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11
Retell the Governor's story:
1. in the third person;
2. in the person of the Governor;
3. in the person of the Governor's wife;
4. in the person of the Governor's friend.
Exercise 12
Discussion points.
1. What do you think of the main characters — the Governor and his wife?
2. The characters' appearances are so different. Is it a plus or a minus?
3. Does their story sound true to life, in your opinion? Prove your point.
4. Was it really a marriage of convenience? Could it be a case of love at first sight?
5. Are you for or against marriages of convenience?
6. Do you think acquaintance services and marriage advertisements can be of help?
Exercise 13
Express your opinion about the following words of the characters in the text.
'But sometimes love comes after marriage and not before, and then it is better. It lasts longer.'
'One can never tell with women. There is something about marriage that wonderfully attracts them.'
'For two people to be happy in marriage they must be able to respect one another, and their interests must
be alike ...'
Exercise 14
1. The Governor's wife had been a spinster and he had been a bachelor before they married. What other
terms do you know to denote the marital status of a person? Consult the Topical Vocabulary.
an unmarried person —
a person, having a spouse —
a person, who divorced his or her spouse —
2. The characters' marriage is called "a marriage of convenience". What other types of marriages do you
know?
marriage, when people love each other —
marriage of people who are distantly related —
marriage of people with different social status —
3. The Governor and his wife celebrated the anniversary of their wedding. Do you know what we call the
most often celebrated anniversaries?
25 years of family life —
50 years of family life —
75 years of family life —
Exercise 15
Imagine the following situation. Your parents have chosen a mate for you. They insist that you should
marry the person they have found. How would you react? What do you think of arranged marriages in India
and other oriental countries? Can an arranged marriage work?
Use the following expressions:
It is all very well, but...
One can never tell with ...
What have/has they/it got to do with ...
There would be no harm in ...
I don't see how ...
Imagine my surprise to ...
Even had I wished it ...
No wife, no ...
Exercise 16
Read the following short passage and compare the wedding traditions in Russia and Great Britain. Say
what is different and what they have in common. Speak about interesting wedding ceremonies in other
countries.
Wedding Superstitions
In England the wedding preparations, ceremony and feast have all become loaded with ritual practices to
ward off evil and bless the marriage with fortune and fertility.