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2. Which of the characters is: serious; clever; good-natured; popular; protective; patient?
Underline the words/phrases/sentences which imply the character.
3. Match the underlined words to their synonyms in the list.
Boy; serious; smarter; guy; gathered; playful; generously; first-rate; protected; shy
4. This chapter is called The Catastrophe. What catastrophe do you think might
happen? In pairs, predict what you think is going to happen next.
I think there is going to be a fight between Joe and Jack.
PART 2
1. Read the title and the short biography. What do you expect to read in this
extract? What do you think made Wells write about this topic?
Herbert George Wells (1866-1946) was a British novelist, journalist, sociologist and
historian, who is best known for his science-fiction novels. His rather romantic interest in
science came from his years studying at the Normal School of Science in London. The Time
Machine was his first novel and was very successful at the time. The novel is about a man
who invents a time machine and devotes his life to travelling through time. His attention to
detail makes his work realistic even today.
The Time Machine
The thing the Time Traveller held in his hand was a glittering metallic framework,
nor larger than a small clock, and very delicately made. He took one of the small octagonal
tables that were scattered about the room, and set it in front of the fire. On this table he
placed the mechanism. Then he drew up a chair, and sat down. The only other object on the
table was a small lamp. There were also perhaps a dozen candles about, so that the room
was brilliantly illuminated. I sat in a low armchair nearest the fire, and I drew this forward
so as to be almost between the Time Traveller and the fireplace. Filby sat behind him,
looking over his shoulder. The Medical Man and the Provincial Mayor watched him in
profile from the right, the Psychologist from the left. The Very Young Man stood behind the
Psychologist. We were all on the alert. It appears incredible to me that any kind of trick
could have been played upon us under these conditions.
The Time Traveller looked at us, and then at the mechanism. “Well?” said the
Psychologist.
“This little affair,” said the Time Traveller, resting his elbows upon the table and
pressing his hands together above the apparatus, “is only a model. It is my plan for a
machine to travel through time. You will notice that it looks quite uneven, and that there is
an odd twinkling appearance about this bar, as though it was in some way unreal.” He
pointed to the part with his finger. “Also, here is one little white lever, and here is another.'
The Medical Man got up out of his chair and peered into the thing. “It’s beautifully
made,” he said
“It took two years to make,” said the Time Traveller. Then, when we had all imitated
the action of the Medical Man, he said: “Now, I want you clearly to understand that this
lever, being pressed over, sends the machine into the future, and this other reverses the
motion. This saddle represents the seat of a time traveller. Presently I am going to press the
lever, and off the machine will go. It will vanish, pass into future Time, and disappear. Have
a good look at the thing. Look at the table too, and satisfy yourselves there is no trickery. I
don’t want to waste this model, and then be told I’m a quack.”
There was a minute’s pause, perhaps. The Psychologist seemed about to speak to me,
but changed his mind. Then the Time Traveller put forth his finger towards the lever. “No,”
he said suddenly. “Lend me your hand.” And turning to the Psychologist, he took that
individual’s hand in his own and told him to put out his forefinger. So that it was the
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