《英语短篇小说教程》
练习参考答案
Keys to Unit Five
纤细Roald Dahl: The Taste
1) Questions for Discussion:
(Suggested answers for reference)
(1) Can you explain the writer’s plotting -- which part is the exposition, or complication, or climax, or resolution of this short story?
(exposition: lines 1-17); complication: lines 18-404; climax: lines 405-425; 有关雨的诗resolution: lines 426-431)
(2) The narrator ems to be rather suspicious of Pratt’s motive. Can you find the places in the story where he shows his suspicion and underline them?
1) He was completely engrosd in conversation with Mike’s eighteen-year-old daughter, Loui. … As he spoke, he leaned clor and clor to her, and the poor girl leaned as far as she could away from him, nodding politely, rather desperately…(lines 67-72)
2) … in two short swallows he tipped the wine down his throat and turned immediately to resume his conversation with Loui Schofield. (lines 78-80)
3) Except that, to me, there was something strange about his drawling voice and his boredom: between the eyes a shadow of something evil, and in his bearing an intentness that gave me a faint n of uneasiness as I watched him. (lines 121-124)
4) And yet, curiously, his next questions emed to betray a certain interest. “You like to increa the bet?” (lines 138-139)
5) It was a solemn, impassive performance, and I must say he (Pratt) did it well. (line 289)
6) … he was becoming ridiculously pompous, but I thought that some of it was deliberate…
(lines 316-317)
(3) Can you say a few words about each of the three members of the Schofield family? Write down your impression on a piece of paper and read out what you have written to the class.
(Michael Schofield is stockbroker, getting rich almost too effortlessly. Conscious of being less “cultured,” he imitates the way of life of high class, attempting to copy the manners of the “polite society,” to suppress his emotion, to be courteous whenever possible. He loves his daughter, but pays little attention to his wife’s opinion.
Mrs. Schofield is similarly conscious of “cultured behavior,” always fearing that her husband may fail to keep to the polite manners. She is almost completely disregarded by her husband, and she knows it, but behaves as if her words had weight on him.
Loui is a lovely young lady, generally behaving in the way that her parents would wish her to behave. She does not show her anger though obviously she is displead by Mr. Pratt. She also accepts the ridiculous betting upon her father’s repeated pleading.)
(4) The ending of the story is unexpected but significant. What does it reveal to you about the two characters, the humble maid and the wealthy and “highly cultured” Richard Pratt?
(Though low in social status and in economic position, the humble maid demonstrates her wisdom, cool-mindedness, loyalty and nobility. On the contrary, the member of so-called “cultured class” such as Mr. Pratt, reveals fully his dishonesty, meanness and evil intention.)
高中作文开头
3) Explanation and interpretation:
(Explain the implied meaning of the following ntences, and point out their significance in the context of the story.)
(1) He (Pratt) was completely engrosd in conversation with Mike’s eighteen-year-old daughter, Loui. He was half turned towards her, smiling at her…
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(Pratt had an interest in his friend’s daughter and showed that almost openly. This shows that he is not a gentleman, but a mean-minded person.)
查克靠近
股票退市后持有的股票怎么办(2) (The narrator): “But why the study?”
Mike: “It’s the best place in the hou. Richard helped me choo it last time he was here.”
(This is a foreshadowing. Richard Pratt had t the trap. From the very beginning of the betting, Pratt had already had the plan, and step by step he led Mike into the trap.)
(3) …and then he (Mike) picked up his knife, studied the blade thoughtfully for a moment, and put it down again.
(He was making an effort to restrain himlf and suppress his anger, but he might do anything if he can not control himlf in an explosive moment. Pratt’s desire for his daughter was outrageous and he had been challenging his patience for almost too long.)
身拼音
(4) It was a solemn, impassive performance, and I must say he (Pratt) did it well.
(The narrator emed to have noticed that what Pratt had staged was a well-prepared “performance.”)
(5) 每日分享正能量一段话Pratt glanced around, saw the pair of thin horn-rimmed spectacles that she held out to him, and for a moment he hesitated. “Are they? Perhaps they are, I don’t know.”
(Pratt now saw the big hole in his plan, but after a moment of indecision, he calmly attempted to cover it up by saying something in a careless manner.)
4) Suggested Homework:
(Turn the short story into a performable short play.)
