Mr. Know-All by W. Somerset Maugham

Transcription

1 Name: Mr. Know-All by W. Somerset Maugham Pre-reading In the story, the narrator starts by saying, I was prepared to dislike Max Kelada even before I met him. What are the reasons why you would dislike someone before you meet him? Which HOTS did you use? Part I Before reading Here are some words that will help you better understand the text. Match the words to their definitions. Then translate them. English Ans. Translation Definition 1. accommodation a). almost not; hardly 2. clean-shaven b). conforming to standards of conduct and good taste; suitable 3. companion c). room and board; lodgings. 4. dismay d). act as if from a higher class in society 5. exasperating e). a person who lives under the rule of a monarch, government, etc. 6. familiar f). taking undue liberties; presumptuously friendly 7. lustrous g). healthy, strong, and vigorous, strongly built 8. to put on airs h). extremely annoying or displeasing 9. scarcely i). lacking or exhibiting a lack of tact; bluntly inconsiderate or indiscreet 10. seemly j). (of men) having the facial hair shaved off 11. to set at ease k). gleaming with or as if with brilliant light; radiant 12. sturdy build l). confusion and distress in the face of unexpected trouble or danger 13. subject m). to quiet; to tranquilize 14. tactlessly n). cabin mate on a ship, train, etc. לינה, בקושי, מגולח, שותף לחדר, בצורה חסרת טקט, יאוש, נתינים, מעצבן, מבנה גוף מוצק, ידיודתי מדי, מבריק, התנהגות נאותה, להתנהג ביהירות לגרום להרגיש נוח, Read Part I of the story. Then, practice some more vocabulary: 1. Use the following words to complete the text: subject, accommodation, companion, dismay, flask, wardrobe trunk, seemly, familiar There was not enough 1 on the ship so the narrator had to share a cabin with a stranger. He was in 2 when he saw his cabin mate s 3 and discovered his name, because it meant that he was not English, like himself. When he went up to the smoking- room, his cabin mate introduced himself. He was very chatty, and surprised the narrator by saying that he was English. He showed his passport to prove he was a British 4. The narrator was also surprised when Mr. Kelada offered him an alcoholic drink from a 5 he had in his pocket. He thought that Mr. Kelada s behavior was not 6 and was much too 7. He did not like his new 8.

2 2. Match adjectives to nouns to form a description of Max Kelada. An adjective A noun An answer sturdy nose clean-shaven skin dark hair fleshy, hooked build large, liquid gestures sleek, curly cheeks exuberant eyes LOTS Questions Understanding Part I of the Story 1. When and where does this story take place? 2. Why do you think the narrator would prefer to share a cabin with someone named Smith or Brown? 3. Why is Mr. Kelada happy about sharing a cabin with the narrator? 4. Why does the narrator doubt that Mr. Kelada is really British? 5. Where does the narrator think Mr. Kelada was born? 6. What aspects of Mr. Kelada s behavior annoyed the narrator?

3 Part II - Before reading 1. Here are some words/phrases that will help you better understand the text. Write them in alphabetical order with their translations. 1. cocksureness 2. dogmatic 3. to resume his post 4. it never occurred to him 5. flushed 6. distinction 7. compliment 8. to bulge 9. affront 10. vanity 11. to snub him 12. to resent 13. intolerable 14. he had us at his mercy 15. demeanor 16. without the suspicion dawning on him Translation English Words

4 2. Find two words or expressions from the list above : that are similar in the meaning to he did not realize that show Mr. Kelada had a lot of confidence and pride in himself that show other people on the ship did not like Mr. Kelada 3. Use the following words to write the opposites of the words in the table: be certain, partially, bearable, unsuccessfully, insult, real, boastful, agreeable modest imitation entirely hesitate triumphantly intolerable argumentative compliment Read Part II of the story. Understanding Part II of the Story LOTS Questions 1. Why did the passengers call Mr. Kelada Mr. Know-All? 2. Describe the atmosphere around the table at mealtimes.

5 3. Complete the following table: Mr. Kelada Mr. Ramsay Physical description (keywords) Character description (keywords) Work/Occupation Position at work/occupation Place of work/occupation Reason/purpose for travel 4. What is the narrator s opinion of Mr. Ramsay? Of Mrs. Ramsay? 5. What subject is discussed at the table? Part III Understanding Part III of the Story LOTS Questions 1. Why is Mr. Kelada traveling to Japan? What is his profession? 2. What does Mr. Kelada boast about?

6 3. What does Mr. Kelada say about Mrs. Ramsay s necklace? What does he mean by this remark? 4. According to Mr. Ramsay, where did Mrs. Ramsay get the pearl necklace? 5. What bet did Mr. Ramsay make with Mr. Kelada? Why? 6. What was Mrs. Ramsay s reaction to the bet? 7. Why does Mr. Kelada smile in triumph? 8. Who won the bet? 9. What happened the next morning? 10. What is the narrator s opinion of Mr. Kelada now? Why? Part IV - Understanding the Story on a Higher Level HOTS questions - Inferring 1. Were the pearls real? 2. Why does Mr. Kelada say he was mistaken?

7 3. Mrs. Ramsay did not want Mr. Kelada to examine her necklace. She said, I can t undo it. What can we infer about the woman from her behavior? What secret was Mrs. Ramsay hiding? 4. What can we infer about the narrator when he says at the end of the story At that moment, I did not entirely dislike Mr. Kelada? HOTS - Explaining Patterns A) Pattern one: 1. What pattern of behavior can we see in Mr. Kelada to make him deserve the name Mr. Know-All? Do you think his name is meant as a compliment? Why or why not? 2. Why do you think that Mr. Kelada behaves this way? 3. When is this pattern of behavior broken and why? B) Pattern two: 1. What is the narrator s typical reaction to Mr. Kelada s attempts to be friendly? Give at least two examples. 2. Why do you think that the narrator behaves this way?

8 3. When is this pattern of behavior broken and why? HOTS - Uncovering Motives 1. What was Mr. Ramsay s motive for challenging Mr. Kelada to a bet about his wife s pearls? What did he hope to achieve? 2. Who do you think left a hundred-dollar bill under Mr. Kelada s cabin door? What was his/her motivation? Summing up - Use the words below to complete a summary of the story. Make any necessary changes. address, arrange, chatty, compliment, cultured pearls, envelope, examine, expert, faint, familiar, imitation, labels, luggage, magnifying glass, passenger, passport, patriotic, share a cabin, worth The narrator of the story was a 1 on board a ship sailing to Japan. He had to 2 with Mr. Kelada. The narrator did not believe Mr. Kelada was British, even though Mr. Kelada showed his 3 to prove it and said that he was a very 4 Englishman. The narrator was prejudiced against Mr. Kelada before he even met him. He thought that his 5 was too big and there were too many 6 on the suitcases. He didn t like the 7 way in which Kelada behaved Mr. Kelada 8 the narrator without Mr before his name. Mr. Kelada 9 all the social events on the ship and was very 10 with the passengers. He became known as Mr. Know-All, which he took as a 11.

9 One evening at dinner, the conversation turned to the subject of 12. Mr. Kelada said he was an 13 and he had a bet with Mr. Ramsay about whether Mrs. Ramsay s pearls were real or 14. Kelada took out a 15 to 16 the pearls and said they were 17 a lot of money. Kelada noticed Mrs. Ramsay turn white and she looked as if she were about to 18. He said he was mistaken and paid Mr. Ramsay 100 dollars for losing the bet. The next day a 100-dollar-bill was returned to Mr. Kelada in an 19. Part V - Literary Terms Stereotype A fixed idea of what a person or thing belonging to a certain group is like. Example: Women are emotional. Connotation An idea or association which is suggested by a word in addition to its main meaning. Example: He s a Jew. (What could be the connotation?) Symbolism The use of a concrete image (symbol) to represent an abstract idea. Example: sunshine = Theme The central philosophical idea of a story or a poem. We can usually find the theme by asking, What is this work about? Example: One theme of Lamb to the Slaughter was

10 1. Stereotypes. Find examples of the following stereotypes in the story. Characters Stereotypes Examples The narrator A typical upper-class Englishman Max Kelada A typical Levantine Mrs. Ramsay A sweet, modest woman Symbolism. Which character shows traits of the real pearl? Which character shows traits of the cultured one? a real pearl Item Character Traits a cultured pearl 3. Connotations. Give at least three examples of connotations from the story. Phrase Connotation + / - Why

11 4. Theme. a) What is the theme of the story? b) How does the saying Don t judge a book by its cover relate to the theme of Mr. Know-All? Part VI - Bridging text and context 1. "... I had an acute power of observation and it seemed to me that I could see a great many things that other people missed. I could put down in clear terms what I saw." from The Summing Up by Somerset Maugham Relate this quote to Mr. Know-All. Support your answer with examples from the story.

12 2. Stereotypes rob people of their individuality Relate this quote to Mr. Know-All. Support your answer with examples from the story. Part VI Post-Reading Tasks Choose one of the activities below: 1. Write the letter that might have included in the envelope containing the $100 that was returned to Mr. Kelada ( words) 2. Act out the scene at the dinner table from Mrs. Ramsay s point of view in which Mr. Kelada asks to see her necklace (at least 3 minutes) 3. Imagine you are the doctor who sits at the narrator s table. Draw a picture or a comic retelling the incident about the bet between Mr. Ramsay and Max Kelada. Express the doctor s opinion about the other people around the table. (at least 120 words) 4. The story spread over the ship as stories do, and he had to put up with a good deal of chaff that evening. Act out the dialogue that might have taken place between two passengers on the ship gossiping about Mr. Kelada s embarrassment at the dinner table. (at least 3 minutes) 5. Write a song / poem ending or starting with the sentence: In the end, it turned out that the real pearl was.. (at least 90 words). Relate to the theme of the story. The post reading task is due on: