ReadingCentred Activities

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Reading-Centred Activities

• 1. Global Reading Task
• Scanning reading for specific information
• Answer the questions on page 9 to get the main
  idea of the text.
• Text structure analysis

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Text structure analysis

• The story is made up of 4 parts.
• General background of the story.
• What are the responses from the villagers to Mr.
  Williams case?
• What are the major crimes that Mr. Williams
  committed and how did he spend the money?
• What was the result of Mr. Williams, spending
  such a large amount of money?

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Reading-Centred Activities

• 2. Detailed Reading Task
• Language points
• Simulated writing (exercises 8 and 9 )

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• Tomintoul, Scotland On Saturday night at The
  Grouses Nest (Para. 1)

At the beginning of a news report we usually have
the name of the place where the event took place.
For example  New York On Tuesday afternoon,
September 11, 2001, Notice the sentences in the
text are relatively long, which is typical of
news report.
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• they're still willing to raise a glass or two to
  Lord Williams, though now his title prompts
  laughter. (Para. 1)

example
He told us he had just started a new company and
we raised our glasses to him. 
I think we should raise a glass to our hostess.
The villagers are still willing to drink a toast
to Lord Williams although he is no longer Lord
Williams and people would burst into laughter
upon hearing the title.
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• There are those the soft-spoken, wealthy noble
  who arrived in 1986 with his well-dressed wife.
  (Para. 2)

Notice that the sentence suggests some villagers
were doubtful about the identity of  Anthony
Williams although many were happy with him.
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• And there are others who say their suspicions
  were aroused over time, (Para. 3)

(Beside those who were doubtful about his
identity,) there are still others who began to be
suspicious of his wealth long ago.
8

• Mr. Williams, who appeared on weekends turned
  out in fine suits, bought up property after
  property, (Para. 3)

example
Mrs. Greenwood turns her girls out well, doesn't
she?
All the new rice transplanters were quickly
bought up the day they were offered for sale.
1 who appeared on weekends dressed in fine
suits, bought all the property that was available
over and again
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• providing such a large injection of cash into
  the village that he single-handedly brought the
  community back to life. (Para. 3)

example
A great actor can bring a fictional character to
life.
investing so much money in the village that he
alone brought pleasure and happiness to the
village that was once lifeless.
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• But no one could have possibly guessed the truth
  that the man with endless money and a friendly
  manner was not a lord at all but a government
  employee living out a fantasy that he was a
  Scottish noble and paying for it by stealing
  funds from Scotland Yard. (Para. 4)

But none of the villagers were able to guess the
truth that Mr. Williams, who was very rich and
friendly, was not a lord at all but a police
officer from Scotland Yard. He dreamed of
becoming a Scottish noble and paid for his dream
by stealing money from his department.  Notice
the subjunctive mood in the sentence.
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• living out a fantasy that (Para.4)

example
If you live out a dream, fantasy, or idea, you do
the things that you have thought about.
I suppose some people create an idea of who they
want to be, and then they live it out.
having his dream that
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• paying for it by stealing the funds from
  Scotland Yard. (Para. 4)

paying for the fantasy. Here it refers to a
fantasy.

• a regretful Mr. Williams, (Para. 5)

Now Mr. Williams, who was no longer Lord
Williams, felt regretful about what he had done.

• was brought into court and (Para. 5)

He was brought into court for murder. 
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• And now that he has fallen upon dark days at
  least some villagers are sticking by him. (Para.
  6)

example
Now (that) I've heard the music I understand why
you like it.
We are very sorry to hear that the famous poet
has fallen on dark days.
fall on hard times
fall on evil days
Seeing that he is now experiencing a difficult
period, some villagers are still giving him their
support.
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• at least some villagers are sticking by him.
  (Para. 6)

I'd like to thank my friends who stuck by me
during the difficult times.
example

• mislead people like that. (Para. 7)

Do they always dance like that in France?
example
cause people to think mistakenly of him in
such a way.
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• A lot of the properties were beautifully
  restored. (Para. 7)

A lot of buildings he bought were marvelously
brought back to their original conditions.

• Most of it came from a secret fund that had
  been placed under his sole authority (Para. 9)

Most of the 8 million was from a secret fund
that only he was in charge of.
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• Instead, it went to create one more British lord.
  (Para. 10)

Yet the money was spent on the creation of
another British lord.

• Mr. Williams bought an estate with a fine brick
  house in England. (Para. 11)

Mr. Williams bought a large piece of land with a
beautiful house built of bricks in the country in
England.
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• and then adding on 10 more Scottish titles.
  (Para. 11)

example
We've added on the five percent service charge.

• But most of all, he sunk his dishonest gains
  into this village that captured his heart with
  its fine stone cottages, (Para. 12)

To a greater extent, he poured the money he had
stolen into the village that fascinated him with
its fine stone cottages,
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• examples

I've sunk all my money into buying a new house I
hope I won't be sorry.
I'm hungry. I'd like to sink my teeth into a hot
meal right now!
He sank his fork into the meat to see if it was
well cooked.
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• examples

The book captured the little boy's heart with its
beautiful illustrations.
The campus captures my heart with its fantastic
scenery.
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• He bought multiple cottages and fixed them up.
  (Para. 13)
• example

All the dormitories on the campus are being fixed
up.
He bought different types of cottages and
repaired them to make them more suitable and
attractive.
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• He purchased the pub and made it into a fine
  place to have a glass of Glenlivet Scotch
  whiskey, produced only 10 miles (16 kilometers)
  to the north. (Para. 13)
• examples

All kinds of strange things can be made up into
jewellery.
Scotland is to the north of England.
He bought the pub and changed it into a fine
place for drinking Glenlivet Scotch whiskey which
was produced only 10 miles to the north of the
pub.
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• the run-down Gordon Arms Hotel (Para. 13)
• examples

They lived in an old run-down hotel by the
railway bridge.
They have put substantial funds into rebuilding
one of the most run-down areas in Scotland.
the old and broken Gordon Arms Hotel
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• transforming it from a mess into a glorious
  first-class hotel (Para. 13)

making the old and broken hotel into a beautiful
first-class one

• handsomely furnished rooms (Para. 13)

rooms with beautiful furniture

• wood-paneled stairs (Para. 13)

stairs ornamented with flat pieces of wood
paneled (BrE panelled) a. decorated with panels
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• false bookshelves with fake leather books and
  an outstanding restaurant. (Para. 13)

artificial leather

• I would offer him three choices of glasses for
  the restaurant (Para. 14)

I would offer three kinds of glasses for him to
choose for the restaurant
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• Mr. Williams deceived everyone telling them
  that he inherited the money from a rich uncle.
  (Para. 15)

Mr. Williams fooled everyone with his tricks
telling them that he got the money from a rich
uncle.

• The bank notified the police, who discovered, to
  their terrible embarrassment, that the criminal
  was one of their own. (Para. 15)

The bank informed the police of the fact, and
when the police discovered that the criminal was
from their own department, they were greatly
embarrassed.
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• The London police commissioner publicly
  apologized for poorly supervising his department.
  (Para. 16)

The head of London police apologized to the
public for the fact that he didn't keep a good
watch over his department.

• Under a hastily made arrangement, the police
  will sell the properties, but at a substantial
  financial loss. (Para. 16)

The firm sold its summer stock at a loss to be
ready for the winter goods.
When the police have made a hasty arrangement,
they will sell the properties, but a large amount
of money will be lost.
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• Mr. Abdy acquired the bulk of the properties
  for about half a million pounds (Para. 16)

Mr. Abdy paid about half a million pounds and
got most of the properties...

• striking deals with various people (Para.
  16)

trying to make arrangements in business with
different kinds of people
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• I discovered this bloody huge amount of money. I
  went from the need to pay off a few debts to what
  can only be described as greed. There is no way
  to justify it. (Para. 17)

I discovered this very huge amount of money. At
the very beginning I just wanted to pay off some
of the money I owed to others, but by and by I
became more and more greedy. I cannot give a good
reason for what I have done.
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• I went from the need to pay off a few debts to
  what can only be described as greed. (Para.17)
• examples

It's a good feeling to pay off the house after
all these years.
It would take him the rest of his life to pay off
that loan.
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Simulated writing

• exercises 8 and 9

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Vocabulary Exercises
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Translating and Writing

• My thanks also goes to those who still stuck by
  me when I fell on dark days.
• I also thank those who supported me when I
  was in difficulties.
• Im also grateful for those who backed me
  up when I was in trouble.
• Im also appreciative of those who
  encouraged me when I was in hard times.

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• 2. Now that he has published a popular novel
  which earns him a large amount of money, he is
  able to buy a new house and a car.
• He earns a lot of money because of his popular
  novel, so he can buy a new house and a car.
• Because he has published a popular novel and
  earns much money, he is able to buy a new house
  and a car.

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• 3. The police said that their suspicions were
  aroused because the girl had other marks on her
  body.
• The police said they had a suspicion because
  there were some other markings on the girls
  body.
• The police said that their suspicions were
  aroused by other signs on the girls body.
• Because there were other marks on the girls
  body they began to be suspicious, said the police.

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• 4. How can you talk to her like that? She is the
  one who bought you up and helped you finish
  school.
• How can you talk to her in that way? She
  brought you up and helped you finish school.
• How dare you speak to her like that? Its
  she who raised you and paid for you to finish
  school.

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• 5. Hard as the road for these students after
  school will be, their prospects are bright.
• Although the students may have hard times
  after graduation, their future are bright.
• These students may have difficult days after
  graduation, but their future are great.

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• 6. In order to have enough money to run the
  business, he sold his newly-bought house at
  auction even at a substantial loss.
• In order to have sufficient money to manage
  the firm, he auctioned his newly-bought house at
  a great loss.
• Because he wants to have enough money to run
  the company, he sold his house bought recently by
  auction which made him lose a great amount of
  money.

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• 7. He is fully justified in criticizing the
  police commissioner for poorly supervising his
  department.
• He has good reason to criticize the police
  for their poor supervision over their department.
• He is perfectly reasonable for criticizing
  the police commissioners poor supervision over
  the department.

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• 8. These ancient buildings which are under
  protection have been restored beautifully to
  attract foreigners.
• In order to attract foreign visitors, they
  beautifully restored the ancient buildings under
  protection.
• The protected ancient buildings have been
  beautifully renovated to attract foreigners.

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• Group work
• Using specific details to support the following
  general viewpoints
• Topics
• Mr. Williams deceived everyone.
• Local villagers attitudes towards Mr. Williams
  were varied.
• Mr. Williams contributed a lot to the small
  village in spite of his crime.
• Our teacher helps a lot in our study.