Цели:
- Познавательный аспект – знакомство с историей и выдающимися людьми родного края.
- Развивающий аспект – развитие дедуктивного мышления, внимания, воображении.
- Воспитательный аспект – воспитание убежденности в приоритетах общечеловеческих ценностей, формирование потребностей к критическому мышлению.
- Учебный аспект – развитие умения читать с целью извлечения конкретной информации, формирование лексических навыков говорения.
ХОД УРОКА
I. Read the text and answer the following questions
Lefry
Platov left Tula and three of the gunsmiths, the most skilled amongst them-one of them
cross-eyed and left-handed, with a birthmark on his cheek, whose hair had been pulled out
above his temples when he was serving his apprenticeship – took leave of their workmates
and families packed their bags, took some food with them and left the town without a word
to anybody.
It was seen, however, that they did not leave by the Moscow – Tall – Gate, but by the
opposite one, in the direction of Kiev and it was thought that they had gone to Kiev to
pray at the tombs of the saints or to seek the advice of the holy men always to be found
there in large numbers.
Although this was close to the truth it was not the truth itself. Neither the time nor the
distance would allow the Tula gunsmiths to walk three weeks to Kiev and after that do a
job that would put the English nation to shame. They would have done better to go to
Moscow to pray, since only "twice ninety versts" and there saints. In the other
direction it was also "twice ninety versts" to Orel but from Orel to Kiev was a
good five hundred versts more. That was a jorney they couldn't do in a hurry and if they
had done it they would have needed a long time to rest, with their feet swollen and their
hands trembling.
Some people even thought that the gunsmiths had merely boasted to Platov, had then thought
better of it, got scared and run away altogether taking with them the tsar's gold
snuffbox, the diamond and the flea in its case that had caused so much bother.
But such a suggestion was quite groundless and unworthy of the craftsmen on whom the
honour of the nation now rested.
The people of Tula, clever people skilled in the art of metal work, are also well-known
experts on matters religious. They enjoy this fame not only in their own country but also
at holy Mount Athos; not only do they sing well, putting in all the trills, but they know
how to paint the picture "Evening Bells", and if any of them dedicate themselves
to service and join a monastery they become famous as stewards and make the most skilled
collectors of funds. Your Tulan, then, is devoted to the church and is a great religious
practitioner, so that the three gunsmiths who had undertaken to give their support to
Platov and all Russia had made no mistake in leaving for the south instead of going to
Moscow. They had no intention of going to Kiev but to Mtsensk, a district town of their
own Orel Gubernia where there was a "graven stone image of St. Nicholas that had come
floating down the river Zusha on a stone cross in the most ancient days. That
"menacing and terrifying" icon was a life-size depiction of the Saint in silver
robers and with a dark face, a temple in one hand and in the other a sword called
"Victory in Battee." The whole secret of the business was in that
"Victory". St. Nicholas in general and the Mtsensk Nicholas in particular, was
the patron of commerce and war and so, as gunsmiths, they went to pray to his icon. They
held a service before the icon itself, another before the stone cross and returned home
from there by night; without a word to anybody they set about their work in dead secret.
(«Вместе», Международный юношеский журнал № 5-6, 1993, Ссылка на: N.Leskov. Lefry "Progress", 1965, MoscowTranslatedintoEnglishbyGeorgeHanna)
Here are some words which could help you to understand the text.
gunsmith – кузнец, оружейник
skilled – опытный, искусный,
cross-eyed – косоглазый
left-handed – левша
pull out – вытянуть, вырвать
temple – висок, храм
apprentice – ученик, подмастерье
apprenticeship – ученичество
to prey – молиться
a tomb – могила
holy men – святые отцы
to be devoted to the church – быть посвященным
in dead secret – в глубокой тайне
to put smb. to shame – устыдить, посрамить
groundless – необоснованный
unworthy – недостойный
1. Three most skilled gunsmiths left Tula for … .
- Mtsensk
- Kiev
- Orel
- Moscow
2. Three most skilled gunsmiths left Tula… .
- to pray at the tombs of saints
- to sell the diamante and the flea in its case.
- to seek advice of the holy men
- to pray to the icon of St. Nicholas
3. The gunsmiths went to pray to … .
- the stone cross because it came from the most ancient times.
- St. Nicholas icon because it was menacing and terrifying.
- St. Nicholas icon because he was a patron of commerce and war.
- St. Nicholas icon because it had come floating down the river Zusha on a stone cross.
II. Do you know history of our country well? Have you read the story by Leskov “Lefry”? Can you answer the questions?
1. The events described in the story took place … .
- in 1812
- after the death of Alexander I
- after 1812
- before 1812
2. Platov was
- a gunsmith
- governor of Tula
- a famous politician
- a military leader
3. Platov showed the gunsmiths
- a tiny metal flea which could dance. It was presented Alexander I when he was on visit in the UK.
- a big diamond which he bought at the market.
- the tsar’s gold snuffbox which he wanted to have repaired.
- the icon of St. Nicholas.
4. Platov asked Tula craftsmen
- to pray to icons of saints
- to shoe the flea
- to boast of their skill
- to put the English nation to the shame.
5. What did the gunsmiths do?
- They made a beautiful ring
- They shoed the flea.
- They made a copy of the snuffbox.
- They made another box for the flea.
III. There are two opinions of the story by Leskov. Which of them do you share?
| This story makes me proud of my country. Three gunsmiths from Tula put the English to the shame. They shoed a very small metal flea without microscopes. Such talented people can be born only in Russia. | This story is rather sad and ironical. Three talented gunsmiths managed to shoe the flea but it couldn’t dance any more. So it means that the thing was spoilt. Their efforts were useless. |
IV. Tell the story about the famous craftsman Lefry. Express your opinion of the story.