Джером Джером - Three men in a boat / Трое в лодке, не считая собаки. Книга для чтения на английском языке

He came and sat down on things, just when they were wanted to be packed; and he laboured under the fixed belief that, whenever Harris or George reached out their hand for anything, it was his cold, damp nose that they wanted. He put his leg into the jam, and he worried the teaspoons, and he pretended that the lemons were rats, and got into the hamper and killed three of them before Harris could calm him with the frying pan.

The packing was done at 12.50; and Harris sat on the big hamper, and said he hoped nothing is broken. George said he was ready for bed. We were all ready for bed. Harris was to sleep with us that night, and we went upstairs.

We tossed for beds, and Harris had to sleep with me. He said:

“Do you prefer the inside or the outside, J.?”

I said I generally preferred to sleep inside a bed.

Harris said it was old.

George said:

“What time shall I wake you fellows?”

Harris said:

“Seven.”

I said:

“No – six,” because I wanted to write some letters.

Harris and I had a bit of a row over it, but at last split the difference, and said half-past six.

“Wake us at 6.30, George,” we said.

George made no answer, and we found that he had been asleep for some time; so we placed the bath where he could fall into it on getting out in the morning, and went to bed ourselves.

1. Read the chapter and choose the correct answer.

1. The friends decided not to take

a) a methylated spirit stove.

b) an oil stove.

c) a frying pan.

2. The friend were against any cheese because

a) they don’t like cheese.

b) George suggested eggs and bacon.

c) it smells too strong.

3. People, seeing the narrator’s empty carriage, would

a) go into another carriage.

b) stay at the station.

c) rush for it.

4. Tom’s wife wanted to

a) eat the cheeses.

b) bury the cheeses.

c) keep the cheeses in a moist place.

5. In case the friends got upset they took

a) a bottle of whisky.

b) some lemonade.

c) beer and wine.

6. The thing that haunts the narrator when he is travelling is

a) his boots.

b) packing.

c) his tooth-brush.

7. The narrator finally shut the bag at

a) 10.00.

b) 10.15.

c) 10.50.

8. George and Harris started packing with

a) squashing a tomato.

b) breaking a cup.

c) stepping on things.

9. Montmorency pretended that

a) the lemons were rats.

b) Harris could calm him.

c) he was helping with packing.

10. The friends agreed to wake up at

a) 6.00.

b) 6.30.

c) 7.00.

2. Learn the words from the text:

significant, scenery, reply, scent, grumpy, compartment, consider, widow, orphan, wander, strap, occur, pretend, waste, aim, accomplish, unbearable, exclaim, crowded, attached.

3. Practice the pronunciation of the following words.

4. Fill in the gaps using the words from the text.

1. You can’t tell … you are … apple-pie or German sausage, or strawberries and cream. It all … cheese.

2. I … not think they would … … it, if one of the men … put a handkerchief over the horse’s nose.

3. She said that she … sure of that, but that she … speak to Tom about it when he … back.

4. I replied that he … directed they were to … … in a moist place.

5. I … take the children and go to a hotel until those cheeses … … .

6. My friend, after … everything …, found that the cheeses … … him eight-and-sixpence a pound.

7. I impressed the fact upon George and Harris, and told them that they … … leave the whole matter entirely to me.

8. If he can … anywhere where he particularly … not wanted, and … people mad, and … things thrown at his head, then he … his day … not been … .

9. The packing … … at 12.50.

10. George made no answer, and we found that he … … asleep for some time.

5. Match the words with definitions.

6. Find in the text the English equivalents for:

один мой друг, многозначительный взгляд, в конце поездки, переполненный поезд, быть сильно привязанным к чему-то, бродить по городу, что касается, сводить с ума, едва уловимый запах, протянуть руку, сделать все остальное, заинтересовать кого-то.

7. Find the words in the text for which the following are synonyms:

pretty, decline, regard, plenty, odour, whether, ambition, labour, reply, intend.

8. Explain and expand on the following.

1. We had taken up an oil-stove once, but “never again.”

2. Cheese, like oil, makes too much of itself.

3. My friend got rid of the cheeses by burying them on the beach.

4. I said I’d pack.

5. My tooth-brush is a thing that haunts me when I’m travelling.

6. Harris is the worst packer in this world.

7. Montmorency was in it all, of course.

8. What time shall I wake you fellows?

9. Answer the following questions.

1. Why did the friends take an awful oath never to take paraffine oil with them in a boat again?

2. What did George refuse to take for breakfast? Why?

3. What happened with the horse that carried the cheeses?

4. How did the people who travelled with the narrator behave? Why?

5. Did Tom’s wife like the cheese? Why / why not?

6. How did Tom get rid of the cheeses?

7. Was the narrator successful at packing?

8. Why does the narrator say that his tooth-brush haunts him?

9. Did George and Harris manage to do the packing? Was it easy?

10. What was Montmorency doing during the packing?

10. Retell the chapter for the persons of the narrator, Tom, Tom’s wife, George, Harris.

It was Mrs. Poppets that woke me up next morning. She said:

“Do you know that it’s nearly nine o’clock, sir?”

“Nine o’ what?” I cried, starting up.

“Nine o’clock,” she replied, through the keyhole. “I thought you were oversleeping.”

I woke Harris, and told him. He said:

“I thought you wanted to get up at six?”

“So I did,” I answered; “why didn’t you wake me?” “How could I wake you, when you didn’t wake me?” he responded. “Now we shan’t get on the water till after twelve. I wonder you take the trouble to get up at all.”

“Um,” I replied, “lucky for you that I do. If I hadn’t woken you, you’d have lain there for the whole fortnight.”

We were growling at one another for the next few minutes, when we were interrupted by a snore from George. It reminded us of his existence. There he lay – the man who had wanted to know what time he should wake us – on his back, with his mouth wide open, and his knees stuck up.

I don’t know why it should be, but the sight of another man asleep in bed when I am up, makes me mad. It seems to me so shocking to see the precious hours of a man’s life – the priceless moments that will never come back to him again – being wasted in mere brutish sleep. There was George, throwing away the inestimable gift of time. He might have been up stuffing himself with eggs and bacon or irritating the dog instead of sprawling there.