READ AND FIND
OUT PAGE 14-15
• How is Ausable different from other
secret agents?
Answer:
In many ways, Ausable is different from other secret agents like- He lives on
the sixth and top floor of a gloomy French hotel. He is extremely fat and
speaks French and German with an American accent. He doesn’t get messages
passed to him by beautiful. He uses his normal telephone to make calls and
appointments. All these things make him different from other secret agents.
• Who is Fowler and what is his first
authentic thrill of the day?
Answer:
Fowler is a writer. His first authentic thrill of the day is when he sees a man
in the room with a pistol pointing towards Ausable and him.
• How has Max got in?
Answer:
Max has got into the room using the passkey or master key.
• How does Ausable say he got in?
Answer:
Ausable says that Max has got into the room through the balcony. Also, he adds
that this is the second time when somebody has got into the room this way.
THINK ABOUT
IT PAGE
18
1. “Ausable did not fit any description
of a secret agent Fowler had ever read.” What do secret agents in books and
films look like, in your opinion? Discuss in groups or in class some stories or
movies featuring spies, detectives and secret agents, and compare their
appearance with that of Ausable in this story. (You may mention characters from
fiction in languages other than English. In English fiction, you may have come
across Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, or Miss Marple. Have you watched any
movies featuring James Bond?)
Answer:
In my opinion or in films that I’ve seen, a secret agent looks like an ideal
man. He is tall and handsome. He is always accompanied by beautiful women. He
smokes cigar (as in the story of Sherlock Holmes) and does stunts (as in the
movies of James Bond). He uses the latest technology or gadgets. All these
things are missing in the story ‘’The Midnight Visitor”. Ausable is instead fat
and sloppy. He is not accompanied by beautiful women. He neither smokes cigar
nor does stunt.
2. How does Ausable manage to make Max
believe that there is a balcony attached to his room? Look back at his detailed
description of it. What makes it a convincing story?
Answer:
When Ausable says, “I’ve already complained hotel manager about someone
entering my room the balcony that is below the room.” Max starts thinking that
it would have been easier for him if he knew there was a balcony. Ausable adds
that he needed extra protection of the paper so had informed the police who are
knocking on the door. This made Max very nervous. He just wanted to escape from
the police. As a result, he jumped out out the window without noticing the
balcony. In this panic situation, Ausable’s ability to think quickly and calmly
makes it a convincing story.
3. Looking back at the story, when do you
think Ausable thought up his plan for getting rid of Max? Do you think he had
worked out his plan in detail right from the beginning? Or did he make up a
plan taking advantage of events as they happened?
Answer:
I think he hadn’t worked out his plan from the beginning. He took advantage of
events as they happened. As there was a knock on the door, he made up a story
of the balcony outside and the police at the door for the extra protection of
the paper. Max was threatened. He became nervous and jumped out of the window
without noticing the balcony.
TALK ABOUT IT PAGE
18
1. In this story, Ausable shows great
‘presence of mind,’ or the ability to think quickly and act calmly and wisely,
in a situation of danger and surprise. Give examples from your own experience,
or narrate a story, which shows someone’s presence of mind.
Answer:
Students are supposed to do by themselves.
2. Discuss what you would do in the
situations described below. Remember that presence of mind comes out of a state
of mental preparedness. If you have thought about possible problems or dangers,
and about how to act in such situations, you have a better chance of dealing
with such situations if they do arise.
• A small fire starts in your kitchen.
Answer:
If it is a non-electric fire, we should put a blanket over the fire to shut out
the air. If it is an electric fire due to short-circuit, we should immediately
disconnect electricity from everything in the kitchen before doing anything
else.
• A child starts to choke on a piece of
food.
Answer:
If a child starts to choke on a piece of food, his back must be thumped slowly
until the piece of food stuck comes out. If it continues, he must be given
medical aid immediately.
• An electrical appliance starts to hiss
and gives out sparks.
Answer:
If an electrical appliance starts to hiss and gives out sparks, we should first
disconnect electricity to the appliance. If it is plugged into a socket, the
plug must be removed and later on the appliance should get repaired by an
electrician/engineer.
• A bicycle knocks down a pedestrian.
Answer:
If a bicycle knocks down a pedestrian, we should first provide first aid to
him/her and then take him/her to the hospital depending on the injury.
• It rains continuously for more than
twenty-four hours.
Answer:
If it rains continuously for more than 24 hours, there are high chances of
flooding. So all necessary precautions should be taken and also the concerned
authority should be informed to take preventive actions.
• A member of your family does not return
home at the usual or expected time. You may suggest other such situations.
Answer: If it happens, we should first enquire for him/her at the place he/she was expected to visit. If he/she was with his/her friends then friends and their family members need to be contacted. If there is no result, we should inform the local police for help.
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