One is One and All Alone

One is One and All Alone by Nicholas Fisk is a science

fiction story, set in 2045. The main character is Trish, an !
year old "irl #ho is the only child on a s$aceshi$ to Trion. %er
father is the &'ec(ti)e Officer of the s$aceshi$ and her mother
is in Trion hel$in" to set ($ a s$ace station. *he #ill only meet
her mother in mid +an(ary 204,.
After three months, she feels lonely and bored as she does
not ha)e any real friends to talk to e'ce$t her $ri)ate, m(lti!
f(nctional diary- the .oice/rinter 0./1. ./ is an intelli"ent
com$(ter #hich kee$s Trish entertained #ith its ability to
$erform many f(nctions.
Thro("h her dialo"(e sessions #ith ./, Trish learns
abo(t clones and the clonin" $rocess. The idea of clonin"
fascinates Trish and she soon decides to create a clone to kee$
her com$any in the s$aceshi$ 2iolab #itho(t her father3s
kno#led"e. *he names her ne# identical t#in 4lo and initially
it becomes her $erfect friend and com$anion. They ha)e f(n
$layin" and sharin" their time to"ether.
%o#e)er, certain mannerism of 4lo be"ins to irritate
Trish as the clone beha)es and thinks like her. *oon they start to
ar"(e and disa"ree #ith each other o)er tri)ial matters. The last
stra# ha$$ens one ni"ht #hen 4lo starts referrin" to Trish3s
m(m as her m(m and this ($sets Trish as she feels her $ri)acy
is bein" in)aded.
The ne't day, Trish o$ens ($ her diary and confides in
./ that she does not like to be s#am$ed, in)aded and taken
o)er. At that instant, she decides to dis$ose off 4lo fore)er
thro("h the 56*/O*A7 hatch near her cabin.
The story ends #ith a t#ist #hen it is Trish #ho is
dis$osed by 4lo. 4lo then ass(mes Trish3s identity and Trish3s
dad is not a#are of the chan"e at all. 4lo then en8oys bein" one
is one and all alone and her ne# lease of life as Trish in the
s$aceshi$.
Comprehension quiz: Give short responses to the questions below.
1. What is the title of the short story?
__________________________________
2. Where does the story tae pla!e?
___________________________________
". When does the story tae pla!e?
___________________________________
#. $ow many !hildren are there on the spa!eship?
_______________________
%. What is the name of the planet the spa!eship is headin& to?
______________
'. What is (rish)s favourite drin? _______________
*. Where does (rish !reate her identi!al twin?
_________________________
+. What is the name of the intelli&ent !omputer that tals to (rish?
_______________
,. What is Clo)s annoyin& habit? _______________
1-. $ow does (rish plan to ill Clo? ___________________
11. Who &ets illed in the end? _________________
12. .oes (rish)s father noti!e the differen!e in his dau&hter at the
end of the story? _________
Write (/01 or 23451 for ea!h statement below.
1. (rish was on board a spa!eship to another planet.
_____________
2. (rish dislied drinin& !ho!olate milshae.
_____________
". (rish !ould tal to the 6oi!e7rinter.
_____________
#. (rish learnt about !lonin& from the 6oi!e7rinter.
_____________
%. Clo and (rish slept in the same !abin.
_____________
'. (rish soon found Clo)s habit irritatin&.
_____________
*. 8n the end9 (rish disposed of Clo.
_____________
+. 1ven dad mistoo Clo for (rish.
_____________
1:er!ise
67 went on and on des!ribin& !lonin& te!hniques so 8 de!ided
to press ;5ave) and listen to it later. 2or now9 8 had some serious
thinin& to do.
8)ll tell you what 8 was thinin&. (he <io4ab in this ship is very
bi&. 8t has to be be!ause biolo&y is what is this trip is all about = the
biolo&y of (rion = what lives there now and what9 and who9 !ould
live there in the future. 3t the moment the ship)s <io4ab is deserted.
8t won)t be!ome busy until we rea!h (rion.
/ead the e:tra!ts below and answer the questions that follow.
1. Why did (rish press ;5ave)?
3. (o !opy later.
<. (o write in her diary
C. (o tal to the 67 later.
.. (o listen to what 67 said later.
2. 67 was the ___________.
3. $at!h
<. 4aboratory
C. 6oi!e7rinter
.. !abin
". (he intention of the trip to (rion was to _________.
3. Clone people
<. 5tart a !ountry
C. 5tudy the people there
.. 5tudy the biolo&y of the planet
4. 8f a pla!e is deserted9 it is ___________.
3. Without people
<. 8n another planet
C. 2ar away from other pla!es
.. 6ery bi&
>?ust one9 >8 said. >@nly one. @ne)s enou&h isn)t it? Who needs
two?A (here)s only one BeC Do lon&er do 8 have to remind another
Be to wipe !ho!olate froth from its &reedy mouth. Do lon&er do 8
have to listen to that other Be)s corny >EumFEumCA noises
whenever !ho!olate milshaes are mentioned. 2rom now on9
there)s only one Be. Eou)ve no idea how wonderful it feels9 how
bri&ht the future loos.
%. (he word one refers to ________.
3. Clo
<. (rish
C. .ad
.. Dobody
'. Who made the >EumFyumCA noises?
3. Clo
<. (rish
C. .ad
.. (rish)s mother
*. (he word !orny means ________.
3. noisy
<. !ommon
C. interestin&
.. uninterestin&
+. $ow did Clo feel bein& the only one?
3. 5ad
<. 5urprised
C. 1!stati!
.. Confused
The short story that I've read is One is One and All Alone by
Nicholas Fisk. The synopsis of this story is, there was a girl named
Trish who was on a spaceship heading to the lanet Trion. !he was
very lonely and wanted to have a friend the same age as her. !he
decided to clone herself after the "oice rinter ta#ght her abo#t
cloning. The "oice rinter is her t#tor and playmate. Trish named
her clone is $lo. At first Trish like $lo b#t after she knew that $lo
declared Trish's m#m as her mother too, Trish decided to get rid of
$lo. At the end, $lo get rid of Trish at the disposal and no one knew
that $lo is Trish's clone. !o the concl#sion from this story is yo#
sho#ld think before yo# do something that is bad.
Now I'm going to tell yo# who is my favo#rite character is. %y
favo#rite character in this story is "oice rinter known as ". I like
it beca#se it is Trish's best friend and companion. It is also her
personal diary, teacher and playmate. The evidence is Trish
learned how to spell and p#nct#ation. Ne&t, " tried to cheer Trish
whenever she felt lonely or sad. This is when Trish missed her m#m
and there was no one to talk with. 'astly, " provided Trish with all
the information that she did not know s#ch as abo#t cloning. The
proof is where " wanted to teach Trish and she asked " to
contin#e what is cloning. That's al
Answers(
). One is One and All Alone by Nicholas Fisk
*. On board a spaceship
+. ,ear *-./
.. One
/. lanet Trion
0. $hocolate %ilkshake
1. 2io'ab
3. "oicerinter 4"5
6. Finger7picking
)-. #sh her thro#gh the hatch.
)). Trish
)*. No.