III. Post-reading

3.1. Feelings.

Share your feelings about the boy's deed with a friend. Think and prove which quality predominated — foolishness or bravery.

3.2. Memories.

Describe an incident from your own life when you were: (a) frightened; (b) astonished; (c) shocked; (d) thunderstruck.

3.3. Dreams of the future.

Imagine Will 20 years after. Do you think he will be a trapper, or an environmentalist, or an explorer, or a businessman? Explain your choice.

3.4. ROLEPLAY.

Meet Will, the brave rescuer of the dog. Role-play a conversation between Will, his father, the old man and the correspondent of a local paper. And, by the way, don't forget Blackie the dog.

3.5. Project work: famous dogs.

Read the information below to remember how dogs helped Soviet scientists to test the Vostok space capsules in 1960 — 1961. Do you know any other famous dogs?

Before Gagarin's first manned flight into space took place, Soviet engineers had tested the Vostok capsule under the Korabl-Sputnik program. On May 15, 1960, Korabl-Sputnik 1 reached orbit. The second spacecraft was launched soon afterwards, on August 19, 1960. It was a successful flight by two dogs, Belka and Strelka. Yet not everything went smoothly at the beginning. Korabl-Sputnik 3 was launched on December 1,1960, but it was intentionally destroyed after its retrorocket shut down prema­turely. The capsule probably would have landed safely, but it would have missed the USSR and landed in foreign territory. The dogs onboard, Pchelka and Mushka, were killed. A month before Gagarin's flight Korabl-Sputnik 4 was launched. It was the first Vostok capsule designed exactly as it would be for pi­loted flight. Chernushka, the dog aboard, landed safely after one orbit. On Korabl-Sputnik 5, launched on March 25, 1961, a dog named Zvezdochka rode in the capsule as it landed. Zvezdochka survived the landing...

STORM WATCH

I. Pre-reading

1.1. SHARE your ideas about the phenomena that scare only kids, or kids and adults alike?

1.2. DISCUSS the effects of the elements on you. What do you feel — delight, fright, awe, joy or, maybe, total indifference?

1.3. ARGUE the wisdom of the saying that everything comes to him who waits. And what about the one who watches?

II. READING

2.1. Understanding the title.

Storm Watch is the title of the story written by Gayle Rosengren. Does it ring any alarming bell? What do you think will be described in the story?

2.2. Reading for pleasure and enrichment.

Read the story and answer the question: How did the characters fight their fears and triumph in the end? The following words will be useful for better understanding of the events.

Plunge — to move, fall or be thrown suddenly

Crib — a bed for a young child

Boom — to make a long deep sound

Whimper — a low crying sound

Mop — to dry one's face by rubbing it with something soft

Squeal — to make a long loud high sound

Rumble — a series of long low sounds

I watched Mom drive away with a sinking feeling. Even though she had promised to hurry, I knew she might not make it back before the storm hit. Already the sky was filling with angry gray clouds, and the wind was picking up, rustling through the trees.

"Don't look," I told myself. But I couldn't seem to look away. I was waiting, I guess, and in a minute I saw it-a flicker of light in the darkening sky. Lightning! I held my breath, counting in my head. One thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand three ... I got to one thousand six before I heard the far-off rumble of thunder. And even though I knew it was still miles a way-six to be exact-my mouth was dry, my heart was beating faster, and my hands were shaking.

I closed the door and leaned back against it, as if that might keep the storm from coming. If only Jimmy weren't sick! Then at least Mom would be here. But she had to race off to pick up Jimmy's medicine before the drugstore closed. And someone had to stay with Jimmy, who was napping upstairs. With Dad out of town, I was that lucky someone.

Suddenly the living room windows rattled as if fists were pound­ing on the glass. 1 jumped about three feet in the air. Then I realized it was just a gust of wind, and my heart left my throat and slid back down where it belonged. I couldn't help it. I had to look outside again. I braced myself, but I was still shocked. In just a few minutes the sky had gone from gray to black. It was so dark, the streetlights had come on, hours early. And trees were bending almost in half under the force of the wind.

I swallowed hard. This was going to be a bad one.

A loud crash of thunder was all it took to send me flying up the stairs and down the hall to my room. That's where I always wait out storm, buried under my quilt with my pillow wrapped around my ears.

I'd only gotten as far as my doorway, though, when I heard something almost as awful as the thunder. Jimmy! For a few seconds there I had forgotten all about him, but Jimmy was awake now and crying for Mom.

I skidded to a stop just as a flash of lightning lit up my room. My bed had never looked so good! 1 took a step toward it as the room plunged back into darkness, then stopped and covered my ears as thunder rocked the house. But when the thunder died away, I could hear Jimmy wailing, even through my hands. Jimmy, who had never been bothered by storms before, had to choose today of all days to start! I groaned and turned around before I could give in to the part of me that was saying. Forget it. He'll go back to sleep.

I backtracked down the hall to Jimmy's room. His crying got louder with every step I took.

"It's O.K., Jimmy," I called. "I'm coming."

He must have been surprised to hear my voice instead of Mom's. He actually quieted down.

I got to Jimmy's room just as two bolts of lightning blazed paths across the sky, one right after the other. For a few moments the room was as bright as day, and I saw Jimmy as clear as anything. He was standing in his crib, his face flushed and his cheeks shiny with tears. His nose was dripping. And his eyes were wide with fear.

I forgot to cover my ears in my hurry to get to Jimmy before the thunder sounded. I almost made it. The crashes boomed right over us so loud they left my ears ringing.

"Mommy! Mommy!" Jimmy screamed in terror. I hugged him tight to my thudding chest. In a shaky voice I said what I thought Mom would say. "Shhh, Jimbo, don't cry. It's just a noise. It won't hurt you." That's what Mom always told me when I was little, any­way. I never really believed it. But, surprisingly. Jimmy seemed to. His sobs quieted to whimpers.

I felt his forehead hot against my cheek. Then I remembered his nose and I reached over to grab a tissue from the box on his dresser.

"Mommy," he said pitifully. "Want Mommy." I wanted to say, "Me, too!" But I didn't think that would help things. Instead I said, "I know. But Mommy went to get medicine to make you feel better. She'll be home any minute."

I patted his back with one hand and mopped his face with the other.

Another deafening crash of thunder set him off again. My own fear was bad enough, but seeing Jimmy's fear was somehow even worse. Maybe because he was so little and sick. Or maybe because I knew he was counting on me to make everything all right. Desperate, I remembered something my father had tried with me when I was little. It hadn't worked because I was too scared to really give it a try. But maybe it would work for Jimmy.

"Look, Jimmy," I said. "Look out the window. It's just like fire­works. See that flash over there? Here comes the crash! Cover your ears!"

Jimmy actually giggled. He took his hands from his ears after the thunder stopped and said, "Again!"

"Help me watch, then," I said. "Let's see who sees the next flash first. Watch close now."

"There!" we both said at once, slapping our hands over our ears. This time I even managed a shaky laugh of my own

"Again," Jimmy squealed.

So we played the game over and over.

I'm not sure when Mom arrived. We were so busy playing our game, we didn't notice. But the storm was ending when I turned and spotted her in the doorway. She was soaking wet, but she had this huge smile on her face. 1 gave her a little wave and smiled over Jimmy's head.

"Want more fireworks," Jimmy was demanding.

"Sorry, Jimbo." I said. "It looks like the storm's over."

"Not over. More!" he insisted.

"Not today," I said. "But, hey, there may be another storm tomorrow. Think so?"

He nodded happily, and I grinned back. Yep, there's bound to be other storms. And from now on I plan to stick around to see them.

2.3. True of false?

1. The boy was absolutely alone at home.

2. Storms always frightened the narrator out of his wits.

3. Mother had to rush to the drugstore for some medicine that day.

4. The best place to wait out the storm was under the kitchen table.

5. The narrator ignored his brother's wails and hid in his room.

6. Jimmy had always been afraid of thunderstorms.

7. A game appeared an ideal way out for the boys.

8. The kids began to look forward to another storm.

2.4. Points of view.

What did they have in mind when saying or thinking so?

"My bed had never looked so good."

"This was going to be a bad one."

"Want more fireworks!"

"But, hey, there may be another storm tomorrow."

"If only Jimmy weren't sick!"

"I plan to stick around to see other storms."

2.5. Verbs in focus.

Match the verbs with their definitions, then try your hand at fragment translation.

1	pick up	A	remain in the same place
2	look away	B	yield to
3	wait out	C	collect
4	die away	D	cause to start
5	give in to	E	gain speed or strength
6	set off	F	turn one's eyes away
7	stick around	G	become weaker, to fade
8	pick up	H	deal successfully (by waiting)

1. The sound of the traffic (постепенно затих) and we found ourselves alone.

2. Would you (заберешь) my coat from the drycleaner's?

3. If you need my advice, I (побуду здесь) for a couple of weeks.

4. As the train (набирал) speed, the travelers started to relax.

5. One of the easiest ways to do nothing is (поддаться) one's laziness.

6. There was something about the girl that made it impossible (отвести глаза).

2.6. Storing vocabulary.

Fill in the right word from the list below.

Finding herself alone in the crowd the little girl... with fright.

Jack, ... himself for the inevitable arguments, entered the boardroom.

The Indians ... to throw the policemen off the track.

It was strange to see a bright... of light in total darkness.

The wheels of the truck ... on the wet snow.

Suddenly a ... of violent rage swept over him.

Choose from the following: to brace, to skid, to wail, to back­track, flash, a gust.

2.7. COLLOQUIAL ENGLISH. The stormy day was filled with emo­tions. One boy wished: "If only Jimmy weren't sick!" What about the characters? Exclaim for them, please (but not explain, remember!)

Jimmy: "If only_____!"

Narrator: "If only_____!"

Mother: "If only_____!"

2.8. Storing vocabulary.

Doing exercises with difficulty is no big news. We hope this one will prove to be easier — and more useful, too.

Mumbling Trembling Shaking Glowing Shivering Gesticulating

WITH

anger agitation fear happiness anticipation animation

s/he…

2.9. More grammar.

The kids heard and saw a lot of things that evening. For instance, the narrator watched Mom drive away. What else did they hear and see? Use the Complex Object, will you?

e.g. The boy(s) heard/saw/felt/made/let...

2.10. BRAINTHUNDERSTORMING DESCRIPTION. Find as many phrases as you can in the story describing the storm. Create your own picture of a perfect storm.

e.g. Thunder rocked the house the sky had gone from gray to black ...