Reading Tasks

T a s k 1.

a) List ten words from the story that are connected with sound, e. g.: vibration, note.

b) How well does Roald Dahl describe sounds? Give examples. Does it help you “hear” these sounds and understand the story?

T a s k 2. Say if the following statements are ‘True’ or ‘False’ according to the story. Correct the false statements.

1. Klausner keeps a coffin in his garden shed.

2. Klausner doesn’t want to tell the doctor about his experiment.

3. Klausner wants to pick up light waves from the outer space with the help of his machine.

4. Klausner hears an inhuman shriek when Mrs Saunders cuts the rose.

5. Mrs Saunders thinks her neighbour is mad and dangerous.

6. No sound is heard when Klausner chops the tree trunk.

7. The doctor doesn’t hear anything, either.

8. Klausner asks the doctor to heal the tree wound.

T a s k 3. Describe Klausner’s personality by using the table below. Try to find as many examples as possible.

his appearance						the way he behaves when he works
			KLAUSNER
the doctor’s attitude to him									Mrs Saunders’ attitude to him
	the way he treats his device (his creation)						the way he speaks about his creation

Is Klausner mad? Is he a genius? Is he capable of inventing and seeing things which ordinary people are unable to? Post-Reading Tasks

Discuss the following ideas.

• Does the story end too quickly? Do you want it to continue?

• Do you believe that the world around us (like trees, flowers) is really ‘alive’?

• Do we really need to hear all these sounds Klausner wants to hear? Are there inventions which should be banned because they are too dangerous?

• Suggest a different title for the story which refers to Klausner rather than to the sound machine.

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