Tommy’s house

3. How old was Tommy?

4. Who did he live in the house with?

5. What influenced his mood and behaviour?

6. Did he have a good sense of humour?

7. Did Tommy’s parents spend much time with him?

8. Why was Tommy often alone?

9. Did the boy feel lonely when he stayed alone?

10. What did he do in the house?

II Complete the following tasks:

1. Describe Tommy’s house.

2. Describe Tommy. Tell about his character.

3. Tell about Tommy’s attitude to the house.

TALKING POINTS

I Describe your place (a flat, a house).

II Tell about the house of your dream.

CHAPTER 2

Lilly

Lilly was Tommy’s younger cousin. She was almost five. The little girl with pure freedom in her magnificent black eyes and fair tresses visited the house with her mum occasionally.

Lilly asked too many questions with her squeaky voice and made much noise. It irritated Tommy. Dressed in a short yellow skirt and a green t-shirt with flower print, she could whirl in front of the mirror and sing a child’s song.

She had a handmade date bones bracelet[1 - A handmade date bones bracelet – браслет ручной работы из финиковых косточек] on her right wrist. The girl said that it was her talisman. She was in the habit of touching and twisting the glossy brown bones with her tiny fingers. Lilly never took it off and allowed nobody to touch it.

The little girl attracted all parents’ attention and admiring glances, though the boy considered her to be a spoilt, capricious child. When he refused to play with her or to give the little girl some toys, parents often scolded Tommy for his behaviour.

Lilly was a really lively child. Everything in the world aroused her keen interest. She was open to any activity and capable of vivid communication with everyone.

“Tommy, what is your favourite book?”

“I like all books.”

“Well, don’t you have a special book that you would read again and again?!”

“No, I don’t.”

“Tommy, what season do you like most of all?”

“I like winter, though all seasons are good enough.”

“Oh, Don’t you like swimming in the lake and admiring the flowers in your garden in summer?!”

“I do.”

“Tommy, where would you like to travel?”

“The whole world.”

“And what is the place of your dream?”

“There are a lot of them on the planet.”

“Tommy…”

“I have to go.”

Three Lilly’s questions were the little man’s limit of patience. He got tired of her activity very quickly. Usually Tom tried to avoid speaking to the girl. Her emotional reactions made him nervous. The girl could tell him some amusing stories, gushing with admiration, but he stayed aloof. She shared her profound impressions with him, but it didn’t touch him, he just didn’t care. For this reason he hardly ever spent time with her. He often slipped away and hid in one of the rooms when she stayed at the house.

HELPFUL WORDS AND NOTES

squeaky voice [skwi_k?] [v??s] – писклявый, визгливый голос

to irritate [?r?te?t] – раздражать, надоедать

to be in the habit of doing smth [bi] [?n] [??] [h?b?t] [?v] [du?n] – иметь привычку делать что-либо

glossy [gl?s?] — глянцевый, гладкий

to consider smb to be [k?ns?d?] [t?] [bi] – считать кого-либо кем-либо, каким-либо

spoilt child [sp??lt] [?a?ld] – избалованный ребёнок

to scold [sk?uld] — ругать (ся), ворчать

lively [la?vl?] – живой, активный,

весёлый

to arouse keen interest [?rauz] [ki n] [?nt(?)r?st] – вызывать большой интерес

to be capable of smth [bi] [ke?p?bl] [?v] – быть способным на что-либо

limit of patience [l?m?t] [?v] [pe??(?)n(t)s] – предел терпения