Assignments

1. Skimming: Skim the reading to gain a general idea of its form, length, and content. Give the gist of the story.

2. Scanning:

   1. Put the following events in the chronological order.

1. William Keough was appointed acting consul in Coralio.

2. The sellers in the market couldn’t understand why no customers came.

3. Atwood decided to play a joke on the postmaster.

4. The friends decided to create a necessity for a demand.

5. The stock of cockleburrs was exhausted.

6. Mr. Hemstetter arrived with a big stock of footwear.

7. A fruit steamer brought a big mysterious brown bale of unknown commodity.

8. Atwood always told Keough the story of his ended romance with Rosine.

9. John had to see that the cases of shoes were safely stored in the customs warehouse.

10. Keough advised John to send Mr. Hemstetter and his daughter home.

11. The demand followed and Mr. Hemstetter sold three hundred pairs of shoes.

12. Atwood wrote to his government to accept his resignation.

13. Pick Dawson hired two schooners to deliver cockleburrs to Coralio.

14. John received a letter from his own town.

15. John repeated his success and earned a bag of money.

16. Atwood wired a telegram asking to send him dry cockleburrs.

17. Atwood succeeded in destroying Hemstetter’s order for $ 1,500 worth of shoes from Nothern firms.

3.Get ready to transcribe and give equivalents to the following words.

porch consulate hammock deserted

habour warehouse foot-gear centipede

booze cockleburr bale immune

swarm exhaust invoice caricature

4.Reproduce the situations in which the following is used.

to plunge into smth; to dust oneself; to save the situation; to ruin the chance; to work out smth;

to create a demand; lords of the earth; to straighten out; to destroy the order; to accept a resignation

5.Answer the following questions.

1. Where is the scene laid?

2. What kind of information was wanted from Atwood?

3. Why was the consul in Coralio regarded as an encyclopedia?

4. What did the consul write back to the Dalesbourg postmaster?

5. Was the letter taken seriously? Why?

6. What was the night program in Coralio like?

7. Why did Hemstetter come to Coralio?

8. Who were the first customers in the shop?

9. How was the necessity for demand created?

10. Why could John get the goods without the usual inspection at the customs-house?

11. What kind of cure did the local barber offer cockleburr victims?

12. What was Rosine’s reply to John’s confession?

13. How did John sell the remainder of the shoes?

14. Why did Atwood resign?

6.Make up a dialogue between

1. Keough and a resident of Coralio;

2. Keough and Atwood;

3. Atwood and Rosine;

4. Atwood and Hemstetter.

7.Draw character sketches of Atwood, Keough, and Rosine.

8.Discuss the following quote with reference to the story and everyday life:

1. the men … lords of the earth;

2. You can’t create a demand. But you can create a necessity for a demand.

9.Write a brief summary of the story.

10.Analyse the reading according to the following outline:

1. Introduction: (author, title, background, and main idea)

2. Form:

   1. Genre

   2. Structure

3. Content:

   1. Theme or thesis

   2. Plot or action

   3. Characters

   4. Setting

   5. Point of view

4. Style:

   1. Language

   2. Tone

   3. Figures of speech

5. Critique:

   1. Critical analysis

   2. Personal response

6. Conclusion

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