1. Complete the following:
(1) Cronin’s story focuses on selfless help and dedication towards relationships.
(2) The narrator buys strawberries to encourage the two brothers.
(3) The narrator develops a liking for the two brothers because they are innocent, serious, pleasant, and earnest.
(4) The boys wish to visit the village Poleta to meet their ailing sister in the hospital.
(5) So, one can conclude from the story that ‘Where there is a will, there’s a way’, which means ‘strong determination can overcome any obstacle’.
2. Solve the puzzle of words from the text.
(1) disallow – forbid
(2) make known – reveal
(3) unexpected meeting – encounter
(4) giving pleasure to the mind, feelings or senses; enjoyable – entertaining
(5) sincere – earnest
(6) look like – resemble
3. Answer in your own words.
(1) What illness did the sister suffer from?
Answer: The sister suffered from tuberculosis of the spine.
(2) What surprised the narrator, when he saw the brothers the second time?
Answer: The narrator was surprised to see the brothers shining shoes in the public square, even though they had previously been selling strawberries.
(3) What did the narrator find about the boys at the hospital?
Answer: The narrator found out that the boys were secretly taking care of their sister, Lucia, who was undergoing treatment for tuberculosis.
(4) What was the touching story told by the nurse?
Answer: The nurse told the narrator that Nicola and Jacopo’s father was killed in the war, their house was destroyed, and their sister fell ill. Despite their hardships, they worked tirelessly to support her medical treatment.
(5) If the narrator offered the boys a large amount of cash, would they have accepted it? Say why or why not?
Answer: No, the boys would not have accepted the money, because they were proud, independent, and determined to earn for their sister’s treatment through hard work.
4. Read the text and find the noun forms of the following words.
(i) important → importance
(ii) dedicate → dedication
(iii) treat → treatment
(iv) narrate → narration
(v) eager → eagerness
(vi) appear → appearance
(vii) amplify → amplification
(viii) realize → realization
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