<!--[if !mso]> <mce:style><! v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} --> <!--[endif][if gte mso 9]--> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <!--[endif][if gte mso 9]--> <!--[endif][if !mso]--> <!-- st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } -->

<!--[endif]

        "The Face On The Wall" وجه على الجدار                      

Vocabulary

Questions and Answers

On

"The Face On the Wall"

1- What were the group of friends talking about?

They were talking about unusual events.

2- What kind of events were they talking about?

 They were talking about unusual events that had no natural explanation. They were interesting to hear.

3- Who told the story of " The Face On The Wall "?

The little man with a white face told this story.

4- What was the stranger like?

He was a little man with a pale face.

5- What did the stranger say about his story?

He said it was a true story that was stranger than imaginary ones. It happened to him personally and completed itself this afternoon.

6- Where was the storyteller living?

The storyteller was living in an old house in Ormond Street in London.

7- What were there on the walls of his bedroom?

There were patches of dampness on the walls of his bedroom.

8- What formed the face on the wall?

Patches of dampness formed the face on the walls of his bedroom.

9- What was strange about one of these patches?

It was exactly like a human face. It remained exactly the same. It didn't change like the other patches.

10- What did the storyteller consider the face on the wall?

He considered that face as his fellow lodger.

11- The face on the wall got firmer hold of the storyteller. How?

During his illness, the face became the chief thing in his thoughts. This unusual face controlled him. He thought of the man as his fellow lodger. 

12- How far did the face on the wall have an effect on the little man?

It had a great effect on him.

(a) It got a firmer hold of him.                     (b) It grew real and remarkable.

(c) It had such a great control over him that he set off down the street to search for that man having that face.    

13- What did that storyteller do when he got better?

When the storyteller got better, he searched the streets for a man with a face like the one on the wall. He was certain that he would find a real man with that face. He believed they both were connected by fate. 

14- Which places did the storyteller search for that face?

He went to places where people collected in large numbers like political meetings, football matches and railway stations.

15- What did people think of him?

They thought he was mad. They began to suspect him.

16- What did the police think of the storyteller?

The police began to suspect him.

17- Where did the storyteller see a man with that face?

He saw a man with that face  in a taxi.

18- What did the storyteller do when he saw that man?

He took another taxi to follow it. The taxi went to Charing Cross railway station.

19- Why did the man with the face on the wall go to Charing Cross railway station?

He went there to take the train to Folkestone and to France by boat.

20- With whom was the man with the face on the wall standing? 

He was standing with two ladies and a little girl on the platform

21- The man looked very rich. Show this.

The man looked very rich because he took a private room on the ship.

22- What did the stranger do to catch that man?

The stranger took the same train and then went on board the same boat to catch the man with the face on the wall before it sailed.

23- Why was the little man crazy about following his man?

The little man was crazy about following him because his face was the same as the face on the wall, he wanted to meet and know him.

24- Where did the man and his group disappear?

They disappeared in a private room on the boat.

25- What did the storyteller do to speak with the man with the face on the wall?

The storyteller stayed opposite the door of the private room to speak with that man.

26- What happened after half an hour?

The man and the little girl got out of his room.

27- Why was the little man very surprised when he read the card?

The storyteller was very surprised because the man's name was Mr. Ormond Wall, the name of the little street.

28- What did the storyteller do when the gentle man got out of his room?

The storyteller asked the gentle man to give him his card because he wanted to communicate with the gentle man.

29- Mr. Ormond Wall was unwilling to communicate with storyteller. Why?

Mr. Ormond Wall was unwilling to communicate with storyteller as he thought the storyteller was mad. 

 30- Why did Ormond Wall give his card to the stranger without discussion?

Mr. Ormond Wall got astonished because of the stranger's demand. When the stranger asked him for his card, he thought the stranger was mad and he had to obey him.

31- When did the storyteller faint?

He fainted when he read the man's name and found out it was the same name of his street.

32- How long did the stranger stay in hospital?

He stayed in hospital for some weeks.

33- How did Mr. Ormond Wall meet his end?

His car had overturned and was taken to hospital, later he died.

34- How did the storyteller get information about Mr. Ormond Wall?

He wrote to Pittsburg, American newspapermen and talked to Americans in London.

35- What did the stranger know of Mr. Ormond Wall?

He knew Mr. Ormond was an American Millionaire with English parents who had lived in London.

36- Why did the storyteller feel when he saw the face on the wall began to faint?

The storyteller felt sad when he saw the face on the wall began to faint.

37- When did the face on the wall completely disappear?

The face on the wall completely disappeared when the American millionaire died.

38- What were the extraordinary things about the stranger's story?

(a) The face on the wall of a house was like the face of a gentle man in America. It disappeared when the gentle man died.

(b) The gentleman's name was related to the place where his face appeared.

(c) The story was made up by the stranger half an hour before telling it.  

39-What great surprise did the readers have at the end of this story?

 The readers got surprised when they knew the storyteller made it up half an hour before he told it.

40-Do you think the storyteller was a clever man? How?

I think he was a clever man as he could fabricate an interesting story in half an hour.

             "Quick Thinking"        سرعة البديهة            

Vocabulary 

"Quick Thinking"                 

The Theme:-

In this short story there are three different opinions about the best quality of a police man. Some people think the ability of taking quick decisions and acting quickly are keys for the success of a policeman. Others think that thoroughness and neat planning are better keys to succeed in solving a crime. 

Main Characters:-

  The main characters in this tragic story are:-

- Jack Benting

He was a former officer in the Indian police. He saw the most important quality of a policeman was quick thinking.

-Van Lutjens

   He was a pleasant Dutch man. Small and plump with round face and small bright eyes.   

 He was one of Amsterdam's leading diamond merchants. An American group of diamond merchants asked him to come over to New York with his matchless precious stones (Rozelles earrings) which he lost into the sea.

 The story in points:-

-The most important qualities of a policeman.      أهم صفات رجل الشرطة.                  

- Jack's application for the job.           تقدم جاك للوظيفة.                                             

- The description of Van Lutjens. وصف لشخصية فان لوتجينس                                       

- Unsatisfactory job.                     وظيفة غير مرضية.                                              

- Benting's duty on board. واجب جاك على السفينة.                                                         

- Van's restlessness during the journey.                                         قلق فان خلال الرحلة.

-  The loss of the diamond earrings. فقد القرط الماسي.                                                

- Van's tragic end. نهاية فان المأساوية.                                                                             

The Summary

Jack Benting, Michael Woodward and Andy Mckeown were old friends. They had been in the police in India, China and Malaya. They met in Singapore's Raffles hotel. They were talking about the most important quality of a policeman.

Jack believed that taking decision and the ability to act quickly was the most important quality. Michael thought that thoroughness and method in the solution of a crime. Andy said that meeting people, talking to them, and listening to what they said had said was the best quality.     

            Jack Benting began to tell his story that had nothing to do with crime. This story happened in 1921 before he joined the Indian police. After he finished his police college, he applied for a job. In the advertisement, a young man was wanted for unusual work. Benting was interviewed by Van Lutjens who was one of the leading diamond merchants in Amsterdam. Then this wealthy man was invited by a group of American diamond merchants. He would have two Rozelles earrings with him. He got them from a member of one of central Europe's Royal families. Van Lutjens was so fascinated by these earrings. He brought them from the office of the hotel manager. The two Rozelles were put inside a small red box.   

            On the board of the ship, Berengaria, Van kept the leather case in the ship's safe. Benting was to watch over the rich man, share him with meals, drinks and playing cards. During the voyage Van Lutjens was so worried. Van considered them (two diamonds) the greatest discovery of his life. After van had a joyful look at the stones, he took them to the safe again. After that, Van brought the leather case again. At that time the sea was rough and there was a strong storm. Van went to the side of the ship and took out the little box. Suddenly, there was a violent roll on the ship and the little box fell into the seas. Benting quickly threw two light chairs and a table into the sea to persuade the captain to go back that spot to get the little box. Woodward praised that quick decision but the owner of the little box died of heart failure when he saw the little box going down into the sea. It was really a tragic end to the hero of this story!   

   Questions and Answers                                                             

s

1- Who was the narrator of "Quick Thinking"?

Jack Benting was the narrator of this story.

2- Where were Benting, Woodward and Mckeown working?

   Jack Benting was working in India, Michael Woodward in China and Andy Mckeown in Malaya.

3- Where had the three men spent a long time?

The three men had spent a long time in the Far East.

4- What were the three old friends talking about at Raffles Hotel?

They were talking about the most important qualities of a police man.

5-What was the comment of his friends, Woodward and Mckeown?

Woodward didn't agree. Woodward thought thoroughness and method in the solution the most important, but Andy Mckeown thought meeting people, talking to them and listening to them and listening to what they said were the keys to success in the solution of a crime.

5-Why did Benting tell this tragic story?

Benting told this story to support his opinion about the best quality of a policeman. "Quick Thinking"  

6-When did Benting's story happen

This story happened in 1921, one year before he joined the Indian police.

7- What attracted Benting's attention?

An advertisement in "The Times" attracted his attention.

8- What did this advertisement say?

It said something about a young man wanted for unusual work. He must have cool head.

9- What was Benting employed for?

Benting was employed for watching over Van's precious earrings on his voyage from Southampton to New York.

10- What was Van Lutjens like?

He was one of Amsterdam's leading diamond merchants. He was very pleasant, small and plump, his face was round and he had small bright eyes.  

11- Where was Van Lutjens going? Why?

Van Lutjens was going to New York as a group of American buyers asked him to come over New York to show his two precious diamonds.

12- Why did Van Lutjens want a man with a cool head to guard his diamonds?

Van Lutjens felt restless because of diamonds so he wanted a man with a cool head to watch over his diamonds.

13- Why did Van's worry (restlessness) increase?

His worry increased because of the presence of the two diamonds in the open (rough) sea. He thought madly of them.

14- How did Van Lutjens admire his two lifeless stones?

Van considered them his children. He found great joy in looking at them for a long time. He wouldn't part with them.

15- Where did Van Lutjens keep the" Rozelles"?

He kept them in a small red box put in a leather case.

16- What did Van Lutjens do with the diamonds on the board of the ship?

Van brought the leather case from the ship's safe from time to another and opened the little box to look at the two diamonds.

17- When the little box fell into the sea, what did Woodward and Mckeown suggest?

When the little box fell into the sea, Woodward suggested telling the captain. Mckeown own suggested swimming into the sea to get it back.

18- Why did Benting throw a table and two chairs into the sea?

Benting did this to persuade the captain to go back where the earrings had been lost.

19- The tragic end of Lutjens was not expected. How?   or     How did Van meet his end?

Van Lutjens was deeply shocked and died of heart attack when the case containing the two precious jewels fell into the sea.