The Fifth child, passage 2 Passage 2: From page 14, l.8:”on the afternoon the house became theirs” to page 16,l.15:”This grip said ,Be quiet.” A. Words
Bough: branche Glisten: briller Chilly: frisquet Rug,carpet: tapis Lock: verouiller # unlock Thud: battre à tout rompre Capacious : vaste Previous : précedent Owner : propriétaire Pull down : abattre Accomodate :loger, contenir Settee :canapé Sprawl : s’affaler Landing : palier Marvel at : s’émerveiller Smallish : tout petit Suburbia : banlieue Attic : grenier Dismantle: désintégrer,démanteler Cheeks: joue Awed:impressioné Overwhelmed : dépassé Ceiling : plafond Lilac tree : lilas Bud : bourgeon Burst : éclater Put off : remettre à plus tard Purpose : détermination (ici) Reckless : insouciant Spell : le charme Tighten : resserer Grip : saisir,étreindre

B. The meaning of the text
1. Situate the passage in the novel and in time: make a summary of what happened before this passage 2. Say where the scene takes place 3. Say what the passage is about 4. Say who the characters are, what they are doing 5. Pick out the words showing that they are: a) happy b) deeply moved 6. How does the reader discover the house? Through the couple’s eyes or through an outside observer’s eyes? 7. The passage can be divided into two parts: • • Part 1 from the beginning to p14, line 28:”the heart of their kingdom”, Part 2: from p14,line 29 “they went on up” to “be quiet”P.16,

a) Give a title to each part b) Say what the two parts are about and explain. 8. In the first part: identify the most important piece of information. c) “Walls had been pulled down” P.14,l.14: explain the use of the passive form d) Explain the sentence:”Some previous owner had seen the house as they did” P.14,l.13 9. In the second part: pick out phrases (groups of words) or words describing the bed. In your opinion how important is that piece of furniture? e) Pick out phrases or words showing that the bedroom can be seen as a symbol of the characters’ fertility.