Page 232 - Beyond Methods
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Contextualizing linguistic input
Please read the following passage two or three times and fill in each blank with a suitable noun or pronoun (like he, she, etc.). Do not supply more than one word for each blank. If you think no word is needed for any blank, write a zero ().
An attack on the family
John, the eight-year-old son of Mary and Larry Prescott, grew very
fond of the scorpions in the garden wall.
pleasant, unassuming creatures with, on the whole, the most
charming habits. One day,
the garden wall, wearing what at first glance appeared to be a pale
——
(2) found a fat female scorpion in
brown fur coat. Closer inspection proved that this strange
was made up of a mass of tiny babies clinging to the mother’s back.
(4) liked this family of scorpions, and
—— ——
(5) made up his mind to smuggle them into the house and up to his bedroom so that
(6) might keep them and
—— ——
(7) watch them grow up. With
infinite care (8) moved the mother and family into a match- ——
box, and then
nate that just as
were already at the dining table. His mother said
ready to serve lunch and
(12) wanted
——
——
(10) entered the door, his mother and father
——
immediately.
in the drawing room, so that the
——
——
and
the family for the meal. Eating his food slowly and listening to the
family arguing,
captures. At last, Larry, his father, having finished his lunch, brought the cigarettes from the drawing room, and slipping back in his chair
——
——
(16) made his way to the dining room and
——
(17) joined
——
(19) put one in his mouth and
—— ——
(20) picked up the match-
——
(24) maintains to this day that the female
(21) had brought. Unaware of the coming danger
box
watched him interestedly as, still talking happily, the matchbox.
(22) (23) opened
——
——
(25) meant ——
no harm.
matchbox for so long, and so
——
(26) was agitated and annoyed at being shut up in a
——
——
(15) could get plenty of air,
——
(1) found them to be
(9) hurried to the house. It was rather unfortu-
(11) was (13) to join them (14) placed the matchbox carefully on the shelf
(18) completely forgot about his exciting new
(27) seized the first opportunity (28) climbed out of the box with great speed, her
——
to escape.
tiny babies clinging on to her desperately, and
to the back of Larry’s hand. There, not quite certain what to do next,
(30) paused, her sting curved up at the ready. Larry, feeling the movement of her claws, glanced down to see what it was, and from that moment things got increasingly confused. (Authorship of the passage unknown)
——
(29) crawled on
——
——
——
(3)