Lesson 1.3 The Cat and the Pain-Killer
Lesson 1.3> The Cat and the Pain-Killer
Glossary
- infatuated (v) : inspired with an intense but shortlived passion or admiration for someone or something
- plunges (n) : act of casting or thrusting forcibly or suddenly into something liquid
- quack (n) : a fraudulent or ignorant pretender to medical skill
- professing (v) : claiming often falsely, that one has a quality or feeling
- frenzy (n) : a state of uncontrolled excitement
- summersets (n) : an acrobatic movement either forward or backward in which the body rolls end over end, makes a complete revolution
- petrified (adj.) : extremely frightened
A. Choose the most suitable option.
1. Tom was disturbed because _____________
- he didn’t sleep well.
- his scores were low at school.
- his friend Becky Thatcher stopped coming to school.
- he had picked up a fight with Becky Thatcher.
Ans : his friend Becky Thatcher stopped coming to school.
2. Aunt was an experimenter in _______________
- trying new recipes.
- designing fashionable frocks.
- modern gardening techniques.
- trying out new medicines.
Ans : trying out new medicines.
3. Tom used the pain-killer to ___________________
- take care of his health.
- mend the crack on the sitting room floor.
- cure Becky Thatcher.
- help his aunt.
Ans : mend the crack on the sitting room floor.
4. Peter sprang a couple of yards in the air as __________
- he had a teaspoon of the pain-killer.
- his tail was caught in the mouse trap.
- Tom threw him out of the window.
- Aunt gave him a push.
Ans : he had a teaspoon of the pain-killer.
5. Finally Aunt Polly said to Tom that he __________________
- need not take any more medicine.
- has to go to school regularly.
- should not meet any of his friends.
- must take medicines every day.
Ans : need not take any more medicine.
B. Identify the character or speaker of the following lines.
1. He banged against furniture, upsetting flower-pots and making general havoc.
Peter the cat
2. She stood petrified with astonishment peering over her glasses.
Aunt Polly
3. ‘That is, I believe they do.’
Tom Sawyer
4. ‘What has that got to do that with it?’
Aunt Polly
5. ‘I done it out of pity for him.’
Tom Sawyer
C. Based on your reading, rearrange the following sentences in the correct sequence.
1. Since all her methods failed, finally she gave him a pain-killer.
2. He told his aunt that Peter had no aunt, so he gave him the medicine.
3. The pain-killer triggered adverse reactions on Peter.
4. It jumped out of the open window.
5. Tom was dull and depressed.
6. This incident upset Aunt Polly and she questioned him.
7. But, Tom gave that pain-killer to the cat Peter.
8. So, Aunt Polly tried different types of remedies on him.
Ans :
- 5. Tom was dull and depressed.
- 8. So, Aunt Polly tried different types of remedies on him.
- 1. Since all her methods failed, finally she gave him a pain-killer.
- 7. But, Tom gave that pain-killer to the cat Peter.
- 3. The pain-killer triggered adverse reactions on Peter.
- 4. It jumped out of the open window
- 6. This incident upset Aunt Polly and she questioned him.
- 2. He told his aunt that Peter had no aunt, so he gave him the medicine.
D. Complete the summary of the extract using the appropriate words from the box below.
| pain-killer | stopped | cruelty | remedies |
| teaspoon | school | summersets | Peter |
| pretended | dejected | health | crack |
Tom Sawyer felt dejected as Becky Thatcher had stopped coming to school. His Aunt Polly was very concerned about his health condition. So, she began to try various remedies on him. Tom became fed up with his Aunt’s brand of remedies and pretended to like the pain-killer. He started to ask for it very often. But, Tom used the medicine to mend the crack on the floor. One day, Tom gave the pain-killer to his Aunt’s cat, Peter. The pain-killer had an adverse effect on the cat and it started to jump around the room. Aunt Polly entered the room in time to see the cat throw a few summersets and sail through the open window. She found the teaspoon with a little pain-killer sticking to it and knew that Tom had treated the cat with it. She realized that, what was cruelty to the cat should be the same to the boy too and stopped giving medicines to him.
E. In the story we fi nd a lot of American slang usage of English. Complete the tabular column with standard English. One has been done for you.
| Finally hit ‘pon. | Finally hit upon |
| There ain’t anything mean about me. | There isn’t anything mean about me. |
| ‘Deed I don’t know. | Indeed I don’t know |
| Yes’m. That is, I believe they do. | Yes ma’am. That is I belive they do. |
| ‘She’d a roasted bowel out of me.’ | She had a roasted bowel out of me |
| ‘Oh, go ‘long with you, Tom. | ‘Oh, go along with you, Tom |
F. Based on your understanding of the story, write the answers for the following questions in a sentence or two
1. ‘Why did Tom lose the charm of his life?
Tom lost the “of charm of his life because there was nothing but boredom left.
2. Why did Aunt Polly try different remedies on Tom?
Aunt Polly was an incurable experimenter in these things. so she began to try all manners of remedies on Tom.
3. How did the medicine diminish?
The boy was mending the health of a crack in the sitting room floor with the medicine. so the medicine diminished
4. Did Tom compel Peter to have the pain-killer?
No, Tom did not compel Peter to have the pain killer.
5. Why did Peter wish to taste the pain-killer?
Peter was greedy. so he wished to taste the pain-killer.
6. How a Aunt Polly discover the reason for Peter’s absurd behavior?
Aunt Polly bend down and took the teaspoon and held it out. Thus she discovered the reason for Peter’s absurd behaviour.
7. What was the reason given by Tom for giving the pain-killer to the cat?
Tom told Aunt Polly that he gave the painkiller to the cat out of pity as he hadn’t any aunt.
8. Why did Aunt Polly’s eyes water?
Aunt Polly felt that she had done cruelty to the boy. She began to soften and felt sorry, so her eyes watered.
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