UNIT 2: A BAD DREAM

UNIT 2: A BAD DREAM

(DONN BYRNE)
(1874-1963)

CHARACTERS

George Hill
Jane Hill
Mr. Briggs
Mr. Winter
Annie

Before reading

Activity 1:

+ Think of the title of the play: “A Bad Dream”. What happens next in the play? Tick the boxes.

	Yes	Perhaps	No
a. Mr. George is going to get promotion.
b. Mrs. George is going to have a vacation.
c. Annie is going to leave Mr. George’s.
d. Mr. George has a bad dream.
e. Mr. George’s business goes from bad to worse.
f. Some troubles happen to Annie.

Answers:

Activity 2:

+ What do you think might happen to Annie (the cook) in the play? Tick the correct box.

a. She might be dismissed from the house.
b. She might leave Mr. George’s house for another place.
c. She might go on staying at Mr. George’s.
d. Mrs Jane might take Annie for a vacation with her.

Answer:

Activity 3:

     There are six persons in the play: the conductor, Mr. Hill, Mrs. Hill, Annie, Mr. Briggs and Mr. Winter. Listen to them and guess who say the following statements. Type their names in the boxes.

a. Two men came into the room. They both work at the bank. Briggs is the assistant manager.
b. Yes, sir. We explained things to them and they agree with us.
c. And you take two or three hours for lunch. We spend all day in the bank, but you’re never there.
d. There’s Annie. Speak to her nicely and perhaps she’ll stay. Well, goodbye, George. Write to me when you have a job.
e. I don’t know, but she must go. Things are different now. I’m a manager of a big bank. We must have a good cook.

Answers:

While reading
Activity 4:
+ The following words are all in the play. Listen to the speaker and repeat after him / her.

• assistant manager
• terrible
• customers
• fire
• resign
• joke
• polite
• business
• explain
• immediately
• pleasant
• surprised
• trouble
• changed

Activity 5:

+ Which words in the play have the following transcription. Type the words in the boxes.

a. /rw'zawn/
b. /t∫ewnd¥d/
c. /d¥∂k/
d. /'pleznt/
e. /s∂'prawzd/
f. /faw∂/

Answers:

Activity 6:

+ Listen to the reader (from CD-ROM). He will play the roles of the characters in the play.

Activity 7:

+ Choose the right words in the boxes and put them in the sentences.

stay   resign   customers   manager   business   holiday    trouble    reason     look after

a. “I know, sir. But she’ll come back. I’ll … while she’s away.
b. “You’re leaving me because I’m in …”
c. “They couldn’t wait. Did they tell you the …, too?
d. “It’s like a bad dream! Why must I …? What have I done? Tell me that.”
e. “That doesn’t matter, sir. I want to … here, sir. It’s my home.”
f. “Where will you get the money for a …?”

Answers:

Activity 8:

+ Look at the picture. Does it tell you that:

	Yes	No
a. Mr. and Mrs. George are having a quarrel.
b. They are enjoying tea.
c. They in Mr. George’s office.
d. They are planning for their vacation.

Answers:

Activity 9:

+ Who says this in the play? Write the names in the boxes.

George Hill      Jane Hill      Annie      Mr. Briggs      Mr. Winter

a. “.. What’s happened to you? You’ve changed. You’ve become more selfish.”
b. “And you’re not nice to the people in the bank. You’re polite to the customers, not to us. Nobody likes you.”
c. “You aren’t a good manager, sir.”
d. “.. I’m the assistant manager. Well, sir, we think you should resign.”
e. “That doesn’t matter, sir. I want to stay here, sir. It’s my home.”
f. “But Annie’s been with us for a long time.. Nearly twenty years. We can’t do this to her. She isn’t a young woman now. How will she find a new job?”

Answers:

Activity 10:

+ Look at the picture. Which of the following sentences describes the picture best?

a. Annie is cooking in the kitchen.
b. Annie is overhearing someone behind the door.
c. Annie is looking after Mr. Hill in the dinning room.
d. Annie is waiting for Mrs. Hill in the kitchen.

Answer:

Activity 11:

+ Put these sentences into the correct order according to the plot of the play. Number them 1-9. Type the number in the box.

a. Mrs Hill persuaded her husband not to behave like that to Annie, but he did not agree.
b. Mr. Hill thought he would be jobless and no one would take care of him.
c. Then he woke up. It was only a dream.
d. Mr. Hill complained that Annie couldn’t make good coffee for him.
e. In his dream Mr. Hill saw that Winter and Brigg came to his house complaining about his irresponsible attitude and bad behaviour toward his employees at work and asked him to resign.
g. Mr. Hill asked his wife to find a new cook.
h. Mr. Hill was tired and had a bad dream.
i. Mrs. Hill wanted to leave him for her vacation.
k. He changed his mind and asked Annie to stay with him.

Answers: