Revision exercises

Exercise 53. Use the proper article.

I. One fine afternoon I was sitting in my study in small town on west coast of England.

It was five o'clock in afternoon. I had finished my work for day and was resting quietly in my armchair, thinking of days that had gone by, especially of happy days that I spent among coral islands of Pacific Six years had passed since day of my return to England!

Where were my dear comrades Jack Martin and Peter Gay now?

II. We had lost sight of each other soon after our return to England, and I had not heard of my friends during those six years.

My thoughts were interrupted by knocking at door. It was my landlady.

III. "Visitor to see you, Mr. Ralph," she said in mysterious voice. "He doesn't want to give his name. Maybe he is - ". But before old woman could finish her sentence quick step was heard on stairs and stranger burst into room.

IV. He was small man with bright blue eyes and sunburnt face.
"Your name is Ralph Rover and you were twenty-two yesterday," cried my strange visitor without any other greeting.

V. "Yesterday was my birthday and I am twenty-two," I exclaimed in surprise. "But may I ask you how you know all about me when I know nothing about you."

"Several years ago you lived for some time on one of coral is­lands of Pacific," stranger went on, "and there you knew boy whose name was - "

"Peter Gay, Pete, dear Pete!" I cried springing up from my chair and rushing into arms of my old friend. (After Ballantyne)

Exercise 54. Use the proper article.

I. In summer of 1907 I was living in little cottage in country, at small distance from sea. Half mile from my cottage there was school-The Gables-where Harold Stackhurst, head-master, and sev­eral other teachers taught students and prepared them for various professions. Stackhurst and I were on friendly terms and he was only man in neighbourhood who sometimes called at my cottage.

II. One day, at end of July, severe storm arose. Wind was very strong and waves rose high at base of cliffs, ft rained all day, but in evening wind fell. Next morning weather was fine again. Sea was calm, tide was out, but waves had left deep lagoon under cliffs. It was impossible to stay at home on such fine morning and I decided to take walk along path that led to beach. At short distance from cliffs I was overtaken by Harold Stackhurst

"What morning, Mr. Holmes," he cried, waving his hand in greeting.

"Very fine," I answered. "Going for swim, I see?"

"Yes, McPherson went to beach some fifteen minutes ago and I want to join him there."

McPherson was one of teachers. He was young and very good swimmer, though he suffered from weak heart.

III I had worked in office till nine o'clock in evening and was very tired. I wanted fresh air and decided to walk home. It was warm night. My way lay along river. Night is best time there. You see lights on black river and warm wind brings you smell of far-off sea. I walked along slowly, and at last stopped to look at black wa­ter of river.

IV. "Warm night," said voice at my side.

I turned my head, and saw profile of man standing near me. He, too, was looking at river. He had thin, pale face, and wore dirty old coat. He was unshaven and his hair was in disorder.

I looked at him curiously. Who was he? If I answered him, would he ask me for some money for his breakfast?

"Very warm," said I.

V. "Yes," he said looking at water, "it's fine here. It is good to find such quiet place after day of hard work in London. You, too, must know little of hard work or you wouldn't be here baying evening walk like me. But I don't think you have ever been so tired as I am now. In fact I sometimes think the game is not worth candle. But I cannot leave it.."

VI. He stopped. I looked at him in astonishment This strange man spoke about hard work. What could his work be? Where did he work? I asked him.

"You will not believe me, I know," said he, "but I will tell you. I have big undertaking on hand, very big undertaking. I have invented how to make diamonds."

Exercise 55. Use the proper article.

I. I was born 30th of November, 1835, in almost invisible village of Florida. My parents removed to Missouri in early thirties; I do not remember just when, for I was not born then and cared nothing for such things. It was long journey in those days and must have been rough and tiresome one. Village contained hundred people and I increased population by 1 per cent...

II. Village had two streets, each couple of yards long; rest of avenues were lanes, with rail fences and cornfields on either side. Both streets and lanes were paved with same material - tough black mud in wet times, deep dust in dry. Most of houses were of log-all of them, indeed, except three or four... There were none of brick and none of stone.

III. Country schoolhouse was three miles from my uncle's farm.

It stood in clearing in woods and would hold about twenty-five boys and girls. We attended school with more or less regularity once or twice week, in summer, walking to it in cool of morning by for­est paths.

IV. All pupils brought their dinners in baskets and sat in shade of trees at noon and ate them. It is part of my education which I took back upon with most satisfaction. My first visit to school was when I was seven. Girl of fifteen, in customary sunbonnet and calico dress, asked me if I "used tobacco" - meaning did I chew it. I said "no". It roused her scorn. She reported me to all crowd and said: "Here is boy seven years old who can't chew tobacco."

VI. By looks and comments which this produced I realized that I was degraded object;: I was cruelly ashamed of myself, I determined to reform. But I only made myself sick; I was not able to learn to chew tobacco. (After M. Twain)

Exercise 56. Use the proper article.

1. It was now only after midnight, but still extraordinary hour for someone to be ringing bell in that persistent series of three rings, pause, then three more rings. 2. It was early evening by local time, but hours past bedtime to which John's body was accustomed, when they went to restaurant for light supper of fried fish and salad. 3. For lunch he took them to Runway Beach Hotel which was not very far out of town. He had told her to bring their bathing kit and before lunch, they had swim, but did not try out their new masks. 4. He ate late hearty breakfast in deserted dining-room served by boy who had brought in his bags. 5. He went to small restaurant in old port for dinner. Alone. He had spoken to enough people that day. 6. At night when wind roars and child sleeps quietly in its wooden cot by chimney piece I light lamp and walk about, thinking of my friends. 7. Kite stayed up there all through night, and at breakfast time next morning small blue dot was still dancing in sky. After breakfast I hauled it down. 8. How often do you go out to dinner or to theatre on Monday night? 9. Some of our guests enjoy substantial breakfast in restaurant while they're on holidays. 10. Next day Herbert Macaulay telephoned me: Hello. I didn't know you were back in town till Dorothy told me. How about lunch?" 11. They had finished dinner and children were in bed, and there was good hearty sound of Mrs. Burnsdale washing dishes in kitchen.

Exercise 57. Use the proper article.

I. "Brine two candles and take away lamp," the major said. Or­ derly brought two lighted candles each in saucer, and took out lamp blowing it out. (Hemingway)

II. We were talking softly out on balcony. Moon was supposed to rise but there was mist over town and it did not come up and in little while it started to drizzle and we came in. (Hemingway)

III. Night I was to return to front I sent porter down to hold seat for me on train when it came from Turin. Train was to leave at midnight. (Hemingway)

IV. He was man no longer young with small beard, now some­what grey, and thin face. He was dressed in singlet, without arms, and pair of duck trousers. He wore neither shoes nor socks. He spoke English with slight accent. (Maugham)

V. She stared straight in front of for her minute, then with shrug of shoulders opened drawer by her bedside and from little bottle took couple of sleeping tablets. (Maugham)

VI. Tom was wearing his new dinner jacket for first time and he and Julia exchange little private glance, of satisfaction on his part and of complements on her. (Maugham)

VII.Doreen went into kitchenette, and heard familiar pop of gas and clatter of cups. Then she was back again holding up teapot with half its spout gone. "Cup of tea from brown pot, eh?" (Cusack)

Exercise 58. Use the proper article.

I. I walked down damp gravel driveway looking at villa through trees. Windows were all shut but door was open. I went in and found major sitting at table in bare room with maps and typed sheets of paper on wall. (Hemingway)

II. Out in street again he stopped in front of small window where bald-headed man was bowed over watch, instrument like small binocular clamped to his eye. There were only few things in window, tray of opals, some watch-chains and watches and half dozen rings. (Cusack)

III. She lay for long time looking at her watch reminding herself that it was time to get her lunch. It was set out on tray in kitch­enette, but effort of getting out of bed tormented her for hour be­fore she forced herself to do it. Her legs were shaky and she needed support of chairs and table to get herself across room. (Cusack)

IV. That night bat flew into room through open door that led on to balcony and through which we watched night over roofs of town. It was dark in our room except for small light of nights over town, and bat was not frightened, but hunted in room as though he| had been outside. (Hemingway)

Exercise 59. Use the proper article.

I. That night I slept badly. In morning I was first-comer to bridge, as I lived nearest I hid my books in long grass near ash pit at end of garden where nobody ever came, and burned along canal bank. It was mild sunny morning in first week of June. (J. Joyce)

П. She walked for about quarter of mile and then suddenly broke into oblique run up soft part of beach. She stopped short when she reached place where young man was lying on his back. (Salinger).

III. In late summer of that year we lived in house in village that looked across river and plain to mountains. In bed of river there were pebbles and boulders, dry and white in sun, and water was clear and swiftly moving and blue in channels. (Hemingway)

IV. Everything in room was dear and familiar- divans with their bright covers and cushions, pictures on wall, flower bowl on table. There was new chintz cover on her bed-delicate pink patterned with cornflowers. She ran her hand over glazed surface of material, and looked up at Doreen with shining eyes. (Cusack)

Exercise 60. Use the proper article.

I. Room reminded her very much of some of lodgings she had lived in when she was first on stage. She noticed pathetic attempts he had made to conceal fact that it was bedroom as well as sitting-room. Divan against wall was evidently his bed at night. Years slipped away from her in fancy and she felt strangely young again. What fun they had had in rooms very like that and how they had enjoyed fantastic meals they had had, things in paper bags and eggs and bacon fried on gas ring! He came in with tea in brown pot. She ate square sponge-cake with pink icing on it. That was thing she had not done for years. Ceylon tea, very strong, with milk and sugar in it, took her back to days she thought she had forgotten. (Maugham)

II. Left alone, Jinnie looked around, without getting up, for good place to throw out or hide sandwich. She heard someone coming through foyer. She put sandwich into her coat pocket.

Young man in his early thirties, neither short nor tall, came into room. His regular features, his short haircut, cut of his suit, pattern of his necktie gave out not real information. He might have been on staff, or trying to get on staff of news magazine. He might have just been on play that closed in Philadelphia. He might have been with law firms.