English Literature - ...

About the passage

A.  Read to understand

Answer the following questions.

    1.   How had the pale-faced man gained access to the Bacteriologist and his laboratory?

 

    2.   Why did the pale-faced man call the anarchists ‘fools’?

 

    3.   What did the Bacteriologist say he was ‘obliged’ to do?

 

    4.   What possibility did he make his visitor aware of regarding the ‘bottled cholera’?

 

    5.   How did the tube containing the bacteria break? What was the man planning to do with the contents of the tube before it broke?

 

    6.   What did the Bacteriologist reveal to his wife about the contents of the stolen tube? What did he think would be a ‘bother’?

 

 

B.  Read to infer

    1.   What was the ‘disturbing thought’ that struck the Bacteriologist?

 

    2.   Why do you think the man had come to visit the Bacteriologist?

 

    3.   Explain the line, ‘Well! I suppose I shall be the first.’

 

    4.   What did the man wish ‘to make sure’? What did he intend to do?

 

    5.   Why did the man feel that ‘there was no further need to escape the Bacteriologist’?

 

    6.   Why was the Bacteriologist amused at the actions of the anarchist?

C.  Discuss

    1.   What do you think would have happened to the anarchist?

 

    2.   What do you think of the actions of the Bacteriologist in the story? Did he act responsibly or irresponsibly? Give reasons.