3. There was no sign of a life-boat.

Text 1

Ex. 1. Read the text and do the exercises that follow:

The Dog and Myself

It was in 1901. I had been in the Philippines¹ for some time and was coming home. I missed my boat and decided to travel on an old ship.

I knew that it would not be a comfortable journey but I had no time to wait for another boat.

Hardly had we left the port when I saw² the dog for the first time. His name was Gulliver³, and he was the captain’s favourite dog. What a big dog it was! I had never seen one that could frighten me so much But we were in the open sea and there was no turning back. I was sorry not to have been taken a gun with me. But soon I managed to borrow one from a sailor and always had it about me, even when I went to bed.

On the third day I heard a terrible noise and saw that the ship had caught fire. She was dry and burned very fast.

Nobody tried to put out the fire⁴. The ship began sinking and all the men rushed to the boats.

I saw no chance of getting away in a boat. Suddenly I remembered that there was a life-raft⁵ on the ship. I had no time to lose, so I immediately rushed towards the raft and pushed it overboard.

In jumping down onto the raft I hurt myself badly and was unconscious⁶ for some time. When I came to⁷, I looked about me. The sea was calm. There was no sign of a life-boat. Every man who had been on board the ship at the time must have gone down with her. I was the only one who was saved.

When I saw something that frightened me very much. The big head of Gulliver was coming fast towards me through the water. Te dog must have jumped from the ship before she sink. I was glad not to have forgotten my gun and I drew it at once. But it was wet and I couldn’t use it.

Soon Gulliver reached the raft. He struggled a long time before he managed to get onto it. I wanted to push him back into the water but didn’t dare to move. The dog shook himself, went to the other end of the raft and lay down.

I did not dare to sleep that night. I did not understand dogs and felt that I must watch him. in the moonlight I could see that his eyes were open. Gulliver was watching too.

I spent a night that I’d never forget. I must have fallen asleep towards morning, for when I woke up, the sun was already high in the sky. As I was having my breakfast, I could see that the eyes of the dog were fixed on the bread I was eating. “He must be hungry”, I thought. “I had better give him some”. And I threw him a piece of bread. At first he would not touch it. He only lay there and watched me.

(after W. Dyer)

Words:

1. the Philippines [‘filipi: nz] – Филиппины

2. Hardly had we left the port when I saw – Как только мы покинули порт, я заметил….

3. Gulliver [‘gʌ livə ] Гулливер

4. to put out the fire – тушить пожар

5. life-raft – спасательный плот

6. unconscious [ʌ n’kɔ nʃ ə s] – без сознания

7. to come to – прийти в себя

Ex. 2 Answer the questions:

1. What country was the narrator returning from? 2. Why did he decide to travel on an old ship? 3. Why did the look of the dog frighten him? 4. What did he borrow from an old sailor? 5. What happened to the ship one night? 6. How did the narrator rescue himself? 7. Why didn’t the narrator shoot the dog? 8. What did he do when he saw the dog on his life-raft? 9. What did the narrator know about dogs? 10. What did the dog do on the life-raft?

Ex. 3 Make questions to which the following sentences are answers:

1. Soon after we had left the port. ( When…? ) – When did the narrator see the dog for the first time?

2. Because the boat was dry. (Why …? ) 3. He saw no chance of getting away in a boat. (Why …? ) 4. Every man who had been on board the ship went down with her. (What …. ? ) 5. Yes. The dog struggled a long time before he managed to get onto the raft. (General) 6. Yes, he wanted to push the dog back into the water. (General) 7. The narrator felt that he had to watch the dog. (What …. ? ) 8. The eyes of the dog were fixed on the bread. (What …. ? )

Ex. 4 Choose the best translations: 1. I saw no chance of getting away in a boat.

a) Я не мог случайно попасть в лодку.

b) Я не видел возможности выбраться в лодке.

c) Я видел, что нельзя случайно выбраться в лодке.

2. I had no time to lose so I immediately rushed toward the raft.

a) Нельзя было терять время ….

b) У меня было непотерянное время…..

c) Я не потерял нисколько времени…….

3. There was no sign of a life-boat.

a) У спасательной шлюпки не было знака.

b) Спасательной шлюпки нигде не было видно.

c) Там не было признака шлюпки.

4. The dog must have jumped from the ship before she sank.

a) Собака должна была спрыгнуть с корабля….

b) Возможно, собака прыгала с корабля….

c) Собака, должно быть, спрыгнула с корабля….

5. I must have fallen asleep, for when I woke up, the sun was already high in the sky.

a) ….. поскольку, когда я проснулся …

b) ….. для того, чтобы я проснулся …..

c) ….. до того времени, как я проснулся …..

6. As I was having my breakfast, I could see that the eyes of the dog wee fixed on the bread.

a) Так как я завтракал….

b) Когда я завтракал …..

c) И как я завтракал …..