Page 178 - tourism 2nd term 2021- 2022

The sail on the boat was ripped asunder by the strong wind, so we quickly rowed to
land.

shambles [n.] [plural form but used with singular verb] a scene of ruin, destruction

There were 30 children at the party, and by the time the young guests left the house
was a shambles.

amid [prep.] in the middle of, among

Everyone seemed to be having a wonderful time at the party when, suddenly, amid
the festivities, Alice began to cry.

ANECDOTE:

Any list of modern composers would be incomplete without the name of Arnold Schonberg
[1874 – 1951] who left an indelible mark on twentieth-century music.

In 1936, the Hollywood producer Irving Thalberg arranged a meeting with Schonberg,
hoping to persuade him to write the background music for a film based on. Pearl Buck's novel
about China, The good Earth. The Austrain-born composer, not terribly impressed with the
glamour and glitter of the movie capital, was only lukewarm about the project but deigned to
discuss the possibilities.

"It's going to be a lavish production," the young movie executive said excitedly. "Listen to
this: there's this one scene, for example, that has a terrific buildup. It starts with a storm. Then
suddenly the earth begins to tremble. An earthquake, see? Houses are collapsing: mobs of people
are running every which way. Some go berserk. Others loot the buildings. Families are driven
asunder. Everywhere you look the place is a shambles. Amid the ruin the girl Olen gives birth to
a baby. Now tell me Mr Schonberg is'nt that a great opportucnity for music?

The expression on the composer's face remain unchanged. "Well, frankly, Mr. Stahlberg,"
he said quietly, "with so much going on, what do you want with music?".

ORAL EXERCISE:

Supply the world that matches the definition in each of these sentences.

1. When you are neither in favor of not against something, you feel -------------- about it.

2. when we see the bright, flashing lights of a city we often call this the ----------- of the city.

3. When we condescend to do something we ----------- to do it.

4. An extravagant party is the same as a ------------- party.

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