Никоненко Тамара Петрівна

   Renata Smith, a divorced mother of two young girls, Sabrina aged ten and Joey aged six, lives in Sheffield. She is typical of today’s one-parent single-in-come families living on the breadline struggling to make ends meet.
   Renata was working as a secretary in the city when she met Tom, a lorry driver, at a party. They went out together for six months and then they decided to get married. At first she and Tom lived with her parents but then, when Renata was expecting Sabrina, they moved into a council flat. Tom had to spend a lot of time away from home and, soon after the birth of their second child, he left Renata to live in another city.
   Renata set about bringing up girls on her own, though her mother was always ready to help when she could. Money was the most pressing problem, and Renata, who had given up her job when Sabrina was born, had to look for work. After two months she managed to find a post as Personal Assistant to the Sales Director of a local company. She has been working there for nearly two years now and enjoys spending her days in the office. When she’s not at work, the girls have priority. They are the most important thing in her life, and she is determined to be both mother and father to them. She doesn’t want them to suffer from the fact that their father does not live with them, and she does everything possible to privide them with a rich and rewarding life.
Vocabulary
divorced – розлучений
income – заробіток
breadline – черга безробітних за безкоштовним харчуванням
to make ends meet – зводити кінці з кінцями
to set about – починати, ставати до чогось
on one’s own – самостійно
to reward – винагороджувати, шанувати

   Many years ago three rich women met very often in a garden. They sat there and talked the whole day. One morning one of them said, “How white and beautiful my hands are!” Another said, “My hands are more beautiful”. The third woman said, “My hands are the most beautiful”.
   An old woman in a very poor coat came up to them. She said, “I’m old and cannot work. I haven’t eaten for a long time. Give me something to eat, please”. But the rich women gave her nothing. They only asked her, “Tell us, old woman, which of us three has the most beautiful hands?” “I shall tell you a little later”, the old woman said and walked away.
   A village woman was sitting in another place. She was poor and her hands were dark from work. The old woman came up to her and said, “I haven’t eaten for a long time. Give me something to eat, please”. The poor woman opened her bag, took out a piece of bread and gave half of it to the old woman. The old woman ate it and drank some water. Then she took the village woman by the hand, brought her before the rich women and said, “Now I’ll tell you whose hands are the most beautiful. The hands of this poor woman are dark from work, but they give us bread. They are more beautiful than your white hands which don’t know work!”
 
Tick true or false statements (+) or (-)
1. Many years ago three rich women met very often in the yard.
2. The rich women sat there and work the whole day.
3. One evening one of them said, “How white and beautiful my hands are!”
4. Another said, “My hands are more beautiful”.
5. A young woman in a very poor coat came up to them.
6. An old woman asked for some food.
7. The rich women gave her some fruit and bread.
8. They only asked her “Tell us, old woman, which of us three has the most beautiful hands?”
9. A village woman was sitting in another place.
10. She was also rich and the village woman’s hands were white and beautiful.
11. The poor village woman opened her box, took out a piece of bread and gave half of it to the old woman.
12. The old woman took the bread and went away.
13. Then she took the village woman by the hand, brought her before the rich women.
14. The old woman told the rich women: “Now I’ll tell you whose hands are the most beautiful. The hands of this poor woman are dark from work, but they give us bread”.