Read and Speak. Круглова М.В. - 42 стр.

UptoLike

ВУЗ: 

ТулГУ | Тула

Составители: 

Рубрика: 

42
TEXT 2A. A STUDENT IN ECONOMICS
Read the text and do the exercises.
Charlie Wintage ran up the steps of the Administration Building, hurried through
the revolving doors and walked down the long hall to the Dean of Men’s office. He
was ten minutes late. Before he opened the frosted-glass door he took out a pair of
amber- coloured spectacles and put them on. Then he went in and handed this
summons to the secretary.
«The Dean will see you in a moment», she said. «Please take a chair.»
Charlie sat down and gave a glance about the office. Three freshmen holding their
caps were waiting with him. He recognized none of them, so he picked up a week-old
copy of a newspaper and started reading it. But the room was warm and he
immediately went to sleep. The newspaper slipped down on the floor. His amber-
coloured spectacles hid his eyes and no one could see that they were closed. He was
awakened by the secretary shaking him.
«Wake up and pay for your bed, old man!» one of the freshmen called and
everyone laughed heartily.
«I sort of drowsed off. It’s so nice and warm here», Charlie said, apologizing to
the secretary.
The Dean of Men got up as he entered and said: «Ah, this is Charlie Wintage,
isn’t it? How do you like the university by now, Wintage? Eyes troubling you?»
«Pretty well, sir. Yes, sir, a little. I wear these spectacles.»
The secretary brought his folder and the Dean looked through it briefly.
«Well, Wintage, I suppose you’re anxious to know why I sent for you. The
unpleasant truth is, Wintage, you don’t seem to be doing well in your studies. Now,
to be quite frank, Wintage, you’re on the verge of flunking out. Less then a third of
the semester remains, and you have an F grade in English and D grades in
Psychology and Military Training. On the other hand, you have an A average in
Spanish and a B in Economics. Wintage, how do you account for your failing English
when you are an A student in Spanish?»
«To tell you the truth, sir, I got behind in my written work in English, and I’ve
never been able to catch up. And I don’t really have to study Spanish. My father is a
railway section foreman in my home town and he’s always had a gang of Mexicans
working for him. I’ve been speaking Spanish ever since I was a kid.»
«How about this B in Economics? That’s a fairly high grade.»

Страницы