EXTEND – The tram journey #649555 - Prove ed esercizi Zanichelli

STEP 3 Joyce's portrayal of Maria

Read the statements and decide whether they are true or false.

A:

Maria's careful shopping reflects her desire to please others.

B:

The passage suggests that Maria feels entirely comfortable and self-assured in public.

C:

Maria is easily offended by minor misunderstandings.

D:

Maria's interaction with the gentleman indicates that her judgement of people is not always accurate.

E:

Joyce presents Maria as both sympathetic and slightly naive.

Extend

Vero o falso

STEP 5 Think further and prepare for your test: style vs reality

Read the passage, taken from an academic article, in which the author analyses the ironic style in Clay. Decide if the statements are true or false. Then look at the prompts and write some extra reflections in your exercise book. You can use the final text as revision material for your test.

PROMPTS:
- Refer to STEP 2 to provide clear examples of the effect of irony in Clay.
- Refer to STEP 3 to further explore the naivety of Maria's character.
- Refer to STEP 4 to explain the reason behind the gap between Maria's outward behaviour and her inner world.

A:

According to the author, the easy-going tone of the story should not be taken literally.

B:

The author argues that Joyce uses descriptions of Maria's appearance to draw attention away from her deeper emotions.

C:

Maria takes the jokes about marriage with ease, without feeling hurt by them.

D:

The repeated description of Maria's physical gestures reveals a contrast between her public behaviour and her private feelings.

Extend

Vero o falso

STEP 4 Maria's paralysis

Read the text and complete it with the words given.

In this passage, Joyce uses subtle irony to show the gap between events as they happen and the way Maria interprets them. Most of what occurs is completely ________: a visit to a shop, a tram journey, and brief conversations with strangers. However, Maria's ________ transforms these everyday situations into moments of ________ significance.
Most notably, she reads the man's kindness as a sign of a deeper connection between them and does not contradict him when he assumes she has children of her own. She prefers to ________ embarrassment rather than ________ the painful truth of her situation. This compliance gives the episode a ________ tone and conveys a sense of inadequacy, as Maria moves through a world that does not return her ________.

Extend

Posizionamento

STEP 1 Read the passage and find out more about loneliness and emotional paralysis

Read the passage and choose the correct alternative to complete the sentences.

1 Maria goes into a second shop because ________.
2 The saleswoman asking Maria whether she wants a wedding cake suggests that ________.
3 Maria blushes after the saleswoman's remark because ________.
4 The gentleman on the tram begins talking to Maria because ________.
5 Maria forms a positive opinion of the gentleman because ________.

Extend

Completamento chiuso

STEP 2 Understand the subtext

Read the statements and select the ones that reflect what the reader can infer from the passage.

A:

The shop assistant becomes slightly impatient with Maria's indecisiveness.

B:

The shop assistant decides to personally offend Maria.

C:

The shop assistant recognises Maria as someone about to be married.

D:

The gentleman offers Maria a seat as a sign of special respect.

E:

The gentleman is simply acting politely in a typical social situation on a tram.

Extend

Scelta multipla