Miss Honey found a house in a pleasant street. She rang the bell, and while she stood waiting she could hear the television

blaring inside.

3. The door was opened by a small ratty-looking man, Matilda's father. "Please forgive me for butting in on you like this. I

am Matilda's teacher at school and it is important I have a word with you and your wife. I expect you know that your daughter

has a brilliant mind." "We are not in favour of blue-stocking girls. A girl should think about making herself look attractive. A

girl doesn't get a man by being brainy," the father said. Miss Honey could hardly believe what she was hearing. In vain did she

try to explain that with the proper coaching Matilda could be brought up to university status in two or three years. "Who wants

to go to university for heaven's sake! All they learn there is bad habits!" "But if you got sued for selling someone a rotten

second-hand car, you'd have to get a lawyer and he'd be a university graduate. Do not despise clever people, Mr. Wormwood,

said Miss Honey and away she went."

4. Lavender was in the row behind Matilda, feeling a bit guilty. She hadn't intended to get her friend into trouble.

"You are not fit to be in this school!" The Headmistress was now shouting. "You ought to be behind bars, that's where you

ought to be! I shall have you drummed out of this establishment in utter disgrace! I shall have the prefects chase you down the

corridor and out of the front-door with hockey-sticks! I shall have the staff escort you home after armed guard! And then I shall

make absolutely sure you are sent to a reformatory for delinquent girls for the minimum of forty years!"

But Matilda was also losing her school. She didn't in the least mind being accused of having done something she had

actually done. She could see the justice of that. It was, however, a totally new experience for her to be accused of a crime that

she definitely had not committed. She had had absolutely nothing to do with that beastly creature in the glass!

Matilda, sitting in the second row, cupped her face in her hands, and this time she concentrated the whole of her mind and her

brain and her will up into her eyes. Without making any sound at all she kept on shouting inside her head for the glass to go

over. She saw it wobble, then, it tilted and fell on the table. Miss Honey's mouth dropped open but she didn't say a word. She

couldn't. The shock of seeing the miracle performed had struck her dumb. She had gaped at the glass, leaning well away from

it. Never, never in the life had she seen anything of the kind happen! She looked at Matilda. She saw the child white in the face,

trembling all over, the eyes glazed, staring straight ahead and seeing nothing.

(From "Matilda" by R.Dahl)

83. Choose the alternative that fits the sentence.

1. I shall not waste time (to reply, reply, replying) to his letter.

2. It's high time (we go, we went, to go).

3. I'd rather (stay, staying, to stay) in tonight.

4. There is no point (to argue, in arguing, you argue) with him.