What is it that

WORD POWER

Read the story again and identify the meaning of the words below. Choose between the two suggestions.

a spendthrift — A. a person who can spend money wisely B. a person who cannot spend money wisely

to go berserk — A. to become angry B. to become pleased

to phase out — A. to stop using smth gradually B. to start doing smth gradually

to lack — A. not to have enough of smth B. to have enough of smth

3) Look at the pictures and say if this is a typical menu Adrian used to have at school. Is this what he has for dinner at school at present?

What is it that

Adrian doesn't approve of in his mother's behaviour and about his school dinners? Why? Adrian's father doesn't approve of free education? Why?

5) What is a Family Allowance?

6) What impression does Adrian make?

· Do you think Adrian is not looked after in a proper way?

· Do you think he does not see any reason to be optimistic about his future?

· Does Adrian really have sound reasons to be pessimistic about his future?

· Do you feel Adrian is overreacting a bit?

7) Which of Adrian's problems do you find serious, easy to solve or not a problem at all?

-2-

Mr Bert Baxter in the book The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13 3/4 by Sue Townsend, is an elderly person and a pensioner.

1) Read Adrian's notes about Mr Baxter, and say what people and what organisations looked after him.

Monday January 19^th I have joined a group at school called the Good Samaritans. We go out into the community helping and stuff like that, we miss Maths on Monday. Today we had a talk on the sort of things we will be doing. I have been put in the old age pensioners' group.

Saturday January 24^th Bert Baxter is not a nice old age pensioner! He drinks and smokes and has an Alsatian dog called Sabre.

Friday March 6^th Phoned Social Service* today and asked about a home help for Baxter. I told a lie and said I was his grandson. They are sending a social worker to see him on Monday.

Monday March 16^th Bert Baxter said the social worker had been to see him and had promised to get Sabre a new kennel (собачья конура) but he can't have a home help. (Bert, not Sabre.) While I washed up I told Bert about my parents getting a divorce. He said he was married for thirty-five miserable years so why should anybody else get away with it? He told me that he has got four children and that none of them come to see him. Two of them are in Australia so they can't be blamed (их нельзя винить), but I think the other two should be ashamed of themselves (им должно быть стыдно).

Friday June 12^th Bert is ill.

Saturday June 13^th Bert is in intensive care, he can't have visitors. I ring up every four hours to find out how he is. I pretend to be a rel­ative. The nurses say things like 'He is stable'. I hope Bert doesn't die. Apart from liking him, I have got nothing to wear to a funeral (похороны).

Monday June 15^th Bert has made a slight improvement. I'll go round and see him tomorrow.

Tuesday July 7^th Bert Baxter has escaped (сбежал) from hospital. He is in our spare room. My father is going up the wall.

Tuesday July 14^th Bert's social worker came round tonight. She is called Katie Bell. She talked to Bert in a stupid way. She said that Bert had been offered a place in the Alderman Cooper Sunshine Home. Bert told her that he didn't want to go. Katie Bell said that he has got to go. Even my father said that he felt sorry for Bert. But not sorry enough to invite Bert to live with us permanently (постоянно). I noticed!

Monday October 5^th Bert has been kidnapped (был насильно увезен) by Social Service! They are keeping him at the Alderman Cooper Sunshine Home. I have been to see him. He shares a room with an old man called Thomas Bell. Sabre has got a place in the rspca* hostel.

Tuesday October 6^th Pandora and I went to visit Bert, but it was a waste of time really.

Bert says he is going to sue (подать в суд на) Social Services, for depriving him (за то, что они лишили его) of his rights. He says he has to go to bed at nine-thirty! It is not fair... We passed the lounge on our way out. The old peo­ple sat around the walls in high chairs. The television was on but nobody was watching it, the old people looked as though they were thinking.

Social Services have painted the walls orange to try to cheer the old people up (поднять настроение). It doesn't seem to have worked.

Friday January 9^th Got a wedding invitation from Bert and Queenie. They are getting married on January 16th. in my opinion it is a waste of time. Bert is nearly ninety and Queenie is nearly eighty.

Saturday January 16^th Bert got married today.

2) What did these people and organisations do for Mr Baxter? Look at the chart to check whether it gives the full information about Bert Baxter's life circum­stances. Add some information, if necessary, (reading for detail/making notes)

3) Although there are a lot of bad points in the way Bert Baxter is looked after by different people and organisations, there are some good points, too. What are these good and bad points? Do you agree with the following? (understanding relations within a passage)

· Although Adrian Mole was a Good Samaritans Group member, he did­n't come to see Mr Baxter very often.

· Bert Baxter got his place in the Alderman Cooper Sunshine Home, while his dog Sabre got a place in the RSPCA hostel.

· Although Social Services painted the walls orange, they failed to cheer the old people up.

· Although Bert Baxter had four children, none of them came to see him. Bert Baxter was put into hospital, because of his serious illness.

· Despite the fact that Adrian's father felt sorry for Bert, he didn't feel sorry enough to invite Bert to live with them permanently. Bert and Queenie decided to get married though he was nearly nine­ty and she was nearly eighty.

· Bert Baxter didn't want to stay at the Alderman Cooper Sunshine Home, because of the strict regime they had there.

· Though the old people were provided with TV sets, they did not watch them.

· In spite of the fact Bert Baxter was not a nice old age pensioner, Adrian liked him and didn't want him to die.