Find in the text the words and word-combinations which describe

1. the way the sisters behaved and talked;

2. Jury’s attitude to their visit;

3. Robert’s emotions and inner feelings.

6. Continue the following sentences according to the model.

Model: She put some chocolate and vanilla in the cake. (tasty) – The cake is going to be tasty.

1. Look! The barman is putting some brandy in the cocktail. (strong). 2. This time I’ll put more nuts in the ice-cream. (delicious). 3. What are you doing? - I’m putting some cream in the coffee. (tender). 4. I’d rather put more raisins in the buns. (sweet). 5. Put more spices in the soup. (tasty). 6. I’ll put some herbs and honey in the tea. (delicious) 7. Now, look, I’m putting some cinnamon in the pudding (fragrant). 

7. Answer the following questions.

 1. What was the aim of the sisters’ visit? 2. Why do you think Jury got startled when the old woman touched him on his arm? 3. How do we know that both the sisters were very talkative? 4. What did the sisters say about the pie? 5. Did Miss Minnealetha mean to insult Robert? Was he really hurt? 6. What did Robert think of himself and other Southerners by birth?  What characteristics did Robert attribute to all Southerners? 7. In what way should the woman have referred to Glory so as not to insult Robert? What are the politically correct words for black people? 8. How did Miss Minnealetha describe the pie? 9. Why didn’t Miss Minnealetha use an electric oven? 10. What is the difference between Jury's and Robert's attitude to the sisters' visit? Why did it seem to be quite natural to Robert and quite strange to Jury?

8. Translate from Russian into English using the vocabulary from the text.

1. Официант поставил на стол четыре чашки кофе. 2. Он так любит все острое! Ведь он прирожденный южанин! 3. Корочка пирога такая воздушная, что распадается на вилке. 4. Я открыла дверь и увидела его с огромным тортом в руке. Конечно же, я пригласила его в дом. 5. Наша пища может показаться тебе слишком пресной и безвкусной, но скоро ты к ней привыкнешь. 6. - Ты что там печешь? – Пирог. Заходи попозже. Пирог будет очень вкусным! 7. Она наклонилась, чтобы поставить блюдо на стол. 8. Пирог зарумянился неровно. 9. Они не привыкли есть так много хлеба.   10. Дети замерли, уставившись на огромный торт в центре стола. 11. Она не разочаровала гостей, приготовив свое фирменное блюдо.

                SPEAK UP

1. Describe the events that took place that evening. Imagine you are a) Jury; b) Miss Minnealetha.

2. Make up a conversation that could have taken place a) between Robert and Jury after the sisters’ visit; b) between the sisters on their coming home.

Speak about the visit

a) in the person of Robert. Start with the following :

‘Miss Ida and Miss Minnealetha came to our place yesterday, bringing a pie with them’. (Implication: Like all Americans who are raised right, the ladies came to welcome us as their new neighbours).

b) in the person of Jury. Start with the following: ‘Those two sisters I hardly knew came to our place yesterday, bringing a pie with them. What a nuisance! What a waste of time!’ ( Implication: It’s quite unusual for Russians nowadays to show consideration for their new neighbours in such a way).

4. Discuss the following questions.

1. What is commonly eaten in your family? Do you like cooking? Can you make up an economical meal in a short time? 2. What is the best dish you can cook? What appliances do you use to prepare it? 3. Do you agree that cooking may be an ‘art form?’ 4. What is your favourite place to have a meal? Why do you like it? 5. Are there many good places to eat in the city you live in? What are they? 6. Do you eat much exotic food (spicy food, fast food)? Why or why not? 7. Who is the best cook in your family? 8. Do you often eat fast food? Why or why not? 9. Do you have any regular mealtime? 

With your partner make up a conversation based on the information from the text below.

Different people have different mentalities. They have their own ways of thinking and acting which are  reflected in their language. For example:

1. English people do not wish each other ‘Good Appetite.’

2. There are gender differences in the vocabularies of men and women. A woman may ask her husband to set the table for dinner, asking him to put out SILVER, CRYSTAL, and CHINA, while a man sets the table with KNIVES, FORKS, SPOONS, GLASSES and DISHES. His wife might think the TABLE LINEN attractive, the husband might think TABLECLOTH and NAPKINS all right.

    3. There are also a lot of differences in idiom meaning. For example, the phrase “ хлеб с маслом” in the Russian language is associated with the idea of GOOD LIFE, while people in Great Britain use the idiom ‘cakes and ale’ to express the same idea. For Americans ‘bread and butter’ means something else. It’s ‘unhealthy food, high in cholesterol.’

4. In the eyes of the British people meals are rather formal affairs and are not usually shared with outsiders. Visits at mealtime are impolite. If you do interrupt a family at meal time, you should apologize for intruding. They do not expect you to be invited to share the meal.

5. Tea-drinking is quite a tradition in Great Britain. Englishmen don’t drink tea with lemon. They call it ‘Russian tea.’ ‘English tea’ means very strong tea with milk in it.