The extract entitled УShall I be GovernorФ is about election campaigns on the whole. In this extract the author makes a subtle parody of campaigning that we can see every year in different countries. This example of electioneering is derisive, but we often become witnesses to such kind of nonsense taking place during elections. Elements of incredibility in this extract refer to foul electoral tricks and the candidateТs aspiration to win the election at any price.

The plot centres on the election campaign and its means to make a candidate a winner. The main character of the extract is the author himself. One day he decided to run for Governor and chose an uncommon way to seek nomination for that post Ц he said that he didnТt want to be Governor. But after that he applied to public-relations officers for assistance in his election campaign. These professionals had to Уbuild upФ the candidate they had to adjust to the УdemandsФ of public opinion all candidateТs virtues and characteristics to guarantee his victory. So, the author was forced to change even his appearance. He appeared on television and made a speech thirty times, but it was the only speech for any case and it was repeated thirty times without any change. He changed his political convictions according to the audienceТs political convictions. He travelled thousands miles and shook hands with 2,5 million people. He appeared in thousands organizations of any kind. Towards the end of the election campaign he knew all about peopleТs needs but he was uncertain whether people want to elect him as Governor.

Showing machinations and tricks the candidate had made, the author mocks at the chosen means and motives of the protagonist. I quite agree that it is funny when candidates change their appearance to please their audience, their voters, and make them trust their election pledges. But on the other hand, it is very perilous to have such kind of man in government, because our well-being and prosperity will depend on a ruler with doubtful values in this case. We should think twice, we should weigh the pros and cons very thoroughly before giving our vote for this or that candidate.

4. Find in the text the following phrases, paraphrase or explain their meaning in their contexts:

To run against smb on an independent ticket	To be put to the vote (against smb) To be a candidate (for)
To become familiar with all manner of a shameful crimes	To be a criminal, to be mixed in a crime
To hear oneТs name bandied about	To hear oneТs name as the object/target of gossip
To enter a public canvass	To debate, to have a discussion at a public meeting (for example)
To be fully committed	To be completely, entirely devoted
To owe it to oneself or to smb	take for one's (smbТs) own
To give a friendly admonition	To give a friendly caution, warning
To incite to summary and unlawful vengeance	To revenge
To swallow the wretched subterfuge	To take lame excuse
To make a blighting speech	To make a denunciative speech, to reveal smth in a speech

One day I decided to run against other three candidates for President on an independent ticket. My opponents had shady reputations - in some later years they became familiar with all manner of a shameful crimes. So, my chances to get this post were high. I didnТt worry to hear my name bandied about in connection with those of such people Ц it was inescapable in that situation before election. I didnТt intend to enter a public canvass with them Ц it was beneath my dignity and didnТt answer my purposes. All my friends and confederates were fully committed my ideas. My opponents behaved in a wrong way Ц they tried to intimidate me and my confederates by giving УfriendlyФ admonitions, they tried to slander me, in other words, they tried to owe votes by all means. I had a great wish for inciting to summary and unlawful vengeance upon them, but I had absolute necessity to keep myself in hand not to become similar. I donТt know how the constituency could swallow their wretched subterfuges to justify their dirty tricks after all. It is a great secret for me (up now). Finally I was forced to make some kind of a blighting speech and denounce their shameful means. It was a great success! My opponents were compelled to withdraw their candidatures.

WS-1. Find adjectives similar in meaning to the given ones from the list below:

Infamous	wicked; vile	Prominent	important
Meagre	scanty; mean; poor	Malicious	mean; spiteful
Gratuitous	worthless	Filthy	dirty; foul; base (II)
Miserable	poor; wretched; despicable; contemptible	Shameful	shocking; vile; disreputable; disgraceful; outrageous
Cruel	mean	Imperative	urgent; commanding
Loathsome	disgusting, mean; outrageous	Hideous	shocking; dreadful; outrageous
Confounded	puzzled	Decent	virtuous; incorrupt
Righteous	respectable; incorrupt	Confused	puzzled

WS-3. Explain the meaning of the following words by giving synonyms and make up sentences with the words using the contents of the story:

To compel	To necessitate, to oblige. Mark Twain was compelled to withdraw his candidature
To recede	To withdraw. Mark Twain couldnТt recede from running for Governor.
To ponder	To consider. The people pondered over the wisdom of voting for M. Twain after cruel accusations of the newspapers.
To traduce	To slander. Mark Twain never traduced Mr. BlankТs grandfather.
To condescend	To deign, to patronize A candidate should never make the mistake of condescending to his electorate.
To canvass	To drum up support, to solicit votes The ballots were thoroughly canvassed to confirm their authenticity.
To surrender	To relinquish M. Twain hauled down his colors and surrendered.
To endorse	To support It was decided to endorse him as a candidate for higher office
To accuse	To charge. M. Twain was accused of robbery
To defile	To corrupt, to deprave, to debase M. TwainТs reputation was defiled by gossips.
To perpetrate	To be responsible for, to do something wrong. All dirty gossips were perpetrated by newspapers and magazines.
To inflict	To impose Gossips inflicted heavy loss on M. TwainТs reputation.

WS-4. Find English equivalents in the story to the following Russian ones:

ѕрибегать к постыдным средствам	To resort to shameful means
ƒостичь политического успеха	To achieve political success
ќчернить и оклеветать	To defiling smbТs name with slander
ћногозначительно молчать	To be suggestively silent (about smth)
ќдержать верх над кем-либо	To have smb
—праведливое негодование	Righteous indignation
“ребовать громогласно	To demand in thundertones
ѕолучить прозвище	To acquire the additional name
рупное вз¤точничество	(Wholesome) bribery
¬ыставл¤ть (предъ¤вл¤ть) обвинени¤	To charge (with)
ѕовергнуть в панику	To throw (smb) into a (sort of) panic
ƒовести до грани безуми¤	To drive (smb) to the verge of distraction
ѕодвергнуть бессовестному преследованию	To inflict the shameless persecution (upon smb)
—н¤ть кандидатуру	to send in (smbТs) withdrawal from the candidacy; To withdraw the candidacy

Nowadays all people are subjected to the pressТ strong impact. All people get a great deal of information from public sources of information, such as press, television and other electronic mass media. Every day we get daily news from the newspapers and TV-news, and we usually rely on the facts we get. So, the press and other mass-media exert a great influence on our conception of the modern world and the great persons of politic. And this influence cannot be overestimated. Especially it is important during election campaigns. Modern societies consisting of millions citizens, and often - tens millions citizens, do not allow the citizens to get a personal impression and make up a personal opinion about political both public figures and phenomena. When the citizens cannot appreciate public figures or candidates at their real value, they are compelled to rely on judgement of those people, who provide them with information. And this information should be free from estimations. Is that so? The modern political systems become the hostages of personal (private) judgement of mass-media commentators, or, to be precise, of government or other organizations, that form that judgement. In our country this kind of phenomenon is called Ђcontrolled democracyїЕ

So then, during a period of any election we can find information about candidates only using mass-media (if only we arenТt acquainted with the candidates in person) and should rely on pressmenТs judgement. But it is common knowledge that the mass-media coverage of this or that candidate can be different. When some newspaper takes one side, it becomes biased and lavishes glowing praise on one candidate and throws mud at another one. So, politicians stop short of nothing to exercise any kind of control over the most influential mass-media bodies. And we as voters are often deprived of objective impartial information.

At the same time, in the age of formation of new threats that was set in after September 11, 2001, it becomes more difficult for broadcast corporations to follow the rules of the independence, and the objective necessity for processing of public opinion becomes stronger.