DENZEL WASHINGTON'S CLASS ACT

Michael Slezak

The star of He Got Game

talks about his movie roles,
coaching basketball and
the career that almost
kept him from acting.

Denzel Washington likes being an actor. Its the other part of his career being a
movie star that makes him uncomfortable.
Whats the difference? As an actor, his job is on stage and screen. Denzel has been in
over 25 movies. Malcolm X, Courage Under Fire, The Preachers Wife, Devil In A Blue
Dress and Crimson Tide are just a few of them.
A movie star continues to work even when off the set promoting himself at
parties and doing lots of interviews. Denzel doesnt want to get involved with the
Hollywood movie star lifestyle. Hes not interested in going to big parties and being
interviewed on TV.
I didnt go into acting to be a movie star, Denzel told Esquire magazine. I never
thought about being a movie star, ever, ever in my life. Ever.
Instead, Denzel prefers to spend time with his wife, Pauletta, and their four children,
John David, Katia, and twins Olivia and Malcolm. Denzel coaches the basketball team
for one of his children. He likes to push the kids to do their best, but he thinks its
wrong when coaches and parents are mean to children. Ive seen some parents who
go way too far, he says. They seem to be more interested in winning than in
playing the game.
In the movie He Got Game, Denzel plays a father who wants his son to be a star
basketball player. Spike Lee, famous for his alternative, non-Hollywood films, directed
the movie. It was the number one movie in America during its opening week.
Denzel is well respected in Hollywood for his acting talent. He won an Academy Award
in 1990 for his role as an escaped slave in Glory. He also received Academy Award
nominations for his performances in Cry Freedom and Malcolm X.

Denzel likes to play a variety of characters. I couldnt play the same guy eight times
and I dont have to, Denzel says.
When he gets a part in a movie, Denzel does a lot of research to learn about his
character. For example, before he started Courage Under Fire, he met with soldiers to
find out about going to war. To prepare for his role as a lawyer in Philadelphia, he met
with famous attorney Johnny Cochran.
Denzel became interested in acting while attending Fordham University in New York.
He went there to study medicine. After he acted in a school theatre production, he
changed his mind and studied acting. Thats a good thing for Denzels many fans. He
might have made a good doctor, but who would have acted in his many popular
films?
Source: New English Digest

GLOSSARY
coaching: teaching, training (entrenamiento de)
on stage: visible to the audience (en el
escenario)
continues to work: goes on participating in
(contina trabajando o participando)
set: the place where a film is being made
(estudio de cine)
to get involved with: to be engaged as
(involucrarse en)
coaches: trains (entrena)
mean to: with a lack of generosity towards
(demandantes con)

JULIA ROBERTS
Marina Katz

From "Steel Magnolias"

to "Erin Brockovich":
After a lost decade,
Julia Roberts could finally
develop as an actress.

go way too far: demand in excess (van

demasiado lejos con sus exigencias)
slave: a person who is owned by someone
else (esclavo)
research: investigation (anlisis,
investigacin)
to find out: to discover, to learn (para
averiguar)
attorney: lawyer (abogado)
changed his mind: altered his previous
decision (cambi de idea)
might have made: might have been (podra
haber sido, resultado)

Julia Roberts was born on 28 October 1967 in Smyrna, Georgia. She was born into
acting as her parents ran a drama workshop in Atlanta and from an early age she
took part in performances written by her father. Despite this, when she was very
young she wanted to be a vet. In 1971, when she was four, her parents split up. The
eldest child, Eric (15) stayed with his father, while Julia and her elder sister Lisa went
back to Smyrna. Her father ended up as a vacuum cleaner salesman and her
mother as a secretary but neither of them was interested in fame and fortune.
Julia was not a particularly brilliant schoolgirl. She had not been seriously affected by
her parents separation because she had been so young. However, when she was just
eight her father died and this was a more serious blow. She got over the trauma by
concentrating on her favorite subjects at school. At high school she discovered Walt
Whitman and, through his work, her love of literature.
Julia was able to use her experience of parental death later in life during the filming of
Flatliners (1990). In that movie Julia was a young medical student who, together with
friends, plays dangerous games with near-death experiences. Her visions while
"flatlining" force the character to confront the death of her father in childhood.

Early Movies
At the age of 17 Julia went to New York to live with her sister who, according to the
actress herself, was very supportive. Julia was able to start working in a modeling
agency thanks to her legs and her photogenic looks but her goal from the start was to
become an actress. Her first break came thanks to her brother who was already an
actor. In fact, Eric had already been nominated for an Oscar for his performance in
Runaway Train (1985). Eric Roberts never attained stardom, mainly due to his
problems with alcohol and drugs.
Julia got the role of Eric's sister in the movie Blood Red (1986). This film led to
several more until she came to the critics attention after her performance in Steel
Magnolias (1989). The film was based on the real life of playwright Robert Harling's
sister and was adapted from a hit Broadway play. Not only did the picture win Julia a
Golden Globe (as supporting actress) but it put her in touch with some of America's
finest actresses. It was during filming that she started a great friendship with Sally
Field who was her producer the following year for the movie Dying Young (1990)
directed by Joel Schumacher.

Stardom
Julia really attained international stardom with the movie Pretty Woman (1989).
Interestingly, this film was originally going to be called $ 3000, the sum agreed
between rich businessman Edward Lewis (Richard Gere) and prostitute Vivian (Julia
Roberts) in exchange for her services. The original story was about the turbulent
relationship between a junky hooker and a businessman, a film charged with social
criticism and rounded off with a dramatic climax. However, Disney's subsidiary, Buena
Vista, bought the rights and the new director, Gary Marshall turned it into a romantic

comedy!
The movie's secret is the combination of Julia's freshness with Gere's pent-up
character, a perfect chemistry between the leads of an otherwise rather silly story.
Audiences everywhere fell in love with Julia's enormous, authentic smile and the fairytale was a huge box-office hit both in the USA and around the world.
During Flatliners (1990), Julia's second movie with director Joel Schumacher, she
began a romance with Kiefer Sutherland, who divorced his wife with whom he had had
a son. As a result, Roberts and Sutherland became the focus of Hollywood's gossip
columns. In March 1991 they got engaged and announced that they would get
married on 14 June that year. However, the wedding was called off after the
publication of some photos of Kiefer with a professional stripper. Immediately after
the separation Julia ended up in the Cenar Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles. Rumors
spoke of a "nervous breakdown" but it wasn't long before she was involved in a new
project, this time directed by Steven Spielberg in Hook (1991), the story of Peter Pan's
return to Neverland. The story, in which Julia plays Tinkerbell, of a search for lost
innocence must have struck a cord with Roberts at that particular juncture.

The Wilderness Years

Despite the apparent variety of Julia Roberts' roles in the early and mid-Nineties, she
was cast again and again as a female victim - a dependent woman who needed a man
to solve her problems or to save her from a predicament, unable to take the initiative
of her own accord. The pigeonholing of Julia had started back in 1990 with Sleeping
With The Enemy where she is the victim of an abusive husband, and it continued with
The Pelican Brief (1993), where she is the victim of a political conspiracy. Good movies
in themselves, though typecasting Julia more and more.
Conspiracy Theory (1997) was a sort of "Pelican Brief on acid", but despite Mel
Gibson's delirious excesses, Roberts is again the victim with the face of scolded
puppy caught up in a whirlwind of intrigue. In Something To Talk About (1995),
Julia is the victim of an adulterous husband, in Michael Collins (1996) a passive
woman caught between two passionate men. In Mary Reilly (1995/6) the victimization
reaches new heights. Julia's performance is excellent, but again she is terrified and
confused, unsure if her employer is a man or a monster . And while Julia was doing
these depressing movies, she earned the reputation of being moody and difficult to
direct. The sensationalist press got their teeth into her love life and wouldn't let go.
The actress was appearing in hit films and giving commendable performances, but
still her career was not going well.

Back On Track
After eight long years we were finally allowed to see Julia Roberts' infectious smile
again (last seen in Pretty Woman) in My Best Friend's Wedding (1997). But more than
that, we saw a complete woman with all her contradictions and even a spiteful
streak which makes the character three-dimensional and interesting. From that

moment on Julia has seemed to be back on track. In Notting Hill (1998) Julia was
charming and beautiful, but also frustrated, angry and -dare I say it- bloodyminded. Her role reflected her own experiences with the media. In Stepmom (1998)
we saw Julia's character getting hurt again (by a woman and by children, this time)
but crucially she finds a solution to her problems herself (in an impeccable
performance). Runaway Bride (1999) offered us that smile again in a romantic
comedy which sold itself as the comeback of the Gere-Roberts twosome.
However, it has been in Erin Brockovich (2000), a drama based on the real-life story of
a secretary who becomes the driving force behind a lawsuit about an ecological
disaster, when we have seen Julia Roberts' new-found maturity as an actress. Her
character is a single-mother who gets her chance in a law firm. She is not a
particularly educated person though she possesses raw determination but she copes
at the job better than the men. At last Julia is playing a strong, independent,
intelligent -and above all fearless- woman.
It may seem incredible that after a century of cinema, a major actress has to do two
dozen movies before she is offered a role in which she is attractive and successful but
there it is. Roberts has a range of character types and excellent timing in her acting,
let's hope directors from now on allow her to use them.
Source: Think in English

GLOSSARY

as: since, given that, because (puesto que)

ran: directed, managed (dirigan)
workshop: studio, class, study group (taller)
vet: veterinary surgeon (UK English),
veterinarian (US English) (veterinaria)
split up (split-split-split): separated (se
separaron)
vacuum cleaner salesman: hoover (UK
English) (vendedor de aspiradoras)
blow: calamity, catastrophe, misfortune (golpe,
desgracia)
got over: overcame, improved in health
(super)
subjects: area of academic study (e.g.
mathematics, history or language) (materias)
near-death experiences: close-to-death
experiences (experimentos prximos a la
muerte)
supportive: caring, understanding, helpful, kind
(comprensiva)
goal: objective, aim (objetivo)
break: (colloquial) opportunity (oportunidad)
attained stardom: reached, achieved, obtained
the status of being acknowledged as a star
(alcanz el estrellato)
led to (lead-led-led): caused, resulted in,
brought about (dio lugar a)
finest (superlative of "fine"): best, most talented
(ms talentosas)
junky hooker: (colloquial) drug-addict
prostitute (prostituta drogadicta)
pent-up: constrained, inhibited, suppressed
(desinhibido)
silly: absurd, frivolous, ridiculous (tonta,
ridcula)
gossip columns: articles in newspapers and
magazines about the private lives of famous
people (columnas de chimentos)
to get engaged: formally and publicly agree to
get married (se comprometieron)
called off: cancelled (cancelado)
stripper: person (typically a woman) who takes
off his/her clothes in public (desnudista)
nervous breakdown: period of mental illness
characterized by anxiety, depression, insomnia
and confused thoughts (depresin nerviosa)

Tinkerbell: a fairy who is Peter Pan's friend

(Campanita)
must have struck a cord with: must have
said sth. which Julia could identify with (debe
haberse identificado con)
predicament: dilemma, bad situation (dilema)
pigeonholing: characterizing, classifying,
labeling (encasillamiento)
on acid: (slang) with LSD, in a way which is
unreal, unbelievable and hallucinogenic
(alucinante, irreal)
scolded puppy: castigated baby dog
(cachorrito castigado)
caught up: involved (involucrado, atrapado)
whirlwind: tornado, twister (remolino)
moody: ill-tempered, irritable, petulant,
temperamental (fcilmente irritable)
got their teeth into: attacked persistently like
a dog (atacaban sin tregua)
commendable: admirable, laudable
(admirables)
career: (false friend) professional development
(carrera profesional
infectious smile: contagious smile, a smile
which makes other people smile (sonrisa
contagiosa)
spiteful streak: cruel, vindictive trait
(tendencia vengativa)
to be back on track: be moving in the right
direction (haber retomado la orientacin
correcta)
bloody-minded: cruel (cruel, sanguinaria)
twosome: duet, couple (do)
driving force: energetic and vigorous element
(elemento enrgico)
lawsuit: civil action, case, litigation, trial (juicio)
raw: unrefined, frank, unlimited (ilimitada)
to cope: get by, manage, survive (sobrevive)
range: diversity, variety (rango, diversidad)
timing: ability to do or say sth. at precisely the
right moment (habilidad para elegir el
momento oportuno)
from now on: from this moment into the future
(de aqu en ms)

A SWIM
Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl (1916-1990) was born in Wales. His books are mostly fantasy, and full of imagination.
They are always a little cruel, but never without humour - a thrilling mixture of the grotesque and
comic. He didn't only write books for grown-ups, but also for children. However, his stories are so
sarcastic and humorous, that also adults appreciate reading them.

PAGE 1/2

On the morning of the third day, the sea

calmed. Even the most delicate
passengers those who had not been
seen around the ship since sailing time
came out of their rooms and made their
way slowly onto the sundeck and sat
there, with their faces turned to the pale
January sun.
It had been fairly rough for the first two days, and this sudden calm, and the sense
of comfort that came with it, made the whole ship seem much friendlier. By the time
evening came, the passengers, with twelve hours of good weather behind them, were
beginning to feel more courageous. At eight oclock that night, the main dining room
was filled with people eating and drinking with the confident appearance of
experienced sailors.
The meal was not half over when the passengers realized, by the slight movement
of their bodies on the seats do their chairs that the big ship had actually started
rolling again. It was very gentle at first, just a slow, lazy leaning to one side, then
to the other, but it was enough to cause a slight but immediate loss of good humour
around the room. A few of the passengers looked up from their food, waiting, almost
listening for the next roll, smiling nervously, with little secret looks of fear in their
eyes. Some were completely calm; others were openly pleased with themselves and
made jokes about the food and the weather in order to annoy the few who were
beginning to suffer. The movement of the ship then became rapidly more and more
violent and only five or six minutes after the first roll had been noticed, the ship was
swinging heavily from side to side.
At last, a really bad roll came, and Mr. William Botibol, sitting at the purser's table,
saw his plate of fish sliding suddenly away from under his fork. Everybody, now, was
reaching for plates and wine glasses. Mrs. Renshaw, seated at the pursers right, gave
a little scream and held onto that gentlemans arm.
Its going to be a rough night, the purser said, looking at Mrs. Renshaw. I think
theres a storm coming that will give us a very rough night. There was just the the
faintest suggestion of pleasure in the way he said it.

Most of the passengers continued with their meal. A small number, including Mrs.
Renshaw, got carefully to their feet and made their way between the tables and
through the doorway, trying to hide the urgency they felt.
Well, the purser said, There she goes. He looked round with approval at the
remaining passengers who were sitting quietly, with their faces showing openly that
pride that travellers seem to take in being recognized as good sailors.
When the eating was finished and the coffee had been served, Mr.Botibol, who had
been unusually serious and thoughtful since the rolling started, suddenly stood up and
carried his cup of coffee around to Mrs. Renshaws empty place, next to the purser. He
seated himself in her chair, then immediately leaned over and began to whisper
urgently in the pursers ear. Excuse me, he said, but could you tell me something,
please?
The purser, small and fat and red, bent forward to listen. Whats the trouble,
Mr.Botibol?
What I want to know is this. The mans face was anxious and the purser was
watching it. What I want to know is: will the captain already have made his
guess at the day's run you know, for the competition? I mean, will he have done
so before it began to get rough like this? The purser lowered his voice, as one does
when answering a whisperer. I should think so yes.
About how long ago do you think he did it?
Some time this afternoon. He usually does it in the afternoon.
About what time?
Oh, I dont know. Around four oclock I should think.
Now tell me another think. How does the captain decide which number it will be?
Does he take a lot of trouble over that?
The purser looked at the anxious face of Mr. Botibol and smiled, knowing quite well
what the man was trying to find out. Well, you see, the captain has a little meeting
with the second officer, and they study the weather and a lot of other thinks, and then
they make their guess.
Mr. Botibol thought about this answer for a moment. Then he said, Do you think the
captain knew there was bad weather coming today?

I couldnt tell you, the purser replied. He was looking into the small black eyes of the
other man, seeing two single little spots of excitement dancing in their centres. I
really couldnt tell you, Mr Botibol. I wouldnt know.
If this gets any worse, it might be worth buying some of the low numbers. What do
you think? The whispering was more urgent, more anxious now.
Perhaps it will, the purser said. I doubt whether the captain allowed for a really
rough night. It was quite calm this afternoon when he made his guess.
The others at the table had become silent and were trying to hear what the purser was
saying.
Now suppose you were allowed to buy a number, which one would you choose
today? Mr. Botibol asked.
I dont know what the range is yet, the purser patiently answered. They dont
announce the range until the auction starts after dinner. And Im really not very good
at it in any case. Im only the purser, you know.
At that point, Mr.Botibol stood up. Excuse me, everyone, he said, and he walked
carefully away between the other tables. Twice he had to catch hold of the back of a
chair to steady himself against the ships roll.
As he stepped out onto the sundeck, he felt the full force of the wind. He took hold of
the rail and held on tight with both hands, and he stood there looking out over the
darkening sea where the great waves were rising up high.
Quite bad out there, isnt sir? said a waiter, as he went back inside again.
Mr. Botibol was combing his hair back into place with a small red comb. Do you think
weve slowed down at all because of the weather? he asked.
Oh, yes, sir. Weve slowed down a great deal since this started. You have to slow
down in weather like this or youll be throwing the passengers all over the ship.
Down in the smoking room people were already arriving for the auction. They were
grouping themselves politely around the various tables, the men a little stiff in their
dinner jackets, a little pink beside their cool, white-armed women. Mr. Botibol took a
chair close to the auctioneers table. He crossed his legs, folded his arms, and settled
himself in his seat with the appearance of a man who has made a very important
decision and refuses to be frightened.
The winner, he was telling himself, would probably get around seven thousand dollars.

That was almost exactly what the total auction money had been for the last two days,
with the numbers selling for about three or four hundred each. As it was a British ship
the auction would be in pounds, but he liked to do his thinking in dollars, since he was
more familiar with them. Seven thousand dollars was plenty of money. Yes, it certainly
was! He would ask them to pay him in hundred-dollar notes and he would take them
off the ship in the inside pocket of his jacket. No problem there. He would buy a new
car immediately. He would collect it on the way from the ship and drive it home just
for the pleasure of seeing Ethels face when she came out of the front door and looked
at it. Wouldnt that be wonderful, to see Ethels face when he drove up to the door in a
new car? Hello, Ethel, dear, he would say. Ive just bought you a little present. I saw it
in the window as I went by, so I thought of you and how you always wanted one. Do
you like it, dear? Do you like the colour? And then he would watch her face.
The auctioneer was standing up behind his table now. Ladies and gentlemen! he
shouted. The captain has guessed the days run, ending midday tomorrow, at 830
kilometres. As usual, we will take the ten numbers on either side of it to make up the
range. That means 820 to 840. And of course for those who think the true figure will
be still further away, there will be low field and high field sold separately as
well. Now, we'll draw the first number out of the hat here we are 827?
The room became quiet. The people sat still in their chairs, all eyes watching the
auctioneer. There was a certain tension in the air, and as the offers got higher, the
tension grew. This wasnt a game or joke; you could be sure of that by the way one
man would look across at another who had made a higher offer - smiling perhaps, but
only with the lips, while the eyes remained bright and completely cold.
Number 827 was sold for one hundred and ten pounds. The next three or four
numbers were sold for about the same amount.
The ship was rolling heavily. The passengers held onto the arms of their chairs, giving
all their attention to the auction.
Low field the auctioneer called out. The next number is low field.
Mr. Botibol sat up very straight and tense. He would wait, he had decided, until the
others had finished calling out their offers, then he would make the last offer. He had
worked out that there must be at least five hundred dollars in his account at the bank

at home, probably almost six hundred. That was about two hundred pounds over
two hundred. This ticket wouldnt cost more than that.
As you all know, the auctioneer was saying, low field covers every number below
the smallest number in the range in this case every number below 820. So if you
think the ship is going to cover less than 820 kilometres in the twenty-four hour period
ending at midday tomorrow, youd better buy this ticket. What are you offering?
It went up to one hundred and thirty pounds. Others besides Mr. Botibol seemed to
have noticed that the weather was rough. One hundred and forty fifty There it
stopped. The auctioneer waited, his hammer raised.
Going at one hundred and fifty
Sixty! Mr. Botibol called, and every face in the room turned and looked at him.
Seventy!
Eighty! Mr. Botibol called.
Ninety!
Two hundred! Mr. Botibol called. He wasnt stopping now not for anyone.
There was a pause.
Any more offers, please? Going at two hundred pounds
Sit still, he told himself. Sit completely still and dont look up. Its unlucky to look up.
Hold your breath. No ones going to offer more if you hold your breath.
Going for two hundred pounds Mr. Botibol held his breath. Going Going
Gone! The man banged the hammer on the table. Mr. Botibol wrote out a cheque and
handed it to the auctioneer, then he settled back in his chair to wait for the finish. He
did not want to go to bed before he knew how much money there was to win.
They added it up after the last number had been sold and it came to two thousand
one hundred pounds. That was about six thousand dollars. He could buy the car and
there would be some money left over, too. With this pleasant thought, he went off,
happy and excited, to his bed.
Source: Pearson Education

GLOSSARY

sundeck: an open area on a ship where you

can enjoy the sun (cubierta superior de un
barco, terraza)
fairly rough: there have been large waves
because of strong winds or storms (bastante
picado, embravecido, el mar)
the meal was not half over: a fifty per cent of
the food had not been eaten yet (no se haba
consumido la mitad de la comida)
rolling: moving by turning over and over (a
balancearse)
gentle: not strong (suave)
leaning: inclination (inclinacin)
in order to annoy: to make someone feel a
little angry (para molestar)
swinging: moving backwards and forwards
(balancendos, columpindose)
the purser's table: the table of the officer
responsible for the money on the ship (la
mesa del administrador del barco)
sliding: moving somewhere (resbalando)
scream: shout (grito)
the faintest: the slightest (la ms remota, la
menor)
got carefully with their feet: stood up with
extreme care (se levantaron con sumo
cuidado)
to hide the urgency they felt: in order to not
show their feelings (de disimular la urgencia
que sentan en salir de all)
the remaining passengers: the rest of the
passengers (los restantes pasajeros)

will the captain already have made his guess

at the day's run?: habr hecho ya el capitn la
estimacin de las millas diarias que va a recorrer
el barco?
allowed for: included the possible effects in his
plans (tuvo en cuenta)
range: (here) all the numbers that are included
within particular fixed limits (rango)
auction: an event at which things are sold to the
person who offers the most money (subasta,
remate)
rail: a bar along or around the ship that prevent
people from failing (baranda, barandilla del
barco)
stiff: if your body is stiff your muscles hurt and it
is difficult to move (estirados, rigidos)
auctioneer: someone who is in charge of an
auction (subastador)
further away: more, additional far (ms alejado
de ese rango).
low field low numbers of the rank estimate
(nmeros ms bajos del rango estimado)
high field high numbers of the rank estimate
(nmeros ms altos del rango estimado)
we'll draw: we will take out (sacaremos,
extraeremos)
banged: made a loud noise by hitting (golpe)
added it up: put numbers or amounts together
and then calculate the total (hicieron la suma,
sumaron)
left over: remained after everything else has
been taken away or used (de sobra, sobrante)

THE SINGING LESSON

Katherine Mansfield
Katherine Mansfield (1883-1933) was born in New Zealand, She went to England to finish her
education and married J. Middleton Murry, a well-known writer on literary topics. She died in France
after a long illness. Although her life was short, she soon became well known, both in Britain and in
Europe, for her short stories. Her special qualities are her tender humanity, her clarity, her wit, and
her courageous gaiety.

"The Singing Lesson'

is a psychological study.
The way in which a music
teacher shows her emotions
through the songs that she
teaches her class is
cleverly worked out.

With despair -cold, sharp despair- buried deep in her heart like a wicked knife, Miss
Meadows, in cap and gown and carrying a little baton, trod the cold corridors that
led to the music hall. Girls of all ages, rosy from the air, and bubbling over with that
gleeful excitement that comes from running to school on a fine autumn morning,
hurried, skipped, fluttered by; from the hollow class-rooms came a quick drumming
of voices; a bell rang; a voice like a bird cried, "Muriel." And then there came from the
staircase a tremendous knock-knock-knocking. Some one had dropped her
dumbbells.
The Science Mistress stopped Miss Meadows.
"Good mor-ning," she cried, in her sweet, affected drawl. "Isn't it cold? It might be
win-ter."
Miss Meadows, hugging the knife, stared in hatred at the Science Mistress. Everything
about her was sweet, pale, like honey. You wold not have been surprised to see a bee
caught in the tangles of that yellow hair.
"It is rather sharp," said Miss Meadows, grimly.
The other smiled her sugary smile.
"You look fro-zen," said she. Her blue eyes opened wide; there came a mocking light
in them. (Had she noticed anything?)
"Oh, not quite as bad as that," said Miss Meadows, and she gave the Science Mistress,
in exchange for her smile, a quick grimace and passed on...
Forms Four, Five, and Six were assembled in the music hall. The noise was
deafening. On the platform, by the piano, stood Mary Beazley, Miss Meadows'
favourite, who played accompaniments. She was turning the music stool. When she
saw Miss Meadows she gave a loud, warning "Sh-sh! girls!" and Miss Meadows, her
hands thrust in her sleeves, the baton under her arm, strode down the centre aisle,
mounted the steps, turned sharply, seized the brass music stand, planted it in front of
her, and gave two sharp taps with her baton for silence.
"Silence, please! Immediately!" and, looking at nobody, her glance swept over that
sea of coloured flannel blouses, with bobbing pink faces and hands, quivering butterfly
hair-bows, and music-books outspread. She knew perfectly well what they were
thinking. "Meady is in a wax." Well, let them think it! Her eyelids quivered; she
tossed her head, defying them. What could the thoughts of those creatures matter to
some one who stood there bleeding to death, pierced to the heart, to the heart, by
such a letter...
..."I feel more and more strongly that our marriage would be a mistake. Not that I do
not love you. I love you as much as it is possible for me to love any woman, but,
truth to tell, I have come to the conclusion that I am not a marrying man, and the

idea of settling down fills me with nothing but--" and the word "disgust" was
scratched out lightly and "regret" written over the top.
Basil! Miss Meadows stalked over to the piano. And Mary Beazley, who was waiting
for this moment, bent forward; her curls fell over her cheeks while she breathed,
"Good morning, Miss Meadows," and she motioned towards rather than handed to her
mistress a beautiful yellow chrysanthemum. This little ritual of the flower had been
gone through for ages and ages, quite a term and a half. It was as much part of
the lesson as opening the piano. But this morning, instead of taking it up, instead of
tucking it into her belt while she leant over Mary and said, "Thank you, Mary. How
very nice! Turn to page thirty-two," what was Mary's horror when Miss Meadows
totally ignored the chrysanthemum, made no reply to her greeting, but said in a
voice of ice, "Page fourteen, please, and mark the accents well."
Staggering moment! Mary blushed until the tears stood in her eyes, but Miss
Meadows was gone back to the music stand; her voice rang through the music hall.
"Page fourteen. We will begin with page fourteen. 'A Lament.' Now, girls, you ought to
know it by this time. We shall take it all together; not in parts, all together. And
without expression. Sing it, though, quite simply, beating time with the left hand."
She raised the baton; she tapped the music stand twice. Down came Mary on the
opening chord; down came all those left hands, beating the air, and in chimed those
young, mournful voices:
"Fast! Ah, too Fast Fade the Ro-o-ses of Pleasure;
Soon Autumn yields unto Wi-i-nter Drear.
Fleetly! Ah, Fleetly Mu-u-sic's Gay Measure
Passes away from the Listening Ear."
Good Heavens, what could be more tragic than that lament! Every note was a sigh, a
sob, a groan of awful mournfulness. Miss Meadows lifted her arms in the wide gown
and began conducting with both hands. "...I feel more and more strongly that our
marriage would be a mistake..." she beat. And the voices cried: "Fleetly! Ah, Fleetly."
What could have possessed him to write such a letter! What could have led up to
it! It came out of nothing. His last letter had been all about a fumed-oak bookcase
he had bought for "our" books, and a "natty little hall-stand" he had seen, "a very
neat affair with a carved owl on a bracket, holding three hat-brushes in its claws." How
she had smiled at that! So like a man to think one needed three hat-brushes! "From
the Listening Ear," sang the voices.
"Once again," said Miss Meadows. "But this time in parts. Still without expression."
"Fast! Ah, too Fast." With the gloom of the contraltos added, one could scarcely help
shuddering. "Fade the Roses of Pleasure." Last time he had come to see her, Basil had
worn a rose in his buttonhole. How handsome he had looked in that bright blue suit,
with that dark red rose! And he knew it, too. He couldn't help knowing it. First he
stroked his hair, then his moustache; his teeth gleamed when he smiled...

"The headmaster's wife keeps on asking me to dinner. It's a perfect nuisance. I

never get an evening to myself in that place."
"But can't you refuse?"
"Oh, well, it doesn't do for a man in my position to be unpopular."
"Music's Gay Measure," wailed the voices. The willow trees, outside the high,
narrow windows, waved in the wind. They had lost half their leaves. The tiny ones
that clung wriggled like fishes caught on a line. "... I am not a marrying man..." The
voices were silent; the piano waited.
"Quite good," said Miss Meadows, but still in such a strange, stony tone that the
younger girls began to feel positively frightened. "But now that we know it, we shall
take it with expression. As much expression as you can put into it. Think of the words,
girls. Use your imaginations. Fast! Ah, too Fast," cried Miss Meadows. "That ought to
break out -a loud, strong forte- a lament. And then in the second line, 'Winter Drear,'
make that 'Drear' sound as if a cold wind were blowing through it. Dre-ear!" said she
so awfully that Mary Beazley, on the music stool, wriggled her spine. "The third line
should be one crescendo. 'Fleetly! Ah, Fleetly Music's Gay Measure.' Breaking on
the first word of the last line, Passes. And then on the word, 'Away,' you must begin to
die... to fade... until the listening ear is nothing more than a faint whisper... You can
slow down as much as you like almost on the last line. Now, please."
Again the two light taps; she lifted her arms again. 'Fast! Ah, too Fast.' "... and the
idea of settling down fills me with nothing but disgust..." Disgust was what he had
written. That was as good as to say their engagement was definitely broken off.
Broken off! Their engagement! People had been surprised enough that she had got
engaged. The Science Mistress would not believe it at first. But nobody had been as
surprised as she. She was thirty. Basil was twenty-five. It had been a miracle, simply a
miracle, to hear him say, as they walked home from church that very dark night, "You
know, somehow or other, I've got fond of you." And he had taken hold of the end of
her ostrich feather boa. "Passes away from the Listening Ear."
"Repeat! Repeat!" said Miss Meadows. "More expression, girls! Once more!"
"Fast! Ah, too Fast." The older girls were crimson; some of the younger ones began to
cry. Big spots of rain blew against the windows, and one could hear the willows
whispering, "... not that I do not love you..."
"But, my darling, if you love me," thought Miss Meadows, "I don't mind how much it
is. Love me as little as you like." But she knew he didn't love her. Not to have cared
enough to scratch out that word "disgust," so that she couldn't read it! "Soon Autumn
yields unto Winter Drear." She would have to leave the school, too. She could never
face the Science Mistress or the girls after it got known. She would have to disappear
somewhere. "Passes away." The voices began to die, to fade, to whisper... to vanish...

Suddenly the door opened. A little girl in blue walked fussily up the aisle, hanging her
head, biting her lips, and twisting the silver bangle on her red little wrist. She came up
the steps and stood before Miss Meadows.
"Well, Monica, what is it?"
"Oh, if you please, Miss Meadows," said the little girl, gasping, "Miss Wyatt wants to
see you in the mistress's room."
"Very well," said Miss Meadows. And she called to the girls, "I shall put you on your
honour to talk quietly while I am away." But they were too subdued to do anything
else. Most of them were blowing their noses.
The corridors were silent and cold; they echoed to Miss Meadows' steps. The head
mistress sat at her desk. For a moment she did not look up. She was as usual
disentangling her eyeglasses, which had got caught in her lace tie. "Sit down, Miss
Meadows," she said very kindly. And then she picked up a pink envelope from the
blotting-pad. "I sent for you just now because this telegram has come for you."
"A telegram for me, Miss Wyatt?"
Basil! He had committed suicide, decided Miss Meadows. Her hand flew out, but Miss
Wyatt held the telegram back a moment. "I hope it's not bad news," she said, so
more than kindly. And Miss Meadows tore it open.
"Pay no attention to letter, must have been mad, bought hat-stand to-day Basil," she
read. She couldn't take her eyes off the telegram.
"I do hope it's nothing very serious," said Miss Wyatt, leaning forward.
"Oh, no, thank you, Miss Wyatt," blushed Miss Meadows. "It's nothing bad at all. It's"-and she gave an apologetic little laugh--"it's from my fiance saying that...saying
that--" There was a pause. "I see," said Miss Wyatt. And another pause. Then--"You've
fifteen minutes more of your class, Miss Meadows, haven't you?"
"Yes, Miss Wyatt." She got up. She half ran towards the door.
"Oh, just one minute, Miss Meadows," said Miss Wyatt. "I must say I don't approve of
my teachers having telegrams sent to them in school hours, unless in case of very bad
news, such as death," explained Miss Wyatt, "or a very serious accident, or something
to that effect. Good news, Miss Meadows, will always keep, you know."
On the wings of hope, of love, of joy, Miss Meadows sped back to the music hall, up
the aisle, up the steps, over to the piano.
"Page thirty-two, Mary," she said, "page thirty-two," and, picking up the yellow

chrysanthemum, she held it to her lips to hide her smile. Then she turned to the girls,
rapped with her baton: "Page thirty-two, girls. Page thirty-two."
"We come here To-day with Flowers o'erladen,
With Baskets of Fruit and Ribbons to boot,
To-oo congratulate...
"Stop! Stop!" cried Miss Meadows. "This is awful. This is dreadful." And she beamed at
her girls. "What's the matter with you all? Think, girls, think of what you're singing.
Use your imaginations. 'With Flowers o'erladen. Baskets of Fruit and Ribbons to boot.'
And 'Congratulate,' Miss Meadows broke off. "Don't look so doleful, girls. It ought to
sound warm, joyful, eager. 'Congratulate.' Once more. Quickly. All together. Now
then!"
And this time Miss Meadows' voice sounded over all the other voices - full, deep,
glowing with expression.

GLOSSARY

in cap and gown: in the academic costume

which teachers wear in some secondary
schools (con traje y gorra)
baton: a thin tapered rod used by a conductor
to direct an orchestra (batuta)
trod: walked along (present tense, tread)
(recorri)
drumming: the voices in the classrooms
sounded like drums being beaten (sonido
repetitivo)
dumbbells: these are bars with a round
weight on each end which are used in
gymnasiums. They made this repeated
knocking sound as they rolled down the
staircase (pesas de gimnasia)
drawl: a slow speech pattern with prolonged
vowels (arrastre de las palabras al hablar)
Forms: in secondary schools the classes are
called Forms. They number up from One to
Six, the youngest pupils being in Form One
and the oldest in Form Six. In primary schools
the classes are called "Class" (las divisiones)
deafening: too loud (ensordecedor)
thrust in her sleeves: hidden inside the long,
wide sleeves of her gown (ocultas dentro de
las mangas)
looking at nobody: looking at no individual
girl (mirando al vaco)
hair-bows: bows in this case, meaning
ribbons tied in a knot with loops, is
pronounced [bouz] (cintas para sujetar el
cabello)
in a wax: Schoolgirls' slang for 'in a bad
temper', 'angry' (de mal humor)
defying them: confronting the girls
(desafindolas)
truth to tell: to tell the truth (para decir la
verdad)
a marrying man: the kind of man who wants
to get married (un hombre para casarse)
settling down: leading a quiet, regular life
(sentar cabeza)
stalked over to: walked in a stiff manner
which showed that she was angry (camin
tiesa hacia)
for ages and ages: another example of
schoolgirls' slang, in this case an
exaggeration, as the rest of the sentence
shows (por una eternidad)
a term and a half: the school year in Britain
is divided into three sessions called 'terms',
with a holiday after each (un cuatrimestre y
medio)
taking it up: lifting the chrysanthemum
(levantarlo)
tucking it into her belt: pushing the
chrysanthemum into her belt (metindolo en
su cinturn)
totally ignored: took no notice at all of
(ignor absolutamente, hizo caso omiso de)
accents: marks in the music showing how it
should be played (acentuaciones musicales)
staggering moment: astonishing (because
such strong emotion makes one's legs feel
weak) (asombroso instante)
lament: a sad song (lamento, cancin triste)
not in parts (en armona): to sing in parts

What could have possessed him: What

madness had seized him (Qu pudo haberse
apoderado de l)
led up to it: taken him to that (llevado a eso)
it came out of nothing: there was no reason for
it (no haba motivo para ello)
natty: a colloquial word for 'smart' (elegante)
gloom: sadness, mournful sound (tristeza,
melancola)
help: avoid (evitar, dejar de)
the headmaster's wife: Basil is evidently a
schoolmaster (la esposa del director)
nuisance: annoyance (molestia, incomodidad)
it doesn't do: it isn't wise, it isn't a good thing (no
es inteligente, no es bueno)
wailed: sang sadly (cantaron con tristeza)
willow trees: trees and shrubs of the genus Salix
(sauces)
the tiny ones: the tiny leaves (las hojas
pequeas)
one crescendo: a single, continuous crescendo
(un nico crescendo)
breaking: making a pause (haciendo una pausa)
as good as to say: just like saying (lo mismo
que decir)
broken off: ended (terminado, roto)
boa: a scarf made of feathers, which ladies used
to wear round their necks (chalina o bufanda de
plumas)
the willows whispering: the weather and the
trees seem to be sad, in harmony with Miss
Meadows' present mood (los sauces susurrando)
cared: loved her (quererla, amarla)
face: meet. Face as a verb generally suggests
meeting something unpleasant (enfrentar a,
mirarle a los ojos a)
fussily: the meaning of this word depends on the
context in which it is used. Here it suggests that
the little girl was behaving in a self-conscious
way, feeling important as she interrupted the big
girls' lesson (estrepitosamente)
the mistresses' room: the teachers' room (la
sala de profesores)
on your honour: under your responsibilty (en
sus manos, bajo su responsabilidad)
subdued: intimidated (intimidadas, sumisas)
disentangling: separating (desenredando)
in her lace tie: i.e. piece of lace worn round her
neck (en la cinta que colgaba de su cuello)
very kindly: the headmistress spoke kindly
because she had a telegram for Miss Meadows.
Many people send telegrams only to announce
urgent news of illness or death (con mucha
amabilidad)
blotting-pad: absorbent paper used to dry ink
(papel secante)
so more than kindly: the headmistress was
perhaps a little annoyed at Miss Meadows'
eagerness to take the telegram from her (con
mayor tacto an)
tore it open: tore the envelope to open it (rompi
el sobre para abrirlo)
sped back: went quickly (from 'speed'), a literary
word (regres corriendo)
up the aisle: up the corridor (por el corredor)
over to the piano: across the piano platform
(subiendo a la plataforma del piano)

at the same time, in harmony. The opposite,

when all voices sing the same tune, is to sing
in unison (al unsono)
beating time: moving one's hand to mark the
rhythm of the music. The beat is the time
given by the conductor, who beats time by the
movements of his baton or his hand
(marcando el tiempo)
drear: poetic form of 'dreary' (triste,
melanclico)
fleetly: a poetic word meaning "quickly"
(raudamente)
sob: convulsive gasp made while weeping
(sollozo)

sharply with her baton (golpe fuertemente el atril

con su batuta)
with flowers o'erladen: loaded with great
quantities of flowers; O'erladen [o:leidn] is a
poetic form of 'overladen' (recubierto de flores)
to boot: as well, in addition. An old-fashioned
expression (adems)
doleful: mournful, sad (tristes)
Now then: a good example of an idiomatic
colloquial phrase. The two words separately have
opposite meanings. Used together, they form a
lively way of saying 'Are you ready?' or 'Let's
begin' (vamos ya, empecemos)