- Completed the speaking activity on p. 73, and discussed strategies for making the exam's speaking tasks less daunting.
- Completed the listening activity on p. 78, and discussed strategies for approaching listening for specific information.
- Completed the grammar on p. 78 concerning the use of -ing forms, and discussed their typical usage patterns.
- Completed the reading and listening activity on p. 82-83. We discussed the meaning of the short story, and ways to interpret fiction. We then wrote our own short stories in groups.
This Saturday we'll do some more work with short stories. With that in mind, your homework is to read and react to this story, by the American author Mark Twain. The title of the story, which was first published in 1891, is "Luck." It is supposedly based on a real, though unknown, British general.
I would like you to read the story and then respond to it in the comment section of this blog. This is your only homework for the week, and it is obligatory.
In your response avoid simple and obvious reactions ("I liked it," "It was boring," etc.) and try to be as specific as possible.Compare it with the story we read and listened to in class last week. If you weren't in class last week, focus on an aspect of the story that you find particularly interesting or problematic. I would like at least one or two good paragraphs from you.
Here are some topics to get you started:
- How is luck presented in the story? That is, is luck something a person is born with, is it a product of other people's behavior, or is it an expression of resentment against the successful?
- How is the soldier's luck in this story similar to the woman's dream in the story we read and listened to in class last week?
- How are these stories different in style? Which style do you prefer?
I'm publishing this post earlier than normal in order to give you time to read the story, post a response, then read the responses of your classmates throughout the week. Feel free to respond to other people's thoughts; there's no limit to the number of comments you can make. I want to see everyone post something, and not just the diligent few. If you enjoy reading fiction and would like me to include more of it in the future, demonstrate your enthusiasm by knocking this out of the park.
Looking forward to your comments!
Hello everybody!
ReplyDeleteI think luck is presented as a kind of "power" because no mother how many mistakes made Scoresby. He always got bad things turned into good opportunities and success, obtaining the clergyman`s compassion and soldier's admiration during every battle even being the most stupid man ever. I don't know if this luck exists since his birth but it's clear it's something that goes with him for a long time.
Compairing this story with the one we saw last week, I suppose that both stories, in any way, contain a premonition. The woman's dream predicted her death and the "lucky power" make the man successful against all the odds.
In this story seems the soldier appears as the luckiest person in the world ever. The luck doesn't appear as a lottery fact but a gift you receive when you are born. In our case, the man has been lucky every moment in his life. And the more he made mistakes the more his fame and glory increased.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was reading the story I couldn't avoid thinking that maybe we are judging the soldier wrongly. Perhaps the clergyman is a really envious person. He thinks that all the triumphs of the soldier have been a product of luck. But, will he be being realistic?
I think that's the point that both stories share, you are listening an story from a man you don't know and is your choice to believe him or not.
Personally I'd rather last Saturday story, in that story you were discovering what happened slowly and that point grabbed my attention.
Hello!
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion luck is depicted in this story as a sort of gift of God that can help people without any talent or skills to succeed in life. At the beginning of the story the clergyman explains how he was the worst student at the military school but luckily got the first prize. So according to the story luck isn't a product of your attitude in life or your behaviour.
One thing that seemed ironic to me is that if he hadn't been so stupid he probably would have known his own limitations and therefore he wouldn't have dared to be an officer at the war, and also he would have studied more for his exams and wouldn't have studied just the questions that they asked him.
So in a certain way being stupid was something good for him.
There's also the possibility that the clergyman envied Scoresby, and wanted to belittle his achievments saying that they were product of his luck, in that case luck would be depicted as something that one should be ashamed of.
In my opinion this is a really interesesting story and quite funny, I wonder if it's a true story.
Hi everyone!
ReplyDeleteI think luck is presented in the story as something you are born with but also a product of other people's behavior. When the Lieutenant General was at the military academy he had the help from the clergyman in order to prepare some questions and then he was just asked the questions the clergyman helped him to learn. He was lucky, but if the clergyman hadn't helped him he wouldn't have passed the test.
During the war, every order he made turn into a failure but people thought the orders were "works of great intelligence" so he could climbed up because of people's reactions towards him, not just because he was lucky.
As some of you have said, maybe the clergyman is an envious person but I don't think that, he is presented as a someone that "always spoke the truth" and that "his judgment of men was good".
I believe this story is true. Sadly, sometimes in the army count more what people think of you than your achievements.
I prefer this story. It is quicker telling you what happened and how. In last Saturday's story you had to wait until the very end to discover everything. I prefer quicker and more direct stories, regardless of the open or close end.
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ReplyDeleteHeeeello!!
ReplyDeleteFirst of all I am sure that this story is based on a true story. The clergyman introduce Scoresby like a really stupid man only with tons of luck but maybe there are some important details that clergyman doesn't know and they make sense to the whole story.
Moreover, in my opinion the clergyman always took part in Scoresby's life and many times he caused his success.
I think, luck is important to reach high objectives but luck never come alone, you have to look for it and fight for it apart from work hard, of course.