1984. A2

The images on the screen showed soldiers, prisoners, and a lot of blood. The voice announced that the chocolate ration would be reduced. Bad news, Winston thought. He moved to the window and looked at the posters outside. He wondered who he was writing the diary for. The Thought Police would definitely destroy it after reading. He continued writing: From the age of Big Brother to the time when thought is free – greetings!

Winston noticed ink on his fingers. This detail could betray him, so he went to the bathroom and scrubbed his hands with soap. It was harsh and unpleasant, but he was happy with the result.

He thought about hiding the notebook, but knew this was useless: someone would definitely discover it. So he picked some dust from his room and put it on the notebook. If anyone opened it, the dust would leave a trace.

Glossary

apologise [ə'pɒlədʒaɪz] – v извиняться

appreciate [ə'pri:ʃieɪt] – v ценить

harsh [hɑ:ʃ] – adj суровый

helpless ['helpləs] – adj беспомощный

incredibly [ɪn'kredəbli] – adv невероятно

inhale [ɪn'heɪl] – v вдыхать

ink [ɪŋk] – n чернила

overweight [ˌəʊvə'weɪt] – adj грузный

ration ['ræʃən] – n паек

scream [skri:m] – v вопить

scrub [skrʌb] – v скрести

shoot [ʃu:t] – v застрелить

sink [sɪŋk] – n раковина

spy [spaɪ] – n шпион

sweat [swet] – n, v пот, потеть

trace [treɪs] – n след

traitor ['treɪtə] – n предатель

unpleasant [ʌn'plezənt] – adj неприятный

useless ['ju:sləs] – adj бесполезный

wonder ['wʌndə] – v желать знать

Chapter 3

At night, Winston saw strange dreams. He dreamt of his mother – a tall, silent woman with magnificent hair. He last saw his parents when he was about ten years old.

In his dream, his mother was in a boat, holding his younger sister in her arms. The boat was sinking, and they were both looking at him with sad eyes. Winston felt guilty, as if their lives were a sacrifice. When he woke up, he thought about the past. His mother's death was a tragedy that seemed impossible now: today, there were only fear, hatred, and pain.

A sudden noise from the telescreen reminded Wilson that it was time for exercise. His body ached, but he followed the instructions from the telescreen. His arms and legs moved automatically while he was thinking about the past. Was there a time when the country wasn't at war? There used to be peace, but a bomb followed. He remembered how his parents grabbed him by the hand and ran to hide.

He thought about the world history: now, in 1984 (if it really was 1984), Oceania was at war with Eurasia and in alliance with Eastasia. Before that, it was different, but the Party did not allow anyone to remember the past. The Party controlled the past and, this way, controlled the future too. This frightened Winston: could the Party make him believe in anything – or erase it from his memory?

Winston tried to remember when Big Brother first appeared – but he couldn't. According to the Party, Big Brother started his legendaryachievements many years ago. And when did the Party first appear? Winston knew that there was no Party when he was little. Yet, there was no way of proving it: whatever the Party said was the truth.

“Smith!” a loud voice screamed from the telescreen. “Work harder!”

Winston started sweating. He knew he couldn't show any shock or irritation, so he continued the exercise.

Glossary

according to [ə'kɔ:dɪŋtu:] – prep согласно

ache [eɪk] – v болеть

achievement [ə'tʃi:vmənt] – n достижение

alliance [ə'laɪəns] – n союз

erase [ɪ'reɪz] – v стирать

frighten ['fraɪtən] – v пугать

grab [ɡræb] – v хватать

guilty ['ɡɪlti] – adj виноватый

irritation [ˌɪrɪ'teɪʃən] – n раздражение

legendary ['ledʒəndri] – adj легендарный

magnificent [mæɡ'nɪfɪsənt] – adj великолепный

prove [pru:v] – v доказывать

remind [rɪ'maɪnd] – v напоминать

sacrifice ['sækrɪfaɪs] – n жертва

silent ['saɪlənt] – adj тихий, безмолвный

sink [sɪŋk] – v тонуть

sudden ['sʌdən] – adj внезапный