Speech patterns

1. It occurred to him that they had been dragged from the shelves by vermin before being eaten.

Didn’t it occur to you that your son might be late?

I suppose it never occurred to you to phone the police?

2. What if it were a vast public library, in which the people were unable to read the books?

What if it were a list of new words to be learned for tomorrow?

What if it were a combination of symbols which ancient people used?

3. It might have been better if they had risen up in a fury and destroyed the library.

It might have been better if he had been stopped by the newsagent’s on his way home.

It might have been better if Anne had taken a picture of us standing by a huge tree.

Phrases and word combinations

to scatter smth across the floor to be acclaimed as

to come to rest on smth posthumous publications

(about one’s finger) to counterfeit smth

the frontispiece to be content with smth (to do smth)

eternal fame a patchwork of (voices and styles)

daydream of one’s own to abandon the project

to be possessed by the spirits of smb a selection of literary reminiscence

to seem familiar to engraved plates

trick of one’s imagination to cross the threshold

to idly trace smth the subliminal figure

Essential vocabulary

1. come vi (esp. up to, down to) to reach, e. g. The water came (up) to my neck.

come about to happen, e, g. I'll never understand how it came about that you were an hour late on such a short journey.

come along (on) to advance, to improve, e. g. Mother's coming along nicely, thank you.

come by to obtain, e. g. Jobs were hard to come by with so many people out of work.

come down to lose position, respect or social rank, e. g. John came down in my opinion after his bad behaviour at the dance.

come in to become fashionable, e. g. When did the short skirt first come in?

come off 1) to cease being joined to smth, e. g. I tried to pick up the bucket, but the handle came off in my hand. 2) (in­formal) to succeed, e. g. It was a bold idea, but it is still came off.

come on (informal) to start, e. g. I can feel a cold coming on.

come out to become clear or known, e. g. The truth came out at the inquiry.

come to to regain consciousness, e. g. The girl faulted, but she came to when we threw drops of water on her face.

2. refer vi (to refer to smb / smth) 1) to mention or speak about someone or something, e.g. We agreed never to refer to that matter again; to refer to smth / smb as John referred to the discovery as a major breakthrough in medical science. 2) to look at a book, map, piece of paper etc., for information, e.g. Complete the exercise without referring to a dictionary. 3) to refer smb / smth to smb / smth to send someone or something to another place or person for information, advice, or decision, e.g. Professor Watson referred me to an article she had written on the subject.

reference n 1) something you say or write that mentions another person or thing, e.g. There is no reference to her own childhood in the novel.

to make reference to, e.g. She made no reference to what had happened.

2) the act of looking at something for information, e.g. Use this dictionary for easy reference.

3) with reference to (formal) used to say what you are writing or talking about, esp. in business letters, e.g. With reference to your recent advertisement, I am writing to request further details.

4) a letter written by someone who knows you well, usually to a new employer, giving information about you, e.g. We will need references from your former employer.

5) a note that tells you where the information that is used in a book, article etc. comes from, e.g. there is a list of references at the end of the article.

reference book, a book such as a dictionary that you look at to find information.

3. compose vt /vi 1) to be composed of to be formed from a group of substances or parts, e.g. Water is composed of hydrogen and oxygen. 2) to form smth from a group of things or people, e.g. The individual letters compose a word. 3) to write a letter, poem, speech, music etc. thinking about very carefully it as you write it, e.g. Can you compose a letter of complaint? 4) to compose ones thoughts, features to make oneself feel or look calm, e.g. He felt he needed a quiet place to compose his thoughts. to compose oneself to try very hard to become calm after feeling very angry, upset, excited,

composition n 1) the way in which something is made up of different parts, things, members, e.g. There were dramatic changes in the composition of the committee after the election. 2) a piece of music, or art, or a poem, e.g. I am fond of Conan Doyle’s latest compositions. 3) the way in which the different parts that make up a photograph or painting are arranged, e.g. The composition of these photographs is superb.

4. advertise vt 1) to tell people publicly about a product or service in order to persuade them to buy it, e.g. Have you tried that new shampoo they’ve been advertising on TV? 2) to make an announcement, for example in a newspaper or on a poster, that a job is available, an event is going to happen etc, e.g. I see they are advertising for a new editor. 3) to show or tell something about yourself that it would be better to keep secret, e.g. Don’t advertise the fact that you are looking for another job.

advertisement n 1) a picture, set of words, a film etc that is used to advertise a product or service, e.g. an advertisement for a free day of skiing in Vermont. 2) a statement in a newspaper that a job is available, an event is going to happen etc, e.g. to be an advertisement for to show the advantages of something, e.g. He’s not a very good advertisement for private education.

advertising agency a company that designs and makes advertisements for other companies, e.g. Mike has been working for advertising agency for two years already.

5. spirit n 1) an inner part of someone that includes their thoughts and feelings, and is thought of as making them what they are: e.g. His spirit was untameable. strong in spirit /independent, proud, free spirit a person with a particular type of character, e.g. A toddler already shows an independent spirit. 2) the part of someone that is believed to continue to live after they have died, e.g. Although granny is dead, I can feel her spirit with me. 3) to be in good / low spirits, to be in high spirits (excited) the way someone feels at a particular time, for example if they are cheerful or sad, e.g. We started our journey in high spirits. To keep smb’s spirits up to make sure someone does not become less cheerful, to raise /lift smb’s spirits to make someone feel happier and more hopeful, smb’s spirits lift / sink, e.g. My spirits sank when I saw the mess they’d left. 4) in spirit you say you will be somewhere or with someone in spirit, when you cannot be with them but are thinking about them, e.g. I can’t come to your wedding but I’ll be there in spirit.

spiritual adj 1) connected with your spirit rather than with your body or mind, e.g. As a priest I am responsible for your spiritual welfare. 2) connected with religion as the spiritual authority of the church; 3) spiritual home is a place where you feel you belong because you share the ideas and attitudes of that society.

spiritually adv

6. imagine vt 1) imagine that (what, how, why etc) to form a picture or idea in your mind about what something could be like, e.g. I can’t imagine why he became a writer. 2) to have a false or wrong idea about something, e.g. She doesn’t love him, he’s just imagining it. 3) to think that something is true, but without being sure or having proof, e.g. You must be missing her, I imagine.

imagination n 1) the ability to form pictures or ideas in your mind, e.g. Children often have very vivid imagination. 2) something that is caused only by your mind, and does not really exist or did not really happen, e.g. Did you hear that noise, or was it my imagination? 3) in your imagination, e.g. The difficulties are all in your imagination. 4) to catch / capture smb imagination, e.g. Shakespeare’s sonnets captured imagination of a whole generation.

7. opposite prep if one thing or person is opposite another, they are facing each other, e.g. The people sitting opposite us looked very familiar.

opposite adv in a position on the other side of the same area, e.g. The Browns live just opposite.

8. absorb vt 1) to take the liquid into itself from the surface or space around it, e.g. Plants absorb nutrients from the soil. 2) to read or hear a large amount of information and understand it, e.g. I haven’t really had time to absorb everything that he said. 3) to interest someone very much (to be absorbed in), e.g. Judith lay on the settee absorbed in her book. to absorb smb’s attention, e.g. The video was totally absorbing the children’s attention. 4) to become part of, to make a smaller country, company, or group of people become part of your country, company, or group, e.g. The US was able to absorb thousands of new immigrants.

absorbing adj enjoyable and interesting and holding your attention for a long time, e.g. an absorbing documentary.

9. announce vt 1) to officially tell people about a decision or something that will happen, e.g. They announced their engagement in ‘The Times’. 2) to say something in a loud or angry way: announce (that), e.g. Winston suddenly announce that he was leaving. 3) to give information to people using a loudspeaker or microphone, esp. at an airport or railway station, e.g. announcing the arrival of Flight 207 from Minnesota.

announcement 1) an important or official statement, e.g. an important announcement about tax increases to make an announcement, e.g. Silent please. Mr. Dacre has an announcement to make. 2) the act of telling people something important is going to happen, e.g. the announcement of the general strike. 3) a small advertisement or statement in a newspaper, e.g. birth /wedding / death announcement

announcer n someone who reads news or information on the television or radio.

10. book n

to be a closed book to be something that you know or understand nothing about, e.g. I’m afraid physics will always be a closed book to me.

to be an open book 1. If a person’s life is an open book, you can discover everything about it because none of the details are kept secret, e.g. Like many film stars, he wants to keep his private life private – he doesn’t want it becoming an open book. 2. If someone is an open book, it is easy to know what they are thinking and feeling, e.g. Sarah’s an open book, so you’ll know right away if she doesn’t like the present you’ve bought her.

to be in someone’s good books / be in someone’s bad books to be pleased or not pleased with you, e.g. He is in Melanie’s bad books because he arrived 2 hours late.

to bring someone to book (British & Australian) to punish someone, e.g. A crime has been committed and whoever is responsible must be brought to book.

a coffee table book a large, expensive book with a lot of pictures, that is often kept on a table for people to look at, e.g. A glossy coffee table book of his art work will be published next year.

to crack a book (American, informal) to open a book in order to study, e.g. I haven’t seen her crack a book and the French test is tomorrow. (Usually negative)

every trick in the book every clever or dishonest way that you know to achieve something that you want, e.g. He used every trick in the book to get her to sign the contract.

to go by the book to do something exactly as the rules tell you. My lawyer always goes strictly by the book, e.g. This is a private deal – we don’t have to do everything by the book.

to have one’s nose in the book to be reading, e.g. My daughter reads all the time. She’s always got her nose in a book.

to hit the books (American & Australian, informal) to study, e.g. I can’t go out tonight. I’ve got to hit the books.

to read someone like a book if you can read someone like a book, you know exactly what they are feeling or thinking without having to ask, e.g. You’re bored, aren’t you? I can read like you a book.

to take a leaf out of someone’s book to copy something that someone else does because it will bring you advantages: e.g. Maybe I should take a leaf out of Robert’s book and start coming in at ten every morning.

You can’t judge a book by its cover. Something that you say which means that you cannot judge the quality or character of someone or something just by looking at them, e.g. She doesn’t look very intelligent, but you can’t judge a book by its cover.

11. censor n, someone whose job is to examine books, films, letters etc and remove anything considered to be offensive, morally harmful, or politically dangerous etc, e.g. He has been working as a censor for 5 years at this publishing house.

censor v, to examine books, films, letters etc. to remove anything considered to be offensive, morally harmful, or politically dangerous etc.

censorship n, the practice or system of censoring something, e.g. the censorship of television programmes.

READING COMPREHENSION EXERCISES