Colegio Alas Teacher: M. Arias/ M.

Gentile

Nivel Secundario: 3 A/B Student´s name: ………………………

Date: ………………………..

“CRIME NEVER PAYS” – LANGUAGE WORK

STORY: RICOCHET by Angela Noel p. 55

BEFORE YOU START, READ THE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY.

• You should print this questionnaire and stick it in your folder.

• You can do this in pairs but each of you should have the answers written neatly IN YOUR
FOLDERS.
• It is not to hand in. It will be discussed in class.
• At the end of this class discussion, you will be evaluated either written or orally.

ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS

1. In a monolingual dictionary look up the meaning of RICOCHET.

2. Who are the characters? What is their relationship?

3. Where does the story take place?

4. What was Owen planning to do at the beginning of the story? How was he planning to carry out
his strategy?

5. What had happened to the animals on the farm?

6. Apart from the flock, what other animals had been put to death?

7. Who was Beth?

8. Who is Rhiannon? Why does Owen bear a grudge against his brother Huw? (le tiene bronca)

9. Where had Rhiannon and Huw moved when they got married?

10. Who had Owen always loved?

11. Who is Margo?

12. What does Owen mean when he refers to his brother as, that“upright Godfearing chapel man
that he was.”

13. Which animal was Margo`s favourite? What did Rhiannon beg Huw not to do?
14. Whose child is Margo?

15. What three reasons prompted Owen to try and commit this crime?

16. Why wouldn`t he pull the trigger himself?

17. How did he conceive the idea of this trap?

18. How had Huw agreed to come to Owen`s cottage?

19. Explain “A small price to pay for another`s happiness.” (page61)

20. What would Owen`s alibi be?

21. Who would weep in his arms?

22. Why was Owen sweating even if it was cold?

23. What did he see when he reached his cottage`s door and opened it?

24. Why did he prod the bitch with his shoe? What about the girl?

25: What did he realize at that moment?

26.What did he do next?

27.Who did the explosion awake?

28. How did Margo react when she discovered the dog was dead?

29. Who did she meet halfway home?

30. Did Huw reach his brother`s home?

31. How can you relate the title “Ricochet” to the plot of the story?

GENERAL DISCUSSION

1. Which do you think was more important for Owen, sole possession and management of the
farm, or living with Rhiannon and being able to claim Margo as his daughter?

2. Why do you think Rhiannon chose to marry Huw rather than Owen? Is she partly to blame for
the tragedy? Why/Why not?

3. Do you think that tragedy would have been prevented if Rhiannon and Margo had left Huw and
moved in with Owen? What do you think Huw would have done, that “upright Godfearing chapel
man”?