He went there by an overnight train and hoped that it would not take him much time to get there. He enjoyed his trip by train. As he was travelling first class, there were only two passengers in his compartment and he was satisfied with his fellow travellers.
But there was one thing which he didn't like. The fact was there was no buffetcar on the train and by the end of the journey he was very hungry. So he looked forward to having a good dinner at the station restaurant.
What he wanted to do first when he arrived at Hamburg was to find a restaurant. It took him some 15 minutes to get to the nearest restaurant. "He left his coat in the cloak-room and went upstairs.
The head-waiter showed him to a little table near the window. In a few minutes a waiter came up to his table and put the menu on the table. The Frenchman made his choice very quickly because there was only one word on the menu he could understand, it was "beef-steak." So he had to order beef-steak; but it was so bad the Frenchman couldn't eat it.
At a table not far from him a man was eating chicken. The Frenchman wanted to have chicken too, but he didn't know how to say it in German. Soon the man finished his chicken and said to the waiter: "Some more, please." The waiter went out and a minute later came back with another plate of chicken.
"Well," thought the Frenchman, "now I know how to say «chicken» in German." So he called the waiter and said in German: "Some more, please."
The waiter went out and ten minutes later brought him another beef-steak.
3.1.1 Vocabulary notes
to look forward to – ожидать, очень хотеть
3.1.2 Answer the questions
1 What was the purpose of the Frenchman’s visit to Germany?
2 What was he looking forward to while staying in Germany?
3 How did he like his trip by train?
4 Why was he hungry by the end of the journey?
5 What was the first thing he did at Hamburg?
6 Did he enjoy his meal at the restaurant? Why not?
7 Why didn’t he get what he required?
8 How do you think he felt when the waiter brought him another beef-steak? Did he eat it?
9 Why do you think it is extremely important to know foreign languages if you deal with foreign firms?
10 Did you go to a restaurant during your last trip to a foreign country? Who ordered meals for you?
3.2 Text 2. Read the text and answer the questions.
THE LOVE OF A BUSY BUSINESSMAN
(after O'Henry)
Pitcher was the chief clerk in the office of Harvey Maxwell. Mr. Maxwell was a businessman. He bought and sold things. He also helped other businessmen buy and sell things. Pitcher was an important man in Maxwell's office.
This morning Pitcher's face had a look of surprise on it. The clerk did not usually show his feelings, but today his boss came into the office late. It was half past nine. And he had his pretty young secretary with him.
With a quick "Good morning," Maxwell hurried to his desk. Hundreds of papers waited for him there. He started working on them at once. The secretary was beautiful. She did not look or dress like a secretary. Her simple clothes and hair were most pleasant to see. And this morning her face shone with a gentle light. Her eyes were bright and full of dreams.
Pitcher noticed this. He also noticed a difference in her ways this morning. She usually went straight into her office. Today she stayed near Mr. Maxwell's desk. But he did not notice her. As soon as he sat down at the desk, Maxwell became a machine. At last he saw her. "Well, what is it?" he asked sharply. His cold grey eyes looked at her. He wanted to get on with his work.
