Veil

Chapters I-X
      I. Give the content of the events in the form of a précis.

      II. Find English definitions of the following words and phrases and recollect the situations in which they are used in the text:

      To smother a cry (ch.I)

      To have a pluck (ch.I)

      To be squared (ch.I)

      Gentlewoman (ch.III)

      To put on airs (ch.III)

      To be of no particular consequence (ch.IV)

      To fling the truth in someone’s teeth (ch.V)

      To take silk (ch.VI)

      To outstrip (ch.VII)

      Small talk (ch.VIII)

      To perform prodigies in doing smth. (ch.VIII)

      Not to know smb. from Adam (ch.IX)

      To crow over smb. (ch.XX)




      III. Find synonyms of the following words:

      Distraught (ch.I)

      Ghastliness (ch.I)

      Ingratiating (ch.III)

      Facetious (ch.VI)

      Parsimony (ch.VII)

      Painstaking (ch.VII)

      Pusillanimous (ch.VII)

      Amorous (ch. VIII)




      IV. Explain in English the meaning of the following sentences, give their literary translation:

      1. "If we're in for it we're in for it. We shall just have to brazen it out." (ch.I)
      2. It was such rapture that it was pain. (ch.I)
      3. "Well, that's all to the good. You'll get round him." (ch.II)
      4. "No, but I flatter myself that I've got a head screwed on my shoulders." (ch.II)


      5. How unfortunate to be called Dorothy! It dated you. (ch.III)
      6. …it was just like him, silly old thing; he might be unfaithful to her, but he would never allow a word in disparagement of her to cross his lips. (ch.III)
      7. Kitty, coming to Hong Kong on her marriage, had found it hard to reconcile herself to the fact that her social position was determined by her husband's occupation. (ch.IV)
      8. "Why, there's hardly any one here that one would bother about for five minutes at home. (ch.IV)
      9. She had a hard and facile fund of chit-chat...