Us and them (David Sedaris)
Part one (from the beginning to l.12) A. Tick the correct translation of these words (in the context) 1. Moved(intro) –bougé -balancé - déménagé 2. Peering(L.8)
-partir
3. Inflict (L4) -infliger
-scruter
-revendiquer
-imposer - imprégner
B. True or False? Circle the correct answer and justify by quoting from the text. 1.
David learned the Tomkeys didn’t own a television because he went to see them.
False : “Word spread that Mr Tomkey did not own a television,” (L.1) 2. Everybody in the neighbourhood thinks Mr Tomkey is very nice with his wife and children. False:” It was unfair of him to inflict his beliefs upon others, specifically his innocent wife and children.”
C. What did David decide to do? David decides to spy his neighbour, Mr Tomkey to see how they can live without TV.
D. Read from L.8 to L.12 and complete the following sentence in your own words.
During the day, David would stand across the street from their house, acting as though he was waiting for someone. During the night, he would creep into their yard and hide in the bushes beside their fence. Part two
E. Who do the underlined pronouns refer to in these sentences?
1) They had no idea how puny their lives were. They----) The Tomkeys 2) .., but the moment he finished, everyone would start laughing. He ---) Mr Tomkey
F. Why would Mr Tomkey pound the table and point at his children with a fork? In fact, Mr Tomkey is imitating someone to make his children laugh. We can suppose he is imitating his neighbours who have a tv. It’s probably the members of David’s family who are imitated by Mr Tomkey: “I got the idea he was imitating someone else, and wondered if he spied on us while we were eating.”
G. What does David try to discover?
He wants to know how the Tomkeys can live without TV. For him, TV has become a real addiction and he can’t conceive that some people can live without it.
H. What does David think about the Tomkeys’life?
David thinks their life is miserable: “They had no idea how puny their lives were.”