Reading 4

1
Reading 4

• No Witchcraft for Sale

2
The author 1

• Doris May Lessing (nee Tayler born 22 Oct. 1919)
• Interview Portrait of Doris Lessing - Media
  Player at Nobelprize.org

3
The author 2

• On Contemporary writers Doris Lessing
• Interview Doris Lessing Q and A - TIME
• Whites in Zimbabwe

4
Vocabulary 1

• kraal (n) South African 1. A rural village,
  typically consisting of huts surrounded by a
  stockade.
• 2. An enclosure for livestock.
• baas S African a boss
• kaffir (n) used especially in southern Africa as
  a disparaging term for a Black person.
• piccaninny (n) (offensive) a small Black or
  Aboriginal child perhaps from Portuguese
  pequenino tiny one

5
Vocabulary 2

• downy (adj.) covered in with very soft,
  especially hair or feathers
• crouch (v.) to lower your body close to the
  ground by bending your legs under you
• cluck (v.) when a chicken clucks, it makes a
  series of short low sounds
• grave (adj.) dignified and somber in conduct or
  character a grave procession. Snonym serious.
• commotion (n) sudden noisy confusion or
  excitement (The crowd waiting outside was causing
  a commotion.)

6
Vocabulary 3

• permanganate (n) any of the salts of permanganic
  acid, all of which are strong oxidizing agents.
• spittle (n) (old-fashioned spit, saliva) the
  liquid that forms in the mouth
• veld (veldt) (n) (in South Africa) flat open
  land with grass and no trees

7
Vocabulary 4

• puff-adder (n) a venomous African viper (Bitis
  arietans) having crescent-shaped yellowish
  markings.
• groggy (adj.) weak and unable to think or move
  well because you are ill/sick or very tired
• exasperation (n) 1. The act or an instance of
  exasperating. 2. The state of being exasperated
  frustrated annoyance.
• sundowner (n) 1. Australian A vagrant a
  tramp.2. Chiefly British A drink taken at sundown.

8
Vocabulary 5

• draw a blank to get no response or result
• fluster (v.) to make sb nervous and/or confused,
  especially by giving them a lot to do or by
  making them hurry
• trifle (n) (a trifle) (formal) slightly. She
  seemed a trifle anxious.
• perfunctory (adj.) (formal) (of an action) done
  as a duty or habit, without real interest,
  attention or feeling
• salt (v.) 1. To add zest or liveliness to salt
  a lecture with anecdotes. 2. To give an
  appearance of value to by fraudulent means,
  especially to place valuable minerals in (a mine)
  for the purpose of deceiving.

9
Vocabulary 6

• grudgingly (adv.) reluctantly unwillingly.
• pucker (v) to form or to make sth form small
  folds or lines
• chip in (v) (informal) to join in or interrupt a
  conversation to add sth to a conversation or
  discussion
• sullen (disapproving) silent and bad-tempered,
  either on a particular occasion or because it is
  part of your character
• annul (v.) to state officially that sth is no
  longer legally valid
• spring into life (of a person, machine, etc.) to
  suddenly start working or doing sth

10
Vocabulary 7

• municipality (n) a town, city or district with
  its own local government the group of officials
  who govern it
• hereditary (adj.) that is legally given to sbs
  child when that person dies
• uncouth (adj.) (of a person or their behaviour)
  rude or socially unacceptable
• mealie (n) maize corn on the cob
• obstinate (adj.) (often disapproving) refusing
  to change your opinions, way of behaving, etc.
  when other people try to persuade you to
• file (n) a line of people or things, one behind
  the other
• Idiom (in) Indian/single file (in one line, one
  behind the other)

11
Vocabulary 8

• blazing (adj.) extremely hot
• shimmer (v) to shine with a soft lignt that
  seems to move slightly
• gritty (adj.) containing or like grit
• recline
• veranadah (veranda) (n) (especially BrE) (AmE
  usually porch) a platform with an open front and
  a roof, built onto the side of a house on the
  ground floor
• veranda porch
  deck

12
Vocabulary 9

• trickle (v) to flow, or to make sth flow, slowly
  in a thin stream
• sulk (v) (disapproving) to look angry and refuse
  to speak or smile because you want people to know
  that you are upset about sth
• rascal (humorous) a person, especially a child
  or man, who shows a lack of respect for other
  people and enjoys playing tricks on them
• double up (on sth/with wb) (informal) to form a
  pair in order to do sth or to share sth
• mischievous (adj.) 1. enjoying playing tricks
  and annoying people 2. (formal) (of an action or
  a statement) causing troubles, such as damaging
  sbs reputation