Embroidery

1. What elements of the plot structure can be distinguished in this story?

2. What types of narration are employed here? Speak about the peculiarities of
dialogue speech.
3. By means of what stylistic devices is emotional tension accumulated in the story?
4. Speak about the characters in the text. Dwell on the means of allusion used in their
representation.
5. Dwell on the key words of the story and the author's message.

Eye Witness
1. Dwell on the thematic vocabulary of the text. What is peculiar about the words
which represent the theme of the story?
2. What means are employed by the author to describe the protagonist’s feelings?
Can we find any examples of psychological portrait in the story?
3. Define the climax of the story. What language means help to define this plot knot?
4. The action of the story takes place in the USA, though the author never mentions
this in the text. What is suggestive of it?
5. The story belongs to detective genre to which it is typical to reveal the name of the
murderer at the end of the text. In the given story the author does it implicitly. What
helps us to understand who the murderer is?

Whistle and I will come to you

1.Where and when is the scene laid? What spatial and temporal markers are used in
the text? Are they direct or indirect?
2. What types of narration are employed here?
3. What language means are used to depict the house?
4. By means of what stylistic devices is the atmosphere of tension and fear
accumulated in the story?
5. Speak about the Gothic vocabulary of the text.

The invisible Japanese Gentlemen

1. Speak about the composition of the short story. What’s peculiar about it? How
does it contribute to understanding the author’s message?
2. What kinds of repetition can be found in the text? What idea/ideas do they
foreground?
3. Comment on the dialogue. What is the function of the narrator’s remarks in it?
4. Account for the description of the main characters. What artistic details make the
characters vivid? `
5. Dwell on the title of the short story and the author’s message.
Then in Triumph

1. What elements of composition can be singled out in the given short story?
2. What types of narration prevail in the text? What are their main functions?
3. What narrative compositional forms can be found in this text?
4. Speak about the thematic vocabulary of the short story.
5. Dwell on the title of the short story and the author’s message.

A Very Short Story

1. Speak about Ernest Hemingway (his biography, peculiarities of his style of

writing)
2. Comment on the peculiarities of the composition of the story. What are the types of
narration employed? What are their specific features?
3. What are the employed means which constitute the temporal continuum of the
story?
4. Where and when is the scene laid? What are the spatial and temporal markers used
in the text? Are they direct or indirect?
5. Speak about the key words of the text.

About a boy
1. Where and when is the scene laid? What spatial and temporal markers are used in
the text? Are they direct or indirect?
2. What narrative compositional forms can be observed in this extract?
3. What are the peculiarities of dialogue speech in this extract?
4. Account for the usage of antithesis in this extract. What does it convey?
5. Speak about the key words of the text.

The Butler
1. Speak about O’Henry (his biography, peculiarities of his style of writing).
2. What types of narration can be observed in the text ? What is their function ?
3. Account for the description of the main characters. What stylistic devices make the
characters vivid?
4. Account for the usage of irony in the story.
5. Dwell on the key words of the story and the author's message.
The Cricket War
1. Speak about the author and present the summary of the text.
2. What functional style does the text belong to? What is its aim?
3. Speak about the types of narration and narrative compositional forms presented in
the text.
4. Dwell on the time and place of the action.
5. Speak of the stylistic devices employed in the text.
6. What are the key words of the text? What is the author’s message?

A Matter of Timing
1. Comment on the title of the short story.
2. Where and when is the scene laid?
3. Comment on the use of italics in the text.
4. What are the effective language means which portray Jennifer?
5. What makes the reader think that it is Jane who is in control of the dangerous
situation?

New York to Detroit

1. What functional style does the text belong to? What is its aim?
2. Speak of the types of narration and narrative compositional forms presented in the
text.
3. Dwell on the time and place of the action.
5. What phono-graphical stylistic devices are employed in the text ? What is their
aim ?
6. What are the key words of the text? What is the author’s message?

Doctor in the house

1. What functional style does the extract belong to? What is its aim?
2. Speak of the types of narration presented in the given extract.
3. Dwell on the time and place of the action.
4. Dwell on the use of allusion in this text.
5. What are the key words and thematic vocabulary of the given extract?
The Fun they had

1. What types of narration are employed in the extract? Speak about the peculiarities
of dialogue speech.
2. Dwell on the time and the place of action.
3. Speak of the narrative compositional forms presented in the text.
4. Comment on the use of italics in the text.
5. Speak about the thematic vocabulary of the text.

The happy man

1. What functional style does the text belong to? What is its aim?
2. Speak of the types of narration presented in the given extract.
3. Speak of the narrative compositional forms presented in the text.
4. Account for the usage of metaphors in this extract. What meaning is conveyed?
5. Speak about the thematic vocabulary of the text.

Appointment with love

1. Where and when is the scene laid?
2. Speak of the types of narration presented in the given extract.
3. Account for the description of the main characters. What stylistic devices make the
characters vivid?
4. Speak of the narrative compositional forms presented in the text.
5. Dwell on the title of the story