-store and made large profits. In all other respects he was also a success. He was popular with many important people and had many friends. And he accomplished the wish of his heart. He met Miss Annabel Adams and she fell in love with him too. Annabel's father, who was a typical country banker approved of Spencer. The young people were to be married in two weeks. Jimmy gave up safe-burglary for ever. He was an honest man now. He decided to get rid of his tools.
At that time a new safe was put in Mr. Adams' bank. The old man was very proud of it and insisted that everyone should inspect it. So one day the whole family with the children went to the bank. Mr. Adams enthusiastically explained the workings of the safe to Spencer. The two children were delighted to see the shining metal and the funny clock. While they were thus engaged Ben Price, the detective, walked into the bank and stood at the counter watching the scene. He told the cashier that he was just waiting for the man he knew. Suddenly there was a loud scream from the women. Unseen by the elders, May, the smallest girl had shut herself in the vault.
"It's impossible to open the door now," said Mr. Adams in a trembling voice, "because the clock of the safe hasn't been wound. Oh, what shall we do? That child – she can't stand it for long because there isn't enough air there!"
"Get away from the door, all of you," suddenly commanded Spencer. And it must be mentioned that Jimmy happened to have his suit-case with him because he was going to get rid of it that day. Very calmly he took out the tools and in ten minutes the vault was opened. The others watched him in amazement. The little girl, crying, rushed to her mother.
Jimmy took his suit-case and came up to Ben Price whom he had noticed long before. "Hello, Ben", he said, "Let's go. I don't think it matters much now." And then suddenly Ben Price acted rather strangely. "I guess, you are mistaken Mr. Spencer," he said. "I don't seem to recognize you. I think your fiancé is waiting for you, isn't she?" And Ben Price turned and walked out of the Bank.
Answer the questions
What does the story start from?
What kind of crime did Valentine commit?
What did he do after being released from prison?
What kind of tools helped him break open safes?
Why did a detective get interested in safe-burglary cases?
Why did it strike the detective that it could have been Valentine to be blamed?
What did Valentine do after a series of safe-burglary?
What did father of Valentine’s fiancé install in his bank?
What kind of incident happened in the bank?
What was the outcome of the incident?
Give Russian equivalents
To be released
Warden
To shake hands with
In all other respects
To drag out a dust-covered suitcase
finest set of burglar's' tools
to accomplish the wish of his heart
lowered her eyes and blushed slightly
to be impressed by
made large profits
to get rid of
True or false
The warden of the prison gave him sound advice “Stop breaking open safes and be honest”.
Jimmy went to a hotel and registered as Jimmy Valentine.
His clothes were dirty and torn and he looked miserable when he registered at the hotel.
Jimmy had got the only tools that could open any safe without leaving the slightest trace.
Annabel's father, who was a typical country banker didn’t approve of Spencer.
Unseen by the elders, May, the smallest girl had shut herself in the vault.
Discuss the following:
What is the main idea of the story?
What is your attitude towards the main character of the story?
Do you approve of him?
What is the main idea of the story?
What is your attitude towards the main character of the story?
What are your emotions after reading the story? Did you like the plot?
Find grammatical phenomena and structures which you have studied during the semester
Retell the text briefly. Give a character sketch of the main hero(es).
TEXT 9