According to Aleksin's text. To a geologist emerging from the forest, the settlement seemed like a big city ... (Arguments of the Unified State Exam). Distance Learning A man stopped near a one-story


Anatoly Aleksin

Can you hear me?

In the evening, from the plane, the village looked like a luminous point, an unblinking lighthouse, which was lost in the endless taiga sea.

And to the geologist who came out of the forest, the village seemed like a big city: in three months his eyes had grown out of the habit of bright lights, and his legs - from asphalt and cobblestones. He was used to wandering along paths - and now, unnecessarily, he crossed from one side of the street to the other, as if measuring its width. And in general, everything made him happy in this village, because here exactly in half an hour he should have heard his wife's voice. No, not to see her, but only to hear ...

He stopped near a one-story house and read the words above the door, which seemed to him the words of a long-awaited telegram, written in white, slightly phosphorescent letters on a blue glass plate: "Mail, Telegraph, Telephone." At this late hour, the small semicircular windows of the post office were already lined with cardboard shields with the categorical word "Closed." And the telegraph office and the public address office, as always, were awake.

Above a table with bumps of dried glue and ink blots, on which letters were written, envelopes and parcels were sealed during the day, people were now bent over waiting for the telephone operator to call. They did not speak to each other, because all the time they listened tensely, fearing to miss the moment when the microphone would come to life, rustle, breathe, and in the voice of a telephone operator would call the booth number and the name of a distant city, which would sound like the name of a loved one living there. And they will rush into the glassed-in booth to say something most important, because in the minutes sparingly allowed for a long-distance conversation, you only need to talk about the most important thing. Each mentally repeated, memorized what he would say, not realizing that what he had learned from excitement would be forgotten and some completely different, incoherent words and questions would sound, which, perhaps, would convey much more accurately everything that needed to be reported and what should be express.

And everyone for some reason shouted into the phone: “Can you hear me? Can you hear me? .. ”This did not mean that the telephone line was not working well. And it didn't mean that people wanted to check how their voice was heard. In these words they put some other meaning ...

It was in the evening, and no one called on official business.

However, not everyone rushed into the cabins, but only the happiest ones. Sometimes, having breathed into the microphone and seemed to sigh sympathetically, the telephone operator, instead of giving the booth number and the name of the city, invited those who were waiting to her window. This meant that somewhere far, far, far away, far away, the phone persisted with special long beeps in vain ... No one picks up the phone there: the dear person, who was called the subscriber here, does not wait.

But the geologist knew that his call was eagerly awaited. Precisely today, now ... And therefore, sitting down at the table, he, like everyone else, began to slowly edit the text of many times deliberated conversation.

Then he glanced at the telephone operator, who was sitting behind a glass partition. This thin girl did everything in such a businesslike manner, in an adult way that it was not difficult to guess: until quite recently she was a schoolgirl.

Writing out receipts, she bent low over the table, neatly traced letters and even poked out the tip of her tongue, well, exactly as if she was writing in school class essays on literature or tests in mathematics.

However, the geologist, like everyone who was awaiting a call, was in awe of this girl: she could shorten distances, at least temporarily stop parting. For some reason, the geologist remembered another girl, just as simple in appearance - the one that two years ago, during a difficult operation that he underwent, for an hour and a half in a row seemed to him an omnipotent goddess in a white coat and white cap: he did not see the hands of the surgeon, who saved him, but he saw her eyes, which helped to endure pain and forget about suffering. And he was amazed when, already recovering, he heard that his snow-white Goddess was arranging a date in the hospital corridor on the phone, like all girls in this world, and was shy and lost her words on the go.

The young telephone operator, apparently, also had no idea of ​​her greatness. And she didn’t smile from shyness, or she simply didn’t know yet that you can smile at work too. It looked like a childish "telephone operator" game was going on behind frosted glass. Suddenly, in the same childishly serious, businesslike voice she called the name of the geologist.

Answers to tasks 1–24 are a word, phrase, number or sequence of words, numbers. Write your answer to the right of the task number without spaces, commas, or other additional characters.

Read the text and complete assignments 1-3.

(1) In the sea, around a volcanic crater, located on the surface of a volcano or shallow under water, a reef is formed - an elevation in the form of a ring. (2) It consists of coral skeletons - microscopic sea creatures, millions of which live in warm sea ​​water at a shallow depth. (3) _____ volcanic island collapses and sinks under water, coral reef rises higher and higher.

1

Which of the following sentences correctly conveyed the MAIN information contained in the text?

1. In the sea around a volcanic crater located on the surface of a volcano or shallow under water, an elevation in the form of a ring is formed.

2. A coral reef consists of the skeletons of corals - microscopic sea creatures, millions of which live in warm sea water at a shallow depth.

3. A ring-shaped reef composed of coral skeletons forms around the crater of an underwater volcano and rises as the volcanic island collapses.

4. When a coral reef sinks under water, the volcanic island collapses.

5. Coral reef, which is ring-shaped, consists of coral skeletons and forms around the crater of a volcano; as the volcanic island erodes, the reef rises higher.

2

Which of the following words (combinations of words) should be in place of the gap in the third (3) sentence of the text? Write down this word (combination of words).

1. On the contrary,

2. Therefore

3. As

4. Despite this

5. First,

3

Read the fragment of the dictionary entry that describes the meanings of the word FORM. Determine the meaning in which this word is used in the first (1) sentence of the text. Write down the number corresponding to this value in the given fragment of the dictionary entry.

FORM, -y, well.

1. The way of existence of the content (in the 2nd meaning), inseparable from it and serving as its expression. Unity of form and content.

2. Outline, outward appearance of the object. The earth is shaped like a ball. Square f. Curved object.

3. A set of techniques and figurative means of a work of art. Narrative f. verse.

4. In linguistics: material expression of grammatical meaning. Word form. Forms of inflection.

5. transfer. Appearance, appearance (as something contrary to the inner content, reality). Convenient f. to cover something. The form is only correct.

6. Installed sample of something... Provide information about the form. Finished dosage forms (finished medicines).

4

In one of the words below, a mistake was made in the formulation of stress: the letter denoting a stressed vowel sound is WRONGLY highlighted. Write this word down.

kitchen

5

One of the sentences below uses the highlighted word WRONG. Correct the mistake and spell the word correctly.

1. The task of gymnastics is to COMPLETE the deficit of movement, and with it the deficiency in the nutrition of bones, cartilage, ligaments and muscles.

2. Without exception, all manufacturers of various industries try to present their new products in an original way.

3. Russian naval officer N.N. Apostles, famous camera designer late XIX- the beginning of the XX century, is rightfully considered to be the GENERATOR of ship photography.

5. On the shores of the Black Sea is the famous HEALTH RESORT.

6

In one of the words highlighted below, a mistake was made in the formation of the word form. Correct the mistake and spell the word correctly.

company of SOLDIERS

several APRICOTS

BEST answer

SEVENTY percent

no TOWEL

7

Establish a correspondence between sentences and grammatical mistakes made in them: for each position of the first column, select the corresponding position from the second column.

SUGGESTIONSGRAMMATICAL ERRORS
A) After paying the bill, the ordered books are stored for a month. 1) incorrect use of the case form of a noun with a preposition
B) A review of a new collection of poems by young poets was published in the Novy Mir magazine. 2) violation of the connection between the subject and the predicate
C) One of the wonders on the Kuril ridge, attracting tourists from all over the world, is associated with volcanoes. 3) violation in the construction of a sentence with an inconsistent application
D) Thanks good education our graduates can count on employment in specialized companies. 4) an error in the construction of a sentence with homogeneous members
E) Those who played in the play made a huge impression on the audience. 5) incorrect construction of a sentence with an adverbial turnover
6) violation in the construction of a sentence with participial turnover
7) incorrect construction of a sentence with indirect speech

Write down the answer in numbers without spaces or other signs.

8

Identify the word missing the unstressed verifiable vowel of the root. Write this word by inserting the missing letter.

r .. vengefulness

r..regulations

uh..bet

climbing in

water ... if

9

Define a row in which the same letter is missing in both words in the prefix. Write these words by inserting the missing letter.

in..thought not..bendable

ave..following, ave..grada

not ... cooked, ave ... grandma

pre..story, counter..game

(stone) pr..nuts, pr..gazing

10

Write down the word in which the letter E is written at the place of the pass.

pattern..ty

hanged

endured .. in

clear .. out

smile .. out

11

Write down the word in which the letter I is written at the place of the pass.

help ... you

deserved

wire ... you

recognizable .. my

12

Define a sentence in which NOT with the word is written LITTLE. Expand the parentheses and write this word out.

1. The reasons for the migration of these rare birds are (NOT) STUDYED yet.

2. Along the streets pile mountains of (NOT) MELTED snow.

3. Lisa was accommodated in a (NOT) LARGE, but very bright room with a beautiful window.

4. Petya was attracted by (NOT) KNOWN corners of the Earth at all.

5. A passer-by walked down the street (NOT) IN HURRY.

13

Define a sentence in which both highlighted words are spelled LITTLE. Expand the brackets and write out these two words.

1. (B) During the whole of July it rained, (BY) the path leading to the gazebo turned into a small stream.

2. (AND) SO, to summarize everything that has been said: the forest is our healer, our wealth and, (ON) the END, the best outfit of the Earth.

3. The poet's vocation is to create for eternity, (BY) THIS he is “his own supreme court” (SO) HOW only a few are given to appreciate his creations.

4. Whatever critics assert, Fet's poems are unusually melodic, (BY) THIS sounding of a verse, you can always recognize the poet's creations.

5. CFU (WHERE) (B) BELOW small islands of water could be seen.

14

Indicate all the numbers in the place of which НН is written.

When the artists saw the (1) painting by Fyodor Vasiliev “Wet Meadow” sent from Yalta, they were shocked (2) s: pure green grass, unseen (3) light, light breeze spoke of the extraordinary (4) talent of the author.

15

Arrange punctuation marks. Specify the numbers of sentences in which you need to put ONE comma.

1. After dinner, grandmother went out to the balcony with knitting or sewing.

2. The sun rises from behind the clouds and floods the forest and field with warming light.

3. Only silhouettes of trees and dark roofs of sheds were visible.

4. The ability to orientate in time is present in both animals and plants.

5. It was warm and dry outside.

16

In the picture there will be only (1) a rain-washed (2) wet meadow under a huge sky, several trees and (3) running on wet grass (4) shadows of gray clouds (5) driven by the wind.

17

Arrange punctuation marks: include all numbers in the place of which in sentences should be commas.

I (1) confess (2) don't like aspen too much with its lavender trunk and gray-green metallic foliage. Aspen is good only on a windy summer day, when each leaf of it (3) as if (4) wants to break off and rush into the distance.

18

Arrange punctuation marks: indicate the number (s), which should be replaced by a comma in the sentence.

The possibility of using Antarctic icebergs to obtain fresh water(1) a deficit (2) of which (3) may soon cover two-thirds of the inhabitants of the Earth.

19

Arrange punctuation marks: include all numbers, in place of which in the sentence must be commas.

A flock of wild ducks with a piercing cry rushed over our heads (1) and (2) when we heard (3) with what noise they descended on the river (4) we felt a little uneasy.

20

Edit the sentence: correct lexical error by excluding the extra word. Write this word down.

And if there is continuous well-being inside, if a musician is overwhelmed with contentment from life, then he will perform even the most tragic piece, like some popular hit.

Read the text and complete assignments 21-26.

(1) To the geologist who came out of the forest, the village seemed like a big city: in three months his eyes had become unaccustomed to bright lights, and his legs from asphalt and cobblestones ...

(2) He stopped near a one-story house and read the words above the door, which seemed to him the words of a long-awaited telegram, written in white, slightly phosphorescent letters on a blue glass plate: "Mail, Telegraph, Telephone." (3) At this late hour, the small semicircular windows of the post office were already lined with cardboard plates with the categorical word "Closed", and the telegraph office and the telephone office were, as always, awake. (4) Above a table with bumps of dried glue and ink blots, on which letters were written, envelopes and parcels were sealed during the day, people are now bent over, waiting for the telephone operator to call.

(5) Sometimes, having breathed into the microphone and seemed to sigh sympathetically, the telephone operator, instead of giving the booth number and the city, invited those who were waiting to her window. (6) This meant that somewhere far, far, far away, far away, the phone rings with special long beeps in vain: no one picks up the phone there, the dear person who was called the subscriber here is not waiting ...

(7) But the geologist knew that his call was eagerly awaited. (8) Sitting down at the table, he, like everyone else, began to slowly edit the text of the many times deliberate conversation.

(9) A thin girl telephone operator did everything in such a businesslike manner, in an adult way, that it was not difficult to guess: until quite recently she was a schoolgirl. (10) However, the geologist, like everyone who was awaiting a challenge, was in awe of this girl: she could shorten distances, end partings, unite human hearts ...

(13) And then he understood (he understood, but did not hear) that the telephone operator was inviting him to her window.

“(14) Your caller is not answering,” she said.

- (15) This cannot be! .. - he objected. - (16) It's my birthday today, and we agreed ...

(17) The telephone operator, firmly deciding that such a holiday could not be overshadowed, immediately fussed, called the "senior" by phone.

- (18) Here is a friend's birthday, it cannot be that they do not answer, check, please, they should answer there!

(19) And then she suddenly quite unexpectedly said:

And I have already seen you ... (20) Many times! (21) You will receive a demand letter in the next window.

Anatoly Georgievich Aleksin

CAN YOU HEAR ME?…

Title: Buy the book "Can you hear me?": feed_id: 5296 pattern_id: 2266 book_author: Aleksin Anatoly book_name: Can you hear me?

In the evening, from the plane, the village looked like a luminous point, an unblinking lighthouse, which was lost in the endless taiga sea. And to the geologist who came out of the forest, the village seemed like a big city: in three months his eyes had grown out of the habit of bright lights, and his legs - from asphalt and cobblestones. He was used to wandering along paths - and now, unnecessarily, he crossed from one side of the street to the other, as if measuring its width. And in general, everything made him happy in this village, because here exactly in half an hour he should have heard his wife's voice. No, not to see her, but only to hear ...

He stopped near a one-story house and read the words above the door, which seemed to him the words of a long-awaited telegram, written in white, slightly phosphorescent letters on a blue glass plate: "Mail, Telegraph, Telephone." At this late hour, the small semicircular windows of the post office were already lined with cardboard shields with the categorical word "Closed." And the telegraph office and the telephone exchange were, as always, awake. Above a table with bumps of dried glue and ink blots, on which letters were written, envelopes and parcels were sealed during the day, people were now bent over waiting for the telephone operator to call. They did not speak to each other, because all the time they listened tensely, fearing to miss the moment when the microphone would come to life, rustle, breathe, and in the voice of a telephone operator would call the booth number and the name of a distant city, which would sound like the name of a loved one living there. And they will rush into the glassed-in booth to say something most important, because in the minutes sparingly allowed for a long-distance conversation, you only need to talk about the most important thing. Each one repeated dozens of times in his mind, memorized what he would say, not realizing that the memorized words would be forgotten from excitement and instead of them some completely different, incoherent words and questions would sound, which, perhaps, would convey everything much more accurately, oh what needs to be communicated and what needs to be expressed.

And everyone for some reason shouted into the phone: “Can you hear me? Can you hear me? ... ”This did not mean that the telephone line was not working well. And it didn't mean that people wanted to check how their voice was heard. They put some other meaning into these words ...

However, not everyone rushed into the cabins, but only the happiest ones. Sometimes, having breathed into the microphone and seemed to sigh sympathetically, the telephone operator, instead of giving the booth number and the name of the city, invited those who were waiting to her window. This meant that somewhere far, far, far away, far away, the phone rings with special long beeps in vain ... No one picks up the phone there: a dear person who was called a subscriber here does not wait ...

But the geologist knew that his call was eagerly awaited. It is today, now ... And therefore, sitting down at the table, like all the others, he began to slowly edit the text of a many times deliberated conversation. Then he glanced at the telephone operator, who was sitting behind a glass partition. This thin girl did everything in such a businesslike manner, so in an adult way that it was not difficult to guess: until recently she was a schoolgirl.

Writing out receipts, she bent low over the table, neatly traced letters and even stuck out the tip of her tongue, just like, probably, she wrote essays on literature or tests in mathematics in a school class.

However, the geologist, like everyone who was awaiting a challenge, was in awe of this girl: she could shorten distances, end separations, connect human hearts. For some reason, the geologist remembered another girl, just as simple in appearance - the one that two years ago, during a difficult operation that he underwent, for an hour and a half in a row seemed to him a goddess in a white coat and white cap: he did not see the hands of the surgeon who saved him, but he saw her eyes, which helped to endure pain and forget about suffering. And it was somehow strange when one day, already recovering, he heard that his snow-white Goddess was arranging a date in the hospital corridor over the phone, like all girls in this world, and she was shy and lost her words on the go ...

The young telephone operator, apparently, also had no idea of ​​her greatness. And she didn’t smile out of shyness, or maybe she just didn’t know yet that you can smile at work too. And suddenly, in the same serious, businesslike voice, she called the name of the geologist. He rushed to the booths, but none of them flashed a light, as happened whenever another city was on the wire.

And then he understood (he understood, but did not hear) that the telephone operator was inviting him to her window.

“Your caller isn't answering,” she said.

- This cannot be! .. - he objected. - Today is my birthday, and we agreed ...

The mention of a birthday affects children like a mention of a holiday. They give this day great importance because at their age he is only joy. The telephone operator, firmly deciding that such a holiday could not be overshadowed, immediately fussed, called the "senior" by phone and told her:

- It's a friend's birthday here. It cannot be that they did not answer.

But the "eldest", probably, no longer considered the birthday a great day.

- How is it "what's special"? - the telephone operator was surprised into the phone. -

Please check ... There should be an answer!

“My wife wanted to congratulate me,” the geologist began to prompt her in a hurried half-whisper. - We agreed that she would wait at this time ... I walked many kilometers! We have agreed to…

The telephone operator began conscientiously to repeat his words into the receiver. Then she slightly lifted the receiver away from her ear, because the eldest answered her deafeningly loudly, so loudly that even the geologist heard everything - the pipe squealed, choked: "If you fiddle with each one so much, you will never learn to work!"

However, the girl did not want to learn to work as the telephone receiver advised her, she asked the geologist:

- Please wait just a minute ...

And again she began to check something. And he leaned against the glass and suddenly remembered the words of one of his friends, spoken with a cautious grin - half as a joke, half as serious: “It is in vain that you leave your young wife alone. There is no need to experience love, especially with time, it does not withstand such tests. Is it only in novels or films ... "Or maybe he really wasted in vain?

After all, I forgot about my birthday! And she said that she would wait for this day, that she would celebrate it solemnly, but alone, at home, and there would be two instruments on the table ... Words, beautiful words! And he knows that it is not easy for him to get to the post office, that he has to walk many kilometers through the taiga forest. And in general it is already late, almost night, and she is not at home ...

- And I have already seen you ... Many times!

He woke up, looked at the thin girl and thought that she must have a little brother and she comforts him the same way when he is sad or wants to cry.

- No, really ... - continued the telephone operator. - You receive a letter on demand in the next window.

She did not console him: he did receive letters on demand in the next window. But I had never noticed this girl sitting very close, very close before.

“It’s been a long time since I went to get letters,” he said. - We were in the taiga ... far away.

- Didn't come in ?! - for some reason she exclaimed happily.

Quickly jumped up from her chair, found some keys and ran to the next window.

There she, keenly listening to see if the pipe that remained on the table was squealing, unlocked a low cabinet, took out a long drawer, in which the letters lay like cards in a library file cabinet. And she began to quickly sort through them, glancing now and then at the negotiation ticket, where the name of the geologist was written.

- There is! Yes! .. - she exclaimed triumphantly. And although she did not shout into the microphone, everyone who was tensely waiting for the call shuddered and turned in her direction.

She handed the geologist a telegram. He printed it out and read: "They urgently send a business trip to Berezniki. Happy birthday, I love you."

The wife was also a geologist and often left home. How did he not think about it? And this little girl, fenced off from him by glass, knowing nothing, guessed everything ... He bent down and looked through the window to thank her.

But she was already far away.

- Krasnoyarsk! Ivanov! Third cab! She announced into the microphone. -

Krasnoyarsk is the third!

And someone, happy, rushed into the cockpit. And he shouted:

"Can you hear me?"

Glancing at the geologist, the telephone operator shrugged her shoulders in surprise: what to thank?

And really, what did she do so special? She simply returned peace and joy to the person, dispelled doubts. That's all.

The last time one of the members of the geological expedition contacted his family was on September 5, the others called even earlier - in August. After that, there was no news from the geologists, and relatives began to worry about the people who are in the taiga. The wives of two men wrote a statement to the police about the disappearance of their husbands, appealed to the Rescue Service and the Ministry of Emergency Situations, writes IA SakhaDay.

Earlier in the media there was information that the Ministry of Emergency Situations established contact with geologists and is carrying out their evacuation, but the relatives of the men who disappeared in the taiga consider this information to be false. The head of the Granit enterprise, who sent the group to exploration work, believes that there is no reason for panic.

“On Monday, if no data appears, a group of rescuers will leave for Tiksi - he explained. - The Ministry of Emergency Situations is not looking for geologists. They do not consider this situation to be extreme and extreme. They only react in a specific hazard situation. Why are we not worried? Because men are trained, experienced. We worked with them on all situations, including this one. According to the instructions, they must stay where they are and wait for help. "

Relatives of the geologists are sure that the search for people should have begun earlier, and are worried that the delay in the rescue operation could be fatal.

History of the issue

All people whose whereabouts are unknown are divided into two categories. Those who, for some reason, cannot or does not want to provide information about their whereabouts, and those who are allegedly killed in circumstances that make it difficult or completely impossible to find the body.
The former most often include people hiding for criminal reasons, homeless people, mentally ill people, or teenagers from disadvantaged families. The second category includes those who died as a result of hostilities, crimes, technological accidents, natural disasters and other natural factors, as well as those who died as a result of accidents in hard-to-reach places.
The search for the missing is underway law enforcement at the request of their relatives or other interested persons. Also for the search are used ads in in public places, in the press and on the Internet. About half of the missing have been found for several days.
V Russian Federation if the missing person is not found within three months, he is declared on the federal wanted list, his data is sent to the all-Russian database. About 90 thousand people disappear in Russia every year, about half of them can be found.
Recently, volunteer search and rescue organizations have appeared to search for missing persons on a voluntary basis and without payment.

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Anatoly Georgievich Aleksin

CAN YOU HEAR ME?…

In the evening, from the plane, the village looked like a luminous point, an unblinking lighthouse, which was lost in the endless taiga sea. And to the geologist who came out of the forest, the village seemed like a big city: in three months his eyes had grown out of the habit of bright lights, and his legs - from asphalt and cobblestones. He was used to wandering along paths - and now, unnecessarily, he crossed from one side of the street to the other, as if measuring its width. And in general, everything made him happy in this village, because here exactly in half an hour he should have heard his wife's voice. No, not to see her, but only to hear ...

He stopped near a one-story house and read the words above the door, which seemed to him the words of a long-awaited telegram, written in white, slightly phosphorescent letters on a blue glass plate: "Mail, Telegraph, Telephone." At this late hour, the small semicircular windows of the post office were already lined with cardboard shields with the categorical word "Closed." And the telegraph office and the telephone exchange were, as always, awake. Above a table with bumps of dried glue and ink blots, on which letters were written, envelopes and parcels were sealed during the day, people were now bent over waiting for the telephone operator to call. They did not speak to each other, because all the time they listened tensely, fearing to miss the moment when the microphone would come to life, rustle, breathe, and in the voice of a telephone operator would call the booth number and the name of a distant city, which would sound like the name of a loved one living there. And they will rush into the glassed-in booth to say something most important, because in the minutes sparingly allowed for a long-distance conversation, you only need to talk about the most important thing. Each one repeated dozens of times in his mind, memorized what he would say, not realizing that the memorized words would be forgotten from excitement and instead of them some completely different, incoherent words and questions would sound, which, perhaps, would convey everything much more accurately, oh what needs to be communicated and what needs to be expressed.

And everyone for some reason shouted into the phone: “Can you hear me? Can you hear me? ... ”This did not mean that the telephone line was not working well. And it didn't mean that people wanted to check how their voice was heard. They put some other meaning into these words ...

However, not everyone rushed into the cabins, but only the happiest ones. Sometimes, having breathed into the microphone and seemed to sigh sympathetically, the telephone operator, instead of giving the booth number and the name of the city, invited those who were waiting to her window. This meant that somewhere far, far, far away, far away, the phone rings with special long beeps in vain ... No one picks up the phone there: a dear person who was called a subscriber here does not wait ...

But the geologist knew that his call was eagerly awaited. It is today, now ... And therefore, sitting down at the table, like all the others, he began to slowly edit the text of a many times deliberated conversation. Then he glanced at the telephone operator, who was sitting behind a glass partition. This thin girl did everything in such a businesslike manner, so in an adult way that it was not difficult to guess: until recently she was a schoolgirl.

Writing out receipts, she bent low over the table, neatly traced letters and even stuck out the tip of her tongue, just like, probably, she wrote essays on literature or tests in mathematics in a school class.

However, the geologist, like everyone who was awaiting a challenge, was in awe of this girl: she could shorten distances, end separations, connect human hearts. For some reason, the geologist remembered another girl, just as simple in appearance - the one that two years ago, during a difficult operation that he underwent, for an hour and a half in a row seemed to him a goddess in a white coat and white cap: he did not see the hands of the surgeon who saved him, but he saw her eyes, which helped to endure pain and forget about suffering. And it was somehow strange when one day, already recovering, he heard that his snow-white Goddess was arranging a date in the hospital corridor over the phone, like all girls in this world, and she was shy and lost her words on the go ...

The young telephone operator, apparently, also had no idea of ​​her greatness. And she didn’t smile out of shyness, or maybe she just didn’t know yet that you can smile at work too. And suddenly, in the same serious, businesslike voice, she called the name of the geologist. He rushed to the booths, but none of them flashed a light, as happened whenever another city was on the wire.

And then he understood (he understood, but did not hear) that the telephone operator was inviting him to her window.

“Your caller isn't answering,” she said.

- This cannot be! .. - he objected. - Today is my birthday, and we agreed ...

The mention of a birthday affects children like a mention of a holiday. They attach great importance to this day, because at their age it is only joy. The telephone operator, firmly deciding that such a holiday could not be overshadowed, immediately fussed, called the "senior" by phone and told her:

- It's a friend's birthday here. It cannot be that they did not answer.

But the "eldest", probably, no longer considered the birthday a great day.

- How is it "what's special"? - the telephone operator was surprised into the phone. -

Please check ... There should be an answer!

“My wife wanted to congratulate me,” the geologist began to prompt her in a hurried half-whisper. - We agreed that she would wait at this time ... I walked many kilometers! We have agreed to…

The telephone operator began conscientiously to repeat his words into the receiver. Then she slightly lifted the receiver away from her ear, because the eldest answered her deafeningly loudly, so loudly that even the geologist heard everything - the pipe squealed, choked: "If you fiddle with each one so much, you will never learn to work!"

However, the girl did not want to learn to work as the telephone receiver advised her, she asked the geologist:

- Please wait just a minute ...

And again she began to check something. And he leaned against the glass and suddenly remembered the words of one of his friends, spoken with a cautious grin - half as a joke, half as serious: “It is in vain that you leave your young wife alone. There is no need to experience love, especially with time, it does not withstand such tests. Is it only in novels or films ... "Or maybe he really wasted in vain?

After all, I forgot about my birthday! And she said that she would wait for this day, that she would celebrate it solemnly, but alone, at home, and there would be two instruments on the table ... Words, beautiful words! And he knows that it is not easy for him to get to the post office, that he has to walk many kilometers through the taiga forest. And in general it is already late, almost night, and she is not at home ...

- And I have already seen you ... Many times!

He woke up, looked at the thin girl and thought that she must have a little brother and she comforts him the same way when he is sad or wants to cry.

- No, really ... - continued the telephone operator. - You receive a letter on demand in the next window.

She did not console him: he did receive letters on demand in the next window. But I had never noticed this girl sitting very close, very close before.

“It’s been a long time since I went to get letters,” he said. - We were in the taiga ... far away.

- Didn't come in ?! - for some reason she exclaimed happily.

Quickly jumped up from her chair, found some keys and ran to the next window.

There she, keenly listening to see if the pipe that remained on the table was squealing, unlocked a low cabinet, took out a long drawer, in which the letters lay like cards in a library file cabinet. And she began to quickly sort through them, glancing now and then at the negotiation ticket, where the name of the geologist was written.

- There is! Yes! .. - she exclaimed triumphantly. And although she did not shout into the microphone, everyone who was tensely waiting for the call shuddered and turned in her direction.

She handed the geologist a telegram. He printed it out and read: "They urgently send a business trip to Berezniki. Happy birthday, I love you."

The wife was also a geologist and often left home. How did he not think about it? And this little girl, fenced off from him by glass, knowing nothing, guessed everything ... He bent down and looked through the window to thank her.

But she was already far away.

- Krasnoyarsk! Ivanov! Third cab! She announced into the microphone. -

Krasnoyarsk is the third!

And someone, happy, rushed into the cockpit. And he shouted:

"Can you hear me?"

Glancing at the geologist, the telephone operator shrugged her shoulders in surprise: what to thank?

And really, what did she do so special? She simply returned peace and joy to the person, dispelled doubts. That's all.