Answer the following questions. 1. What is the relationship between Beth and Jerry at the beginning of the story and how has it changed at the end ?

1. What is the relationship between Beth and Jerry at the beginning of the story and how has it changed at the end? What exactly has caused that change?

2. Why does Jerry sniff and wipe his nose after the unicorn touches his hand?

3. What does Beth see in Jerry that the boy doesn`t know she sees?

4. How have the unicorns been affected by having to live in the subways?

5. What is so special about the shy ones? What is likely to happen to them in the future?

6. What was Beth`s father`s reaction when he saw the unicorns for the first time?

7. Why doesn`t Beth tell Jerry about her father`s feelings about the unicorns?

8. What lies behind Jerry`s decision to repeat the unusual experience?

9. Can you prove that Beth and Jerry are still very much ordinary kids?

Find all the words with the help of which the author describes the relationship between the two main characters. Is there any change or progress in it? What makes you think so?

Let us describe the characters of the story with the help of their remarks. Find out whom this remark belongs to and make a brief description of their character.

1. “Your dad get fired or something?”

2. “Come on, you can call the men in the white coats after I’m done.”

3. “The poor creature, poor little thing!”

4. “And the unicorns would go in deep, under the streets, and never come out again, and they’d all starve.”

5. “I thought they only came to virgins.”

6. “What about survival of the fittest, though? Maybe only the strong ones should live, to make more strong ones…”

7. “Maybe there’s nothing wrong with helping them handle it. They’re an endangered species.”

Study the text for the descriptions of the unicorns. Can we feel the author’s attitude towards these creatures? Why?

Let us focus on style. Read the definition of slang and do the following exercise.

Slang — very informal words and expressions that are more common in spoken language, especially used by a particular group of people, for example, children, criminals, soldiers, students etc.

The slang words in the sentences below are printed in bold type. Replace each slang word with a word or phrase from the following list: made, friend, television, policeman, discarded, nuisance, pound (s), cigarettes, alcohol, prison, without money.

1. He smokes thirty fags a day. Too many!

2. He drinks a lot. He must spend twenty quid on booze.

3. He thought his meal was overcooked. When the waiter brought his bill, he kicked up a fuss and wouldn’t pay.

4. I lost 500 dollars at a casino last night. I’m absolutely skint.

5. My childhood mate stole a car. Now he is in the nick.

6. She got bored with her boyfriend and ditched him.

7. There’s a good film on the telly tonight, but I’ve got to go out. What a drag!

8. I wouldn’t like to be a copper directing traffic in the street in such bad weather.

Now find examples of slang words and phrases in the story. Why do you think the author resorts to ample usage of slangisms?

The kids in the story kept their rescue mission secret. Have you ever had a really important secret in your life? How does having a secret made you feel? Express your thoughts in writing and be ready to share it with your group mates.

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