Vocabulary Training

I. Understanding Word Meaning from Context.

Choose a word or a word group that has the same meaning as the word in bold.

1. Students soon grow weary of listening to a parade of historical facts.

a. intelligent b. tired c. interested d. sarcastic

2. He spoke in a forthright manner but without anger.

a. energetic b. sad c. disappointed d. direct

3. She cast a furtive glance over her shoulder.

a. angry b. tired c. secret d. sad

4. She could not conceal the deep resentment she felt at the way they had been treated.

a. feeling b. joy c. offence d. surprise

5. She flung (Inf. fling) the letter down on the table.

a. laid carefully b. threw c. hid d. put back

6. It was a shock to discover the truth about his sordid past.

a. tragic b. criminal c. miserable d. dirty

II. a) What is the opposites of the words “decent” and “honesty”?

b) What two words are there in the text that mean “to shake slightly because of cold, fear or excitement”? Which one is more intense?

III. Word-building.

a) From what nouns are the adjectives “enraged” and “sheltered” derived? What do these nouns mean?

b) From what adjectives are the nouns “privacy”, “obscenity” and “apprehensiveness” derived? What do they mean?

c) From what adjective is the noun “extravagance” derived? Note that this is a translator’s “false friend”. In English it has negative connotations and quite a different meaning. What is it?

IV. a) Note that the words “trouble” and “tip” can be both nouns and verbs. Illustrate their various uses with examples of your own.

b) The word “commercial” can be both an adjective and a noun. What does it mean as a noun?

V. The verb “to check” has several meanings which are quite different. In what meaning and in what context is it used in the text?

VI. Explain the following words in English. Use an explanatory dictionary if necessary. If a word has several meanings, point out the meaning in which it is used in the text.

1) sobering 2) insurance 3) apprehensiveness 4) allowance

Recounting and Interpreting Details

For the interpretation of the story “Enormous Radio” review Part I. Use details from both parts while considering the following questions.

1. What image of the Wescotts is given at the beginning of the text? Why does the author use statistics?

2. What was the main difference of the Wescotts from most other people, according to Part I?

3. What was Irene’s reaction when her husband bought a new radio? What was the radio like?

4. What was unusual about the radio?

5. How did Irene’s attitude towards the radio evolve? How many stages can you distinguish throughout the story? Characterize each of them briefly and give your reasoning.

6. Did the Wescotts find the overheard conversations amusing?

7. When did the radio begin to bother Irene?

8. Why did Irene persist in listening to the radio?

9. There is a pun in the following sentence: “She kept the radio on all day and nothing untoward came toward the speaker”. What does this mean?

10. In Part I Jim said the new radio “would be a surprise for Irene when it came”. This is an instance of dramatic irony. Try to explain its essence. What was Jim’s intention when he bought the radio and what did it lead to?

11. What made Irene’s behaviour strange and why was Jim surprised at it?

12. What caused Jim and Irene’s first minor quarrel and what was its outcome?

13. What worried Irene? Did she want to be like others or rather stand apart from them? In what way?

14. What irritated Jim at the end of the story? What was his reaction to Irene’s sudden change? Did he love his wife, to your mind?

15. What image of Irene do we get at the end? Why hadn’t it been hinted at earlier in the story?

16. Comment on the last paragraph and the title.