Министерство науки и высшего образования Российской Федерации
Сибирский федеральный университет
FLOWERS FOR ALGERNON
Учебно-методическое пособие
Электронное издание
Красноярск
СФУ
2022
УДК 811.111(07)
ББК 81.432.1я73
F69
Составители: Кошкина Инна Витальевна
Магировская Оксана Валериевна
Кузнецова Нелли Олеговна
Немчинова Наталья Викторовна
Струзик Анна Александровна
Янченко Яна Михайловна
Еремина Татьяна Алексеевна
F69
Flowers for Algernon : учеб.- метод. пособие / сост. : И. В. Кошкина, О. В. Магировская, Н. О. Кузнецова [и др.]. – Электрон. дан. (792 Кб). – Красноярск : Сиб. федер.
ун-т, 2022. – Систем. требования: PC не ниже класса Pentium I ; 128 Mb RAM ; Windows 98/XP/7 ; Adobe Reader V8.0 и выше. – Загл. с экрана.
Разработано на материале научно-фантастического рассказа Дэниэла Киза «Flowers for
Algernon». Направлено на развитие навыков чтения и понимания аутентичной художественной литературы на английском языке, обогащение словарного запаса, умение обсуждать вопросы в рамках подготовленной и неподготовленной речи. Совершенствует самостоятельную
поисковую активность с целью овладения знаниями о включенных в повествование реалиях.
Включает работу с лексическими единицами, а также вопросы и задания для участия в обсуждении содержания и основных проблем произведения.
Предназначено для внеаудиторного чтения на английском языке студентам 1–4 курса
отделения иностранных языков Института филологии и языковой коммуникации СФУ. Может быть интересно студентам других направлений, а также широкому кругу читателей, интересующихся современной американской литературой.
УДК 811.111(07)
ББК 81.432.1я73
© Сибирский федеральный
университет, 2022
Электронное учебное издание
Подготовлено к публикации издательством
Библиотечно-издательского комплекса
Подписано в свет 24.10.2022. Заказ №17117
Тиражируется на машиночитаемых носителях
Библиотечно-издательский комплекс
Сибирского федерального университета
660041, Красноярск, пр. Свободный, 82а
Тел. (391) 206-26-16; http://bik.sfu-kras.ru,
E-mail: publishing_house@sfu-kras.ru55
CONTENTS
Introduction………………………………………………………………………
4
1. Before reading………………………………………………………………...
6
2. While reading…………………………………………………………………. 10
2.1. Progress Reports 1–9…………………………………………………….
10
2.2. Progress Reports 10–11………………………………………………….
16
2.3. Progress Reports 12–13………………………………………………….
22
2.4. Progress Reports 14–15………………………………………………….
26
2.5. Progress Report 16………………………………………………………. 33
2.6. Progress Report 17………………………………………………………. 38
3. After reading……………...…………………………………………………... 43
Appendix A……………………………………………………………………… 46
Appendix B……………………………………………………………………… 48
Appendix C……………………………………………………………………… 50
References……………………………………………………………………….. 53
3
INTRODUCTION
There is more treasure in books than in
all the pirate’s loot on Treasure Island.
Walt Disney
‘It is truly an amazing read’. ‘It made me cry and moved me greatly’. ‘It struck
me so forcefully that I was actually lost in admiration as I read it’. ‘It was an absorbing
read’. ‘It is a timeless story’. ‘I give it a loving 10/10’. ‘It is so simple, and yet so
profound’. ‘It is my favorite book of all time. I definitely believe it is a literary
masterpiece!’.
This is just a handful of opinions, impressions, and comments on the novel by
the American writer Daniel Keyes “Flowers for Algernon”. Written in 1966, it is
assumed an all-time classic and is included in the list of books required to read in the
UK and USA high school. Why do some books even being best sellers fade in
popularity over the time while the others become a peerless immortal? Some literature
experts claim it results from a variety of themes involved. The novel “Flowers for
Algernon” abounds with ever-imperative topics: Ignorance and Intelligence,
Intelligence and Wisdom, Wisdom and Morality, Intelligence and Happiness, Cruelty
and Bullying, Love and Sexuality, Pride and Hubris. Nobody can be unconcerned
because each of us inevitably encounters these eternal issues on the journey from a
human to an integrated and mature personality.
The study guide on Daniel Keyes’ “Flowers for Algernon” is aimed to
extensively activate the vocabulary involving traditional as well as up-to-date
techniques. The guide also engages learners to focus on the cultural realities of the
USA.
This study guide is structured as follows: before-, while- and after reading parts
followed by a list of references.
1. Before-reading part introduces a concise biography of Daniel Keyes and
historical and literature context of the novel.
2. While-reading part represents a series of lexico-grammar and comprehension
activities designed to reflect on events, feelings, thoughts described in Progress
Reports. They also encompass tasks for general and detailed understanding of the story
so as to encourage language analysis and full-blown discussions.
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3. After-reading part includes the materials for language consolidation and
strengthening learners’ skills in sketching a character, retelling or giving opinion on
the episode/text/story.
The book is addressed for 1-4-year students at the Linguistics Department,
School of Philology and Language Communication, Siberian Federal University. It
could also be of great importance for all learners of English at upper-intermediate and
advanced levels, interested in modern American literature and culture. The study guide
can be used for self-study or in the classroom.
We believe that diligent, thoughtful, and consistent work with the present study
guide will enrich your vocabulary, perfect your command of the language and broaden
the cross-cultural outlook.
5
1. BEFORE READING
Daniel Keyes (1927–2014) was an American author best known for such novels
as “Flowers for Algernon” and “The Minds of Billy Milligan”.
Daniel Keyes as a teen growing up in the Depression had to do a number of part
time jobs (a delivery man’s assistant, a waiter, a factory worker, etc.) to help provide
for his family. He graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School (in Brooklyn).
Studying was easy for him, because he preferred spending all his free time on reading,
which eventually influenced him to become a writer.
The year of graduation from school was marked by a major quarrel with his
parents. Daniel Keyes was attracted to literature, although his mother and father
insisted on medical education. He attended classes at New York University as a
medical student for several months. However, he wasn’t pleased with studying the
subject he wasn’t interested in. Therefore, 17-year-old Daniel Keyes enlisted in the
United States Maritime Service; there he had a job of the purser on oil tankers – he had
responsibility for money.
When Daniel Keyes returned to New York, he decided to take up journalism and
enrolled in a journalism course but soon dropped out in favor of psychology. In 1950,
he finished his bachelor’s degree in Psychology and at the same time he studied in New
York University to get his English Education degree.
The next couple of years would be busy for Daniel Keys. He got a job as an
editor and in 1952 married his wife Aurea Georgina Vazquez. His first job position
after graduating from college was an editor of pulp magazine “Marvel Science Stories”.
Daniel Keyes began his writing career with comic book scripts for “Atlas Comics”.
Later Daniel Keyes was offered a job as an associate editor of “Atlas Comics”
under editor-in-chief, Stan Lee. Soon after that Keyes wrote in his book “Algernon,
Charlie, and I: A Writer’s Journey”:
“Since my $17.25-a-month rent was almost due, I accepted what I considered a
detour on my journey toward a literary career... Because of my experience editing
Marvel and because I’d sold a few science fiction stories by then, Stan allowed me to
specialize in horror, fantasy, suspense, and science fiction comic books. Naturally, I
began submitting story ideas, getting the freelance assignments, and supplementing my
salary by writing scripts on my own time”.
By that time, he had gained experience working at Marvel and managed to
publish several short stories in other publications. He specialized in horror, fantasy,
and science fiction. Keyes worked with artist Basil Wolverton.
6
Among the ideas that arose at this time was one that contained the plot of the
debut novel. The book “Flowers for Algernon” was based on one of Keyes’ paragraphlong story ideas “Brainstorm” that, however, he decided not to submit to Stan Lee.
Daniel Keyes emphasized later in his book “Algernon, Charlie, and I: A Writer’s
Journey” that he considered this idea to be “more than a comic book script”.
The short story “Flowers for Algernon” was published in “The Magazine of
Fantasy & Science Fiction” in April, 1959. The story was expanded into a full-length
novel in 1966.
There were several circumstances which inspired him the most to write the
novel. While working he was also getting a Master’s degree in American Literature.
Keyes got a teaching license in June 1957, which provided him a stable income and
free time to write. Thus, upon graduation Daniel Keyes was teaching English to
students with special needs. Once a student of his asked him if it would be possible to
be moved to a regular class if he “worked hard and became smart.” Another student
that added to the inspiration was one who was removed from regular classes and had
regressed in his ability to learn. Analyzing the situation, Keyes stated: “When he came
back to school, he had lost it all. He could not read. He reverted to what he had been.
It was a heart-breaker”.
Thereafter, Keyes was asked to write a story for “Galaxy Science Fiction”
magazine in 1958, and Keyes decided that his story “Flowers for Algernon” should be
presented to them. However, Horace Gold (“Galaxy Science Fiction” magazine’s
editor) told Keyes to change the story so there was a happy ending - Charlie remained
intelligent and married Alice Kinnian. Keyes refused and sold his story to “The
Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction” instead.
Daniel Keyes got two awards. In 1959, Daniel Keyes was given the Hugo Award
for the short story, entitled “Flowers for Algernon”. And in 1966, Keyes was awarded
the Nebula Award for the novel of the same title, which is the developed story.
“Flowers for Algernon” was adapted into a film called “Charly”, starring Cliff
Robertson as Charlie, in 1968. It was eventually the sixteenth highest-grossing film of
1968, reaching over $7 million in theatrical rentals the week of its release. Even years
later, in 2009, Charly was among “25 Best Movie Tearjerkers Ever” list, presented by
Entertainment Weekly. Moreover, in 2000, the second screen adaptation, entitled the
same name as the novel, was released.
Keyes continued writing here and there, with nothing coming close to the success
of “Flowers for Algernon”. In 2000, Daniel Keyes wrote the book “Algernon, Charlie,
and I: A Writer’s Journey” where he revealed the methods he used for writing and
7
detailed his inspirations as well as his experiences as an author. He also published other
novels:
● The Touch (1968; re-edited and published as The Contaminated Man, 1977);
● The Fifth Sally (1980);
● The Minds of Billy Milligan (1981);
● Unveiling Claudia (1986);
● The Milligan Wars: A True-Story Sequel (Japan, 1994);
● Until Death (1998);
● The Asylum Prophecies (2009).
In the early years of his career, Daniel Keyes taught in New York schools. Later
he was a professor at Wayne State University in Detroit and at Ohio University. He
said he never forgot an encounter with a pupil in a class for the developmentally
disabled. Therefore, in 2000, when he retired, he was honored with the title of professor
emeritus.
Keyes’ wife, Aurea, died in 2013. A year later, June 15 th, 2014, Daniel Keyes
passed away at the age of 86 from complications of pneumonia in his home in Boca
Raton, Florida. The couple are survived by their daughters Leslie and Hillary.
“Flowers for Algernon” has become a classic of American literature. It has never
gone out of print and to this date has sold over five million copies and has been
translated into thirty languages. “I’ve learned that intelligence alone doesn’t mean a
damn thing,” Daniel Keyes once said. “It only leads to violence and pain”.
Discussing Biography
Task 1. Choose at least 3 most memorable and fascinating facts about Daniel
Keyes and present them to the class.
Task 2. Surfing the Internet: Do the Internet research on these topics and
be prepared to present your findings.
● The Hugo Award;
● The Nebula Award;
● The title of professor emeritus.
Task 3. Draw a timeline and note not less than 5 significant dates. Retell the
biography of Daniel Keyes to your partner, basing on this timeline.
8
Task 4. Surf the Internet and pick up pictures which are associated with the
biography you have read. Use open resources like Unsplash or Pinterest to create
a collage and be ready to present it to your groupmates.
Task 5. Imagine you are a journalist who is writing an article about Daniel
Keyes. Prepare 5 questions about the facts mentioned in the biography.
Task 6. Read about Daniel Keyes’ books mentioned in the biography.
Choose one of them you would like to read and write a short text (8-10 sentences)
on the topic: “The next Daniel Keyes’ book I would like to read is…”.
Task 7. Read the quotes from the novel “Flowers for Algernon”. Choose one
quote and comment on it according to your life experience.
1. “I am afraid. Not of life, or death, or nothingness, but of wasting it as if I had
never been.”
2. “There are a lot of people who will give money or materials, but very few who
will give time and affection.”
3. “I can’t afford to spend my time with anyone - there’s only enough left for
myself.”
4. “Now I understand one of the important reasons for going to college and
getting an education is to learn that the things you’ve believed in all your life aren’t
true, and that nothing is what it appears to be.”
5. “So this is how a person can come to despise himself - knowing he’s doing the
wrong thing and not being able to stop.”
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2. WHILE READING
2.1. Progress reports 1–9
Key Vocabulary
retarded; to fail a test; to holler at smb; to mix smb up; to get stuck; to give
permission for smth; can hardly do smth; to have an argument about smth; so far; That’s
exactly what I mean; to have an overwhelming desire to do smth; to go wrong with
smth; to make a great contribution to smth; superstitious; not to do the things for all the
tea in China; to tamper with; If this thing works; That’s not the way it works; to find
out; to have faith in smb; to fool around; to keep smth a secret; to get discouraged; to
have a lot of work to catch up; to have confidence in smb; to advance; on purpose; to
look back in one’s memory; to outstrip smth; to bother smb
Vocabulary Improvement
Task 1. Find the words and phrases from Key Vocabulary (Progress
Reports 1-9) and fill in the table.
Word / Phrase
Sentence from the text
Translation
Task 2. Find English equivalents to the Key Vocabulary words and phrases.
кричать/ругаться на кого-либо; спорить о чем-либо; очень сильно чего-то
хотеть; почти не мочь что-то делать; делать что-то с большим трудом; суеверный; не справиться с тестом; Это все не так происходит (работает)/ Это все происходит (работает) по-другому; дурачиться/баловаться; попасть/зайти в тупик
(застрять); разрешить/дать разрешение на что-либо; Вы совершенно правильно
меня поняли/Совершенно верно/Именно это я и имею в виду; пойти не по
плану/получиться не так, как планировалось; опережать; специально/намеренно;
внести огромный вклад в; пока/на данный момент; умственно отсталый; сбить
с толку/запутаться; быть уверенным в ком-либо; Если все получится; выяснить/узнать; держать в секрете/никому не говорить; наверстать/доделать свою
работу; верить в кого-то; не делать ни за что на свете; отчаяться/очень сильно
10
расстроиться; вмешиваться во что-либо; вспоминать; развиваться/совершенствоваться/продвигаться по карьерной лестнице; беспокоить кого-либо.
Task 3. Match the definitions to the Key Vocabulary words and phrases.
№
Definition
1.
to become unpleasant and far from being a success
2.
not to tell anyone that you know
3.
to become unable to move, or set in a particular position, place, or way of
thinking
4.
to help produce or achieve something together with other people, or to help
make something successful
5.
to have a strong and sometimes angry disagreement in talking or discussing
something
6.
to lose your confidence or enthusiasm for something
7.
having a slower mental development than other people of the same age
(offensive old-fashioned)
8.
to go or move something forward, or to develop or improve something
9.
to have a feeling of trust that people will do what they promise to do, etc.
10.
to have little doubt about people and their abilities
11.
to be unsuccessful in doing the task(s) given
12.
to be or become greater in amount, degree, or success than something or
someone
13.
based on or believing in old ideas about luck and magic rather than science or
reason
14.
to allow something to happen, or to allow someone to do something
Word /
Phrase
Task 4. Rewrite the sentences using the Key Vocabulary words and phrases.
1. She still has so many texts to translate for her boss.
2. They fiercely discussed their new route.
11
3. He is so tired and weak. Don’t disturb him, please.
4. They asked him not to tell anyone about their plans.
5. He will know everything about this experiment.
6. You will help the medical science to solve this problem.
7. I played this way deliberately, guys.
8. No one can do it at this particular time.
9. They didn’t allow her to go to the park.
10. There is no reason to become so upset.
11. They believed in their boss. That is why they followed him.
Task 5. Find 10 words from the Key Vocabulary.
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Task 6. Translate into English.
1. Он не написал тест даже для умственно отсталых людей.
2. Он не пойдет к Беккерам ни за что на свете.
3. Если все получится, то мы опередим достижения наших зарубежных
коллег.
12
4. Он верил в своего великого учителя и никогда не сомневался в его
словах.
5. Рабочий день почти заканчивался, а ему еще очень много нужно было
сделать.
6. Ему очень сильно хотелось встретиться с ней еще раз.
7. Когда на него кричали, он всегда терялся и не мог сказать ни слова.
8. Если что-то пойдет не так с их изобретением, им вряд ли удастся внести
вклад в технологический прогресс.
9. Они зашли в тупик и скоро совсем отчаялись.
10. Вы ошибаетесь. Все происходит совсем не так.
11. Он специально им мешал.
12. Вспоминая свое прошлое, он понял, как счастлив он был в детстве.
13. Они не разрешают ему выезжать из города.
14. Я в вас нисколько не сомневаюсь. Именно это я и имел в виду, когда
предложил вам этот проект.
15. Ему пока очень везёт.
16. Это была отличная возможность продвинуться по службе.
17. Не будь таким суеверным. Наш план обязательно сработает.
18. Они горячо спорили по поводу его участия в эксперименте.
19. Он обязательно разберется, какой секрет они хранят.
20. Они не собираются вмешиваться в ее работу.
21. Летом можно отдохнуть и повалять дурака.
Tasks for Deeper Understanding
Task 1. Answer the questions to recall the main events from Progress
Reports 1–9.
1. Why does Charlie start writing his reports?
2. How do the tests Charlie tries to do prove that he is retarded?
3. When does Charlie first meet Algernon? What is his first attitude to it?
4. What are Prof. Nemur’s worries about the experiment?
5. How does Charlie feel about the experiment?
6. How superstitious is Charlie, to your mind? What things does he keep to have
luck?
7. What does Charlie think of the people around him before the operation (Miss
Kinnian, the doctors, the boys at the bakery, etc.)? What makes him think so?
13
8. When does Charlie start working at the bakery? Why does it happen?
9. What does Charlie remember about his first coming to Beekman College and
meeting with Miss Kinnian?
10. What are Charlie’s first memories about his family?
11. What facts prove that Charlie is getting smarter?
12. Why do Charlie’s memories make him sad? What and who are the memories
about?
13. What does Dr. Strauss mean by his words “The more intelligent you become
the more problems you’ll have, Charlie. Your intellectual growth is going to outstrip
your emotional growth”?
Task 2. Choose one episode from Charlie’s Progress Reports 1-9 and retell
it (see Appendix C).
➢ Charlie’s first race with Algernon;
➢ Charlie’s attitude to his future operation;
➢ Drinking whisky with the bakery boys in the bar;
➢ April Fools’ Day at the bakery;
➢ Mastering the punctuation;
➢ Valentine’s Day at school;
➢ Doing the Rorschach test after the operation.
Task 3. Surfing the Internet: do the Internet research on these topics and
be prepared to present your findings.
➢ IQ;
➢ Rorschach Inkblot Test.
Task 4. Discuss the following.
1. What do you think might be positive and negative things about medical
experiments?
2. Would you agree to be a person for a medical experiment?
3. How does Charlie’s willingness to be operated on characterise him? Is it a
sign of being brave, to your mind?
4. Are young people superstitious nowadays?
5. Are there any things you keep to have luck?
6. Does your attitude to people around you change with time?
14
Creative Tasks
Task 1. Rewrite Charlie’s first report correctly. Mind the spelling, grammar
and punctuation.
progris riport 1 martch 3
Dr Strauss says I shoud rite down what I think and re­membir and evrey thing
that happins to me from now on. I dont no why but he says its importint so they will
see if they can use me. I hope they use me becaus Miss Kinnian says mabye they can
make me smart. I want to be smart. My name is Charlie Gordon I werk in Donners
bakery where Mr Donner gives me 11 dollers a week and bred or cake if I want. I am
32 yeres old and next munth is my brithday. I tolld dr Strauss and perfesser Nemur I
cant rite good but he says it dont matter he says I shud rite just like I talk and like I rite
compushishens in Miss Kinnians class at the beekmin collidge center for retarted adults
where I go to lern 3 times a week on my time off. Dr. Strauss says to riteдщз a lot
evrything I think and evrything that happins to me but I cant think anymor because I
have nothing to rite so I will close for today…yrs truly Charlie Gordon.
Task 2. Make up Charlie’s profile:
2.1. Think of the adjectives that characterise Charlie and prove your choice
by the example(s).
The pattern:
Charlie is superstitious. He keeps several things to have luck. These are a rabbit
foot, a lucky penny, and a horseshoe.
Charlie is diligent. He…
2.2. Describe Charlie mentioning everything you have learnt about him (his
age, family, friends and acquaintances, mental abilities, traits of character,
attitude towards life and people around, occupation, worries, desires etc.).
Task 3. Make a list of things Charlie does not understand before and right
after the operation.
Task 4. Write your own report to introduce yourself as a Siberian Federal
University student and mention your worries and desires, attitude towards the
studies and traits of character that may favour your academic success or prevent
from it.
15
2.2. Progress reports 10–11
Key Vocabulary
hostility; to resent smb; to bring it out in the open prematurely; to come under
fire; to ride on the coattails; a blur/to blur; to cower; to obey; to ward off blows; sternly;
to spank/to get spanked; to whimper; to leave a flaw in smb’s personality; in a flash of
memory; to blush; a blundering adolescent; to break the tie; to conceal anger; to
squeeze fists; absorbing interest; to give smth much thought; at smb’s expense; to feel
inferior to a moron; to drive a wedge between smb; to despise; a strap/to strap; to
whine; to lash at smb; to writhe; to soothe.
Vocabulary Improvement
Task 1. Find the words and phrases from Key Vocabulary (Reports 10-11)
and fill in the table.
Word / Phrase
Sentence from the text
Translation
Task 2. Find English equivalents to the Key Vocabulary words and phrases.
скулить; ныть; размытое пятно; вызвать разлад между кем-либо/вбить клин
между кем-либо; разрубить Гордиев узел; за счет кого-либо; слушаться; чувствовать неполноценность/ущербность; оставить изъян/дефект; хлестать кого-либо;
отшлепать; корчиться; объявлять преждевременно; съежиться/спрятаться; в проблесках памяти; успокаивать; много думать о чем-либо; неловкий/неумелый;
враждебность; возмущаться/беситься; глубокий интерес; скрывать гнев; покраснеть; отражать удары; презирать; сжимать кулаки; строго/сурово; подвергаться
критике; ремень/пристегивать; извлекать выгоду из чужого успеха.
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Task 3. Match the definitions to the Key Vocabulary words and phrases.
№
Definition
1.
a narrow piece of leather or other strong material used for
fastening something or giving support
2.
to behave according to a rule, law, or instruction
3.
to feel a strong dislike for someone or something because you
think that that person or thing is bad or has no value
4.
to make large twisting movements with the body
5.
to make someone feel calm or less worried
6.
making another person look silly
7.
in a way that shows disapproval
8.
to feel angry because you have been forced to accept someone
or something that you do not like
9.
to become pink in the face, usually from embarrassment
10.
to make a long, high, sad sound,
complain or express disappointment or unhappiness repeatedly
11.
an occasion when someone is unfriendly or shows that they do
not like something
12.
something that you cannot see clearly
Word / Phrase
Task 4. Rewrite the sentences using the Key Vocabulary.
1. She was infuriated by being treated like a child.
2. He hated himself for being such a coward.
3. They showed open unfriendliness towards their new neighbours.
4. We rebuked them very severely and we believe the error will not occur again.
5. All religions guide youths to follow the teachings of elders and parents.
6. She’s always complaining about something.
7. I picked up the crying child and tried to calm her.
8. The poor boy got pink when the headmistress made him come up to collect
his prize.
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9. The police did not believe that she was epileptic, as she had not been twisting
on the floor.
10. Their baby was born too soon and early and weighed only one kilogram.
11. The government’s economic policy has been criticized on all sides.
12. We could hide in the face of this threat, or we can destroy it.
13. I never smack my children.
14. He entered the room in a clumsy/awkward way.
15. It was clear the group were regarded as intellectually worse.
Task 5. Find 15 words from the Key Vocabulary.
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Task 6. Translate into English.
1. Это было слишком преждевременно обнародовать первые результаты.
Ребенок родился преждевременно и весил всего лишь 1 килограмм.
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2. Она ныла, что ее обманули. Собака скулила и царапалась в дверь (at the
door).
3. Наше предложение было встречено с нескрываемой (outright)
враждебностью. Между двумя школами существовала открытая вражда.
4. Она презирала его за его слабость. Он презирал себя за свою трусость.
5. Их очень жестко тестировали независимой комиссией. Она строго
сказала, что такое поведение было неприемлемо в их семье.
6. Предполагается, что жители будут подчиняться правилам общежития.
Все падающие предметы подчиняются закону гравитации.
7. Прими эту таблетку, она должна успокоить боль. Люди не хотят, чтобы
их успокаивали.
8. Я всегда краснею, когда выступаю на публике. Я краснею от мысли, как
(to think how) ужасно я вел себя при нашей последней встрече.
9. В агонии она корчилась по полу. Змея извивалась и шипела.
10. Мы ездили в отпуск за счет моего отца. Она все над ней посмеялись.
11. Программу правительства раскритиковали за нецелевое использование
финансов (mismanaging funds). Президента раскритиковали со всех сторон (from
all sides).
12. Он вытащил пистолет и люди попрятались под столы. C поникшей
головой собака забилась в угол, понимая, что она что-то натворила.
13. Она чувствовала себя неполноценной по сравнению со своей старшей
сестрой. Современную музыку часто считают посредственной по сравнению
с музыкой прошлого.
14. Когда я снимаю очки, все становится расплывчатым. События того дня
были словно в тумане.
15. Я просто не хочу вбивать клин между вами. Я не могла позволить ему
вбить клин между ними.
16. Он попытался отразить удар, но соперник был быстрее. Зимой я
принимаю витамин С, чтобы справляться с простудой.
17. Я не хочу выезжать на отцовской славе. Все, что ты можешь делать, так
это врать и ездить на шее брата.
18. Несмотря на то, что она была его мачехой, она ни разу шлепнула его.
Его родители не верили в эффективность физических наказаний.
19. Я никогда особенно не думал, что могло оставить такой изъян в его
характере. То, о чем я много думал, так это как же можно было разрешить
проблему.
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20. В проблесках памяти я пытался найти, что же могло нанести такой
дефект моей личности. В проблесках памяти он видел, как мать шлепала
и хлестала его, а он корчился от боли, пытаясь отразить ее удары, и прятался
в углу.
Tasks for Deeper Understanding
Task 1. Answer the questions to recall the main events from Progress
Reports 10–11.
1. Why does Charlie strive to please Gimpy and Frank when they teach him how
to make rolls?
2. How do Charlie’s coworkers at the bakery treat him after being operated on?
How does he feel? Why was he twice given a raise?
3. What argument does Charlie overhear between Dr. Strauss and Pr. Nemur?
4. What reason to get an education gets revealed to Charlie?
5. What is ‘a hunger that cannot be ever satisfied’ for Charlie?
6. What does Charlie’s dream reveal about his parents and their attitude to him?
How does he remember his parents? Why doesn’t Charlie’s mother want to recognise
her son was special? Charlie’s mother screams, lashes at him, spanks him. Can you
justify her?
7. What is an ordeal to Charlie and why? How do Charlie’s feelings transform
from the 1st movie date to the next orchestra date?
8. What makes Charlie feel hatred toward Gimpy one morning?
9. “Before they had laughed at me, despising me for my ignorance and dullness,
now they hated me for my knowledge and understanding.” Why?
10. Why is Charlie fired from the bakery? How does he feel? Why does he come
to Alice and cry to sleep?
Task 2. Choose one episode from Charlie’s Progress Reports 10–11 and
retell it (see Appendix C).
➢ A lesson to make rolls;
➢ Dream about his parents;
➢ Charlie’s 1st movie date with Alice;
➢ Witnessing Gimp stealing money;
➢ Charlie’s firing from the bakery.
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Task 3. Surfing the Internet: do the Internet research on the topic and be
prepared to present your findings.
➢ a freshman beanie
Task 4. Discuss the following.
1. How does a person go about learning how to act toward another person? How
does a man learn how to behave toward a woman?
2. What are the signs that a person is in love?
3. Why are parents usually afraid of having a feeble-minded or mentally disabled
child (Down’s syndrome)? Can you justify Charlie’s parents’ behaviour?
4. As shown, intellectual and emotional growth do not keep pace with each other.
Why do you think it is so?
5. What is your choice: ‘to be a good simple ordinary man’ or ‘to acquire
knowledge, understand yourself and the world?’
6. What is the purpose of education? Higher education?
7. Can you agree with the statement that mediocrity makes the human society,
so-called common people avoid, are fearful or ban both retarded people and
intellectuals as well, happiness is being an ordinary person?
Creative Tasks
Task 1. Read the passage and record a 2–3-minute video where you speak
out on the question asked at the end.
For much of history, intellectual disability was attributed to poor heredity;
people with intellectual disability often were considered a threat to society, even
thought to be evil. Some were cast out of society, forcibly sterilized, or institutionalized
and forced to work to help pay for their care. I am asking then: “Is it right to keep
mentally disabled people alive?”
Follow a plan:
• make an inviting introduction;
• outline your clear position;
• support it with 2–3 arguments accompanied with examples;
• restate your opinion and make it sound strong and compelling.
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2.3. Progress reports 12–13
Key Vocabulary
to justify; a preliminary report; a laboratory specimen; to dig into oneself; the air
becomes charged with laughter; to ooze; subconscious; sharp stillness; unconcealed
puzzlement; an assigned task; patronizing; superior; a docile pup; to torture oneself;
to struggle over; to be absorbed in; a spotlight; one’s mind is blank; to determine; to
talk of prognosis; external; deleterious effect; odor; nausea; to flush with pleasure; with
Lord’s help; quacks and phonies; irreversible; inferior; to have a gift for something; to
be on edge; ordinary; custody; premature; dignity; distinguishing
Vocabulary Improvement
Task 1. Find the words and phrases from Key Vocabulary (Progress
Reports 12–13) and fill in the table.
Word / Phrase
Sentence from the text
Translation
Task 2. Find English equivalents to the Key Vocabulary words and phrases.
примечательный/отличный; оправдать; неполноценный; с Божьей помощью; назначенное задание; предварительный отчет; шарлатаны и мошенники;
опека; обычный; тошнота; мучить себя/издеваться над собой; внешний; воздух
заряжен смехом; вредное воздействие; лабораторный образец; определять; достоинство; верный песик/безвольный человек; бороться, замешательство; копаться в себе; абсолютное спокойствие; иметь способность/склонность к чемуто; необратимый; незрелый; подсознательный; сочиться/вытекать; предсказывать/прогнозировать; покровительствующий; высший; быть поглощенным/
увлеченным чем-то; человек, получающий много общественного внимания;
у кого-то нет идей; быть на грани; умирать/сгорать от удовольствия
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Task 3. Match the definitions to the Key Vocabulary words and phrases.
№
Definition
1.
to be extremely talented in a field
2.
better than average or better than other people or things of the same type
3.
making someone or something different from similar people or things
4.
the legal right or duty to care for someone or something, especially a child
after its parents have separated or died
5.
a sample of a medical material used for tests and experiments
6.
an extreme calmness
7.
not possible to change; impossible to return to a previous condition
8.
(of a person) receiving a lot of public attention
9.
very interested in something and not paying attention to anything else
10.
existing, intended for, or happening outside a person, organization, place,
country, etc.
11.
not different or special or unexpected in any way; usual
12.
happening or done too soon, especially before the natural or suitable time
13.
to expect something happen, to predict the course of events
Word /
Phrase
Task 4. Rewrite the sentences using the Key Vocabulary words and phrases.
1. You can’t treat me this way. You prey on me as if I’m always there for you
and I’m your slave.
2. It seems like lots of people actually enjoy making themselves feel worse by
watching horror films.
3. When I look around and see how many things are happening in the world, I
feel so confused.
4. I do love spending time trying to understand and learn about myself more.
5. An inner voice inside my head told me to get up and start acting.
6. Scammers and thieves tend to fool innocent people around.
7. My sister has a lot of talents. She is really good at writing.
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8. What’s the smell? It seems like someone’s perfume.
9. The outer involvement in our politics is unacceptable.
10. Ecology suffers from the devastating effects of modern plants and factories.
11. Some things can’t be changed.
12. When it comes to Physics, I feel calm and confident.
Task 5. Find 10 words from the Key Vocabulary.
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Task 6. Translate into English.
1. Я погрузился в эту книгу так, что не мог от нее оторваться.
2. Сколько бы Чарли не пытался, он никак не мог перестать мучить себя.
3. Я услышал странный гул вдалеке, что вызвало у меня явное
замешательство.
4. Это было мое подсознательное решение. Хоть я и выполнил все
поставленные задачи, я все равно продолжил работать.
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5. Любовь иногда заставляет людей становиться глупыми и по щелчку
бежать к своей пассии, как верный песик.
6. Это момент моего триумфа, все смотрели на меня, и я был несказанно
счастлив.
7. Воздух был заряжен смехом, вокруг была благоприятная атмосфера. Мы
просто взяли наши вещи и пошли медленно гулять по парку.
8. Она сохраняет абсолютное спокойствие в любой ситуации.
9. Шарлатаны и мошенники зачастую применяют различные способы
отвлечения вашего внимания, чтобы завладеть имуществом.
10. Неприятный запах вызвал у него тошноту.
11. Он так устал от глупых и незрелых людей вокруг. Каждый из них
казался ему каким-то неполноценным.
12. Результаты вредного воздействие этих продуктов оказались
необратимыми.
Tasks for Deeper Understanding
Task 1. Answer the questions to recall the main events from Progress
Reports 12–13.
1. What is the trigger for Charlie to stop any interaction with the woman from
Central Park?
2. Can Charlie actually hurt the woman?
3. Is the professional a real help or a scammer? Do his methods turn out to be
effective?
4. When Charlie dirties himself and behaves slightly inappropriate, why does the
doctor keep being patient? What does he promise to Charlie?
5. What causes Charlie’s disappointment in the scientists? Why is he
unimpressed anymore?
6. Why is Charlie so absent and indifferent when Algernon runs away?
Task 2. Surfing the Internet: do the Internet research on these topics and
be prepared to present your findings.
➢ The International Psychological Convention at Chicago;
➢ Napoleon (“I’m going to call him Napoleon”);
➢ Platonic love;
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➢ Monopoly;
➢ Checkers;
➢ Alma Mater;
➢ Inferiority Complex.
Task 3. Discuss the following.
1. What becomes a watershed in the relationship between Charlie and Alice?
Why cannot they be together?
2. If Charlie has warm feelings for Alice, what makes him have any relationship
with the woman from Central Park?
3. Is it possible for Charlie to be like other men in terms of physical love?
4. Why does Charlie want to be punished?
5. What place do Charlie’s memories take in the story? Why does he recall his
childhood?
Creative Tasks
Task 1. Build a portrait of a potential lover for Charlie who would match
him.
Think about Charlie’s love life. He had different visions of his perfect partner in
different stages of his life. Build a portrait of a potential lover for Charlie who would
match him a) in the beginning of the story, b) when he became intelligent. Focus on
the values and character traits.
2.4. Progress reports 14–15
Key Vocabulary
to hit the papers; to do the legwork; one’s temper flares; to induce smb to do
smth; a shambles; to have a compulsion; to be nuts about smth/doing smth; to stick
(one’s) nose (up) in the air; to walk out on smb; (to write) off the books; to be all fixed
up; to make a pass at smb; to catch smb off guard; to be boxed in; to ward off a blow;
to smirk at smb; I can’t help doing smth; to outwit smb; to be broke; to be starved for;
to devote smth to smth; time and (time) again; to hesitate to do smth; to make a snap
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judgment; to go down the drain; trial and error; to do one’s utmost; to get the weight
off one’s mind; to have some say about/in smth; to immerse oneself in smth
Vocabulary Improvement
Task 1. Find the words and phrases from Key Vocabulary (Progress
Reports 14-15) and fill in the table.
Word / Phrase
Sentence from the text
Translation
Task 2. Find English equivalents to the Key Vocabulary words and phrases.
бросать, покидать кого-либо; попасть в новостные выпуски/написать в газетах; побуждать, склонять кого-то к чему-либо; быть без ума от чего-либо/сходить с ума по кому-либо; потерпеть провал или неудачу/ пойти насмарку; сделать
все возможное; c души камень упал; иметь право голоса; всё обустроено/обеспечено/готово; застать врасплох; отражать удар; выполнять грязную работу; быть не в состоянии предотвратить что-либо; иметь огромное желание; перехитрить/провести; полный бардак/неразбериха; быть на мели, разоряться;
страдать от нехватки чего-либо; списать с баланса/со счета; терять самообладание; очень часто; делать поспешный вывод/принимать необдуманное решение
Task 3. Match the definitions to the Key Vocabulary words and phrases.
№
Definition
1.
to do the physically or mentally demanding work required to
accomplish something
2.
used to say that someone gets angry
3.
to assume a haughty, condescending, or disdainful expression
or manner
4.
to suddenly leave your husband, wife, or partner and end your
relationship with them
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Word / Phrase
5.
to be extremely or excessively enthusiastic about; be fervent in
one’s admiration of
6.
restricted or feeling stuck due to one’s limited options.
7.
to give all of something, especially your time, effort, or love, or
yourself, to something you believe in or to a person
8.
to do or say something that clearly shows one wants to begin a
romantic or sexual relationship with (someone)
9.
to make the greatest possible effort
10.
to have a strong desire to do something, which you find
difficult to control.
11.
When you do it, you smile in an unpleasant way, often because
you believe that you have gained an advantage over someone
else or know something that they do not know.
12.
to be worried about doing something, especially because you
are not sure that it is right or appropriate
13.
a way of achieving an aim or solving a problem by trying a
number of different methods and learning from the mistakes
that you make
14.
to become completely involved in smth
15.
to defeat somebody/something or gain an advantage over them
by doing something clever
Task 4. Rewrite the sentences using the Key Vocabulary words and phrases.
1. I’ve watched her make the same mistake again and again.
2. After seeing you become more and more consumed by your addiction, we
couldn’t help but intervene.
3. We tried as hard as we could to finish the project on time.
4. They persuaded her to take the job by promising editorial freedom.
5. He suddenly left his wife and kids.
6. Somehow he always manages to defeat his opponents.
7. Unfortunately I’m out of money.
8. Those children are badly in need of being given attention.
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9. My daughter is very passionate about sport – she’s currently playing soccer
and tennis and taking swim lessons.
10. The officer made a decision without careful consideration to take the
unresponsive child into his patrol car and rush her to the hospital himself.
11. Hearing that she’s safe made her parents stop worrying about her!
Task 5. Complete the sentences using the Key Vocabulary words or phrases.
1. As soon as the story about the scandal became known, it didn’t take long to ___.
2. Her __________ at the slightest criticism.
3. Do you think she was _________, or was she just being nice?
4. He’s got a lot of tricky moves, so make sure he doesn’t _____________!
5. She has _______ all her energies/life to the care of homeless people.
6. Many medical discoveries were made by ____________.
7. When he’s 18, he’ll begin to ________ in the running of the family business.
8. She got some books out of the library and _______________ British history
and culture.
Task 6. Translate into English.
1. Он не мог не погрузиться в изучение Британской литературы, так как
с детства очень сильно любил читать.
2. Я хочу сообщить всё своим коллегам сам прежде, чем они узнают эти
новости из газет.
3. Он не любит, но ему приходится выполнять всю грязную работу.
4. Очень сложно с тобой разговаривать, когда ты теряешь самообладание.
5. У него всегда дома полный бардак.
6. Если бы он не задирал нос, все бы желали с ним общаться.
7. Она без ума от танцев. Она все свободное время посвящает им.
8. Один мой друг ушел от жены и детей.
9. Не давайте заработанным вами деньгам утекать в трубу!
10. Не списывайте его со счетов, он сделает все от себя зависящее
и поможет нам.
11. Что ж, здесь всё готово, сэр. Можете не стесняться, входите.
12. Он попытался заигрывать с ней, но она не жаждала его внимания.
13. Извините, вы застали нас врасплох.
14. Я чувствую себя зажатым в этой комнате.
15. Он смог отразить удар и даже перехитрил своего оппонента.
29
16. Все его усилия просто коту под хвост. Не надо ему делать поспешных
выводов!
17. Всё! Она уже не на мели. Наконец-то она не будет переживать
о деньгах.
Tasks for Deeper Understanding
Task 1. Answer the questions to recall the main events from Progress
Reports 14–15.
1. What does Charlie discover when he reads the newspaper account of his
actions at the conference?
2. What memories do the newspaper article trigger?
3. What’s the reason for Charlie’s visit to the barbershop?
4. After hearing the story of Charlie’s last night at home, what is ironic about
the shave Charlie receives at the barbershop?
5. In what way is the boy in the restaurant like Charlie before he had the
surgery?
6. What is Charlie guilty of in the diner that hurts him most of all?
7. The broken dishes have a symbolic meaning. What do you think they
symbolize in regards to Charlie’s life?
8. Why does Charlie decide to work to increase human intelligence?
9. What insights do Charlie share with Alice when he finally contacted her?
10. What is Algernon’s condition like at this point in the novel?
11. How does Charlie feel about being in solitude?
12. Why is Fay important for Charlie?
13. Why is Charlie afraid of losing his “peanuts”?
14. How does Charlie’s behavior compare to Algernon’s?
15. Why doesn’t Charlie want Algernon disposed of according to normal lab
procedures?
16. Where will Charlie be “disposed of” if the experiment fails? How does he
feel about this? Why?
17. What is Charlie’s opinion of many psychological theories?
30
Task 2. Choose one episode from Charlie’s Progress Reports 14–15 and
retell it (see Appendix C).
➢ Charlie’s visit to Matt Gordon’s barber shop;
➢ Charlie’s first meeting with Fay Lillman;
➢ Charlie’s visit to the diner.
Task 3. Comment on the following quotations explaining the meaning of the
underlined phrases.
1. “Although the recent photograph is a clear one, I still see it through the gauze
of childhood.” – Charlie Gordon
2. “I see now that when Norma flowered in our garden I became a weed, allowed
to exist only where I would not be seen, in corners and dark places.” – Charlie Gordon
3. “I tell myself that as long as I keep taping my progress reports, nothing will
be lost; the record will be complete. Let them be in the dark for a while; I was in the
dark for more than thirty years. But I’m tired now.” – Charlie Gordon
4. “Solitude gives me a chance to read and think, and now that the memories are
coming through again - to redis­cover my past, to find out who and what I really am.
If anything should go wrong, I’ll have at least that.” – Charlie Gordon
5. “Tell you what I don’t like about a place so goddamned orderly like this. As
an artist… it’s the lines that get me. All the straight lines in the walls, on the floors, in
the corners that turn into boxes – like coffins. The only way I can get rid of the boxes
is to take a few drinks. Then all the lines get wavy and wiggly, and I feel a lot better
about the whole world. When things are all straight and lined up this way I get morbid.
Ugh! If I lived here I would have to stay drunk all the time.” – Fay Lillman
6. “Life is just a box of mazes.” – Fay Lillman
7. “He’s better off dead. He’ll never be able to live a nor­mal life. He’ll be better
off—” – Rose Gordon
8. “Then I remembered that I wanted him to know. He had to admit that I was
alive, that I was someone. I wanted him to boast about me to the customers tomorrow
as he gave haircuts and shaves. That would make it all real. If he knew I was his son,
then I would be a person.” – Charlie Gordon
9. “I wasn’t his son. That was another Charlie. Intelligence and knowledge had
changed me, and he would resent me – as the others from the bakery resented me –
because my growth diminished him. I didn’t want that.” – Charlie Gordon
10. “I knew what was expected of me, and I told myself there was no reason not
to. I had the feeling there would be no panic now – not with her. After all, I wasn’t the
31
one making the advances. And she was different from any woman I’d ever met before.
Perhaps she was right for me at this emotional level.” - Charlie Gordon
11. “Somehow, getting drunk had momentarily broken down the conscious
barriers that kept the old Charlie Gordon hidden deep in my mind. As I suspected all
along, he was not really gone. Nothing in our minds is ever really gone. The operation
had covered him over with a veneer of education and culture, but emotionally he was
there – watching and waiting.” – Charlie Gordon
12. “In spite of the operation Charlie was still with me.” – Charlie Gordon
13. “There was nothing for me to complain about. They had thought of
everything. Warren was the logical place – the deep freeze where I could be put away
for the rest of my days.” – Charlie Gordon
Task 3. Surfing the Internet: do the Internet research on these topics and
be prepared to present your findings.
➢ Warren State Home and Training School;
➢ New York (Greenwich Village, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Times Square);
➢ The Museum of Modern Art.
Task 4. Discuss the following.
1. How do you understand the symbols shown in Progress Reports 14–15:
windows and mirrors/light and darkness? Give examples to support your opinion.
2. What’s the importance of love and sex in person’s life?
3. How much control do you believe you have over your own life? Over things
that happen to you? How does it feel when you don’t have control over what happens
to you?
4. At the height of his intelligence, Charlie decides to help others rather than
focus solely on understanding himself. Why is it important for him? Is it essential to
help others?
5. Charlie says life is like a maze leading to death. Do you agree with this
statement?
6. Do choices people make help them to change their personality?
Creative Tasks
Task 1. Give a character sketch of Fay Lillman (see Appendix A).
32
Task 2. Act out the scene when Charlie first meets Fay.
Task 3. Describe Charlie’s neighbour’s apartment.
Task 4. Find the description of Charlie’s father’s appearance.
2.5. Progress report 16
Key Vocabulary
that may account for smth; to become possessive; to cut down on smth; to size
each other up; to be in one’s way; to work around the clock; to take one’s mind off the
problem; to let the problem stew; to be indebted to smb; a hitch; to bring smth into
question; to come to terms with smb; by what right; to turn away from smb; It took me
by surprise; to break the spell; to look at smb/smth in awe; I didn’t want my visit
spoiled; to be confused; inevitable; to be mean to smb; to be through (a lot); I couldn’t
help myself; to be in control and aware of the world around; touchy; to resist smth; to
keep from doing smth; There’s more to it than just…; to hint at things; to look up a
word in a dictionary; to make difference to smb
Vocabulary Improvement
Task 1. Find the words and phrases from Key Vocabulary (Progress Report
16) and fill in the table.
Word / Phrase
Sentence from the text
Translation
Task 2. Find English equivalents to the Key Vocabulary words and phrases.
помириться/простить/понять; по какому праву…?; иметь значение/какая
разница; раздраженный; нарушить сложившуюся атмосферу/испортить то, что
происходит (чувствуется) в данный момент; что может быть причиной/что может быть объяснением чего-либо; быть сбитым с толку/очень удивиться; это застало меня врасплох; ставить под сомнение; работать круглые сутки; я не хотел,
33
чтобы мой визит был испорчен; Я ничего не мог с собой поделать; говорить намеками/загадками; стать собственником; Это нечто большее, чем просто …; сократить расходы на что-либо; стараться не делать что-либо; отвернуться от кого-то;
контролировать и понимать/осознавать происходящее; искать слово в словаре;
оценить друг друга по достоинству; неизбежный; отвлечься от проблемы; сопротивляться/противостоять/не поддаваться; смотреть на кого-либо/что-либо с благоговением; быть у кого-то на пути/на чьем-либо пути; быть в долгу/свыкнуться/быть признательным/быть обязанным; вести себя очень грубо по отношению к кому-либо; заминка/загвоздка; переварить/обдумать проблему
Task 3. Match the definitions to the Key Vocabulary words and phrases.
№
Definition
1.
to examine something or someone carefully and decide what you think about
it, him, or her
2.
to be important in some way
3.
incapable of being avoided or evaded
4.
to do a job all day and all night without stopping
5.
to bring an end to smth
6.
to talk about (something) in an indirect way
7.
to reach an agreement with smb
8.
to behave very rudely towards smb
9.
easily angered or made unhappy
10.
to refuse someone’s request and tell that person to leave
11.
to fight against smth
12.
to manage to prevent yourself from doing smth
13.
in a position to obstruct, hinder, or interfere with smb or smth
14.
to happen to (smb or smth) unexpectedly
34
Word /
Phrase
Task 4. Rewrite the sentences using the Key Vocabulary words and phrases.
1. My friend tried to say that I did something wrong with the computer.
2. We will always be very grateful to him for what he did for our family.
3. She can only suggest these things indirectly.
4. This could even reduce the amount of low-quality content on the internet as a
whole.
5. The unavoidable trend is that people become less organized.
6. Pseudonyms should not be puzzled with new names that replace old ones.
7. She has had a number of difficult experiences in her life, and her career has
spanned over 50 years.
8. But I can tell you that your teaching skills have been seriously caused to be
doubted.
9. His brother Mike cannot deal with what is happening and comes up with his
own plan to save a loved one.
10. Let’s just examine carefully here, and left side of the list.
Task 5. Find 10 words from the Key Vocabulary.
y
v
j
h
u
t
g
b
i
l
n
y
o
r
x
x
r
t
w
a
w
a
n
y
l
v
p
v
i
e
l
u
f
n
j
x
d
f
t
e
h
k
a
l
n
h
k
o
w
z
e
t
s
z
p
m
i
y
f
t
r
s
x
u
b
u
i
h
c
s
u
l
t
m
d
g
q
e
t
z
s
r
o
a
y
o
h
r
c
a
r
v
e
v
e
p
n
t
l
a
b
z
x
j
h
z
d
y
r
i
f
y
h
c
u
o
t
l
k
q
d
c
j
w
u
s
c
e
b
h
q
i
g
s
n
a
w
e
s
i
j
s
s
b
q
i
q
s
q
e
h
h
e
z
c
a
n
e
n
v
x
b
t
p
c
f
d
n
c
w
w
n
a
s
m
g
z
e
c
f
j
v
x
s
q
a
n
y
w
s
a
r
w
v
s
h
x
s
g
q
r
f
e
d
r
o
j
j
z
b
p
y
d
i
k
e
u
e
q
r
v
p
h
l
s
35
Task 6. Translate into English.
1. Сеть супермаркетов пообещала сократить расходы на упаковку.
2. Поступок мисс Томас показался ей вполне естественным и неизбежным.
3. Вам просто необходимо поехать к морю. Это поможет вам отвлечься
от своих проблем.
4. Им просто нужно время, чтобы свыкнуться с этой информацией.
5. Для вас это ничего не изменит, а для меня это очень важно.
6. Вашей семье через многое пришлось пройти.
7. Это объявление застало организацию врасплох.
8. Конференция должна была проходить в Лондоне, но из-за компьютерного сбоя в аэропорту произошла заминка с билетами на самолет.
9. Мы работаем круглосуточно, поэтому обратиться к нам за помощью вы
можете в любое время суток.
10. Бывает, что проведенная экспертиза предмета искусства ставит под сомнение его подлинность.
11. По какому праву вы говорите со мной в таком тоне?
12. Вовсе не обязательно быть злюкой, чтобы добиться своего.
13. Даже несмотря на негативный опыт, пережитый в детстве, Джессика
сумела преодолеть множество препятствий.
14. Только потом я понял, как грубо прозвучал мой вопрос, но я действительно не мог сдержаться.
15. Большинство людей знают, как использовать словарь, чтобы посмотреть значение слова.
16. Я всегда буду благодарна этому проекту, всем, кто в нем участвовал,
кто его создавал.
Tasks for Deeper Understanding
Task 1. Answer the questions to recall the main events from Progress
Report 16.
1. Why does Charlie decide to visit the Warren State Home?
2. What happens at Mrs. Nemur’s cocktail party?
3. What is the aim of Dr. Strauss and Prof. Nemur’s talk?
4. What is the reason of writing the letter to Prof. Nemur?
5. What does the Algernon-Gordon effect mean?
6. Why does the experiment turn to fail?
36
7. What happens to Algernon that Charlie fears will occur in him?
8. How does Charlie’s truth change about his mother and his sister after seeing
them?
Task 2. Choose one episode from Charlie’s Progress Report 16 and retell it
(see Appendix C).
➢ Charlie’s meeting with his mom;
➢ Charlie’s attitude to Algernon’s death;
➢ Charlie’s meeting with Norma ;
➢ Mrs Nemur’s cocktail party.
Task 3. Comment on the following quotations explaining the meaning of the
underlined phrases.
1. “I will have lived a thousand normal lives by what I may add to others.”
2. “Intelligence ... that hasn’t been tempered by human affection isn’t worth a
damn.”
3. “My own mental deterioration will be quite rapid.”
Task 4. Discuss the following.
1. What would Charlie’s life be like without the encouragement and support
from Algernon? Do you have an inspirational person in your life? If so, describe how
they encourage you. If not, explain how such a person would provide positivity?
2. Why does Charlie have no friends after becoming intelligent? Why does he
have a lot of them while being retarded? Is it important to have friends in any situation?
3. Discuss the relationship between Charlie and Algernon. What does Algernon
mean to Charlie? How does Algernon’s experience relate to the use of animals in
medical research today?
Creative Tasks
Task 1. Write a reply to Charlie’s letter from any addressee: Dr. Strauss or
Prof. Nemur.
Task 2. Act out the dialogue between Dr. Strauss, Charlie and Prof. Nemur
at the cocktail party.
Task 3. Give a character sketch of Norma Gordon (see Appendix A).
37
2.6. Progress report 17
Key Vocabulary
put down smth; let go (of smth); kid oneself; dare (+(to) inf.); sick and tired of
smth; dim (adj.); talk smb out of smth; put off; choke on words; guinea pig; put in an
appearance; slip through one’s fingers; to drive at smth; look in on smth/smb;
longhand; end up; to have bad luck; feel ashamed
Vocabulary Improvement
Task 1. Find the words given above in the Progress Report 17 and fill in the
table.
Word / Phrase
Sentence from the text
Translation
Task 2. Match the definitions to the Key Vocabulary words and phrases.
№
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Definition
a person used in a scientific test, usually to discover the effect of a drug on
humans:
to believe smth that is not true, usually because one wants it to be true:
to reach a particular place or achieve a situation after other activities
to postpone
not giving or having much light
to be not afraid to do smth
to go to an event, but only for a short time because you do not really want to
be there
to stop thinking about or being angry about the past or something that
happened in the past
ordinary writing by hand
38
Word /
Phrase
Task 3. Complete the sentences using the words or phrases from the Key
Vocabulary.
1. After working her way around the world, she
teaching English as a
foreign language.
2. He sat in a
corner of the waiting room.
3. He says there’s a good chance she’ll come back to him but I think he_______.
4. Her parents tried
getting engaged.
5. I’
(never) talk to my mother the way Brandon talks to his.
6. I am
listening to your complaints.
7. I can’t
going to the dentist any longer.
8. I won’t be able to stay at the party long, but I’ll at least try to
.
9. It helps if older people have a nearby relative who will
them.
10. Jane keeps
her thoughts that something terrible has happened with her
son as he often forgets to switch off the silent mode after his classes.
11. Learning to breathe more fully can help you
of pain and loosen tense
muscles.
12. The two leaders chatted amiably
of the cameras.
13. They’re asking for students to be
in their research into the common
cold.
14. I don’t see what you
.
15. We didn’t want to let the opportunity
.
16. I
(deeply) for my father’s impoliteness.
17. He wrote the confession in
and signed it.
Task 4. Rewrite the sentences using the Key Vocabulary words and phrases.
1. I think I ought to go to the office for a short time before lunch.
2. I have to stop thinking about becoming retarded again.
3. You shouldn’t fail to take advantage of this offer.
4. I persuaded her not to go to London with them.
5. I found it hard to speak clearly after the news.
6. He was under attack for being brave enough to criticize the president.
7. I was unlucky for all my gadgets to break down all at once.
8. Gone are the days of writing by hand in higher education notebooks!
39
Task 5. Translate into English
1. Стоит мне уделить время другим людям, и это кончается тем, что ты
преследуешь меня и беспокоишь их.
2. Свет в баре был очень тусклым, и я не мог ясно видеть все лица.
3. Выходя из кабинета, Гарри не осмелился взглянуть на Снейпа.
4. Все концерты и мероприятия будут перенесены из-за локдауна.
5. Дело не столько в изучении новых вещей, сколько в отпускании старых.
6. Я устал от всех этих людей, которые смеются надо мной.
7. Он угрожал, что уволится, но его начальник отговорил его от этого.
8. Я не понимаю, к чему ты ведешь?
9. И, как всегда, мне не везет. Я единственный из всей моей семьи
заразился коронавирусом.
10. Несмотря на то, что Чарли – человек со своими эмоциями, чувствами и
опытом, ученые считают его подопытным кроликом.
11. Он верит, что она к нему вернется, но я думаю, он просто себя
обманывает.
12. Мне нужно оставить эти мысли. Они не дадут мне жить.
13. Мне надоели эти семейные посиделки, но мне придется там сегодня
появиться.
14. Ваша жена позволила преступнику ускользнуть у нее из-под носа.
15. Его семья часто приходит его проведать в дом-интернат для умственноотсталых.
16. Как обычно, она устыдилась своих самолюбивых мыслей.
Tasks for Deeper Understanding
Task 1. Comment on the following quotations explaining the meaning of the
underlined phrases.
1. “He said nothing, and while I felt ashamed at the way I was abusing him, I
couldn’t stop. "Then your patient could come in at each session and say, ‘A little off
the top of my anxiety, please,’ or ‘Don’t trim the super-ego too close, if you don’t
mind,’ or he might even come in for an egg shampoo – I mean, ego shampoo.”
2. “I recall how wonderful I thought Milton was. When I picked up Paradise
Lost I could only remember it was about Adam and Eve and the Tree of Knowledge,
but now I couldn’t make sense of it.”
3. “And then I remembered what a fool I was.”
40
4. “Not an owl. More of a dodo. A dumb dodo. How’d you get in here?”
5. “You’re about at my level again, aren’t you?”
6. “I went because I know I used to like Stravinsky but somehow I no longer have
the patience for it.”
7. “Fugues of amnesia. Symptoms of second childhood – what do they call it? –
senility? I can watch it coming on.”
8. “I was on a down escalator now.”
9. “I read a book about a man who thought he was a knight and went out on an
old horse with his friend. But no matter what he did he always ended up getting beaten
and hurt. Like when he thought the windmills were dragons.”
Task 2. Answer the questions to recall the main events from Progress
Report 17.
1. Describe Charlie’s regression giving examples (his reading and spelling
abilities, test performance, communication skills, physical and mental effects
(involuntary urination, memory loss, etc.)).
2. What’s Charlie’s plan for the future after realising his inevitable regression?
3. Why do you think Charlie refuses to come back to the lab again?
4. How does Charlie and Alice’s relationship develop through the time they
decide to spend together? Why can’t Charlie stand her cleaning after him?
5. Charlie compares Alice to his mother. What makes him think so? Can you
agree with him on this?
6. What has Charlie lost after the experiment, according to Alice? What do you
think she meant by this?
7. In your opinion, why is Fay Lillman afraid of Charlie?
8. Why does Miss Kinnian cry when Charlie comes to her class?
9. How do Mr. Donner, Joe, Gimpy and Frank react when Charlie comes back?
10. What evidence suggests Joe and Frank have or have not developed as
characters?
11. Why does Charlie decide to go to the Warren State Home?
12. What is Charlie’s request to whomever reads his last progress report? Why
does the author probably include this?
13. What ritual does Charlie perform to honor Algernon?
41
Task 3. Discuss the following.
1. What do you think of Charlie and Alice’s decision to spend the time left
together? Can you identify with them?
2. In his November 2 report Charlie writes about a woman he has been looking
at without her knowing about him. He justifies himself that she will never find out
about it. Do you agree with his excuses?
3. How can you rationalise Charlie’s belief in some magical powers of his
rabbit’s foot and horseshoe? Do you believe in superstitions? Do you have your lucky
mascots?
4. Some believe in the importance of putting flowers on the graves of the
deceased. What other rituals are common in your country? What are the therapeutic
benefits of doing this for the living?
Creative Tasks
Task 1. Rewrite Charlie’s passage correctly. Mind the spelling, grammar
and punctuation.
Nov 10
He asked me did I have any friends or relatives and I said no I dont have any. I
told him I had a friend called Algernon once but he was a mouse and we use to run
races together. He looked at me kind of funny like he thot I was crazy.
He smiled when I told him I use to be a genius. He talked to me like I was a baby
and he winked at Mrs Mooney. I got mad because he was making fun of me and
laughing and I chased him out and locked the door.
I think I know why I been haveing bad luck. Because I lost my rabits foot and my
horshoe. I got to get another rabits foot fast.
Task 2. Fantasize about a successful outcome of the experiment. What
would happen to Charlie and the other main characters if he did not regress? How
would it affect humanity in terms of science and people with slow mental
development?
Task 3. Make a scheme of the characters’ development (Alice, Professor
Nemur, Dr. Strauss, bakery workers (Joe, Frank, and Gimpy)). Has your attitude
towards them changed? What are they like in the beginning and in the end of the
book?
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3. AFTER READING
Final Discussion
Task 1. Answer the questions.
1. What are the lessons you may learn from the book “Flowers for Algernon”?
2. How has Charlie changed since the surgery?
3. Based on the entire story, does Charlie feel that it is more important to be
smart or have friends?
4. Describe your favourite character from the book “Flowers for Algernon”.
What do you like about him or her? (see Appendix A)
5. What is your favourite moment in the book “Flowers for Algernon”? What is
special in it for you?
6. Are there any scenes you find particularly interesting in the book “Flowers for
Algernon”?
7. How does the book “Flowers for Algernon” make you feel after reading it:
hopeful, pessimistic or with mixed feelings?
8. Is “Flowers for Algernon” different in any way from the books you usually
read?
9. Do you think Charlie made the right decision to have the operation? Why?
10. How does Charlie feel after he has realised that his “friends” in the bakery
always made fun of him?
11. At the novel’s end, what feelings do you have regarding Charlie’s sister?
12. In his own judgment, what does becoming intelligent really do for Charlie
Gordon?
13. What examples of Charlie’s forgiveness of others can be found in the book
“Flowers for Algernon”?
14. Describe Algernon and Charlie’s relationship. What do they have in
common? How are they different?
15. What type of relationship does Charlie Gordon have with his mom before
their meeting and toward the end of the book?
16. What happens to Algernon that Charlie Gordon fears will occur in him?
17. Who do you consider to be Charlie Gordon’s real friend(s)?
18. How does Charlie Gordon’s life change after the operation?
19. Who is Miss Kinnian and how does she treat Charlie?
20. What are the positive and negative effects of Charlie Gordon’s surgery?
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21. What is the difference between Charlie in the beginning of the story and
Charlie at the end of the story?
22. How does Charlie feel toward Algernon before and after the operation?
23. What is Charlie’s personality like before the surgery/after the surgery?
24. Does Charlie’s personality become different after the surgery?
25. How do Charlie’s feelings toward the doctors change throughout the novel?
26. What does Charlie do and why when he realises that he will lose his
intelligence?
27. What are some positive things that happened to Charlie Gordon after the
surgery?
28. What are some negative things that happened to Charlie Gordon after the
surgery?
29. Charlie says “As long as I keep reading I’ll learn new things”. Do you agree
that reading is highly essential when learning? Why? Why not?
30. What are you feeling when reading the last two paragraphs of Charlie’s
report? What are you hoping might happen to Charlie further?
31. Do you like the way the book is written? Why is Charlie Gordon writing
progress reports in “Flowers for Algernon”?
Task 2. Read the quotes from the novel “Flowers for Algernon” you have
already discussed in Task 7 (Before Reading). Share your opinion after reading
the novel. Has it changed?
1. “I am afraid. Not of life, or death, or nothingness, but of wasting it as if I had
never been.”
2. “There are a lot of people who will give money or materials, but very few who
will give time and affection.”
3. “I can’t afford to spend my time with anyone - there’s only enough left for
myself.”
4. “Now I understand one of the important reasons for going to college and
getting an education is to learn that the things you’ve believed in all your life aren’t
true, and that nothing is what it appears to be.”
5. “So this is how a person can come to despise himself-knowing he’s doing the
wrong thing and not being able to stop.”
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Quiz
https://create.kahoot.it/details/53beefd9-02b6-4fae-8d34-2b24a76d134d
Film Watching
Task 1. Watch the films based on the novel “Flowers for Algernon”.
➢ “Charly” (1968): https://moviesjoy.to/watch-movie/charly-14247.2519451
➢ “Flowers for Algernon” (2000): https://fmovies.to/movie/flowers-foralgernon-4q1rm/1-full
Task 2. Choose one of the films which is the most poignant to you and film
a trailer following the rules:
1. It must last for not more than 5 minutes.
2. Present the characters.
3. Show the main conflict in the film.
4. Finish the trailer with a memorable phrase or quote.
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APPENDIX A
Character sketch
Read the information below thoroughly. It will help you to write a good
character sketch. Writing a sketch is about asking and answering questions. In order
to write a character sketch, you must ask yourself questions about the character you are
going to describe.
Physical characteristics are the first things we notice when we meet someone.
Therefore, this is a good starting point when writing a character sketch.
Tell about their physical features. Is your character a woman or a man? Is he or
she tall or short? Is your character bald? How old is your character? Does he or she
have a disability? What does he or she look like, etc.?
What does the character do? The answer to this question will also affect other
aspects of your sketch such as what your character wears, feels, etc. Does your
character work or study? Is he or she married, etc.?
Tell about their family (siblings, parents, family history, etc). Asking what your
character does will not only help you understand your character but also his or her
relationship to the setting in the story.
Tell about the character’s personality. Is he or she funny, serious, quiet, etc.?
What do you know about their preferences? What are their likes or dislikes (and why)?
What are their beliefs or hobbies? Include anything that makes you see “who” they are.
What is the character feeling? This is probably one of the more complex
questions you can ask about your character. Is your character angry? Is he or she happy,
sad, tired or depressed? Does your character love something or someone? Asking
questions about the character’s emotional life might help you understand the character
better. You have to focus on what your subject is feeling within the context of the story
you are reading.
What is your attitude to the character? Now you can already say if you
sympathise or not with the character. What exactly do you like or dislike about him or
her? Why are you drawn to him or her? What would you advise him or her?
Finish the character sketch following the plan:
Paragraph 1. Introduction
This section will introduce the character and it should include the name of the
character, his/her physical characteristics, what he/she does and his/her most important
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traits. Use 1 or 2 sentences to list the traits that you are going to talk about. End with a
transition sentence that ties into the 2nd paragraph.
Paragraphs 2 – 4. Body
Tell about the character’s personality and what your character is feeling. Always
try to include the most important trait 1st, the second most important detail next, and
so on. Each paragraph has 1 trait which is discussed in detail. Include information about
experiences that support the trait which is being discussed.
Paragraph 5. Conclusion
This is the last paragraph in your paper. Try to conclude with a final comment,
pointed and well-expressed, that highlights the traits discussed in the paper. Speak
about your attitude to the character. Remind the reader/listener of your most important
points. Close with a solid statement which finalises all you are trying to communicate
to the reader/listener.
Be sure to use strong visual words in your description. You want to provide a
lasting mental image of the person or character you are writing/speaking about. The
use of quality adjectives and feeling in your sketch, using words that relate to the five
senses, elicit an emotional response from your listener. This will show how you felt
when reading an extract with the person you are writing/speaking about.
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APPENDIX B
Giving opinion
25 PHRASES FOR EXPRESSING OPINIONS
I think...
As far as I’m concerned...
I believe...
Personally, I think...
I feel...
I’d like to point out that...
I suppose...
What I mean is...
I guess...
Generally, it is thought that...
According to me...
Some people say that...
In my view...
Well, it is considered that...
In my opinion...
It is generally accepted that...
In my eyes...
My impression is that...
It seems to me that...
It goes without saying that...
From my perspective...
I hold the view that...
From my point of view...
I’m of the opinion that...
From my view point...
25 PHRASES FOR EXPRESSING AGREEMENT
I agree...
I’d go along with that...
I totally agree...
That’s a good point...
Definitely...
I see exactly what you mean...
I couldn’t agree more...
You’re right, that’s a good point...
Absolutely...
Actually, I think you’re right...
Precisely...
That’s true...
I see your point...
Well, I agree with you here...
I see what you are getting at...
You have my full agreement...
I’d go along with that view to a point…
I second that...
Sure, that’s one way of looking at it...
Ok, that’s convincing...
I have to side with you on this one...
I take your word on it...
I suppose so...
You took the words right out of my
I think so too...
mouth…
25 PHRASES FOR EXPRESSING DISAGREEMENT
I see your point, but...
I completely disagree...
I see what you are getting at, but...
Well, I see things rather differently...
That’s one way of looking at it, however... Umm, I’m not sure about that...
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I’m not sure I go along with that view...
I don’t really agree with that idea...
I agree up to a point, but...
You could say that, however...
I wouldn’t quite put it that way myself...
I still have my doubts...
I can’t/ couldn’t go along with that...
That’s out of question...
You’ve got to be kidding...
Well, I don’t quite agree with you...
I find that very difficult to accept...
We don’t seem to agree here...
Not necessarily...
That’s not always true...
There is no way I could agree with that...
I don’t think so...
No, I’m not sure about that because...
I’m afraid, I disagree...
We don’t seem to be in complete
agreement…
25 PHRASES FOR EXPRESSING INTERRUPTION
Sorry to interrupt, but...
Excuse me for interrupting, but...
Can I add something here...
Sorry to cut you off, but...
Is it ok if I jump in for a moment...
Well, that reminds me that...
If I might add something...
So, you’re telling me...
If I may interrupt...
I don’t mean to intrude, but...
Can I throw my two cents in...
Well, if that is the case...
Do you mind if I add something...
Sorry, but can you let me finish...
Umm, well not really...
Wait a minute...
Excuse me, but in my opinion...
Before you go on, I’d like to say
Are you telling that...
something...
Excuse me for a second, but...
Before you move on, I’d like to say
Sorry, but I’m not done yet...
something...
Let me finish what I have to say first...
Just a moment, I like to add something
May I say something here...
here...
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APPENDIX C
How to retell the text/episode/story
Retelling is a short, consistent routine students can use to recall, order, and
summarise a text.
Retelling is one of the most important foundational skills for language learners.
It contributes story comprehension and helps people develop expressive vocabulary.
Retelling a text, one may activate their thinking skills and their imagination. They also
evolve sequencing skills while explaining and retelling the events of a story. If
language learners can read a text and retell it, it means that they have a full
understanding of the plot.
Your retelling should be short (circa 15–20 sentences) and clear for
understanding. Besides, retelling should be well-structured so as not to miss the main
point of it.
There is a plan for retelling, it is simple and not extraordinary;
1. Introduction.
2. Main Body.
3. Conclusion.
Introduction is a part of the retold text where you present the main idea,
problem of a story / text / extract / episode, etc. Moreover, it is important to provide a
short description of setting and characters that take place in the text you retell.
Useful Phrases for Introduction
I am going to tell you about the episode that I’ve just read.
I’ll try to say a few words about the episode that I’ve read.
I’d like to comment on the episode that I’ve read.
I’ve read the episode from the book … by …
The episode for retelling is (taken) from the book by…
The episode under consideration is from the book by…
This episode is about…
The episode shows (indicates)...
The episode is devoted to…
The episode deals with…
The episode touches upon…
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The episode is set in…
The scene is laid in…
The (main) character(s) of the episode is/are…
The episode is about … who …
The plot centers round…
Main Body is a part of the retold text where you shortly and sequentially present
main events of a story / text / extract / episode, etc.
Useful Phrases for Main Body
The events presented in the episode are as follows.
The episode falls into / can be divided into three main sections / parts.
The story begins with…
To begin with, …
First(ly), ...
In the first place ...
The episode opens…
For a start,...
To start with, ...
The episode continues…
Secondly, ...
Further (after that) the author passes on to…
Besides, …
Also, …
Furthermore, …
Then, …
Moreover, …
In addition to that, …
Another point/aspect is ...
And thirdly …
The episode concludes with …
Finally/ Lastly ...
Conclusion is a part of the retold text where you express your opinion,
emotions, feelings about a story / text / extract / episode, etc. you have read and why.
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Useful Phrases for Conclusion
Finally, I would like to say…
To put the whole matter in a nutshell, …
All in all, …
Summing up, …
To sum up, …
To cut a long story short, ...
I found the episode interesting (amusing, funny, important, dull, too hard to
understand).
In my opinion …
As far as I am concerned …
To my mind …
As for me …
I think …
It seems to me …
I believe …
I consider …
I guess …
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REFERENCES
1. Ковальский А. Дэниел Киз, 24СМИ, assessed April 21, 2022. URL:
https://yandex.ru/turbo/24smi.org/s/celebrity/54696-deniel-kiz.html.
2. Серова И. Г. The Taxi Driver’s Daughter. Workbook. (Дочь таксиста. Рабочая тетрадь) / Учебно-методическое пособие по домашнему чтению по книге
Джулии Дарлинг «Дочь таксиста» для студентов, изучающих английский язык
на начальных курсах. Барнаул, 2015. 56 с.
3. Anderson W. Daniel Keyes: Biography. SchoolWorkHelper, 2022, assessed
April 20, 2022. URL: https://schoolworkhelper.net/daniel-keyes-biography.
4. Bekreniova I. How to Retell the Text. In2English, assessed April 21, 2022.
URL: https://in2english.net/2019/03/14/how-to-retell-the-text/.
5. Chauhan J. 25 phrases for…, assessed April 21, 2022. URL: http://myenglishonline.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/100-Phrases.pdf.
6. Keyes D. Algernon, Charlie, and I: a writer’s journey. HarperCollins, 2004.
228 p., assessed April 21, 2022. URL: https://knigogid.ru/books/77364-algernon-charlie-and-i-a-writers-journey/toread.
7. Shannon K. Retelling: An evidence-based literacy strategy, assessed April 21,
2022. URL: https://www.understood.org/en/articles/how-to-teach-retelling.
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