The Railway Children

The Railway Children
by Edith Nesbitt

So many things happen in this tale of three children and their mother. They moved from their wealthy villa near London to an isolated village somewhere in the English countryside. They are suddenly very poor and their father is mysteriously away for a long time.

Being poor doesn’t seem to bother the children as they enjoy the freedom of exploring the countryside and are fascinated with the railway that goes by. They make friends with the station master, the porter, and especially the “old gentleman” they wave to him everyday as he rides the 9:15.

The children, Roberta, Peter, and Phyllis, are normal, everyday children with plenty of arguing and mis-behaving. But they manage to have lots of fun. The book is filled with their heroic adventures such as these:

• They witness a landslide onto the train tracks and then attempt to signal the oncoming train
• They befriend an old bedraggled old man who speaks no English
• They rescue a boy from inside the railway tunnel

Although the book was written over a hundred years ago, it is still appealing for children today. It’s probably best for readers age 10 to 12. (The children in the story are about 12, 10, 8.). this abridge version is simple and easy to understand.

Adapted from http://joyfullyretired.com/2009/01/20/railway-children/

Fruitcake Special - 4 Tekun

THE FRUITCAKE SPECIAL by Frank Brennan

SYNOPSIS

The Fruitcake Special is the story if the effects of a perfume on men. It was accidentally created by Anna, a chemist. When Mr Amos gets a whiff of the perfume he feels he is in love with Anna and so invites her out for dinner. He does not behave like a man in love and Anna is surprised and upset. When she wears the Fruitcake perfume again, Mr Amos and a waiter become enticed and both make declarations of love to her. The situation become chaotic when a fight ensues between two men.

THEMES

Illusion vs Reality
Be realistic in life
Appearances can be misleading
MORAL VALUES

We should not be taken in flattery.
We must not be too proud of our looks.
We must not belittle other people.
PLOT

EXPOSITION – Anna creates a Fruitcake perfume and dabs on it. Mr Amos becomes intoxicated with her when he gets a whiff of it. Anna is very surprise with this sudden interest.
CONFLICT – During dinner, Mr Amos is not as attentive as he was in the morning. Anna dabs on the Fruitcake perfume in the ladies room.
CLIMAX – Mr Amos becomes enamoured and makes declarations of love to her. A waiter also makes love declarations to her. A fight starts between Mr Amos, the waiter and Sabrina, Mr Amos’ girlfriend. Anna realises it is the effects of the fruitcake perfume.
FALLING ACTION – Anna wants to find the ‘special something’ in the fruitcake but is unable to.
RESOLUTION – Anna resigns from Amos Cosmetics and she settles for the pizza delivery man, Armstrong, who has his own pizza company.
CHARACTERS

Main characters
1.Anna, the narrator
2.David Amos, owner of Amos Cosmetics
Minor characters
1.Narrator’s mother
2.Narrator’s Aunt Mimi
3.Waiter at restaurant
4.Sabina, David Amos’ girlfriend
5.Armstrong, the pizza delivery man
POINT OF VIEW

First person point of view
TONE, MOOD, ATMOSPHERE

Light-hearted and humorous
Comedic and entertaining
LANGUAGE AND STYLE

Simple and easy to understand the language

Literature essays

Literature essays - follow this suggested outline.

5 paragraphs : P1 Introduction
P2 content 1 + elaborations 1 & 2 + personal response
P3 content 2 + elaborations 1 & 2 + personal response
P4 content 3 + elaborations 1 & 2 + perosnal response
P5 conclusion + personal response

* elaborations = textual evidence
* tenses - present tense throughout the whole response or past tense throughout
the whole response

Revision on Literature

PRACTICES-I WONDER, HEIR CONDITIONING, ONE IS ONE AND ALL ALONE
POEMS
I WONDER

Practice 1
Questions 1 – 3 are based on the extract from the poem ‘I wonder’.

I Wonder
I wonder why the grass is green,
And why the wind is never seen?

Who taught the birds to build a nest,
And told the trees to take a rest?

O, when the moon is not quite round,
Where can the missing bit be found?

Who lights the stars, when they blow out,
And makes the lightning flash about?

Who paints the rainbow in the sky,
And hangs the fluffy clouds so high?

Why is it now, do you suppose,
That Dad won’t tell me, if he knows?

1. What does the use of the word ‘wonder’ in the poem show?
A. thinking
B. solving problems
C. making silly remarks
D. feeling of shock

2. The phrase ‘…how the wind looks like’ tells us that the writer is….
A. curious
B. confused
C. passionate
D. angry

3. What is ‘hanging’ according to the persona?
A. stars
B. clouds
C. rainbow
D. wind
Practice 2

Questions 1 – 3 are based on the extract from the poem ‘I wonder’.


1. In this poem, the persona is a……
A. man
B. child
C. woman
D. father

2. The persona is enthusiastic in …
A. exploring the nature
B. finding out if his dad knows anything
C. looking at the sky
D. finding out more about the moon

3. What is the best title for to replace “I wonder” if you have to?
A. I am Lost
B. Oh My God
C. Please Answer Me
D. Please Help Me

Practice 3

Questions 1 – 3 are based on the extract from the poem ‘I wonder’.


1. Which word means –‘to make something look bright’?
A. paints
B. hangs
C. lights
D. makes

2. The title of the poem implies that the persona has …
A. desire to know
B. very little patience
C. a lot anger
D. no desire to know

3. State one value that we can learn from the poem?
A. Nature should be appreciated
B. Nature should be left alone
C. We must not be so curious
D. We should not ask too many questions.

Practice 4

Questions 1 – 3 are based on the extract from the poem ‘I wonder’.

1. Who is the persona disappointed with?
A. God
B. Her mother
C. Her father
D. Nature

2. What is invisible?
A. The lightning
B. The wind
C. The clouds
D. The moon

3. The word ‘fluffy’ means…
A. light
B. feathery
C. thin
D. crispy

Practice 5

Questions 1 – 3 are based on the extract from the poem ‘I wonder’.


1. The phrase ‘blow out’ means…
A. explode
B. brighten
C. disappear
D. appear

2. What is the persona wondering about the birds?
A. How the birds can fly
B. How they can build their nests
C. Why they are so small
D. Why they cannot talk

3. In the fourth couplet, the word ‘they’ refers to the…
A. lights
B. stars
C. moon
D. rainbow
Practice 6

Questions 1 – 3 are based on the extract from the poem ‘I wonder’.


1. What does the phrase ‘the missing bit’ refers to?
A. fluffy clouds
B. parts of the moon
C. parts of the stars
D. the trees

2. How does the rainbow look like?
A. hanging
B. fluffy
C. painted
D. round

3. Two pairs of rhyming words from the poem.
A. fluffy- clouds
B. round- found
C. lightning-flash
D. birds-build

Practice 7
Questions 1 – 3 are based on the extract from the poem ‘I wonder’.

1. Which characteristics will allow a child to learn more?
A. Being lazy
B. Being curious
C. A happy go lucky attitude
D. Always being suspicious

2. What does the poet really mean when she says that the trees take a rest?
A. the trees are strong
B. there is no wind
C. the wind is too strong
D. the trees are swaying in the rain.

3. What does the use of the word ‘wonder’ in the poem indicate?
A. the reality of life
B. magical happenings
C. man is always thinking
D. the creation of nature

Practice 8
Questions 1 – 3 are based on the extract from the poem ‘I wonder’.



1. One of the major themes in the poem is…
A. the value of money
B. the value of education
C. nature is a crazy place to live in
D. the poet is a wanderer

2. What is the poem about?
A. Our world is mysterious and that there are so many crazy people.
B. We are living in a world that really does not have any answers.
C. We must try to find questions and answers all the time.
D. Our world is mysterious and there are so many unanswered questions

3. The last two lines imply that …
A. fathers like to keep secrets.
B. fathers are actually very stupid
C. a teacher is needed to guide the curious child
D. a child does not need to so busy body

Practice 9

Questions 1 – 3 are based on the extract from the poem ‘I wonder’.


1. Who is the speaker relating the events?
A. An angry father asking his child
B. A curious child asking his father
C. A child who is always disturbing his father.
D. A father who does not want to answer the questions.

2. The half moon is seen as…
A. something not normal
B. a completed puzzle
C. a puzzle missing some of its pieces
D. a round object

3. The poem somehow portrays the thinking of a child …
A. who thinks about unnecessary things in life
B. who is really bored with life
C. who generalises everything using his own concept
D. who is very pampered and spoilt by the parents.

Practice 10
Questions 1 – 3 are based on the extract from the poem ‘I wonder’.

1. What can you say about the persona in the poem?
A. Worried about the animals
B. sensitive and alert about nature
C. angry with his father for being fierce.
D. sensitive about his father.

2. Which phrase show human characteristics in non living things?
A. Birds build a nest
B. the trees to take a rest
C. the grass is green
D. wind is never seen

3. The mood of the poem is …
A. cheerful and inspiring
B. dull and uninspiring
C. sad and gloomy
D. humorous

POEM
HEIR CONDITIONING

Practice 1
Questions 1 – 3 are based on the extract from the poem ‘Heir Conditioning’

Heir Conditioning

Grand dad did you breathe
before air cons were invented?
was it hard staying
alive without modern inventions?
Grandma weren’t you flustered
as you fluttered with paper fans?
could you communicate before
faxes and long distance calls
became basic necessities?

Grandchild we lived
before your age. Because
of our ignorance,
we did not know
pollution, stress, traffic jams
destruction of forests, streams and
hills
we feared God and nature
now nature fears you and
money is your new God.

1. Which word rhymes with ‘heir’?
A. hare
B. air
C. airy
D. hair

2. What is the tone of the poem?
A. Sad
B. Sarcastic
C. Anger
D. Sorrow

3. How does the poet view modernization?
A. optimistic
B. pessimistic
C. confident
D. cynical
Practice 2

Questions 1 – 3 are based on the extract from the poem ‘Heir Conditioning’

1 In stanza 1, the grandparents did not have all the following except
A. air conditioners
B. telephone
C. fax machine
D. paper fans

2. What does the title of the poem suggest?
A. Changes on how the younger generation thinks.
B. Changes in the mindset of the older generation
C. We must appreciate all the modern inventions
D. Technology is very important to mankind

3. What is meant in the line we feared God and nature… now nature fears you?

A. we are scared of nature
B. we are scared of God
C. we actually destroyed nature
D. nature destroyed our faith to God
Practice 3

Questions 1 – 3 are based on the extract from the poem ‘Heir Conditioning’

1. What is meant by ‘money is your new God’?
A. Money can buy all the new inventions
B. The younger generation worship money.
C. Money is very important in our lives.
D. The older generation realizes the importance of money.

2. What does the word ‘feared’ imply?
A. scared of
B. believed in
C. hated
D. angry at

3. How many speakers does the poem have?
A. one
B. two
C. three
D. four
Practice 4

Questions 1 – 3 are based on the extract from the poem ‘Heir Conditioning’

1. What is the theme of the poem?
A. The usefulness of modern inventions.
B. Technology is not good for us
C. Respecting God
D. Effects of development

2. What can you infer from the line Grand child we lived before your age?
A. Grandparents enjoyed a long life
B. Grandparents have more experience than grandchild
C. Grandparents have lived a difficult life for a long time.
D. Grandparents do not understand grandchild’s lifestyle

3. What is the poet’s main concern in the second stanza?
A. Spiritual well being
B. Nature’s gift
C. God’s gift
D. Respect for the elders
Practice 5

Questions 1 – 3 are based on the extract from the poem ‘Heir Conditioning’

1. What is the message that the poet wishes to express in this poem?
A. Grandchild is very modern
B. Grandfather is very modern
C. Effects of progress
D. Nurture of spiritual beings

2. Which parties are talking in the dialogue in the poem?
A. Grandfather and Grandmother
B. Grandfather and God
C. Grandparents and Grandchild
D. Grandfather and Grandson

3. The word ‘flustered’ means
A. comfortable
B. uncomfortable
C. cool
D. good
Practice 6

Questions 1 – 3 are based on the extract from the poem ‘Heir Conditioning’

1. According to the poem, how does man treat nature nowadays?
A. with a lot of fear
B. with no respect
C. with a lot of love
D. with a lot of care

2. What is the grandchild’s reaction to his grandparents life in the past?
A. angry
B. disappointed
C. puzzled
D. sad

3. An example of ‘basic necessities’ would be something that is…
A. expensive
B. very essential
C. trivial
D. hardly useful

Practice 7
Questions 1 – 3 are based on the extract from the poem ‘Heir Conditioning’

1. The poet suggests that damage to the environment cannot be prevented because…
A. human beings are trained to do so.
B. of the attitude of the young generation
C. of the attitude of the older generation
D. it is in God’s hands

2. The phrase ‘money is your new God’ show that nowadays we are…
A. Lazy
B. Materialistic
C. Very spiritual
D. Very hard working

3. What is the theme of the poem?
A. modern inventions are useless
B. progress destroys mankind
C. we should not forget our spiritual values
D. importance of money to buy modern gadgets
Practice 8
Questions 1 – 3 are based on the extract from the poem ‘Heir Conditioning’

1. The phrase “because of our ignorance, we did not know pollution, stress, traffic jams” is
A. metaphor
B. sarcasm
C. symbolism
D. personification

2. The poet wants the younger generation to have …
A. The exact life as their grandparents
B. balance between development and conserving environment
C. a good balance in the bank account and be very spiritual
D. respect for their grandparents.

3. One of the messages in the poem is …
A. we should not be too dependent on modern gadgets to run our life
B. we should be independent enough to choose modern gadgets.
C. we should not be too dependent on modern gadgets as it will ruin our life
D. we should be dependent on modern gadgets to run our life.

Practice 9
Questions 1 – 3 are based on the extract from the poem ‘Heir Conditioning’

1. In the first stanza, the persona is the…
A. grandchild
B. grandparent
C. both grandparent and grandchild
D. grand dad and grandma.

2. According to the grandparents, they did not have to live in a polluted world…
A. as they did not want any gadgets
B. because there were a lot of trees left
C. because they did not much money
D. as they were not dependent on modern gadget

3. The verse “ we feared God and nature, now nature fears you” is an example of
A. Similarities between the past and present
B. How things are better now
C. Comparison between the past and the present
D. Things that not changed at all

Practice 10
Questions 1 – 3 are based on the extract from the poem ‘Heir Conditioning’

1. What are the problems mentioned in the poem?
A. modern inventions
B. stress and pollution
C. increase in crime rate
D. power failure

2. Why did the poet use many questions in stanza one?
A. to portray that the young generation is stupid
B. to show that the inquisitiveness of a child
C. to ensure that the grandparents answer the questions
D. to portray that children were not educated in the past

3. Which of these lines show comparison between the past and present?
A. Grandchild we lived before your age. Because of our ignorance,..
B. we feared God and nature now nature fears you..
C. Grand dad did you breathe before air cons were invented?
D. Grandma weren’t you flustered as you fluttered with paper fans?

SHORT STORY
ONE IS ONE AND ALL ALONE

Practice 1
Questions 1-3 are based on extracts from the short story ‘One Is One And All Alone’.

You mean. It’s still done.
Certainly. Why to set up a clone laboratory, all that is required…
VP went on and on describing cloning techniques so I decided to press ‘save’ and listen to it all later. For now I have some serious thinking to do.
I’ll tell you what I was thinking. The Biolab in this ship is very big. It has to be, because biology is what this trip is all about- the biology of Trion- what lives there now and what, and who, could live there in the future. At the moment the ships Biolab is deserted. It won’t become busy until we reach Trion.
I need to use it.
I need it all to myself.
I will make a clone. It will be my perfect friend and companion. Perfect, because I am going to clone myself. Make another Me.

1. Why is there no one in the BioLab?
A. No one knows how to use it
B. Experiments has not begun
C. The ship has not reached Trion
D. The BioLab is not perfect.

2. What has Trish decided to do?
A. visit the BioLab
B. make a clone of herself
C. help her father find Trion
D. search for a good friend

3. What was the VoicePrinter doing?
A. describing cloning techniques
B. talking nonsense and irritating Trish
C. playing games with trish
D. printing all that Trish is saying.

Practice 2
Questions 1-3 are based on extracts from the short story ‘ One Is One And All Alone’.

Dear Diary,
I haven’t spoken to you for ages because I have been busy with my new friend Clo.
Clo for Clone. Clo is me. I am Clo. We are identical twins. No, even closer than that. Clo is made of me, from me. We are one. Except that there are two of us- which is tricky. I mean, suppose Dad put his head round the door and saw Two Trishes instead of one!
But I’ve solved that. My cabin door leads to an identical cabin next door. Clo can vanish through that door in a split second.
The next-door cabin is empty of course. All the cabins are. They won’t be filled until the return trip from Trion. So, I sleep here. Clo sleeps there. Clothes, food, toothbrushes?
Well, yes. I now need two of everything- but the ship is loaded with stores. No one notices or cares about an extra toothbrush or an extra towel.

1. Trish does not need to talk to VoicePrinter very often as…
A. she now hates it
B. she has a new companion
C. she has found her mother in Trion
D. she has found her twin sister.

2. Who is Clo?
A. Trish’s friend from Earth
B. Another name given to Trish
C. Identical twin created by Trish
D. Trish’s biological mother.

3. What will all the cabins be used for?
A. To hide Clo.
B. to store things from Trion
C. To store all the toothbrushes and towels.
D. They are actually bedrooms

Practice 3
Questions 1-3 are based on extracts from the short story One Is One And All Alone.

Dear Diary,
I get so lonely, that’s my trouble. I am the only child on this space ship. Everyone else is a grown up with things to do. They’re all busy running the ship or checking their equipment. We will soon land on the planet Trion. Our mission is to find out more about this planet.
Yes, we’re heading for Trion. Now that might sound exciting, but it’s not. It’s not exciting at all.
When we set out, I used to tick off the days on my calendar. We left Earth on 12 March 2045. So I ticked off March 12, 13,14,15…then April, May , June. Then I gave up. We don’t reach Trion until mid-January 2047. By then I’ll be 13.
Dad does his best, he’s always poking his head round my door, grinning at me.
He asks, ‘Hi Trish. How’s things?
Everything all right? How do you fancy meeting me in the diner at 6 o’clock for a chocolate milkshake?
I grin back and say, Yum, Yum! But even as I say it his face changes. The grin is still there but the busy look is back in his eyes.

1. How old is Trish now?
A. 10
B. 11
C. 12
D. 13

2. The expected duration to reach Trion is within
A. 1year
B. 2 years
C. 15 years
D. 47 years

3. Trish’s father is …
A. the only grown up in the ship
B. the only human in the ship
C. always poking fun at Trish
D. an extremely busy person

Practice 4
Questions 1-3 are based on extracts from the short story One Is One And All Alone.

Dad does his best, he’s always poking his head round my door, grinning at me.
He asks, ‘Hi Trish. How’s things?
Everything all right? How do you fancy meeting me in the diner at 6 o’clock for a chocolate milkshake?
I grin back and say, Yum, Yum! But even as I say it his face changes. The grin is still there but the busy look is back in his eyes.
After all he is the ship’s captain.
And I suppose he misses mum as much as I do. Almost as much anyhow. She is on Trion helping set up the space station. Busy Dad, busy Mum.
Which leaves me all alone in front of my VoicePrinter, talking to it, talking and talking. Then I watch it print out what I’ve been saying. It’s my private diary. It corrects my spelling and punctuation. It’s clever. It gives me school lessons, but it also plays game with me. My favourite game is Pop Star, where I can act out being a pop star on VP’s enormous screen.
I can switch it from Diary to Dialogue too. I suppose it’s my best friend, really. I’m going to switch from Diary to Dialogue now…

1. Who is the captain of the ship?
A. Trish
B. Trish’s Dad
C. Trish’s Mum
D. The VoicePrinter

2. Trish’s best friend is
A. her dad
B. her mum
C. her voiceprinter
D. no one.

3. The Voiceprinter is able to do all of the following except…
A. correct spelling and punctuation errors.
B. print whatever Trish says
C. play a game called Pop Star.
D. read Trish’s mind

Practice 5
Questions 1-3 are based on extracts from the short story One Is One And All Alone.

And those are only the small things.
To be truthful, I can’t stand the way Clo’s mind works. I can’t stand Clo’s corny jokes and her dismal sulks. I can’t stand Clo’s laugh or eating habits or finger picking. And I won’t stand Clo intruding on my most private and personal thoughts.
One of the features of this ship is its disposal system. There are five big hatches, each one marked ‘DISPOSAL’. You open the hatch, put the thing you want to get rid of into the hole, and whoosh it’s gone. Disposed of for ever in infinite space. One of the five hatches happen to be outside my cabin, in the corridor. There’s never anyone in the corridor at night.
There you are then. Tonight’s the night. I’ll be disposing of something definitely. I am going to write a note to go with the item. The note will read, ‘Goodbye, Clo. Have a good trip. Yours never, Trish.

.
1. All of the following things about Clo makes Trish angry except…
A. for the way Clo jokes
B. for how Clo sulks
C. for Clo’s looks
D. for the wat Clo’s thinks.

2. How many hatches are there for disposal?
A. two
B. three
C. four
D. five

3. Trish intended to dispose Clo by
A. giving her a note
B. asking her to go away
C. putting her into the disposal system
D. telling her father about Clo.

Practice 6
Questions 1-3 are based on extracts from the short story One Is One And All Alone.

One of the features of this ship is its disposal system. There are five big hatches, each one marked ‘DISPOSAL’. You open the hatch, put the thing you want to get rid of into the hole, and whoosh it’s gone. Disposed of for ever in infinite space. One of the five hatches happen to be outside my cabin, in the corridor. There’s never anyone in the corridor at night.
There you are then. Tonight’s the night. I’ll be disposing of something definitely. I am going to write a note to go with the item. The note will read, ‘Goodbye, Clo. Have a good trip. Yours never, Trish.
Well, it wouldn’t be murder, would it? How could it be? You can’t be charged with murdering yourself, can you? You couldn’t even be charged with suicide because there will still be one person left and that person will be alive- walking and talking, eating and sleeping.
So, it’s foolproof. “Goodbye, Clo. Yours never Trish.”

1. What is Trish planning?
A. She wants to destroy Clo
B. She wants to dispose garbage
C. She wants to kill herself
D. She wants to tell her family the truth.

2. The phrase “one person’ refers to
A. Trish’s Dad
B. Trish’s Mum
C. Clo
D. Trish herself.

3. The words on the note, “ Yours never” implies that Trish…
A. Loves Clo very much
B. Hates Clo
C. Never wanted a friend
D. Loves to be alone

Practice 7
Questions 1-3 are based on extracts from the short story One Is One And All Alone.

Last night Clo did something I cannot forgive. I was thinking about Mum. I am always thinking of her- and I suppose I gave a sort of sigh and murmured, ‘Oh, Mum.”
As I said it, Clo said precisely the same thing. ‘Oh,Mum.” Clo said precisely the same thing and gave a sigh.
Now that’s going too far, don’t you angry. I mean my is my mum. Nothing to do with Clo. Mu mum, mine only.
I’m not going to put up with this kind of thing. It’s like being swamped, invaded, taken over. She wears the same clothes as me. And crossword puzzles! And how would you like it when, after puzzling over a clue for ages, you finally find the answer and shout it out “NAVIGATOR!”- and at that very moment, hear a voice from the cabin next door shout “NAVIGATOR!”.
And those are only the small things.

1. Why was Trish so angry with Clo?
A. Clo calls her ‘Mum”
B. She does not want Clo to share her mother
C. She has to learn to share things
D. Clo imitates her all the time.

2. All of the following events made Trish angry, except…
A. They wear the same clothes
B. Clo solves the puzzle at the same time
C. She solves the puzzles faster
D. Clo calls Trish’s mother as her mum.

3. Trish is always thinking of …
A. Clo
B. Her father
C. Her mother
D. Herself

Practice 8
Questions 1-3 are based on extracts from the short story One Is One And All Alone.

Over and done with. Finished and forgotten.
No, that’s not true. There’s no question about forgetting. Just the opposite. Every minute of every hour. I mentally hug myself and give a silent shout. Of “Whoopp! Yarroop! Hooray! Finally Free! Alone at last!”
Even dad noticed a change in me. “You’re looking wonderful today,” he said.
“Suddenly you’re bright as a button.”
‘I feel terrific! I said. “Can I have a chocolate milkshake?’
“Have as many as you like.”
“Just one.” I said. “Only one. One’s enough isn’t it? Who needs two? There’s only one Me. No longer do I have to remind another me to wipe chocolate from it’s greedy mouth. No longer do I have to listen to that other Me’s corny “Yum,yum! Noises whenever chocolate milkshakes are mentioned. From now on, there’s only one me.
You have no idea how wonderful it feels, how bright the future looks.

1. Dad shows surprise at his daughter’s good mood because…
A. usually Trish hates chocolate milkshake
B. Trish is usually moody
C. She likes to talk to the Voice Printer
D. Trish is always hot tempered.

2. What has happened to Clo?
A. She is now dead
B. She is living the life of Trish
C. She is sleeping
D. She left because she was unhappy.

3. Clo’s feelings can be described as …
A. extremely happy
B. very sad
C. disappointed
D. very confused

Practice 9
Questions 1-3 are based on extracts from the short story One Is One And All Alone.

One of the features of this ship is its disposal system. There are five big hatches, each one marked ‘DISPOSAL’. You open the hatch, put the thing you want to get rid of into the hole, and whoosh it’s gone. Disposed of for ever in infinite space. One of the five hatches happen to be outside my cabin, in the corridor. There’s never anyone in the corridor at night. There you are then. Tonight’s the night. I’ll be disposing of something definitely. I am going to write a note to go with the item. The note will read, ‘Goodbye, Clo. Have a good trip. Yours never, Trish.

1. The word ‘item’ refers to
A. the dustbin
B. garbage
C. Clo
D. the note

2. What is Trish planning as in the extract?
A. to clear her space
B. clear the garbage
C. destroy her clone
D. write notes to Clo.

3. What is the function of a ‘hatch’?
A. to store things
B. to throw garbage
C. a place to send letters or notes
D. to keep clothes

Practice 10
Questions 1-3 are based on extracts from the short story One Is One And All Alone.

VP went on and on describing cloning techniques so I decided to press ‘save’ and listen to it all later. For now I have some serious thinking to do.
I’ll tell you what I was thinking. The Biolab in this ship is very big. It has to be, because biology is what this trip is all about- the biology of Trion- what lives there now and what, and who, could live there in the future. At the moment the ships Biolab is deserted. It won’t become busy until we reach Trion.
I need to use it.
I need it all to myself.

1. Why does Trish need to use the BioLab?
A. she wants to play
B. to create a clone
C. to investigate who is in Trion
D. she will do some research on her own.

2. What is VP?
A. Vice President
B. Very Popular
C. Voice Printer
D. Very Proud

3. The word ‘deserted’ means
A. dry as a desert
B. no air and water
C. not being used
D. very dry

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SHORT STORY “ONE IS ONE AND ALL ALONE”

SHORT STORY “ONE IS ONE AND ALL ALONE”
“One is one and all alone” is a science fiction. The story takes place in the year 2045. The main character is a girl who is eleven. Her name is Trish. She is on board a spaceship traveling to a planet called Trion. Her mother has gone to Trion earlier. Her father is traveling with her in the spaceship. She is very lonely because her father is very busy with work. She has no siblings and friends. A computer becomes her diary. This computer teaches her language and spelling. She also plays games. She loves to play a game called Pop Star where she acts as a pop star. The computer teaches her about the word ‘clone’. This gives her an idea. She makes a clone of herself and calls it Clo. Clo and Trish are identical. They even think the same way. At first Trish was happy to have Clo to accompany her but things began to change. Having a clone as a companion was fun at first but soon the clone wore the girl down. She was so fed up that she decided to get rid of the clone. However, there is a twist to the story. As clones can think alike, it was Clo who actually got rid of Trish by dumping her outside the space-ship as space rubbish. She then took on the role of Trish for the rest of the journey.

Plot

1.
Exposition
- This is where the story begins and we are introduced to the characters.

Introduction
 It is the year 2045
 Trish is in a spaceship heading to Trion
 She is expected to reach Trion in 2047
 Soon she began to feel bored.

2.
Rising Action-
This is the part of the story that causes a tension
Action Starts
 Trish’s only companion is her VoicePrinter(VP). It is her playmate, tutor and friend.
 She yearns for someone her age to talk to
 VP teaches her about cloning
 Trish gets an idea on how to have a real friend
 She makes a clone of herself.
 She calls it ‘Clo”

3.
Climax-
In this part of the story, the tension is at its highest
Problem
 Trish and Clo become good friends
 Trish gets tired of ‘Clo”
 Their friendship turns sour.
 Trish feels annoyed with Clo when Clo begins to refer to her mother as her own mother

4.
Falling Action-

Anti Climax
 Trish decides to get rid of Clo via the disposal system
 Trish forgets that Clo can read her mind
 Before Trish could dispose her, Clo disposes Trish.
 Trish gets disposed
 Clo is now Trish

5.
Resolution-
This part of the story presents the outcome of the attempt to clear the tension.

Problems Resolved
 Clo enjoys her new life as Trish
 Clo reminds herself that she is now Trish
 No one realizes that Clo is Trish.

Setting

The story is set in the year 2045. The main setting is the spaceship. The places mentioned in the story are; the spaceship corridor, toilet, diner, cabin, laboratory ( this is where Trish made her clone called Clo), store and the disposal system.

Characters

 Trish- She is the main character in the story. She is eleven years old and the only child on board the spaceship. She has no friends, thus she feel lonely and bored. She is intelligent and brave. She miscalculated her move as Clo is as smart as her.
 Clo – She is clone. Her name is given by Trish. She is shrewd as she figured out what Trish planned to do. She is quick thinking as she beats Trish at her own game and she wins as she kills Trish. She has no regrets about taking Trish’s place and living as Trish.
 Trish’s Father- He is an Executive Officer of the spaceship. He is very busy with work. Sometimes he has chocolate milkshakes at the diner with Trish.
 Trish’s Mum- She is as busy as Trish’s father. She is highly qualified and she is working at a space station in Trion. She will only be meeting Trish in 2047.
 VoicePrinter- It is an intelligent computer. Trish can write her thoughts and at the same time converse with the VoicePrinter. It is also a tutor that can correct spelling and punctuation. It is a playmate for Trish. Trish can play games and Trish’s favourite game is Pop Star.

Themes

The theme tells the readers what the story is about. In this story, the author has given us an insight on the importance of interpersonal relationships and the dangers of cloning.

1. Interpersonal Relationship

Every child needs to know that when they have problems, there is someone older around to help them solve their problems. Children must get guidance and develop into balanced individuals, capable of making sound and morally correct decisions. In Trish’s case, she was the only child with her mum and dad being very busy with work she needed friendship and someone to talk to.

2. Cloning can be dangerous

This story has shown us that cloning is possible whereby we can make another human being identical to an existing living human being. This story ha also shown us on how things can go wrong and have serious consequences. Clo does not feel bad or remorse after she disposed Trish and she continues living as Trish.

Moral Values

The values in this story relates to the characters. They actually relate to qualities of the characters. The story teaches us to think carefully before we take certain actions. Another lesson is that we must not be cruel to others.

1. Think before you leap
We must think carefully before we do anything. We must always think through the problem. We should not make emotional decisions. We must try to be as rational as we possibly can. Sometimes when we make emotional decisions, they may not be rational ones. As a child Trish did not think of the consequences of her actions. She thought they were harmless. In the end, Clo outsmarts her and disposes her.

2. Family Bonding

Family bonding is very importance. Parents should try their best to guide and nurture their children. The parents must be there as the child grows up and learn habits and skills. In the story, Trish is left alone and yearns for her parents company. She spends most of her time alone or with the machine- the VoicePrinter. There is no true family bonding and there is also no bonding with friends her age. She gets involved in cloning as there was no parental guidance and she does not realize the implications.

Tone and Mood

The ordinary tone is felt in the beginning. This is when Trish says that she is lonely and needs a companion. However, the tone changes to something out of the ordinary. This is when Trish decides to make a clone. She makes “another Me” in the BioLab. Later Trish decides to get rid of Clo but Trish gets killed instead.

Language and Style

The author uses the pronoun “I” in the story. The style of writing is very simple and straightforward. Nonetheless, there is a mixture of prose, diary entries and dialogue. The diary entries are feelings and thoughts of Trish. The dialogue is mainly between her and her VoicePrinter.

Literary Devices

Irony Page 52
-“I can’t stand the way Clo’s mind works. I can’t Clo’s corny jokes, and her dismal sulks. I can’t stand Clo’s laugh or eating habits or her finger picking.”

Trish finds Clo’s habits as irritating. She does not see that all those habits that she hates are all her own habits. This is ironic.
Imagery Page 48-49
-“Rolling bits of skin around a fingernail.” and “They writhe and fiddle all the time.”

Page 52-53
- “You open the hatch, put the thing you want to get rid of into the hole, and whoosh its’ gone.”
The readers can actually visualize what Clo is doing with her fingers.

This description of Trish opening the hatch and putting ‘the thing’ into it is an image of horror. It makes Trish seem so cruel.

ONE IS ONE AND ALL ALONE

A little girl on a two year journey to a space station bored out of her wits decided to use the space-ship lab to clone herself with the help from a machine called the Voice-Printer. Having a clone as a companion was fun at first but soon the clone wore the girl down. She was so fed up that she decided to get rid of the clone. However, there is a twist to the story.

As clones can think alike, it was Clo who actually got rid of Trish by dumping her outside the space-ship as space rubbish. She then took on the role of Trish for the rest of the journey.

QWERTYUIOP

QWERTYUIOP (Vivien Alcock)
SYNOPSIS
‘QWERTYUIOP’ is about a poor, young graduate named Lucy Beck who has just finished her ‘O’ levels at Belmont Secretarial College. She is a slow learner herself but she is determined to find a job in order to get out of poverty. Fortunately, she is offered a job by Mr. Ross, the Manager of Ross and Bannister’s. However, she begins to face problems from her first day of work. She encounters many peculiar incidents when she starts using the electric typewriter. Whenever Lucy types, the words “QWERYUIOP” which is on the top lines on the keyboards will keep on appearing. She is determined to keep on her job, so she tries to overcome her fear. Later, she finds out that there is a spirit lingering around the office. She finds out from that Miss Broome, a former secretary of the late Mr Bannister was forced to retire after working for forty-three years. That was why the spirit of Miss Broome is adamant in holding on to her position as the company’s secretary. Towards the end of the story, Lucy tries to get rid of the spirit that has been haunting that place for many years. She assured Miss Broome that the late Mr Bannister needs her in the afterlife. She managed to convince Miss Broome to leave and finally she could maintain her job.


SETTING
The story was set in a small town, Belmont and it revolves around two main settings: Ø Lucy’s house which she shares with her mother and her Uncle Bert,In a poor neighbourhoodØ The office of Ross and Bannister’s where Lucy works as a secretary.It is a small firm which is over thirty years old.

PLOT
Exposition-
The main character, Lucy Beck is introduced and she lives with her mother and uncle. She has completed her secretarial course and wants a job. She is tried living in poverty and wants to lead a better life.

Rising Action~Lucy managed to get a job as a secretary at Ross and Bannister’s after being interviewed by Mr. Ross. Harry Darke explained to Lucy that she needs to use the typewriter to do her work. Whenever Lucy types, the typewriter tries to control her. The word “QWERTYUIOP” keeps on appearing each time she types. Lucy types questions in order to investigate the mystery behind it. Harry Darke informs her of the old former secretary, the late Miss Broome, who was forced to resign.

Climax – Lucy is determined to defend her job and she started to type another copy by fixing her eyes on the keys. She was surprised when the typewriter typed out a threatening note. Through the battle of wits between Lucy and the spirit of Miss Broome at the typewriter, Lucy managed to gather all her courage. She erased all the words and she managed to type all her letters and sent it to be signed by Mr Ross.

Falling action – Lucy feels sorry for Miss Broome after she heard about Miss Broome’s loneliness and depression after losing her job. She sympathized Miss Broome and tries to persuade her to leave in peace. Lucy convinced her that Mr Bannister needs her help in the afterlife.

Resolution - The typewriter become silent and Lucy types a goodbye note to Miss Broome. There was no reply and Lucy was relieved as she has finally helped the spirit of Miss Broome to find peace at last.

CHARACTERS
LUCY BECK A young seventeen year old lady who got a job as a secretary at Ross and Banister’sCharacteristics:She is a young, shy, a low achiever, not competent and highly qualified and insecure graduate of secretarial studies. Textual evidence: Lucy Beck was young and small and mouse-coloured, easily overlooked.She had a lonely ‘O’ level and a typing speed that would make a tortoise laugh.

Characteristics:She has a very low self esteem, inferior complex, no confidence and pessimistic Textual evidence: She is wondering who will employ her as she is aware of her inadequacies.Lucy assumes that there are more qualified and brighter people than her who are qualified for the job vacancy.
Characteristics:She became ambitious, determined and optimistic to change her life style.Textual evidence: Lucy is tired of being poor and she is fed up with macaroni cheese and baked beans. She is also sick of wearing second-hand clothes. She gathered her strength and determined to get a job to get out of poverty. Characteristics:Lucy becomes enthusiastic and a quick learner when she got a job. She also became courageous when she has to face the conflict with the spirit of Miss Broom.Textual evidence: Lucy got a job at Ross and Bannister’, a small firm with a factory just outside the town. She is so excited so came to her work place on Monday morning, at ten to nine and waited as the door to the office is closed. She faces problems when each time she types, the word ‘QWERTYUIOP” appears on the paper. When she finds that it was the ghost of Miss Broom, she became courageous and keep typing and liquid the unwanted words and reached the end of the letter by triumph.
Characteristics:Lucy became sympathetic, caring, insightful and understanding after knowing Miss Broome’s history. She took the initiative to look for an amicable solution.Textual evidence: Lucy is shocked when she heard the news about Miss Broome from Harry Darke. She was forced to stop working after she had been working for forty three years. Lucy sympathizes Miss Broomeand tells her that Mr Bannister is only acting out of concern as he was worried of her health. Lucy managed to convince Miss Broome that the late Mr Bannister needs her help in the after life.

GHOST OF MS.BROOME : The spirit of Ms Broome who haunts the office where she once worked as she is so attached to her job.
Characteristics:Loyal, dedicated and took her job seriously at Ross and Bannister’s.Textual evidence: Ms Broome had worked for forty three years :girl, woman, old misery. She is unwilling to let go of her position and continues to defend her post, even after her demise.
Characteristics:Lonely as she had no family and friends.Textual evidence: The office was her home; the job was all she lived for as she did not have any family of her own. She had no place worth to go and she insists to stay on.Characteristics:She is persistence, vengeful and also possessive over her secretarial job at Ross and Bannister’s.Textual evidence: Miss Broome dies but she does not want to leave her job and insist to stay on. She types nasty messages to new secretaries to instill fear. The typewriter rocked as if with laughter, its keys clicking like badly fitting false teeth. She creates havoc with intention to scare those who will replace her place at the office.
Characteristics:Finally she is convinced that she should leave as her help is needed.Textual evidence: Miss Broom leaves the office permanently after Lucy managed to convince her that Mr Bannister needs her help in the afterlife. The typewriter became silent, sunlight glittered on its keys making them looked wet.

HARRY DARKE :Ross and Bannister’s handyman. He is an old man who has been working with the company for years.
Characteristics:Helpful and concernTextual evidence: He does all the odd jobs in the office and helps out new employees. He is helpful in giving useful information to Lucy regarding the spirit of Miss Broome and shows concern to her. He even told Lucy not to be like a frightened mouse, and not to worry.
Characteristics:A loyal worker at Ross and Bannister’s.Textual evidence: He has been working for thirty years with Ross and Bannister’s, retired with a silver watch but still can’t keep away from his job.
Characteristics:Encouraging and supportive to his colleagueTextual evidence: He praises Lucy for her braveness and determination to keep on her job even after she has confronted the spirit of Miss Broome. He said that Lucy is no longer the timid mouse and she is a right little lion. Then he gives her chocolate biscuits with her tea as a credit and encouragement.

LUCY’S MOTHER/ MRS BECKShe is a patient and hardworking housewife who live a hard life. She has to support her brother.
Characteristics:Content with her status in life.Textual evidence: Mrs Beck is satisfied with her status, she said to Lucy that “We are jumble sailors on the rough sea of life.” Thus she accepts her fate and shows no actions or thoughts of wanting more than what she has in life.
Characteristics:Forgiving and compassionateTextual evidence: She had an argument/quarrel with Uncle Bert and had turned him out once. Six weeks later, she asked him to return as she sympathize him. She said he looks so lonely, so lost, living all by himself in a horrid little room with the worn lino and the curtains all shrunk.
Characteristics:PatientTextual evidence: Lucy could not help wishing her mother would sometimes lose her temper, shout, scream, throw saucepans at the spinning, grinning head of Uncle Bert.Characteristics:Low expectationsTextual evidence: She does not expect Lucy to get a job as she was not confident in Lucy’s ability.

UNCLE BERT : A drunkard man who depends on his sister for support.Characteristics:Dependable and irresponsible Textual evidence: He drinks heavily and borrows money from Lucy’s mother.Characteristics:CaringTextual evidence: He is concern of Lucy and thought to prepare her supper since she is now a working girl.

MR. ROSS : Lucy’s boss
Characteristics:Accommodating and concernTextual evidence: He is easy to deal with, willing to help and even offers to do something about the typewriter if any problems continue.

THEMES

DETERMINATION:Lucy has strong determination to keep her job as secretary of Ross and Bannister’s despite the supernatural forces that tries to fail her. Miss Broome’s spirit lingered in the room where Lucy works and demands her to leave but she shows no signs of giving up. Lucy is steadfast in defending her position as the secretary and she battled fearlessly with the spirit of Miss Broome who haunted the typewriter that Lucy was working on. Due to her strong determination, she managed to hold on to her job at the firm.

FAMILY LOVE AND CARELucy’s mother is a responsible lady who takes care of Lucy and her brother despite of the hard life they have to go through. She manages to keep the bond of family love by forgiving Uncle Bert and accepting him back into the family. Lucy also regretted for being rude to Uncle Bert when she sees his shaking hands and miserable eyes, she apologizes and maintain the family bond. Lucy loves her mother and shares her happiness with her mother when she was successful of obtaining a job as a secretary.

COMMITMENT AND LOYALTY:
Lucy and Miss Broome are both committed and loyal to their profession. Lucy takes her work seriously and does the job of typing which was given to her successfully. She has to face the battle with Miss Broome who is still attached to her work even after her death. Lucy did not give up even when Miss Broome demanded her to leave. Miss Broome was so possessive towards her joband also extremely loyal towards Mr. Bannister. Lucy managed to convince her that the late Mr Bannister needs her so she left the office in order to continue her service to Mr Bannister in the after life.

LONELINESS:Miss Broome has no friends and family members, so she commits herself to her job seriously and made the office her home. She became so attached to her position in the office and the feel of possessiveness went beyond the grave. Uncle Bert also felt the loneliness in life and became so dependable on his sister, Mrs Beck.

THE SUPERNATURAL:Supernatural is being above or beyond what is unexplainable and natural by natural law. The character of Miss Broome in this story is presented as an ethereal entity. Her spirit lingered in the office where she used to work and haunts the new young secretaries who are supposed to replace her. She writes nasty messages and tries to drive away those who were choose to replace her. She instill the fear and eerie feelings in their hearts to frighten them.

COMPASSION:The theme of compassion is revealed in the final confrontation between Lucy and Miss Broome. After hearing about Miss Broome’s life history from Harry Darke, Lucy became sympathetic and understanding. She interacts with the spirit of Miss Broome through typing on the typewriter and finally she managed to convince her of leaving the place. She told her that Mr Bannister needs her in the afterlife and the spirit left in peace. Compassion is also revealed by Mrs Beck to her brother who is lonely and needed a place called home. Lucy also had compassion towards her Uncle Bert and sympathize him as he is a lonely person who has no place to go.

MORAL VALUES
Ø In order to be successful in life, we need to have a positive mind setØ On our journey to success, we need to have high level of positive self esteemØ In communication, be compassionate not aggressive as compassion heals while aggression causes hurt.Ø Appreciate and compliment others accordinglyØ Preserve the family ties and unity through understanding and forgiving Ø Do not judge a book by its coverØ We should not underrate people and their creativeness or abilities.

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