Hailey "The Final Diagnosis"
Read the preface to the novel and use this material to speak on the author's life and his creative work.
LESSON I Chapters One—Four, pp. 5 — 36.
Home-reading Obligatory Vocabulary
to reach for smth; to dial; to catch up with smb; to summon up courage; to stand one's ground; to cut smb
short; to cut smb off: unruly hair; to_some extent; to run one's mind over smth; to operate on smb'; what's
on your mind?; to reverse one's opinion; to handle smth (a situation); to count on smth; to be run down; to
shelve a plan; a show-down; to have a free hand; to set up practice; to fill (in) the gaps; to run a
department (store); a record; rubber-soled shoes; to take to smth; to be oblivious of smth; to read smb's
mind; a mode of life; for one thing, for another; to be subject to (criticism); to notify smb; to survive; to
be at stake; to be a sore point (with smb); to take over (leadership); to think better of smth; to be in charge
of smth.
Exercises
I. Do General Tasks II —V.
II. Choose any five units of the HROV and record on tape the situations they are used in.
III. Do General Task VI (1, 2). Work at an excerpt from Chapter Four p. 25 (from "Watching him ease
his way..." up to the bottom of p. 26).
IV. Expand on the following making use of the HROV.
1. He (Kent O'Donnell) knew that his decision on the airplane three and a half years earlier had been
right, (p. 17)
2. There were soft spots, of course, in the present setup, (p. 17)
3. He (Seddons) had never had second thoughts about his personal choice of surgery... (p. 21)
4. Money sometimes was a sore point too. (p. 33)
V. Prepare to answer the following questions when discussing the-book at the session.
1. How does the author describe the daily routine of Three Counties Hospital and its medical standards?
2.What kind of person was Kent O'Donnell and how did it happen that he found himself in Three
Counties Hospital? 3.What problems did O'Donnell face in his attempt to modernize the Hospital? 4.
What was O'Donnell's reaction to Bill Rufus' complaint about the work of the Pathology Department? 5.
Speak on the head of the Pathology Department, Dr. Joseph Pearson. What feelings does the character
arouse in you? Why? 6. Why was O'Donnell annoyed during the surgical-mortality conference? What
made other doctors feel ill at ease?
LESSON II Chapters Five—Nine, pp. 36 — 67
Home-reading Obligatory Vocabulary
now and then;, to resent smth; to encounter smb (smth); to come to like smth, smb; to take one's time; to
afford smth; to break the news; to live up to one's income; as a matter of fact (course) now that...; to be
admitted to hospital; to make inquiries; to go into debt; to be sour on the subject; to have a good deal
(much) in common;* to be conscious of smth; What are you getting at?; to cope with smth; to relate an
incident; on smb's part; as you put it; on behalf of smb; to anticipate smth; to resort to smth; to brief smb
about smth; to be keen on (work); as far back as one can remember; to give way; to appeal to smb; a
determined person; to check oneself; to run smth over in one’s mind; to be behind with smth; to run into
smb; to identify smth, smb.
Exercises
I. Do General Tasks II —V.
II. Reproduce the dialogue between Vivian Loburton and Mike Seddons in the cafeteria making use of
the HROV. Record it on tape.
III. Do General Task VI (1, 2). Work at the excerpt from Chapter Eight (from "Vivian already knew
that"... up to Chapter Nine), (p. 56)
IV. Expand on the following making use of the HROV.
1.There was reason for Reubens to be sour on the subject... (p. 43)
2. "In other words, you want me to carry your ax," Dornberger said dryly. (p. 48)
3. Here was a man who plainly shopped for the best in education. P 50
4. "...anything that means spending money around here is a dead duck before it starts." (p. 62)
V., Prepare to answer the following questions when discussing the book at the session.
1. Reproduce the author's description of the cafeteria of Three Counties Hospital as a traditional meeting
place for the hospital staff. 2 What kind of news was O'Donnell planning to break at a medical staff
meeting and what reaction of his colleagues did he anticipate? 3. What did O'Donnell think about his
possible marriage to Lucy? How do these thoughts characterize O'Donnell as a person? 4. Why was
O'Donnell unwilling to report to more direct methods in tackling the problem of the Pathology
Department? 5. Speak on Vivian Loburton.Why did she become a student nurse? 6.How did Dr. Pearson
take the news of getting a new assistant pathologist?
LESSON III
Chapter Ten—Thirteen, pp. 67 — 96
Home-reading Obligatory Vocabulary
to rent (an apartment) on a short (long) lease; to do research; to haunt smb; traits of character; to stem
from smth; to underrate smb; in the conventional sense; to fight back tears; How does he like it here?; to
be at pains to do smth; to take pride in smth, smb; to beam; to wince; do you play a lot of sports?; to keep
pace with smth; out of date; up to date; the same is true of...; to get along; to sacrifice (a principle); here
and now; to be willing to do smth; to be considerate; to spare smb’ s feelings; to tease smb; one way or
the other; to be downcast; to leave on the dot of(five); to give offense; to be in earnest; to be a big hit; to
have a touch of (bronchitis); to drink to smth; to divorce smb; to park a car; there is no ignoring smth.
Exercises
I. Do General Tasks II — V.
II. Use the HROV units: the same is true of..., here and now..., one way or the other..., to get along..., to
take pride ..., there is no ignoring (doing) smth..., — in retelling an episode from a book for your
individual reading. Record the retelling on tape.
III. Use the following idiom in a situation that clearly shows that you understand its true meaning:
(not) to rock the boat
IV. Make up a short dialogue using the following phrases from the HROV. Record the dialogue on tape.
1. How does he (she, etc.) like it here?
2. Do you play a lot of sports?
3. It's sure to be a big hit.
V. Do General Task VI (2). Work at the excerpt from Chapter Eleven (p. 78) up to the end of p. 79.
VI. Expand on the following making use of the HROV.
1. David Coleman made a mental note not to take a long lease any apartment he might find in Burlington,
(p. 81)
2. The fact that Joe Pearson was seeking outside opinion was significant in itself, (p. 91)
VII. Prepare to discuss the following questions at the session.
1. What made David Coleman seek an appointment in Three Counties Hospital? 2Why was John
Alexander so anxious about the outdated way of blood testing practised in the hospital? 3. Why
was Mike Seddons deeply troubled by Vivian's disease?
LESSON IV
Chapters Four teen- High teen, pp. 96—127
Home-reading Obligatory Vocabulary
to work one's way through smth; to detest smth; to make one's point; to have a point about smth; to take
chances; to bring a question up; to sum smb (smth) up; to have confidence in smb; to do without smth; to
make sacrifices; to dawn upon smb; to be in the habit of doing smth; to catch smb's eye; to feel like doing
smth; to be entitled to (do) smth; to abandon fear (hope); to deprive smb of smth; to take for granted,
crew-cut hair; to make a fuss over smth; to give smth. up; Hold on!; smth doesn't work; to check in (to a
hotel); to be flattered; I belong here (there); to help smb on with (a coat); to comply with a rule; by far.
I. Do General Tasks II —V.
II. Find in the HROV English equivalents of the following word-combinations and use them in a
dialogue of your own. Record the dialogue on tape.
Обойтись без ч.л, меня осенило, что,; быть нерасположенным ч.л делать: принимать, как должное,
держись ( не сдавайся), это не поможет, мое место здесь ( там).
III. Do General Task VI (1). Work at the excerpt from Chapter Seventeen, p. 121. (From "The afternoon
flight"... up to the end of p. 123.)
IV. a) Find in the text of the novel the word-combinations corresponding to the following Russian
phrases:
Дурное предчувствие (c. 96); (У нее было) заразительно-приподнятое настроение (c. 98, 100); под
влиянием порыва (c. 99);невозмутимый голос ( человек) (c. 106); скрывать свое презрение к комулибо(c. 107); поджать губы (c. 118).
b) Retell the situations from the book with them.
V. Expand on the following making use of the HROV.
1. Coleman thought: This is where pathology begins and ends; these are the borderlands where we must
face the truth of how little we really know... (p. 109)
2. For the first time a feeling of uneasy doubt assailed him (Mike Seddons). (p. 127)
VI. Prepare to answer the following questions while discussing the book at the session.
1. what facts testify to Dr. Pearson's hard conservatism? How did he try to justify his views? 2. What
urged David Coleman to speak his mind with the Alexanders? Why did he compare medicine to a war? 3.
What feelings and emotions overwhelmed John Alexander in the -hospital nursery? 4. How did it come
about that it was Dr. Pearson who pronounced the final diagnosis in Vivian's case? How does it characterize the man? 5. What made Kent O'Donnell think of moving to New York?
LESSON V
Chapters Nineteen—Twenty-four, pp. 127— 162.
Home-reading Obligatory Vocabulary
a nagging thought; to drop in (into); to fidget; lofty ideas; to be brief and to the point;, to muse (on; upon);
to do well; to divert attention; to say smth offhandedly; to be in jeopardy; to cling to smth (power); to
make way; for good; to fire smb; to jump to hasty conclusions; to dispose of smth; to come back to smb;
to grope for smth; in good
faith; an adequate excuse; to try for school (exam); to put on make-up; out of pity; it is no good: to have
the grace to do smth; to be a turning-point; for good or ill.
Exercises
I. Do General Tasks II —V.
II. Render in indirect speech and record on tape the dialogue 2 between Mike and Vivian during their
last meeting (pp. 155—156). Make use of the HROV.
III. Give a brief summary of Chapter Twenty-One and record it on tape.
IV) a) Find in the text of the novel English equivalents of the following Russian phrases:
потрудиться ч.л сделать(c. 133); я забыл (c. 136быть на языке у кого.либо (c. 140).
b) Retell the situations from the book with them.
V Expand on the following making use of the HROV.
l ...he (Charles Dornberger) was to share the sad and bitter harvest of another man's incompetence; and
worse—a man who was a friend, (p. 138)
2. He (O'Donnell) thought bitterly: ...I dallied and procrastinated, playing politics, convincing myself I
was behaving reasonably, while all the time I was selling medicine short.(p. 142)
3. This was the cup he (Coleman) had sought. Kent O'Donnell had lifted it to his lips. (p. 157)
VI. Prepare to answer the following questions at the session.
1. What thought did Dr. Dornberger have at the back of his mind after examining the Alexander baby? 2.
Why did Dr. Dornberger ask Dr. O'Donnell to take over the case? 3. What episode from the medical
practice of his father came back to David Coleman? What has it to do with the events described? 4. What
proves that the hospital was run inadequately and sometimes carelessly? Who was to blame for it? 5. How
did David Coleman formulate his attitude to medicine and to the hospital? Who shared his opinion?
6.What kind of warning did Dr. Pearson give to David Coleman on leaving the hospital?
Topics for General Discussion
1. Dependence of medical service under capitalism on the whims of tycoons.
2. Low medical standards characteristic of provincial US hospitals.
3. Character sketches of: O'Donnell, Pearson, Coleman, Lucy Grainger, Dornberger, The Alexanders,
Vivian, Mike Seddons.
4) Your opinion of the book.
Some Possible Essay Topics
1. A doctor is believed to keep up with the latest achievements of .both theoretical and practical
medicine.
2. A doctor's true professionalism is seen primarily through his humanism.