Exercise 2. Find the equivalents of the following words and phrases in the text:
убитый горем; многочисленные интервью; как гром среди ясного неба; обвинить его во всех смертных грехах; их семейные отношения не сложились; принимать участие в воспитании; отдыхать в тишине и покое; соблюдать строжайшую тишину; презирать подлость и бесчеловечность; навязывать свой образ жизни всей семье; обеспечивать семью; заглянуть в самые сокровенные уголки его души; с сочувствием относиться к простым людям; люди из рабочего класса; спутник жизни; приступить к работе; организовывать свое рабочее место; доказать своей матери, что он чего-то стоит; убежать от суровой реальности; появляется чувство горечи и безнадежности
Exercise 3. Give the Russian equivalents of the following words and phrases:
to cope with the pain of loss; deep down; to fall into melancholy; to enjoy the coolness of fresh salty air; the love affair was developing promptly; to drop out of college; to earn one’s living; due to frequent relocations; to be rejected; a heart-to-heart talk; to create realistic characters; to do things one’s own way; to run the household; at dawn; a divorce agreement; to put someone in a bad light; to be unavailable; it seems to be true; behind closed doors; to belong to high society; a favorite child; it never rains, but it pours; to be grief-stricken over the loss
Exercise 4. Match the words with their definitions:
Detective Riddle No. 4
Do you like solving intriguing criminal cases like a true detective? If so, let’s see if you can think outside the box. Read the story carefully and collect all the clues that lead to the suspect. Find all the information needed to solve the mystery.
● Collect the evidence, check out alibis and interrogate each suspect to solve the crime. Keep in mind the rules for telling the time.
● Possible suspects: Gregory, Alex, Elizabeth, Diana.
Last Monday, the local school organized a children’s painting contest. Everyone wanted to showcase their talents and win the main prize – a single entrance ticket and a private guided tour to the Hermitage. Only five students reached the final of the selection process: Gregory, Alex, Elizabeth, Emily, and Diana. The best pictures selected by the jury hung on the walls in the assembly hall. The competition was due to start at nine in the morning. The door to the assembly hall was closed till half past eight. Ms. Smith, an art teacher, was the first to come. She opened the door, left her stuff, and headed to the school canteen to do some preparations. Two minutes later, Emily showed up. She was the main contender for victory. Her paintings were so realistic and detailed that they could be mistaken for photos. Emily looked nervous and detached. Suddenly, her cell phone rang. She picked up the phone, looked at her watch again, and went outside to meet her best friend Gregory. He was talented, but didn’t strive to become a great artist. He wanted to pursue a career in medicine. They had about twenty-five minutes before the start of the competition. Next came Diana. She wanted to win badly as if her own life was at stake. At twenty minutes to nine, Diana went to find Ms. Smith. She wanted to help her with preparations. Two minutes later, Gregory and Emily noticed Elizabeth, who was walking out of school. She was at a loss. As it turned out, she got to school fifteen minutes earlier than Emily. As no one else was there, she went to the canteen and accidentally fell asleep. It was Ms. Smith who woke her up. The teacher asked her to find Diana, but she was allegedly nowhere. Elizabeth looked scared and upset. When Emily and Gregory asked her what had happened, she almost burst into tears. According to her, she’d just decided to withdraw from the competition, but she didn’t explain her reasons. And then, moments later, they saw Diana, who was coming towards them. She said that Ms. Smith asked her to gather everyone. For some reason, Diana neither greeted Elizabeth, nor looked in her direction. When they reached the assembly hall, they saw Alex saying goodbye to Mr. Green, an English teacher. As it turned out, Alex had gotten to school at eight o’clock in the morning because he had a meeting scheduled with Mr. Green. They spent about an hour discussing his project. When the bell rang, all the participants entered the assembly hall. What they saw, left them shocked. Someone damaged one of the paintings with a knife. The painting belonged to Emily. It was like a nightmare. Ms. Smith decided to call her uncle Jules Maigret. When he came to the crime scene, he immediately solved the crime. Recreate what happened and determine who the criminal was.
Wilkie Collins
(January 8, 1824 – September 23, 1889)
One late night, three men were walking down the street when they heard a piercing scream and saw a “young and very beautiful woman dressed in flowing white robes that shone in the moonlight.” As always, according to the laws of the genre, the “brave knight” saved the scared “princess” fleeing from her pursuer. Does this episode ring a bell to you? And if you, dear readers, think that this is а plot of а mystery novel, you are grossly mistaken. If one may believe biographers, this is а real-life story of how the legendary writer met his lady friend. The life of Wilkie Collins was full of controversies and mysteries. And given the iconic writer’s reputation as a master storyteller and an inexhaustible inventor, it was even more difficult to distinguish truth from fiction especially since the author didn’t like to talk publicly about his personal life. Suffice it to recall his unusual last will! This chapter tells a fascinating story of the greatest mystery writer and the “grandfather of the detective novel” Wilkie Collins, while also lifting the veil on his extremely private life. You’ll find out some lesser-known facts that will probably surprise you.
William Wilkie Collins, an English novelist, playwright, and author of short stories, was born on January 8, 1824, in a prestigious Marylebone area of London. His father, William Collins, was a well-known landscape artist and a member of the Royal Academy. According to the writer’s memories, he was “uniformly kind and considerate to his children.” His mother, Harriet Geddes, was brought up in genteel poverty. She came from an artistic family: her sister Margaret Carpenter was a talented and successful portrait painter. Harriet was a devoted wife and mother. Their home was always filled with love, care, and joy. According to some resources, Collins’ parents got married against the wishes of his paternal grandmother, which once again proves that it was a marriage of love. Collins was named after his father William and his godfather – the Scottish painter David Wilkie. As a child, he was called William or Willie. However, over time, when the writer gained recognition within the literary circles, he became known as Wilkie to everyone, small and great. The legendary writer was not the only child of his parents as he had a younger brother, Charles, a tall and good-looking red-haired boy with blue eyes. Although they differed in character and appearance, they remained close throughout their lives.
Wilkie Collins was educated at a private school. When he was thirteen, his family moved to Italy, where he enjoyed the spectacular scenery and got acquainted with the paintings of prominent artists. Later, the Collins family settled in France. In my view, travels helped the great writer to understand the meaning of life, to improve as a person, and to find his true vocation. I am sure that this experience greatly influenced his literary work and writing style. What’s more, it opened doors to new opportunities. In addition to getting acquainted with the culture, history, and art of other countries, Wilkie Collins quickly