Scanning practice. 1. Who was placed behind the doors?

13.6.1. Read the questions. Be sure you've got them well in mind.

1. Who was placed behind the doors?

2. What would happen if the door which con­cealed the tiger was opened?

3. What would happen if the door which con­cealed the lady was opened?

4. What was the princess" decision?

13.6.2. Start scanning the text. Don't fail to note your time.

The lady or the tiger?

Once a king had decreed that every person accused of crime should be placed in a large room, where, in the presence of the king and the court he is to open one of two doors which were exactly alike. Behind one door was a hungry, man-eating tiger and behind the other a beautiful lady, dressed as a bride. If he opened the door which concealed the tiger he was considered to be guilty and put to death, if he opened the door which concealed the lady, he was considered innocent and was immediately married to her. No previous ties were allowed to be an obstacle to marriage. The disposition of the lady and the tiger was, of course, a secret.

Now it happened that a young noble man who was rather poor won the love of the king's daughter; and being suspected by the king was imprisoned and brought to trial before two doors. The princess discovered behind which doors the lady and the tiger were to be placed. She didn't want, of course, her lover to be eaten by tiger, but she also didn't want him to become the husband of some other lady. At length her mind was made up. On the day of the trial she managed to signal her lover to open the right-hand door. This he immediately did. The author leaves the question to you: «Who came out of the opened door — the lady or the tiger?»

(250 words)

13.6.3. Answer the questions in 13.6.1. (Books closed.)

Дата добавления: 2015-07-19