Lesley Glaister

ViolenceSerrusalmus

Lesley Glaister

Pre-reading

 4.

Match the words in the right and the left column

agora'phobia / a change of something to the opposite of what it was
'formicary / an animal, bird, etc hunted and killed by another for food
re'versal / feel pain, discomfort
'species / an animal that kills and eats other animals
tank / a group of animals or plants that are from the same family
ob'livious (to) / an ants´ nest
suffer (from) / an abnormal fear of being in public spaces or open spaces
'predator / great fear
soothe / not noticing
(to have a) dread (of) / to calm or comfort somebody
prey / a large container for liquid or gas

Cover up the words in the left column and see if you can remember the words by looking at the explanations.

While-reading

10.

Which words would you use to characterize Mick and Marjory up until the last meeting

(p.85 l.11)

Add words of your own.

proud - predator - naïve - harmless - threatening - vicious - cocky - weak - violent - brutal - aggressive - insecure - evil - sick - cunning - stupid - neglected - sharkish - pathetic - twisted - calculating - lonely - unscrupulous - helpless - lost - prey

Mick / Marjory

When you have finished reading the whole story consider if there are words you would like to add or delete. Why/why not?

11. Marjorie´s view of the world of the fish and the world of people.

Place the words in the boxes below.

busy - peaceful - scurry - bright heaven - perfect conditions - grey - bright - contained - pampered - filth - silver - glowing - social - threatening - stupidity - safe - beautiful - free - glisten - rubbish - ungainliness - iridescence

the world of the fish / the world of people

Do you agree with Marjorie´s choice of words?

Are there words you would delete or add to either category? Why?

Post-reading

Idioms/proverbs

Does one of the proverbs/ idioms below illustrate the message/moral of the story?

the biter gets bit
never judge a book by its cover

actions speak louder than words
all’s fair in love and war
nothing ventured nothing gained
might makes right

Match English idiom and Danish translation.

to back the wrong horse / at sætte sig på den høje hest
to flog a dead horse / at klappe hesten
to hold your horses / få sparket, blive hældt ud
from the horse’s mouth / trække sig selv op ved hårene; tage sig selv i nakken
to get on your high horse / at holde/spille på den forkerte hest
the boot is on the other foot / direkte fra kilden
to get the boot / spilde sin tid/sine kræfter; tale for døve øren
to pull yourself up by your bootstraps / rollerne er byttet om, piben har fået en anden lyd

Written assignment (app. 200 words). Choose either aor b:

Write a short summary of the story. Use some of the words below in your summary.

to suffer from agoraphobia - calm - a world all of her own - to have a dread of people - soothe - peaceful - bright - safe - busy - grey - filthy - predator - troublemaker - terrorise - intrude - threaten - fungal infection - spyhole - transfer - angel fish - sharkish triumph -
to get on your high horse - to pass out - piranha – the boot is on the other foot - cocky -
to have a grudge against somebody - to bear no grudge - to blow somebody a kiss - tank

Write a continuation of the short story starting “Marjory then decides to try to wake up Mick. She gently takes hold of his bluish shining bone and ...” (Use some of the words above)

Post-reading

Vocabulary 

Student A.
Don’t tell your partner the words on your list. You have to explain what the words mean in such a way that your partner can guess the word. Give examples from the text. / Student B.
Don’t tell your partner the words on your list. You have to explain what the words mean in such a way that your partner can guess the word. Give examples from the text.
agoraphobia
intrude
predator
troublemaker
threaten
terrorise
reversal
Piranha
transfer
revenge
soothe
prey
sharkish triumph
cocky
infection
blow somebody a kiss