Literature Form 4

The Sound Machin

Prepared by : Elisabeth Chua Chia Yuin
Hiing Cheng Soon
Liu Ting
Reenisha A/P Bhaskaran

Introduction
Welcome to the Literature Component for
secondary school courseware. This software is
specially for conceptualized, designed, developed
and packaged as a courseware for Form 4
students. The contents offered is based on the
Malaysia Curriculum and syllabus for English
Languages for secondary schools. This educational
courseware is developed to help teachers,
students and parents in literature components. It
will be helpful for students to prepare for their
public examinations and at the same time provide
necessary instructional support to teachers and
parents to strategies on learners achievement.
Thus, learners can study the works of poets and
writers in meaningful ways and make connections
with the many rich experiences that are available

Preview

Objectives

What you
should know

Elements

Video

Exercises

Application

Click to Play the Video

OBJECTIVES
To form instructional design that is
fun, creative and informative.
To introduce to students the
summary of the short story.
To provide students with the
elements derived from the short
story.
To obtain response from students
by giving them exercises.

What You Should

Know

SYNOPSIS
This is a bizarre story of a scientist who
invents a machine that could detect sounds
which human beings cannot hear.
Klausner works on the machine and when it
is ready, he goes out to his garden to test it.
He hears sounds that are entirely new to
him. He looks around, and sees his
neighbour cutting some roses.
He believes that the sounds he hears are
coming from the flowers because they are
being cut.

Continuation
He hears more strange sounds when he
tries cutting a tree with an axe the
following morning.
He believes that the tree is crying and
pleading not to be chopped.
He tells his doctor about this. He asks
Dr Scott to treat the tree.
The doctor plays along with him but he
actually thinks that Klausner is insane
and then takes him home.

Author
Born on
September 13,
1916 in Cardiff,
Wales

Died on 23
November at
the age of 74

Received his
education at
English
boarding
schools

Received
Edgar Allan
Poe Award in
1954, 1959 &
1980

Roald
Wrote
Dahl17
childrens
books, 2
novels, 26
short stories &
etc

Plot
Climax

Rising Action
Resolution

Beginning

Beginning
This is a bizarre story of a scientist
who invents a machine that could
detect sounds which human beings
cannot hear.
Klausner works on the machine and
when it is ready, he goes out to his
garden to test it.

Rising Action
He hears sounds that are entirely new to
him. He looks around, and sees his
neighbour cutting some roses.
He believes that the sounds he hears are
coming from the flowers, which are
reacting in some way because they are
being cut.
He hears more strange sounds when he
tries cutting a tree with an axe the
following morning.

Climax
He rushes home and calls the doctor
to come quickly.
He asks the doctor to listen to the
machine while he cuts the tree with
his axe again.
Suddenly, a branch falls from the
tree and smashes the machine.
Klausner and the doctor escape
unhurt.

Resolution
He asks Dr Scott to treat the tree.
The doctor plays along with him but
he actually thinks that Klausner is
insane and then takes him home.

Characters
Patience
intense
concentrati
on

Meticulo
us &
careful

Talks
to
himself

Lost in
his own
world
Knowledgea
ble &
Innovative

Mr.
Klausner
Evasive

A little
absentminded

Easily
excited

Characters
Sarcast
ic

Concerned
about his
patient

Curiou
s
Worrie
d

Dr. Scott
Scared

Skeptic
al

Characters
Feels
intimidated
by Klausner

Concerned

Skeptical

Mrs.
Saunders

Kind enough
to humour
Klausners
request

Setting
Physical
Klausners wooden shed, front lawn,
park.

Social
During a period when computers do not
exist yet. This can be seen from the
way the sound machine is described as
a black box about 3 feet long, the
shape of a childs coffin

Themes
Peoples perception towards new ideas and
inventions:
Usually different to be accepted by conservative
society; some people dont like changes
Nature should be taken care of:
Klausner claims that he could hear the flower and
trees screaming in pain when being cut/chopped.
We should take care and treat nature well.
Do not judge people negatively
All of us are different, we should not be judgmental.

Structure and Style

Personification
Yellow rose a frightful piercing
shriek
Daisy a faint high-pitched cry
Beech tree a growling, low-pitched,
screaming sound

Structure and Style

Onomatopoeia
a faint spasmodic crackling
a distant humming tone
the telephone buzzing

Structure and Style

Simile
each ear was connected to his
head by a thin stiff wire, like a
tentacle
so pale, small and thin that he
looked like an accident, consumptive,
bespectacled child

Moral values
We must not judge people by outward
appearances
We must learn to respect peoples beliefs
and viewpoint
We must live in harmony with our
neighbours & society at large
We should take care of nature, & be
sensitive to all living things

Click to play the video

Test Yourself

Question 1
Klausners machine is useful for
A storing spare, coloured wires.
B
measuring the growth of plants.
C listening to sounds inaudible to the
humans.
Click your answer ..
A

Good Job!
Thats Right!
For the next question, click

Your answer is incorrect

to try again!

Question 2
Klausner asks Mrs. Saunders to cut
another rose because
A he wants to make sure that his
machine can
really detect the cry made by the rose.
B he enjoys hearing the flowers scream.
C he likes to frighten her.

Click Your Answer

A
B
C

Well Done!
Thats Right!
For the next question, click

Your answer is incorrect

to try again!

Question 3
Why does Klausner ask Dr Scott to join
him in the park?
A He is too tired to carry the machine
back alone.
B The tree told him it wanted some iodine.
C He wants Dr. Scott to hear the sound
made by
the tree.
Click YourA Answer
B C

Excellent!
Thats Right!
For the next question, click

Your answer is incorrect

to try again!

Question 4
Dr Scott decides to treat the injured
tree with iodine because
A Klausner insists that he does so.
B he is doing a special treatment on
the tree.
C he is also a botanist with an interest
in plant conservation.
Click Your Answer
A
B
C

Terrific!
Thats Right!
For the next question, click

Your answer is incorrect

to try again!

Question 5
What happens to Klausners sound
machine at the end of the story?
A It is smashed by the falling branch.
B Klausner smashes it with his axe.
C Klausner takes it home.

Click Your Answer

A

Fantastic!
Thats Right!
To know your score,

Your answer is incorrect

to try again!

Congratulations!
You scored 5/5!

Application
Do you have friends like Klausner who
may seem a little weird at times? What
should you do?
I should accept them for who they are.
I should not judge them but try to
understand them.
I should respect their beliefs and
viewpoints even when they are
different from yours.

Extra Resources
Here are some extra resources regarding English
Literature for secondary schools for your
reference.
Please click below to access to the web links.

The sound machine

Synopsis and worksheets

Contact Us
If you need more information, please
do not hesitate to contact us.
Ms Elisabeth 017-9990909
Mr Hiing 0168889998
Ms Liu 012-3338989
Ms Reenisha 014-3339999

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THE END
THANK YOU!