Meeting great writers
A Read the information cards about three authors. Write a T if a sentence is true, an F if it is false or an NM if it is not mentioned.
Name: Eileen Chang Years: 1920–1995
Famous works: Love in a Fallen City, Red Rose, White Rose
Fun fact: She wrote her first novel when she was 11.
Why read: Using graceful and beautiful language, she writes about ordinary people—especially women—facing everyday problems. In doing so, she shows the hidden feelings, hopes and disappointments in ordinary life that still speak to people’s hearts today.
Name: Mark Twain Years: 1835–1910
Famous works: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Fun fact: He was born and died in the same years when Halley’s Comet appeared.
Why read: His stories of childhood are true to life and told in such simple language that children enjoy them while adults find deeper meaning in them. He often shows the lies people tell each other and the problems people cause through humour. His understanding of the way people talk and behave still feels true even today.
Name: Guy de Maupassant Years: 1850–1893
Famous works: “The Necklace”, “Ball of Fat”, “The Piece of String”
Fun fact: It is said that he often ate lunch inside the Eiffel Tower because he hated it, and that was the only place in Paris where he could not see it.
Why read: He is good at using short stories to show the darker side of society, including selfishness and greed. His stories say a great deal with very little. In painting such precise pictures of human behaviour, they hold a mirror up to who we really are.
1 Eileen Chang’s writing shows the hidden feelings in everyday life. _________
2 Both Mark Twain and Eileen Chang used graceful language in their writing. _________
3 Only Maupassant used his birth name for his writing. _________
4 Maupassant spent a lot of time in the Eiffel Tower because he loved the view from the top. _________
5 Maupassant’s stories often say a lot with very few words. _________
B Read the adaptation of Mark Twain’s famous short story. Complete it with the sentences from the box and write the correct letters in the blanks below. There is one extra sentence.
a But Dan’l Webster couldn’t jump at all!
b But if I had a frog, I’d bet you.
c I’ll get you a frog!
d One day a stranger came to see Smiley’s frog.
e Smiley took his 40 from the man.f The stranger took the 40 and left.
The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County
Back in 1849, many men went to mining towns in California to find gold. In one of these towns, there was a man named Jim Smiley. He liked to bet on things and always won. He had a frog named “Dan’l Webster”. People came from miles around to see Dan’l Webster and to bet Smiley that their frogs could jump farther than his.
(1) _________ “That frog’s not any better than any other frog,” the stranger said.
“Well, I bet you 40 he can outjump any frog in this county,” Smiley answered.
The man replied, “Well, I don’t have a frog. (2) _________”
Smiley said, “No problem! (3) _________ Just watch Dan’l Webster here while I look for one.”
So Smiley went off to find a new frog, leaving Dan’l Webster with the stranger. While Smiley was gone, the stranger made Dan’l Webster eat some small metal balls.
When Smiley returned, he gave the new frog to the stranger. Then they set both frogs on the ground and touched their backs. The new frog hopped away.
(4) _________
(5) _________ It was only then that Smiley picked up Dan’l Webster and realised he weighed more than two kilos. Then the frog threw up a handful of metal balls. Smiley ran after the stranger in anger, but never found him.