Read the extract and answer the following questions-
Extract :
GERRARD : You’ll let me go, and thank God you didn’t shoot sooner.
INTRUDER : Come on. What’s on your mind! Better be quick. This conversation bores me. GERRARD : Your idea is to elude the police by killing me and taking on my identity? INTRUDER : Yes, I like the idea.
GERRARD : But are you sure it’s going to help you?
INTRUDER : Now listen here. I’ve got this all planned. I did a job in town. Things went wrong and I killed a cop. Since then I’ve done nothing but dodge.
GERRARD : And this is where dodging has brought you?
INTRUDER : It brought me to Aylesbury. That’s where I saw you in the car. Two other people saw you and started to talk. I listened. It looks like you’re a bit queer — kind of a mystery man.
GERRARD : A mystery which I propose to explain.
INTRUDER : (disregarding him) You phone your orders and sometimes you go away suddenly and come back just the same. Those are just the things I want to do. Hearing about you was one of my luckiest breaks.
GERRARD : Apparently you haven’t the intelligence to ask why I am invested in this cloak of mystery.
(If I were you )
Question (i)
What did Intruder do in town that made him a wanted criminal? Answer in one word.
Answer:
Answer as written by the student:
Murder
Step by step explanation:
- 👉 To answer this question, we need to identify what Intruder did in town that made him a wanted criminal.
- 👉 The extract is a dialogue between Gerrard and Intruder. Gerrard is the owner of the house where the scene takes place. Intruder is a criminal who has broken into the house and wants to steal Gerrard's identity.
- 👉 The extract reveals that Intruder did a job in town, but things went wrong and he killed a cop. He says "I did a job in town. Things went wrong and I killed a cop. Since then I’ve done nothing but dodge."
- 👉 Killing a cop is a serious crime that would make Intruder a wanted criminal. The word that describes this crime is murder, which means the unlawful killing of another person.
- 👉 Therefore, the answer is murder. 🔪
Question (ii)
Why does Intruder think that Gerrard is a mystery man? Answer in about 40 words.
Answer:
Answer as written by the student:
Intruder thinks that Gerrard is a mystery man because he has heard some rumours about him from other people. He says that he saw Gerrard in a car in Aylesbury and two other people started to talk about him. They said that he was a bit queer, kind of a mystery man, who phoned his orders and sometimes went away and came back suddenly.
Step by step explanation:
- 👉 To answer this question, we need to find out why Intruder thinks that Gerrard is a mystery man and what evidence he has for it.
- 👉 The extract shows that Intruder thinks that Gerrard is a mystery man because he has heard some rumours about him from other people. He says "It brought me to Aylesbury. That’s where I saw you in the car. Two other people saw you and started to talk. I listened. It looks like you’re a bit queer — kind of a mystery man."
- 👉 The extract also shows that Intruder has some information about Gerrard's behaviour that makes him seem mysterious. He says "You phone your orders and sometimes you go away suddenly and come back just the same ." These actions suggest that Gerrard has some secret or hidden agenda.
- 👉 Therefore, Intruder thinks that Gerrard is a mystery man because he has heard some rumours about him from other people and has some information about his behaviour that makes him seem mysterious. 🕵️
Question (iii)
Read the following statements (a)-(c) and identify which one is an example of irony in the extract.
- (a) You’ll let me go, and thank God you didn’t shoot sooner.
- (b) Your idea is to elude the police by killing me and taking on my identity?
- (c) Hearing about you was one of my luckiest breaks.
Answer:
Answer as written by the student:
(a) You’ll let me go, and thank God you didn’t shoot sooner.
Step by step explanation:
- 👉 To answer this question, we need to understand what irony is and how to recognize it in the extract.
- 👉 Irony is a form of expression or situation that conveys the opposite of what one expects or intends. It usually involves a contrast or contradiction between appearance and reality.
- 👉 Statement (a) is an example of irony in the extract because it conveys the opposite of what Gerrard expects or intends. He says this to Intruder as if he were pleading for his life, but he actually has a plan to escape from him. He does not really want Intruder to let him go or thank God for not shooting him sooner. He says this to trick Intruder into thinking that he is helpless and scared.
- 👉 Statement (b) is not an example of irony in the extract because it does not convey the opposite of what Gerrard expects or intends. He says this to Intruder as a question that challenges his logic and motive. He does not really agree with Intruder's idea or think that it will work. He says this to dissuade Intruder from killing him.
- 👉 Statement (c) is not an example of irony in the extract because it does not convey the opposite of what Intruder expects or intends. He says this to Gerrard as a statement that expresses his confidence and satisfaction. He really thinks that hearing about Gerrard was one of his luckiest breaks or opportunities. He says this to show that he has found his perfect target.
- 👉 Therefore, statement (a) is an example of irony in the extract. 😏
Question (iv)
State TRUE or FALSE.
Gerrard agrees with Intruder's plan to kill him and take on his identity.
Answer:
Answer as written by the student:
FALSE
Step by step explanation:
- 👉 To answer this question, we need to find out if Gerrard agrees with Intruder's plan to kill him and take on his identity.
- 👉 The extract shows that Gerrard does not agree with Intruder's plan to kill him and take on his identity. He tries to dissuade Intruder from killing him by asking him questions that challenge his logic and motive. He also has a plan to escape from him by using his wit and courage.
- 👉 For example, he asks him "But are you sure it’s going to help you?", "Why add murder to your other crimes? It’s a grave step you’re taking", "Admitted you’ve nothing to lose, but what have you to gain?", etc. These questions show that he does not agree with Intruder's plan or think that it will work.
- 👉 Therefore, the statement that Gerrard agrees with Intruder's plan to kill him and take on his identity is false. 🙅