English Literature - ...

About the passage

A.  Read to understand

Answer these questions with reference to the context.

1. ’With that act, Ralph D. Spencer passed away and Jimmy Valentine took his place.’

        a)   What does ‘that act’ refer to?

        b)   What led to ‘that act’?

    c) In what sense did Ralph D. Spencer ‘pass away’?

 

2. ‘I don’t know that it makes much difference, now.’

    a) Who said this and to whom?

    b) What does ‘it’ refer to?

    c) Why did he say this?

 

B. Answer these questions.

1. How did Ben Price guess that the burglaries were done by Jimmy Valentine?

 

2. How did Jimmy get information about Annabel and the town?

 

3. What happened to Agatha at the bank?

 

4. Ben Price never handled petty criminals. How do you know this?

 

5. Why did Spencer show ‘a courteous but not too intelligent interest in the safe’?

 

6. Why do you think Ben Price pretended not to recognize him?

 

Discuss and write

1. ‘Sorry, we couldn’t make it sooner….’ Who is the ‘we’ the speaker could be referring to?

 

2. The safe had to be broken to save a life. Was it an easy decision for Jimmy Valentine to make? Why / Why not?

 

3. Do you think Ben Price did the right thing by saying, ‘I don’t believe I know you’? What does this show about Ben’s sense of justice?