British and American Short Stories

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Book key1 a They are about ordinary people living everyday

lives. They catch the reader’s attention from the start.

b They are all well-known. They are all dead.2 a accountant, assessor, barber, bearer, consul,

steward b duck, oyster, worm c bog, clay d anxiety, determined, feverishly, relief, tremble e boats and ships3 a churchyard b gravestones c midday d umbrella e drunk f tea4 a 3 b 7 c 1 d 5 e 6 f 2 g 45–6 Open answers7 a drink b lost c unusual d afraid e marry f telegram g following8 Saigon 2 Manila 4 Cheng-Tu 8 Shanghai 5 / 7 Yokohama 6 Bangkok 1 Hong Kong 39–10 Open answers11 a ✗ b ✓ c ✓ d ✗ e ✗ f ✓12 a 4 b 7 c 1 d 3 e 8 f 2 g 5 h 613–14 Open answers15 a 3 b 5 c 4 d 9 e 6 f 8 g 2 h 7 i 116–17 Open answers18 a typewriter b a restaurant c agreement d meals e farmer f flowers g dandelions19 a W b S c W d W20–21 Open answers22 a Mrs Sappleton b his sister c Mr Nuttel d the girl (Vera) e Mr Sappleton f Ronnie (Mrs Sappleton’s brother) 23 a birds b his illnesses c a gun d shock and fear e a strange man f dogs/the dog24–25 Open answers26 a No b Yes c Yes d No e No f No g No h No27–28 Open answers29 a S b S c D d D e C f S g C h C i D30–31 Open answers32 a confident > frightened b accountant > manager c public > private d robber > detective e cupboard > safe f clerk > accountant g letter > cheque h singing > laughter i pocket > sock33–43 Open answers

Discussion activities key1 Open answers; Silas is a gravedigger.2 Open answers3 Open answers; he probably thinks that a woman is

attractive and feminine in attitude and a female is not.4–8 Open answers9 (Movements east and west are ignored). Rangoon to

Bangkok: south; Bangkok to Saigon, south; Saigon to Hong Kong, north; Hong Kong to Manila, south; Manila to Shanghai, north; Shanghai to Yokohama, north; Yokohama to Shanghai, South; Shanghai to Cheng-Tu, south

10–20 Open answers21 Possible answer: The expression refers to the

desire of people to feel socially and economically as good as or better than their neighbours or acquaintances. Keeping up with the Joneses originates in an American cartoon by Arthur R. Momand. The equivalent expression in British English is ‘keeping up appearances’. Paul’s mother is probably both trying to keep up appearances and fighting against her personal frustration.

22–24 Open answers25 The Derby is a horse-racing event held at Epson

Downs, in Surrey, England every June since 1780. It got its name from the 12th Earl of Derby.

26 He means that luck is random, and you can count on what you have but never be sure of what you will have.

27–29 Open answers30 The author advices the reader never to start a story

with a sentence like ‘It was a day in March’ and not to go back in time as he does on page 37 because it is bad art and destroys interest.

31–35 Open answers36 Seven: the man, his sister; the sister’s acquaintance;

the acquaintance’s niece; the acquaintance’s husband; the acquaintance’s two brothers

37–38 Open answers39 A wetland area with a spongy substrate composed

of moss and peat. In a bog, moss grows in mats that may support plants and even trees. Flora: cranberries, blueberries orchids and insect-eating plants can be seen in bogs. Fauna: Turtles, frogs, insects, birds, hares, beavers.

They are dangerous because the presence of vegetation may make them look as solid ground.

British and American Short Stories

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40–44 Open answers45 a: The narrator thinks that children learn from what

they see. He feels sure that if Willie was asked about his 2 dollars by an assessor, he would lie. b: He thinks they are immoral; as he tells lies himself, he loses his self-respect.

46–48 Open answers49 These sentences are true: Brisbane is a sailor. Robert knows the Captain, so he is not the Captain. The doctor invites Brisbane, the sailor, to his cabin. Robert doesn’t, so he isn’t the doctor. Therefore

Robert is the steward.50–54 Open answers55 Open answers; phobia: an anxiety disorder that makes

a person feel an irrational fear of everyday simple things or situations.

56–57 Open answer58 Pinkerton Detective Agency was founded in 1850 by

Allan Pinkerton, a Scottish immigrant who practically by chance discovered a counterfeit band, and his brother Robert, whose business was originally to provide security guards for trains. In 1861, working on the security of trains, they uncovered a plot to kill Lincoln. During and after the Civil War they worked as a ‘secret service’.

Activity worksheets key1 a It wouldn’t harm a fly b The amount of alcohol in it. c You’re just a chicken. d Uncle Silas had drunk more beer than there is

water in the Thames2 a ✓ b ✗ c ✓ d ✗ e ✓ f ✗ g ✓ h ✗3 a 15, 7 years until they got married + 8 years they

have been married b Yes; he expected her to have understood if she

arrived in Saigon and did not find him c No, Mabel said he was afraid he was fat d No, Mabel said he was afraid he was bald e No, it depended on how much he had changed. f Yes, he saw she was between him and the door.4 a 2 b 4 c 5 d 1 e 35 a it has a warm and cold, happy and sad silence b he was so glad that he was sad

c it sounded very new and at the same time very natural and old

d Uncle Misak’s love for it because it’s part of God’s world suggests the idea of love for the beauty of nature and life; then, when the tiger closes its jaws on Uncle Misak’s head, the narrator speaks of the ugliness of living things on the earth

6 a The people near Uncle Misak; ‘everybody’ b Uncle Misak c Uncle Misak’s loneliness and poverty; people’s

indifference d The tiger killed Uncle Misak e Having a bad haircut7 a His mother is telling him that his father is not lucky b He is trying to find where luck is c he is asking the horse to take him where luck is d he sees a horse race for the first time e Daffodil wins the race f he decides to give his mother all the money; he

would like her to know that he is lucky 8 a the amount of money that Paul keeps safe and the

amount of money that he made with his Uncle’s bet on Daffodil

b the amount Paul has made by the time he speaks with his uncle, and which Basset keeps for him

c the amount Paul put on Lively Spark in the Legar; the amount he put on Malabar in the Derby

d the amount Paul made in the Legar e the amount Paul gives his mother for her birthday f the amount Paul made in the Derby g the amount Paul had made when he died9 a dan + de + lion = dandelion: the flowers that

Walter put on Sarah’s hair b sunny + brook = Sunnybrook: the name of the

farm where Sarah met Walter c man + hat + tan = Manhattan: the area of New

York where Sarah lived10 a summer > spring b spring > summer c summer > winter d winter > summer

British and American Short Stories

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Answer keyslevel 5 Teacher Support Programme

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11

12 a unsteadily b exactly c busily d cheerfully e slightly f noiselessly13 a state, national and city taxes b loses by flood, fire, and so on; losses on sales of

property; animals sold; payments for rent of home; repairs and improvements; salary already taxed

c the 1,000 free of income tax d The house were the rich man that helped the

narrator lived e The lies that that the narrator told the assessor14 a 214,000 – 1,000 (free of tax) = 213,000 213,000 × 5% = 10,650 b 250 × 5% = 12.50

15 In my profession we don’t believe in unnatural events; everything must have an explanation. The doctor says this.

16 a account b banks c salary/money d manager e accountant f clerk g cheque h notes

Progress test key1 a boards b grave c churchyard d gravedigger e holy ground f graveside g earth2 a 4; like a lost dog b 3; as pale as death c 2; as easy to follow and find d 1; as easy to catch3 a Armenian b Arab c Turkish d American4 a must b need c ought to d dare e should5 a rollers b typing c keys d copy-typing e unreadable f handwriting6 a out b about c round d about e onto f through g off h back7 a T b T c F d T e T8 a steward b dampness c screw d hooked9 a account b alone c safe d fifty-six e fifty dollar

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