was dissatisfied with Mr. Butler’s career. There was something paltry about it after all. Thirty thousand a year was all right, but inability to be humanly happy robbed such an income of its value.
Much of this he tried to express to Ruth and shocked her and made it clear that more remodelling was necessary. She could not guess that this man who had come from beyond her horizon had wider and deeper concepts than her own;
and she dreamed of helping him to see as she saw, of widening his horizon until it was identified with hers.
Exercises
1. Listen to the chapter with your book closed and mark the statements Y (yes) or N (no).
1. Nothing remained for Martin but to read.
2. The librarian was annoyed to see Eden every day.
3. The librarian did not give Eden any advice.
4. Martin decided to phone Ruth.
5. Ruth wondered if she could get some advice from Martin.
6. Martin’s grammar was awful.
7. Ruth explained to Martin how to speak correct English.
8. Ruth did not have any intention to remodel Martin’s life.
9. Ruth considered the life of Mr. Butler should be an inspiration to all.
10. Martin’s ideas did not surprise Ruth.
2. Learn the words from the text:
proper, devote, ordinary, attempt, contradiction, profoundly, solve, advice, tackle, interrupt, assist, hurt, demand, complete, ambitious, sacrifice, identify.
3. Complete the sentences using the words from the text. Make the changes where necessary.
1. “I’m sorry, I didn’t want to .......... you.”
2. Nothing is in its .......... place.
3. She .......... her carrier to bring up her children.
4. He .......... most of her time to his music.
5. The suspect .......... by a witness.
6. It was just an .......... Sunday evening.
7. He was an .......... hard working young clerk.
8. He thinks money .......... all his problems.
9. “Please, don’t .......... her while she is sleeping.”
10. The government is determined to .......... inflation.
11. “Can you give some .......... about buying a car?”
4. Choose a word to match the following definitions.
1) to say in a very firm way that you want something
2) right, appropriate or correct
3) to make somebody unhappy or upset
4) to spend a lot of time or effort doing something
5) determined to be successful, rich, famous, etc.
6) an act of trying to do something
7) to help someone or something
8) to find or provide a way of dealing with a problem
9) normal or average
10) an opinion you give someone about what they should do
5. Find in the text the English equivalents for:
неделя усиленного чтения, порвать с прежними привычками, столкновение идей, когда угодно, попросить совета, добраться до главного, выставить себя в глупом свете, куча родственников, резать слух, увлечь воображение, предаваться удовольствиям, человек с сильной волей.
6. Find the words in the text for which the following are synonyms:
dedicate, finish, common, suitable, effort, apprehend, deeply, claim (inquire), suggestion, help.
7. Say the following statements in your own words.
1. A week of heavy reading had passed.
2. Nothing remained for Martin but to read.
3. His head would be whirling with the conflict and contra-diction of ideas.
4. Ruth’s woman’s eye took in the slight but indefinable change in Martin for the better.
5. His voice died away.
6. He feared he had made a fool of himself.
7. Martin read voraciously the books that caught his fancy.
8. A man with a will may rise superior to his environment.
9. She could not guess that this man who had come from beyond her horizon had wider and deeper concepts than her own.
8. Explain and expand on the following.
1. Martin was afraid of making a blunder.
2. He attempted to read books that required years of preliminary specialisation.
3. Once Ruth and Martin were seated in the drawing-room he began to get on easily.
4. Martin feared he had made a fool of himself.
5. Ruth thought Martin needed to realise himself.
6. Martin’s grammar was awful.
7. Ruth’s interest in Martin increased.
8. Ruth dreamed of helping Martin to see as she saw.
9. Answer the following questions.
1. Why didn’t Martin call Ruth?
2. Why did it seem to Martin that he had lived centuries?
3. What kind of books did he read?
4. What advice did the librarian give Eden?
5. What change in Martin did Ruth feel?
6. What did they speak about?
7. What did Martin tell Ruth?
8. What was Martin’s origin?
9. What lesson did Ruth teach Martin?
10. What story did Ruth tell Martin?
11. Why was Eden dissatisfied with Mr. Butler’s career?
10. Correct the statements.
1. Martin could not get rid of his old companions.
2. Reading did not change his life at all.
3. The librarian was very annoyed when he saw Eden in the library every day.
4. Ruth guessed that Martin had not changed a bit.
5. Martin irritated Ruth.
6. Martin descended from a noble family.
7. Martin did not want to learn proper English.
8. Martin was fascinated with Mr. Butler’s career.
9. Ruth guessed that Martin was wiser than she was.
11. Develop the following statements.
1. A week of heavy reading had passed.
2. It seemed to Martin that he had lived centuries.
3. The librarian paid attention to Eden.
4. Ruth saw that Martin had changed for the better.
5. Martin wanted to turn to