III. Post-reading

3.1. Feelings.

When someone mentions grasshoppers in this country, right away there come to mind sure associations. What do we, native speakers of Russian / Belarusian see in our mind's eye then? Do natives speakers of English see eye-to-eye with us?

3.2. Dreams, dreams, dreams...

Here comes a shooting star for you. Make your wishes — quickly! If only you could / would / did / etc.!

3.3. Roleplay.

Dramatize the story you have read. In fact, it WAS a dramatic moment, wasn't it? The characters may be family members, and their neighbours and friends.

3.4. Hold a contest!

Exercise your skills in memorizing English words. Learn as many words as you can that name various insects — from A to Z. Hold a contest in your study group to find out who will turn out to be the greatest expert on insects.

3.5. Poetry corner.

Enjoy reading the following anonymous poem. It is as small as an insect but full of meaning nevertheless. Can you spot the elephant of meaning — or the grasshopper?

WAY DOWN SOUTH

Way down south where bananas grow,

A grasshopper stepped on an elephant's toe.

The elephant said, with tears in his eyes,

"Pick on somebody your own size."

NEIGHBOURS

I. Pre-reading

1.1. SHARE amusing (or not very) reminiscences connected with your neighbours next door. What are your neighbours like — a God's gift or a nuisance?

1.2. DISCUSS the idea of sharing, food in particular. How often do you do it to let your neighbourly feelings show?

1.3. TELL A STORY OF A VERY unexpected visit. It can be your own experience or something you have heard from other people. How unusual was all that?

II. Reading

2.1. Understanding the title.

Read the first paragraph of the story written by Elizabeth Ann Hardy. When do you think the events took place?

Sarah and Mama had finished baking. The air in the cabin was stifling, hut it smelled of good things to eat. Mama wiped her hands on her apron and put the clean mixing howl back on the shelf. Her hair was pulled hack in a knot, but a few wisps had escaped and formed damp curls along the back of her neck. Sarah stooped to offer little Jessie a cookie from the full plate. Suddenly she heard Mama gasp and turned to look. In the open doorway there stood two Indians...

2.2. Reading for pleasure and enrichment.

Read the story to the end and answer the question: Was there any good reason for Mama to gasp? The following words will be useful for better understanding of the events.

Stoop — to bend the body forwards

Breechcloth — an Indian garment

Leggings — a covering for the leg (from the knee to the instep)

Bundle — something tied or wrapped together

Hide — an animal skin

Chest — a large strong wooden box for storing things

Edge — to move slowly

Scoop — to pick up with your hand, cup, spoon, etc.

Sarah had not been this close to an Indian before. She had seen them only from a distance when she went with Papa to the fort. Last year, when her family had just arrived from the East, she'd heard the men talking about some kind of trouble with the Indians. There hadn't been any since, but she could tell Mama was alarmed. The Indians stood silently. One was a man; the other a boy, a little taller than Sarah. They were dressed in breechcloths and moccasins. The man wore deerskin leggings. The boy held a small bundle. Mama edged nearer to the table and rested one hand a few inches from the knife that lay there.

The man saw the knife, too, and held out his empty hands, palms up. Mama nervously smoothed her apron.

"What do you want?" she said.

The man took the bundle from the boy and held it out. He said some words Sarah could not understand. Mama looked puzzled. The man spoke again and made gestures as though he were eating. Mama frowned and bit her lip. The Indian started to speak again, then noticed Sarah's plate of cookies. He pointed to them and said more strange words, once again offering the bundle. Sarah could see now that it was the tanned hide of some small animal. Mama looked as though she were considering. Then she motioned for the two Indians to come inside.

"Sarah, offer our guests some cookies."

Sarah approached the man timidly and held out the plate. He hesitated, then took a cookie. The boy still waited, motionless, in

the doorway, watching Sarah through dark eyes. Sarah thought of a deer she had surprised one day in the woods.

Why, he's as scared as I am! She thought. For some reason this gave her courage. She smiled and held out the cookies. The boy glanced at the man and then took one.

Sarah put the plate on the table and returned to the corner where Jessie sat on the floor playing with a spoon.

"Have another," Mama said, pointing at the plate.

The man replied in his own language, and once again Mama bit her lip, trying to understand. This was like the guessing game Sarah had played with her friends in the East. Only this wasn't a game; it was real. It had something to do with the cookies, she knew. It had been a long time since they'd had any, but a few days ago wagons had arrived at the fort carrying sugar and other supplies.

Suddenly Sarah had an idea.

"Mama, maybe it's not the cookies. Maybe it's something in them."

Mama looked at her thoughtfully, then smiled. Taking a cup from the shelf, she walked over to the cupboard. She pulled out a sack, untied it, and reached in with the cup. Turning so the Indians could see, she let the sugar trickle back into the sack. The man looked pleased. He talked very fast now, holding up the bundle.

"You were right, Sarah," Mama said. "He wants to trade that piece of leather for some sugar." As she spoke, she lifted the lid of a chest where she kept the empty sacks.

She took a clean one and began to scoop sugar into it. They would run out before the next supply wagons came. After one more scoop she tied the top of the sack in a firm knot. She handed it to the Indian and accepted the bundle in return.

"Thank you," she said as she fingered the soft leather. "This will be very useful."

The man responded in his strange language. He and Mama stood there for a moment, like the soldiers at the fort when they saluted each other. Then, as quietly as they had come, the Indians turned and walked away. For a while Sarah and Mama stared at the empty doorway. Finally, Mama took a deep breath.

"Well," she said. "We'll certainly have a story to tell Father when he comes in." Sarah could imagine how Mama would tell it. With a twinkle in her eye, she would say, "Some neighbors came by today. They had cookies with us and borrowed some sugar."

2.3. True of false?

1. Sarah was used to serving Indians in her cabin.

2. All the Indians in the neighbourhood were friendly and peaceful.

3. The Indian boy was as frightened as Sarah, possibly even more so.

4. The Indians were ready to take by force what they needed.

5. It was quite a taste to figure out what the Indians wanted.

6. The family had plenty of supplies and could easily spare some sugar.

7. The neighbours parted most respectfully.

2.4. Points of view.

What did they mean by those gestures/movements?

1. Mama edged nearer to the table and rested one hand a few inches from the knife that lay there.

2. Mama frowned and bit her lip.

3. The Indian pointed to the cookies and said more strange words, offering the bundle.

4. She smiled and held out the cookies.

5. The man saw the knife and held out his empty hands palms up.

6. He and Mama stood there for a moment, like soldiers at the fort when they saluted each other.

2.5. Verbs in focus.

Translate into English using the following expressions: hold out, arrive at, pull out, run out (of), hand to, come by.

1. Мэри открыла шкаф и вытащила старую, любимую майку.

2. Продавец упаковал подарок и подал его*девочкам.

3. Заходи, если будешь поблизости.

4. Девочка дала щенку печенье, но тот трусливо (испуганно) попятился.

5. Когда мы прибыли на станцию, билетов не было.

6. У нас кончился порошок, сбегай в магазин, пожалуйста.

2.6. Storing vocabulary.

1. Seeing how many mistakes I'd made, the teacher ... at me disapprovingly.

2. The audience ... at the splendour of the scenery and costumes.

3. "Let me read your .... I'll tell you about your destiny", said an old woman.

4. The boy was new at school and looked around ....

5. A thin ... of smoke rose from somewhere in the wood.

6. The teacher looked dead-serious but everybody notice a ... in his eye.

7. I could hardly breathe in a ... crowded bus.

8. The police officer ... for me to pull over.

Choose from the following: wisp, stifling, gasp, palm, motion, timidly, twinkle, frown.

2.7. Grammar in focus.

Describe the behaviour of the characters as though you saw everything with your own eyes.

e.g. Mama looked as though she were considering.

1. The Indian gestured as though ...

2. The Indian boy didn't dare take a cookie as though ...

3. Sarah smiled at the boy as though ...

4. The unexpected guests disappeared in the wink of an eye as though ...