How's Your Mother?

Before you read

10 How is life in a small village different from city life? What are
the advantages and disadvantages of village life, do you think?
11 Find these words in your dictionary:
bury sergeant
Answer these questions:
a Would you bury somebody before or after they die?
b Is a sergeant more important or less important than an inspector.

After you read

12 Answer these questions.
a What does Partridge tell the villagers about his mother?
b How do we find out who really lives in Partridge’s house?
c When does he decide to leave his job and go to Canada?
d What makes Sergeant Wallace think that Partridge murdered
his mother?
e Why does a woman visit him one cold, dark evening?
f When Partridge goes to the police station to tell his story,
Sergeant Wallace does not believe him. Why not?
13 Discuss why Partridge invented a mother. What part did she play in
his life?

At the Old Swimming Hole

Before you read

14 Read the first sentence of the story and the questions below.
Say what you think.
‘I was sitting on a wooden seat at the University of Illinois indoor
swimming pool, and I was not enjoying myself.’
a Where is Illinois?
b Why is the woman at the pool?
c Why is she not enjoying herself?

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