II. Comprehension questions

1. What is the story about?

2. What was the father’s attitude to the girl’s friend?

3. Why did the boy have to write such a strange letter?

4. What is said in the letter and what is really meant:

- about the boy’s love for the girl;

- about the girl’s appearance;

- about the boy’s attitude to marriage and about his idea of living with the girl;

- about their last conversation;

- about the girl’s character;

- about the girl’s letters;

- about the future of their relationship.

5. How did the father react to the letter?

6. How did the girl react and why?

III. Prepare the text of the letter for expressive reading.

IV. Summarize* the story in no more than five well-constructed sentences, in the Present Tense.

V. Discussion

1. Do you like writing letters? Do you like getting letters?

2. How often do you write / get letters? Who are your pen-friends / e-mail-friends?

3. Have you got any pen-friends / e-mail friends abroad? Would you like to have one? Why?

4. Have you ever invented a secret way of writing? What are the possible ways? (Recall examples from fiction, films etc.)

VI. Imagine yourself in the boy’s/ girl’s place. Think over what you would do and present it in a short speech. Begin like this:

“I am… The problem is… So I am going to…”

VII. Act out a dialogue on the following situation.

You are the main characters of the story and you are having a date. Speak about your love and plans to marry. Speak about the girl’s father and invent the secret way of writing.

VIII. Pay attention to the spelling of the following words and transcribe them. Consult your dictionary if necessary.

increase, anxious, pleasure, heart, sincerely, favour, truth, true, truly, consider, believe, laugh, high, height, selfish, boring, demanding, concern, thought.

Write out other words difficult for spelling. Dictate them to your partner.

IX. Self-check

(a) Fill in articles where necessary and explain their use.

1. Once there was _ boy who loved _ girl very much. _ girl’s father, however, did not like _ boy.

2. I do not like _ way you look.

3. _ only thing I want to do is to look _ other way.

4. I promise to speak _ truth.

5. You will do me _ favour if you consider this _ end.

6. _ girl read only _ first line of _ letter, then _ third line, and so on to _ end of _ letter.

(b) Fill in prepositions where necessary.

1. You think only _ yourself.

2. No one is less able to care _ me and be _ help _ me.

3. Your letters are full _ things that I am not interested _.

4. You have no true concern _ me.

5. Her father was pleased and gave the letter _ her.

6. Her father was pleased and gave _ her the letter.

7. _ the letter the boy told _ girl that he wanted to marry _ her.

8. I have never wanted to be married _ her.