Killer Tortoise

TASK 1. Complete the text -with the English equivalents of the following Russian words.

- подозревать;

- гнев;

- осудили;

- расследование;

- приковать к дереву;

- приговорить к смерти;

- казнь;

- явно;

- привести в исполнение;

- старейшины племени.

In July 1981 a tortoise was (a) for murder, (b) in Kyuasini, a village in Kenya, formally (c) the tortoise because they (d) it of causing the death of six people, (e) through magic. However, because none of the villagers was prepared to risk the tortoise's (f) by (g) the (h). it was (i) instead. The tortoise was later freed after the government promised an official (j) into the deaths.

Part III TOM SAWYER TESTIFIES

TASKl. Read the text.

At last the sleepy atmosphere of the village was stirred and vigorously: Muff Potter was being tried for the alleged murder of Dr. Robinson. It became the absorbing topic of village talk immediately. Tom knew that he was not suspected of knowing anything about the murder, but every reference to it sent a shudder to his heart. His dreams at night were full of horrors. In the daytime he was drawn to the courtroom by an almost irresistible impulse to go in, but he forced himself to stay out. Tom kept his ears open, but invariably heard distressing news: Indian Joe's evidence was unshaken and there was not the slightest doubt that Muff Potter would be-convicted.

On Friday morning all the village flocked to the courthouse for it was to be the last day of the trial. After a long wait the jury took their places; shortly afterwards Potter, pale, timid and hopeless, was brought in, with chains upon him, and seated where all the curious eyes could stare at him. Then the Judge arrived, and the opening of the court was proclaimed.

Now a witness was called who testified that he had found Muff Potter washing in the brook at an early hour of the morning that the murder was discovered and that Potter immediately sneaked away. The next witness proved the finding of the knife near the corpse. A third witness swore that he had often seen the knife in Potter's possession. Several witnesses testified to Potter's guilty behaviour when he had been brought to the scene of the murder. But they

were all allowed to leave the stand without being cross-examined by Potter's

lawyer. The perplexity and dissatisfaction of the house were expressed in

murmurs and provoked a reproof from the Judge.

A groan escaped from poor Potter, and he put his face in his hands and

rocked his body to and fro, while a painful silence reigned in the courtroom.

Many men were moved, and many women's compassion testified itself in tears.

Counsel for the defence rose and asked the Judge for permission to call Thomas

Sawyer as a witness for the defence.

Tom rose and took his place upon the stand. Every eye fastened itself on him as the oath was being administered.

"Thomas Sawyer, where were you on the seventeenth of June, about the hour of midnight?"

Tom glanced at Indian Joe's iron face and his tongue failed him. After a few moments, however, he managed to put enough strength into his voice so that he could be heard by part of the house. Tom was asked to speak up a little louder and to tell the court about everything that occurred that night without skipping anything. Tom was also asked not to mention his companion's name as the latter would be produced at the proper time.

Tom began - hesitatingly at first, but as he warmed to his subject, his words flowed more easily; in a little while only his voice was heard; every eye was fixed upon him; the audience hung upon his lips rapt in the ghastly fascination of the tale. Tom said that he had been hidden behind the elms in the graveyard. He confessed a trifle shyly that he had taken a dead cat with him to the graveyard. Potter's lawyer added that the skeleton of the cat would be produced as evidence. There was a ripple of laughter when the dead cat was mentioned, but it was checked by the Judge.

The strain of the audience reached its climax when Tom began describing the fight in the graveyard. The audience heard that Dr. Robinson had

been killed by Indian Joe with Muff Potter's knife while Potter lay unconscious on the ground.

Crash! Quick as lightning, Indian Joe sprang for a window, tore his way through all opposers, and was gone!

Tom was a glittering hero once more - the pet of the old, the envy of the young. His name was even immortalized in print, for the village paper magnified him. There were some that believed that he would be elected President yet, if he escaped hanging.

Tom's days were days of splendour and exultation for him, but his nights were seasons of horror. His dreams were infested by Indian Joe, and always with doom in his eyes. Half the time Tom was afraid that Indian Joe would never be captured; the other half he was afraid he would be. Daily Tom was made happy by Muff Potter's gratitude, but nightly he was sorry that he had not sealed up his tongue.

Rewards had been offered, the country had been scoured, but no Indian Joe was found. The slow days drifted on, and each left behind it a slightly lightened weight of apprehension.

(After M Twain)

TASK 2. Find in the text the equivalents for the following words and expressions.

- свидетель;

- вызвать свидетеля;

- давать свидетельские показания;

- поклясться;

- место преступления;

- доказать;

- подвергнуть перекрестному допросу;

- судить кого-либо за преступление;

- зал суда;

- подозревать кого-либо в убийстве;

- свидетельство;

- предъявить вещественное доказательство;

- назначить награду за что-либо;

- осудить кого-либо за убийство;

- объявить заседание суда открытым;

- поймать (схватить) кого-либо;

- адвокат обвиняемого;

- свидетель со стороны защиты;

- привести к присяге.

195 TASK 3. Answer the questions, making use oj the above - given vocabulary.

\. What event stirred the monotonous life of the village where Tom Sawyer lived?

2. Was Tom Sawyer suspected of knowing anything about the murder? How did he feel about the situation?

3. Who was likely to be convicted of the murder? Was his guilt proved?

4. What testimony was given by the witnesses on the last day of the trial?

5. Why were the people present at the trial dissatisfied?

6. What testimony did Tom Sawyer give? What was the reaction of the audience to it?

7. How did Indian Joe manage to escape?

8. Was Tom Sawyer satisfied with what he had done? What was he terribly afraid of?

TASK 4. Look at the picture of an American court Match the numbers in the picture with the words below.

Jury;tH _robe; court officer; reporter; gavel; transcript; court; jurybox;^ defendant;

witness; prosecuting attorney; bench; defence attorney; judge;* witness stand, x

TASK 5 Role-play. Inclass, distribute the roles and play the scene of cross-examining the witnesses on the last day of the trial.

accomplice [s'komplis] affidavit [.aeff deivit] assault [s'sorlt] bigamist ['bigamist] caucus ['korkos ] councillor ['kaunsdld] counterfeit ['kauntafitj delinquent [df hrjkwsnt] deterrent [di'terant] employee [.emploi'i:] enquire [m'kwais] forger [' hijack impartial [im'pa:J 1] injure ['ind^s] indictment [m'daitmgnt] indict [m'dait] illegal [i'li:gl] juvenile ['d^uivanail] legal [li:gl] license ['laisans] magistrate ['maed^istreit] marijuanna ['msen'hwa:n9] misdemeanor [^isdi'miina] peremptory [ps'remptsn] perjury ['p9:d₅n] personnel [,рэ:8Э'пе1] plaintiff ['plemtifj prejudice ['predzudis] preponderance [pn'pondarans] rehabilitate [,ri:h9'biliteit] sovereign ['sovrin] stowaway ['stous.wei] unanimous Ou: 'naemmas] voir dire [.vua'di (r)]

SOME NAMES WITH DIFFICULT PRONUNCIATION

John Chisholm [4| i zam] Sean Connery [Jorn ' Roger Moore [mua] Kenneth More [mo:] Cassius ['kaefasj Julius Caesar ['si za] Cain [kern] Abel [e ibl] Eden [idn]

Cagliostro [kae'ljostrsu] Caligula [.kae'ligjab] Al Capone [ka'pauni] Dreyfus ['draifas] Zola [zau'la:] Thomas More fmo:] Fawkes [fo:ks] Macbeth Duncan Banquo f'baerjkwau] Robespierre [.raubes'pja]

Лицензия ЛР 066348 от 17.07.97.

Подписанов печать 25.09.97г. Формат 60x88/16. Печать офсетная. Печ.л. 12,5. Тираж 10000 экз. Зак. 6858.

ТОО "ТЕИС"

115407, Москва, Судостроительная ул., 59.

Отпечатано с готовых диапозитивов в филиале Государственного ордена

Октябрьской революции, ордена Трудового Красного Знамени

Московского предприятия "Первая Образцовая типография"

Государственного комитета Российской Федерации по печати.

113114, Москва, Шлюзовая наб., 10.