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20. Who had a family-physicianary way of putting things? Why?

21. What old-world spot was offered to seek out for their rest?

22. What were the advantages of going up the river?

23. Was the motion carried unanimously?

XX. Give a summary of the text.

XXI. Answer the questions and discuss the text:

1. What epithets are used by the author in the fourth paragraph? Comment upon their use.

2. How many sentences are there in the fifth paragraph? Speak about the syntax of the paragraph.

3. What is the function of verbs denoting motion in the paragraph "Then I wondered how long I had to live..." (start off, pulled out, stopped, patted, stuck out, would go, shut, must have been beating, went). How do they reveal the character's nervousness?

4. What is implied by the words "...from what I call my waist?"

5. Comment upon similarity in syntactical structure and the use of antonyms in the sentences: "I had walked into that reading room a happy, healthy man. I crawled out a decrepit wreck."

6. Find a case of exaggeration in the paragraph starting with "I went to my medical man."

7. Why does the author resort to the bookish word "to pass away" instead of the neutral word "to die" in the next paragraph?

8. What verbs are used to describe the doctor's examination and what associations do they evoke?

9. What is the humorous effect produced by the "prescription" based upon? Speak about the role of graphics.

10. Find cases of exaggeration in the paragraph starting with "What I suffer in that way.

11. Comment upon the implication in the phrases: "had better try to swallow a bit", "after the first half-hour or so", "this duty done".

12. What words and phrases create a special mood in the paragraph "I agreed with George..." Are they all connected by their dictionary meaning? If not, can they be included into one thematic group due to their contextual meaning? (contextual meaning is the one that a word obtains only in the text). Which word (or phrase) could entitle this group? Are there in this paragraph any words (or phrases) that form a group of contextual antonyms, opposite in meaning to the first group?

XXII. Below is the list of diseases from the text under study. What do you know about their symptoms? Why are they mentioned by the author?

Hay fever; typhoid fever; ague; St. Vitus’s Dance; Bright's disease; cholera; diphtheria; housemaid's knee, gout; zymosis; scarlet fever.

XXIII. Retell the text in detail.

XXIV. Think over O. Wilde's famous paradoxes and give your opinion: “Life is far too important a thing ever to talk seriously about." “The soul is born old but grows young. That is the comedy of life. The body is born young and grows old. That is life's tragedy."

Translating. Written tasks

XXV. Translate the text of the following patient package insert (листок-вкладыш) and give its summary:

Patient Package Insert

Page 109

Supradyn

• What is Supradyn and when is it used?

Supradyn contains, as its active ingredients, balanced amounts of all the important vitamins (apart from vitamin K, which is an exceptional case), essential minerals and trace elements. Vitamins are essential substances which are supplied to the body in food. Minerals are indispensable for the metabolism and for growth and regeneration of the body (for instance, for bones, blood, etc.). Finally, trace elements are vital substances which are required by the body in minute quantities but which are not always supplied in the daily food in adequate amounts.

Supradyn is recommended whenever a deficiency of vitamins and minerals is at risk of developing: during convalescence after illness or surgery, when you have to take antibiotics, if you want or have to keep to a special diet, or in chronic alcoholism and unbalanced diet.

Supradyn is obtainable as effervescent tablets, film-coated tablets or capsules. By dissolving the effervescent tablets in a glass of water, you can obtain a pleasant-tasting drink. The film-coated tablets and capsules are best swallowed whole with some liquid during meals.

• When must Supradyn not be taken?

You must not take Supradyn if you are already receiving too much vitamin A or D (hypervitaminosis A or D). Make sure your doctor or pharmacist knows if you

- are suffering from other illnesses

- have allergies, or

- are taking other medicines (including non-prescription drags).

• May Supradyn be taken during pregnancy or while breast­-feeding?

If you keep to the recommended dosage, there are no objections to taking Supradyn during pregnancy or while breast-feeding. During the first three months of pregnancy, however, you should refrain from taking any medicine at all, unless prescribed by your doctor.

• Where can you obtain Supradyn?

At pharmacies. No doctor's prescription required.

F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland