Никоненко Тамара Петрівна

   The name of Enrico Caruso, the famous Italian singer, is well-known all over the world. He sang almost in all countries of Europe. He sang in Russia, in France, in Germany, in Spain and in many other countries. People liked his singing and the concert halls where he sang were always full.
   Though Caruso was very famous he often said: “No man is so well-known as he thinks he is.”
   One day, when he came to the United States to give some concerts, he was driving to New York. His car broke down just when he was passing a farm. Caruso did not know how to repair the car, so he asked the farmer to do it. The farmer agreed.
   While the farmer was repairing the car, Caruso entered the farmer’s house to rest there. Soon the farmer finished his work and entered the house too.
   “Your car is ready, sir,” he said, “now you can drive on.”
   Caruso paid the farmer for his work and presented him his photograph with his name on it. The farmer read the name on the photograph and cried out, “Oh, what a luck! You are Robinson Cruso! I’ve never dreamed to receive the greatest traveller in the world in my poor house!”
Vocabulary
to repair – ремонтувати
to cry out – вигукувати

   Pauline loved the cinema and wanted to become a filmstar. When she was twelve she said to her parents, “I want to be a filmstar.” But it was not easy. After she left school, she got into films — not as a star — she became one of the people in a crowd scene.
   One evening the man at the agency called her up and said, “There’s a job for you tomorrow, Pauline. Come at eight o’clock. You’ll be a secretary.” Pauline reached the studios at a quarter to eight. She waited three hours before they came to her scene. The scene was very short: the star, a famous American actor, came and stopped in front of where Pauline was sitting. “I want you to look at Harry when he comes in,” explained the director, “and say, ‘Mr. Marlowe, there’s a call for you!’ Can you say that?” Pauline said she could and did everything the director told her to do. The director was very pleased, and the star smiled at her. “That’s great,” said the director. “Thanks.” Pauline was very happy that evening.
   Some months later she booked two seats for the premiere and went to see her film with Michael, her boy-friend. It was a good film but there was no Pauline in it. Her scene together with many other unimportant scenes had been cut out.