Unit 4.

Answers for Coursebook Activities

Activity 1

1. Further references to tourist locations: ‘Buckingham Palace’ and ‘Old

Faithful’.
2. Further reference to visiting tourist sights being like attending a rock
concert: ‘…your view is obscured by a forest of outstretched arms,
brandishing camera phones instead of cigarette lighters’.
Activity 2

1. The idea of the camera phone is picked up from the first paragraph: ‘The
camera phone has become an unavoidable part of the travel experience, one
that is both a blessing and a curse, depending on who is wielding it.’
2. The same idea is mentioned in the sentence ‘You and I are sensible people who
use our camera phones …’.
3. In the final sentence, the focus switches to others ‘uploading endless images’
from their phones.
Students’ sentences should state that the article is broadly about the overuse of
camera phones at well-known tourist sites.
Activity 3

Overview 3 best sums up the overall focus of the article. As evidence

for this, students might point to the powerful nouns such as ‘blessing’,
‘curse’ and ‘selfie circus’, which suggest that the writer of the article
has a strong opinion. Also, camera phones are the main focus of the
first two paragraphs, and ‘selfies’ are clearly linked to this.
Activity 4

Annotations that focus on specific features:

 vocabulary choices: 1, 2, 3
 features of form or structure: 4, 5.
Words or phrases that:
 suggest a particular mood: a range of vocabulary conveys the unease and tension
aroused by prospect of Raja’s visit (‘began to tremble’, ‘quivering voice’, and later
‘in a broken voice’)
 suggest certain qualities or ideas: the opening to the passage uses a range of
phrases conveying withdrawal, emptiness of closure (‘looked stark’, ‘put away’,
‘emptied of’, ‘rolled up’), which suggest a form of hibernation; this evolves with a
suggestion of a pilgrimage to a temple, with the idea of the house being chosen,
not them; there is also a quality of almost magical transformation – the hibernating
house is re-energised – but in a way that may be dangerous; Sarla’s feelings are
reduced to a simple ‘Raja has come…’, the house reacts physically with a ‘great
shiver’ and is seen through the metaphor of a ‘radiant serpent’
 seem to echo others in the extract: the depiction of the house as a sentient being is
continued in the final sentence of paragraph 4 (‘Whether it liked it or not, the
house became the one chosen by Raja for a visitation, a house in waiting.’)
 seem to contrast with others in the extract: ‘blinding heat’ that ‘hammered’
contrasts with the ‘freshness and coolness’ of the mountains; structurally, the
text ends with the emptying mentioned at the start being reversed – things being
opened (‘unlocking cupboards’) and spaces being refilled (‘taking out sheets’)
 you can use for your introduction: look for words within the text that are
relevant to the overall mood or development – so the word ‘visitation’ would be
useful in introducing the fact of Raja’s visit, but also to imply the almost
spiritual effect on Sarla and Ravi (e.g. ‘The text concerns a house and couple
who are to experience an unexpected ‘visitation’ – one which will disturb their
equilibrium and that of the house itself.’)
 Activity 5
Word/phrase/feature Language or structural Specific effect Overall effect
usage
‘In a quivering voice…’ Adverbial tells us more To convey her When added to the detail
about how Sarla asked apprehension about of her hands, which
her question. what she might read. ‘began to tremble’, is
that whatever the
postcard contains it is
likely to have a profound
emotional effect.

‘…to decipher the words Imagery that tells us The effect is almost to Overall, the idea also
as if they were a flight of something about how suggest the words links with the migration
migrating birds in the Sarla is decoding the escape understanding they would have made
distance.’ postcard. – that what is stated from the house to the
plainly does not mountains, so it fits as a
necessarily convey all natural metaphor.
the meaning.
Students create a similar table with their own features (these might be features
they identified in Activity 4).
1. Possible conclusions: the narrator’s tone is distant; she is an objective narrator
who moves between the general depiction of the house being shut up to the
actions and reactions of Ravi and Sarla to the postcard. The passage is very
much of the moment – in the immediate action with no switches in time or
chronology. The paragraphs carefully deliver the shut-up house, then the
postcard and responses, then the reopening of the house.
2. The early part of the text is almost impersonal, mentioning ‘its owners’, and
the closing down of the house also closing down feeling and narrative action.
This all changes when the postcard arrives, inciting action and reaction.
Activity 6

C is the most accurate.

Activity 7

Students may note the following ideas:

1. The first paragraph evokes the setting and situation in the house, as the characters
prepare to ‘escape’ the intense heat of summer. The summer season is named, as is
its ‘withering’ and ‘blinding’ heat and its ‘engulfing dust’. A long list of preparations
is described in quick succession and this conveys a sense of restless activity.
2. The characters of Raja, Sarla and Ravi are all introduced. Raja is characterised by his
use of a postcard, which he ‘still used’ despite it being old-fashioned. Sarla has
hands that ‘tremble’ and a ‘quivering voice’ as she reads the postcard, and she is
clearly perturbed by Raja’s impending visit (her face is described as ‘clenched in a
tightly contained storm of emotion’). Ravi appears an eager, physically energetic
character, as his hands ‘crash’ against the table. Ravi also seems to be capable of
feeling uptight as he is described as waiting with ‘his lips thin and tight’ and with
expression of ‘helplessness’.
3. The writer sets a plot in motion by showing the characters preparing to leave for
the summer – a routine they have followed in the past. But then an unexpected
event is introduced (the postcard from Raja), and characters are shown reacting to
this. Readers are left wondering how events will unfold further.

4. Information is revealed by setting the scene with vivid, sensory description and
by showing characters’ reactions, such as how Sarla and Ravi react to the arrival of
the postcard from Raja. Yet readers do not know yet why the visit from Raja
produces such excitement and anticipation for the other characters. This
information is withheld, making readers wonder what will happen when Raja
arrives.
Activity 8 (Sample Answer)

The text effectively employs the convention of withholding information to create

suspense and tension surrounding the character of Raja and his impending visit.
Initially, the reader is left in the dark about Raja's identity and significance to the
household. The mention of "they" preparing for the summer exodus without
specifying who "they" are adds an air of mystery, inviting readers to speculate about
the characters and their circumstances. As the narrative unfolds, subtle hints are
dropped, such as Sarla's trembling hands upon receiving a postcard from Raja,
building anticipation and curiosity. The delayed revelation of Raja's arrival intensifies
the impact of the news, reflected in the visceral reaction of Sarla and Ravi. The
sudden crash of Ravi's hands upon the table symbolizes the disruptive force of Raja's
impending presence, while the imagery of a "shiver" running through the house
evokes a sense of foreboding and unease. By withholding key details until later in the
narrative, the text effectively engages readers and heightens their investment in the
unfolding events.
Activity 9
Example response:
The last two paragraphs of the extract focus on a metaphorical description of the effect that Raja’s
impending visit has, as well as the differing reactions of the characters Sarla and Ravi to this imminent
visit. The metaphorical description draws on snake-like and supernatural imagery. A ‘shiver’ and ‘wind’
like a ‘serpent’ is said to undulate through the ‘shadowy’ house, as if Raja’s visit is preceded by some
supernatural force. This idea of something ghostly approaching is continued via reference to a ‘visitation’
and ‘a house in waiting’ – personifying the house as anticipating the arrival of something fearsome. This
atmosphere is further emphasised as Sarla wraps up as if ‘cold’ and Ravi sits ‘uncomfortably’ in a
‘darkened drawing room’, his lips ‘thin and tight’ and feeling helpless.
The metaphorical description and the personification of the house create a tense, even fearful mood. At first
the reader’s view is directed to the overall scene of the house as a place waiting for the arrival of
something formidable, maybe even threatening – that is, Raja. Later, the reader’s view is directed towards
the responses of the characters Sarla and Ravi, as they each respond with apprehension while they wait for
Raja to arrive. Setting the scene first and creating a ghostly atmosphere allows the writer to show how the
characters are responding to the impending visit. The powerful effect of the character Raja on the other
characters is foregrounded, so the reader’s interest in Raja is piqued. Readers may expect that he will live
up to the impression created, but it’s also possible that he will turn out to be different from the impression
we have been given, and some readers may interpret the text in this way.