again, and was very glad to see a new blind. “I see you have got a nice new blind. I think you have paid a lot of money for it!” – “Oh, yes, the blind is rather expensive, but I decided to turn to my customers for help. You see, I put a box in my shop with a notice: “For the blind”. And in this way I got the money to buy this new blind.”
2.1.1 Vocabulary notes
to turn to smb. For help – o6paтиться к кому-либо за помощью
a blind – жалюзи
blind – слепой
2.2.2 Answer the questions
Why did Mr. Stern’s friend recommend him to buy a new blind?
Who helped Mr. Stern to buy a new expensive blind? Why?
2.2 Text 2
A ticket-collector who had worked at the railway station for forty-five years was going to retire. One day he was talking to his friends about his work. He had enjoyed everything: his friends, his manager, the work itself. There was only one thing which he didn’t like in all of it. “What is it?” the friends asked him. “Oh, the passengers, certainly the passengers.”
2.2.1 Vocabulary notes
to retire – уходить в отставку, увольняться
2.3 Text 3
Bill works in a factory, and he usually comes home at half-past six every evening. He came home early last Friday, and he was very angry. He shut the door very hard, went into the living-room and sat down.
His wife was in the kitchen. She came up to her husband and looked him for a few seconds. Then she said to him, “Why are you angry, Bill?”
“Bus tickets cost three pence last week, but now they cost two pence,” he said.
“But that isn’t bad, Bill,” his wife said. “It’s good. Going by bus is cheaper now.”
“Yes, it is,” Bill said, “but I always walk to work in the mornings, and I walk home in the afternoons. Last week I saved six pence every day, but now I save four pence.”
2.3.1 Vocabulary notes
to save – экономить
2.4 Text 4
A rich businessman was dying. Before the death he wanted to tell his partner who was in business with him some important things. So he asked his family to leave him with his partner alone. The rich man thought that his friend George was a reliable partner and a very good friend. When they were alone the man said: “I’m dying, listen please. I’ve always been bad to you. When you were away on business two years ago I took a big sum of money from the safe and never put it back. I disliked you all my life. I sold the secret of your plan to another company for a hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Oh, George, I’m very sorry.” “That’s all right,” said George. “I was not so reliable as you thought I was. It was I who put poison into your tea at lunch yesterday.”
2.4.1 Vocabulary notes
to rely on (upon) – полагаться на к. -л.
Reliable – надежный, заслуживающий доверия
2.5 Text 5
James Rand worked for a company which sold office equipment. He came to Mr. Benson who wanted to open some new offices in New York to offer him the equipment of his company. Benson asked him about the quality of the equipment, the prices and the demand for the goods. After that he told him: “All right. Here is a letter to my New York manager, you can go to him for the order.”
Rand took the letter and went to New York by train. He had talks with the manager and got a very large order on attractive terms. When he came back home he remembered about Mr. Benson’s letter.
He opened the letter and read it. Mr. Benson wrote to his manager: “Get all information from this man but don’t buy his goods.”
2.5.1 Vocabulary notes
equipment – оборудование
demand – спрос
talks – переговоры
on attractive terms – на привлекательных условиях
2.6 Text 6
Peter Robinson is a young Englishman. He lives in London in a small flat and works for a big company. He has been a clerk for two years. Every August he goes on holiday. Some years ago he liked going to foreign countries but now he prefers to spend two weeks at a seaside hotel in Great Britain. Sometimes he rents a room in a boarding house or goes on a camping holiday. This summer he decided to go to Brighton, a famous resort. The weather is usually warm and dry there in the summer season. Peter rented a room in a hotel. The accommodation was very expensive. He sunbathed every morning. In the evening he went to restaurants, night clubs, casinos. He had a very good time. A week later he had no money to pay for his room or to buy lunch. So he sent a telegram to his father: “No money, no funny. Sonny.” Soon he received the answer from his father: “Too bad. Too sad. Dad.”
2.6.1 Vocabulary notes
boarding house – пансион, меблированные комнаты со столом
accommodation – жилье
2.7 Text 7
One afternoon Mr. Wallis who lived far from the centre of London was returning home. It had already got dark when he came to a quiet narrow street with no people or traffic in it. Suddenly a middle-aged man stopped him and asked if he would buy a cat from him. As Mr. Wallis refused to make the purchase the man aimed a gun at him.
“How much does it cost?” asked Mr. Wallis. “It’s not expensive. Five hundred pounds only”, was the reply. So Mr. Wallis had to sign a cheque for five hundred pounds and the man gave him the cat.
Several years had passed since that day. Mr. Wallis decided to go shopping and called at a small shop where he had never been before. He recognized in the shopassistant the man who had sold him the white cat several years before.
Mr. Wallis left the shop and returned a little later. “I’ve brought a white cat. Will you buy it?” smiled he, “It’s one of the lovely kittens of the white cat that you sold me several years ago, I recommend you to buy it”. The shop-assistant understood everything. He told Mr. Wallis that he would pay him for the cat if Mr. Wallis did not tell the police about it and if he never came to the shop again.
“How much does it cost now?” he asked.
“Seven hundred pounds”, was the answer, “because I want to get some interest on my money.”
2.7.1 Vocabulary notes
to make
