Learn the following words and expressions. Use them in the context of the story.
Adjectives
Fateful, watery, scrawny, revolting, poisonous, annoying, wild-looking, baggy
Verbs expressing emotions and a manner of saying or doing something
to screech, to demand, to bark, to groan, to whine, to moan, to wail, to snarl, to snigger, to wink, to stare/to peer
More verbs
to vanish
Phrasal verbs
to put in, to wolf down
Expressions
to hold no sign of, to be awake, to be asleep, shrill voice, to make a noise, to wake with a start, to rap on/at the door , to roll onto one’s back, to have something to do with, to comb one’s hair, to go red in the face, to ruffle smb’s hair, to give a leap (heart), to look furiously at, to screw up one’s face, to shoot a nasty grin, to look intently, to shake one’s head, to be caught by surprise, to get a closer look
Study the constructions
hardly – almost not
Privet Drive had hardly changed at all.
to be used to – to be accustomed to…
Harry was used to spiders, because the cupboard under the stairs was full of them, and that was where he slept.
not to mention + noun, phrase/ the fact that – let alone…
It looked as though Dudley had gotten the new computer he wanted, not to mention the second television and the racing bike.
unless + clause = if not
Exactly why Dudley wanted a racing bike was a mystery to Harry, as Dudley was very fat and hated exercise – unless of course it involved punching somebody.
to have something to do with – to be connected with
Perhaps it had something to do with living in a dark cupboard, but Harry
had always been small and skinny for his age.
The only thing + clause + was/is
The only thing Harry liked about his own appearance was a very thin scar on his forehead that was shaped like a bolt of lightning.
Exercises
1. Complete the sentences with the following words and phrases.
going red in the face, caught by surprise, screwed up his face, poisonous, rapped on the door, ‘Comb your hair!’, the first noise of the day, looking furiously at, looked intently at, woke with a start, held no sign
1) The room … at all that another boy lived in the house, too.
2) Petunia’s shrill voice made….
3) Harry…. His aunt … again.
4) … Mr. Dursley barked, by way of a morning greeting.
5) ‘All right, thirty-seven then,’ said Dudley,…
6) ‘Now what?’ said Aunt Petunia, … Harry as though he’d planned this.
7) Dudley knew that if he… and wailed, his mother would give him anything he wanted.
8) Dudley and Piers wanted to see huge, … cobras and thick, man-crushing pythons.
9) Harry moved in front of the tank and … the snake.
10) … , Harry fell hard on the concrete floor.
2. Who said this and in which circumstances?
1) ‘Up! Get up! Now!’ <…> ‘Are you up yet?’
2) ‘Nothing, nothing…’
3) ‘In the car crash when your parents died, and don’t ask questions.’
4) ‘Comb your hair!’
5) ‘He always sp- spoils everything!’
6) ‘And come back and find the house in ruins?’
7) ‘I had a dream about a motorcycle.’
8) ‘Oh, I see — so you’ve never been to Brazil?’
9) ‘Harry was talking to it, weren’t you, Harry?’
10) ‘Go — cupboard — stay — no meals.’
3. Continue the phrases giving reasons for the following facts
1) It was a special day for the Dursleys because/as/due to the fact that…
2) Harry was small and skinny for his age probably because…
3) A lot of Harry’s haircuts made no difference because…
4) Harry started wolfing down his bacon because….
5) Dudly was having another tantrum because….
6) Harry was ashamed of going to school because…
7) Harry didn’t want to stay with Mrs. Figg because…
8) The Dursleys didn’t want to hear about Harry’s dream because…
9) Dudly didn’t want Harry to go to the zoo with them because …
10) Harry was punished at the end of the day because…
4. Describe
- Dudley
- Harry
- Mrs. Figg
- Piers Polkiss
Vocabulary with translation
Adjectives
fateful – роковой
watery – влажный, слезящийся (о глазах)
scrawny – худощавый
revolting – отвратительный
poisonous – ядовитый
annoying – раздражающий
wild-looking – дикого вида
baggy – мешковатый
Verbs expressing emotions and a manner of saying or doing something
to screech – визгливо кричать
to demand – требовать
to bark, to snarl – рявкать
to groan, to whine, to moan, to wail – выть, стонать
to put in – вставить (реплику)
to snigger – хихикать
to wink – подмигнуть
to stare=to peer at – внимательно смотреть
More verbs
to vanish – исчезнуть
Phrasal verbs
to wolf down – поспешно поглощать
Expressions
to hold no sign of… – не иметь признаков
to be awake – бодрствовать
to be asleep – спать
shrill voice – визжащий голос
to make a noise – шуметь
to wake with a start – проснуться, вздрогнув
to rap on/at the door – постучать в дверь
to roll onto one’s back – повернуться на спину
to have something to do with – быть связанным с
to comb one’s hair – причесать волосы
to go red in the face – покраснеть
to ruffle smb’s hair – взъерошить волосы
to give a leap (heart) –радостно подпрыгнуть (о сердце)
to look furiously at – посмотреть гневно
to screw up one’s face – сморщить лицо
to shoot a nasty grin – состроить насмешливую гримасу
to look intently – пристально посмотреть
to shake one’s head – покачать головой
to be caught by surprise – не ожидать чего–л
to get a closer look – присмотреться