Use a dictionary to find out what the following words mean.

noun                        verb                      adjective                  

sincerity                   explode                       voluntary

fate                           pursue                         awed

bottom                     complain                     dumb

royalty                     show off                      furious

subterfuge                                                    fluent

missionary

booth

Find in the text the English equivalents for the following word-combinations.

дорогая частная школа; резать на маленькие кусочки; в выходные дни; с глубокой искренностью; из-за денег; шоколадный бисквит; оплачивать счет; хорошая одежда; взрослые девушки; быть полностью изолированным (оторванным) от жизни школы; ужасный характер; всю свою жизнь; в конце каждого задания; глупо выглядеть; тихим голосом; носить пенсне; старомодные свитера; машина с водителем; ездить в школу на автобусе или метро; школа, по окончании которой можно поступать в колледж или университет; слишком молодая; научиться бегло говорить по-французски и  по-немецки; все другие студенты; язык для делового общения; в маленьких кабинках с наушниками; со всего мира.

Find in the text the Russian equivalents for the following word-combinations.

a self-made girl; to win a scholarship; voluntary sport; to wipe a bit of bread around one’s plate; a different front door; to live an entirely separate life from the school; a roast duck; a fearful temper; awed silence; a fate worse than death; to look dumb; a huge commanding throne; to be influenced by royalty; a different dress for each day of the week; general knowledge; fellow schoolgirls; right and proper; a major school crime; the exchange scholarship.

Find in the text the following sentences. Translate them into Russian.

1. What’s your school routine? 2. Church is optional. 3. It is revolting. 4. … I got the feeling that he was fishing for anyone he could get. He’s obviously in it just for the money, don’t you think, Kate? 5. I noticed that he didn’t even read my school reports. Just as well, since they were absolutely grim… 6. I certainly need polishing up. 7. I’m rather surprised my mother sent me here, except it is supposed to be the best school. 8. Kate’s mother was also influenced by royalty. 9. The subterfuge was general knowledge. 10. The courses are really concentrated.

Match the words in the left column with the following definitions in the right column. Find the sentences with these words in the text.

1. to avoid             a. go after in order to catch up

2. awe                    b. keep or get away from

3. chauffeur                c. make or become refined

4. dumb                      d. have an effect on

5. to influence            e. respect combined with fear

6. to polish (up)     f. a ceremonial chair

7. to pursue            j. stupid

             8. a throne             h. a man paid to drive

                         a privately-owned car             

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

1. the school routine at St. Pauls’;

2. the headmaster and the high mistress of the school where Kate studied;

3. Kate’s family background.

7.  Answer the following questions.

1. What’s the difference in the way Judy, Pagan and Kate approached their studies? 2. What kind of daily routine was it in Kate's school? Why didn’t it sound like fun? 3. Why didn’t Kate like the headmaster and the high mistress? Why did she think the headmaster lived an entirely separate life from the school? 4. What did Kate’s mother complain to the high mistress about? 5. Why do you think Kate's parents sent their daughter to that school? What kind of education did her father want her to have? 6. Why did Kate make the chauffeur stop the Rolls at the end of the road? Did she like showing off? Why? What was a major school crime? 7. Why did Judy want to learn foreign languages? How did she manage to enter the language laboratory? Why was her mother furious when Judy won a scholarship? Who persuaded the mother to let Judy go to the lab? 8. What did the girls plan for the future? Was Judy going to be an African missionary? Why? 9. What did other students do if they needed an extra language for business? How did they learn it?

Translate the following sentences from Russian into English. Use the vocabulary from the text.

1. Как в вашей школе проходят занятия? 2. Если студент во время не сдает все экзамены, его отчисляют из университета. 3. Кажется, что такие студенты абсолютно обособлены от того, что происходит в университете. 4. У него отвратительный характер. 5. Он часами делает домашнее задание по грамматике. 6. В конце работы напишите, сколько времени вам понадобилось на выполнение каждого задания. 7. Отец хотел, чтобы у меня было такое образование, какое он не смог получить сам. 8. Наш курс по лексикологии (Lexicology) очень компактно спланирован. Мы проходим его только в первом семестре. 9. Чтобы бегло говорить по-английски, надо чаще общаться с носителями языка (native speakers). 10. Мы изучаем испанский уже два месяца, но пока еще не можем на нем говорить. 11. В этом языковом центре учатся люди, которым нужен английский язык для делового общения. Они приезжают сюда из многих стран мира.

                        SPEAK UP

1. Speak about the girls` attitude to their studies

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

 ‘The girls were sent to St. Paul’s by their parents but they didn’t seem to be very much interested in their studies.’

b) in the person of Kate . Start with the following:

 ‘Judy wanted to learn foreign languages but her mother couldn’t afford the language laboratory so she had to work hard to win a scholarship.’