CowboysandblondesonRoute66

byLibbyRuffle
(TheDailyTelegraph,25.05.2012)

Readthetextcarefully,payingattentionto theunderlinedwords.Canyoufigureouttheir
meaningjustbylookingattheircontext?
Havealookattheexplanationsbelow.Lookateachwordspronunciationandmeaning(and
theexampleinasentence).
Trytomakeasentencewitheachnewword.Whynot,writeashortcompositionusingthese
words(youcanretellthestoryorinventanewstory).

StormySchneiderisablonde,blueeyedwaitressattheBoomarangDinerinChandler,Oklahoma,
andherhandisonmyhusbandsarm.Sheistryingtoenticehimwithasliceoffriedpie:cherry,apple
ormypersonalfavourite,shewinksapricot.
Stormy,saysJonathan,thatsoundsgreat.Butyouvekilleduswithyourcatfishandfriedpickles.
StormythrowsbackherprettylittleheadandlaughsdelightedlyatthefunnyEnglishguy.

Normally,Idfrownatawaitresswhowasthisattentivetomyhusband.Andathimforenjoyingit.
ButfivedaysintoourRoute66trip,Imstruggling.Im ateadrinking strangerin aworldoffree
coffeerefills.Stormyssavinggraceis lightningquick provision ofhotteawithreal milk.Ina
propermug.
Sofar,itsbeenalong 2,000milejourney makethat3,500bythetimewevedetouredtoAmish
country,gonebisonspottinginTallgrassPrairieandgoggledattheGrandCanyon,noneofwhichis
actuallyaRoute66landmark.
So,Stormy,saysJonathan,wedliketogooutthisevening.Isthereabaseballgameontonight,ora
baryoudrecommend?
Hmm.Well,theresabarinStroudifyouwannagetintoafight.Itskindarough.
NotlikeourStroud,then.
Sheshrugs.ButthisisBibleBeltcountry;theresnotmuchgoingonaroundhere.IfIwereyou,Id
gototheliquorstore,buyabottleofCooksSpumanteanddrinkitbackinyourmotelroom.
Stormy,saysJonathanwithasmile,youvebeenagreathelp.
Thearmagain.Oh,man,Icouldlistentoyoutalkforever!
WhentravellingtheMotherRoad,youdontjustneedtime,moneyandalastminuteupgradetoa
convertible.Youneedarelationshipthatcanwithstandeachothersdriving;thetirednessthatcomes
from jetlag andcrossingquiteafewtimezones;theoverstimulationyougetfrombreakfastingon

steakonedayandDrPepperthenext.
ImusttrynottopointouttriumphantlythatStormySchneiderhasterribletasteinsparklingwine.After
all,thistimetomorrow,shellstillbeinChandlerwhilewewillbeinanotherdiner,inanotherstate
havingbeensidetrackedbyaSaturdayafternoonuniversitybaseballgameorarattlesnakemuseumora
HopiIndianreservation.ThenwellbeleafingthoughtheRandMcNallyroadatlas,planningournext
destination.
Cheers,Stormy,andthanksforthetea!
Vocabulary
toentice[entais]=v.aatrage,aademeni,aispiti;
toattractbyarousinghopeordesire;lure:Thepromiseofhigherpayenticedmeintothenewjob.
towink=v.aclipi(dingene),afacecuochiul;
aclipiladistanta(despreunfar,desprelumini):Harborlightswerewinkinginthedistance.
1. Hewinkedandsaidthatheunderstood.
2. ShewinkedatmeassheaskedwhatIwasdoingtonight.
3. Thepuppywaswinkinginthebrightsun.
4. Theairplane'slandinglightswinkedonandoff.
5. Icouldnotsleepawink(expresieNuampututdormideloc).
pickles=n.muraturi
anarticleoffoodthathasbeenpreservedinbrineorinvinegar;specifically:acucumberthathasbeen
sopreserved
tofrown=v.aseincrunta
a.tocontractthebrowindispleasureorconcentration
b.togiveevidenceofdispleasureordisapprovalbyfacialexpression(criticsfrownontheidea):
1. Shewasfrowningwhensheenteredtheroom,soIknewthatshewasannoyedabout
something.
2.

Thebossjuststoodthereandfrownedathisassistantwho,onceagain,wasintrouble.

ateadrinkingperson=opersoanacarebeaceai
aworldoffreecoffeerefills=olumeundepegratispotisatireumplicanadecafea
lightningquick=extremelyquick
provision=n.aprovizionare,masurideprevedere
a.theactorprocessofsupplyingorprovidingsomething
b.somethingthatisdoneinadvancetoprepareforsomethingelse
1. Hemadeprovisionstodonatepartofhisfortunetocharityafterhedied.
2.

Youshouldmakeprovisionforemergencies.

3.

Icarriedmyprovisionsinonelargebackpack.

4.

Webroughtenoughprovisionstolasttheentiretrip.

5.

Shedidnotmakeanyprovisionforherchildren.

2,000milejourney=excursiede2.000demile(milefolosestelasingular,pentrucastainainteaunui
substantivjourney)

7yearoldboylafel,yearsefolosestelasingular
8kilogramsacklafel,kilogramsefolosestelasingular
gonebisonspotting=savedem,localizambizoni
togoggleat=v.aseuitacuuimire;aseholba,asezgai;
tolookatsomethingorsomeonewithyoureyesveryopeninawaythatshowsthatyouaresurprised,
amazed:Hegoggledinamazementatthehugestatue.
gogglesochelarideprotectie
StroudisamarkettownandcivilparishinthecountyofGloucestershire,England.Itisthemaintown
inStroudDistrict.
TheBibleBeltisaninformaltermforaregioninthesoutheasternandsouthcentralUnitedStatesin
whichsociallyconservativeevangelicalProtestantismisasignificantpartofthecultureandChristian
churchattendanceacrossthedenominationsisgenerallyhigherthanthenation'saverage.TheBible
BeltconsistsofmuchoftheSouthernUnitedStates.Duringthecolonialperiod(16071776),theSouth
wasastrongholdoftheAnglicanchurch.ItstransitiontoastrongholdofnonAnglicanProtestantism
occurredgraduallyoverthenextcenturyasaseriesofreligiousrevivalmovements,manyassociated
withtheBaptistdenomination,gainedgreatpopularityintheregion.

arelationshipthatcanwithstandeachothersdrivingorelatieincareputemsanesuportam/toleram
felulincarefiecaredintrenoiconducemasina
jetlagobosealadatoratadecalajuluidefusorar;
atiredandunpleasantfeelingthatyousometimesgetwhenyoutravelbyairplanetoaplacethatisfar
away:
Eg.Ihadbadjetlagafterthatlasttripoverseas.
dinerasmall,informal,andinexpensiverestaurantthatlookslikearailroadcar
tosidetrack=afaceundetour;tocause(someone)totalkaboutordosomethingdifferentandless
important;tochangethedirectionoruseof(something)
toleafthough=afrunzariocarte
toturnoverpagesespeciallytobrowseorskim;leafthroughabook:
Eg.Wemusthavespenthoursleafingthroughwallpaperbooksbeforewefoundsomethingweboth
liked.
Grammar:

Lookattheverbsintheabovetext;thenarratorusesPresentTenseSimpletoexpresssimple

orgeneralactionsthathappeninthepresent.
We use adverbs of frequency with Present Tense Simple: often, seldom, sometimes,
frequently,normally,everyday/daily,etc.

PresentTenseContinuous indicatesanactionthatishappeningNOW/atthisverymoment;
sometimesitshowsthatanactionishappeningoveralongerTEMPORARYperiodoftime
(eg.IamlearningJapanese).ItcanalsoshowaFUTUREplannedaction(whenwearetalking
aboutsomethingthatwehavearrangedordecidedtodo:Eg.Iamseeingmyfriendtonight).
WithPresentTenseContinuousweuseadverbssuchas:now,atthismoment,thismorning,
thisevening,today,thismonth,etc.
o YouarelearningEnglishnow.
o

Youarenotswimmingnow.

Areyousleeping?

Iamsitting,Iamnotstanding.

Ishesittingorstanding?

Theyarereadingtheirbooks.

Theyarenotwatchingtelevision.

Whatareyoudoing?

Whyaren'tyoudoingyourhomework?

Nowputtheverbsinbracketsintothecorrectform,usingsimpleorcontinuouspresenttense:

1.EveryMonday,Sally(drive)herkidstofootballpractice.
2.Usually,I(work)asasecretaryatABT,butthissummerI(study)Frenchatalanguageschoolin
Paris.ThatiswhyIaminParis.
3.Shhhhh!Bequiet!John(sleep).
4.Don'tforgettotakeyourumbrella.It(rain).
5.IhatelivinginSeattlebecauseit(rain,always).
6.I'msorryIcan'thearwhatyou(say)becauseeverybody(talk)soloudly.
7.Justin(write,currently)abookabouthisadventuresinTibet.Ihopehecanfindagoodpublisher
whenheisfinished.
8.Jim:Doyouwanttocomeoverfordinnertonight?
Denise:Oh,I'msorry,Ican't.I(go)toamovietonightwithsomefriends.
9.Thebusinesscards(be,normally)printedbyacompanyinNewYork.Theirprices(be)
inexpensive,yetthequalityoftheirworkisquitegood.
10.Thisdeliciouschocolate(be)madebyasmallchocolatierinZurich,Switzerland.
AnswerKey:1.drives,2.work,amstudying,3.issleeping,4.israining,5.italwaysrains,6.are
saying,istalking,7.iscurrentlywriting,8.amgoing,9.arenormallyprinted,areexpensive,10.is
made.