Modern English in Conversation

133there were candles in the room instead of electric lamps to emphasize a special moment of festivity and at that moment quite suddenly a thunderstorm broke out and the candles were blown out. The whole house plunged into complete darkness. David tried to turn on the electric light, but there was no electricity and the guests found themselves eating in the dark. Then David tried to light the candles, but all his attempts failed. Karen again reminded everyone about the ghost which haunted the house and added that it always appeared in nasty weather. The guests felt uneasy, particularly when the lightning was piercing the dark-blue sky. But nobody commented on her remark. An hour later the thunderstorm calmed down, electricity was restored and the sitting room was brightly lit again, so everybody continued the interrupted talk, praising the host and the hostess for their hospitality. Then one of the guests played the piano and the others listened. Later some people played a game of poker and before midnight all the company left the house thanking the young couple for the pleasant party. When the Moores remained alone, Mary asked her husband if he believed in the ghost’s existence. David gave a little laugh, saying that they were living in the twenty-first century and it was absurd to believe in such silly things. Mary agreed with him, but deep in her heart there were doubts about her husband’s words. Work on the text I. Ask each other questions, based on the text. Do it in pairs. II. Tell the group whether these statements are true or false. Start your answer with the following formulas of politeness. I’m afraid that’s wrong; you are not quite right; that’s not quite so; I think you are mistaken; as far as I know; on the contrary; I don’t think so; according to the story; there’s something in what you say, but... 1. The Moores could not forget the strange incident with the letter. 2. Preparing salads takes a lot of time. 3. Mary didn’t have much time at her...