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Read the extract and answer the following questions.
Extract:Mukund: The English novelist and academic David Lodge once remarked, “I can’t understand how one man can do all the things he [Eco] does.”
Umberto Eco: Maybe I give the impression of doing many things. But in the end, I am convinced I am always doing the same thing.
Mukund: Which is?
Umberto Eco: Aah, now that is more difficult to explain. I have some philosophical interests and I pursue them through my academic work and my novels. Even my books for children are about nonviolence and peace...you see, the same bunch of ethical, philosophical interests.
(The Interview)
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Question (i)
List any two sensory details present in this extract.
Answer:
Answer as written by the student:
Two sensory details present in this extract are:
- The sound of Eco's voice saying "Aah" to express his difficulty in explaining his work.
- The sight of Eco's books for children that are about nonviolence and peace.
Step-by-step explanation:
- To list any two sensory details present in this extract, we can use strategies such as looking for words or phrases that appeal to one or more of the five senses: sight, hearing, touch, smell, or taste.
- In this extract, there are not many sensory details, as it is mostly a dialogue between two people. However, we can still find some examples of words or phrases that evoke a sensory impression or image in the reader's mind.
- One example is the word "Aah" in the fourth line, which represents the sound of Eco's voice as he tries to explain his work. This word appeals to the sense of hearing and shows Eco's hesitation or uncertainty.
- Another example is the phrase "books for children" in the fifth line, which refers to Eco's novels that are aimed at young readers and have themes of nonviolence and peace. This phrase appeals to the sense of sight and shows Eco's diversity and creativity as a writer.
- Therefore, based on these examples, we can list two sensory details present in this extract.😊
Question (ii)
Complete the sentence appropriately.
The word 'impression' suggests that Eco is aware of how he is __________ by others.
Answer:
Answer as written by the student:
The word 'impression' suggests that Eco is aware of how he is perceived by others.
Step-by-step explanation:
- To complete a sentence appropriately, we can use strategies such as looking for grammatical clues, logical clues, or contextual clues in the text.
- In this extract, we need to find a word that fits in the blank space after 'he is' and before 'by others'.
- A grammatical clue is that we need a verb that agrees with the singular subject 'he' and has an ed ending in the past participle form.
- A logical clue is that we need a verb that expresses how Eco thinks others view or judge him based on his work and achievements.
- A contextual clue is that we can look for words or phrases in the text that might be related to or similar to the missing word.
- One contextual clue is the word 'impression' itself, which means an idea or opinion that someone forms about something or someone based on their appearance or behavior.
- Another contextual clue is the phrase "doing many things" in the second line, which implies that Eco has a lot of different activities or projects that might influence how others see him.
- These clues suggest that we need a verb that means to form an idea or opinion about someone based on their appearance or behavior.
- Therefore, based on these clues, we can infer that the word that completes the sentence is perceived.😊
Question (iii)
Explain any one possible inference that can be drawn from the line "I have some philosophical interests and I pursue them through my academic work and my novels."
Answer:
Answer as written by the student:
One possible inference that can be drawn from this line is that Eco is a versatile and interdisciplinary thinker who combines theory and practice in his work.
Step-by-step explanation:
- To explain a possible inference that can be drawn from a line, we can use strategies such as making logical connections, using background knowledge, or providing examples or evidence to support our answer.
- In this extract, we can infer something about Eco's personality or style of work from his statement that he has some philosophical interests and he pursues them through his academic work and his novels.
- We can make logical connections between his statement and what it implies about him. For example, we can deduce that he is interested in abstract or general ideas and questions about reality, knowledge, morality, etc. , and that he explores them through different forms of expression and communication, such as scholarly research and creative writing.
- We can use our background knowledge to think of some possible examples or evidence that support our inference. For example, we might know that Eco was a professor of semiotics (the study of signs and symbols) at the University of Bologna, and that he wrote several academic books and articles on topics such as linguistics, aesthetics, medieval studies, etc. We might also know that he was a novelist who wrote bestselling books such as The Name of the Rose and Foucault's Pendulum, which incorporated historical fiction, mystery, satire, etc.
- Therefore, based on these strategies, we can explain one possible inference that can be drawn from this line.😊
Question (iv)
What is the name of the literary device that is used in the phrase "I can't understand how one man can do all the things he [Eco] does"?
- Irony
- Personification
- Allusion
- Hyperbole
Answer:
Answer as written by the student:
(d) Hyperbole
Step-by-step explanation:
- To answer this question, we need to use our background knowledge or do some research to find out what different literary devices are and how they are used in language and literature.
- According to some sources (such as https://literarydevices.net/), a literary device is a technique that writers use to create special effects or meanings in their texts. Some common literary devices are irony, personification, allusion, hyperbole, etc.
- Irony is the use of words or situations that convey a meaning that is opposite or different from what is expected or intended. For example, "The fire station burned down."
- Personification is the use of human qualities or characteristics to describe nonhuman things or entities. For example, "The wind whispered through the trees."
- Allusion is the use of a reference or mention of something or someone that is wellknown or famous, such as a person, place, event, work of art, etc. For example, "He was a real Romeo with the ladies."
- Hyperbole is the use of exaggeration or overstatement for emphasis or effect. For example, "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse."
- In this extract, the phrase "I can't understand how one man can do all the things he [Eco] does" is used by David Lodge to express his admiration and astonishment for Eco's work and achievements.
- This phrase uses hyperbole as a literary device, because it exaggerates or overstresses how many or how difficult the things that Eco does are.
- The word 'all' implies that Eco does everything possible or imaginable, which is obviously not true or realistic.
- The word 'can't' implies that Lodge is unable to comprehend or appreciate Eco's work, which is also not true or realistic.
- Therefore, based on these clues, we can infer that the phrase uses hyperbole as a literary device.😊
Question (v)
Identify the line from the text that shows a similarity between Eco's academic work and his novels.
Answer:
Answer as written by the student:
The line from the text that shows a similarity between Eco's academic work and his novels is "I have some philosophical interests and I pursue them through my academic work and my novels."
Step-by-step explanation:
- To identify a line from the text that shows a similarity between Eco's academic work and his novels, we can use strategies such as looking for words or phrases that indicate a connection, comparison, or similarity between two things or ideas.
- In this extract, there are two main types of work that Eco does: academic work and novels. We can look for words or phrases in the text that indicate a similarity between these two types of work, such as 'and', 'both', 'also', 'similarly', 'likewise', etc.
- One line from the text that contains such a word is "I have some philosophical interests and I pursue them through my academic work and my novels."
- This line shows a similarity between Eco's academic work and his novels by using the word 'and' to connect them as two ways of pursuing his philosophical interests.
- This line also shows a similarity by using the same verb 'pursue' to describe how Eco engages with his philosophical interests through both his academic work and his novels.
- Therefore, based on these clues, we can identify this line as the one that shows a similarity between Eco's academic work and his novels.😊
Question (vi)
What does the word 'ethical' mean in this context?
- Moral or principled
- Logical or rational
- Aesthetic or artistic
- Cultural or social
Answer:
Answer as written by the student:
(a) Moral or principled
Step-by-step explanation:
- To find the meaning of a word in context, we can use strategies such as looking for synonyms, antonyms, definitions, examples, or clues in the surrounding text.
- In this extract, the word 'ethical' is used to describe one of Eco's philosophical interests that he pursues through his work.
- We can look for clues in the text that might indicate what kind of interest this is and how it relates to the word 'ethical'.
- One clue is the word 'philosophical' itself, which suggests that this interest is related to abstract or general ideas and questions about reality, knowledge, morality, etc.
- Another clue is the phrase "books for children are about nonviolence and peace" in the fifth line, which implies that this interest is related to values or principles that guide human behavior and actions towards others.
- These clues imply that this interest is concerned with what is right or wrong, good or bad, fair or unfair, etc., in human affairs.
