Unit8
Active reading (1)
Language points
1 She was called Katya, a dewy-eyed, sweet girl from Voronezh, who accepted
Yakov on his own
reckoning. (Para 1)
As dew falls in the early morning and symbolizes innocence and newness, the word
dewy-eyed means
innocent and lacking in experience about life.
Reckoning means one’s own view and account.
The sentence means that an innocent-looking girl from a less sophisticated city
than Moscow was willing
to believe Yakov’s own high opinion of himself.
2 On International Women’s Day, Soviet women bask in their menfolk’s love
and gratitude. (Para 2)
To bask means to relax in the sun. Here it depicts how comfortable and pleasant
Soviet women feel on this
day.
3 Their husbands, with much cursing and clattering of pans, cook breakfast for
the family „ (Para 2)
The expression with much cursing and clattering of pans means with a lot of
swearing and banging
about – as they were not used to doing it, they made many mistakes.
4 A Soviet woman’s days are usually taken up with „ nipping out of work at
lunchtime to buy
something for dinner „ (Para 3)
To nip out means to go out for a very short time probably unofficially. It is
a slang and is similar to the
expressions pop out and sneak out.
5 Their husbands „ by drinking themselves into a stupor with toasts “to our
beloved ladies „”
(Para 4)
Stupor is a state in which you cannot think, speak, see, or hear clearly, usually
because you have drunk
too much alcohol. Sadly, Russia does have a serious alcoholism problem and early
death from overconsumption
of vodka is far too common.
6 “I certainly will,” said Yakov, squeezing in between Liza Minelli and Katya
and draping an arm
around each of them. (Para 10) Yakov fit in between Liza Minelli and Katya although they were sitting close
together, and put an arm
around each girl.
7 Yuri and Emily arrived and we covered blinis with thick sour cream and red
caviar and drank
champagne, as families did all over Voronezh. (Para 13)
Sour cream is fermented cream, which is smoother and thicker. Eastern European
food is noted for its sour
flavours.
Caviar usually refers to the roe or eggs of the sturgeon, a large fish, and is
a very expensive special food.
It can also refer to other commoner fish roes.
Unit 8 High days and holidays
264
Reading and understanding
4 Answer the questions.
1 How well does the writer know the Soviet Union?
Not very well. The others have to explain the tradition of International Women’s
Day to the writer.
2 What was Yakov doing when the writer met him?
He was buying roses.
3 Where does the writer live?
Room 99 of a hostel.
4 What do the Russian men do on International Women’s Day?
They buy flowers for the women in their life and do some house chores for them.
5 What kind of daily life do Russian women usually have?
They have a very busy life with lots of chores to do.
6 What do the Russian men do after they’ve prepared breakfast for their wives?
They meet up with friends and drink themselves into a stupor.
7 What is the usual number of flowers to buy in Russia?
An odd number.
8 Why did Yakov buy 14 flowers?
He planned to give Katya five flowers and the girls in Room 99 three for each.
Dealing with unfamiliar words
5 Match the words in the box with their definitions.
1 to put something somewhere in a careless way, especially something that is
heavy (dump)
2 to lie, sit, or lean in a relaxed or lazy way (lounge)
3 loved very much by someone (beloved)
4 to move somewhere quietly and secretly so that no one can see you or hear you (sneak)
5 a feeling of very strong anger that usually does not last very long (fury)
6 to talk about other people or about things that are not important (gossip)
6 Replace the underlined words with the correct form of the words and expressions in
the box.
1 I unexpectedly met an old friend in the shopping mall yesterday. (bumped into)
2 The men demonstrate how true and honest their love for their wives is by drinking
a lot. (sincere)
3 While the men are doing the shopping, the women will clean the carpets, and
dust the room. (vacuum)
4 Please remain here and wait for a while – she will come back soon. (stick
around)
5 I think it is a good idea to soak clothes before washing them. (advisable)
6 After hearing what he had been through, her eyes were full of tears. (filled
up with)
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265
7 Answer the questions about the words and expressions.
1 If someone is dewy-eyed, are they likely to (a) lack experience about life,
or (b) be in love?
2 If someone accepts you on your own reckoning, do they (a) accept you without
considering if you are
what you claim to be, or (b) have a clear idea of your real character?
3 If you bask in your fame, do you (a) feel bothered, or (b) enjoy being famous?
4 Does charred mean (a) black and burnt, or (b) cooked perfectly?
5 If something shrivels in the summer heat, does it (a) grow rapidly, or (b)
become smaller and not fresh?
6 If someone’s face turns scarlet, is it because they feel (a) embarrassed or
angry, or (b) tired and hungry?
7 If you go to bed on the dot of 11 pm, do you sleep (a) at exactly 11 pm, or
(b) around 11 pm?
8 If you pop into somewhere, do you (a) go there only for a short time, or (b)
stay there for a long time?
9 If someone is in a stupor, are they unable to think or act normally because
they’re (a) too sleepy, orunable to think or act normally because they’re (a)
too sleepy, or
(b) not completely conscious?
Active reading (2)
