ТОП просматриваемых книг сайта:
Английский язык. Л. Ф. Мачнева
Читать онлайн.Название Английский язык
Год выпуска 2008
isbn
Автор произведения Л. Ф. Мачнева
Жанр Прочая образовательная литература
Издательство "Центральный коллектор библиотек "БИБКОМ"
At one o'clock the clerks went out to get something to eat. The office was a little calmer. Maxwell did not go out. Businessmen do not have time to eat in the middle of a working day. He stood by his desk. His hands were full of letters and telegrams. His pen was behind his ear. His hair hung untidily all over his face.
The window of his office was open. Spring was coming to the city. Through the window came the soft, sweet smell of spring flowers. For a second Maxwell stood still. He knew that scent. His secretary always wore it. The scent brought Miss Leslie into Maxwell's busy thoughts. Suddenly the world of business appeared very unimportant. She was in the next office and he had something to say to her.
"I'll do it now," Maxwell said to himself. "Why didn't I do it long ago?" He hurried into his secretary's office. She looked up at him with a smile. Her face was pink and her eyes were honest and kind. Maxwell sat down on the edge of her desk. His hands were still full of papers. His pen was still behind his ear.
"Miss Leslie," he began. "I can't stay here long. I am very busy but I want to say something to you. Will you be my wife? I haven't had time to talk to you about love in the ordinary way but I really do love you. Answer quickly, please. I must get back to work."
"Oh, what are you talking about?" cried the secretary. She looked at him with round, surprised eyes.
"Don't you understand?" went on Maxwell. "I wanted to tell you. I waited for a long time; I was too busy before… Oh, dear. There's another telephone call for me now. Tell them to wait a minute, Pitcher… Miss Leslie, will you marry me?"
The secretary acted in a very strange way. At first she was too surprised to move or speak. Then she cried. Then she smiled, like the sun after rain. One of her arms slipped round the businessman's neck.
"I know now," she said softly. "You're so busy, dear. It really makes you forget everything, doesn't it? Harvey, have you really forgotten? We got married yesterday!"
3.2.1 Vocabulary notes
to arrange – договариваться, устраивать(ся)
fierce – жесткий
to hire – нанимать на работу
3.2.2 Answer the questions
What were Mr. Pitcher, Mr. Maxwell and Miss Leslie's jobs?
What kind of company did they work at?
Why did Mr. Pitcher's face had a look of surprise that morning?
3.3 Text 3. Read and answer the questions
Purcell was a small man. He owned a pet shop. He sold cats and dogs and monkeys, he dealt in fish food, on his shelves there were long rows of cages.
Each morning when he completed the routine of opening his shop he sat down on a high stool behind the counter and read a morning newspaper.
It was a cold rainy day. Mr. Purcell was reading a newspaper as usual, when a customer appeared in the shop.
"Good morning," Purcell said. "What can I do for you?" The customer didn't answer. He looked around the shop. It was a man with short hair, his suit was cheap and very old.
"Good morning," repeated the shopkeeper. "What do you want?"
The man looked at Purcell and answered:
"I want something in a cage."
"Something in a cage?" Mr. Purcell was a bit confused. "You mean some sort of pet?"
"I mean what I said!" answered the man.
"Something in a cage. Something alive that's in a cage."
"I see," said the shopkeeper, not sure that he did.
"Now, let me think. A white rat, perhaps? I have some very nice white rats."
"No!" said the man. "Not rats. Something with wings. Something that flies."
"A bird!" exclaimed Mr. Purcell.
"A bird is all right." Suddenly the customer pointed to the cage with two white doves.
"How much for those?" "Five-fifty," came the quick answer. "It's a very reasonable price. They are a fine pair." "Five-fifty?" The man produced a five-dollar bill. "I'd like to have those birds. But this is all I've got. Just five dollars."
Mr. Purcell thought that even if he reduced the price by 50 cents he would make a good profit.
"My dear man, if you want them so much, you can certainly have them for five dollars," he smiled.
"I'll take them," the customer said and put the money on the counter. Mr. Purcell handed the cage to him.
"Listen," the man said suddenly. "How long do you think it took me to make those five dollars?"
Mr. Purcell was in a state of panic, but he asked, "Why, how long?" The other laughed. "Ten years! I've spent ten years in jail. Ten years! Fifty cents a year!"
The man took his cage and left the shop. Mr. Purcell came up to the shopwindow to look at the customer who was holding the cage and poking at his purchase.
Then the man opened the cage and took the birds out. Soon they disappeared in the grey sky.
3.3.1 Vocabulary notes
to own – владеть ч. -л.
to deal in – заниматься ч. -л., торговать
counter – прилавок в магазине
shopkeeper – владелец магазина
reasonable price – доступная цена
to make a profit – извлекать прибыль, получать прибыль
3.3.2 Answer the questions
1 What did Mr. Purcell deal in?
2 What discount did Mr. Purcell offer to his strange customer?
3 What did the customer do with his purchase?
3.4 Text 4
Cedric Bradley, at fifty-three, was short apple-cheeked, with blue eyes and a cockney accent. He controlled Bradley Ltd., the largest jewelry house in London. He was proud of two things: he built his business with his own hand and brain and he had never been swindled or robbed.
One morning in May when Bradley was calculating his profits the card of Lord Throckmorton of Taine was brought to the jeweller. Throckmorton came in. He was a total stranger to the firm.
"My daughter is about to be married," said he," I thought of a necklace, matched and perfect. Nothing unusual – just the best. Now I'm going to Africa for three months. I thought – with three months – you can assemble something good. For, say, eighty thousand pounds?"
"Agreed."
His Lordship took out a check book from his coat. "A deposit, say ten thousand?" Mr. Bradly agreed. The check was written, the two men shook hands.
Three months passed. Lord Throckmorton entered the office of Mr. Bradley. The head of the firm showed him the necklace.
"Good Lord, Bradley. They are the best I've ever seen. I say, my wife is an invalid, I want her to see them before my daughter. Can you send them over?"
"I'd be glad to bring them over myself," answered the jeweller.
The jeweller was received in the drawing room. Her Ladyship was there. When she saw the pearls she cried. Then a nurse took her away to her room. Lord Trockmorton asked to see the pearls again. At that moment his daughter Gwen entered the room. As the pearls were to be a surprise at the time of the wedding the Lord hurriedly put them into his cabinet that had belonged to Louis XV. Both the father and his guest rose to meet the girl. She was a real beauty. She was more than an elegant girl.