FURTHER READING A. other Stories Featuring Surprise Ending 1."The Gift of the Magi"by O Henry Like Saki, O. Henry is a master of irony and surprise endings. His short story. " The Gift of the Magi", in which a poor but loving young couple sell their only valuable things to give each other special Christmas gifts, is famous for its ironic twist, surprise ending and affirmation of unselfish love For more, read the story. 2. "Mammon and the Archer by O Henry Mammon and the Archer"is considered to be one of o. Henry's best stories and also features surprise ending. It depicts a self-made millionaire, Anthony Rockwall, who does not belong to the same aristocratic circle as his neighbors but whose son is trying to marry one of the aristocratic daughters, believes that money can buy everything and tries to prove it by using his money to stage an elaborate event that helps his son win his bride For more. read the stor B More short stories by Saki 1."The Storyteller" Once upon a time there was a little girl called Bertha, who was extra-ordinarily good. She was so good that she won several medals for goodness, which she always wore. They were large metal medals and they clicked against one another as she walked. The Prince of the country got to hear about her goodness, and allowed her to walk in his park once a week. One day, when she was walking in the park there came an enormous wolf Read the story to see what happens next 2.“ The Interlopers The two enemies stand glaring at each other for a long silent moment. Each has a rifle in his hand; each has hate in his heart and murder in his mind. Suddenly, a fierce shriek of the storm is answered by a splitting crash over their heads, and before they can leap aside a mass of falling beech tree has thundered down on them Read the story to see what happens next. Note: You can easily find the complete text of these stories on the Internet. Just type the titles into a search engine and you will find them. You can also find more stories by Saki by typing his name into a search engine 17
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UNIT 2 THE NECKLACE BASED ON A STORY BY GUY DE MAUPASSANT GETTING READY TO READ 1 The story and You In"The Necklace", you will meet Mr and Mrs Loisel. One day, they attend a grand party It changes the next ten years of their lives. Have you ever attended a grand party? What have you done to prepare for the party? If you were to attend a grand party, what preparations would you make? 2. About the Author Guy de Maupassant (1850-1893)is one of the greatest short story writers in the world He was bon and grew up in Normandy, France. When he was working as a government clerk, he began learning writing from the famous writer, Gustave Flaubert. Like most of Maupassant's short stories, "The Necklace"was an instant success as soon as published and has become his most widely read story. "The Necklace"reflects his first-hand knowledge of the world of civil servants and the middle class 3. Looking Ahead Look at the illustration on the left and the two lines that introduce the story on Page 20 Which character in the picture do you think is the major, or most important, character in the story? What object is the woman looking at in the mirror? Why do you think the woman at the bottom left looks so upset? Read on to see if you are right 19
THE NECKLACE BASED ON A STORY BY GUY DE MAUPASSANT PART 1 A young French woman is the major character in"The Necklace".This is one of the most famous short stories ever written. M tilda was pretty and charming young woman, but her l.mily was very poor She had no way of meeting a rich and distinguished man, so she married a clerk at the Department of Education. I1l Matilda was unhappy and suffered terribly. She was unhappy because she thoug she was born to enjoy the luxuries of life. She dreamed of having tine gowns and jewels. She longed for a beautiful house with servants. She imagined herself talking to rich and famous peopl Yet her own husband. Mr Loisel, was hardly a rich and famous man. At dinner he would lift the lidl of a pot and silv,"Ah, vou ve made some stew. Theres nothing I like more than a goo stew. "And she would be dreaming about delicious dinners served on beautiful plates with expensive silverware But she had no tine dresses, no jewels, nothing. She dressed simply because she could not afford to dress well. She disliked the apartment she lived in. she hated its dirty walls Ind worn-out chairs and ugly curtains She thought that she deserved better things. 121 She had a friend, Jeanne Forester, who was rich. They were classmates years ago. But Matilda visited her friend less and less these days. Matilda always felt very poor when she returned to her own apartment One evening Mr Loisel came home with a big smile on his face l1 Direct characterization: What is Matilda like at the beginning of the story? 121 Comparing contrasting: What are the differences between her imagined life and real life? ① luxury奢侈,华 ②gown(女的)礼服 sew肉(尤指肉和蔬菜饨成的菜看) ④ silverware银器 20
lere, " he said, handing Matilda an envelope. " Here is something you will like. She eagerly opened the envelope and pulled out a little card On it were printed these words: The Minister of Education and His Wife Invite You to a Party Monday Evening, January 18 At the Minister's House Instead of being delighted, as her husband had hoped, Matilda frowned"and tossed s the invitation on the table What do you expect me to do with that?"she asked But my dear, "said Mr Loisel, " I thought you would be pleased. You dont go out very often, and this is a special event. Many important people will be there. I had a lot of trouble getting the invitation. She looked at him and said, annoved."And what do you expect me to wear to the party? He had not thought about that. Why, "he said, "what about the green dress you sometimes wear That looks very pretty to me. You could ③fown皱眉 ④tos扔,抛,掷