Page 140 - Full Solutions 2nd Advanced Student Book_Neat

ffi Worl< in pairs. Match the sentence halves to make
Lady Bracknett Mr Worthing! Rise, sir, from this semi-
epigrams by Oscar Witde. Which ones do you lil<e? Say why.
recumbent posture. lt is most indecorous.
1 Atways forgive your enemies; Gwendolen Mamma! [He tries to rise; she restrains him.l
2 I am not young enough I must beg you to retire. This is no place for you.
3 I can resist everything Besides, Mr Worthing has not quite finished yet.
4 Some cause happiness wherever they go; Lady Bracknell Finished what, may I ask?
5 One should always be in [ove. Gwendolen I am engaged to Mr Worthin g, mamma.lThey
6 Experience is simply rise together.l
Lady Bracknell Pardon me, you are not engaged to any
a but temptation.
one. When you do become engaged to some one, l, or
b That is the reason one shoutd never marry. your father, should his health permit him, witt inform
c nothing annoys them so much. you of the fact. An engagement shoutd come on a
d the name we give our mistakes. young gir[ as a surprise, pteasant or unpleasant, as
e others whenever they go. the case may be. lt is hardty a matterthat she could
f to know everything. be atlowed to arrange for hersetf. And now I have a
few questions to put to you, Mr Worthing. White I am
Complete the information about The lmportance of Being making these inquiries, you, Gwendolen, wilI wait for
Earnest and Oscar Wilde with the nouns below. me below in the carriage.
Gwendolen lReproochfullyl Mammal
cflme customs health play ptot release success
Lady Bracknelt ln the carriage, Gwendolenl lGwendolen
trial
goes to the door. She and Jack blow kisses to each
The lmportance of Being Earnest is Oscar Wilde's best other behind Lody Bracknell's bock. Lady Bracknetl
l<nown and most poputar 1- . First performed in 1895, looks vaguely about as if she could not understand
it was subtitled 'A triviaI comedy for serious peopte' and in what the noise wos. Finally turns round.l Gwendoten,
many ways it is, for despite the light-hearted '? and the carriage!
witty diatogue, it mocl<s late-Victorian 3 and morality, Lady Bracknell lSitting downlYou can take a seat, Mr
Worthing. lLooks in her pocket for note-book and
especially marriage and love. ln the play the two main
pencil.l
characters have secret identities so that they can behave
.lack thank you, Lady Bracknet[, I prefer standing.
differentty in different ptaces. The lmportance was an Lady Bracknell lPencil and note-book in hond.) I feel
immediate 4-, but it proved to be Witde's final play. bound to tet[ you that you are not down on my list of
Shortty after it opened in London, Wilde was put on etigibte young men, atthough I have the same Iist as
t , accused of being homosexua[, which was then a the dear Duchess of Bolton has. We worl< together, in
6- in Britain. He was found guilty and sentenced fact. However, I am quite ready to enter your name,
to two years' hard labour. His 7- suffered greatty in should your answers be what a realty affectionate
prison and he died destitute in Paris in 1900, three years mother requires. Do you smoke?
after his He was just 46 years old. Jack Wett, yes, I must admit I smoke.
Lady Bracknell I am glad to hear it. A man shoutd always
Checl< the meaning of the words below, which a[[ appear in have an occupation of some kind. There are far too
the extract from The lmportonce of Being Earnestlhalyou many idle men in London as it is. How old are you?
Jack Twenty-nine.
will listen to in exercise 4.
Lady Bracl<ne[[ A very good age to be married at. I have
candidty demonstrative destined getchristened always been of opinion that a man who desires to get
ideat (n) indifferent plain propose to sb (vb) married shoutd know either everything or nothing.
speculation thrilt(vb) Which do you know?
lack lAfter some hesitotion l I know nothing, Lady
6il fnCO Now listen to the extract. Does Gwendolen accept B rac kn e It.
.lack's proposal? What does she find most attractive about Lady Bracknell I am pteased to hear it. I do not approve of
anything that tampers with natural ignorance. [...] The
him? Why is this a problem for Jack?
whole theory of modern education is radicalty unsound.
Fortunatety in Engtand, at any rate, education produces
() fnCn Listen again. Find evidence of:
no effect whatsoever. lf it did, it would prove a serious
1 Gwendotin's a confidence. b cynicism.
danger to the upper ctasses, and probably lead to acts
2 ,|ack's a nervousness. b romantic nature. of viotence in Grosvenor Square.
$d fnCn Read and [isten to the next part ofthe play.
ldentify comic moments and say why they are funny. (Look at 7 Wtrat does the extract te[[ us about the nature and purpose of
both the characters' lines and the stage directions.) marriage in late-Victorian England?

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5 Literature, OscarWitde I 139