Commentary

1. KLH: KLH is an audio company founded in 1957 as KLH Research and Development Corporation in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, by Henry Kloss, Malcolm S. Low, and Josef Anton Hofmann originally to produce loudspeakers. KLH had sales of $17 million, employed over 500 people and sold over 30,000 speakers a year before it was sold to Singer Corp in 1964. Later it was bought by Electro Audio Dynamics Inc. and moved to California in 1980.

2. VU meter: volume unit (VU) meter or standard volume indicator (SVI) is a device displaying a representation of the signal level in audio equipment.

3. RP: rear-projection television (RPTV) is a type of large-screen television display technology.

4. WABS-TV: an imaginaryTV company.

5. Grand Prix [ˌɡrɒnˈpriː]: any of a series of motoracing or motorcycling contests forming part of a world championship series, held in various countries under international rules.

Speech patterns

1. The only intrusion to his appearance was a large bulbous nose…

The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.(Helen Keller)

The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once…

2. They would spend the rest of the hot night working in the hotel…

They would waste the rest of their fortune gambling.

They would defend the rest of their country fighting.

3. If all went as promised he would soon be earning more than twice his current salary.

If we could achieve our aims by merely wishing, life would be very easy.

If turnips were watches, I would wear one by my side.

If all the world were just, there would be no need of valor.

Phrases and Word Combinations

to fade out

to rattle off the headlines

devoid of smth

to maintain one's objectivity

to wrap up the story

to resent the fates

to pick the crumbs of adjustment

to drone one's way through

to be content to do smth

to hold off

to scan the headlines

to be the manstay of one's life

an incongruous interruption

to be a full swing

network news feed

to snake one's way

to pretend to be

to make a minuscule

to brush across one's mind

to have premonitions

to flaunt a broom

to adopt a hands off policy

to be a sacred cow

to be on top of agenda

Essential vocabulary

1. rattle vt/i 1) (cause to) make short, sharp sounds quickly, one after the other, e.g. The windows were rattling in the strong wind. The hail rattled on the roof.

to rattle off (colloq.) to talk, to say or repeat smth quickly; to repeat (words) quickly and too easily from memory; to perform (an action) with ease and speed, e.g. What is the point of teaching the children to rattle off the names of the kings and queens of England if they know nothing about history?

to rattle away/on to talk rapidly and at some length and uninterestingly, e.g. At every meeting of the women's club, Mrs White rattles on for hours.

2) to annoy, cause to feel angry, e.g. My persistent questioning of his story rattled him, and he refused to answer my queries. She was rattled by the hypothetical eyes spying upon her.

Syn. embarrass, discomfit, abash, faze

rattled a annoyed, e.g. In the end he got rattled, (or: We got him rattled.)

2. overlook vt 1) to have or give a view of (smth or smb) from above, e.g. Our room overlooked the sea. 2) to look at but not see; not notice, e.g. Every time the question of promotion came up, Smythe was always overlooked. 3) to pretend not to see; forgive, e.g. I overlooked that breech of discipline as you were concentrating on a very important job.

Syn. open on, give on, face, miss

3. way n 1) a road or track (used lit. and fig.), e.g. Are you going my way?

to block the way to make movement difficult or impossible, e.g. Will you step aside, you're blocking the way.

to clear the way (for smth or smb), e.g. Clear the way for the car.

to make way (for smth or smb) to allow freedom to pass, e.g. All traffic must make way for a fire-engine.

to feel (grope) one's way to feel about with the hands; to search for in a hesitating way, e.g. We groped our way through the dark streets. "Have you come to any definite conclusion yet? " "No, I'm still feeling my way."

to give way 1) to break; to fail to hold up, e.g. The branch gave way and I fell into the stream. His legs gave way and he fell on his side, e.g. The army gave way (= retired) before the advance of the enemy.

2) to surrender oneself to smth, e.g. Don't give way to despair.

3) to be replaced by smth, e.g. His anger gave way to curiosity.

to go out of one's way to do smth, to make a special effort to do smth, e.g. He went out of his way to do me a kindness (a favour, an injury).

out-of-the-way remote, e.g. Students come to our city from the most out-of-the-way parts of the county.

2) direction (used lit. and fig.), e.g. I was so ashamed, I didn't know which way to look.

to know (see, find out) which way the wind blows to know what the state of affairs is, e.g. He always seems to know which way the wind blows (is blowing).

3) progress; advance, as to make (push, fight, feel, force, elbow, shoulder, pick, etc.) one's way (along, forward, to, to­wards, back, home, etc.), e.g. He pushed (elbowed, forced, etc.) his way through the crowd.