A Railway Station

i. How does a big city railway station look different from a small station? 2. What are the duties of a porter? 3. What is a left-luggage department for? When do you use it? 4. What is a time-table for? 5. What is a waiting room for?

Ex. 37. Read the following, answer the questions using the vocabulary of the lesson. Give a name to the story and retell it.

A famous actor often had to travel by train. Of course, a lot of his fellow-passengers used to recognize him on his journeyes, and some them Tried to get into conversation with him, but lie was usually feeling tired after acting until late the night before, so he did not talk to them.

One day he had just got into the train with.ill hi.s luggage, when a young man came and sat down in the seat opposite him. The young man took out a book and began to read it, while the actor tried to get some sleep in his corner of the compartment.

When he opened his eyes, he found that the young man was looking at him wide-eyed and open-mouthed, his book forgotten. The actor shut his eyes and tried to go to sleep again, but every time he opened them he would see the young man staring at him. At last he gave up the attempt to sleep, took out a newspaper, put it up in front of him and began to read.

After a few moments the young man cleared his throat and spoke, 'I beg your pardon, sir,' he said, 'but haven't I seen you somewhere before?'

The actor did not answer. He did not even put his newspaper down. The young man said nothing more for several minutes, but then he tried again: 'I beg your pardon, sir,' he said, 'but are you going to San Fran­cisco?'

The actor put his paper down this time, looked at the young man coldly without saying a word, and then put the paper up in front of him again.

This time there was an even longer pause before the young man spoke again. Then tie said in a la^t attempt to start a conversation with the great man, 'I am George P. Anderson of Wilmington, Vermont.'

This time the actor put his paper down and spoke. 'So am I,' he said.

That was the end of the conversation.

Questions

1. Did the actor make regular or occasional trips by train? 2. Why was he often recognized by his fellow-passengers? 3. Why would he usually be annoyed by their attempts to enter into conversation with him? 4. Why didn't he care to talk to them? 5. What happened on that particular occasion? 6. What did the young man realize on giving his fellow-passenger a closer look? 7. Did the actor give any sign to make the young man believe that he wanted to talk to him? 8. Any person would have felt extremely uncomfortable being stared at, wouldn't he? 9. Why did the actor's obvious unwillingness to talk make no im­pression on the young man? 10. Why did the young man introduce him­self? 11. For what purpose, do you think, was the young man trying to-make conversation with the great actor? 12, Was the young man put off in any way by the actor's flat refusal to talk? 13. Do you believe that the actor's answer cured the young man of his annoying habit?

Ex. 38. Read the following, answer the questions and retell the passage in English.

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