Comprehension

1. The writer

a. can cook pretty well b. can cook several simple dishes

c. can’t cook at all

2. The “Snowbirds” are

a. birds who feed on the leftovers that the writer gives them

b. the writer’s friends who sometimes give him food leftovers

c. the writer’s friends who occasionally ask him to cook for them

3. In the situation that the writer describes he ended up with

a. a dozen of eggs b. two dozen of eggs c. three dozen of eggs

4. The second egg boiling was not a success because

a. the writer could not boil the water b. the eggs had been cracked

c. the eggs got cracked when placed into boiling water

5. What did the writer do with the boiled cracked eggs?

a. He threw them away. b. He used them to make a salad.

c. He put them into his refrigerator.

6. The writer

a. underestimates his cooking skills b. overestimates them

c. estimates them quite adequately

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. Can you forecast where the economy is heading?

a. developing b. growing c. moving d. leading

2. Dirty hands can be a breeding ground for germs.

a. birds b. groceries c. microbes d. cells

3. The whole process is wasteful and inefficient.

a. slow b. uneconomical c. dirty d. useless

4. He claims that he has not been given a fair hearing.

a. agrees b. states c. denies d. remembers

5. We can handle up to 200 calls an hour at our new office.

a. make b. deal with c. help d. collect

6. In retrospect, I think that I was wrong.

a. in reality b. frankly speaking c. unfortunately d. looking back

II. Note that the words “head” and “handle” can be both nouns and verbs. These are cases of conversion. Look up the meanings of these words as nouns and as verbs in a dictionary and illustrate them with examples of your own.

III. Note the use of the verb tend to (+Inf). It means “to be likely to do something or to happen in a particular way because this is what often or usually happens”. This is the common way to make generalizations, a polite and diplomatic way to say something critical.

When he’s tired he tends to make mistakes. (polite criticism).

It tends to get very cold here in winter. (mild generalization).

Think of two examples of your own making true observations, if possible.

IV. a) Find several phrasal verbs with the postposition UP in the text. What does this postposition add to the meaning of the verbs? b) Find two verbs with the postposition OUT and two verbs with the postposition FOR. Make sure you understand their meaning.

Use two of the phrasal verbs in examples of your own.

V. 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) average 2) to claim 3) to pickle 4)leftovers 5) specialty

VI. Note how each of the following idioms is used in the text:

1) from time to time; 2) to be (to be kept) in the dark about smth; 3) for a change; 4) word for word; 5) in retrospect; 6) fresh from; 7) on top of all this.

Now use each of these idioms in an example of your own. Try to relate them to your own experience.