Vocabulary
Give one word that means the same as 'aggressively' (lines 8–11 of Extract 1).
Viciously
Explain, using your own words, how Calvin Spender behaves in Extract 1 (lines 1–11).
Calvin behaves in a rude and crude way, showing a lack of refinement (draining his cup and burping loudly). He is also domineering and unkind toward Dora (giving her orders and ignoring her question) and is violent (kicking viciously at the cat)
Why is Calvin forced to dig a well in Extract 2?
His existing well had gone dry , and he was tired of having to haul barrels of water daily from his neighbor, Nord Fisher's farm, especially since Nord started hinting about expecting payment
Which two literary techniques does the writer use in the final paragraph (Extract 12)?
1. Foreshadowing (e.g., the motor "labored mightily," and the cable was "stretched almost to breaking point" before he was pulled up). 2. Hyperbole (e.g., the motor "labored mightily," "tremendous strain," "stretched almost to breaking point")
In Extract 1, what idea does Dora get that never quite comes to her mind?
The idea of what Calvin reminds her of.
Give one word that means the same as 'carefully, uncertainly' (Extract 5).
Tentatively
Give two pieces of evidence from Extract 2 (lines 35–38) that suggest Dora Spender is nervous or anxious.
1. She "worked with desperate haste to complete her chores". 2. She had to "Summon all her strength" to haul up the bucket
In Extract 5, what two objects did Calvin shake into his palm from the leather pouch?
A bar of yellow metal (which he determines is gold) and a folded piece of parchment
Suggest two ways that the writer uses language or structure to create suspense in the final paragraph (Extract 12).
1. Language: Using intense, alarming words to describe the action, such as the motor "labored mightily" and the cable was "stretched almost to breaking point". 2. Structure: The final sentence structure with the reveal: "Dora gasped when the oil drum came into view. Calvin was not in it!", which is a short, shocking sentence for emphasis and revelation.
In Extract 3, Dora prays for "something really and truly happen so I won't have to haul up any more dirt". What is the literal "something" that happens?
The bottom dropped right out of the hole , meaning there was no more dirt to haul up.
Give one word that means the same as 'searched hurriedly' (Extract 6).
Rummaged
Explain, using your own words, two ways in which Calvin behaves unkindly to Dora in Extract 1 (lines 5–7).
1. He ignores her question about digging the well and instead gives her an order. 2. He commands her to do the "hauling up dirt" chore.
What did Dora do with the first piece of parchment (the one Calvin threw away) that led to the 'people down there' sending a note in English in Extract 8?
She wrapped the note she wrote, a loaf of bread and meat, and a small, ragged dictionary in a dishtowel and lowered them into the hole. The dictionary served as a "crude code book" for them to decipher her language.
The descriptions of the gold in Extract 7 and Extract 9 (a dozen or so yellow metal bars, several dozen bars) could be considered an example of what literary technique?
Hyperbole or Exaggeration (to emphasize the huge quantity and value of the gold being exchanged for simple surface items).
In Extract 8, what do the underground dwellers assume is a "clumsy death ray"?
The flashlight that Calvin sent down.
Give one word that means the same as 'became less tight' (Extract 3 or 10).
Slackened or Slack
What is Dora's surprising initial reaction when Calvin appears, trembling and pale, from the hole in Extract 3?
She thought it might have been a heart attack, and she "tried hard to control the surge of joy that came over her".
According to the note in Extract 8, what are two things the 'people down there' value, and what is one thing they do not?
Value: The meat (which is "beyond price") and gold (sent as a "courtesy payment"). Do Not Value: The flashlight/“clumsy death ray” or the bread ("not acceptable to our digestive systems")
Which literary technique is used when Dora tries to remember what Calvin reminds her of: "The loose folds of skin on his neck hung lower than usual and more than ever he reminded Dora of something that she couldn't quite put a name to" (Extract 9, lines 186–187)?
Foreshadowing (it hints that Calvin is something less than human, building anticipation and suspense for a later reveal).
The final line of the story is Dora saying, "'Well, I declare,' she said in considerable wonder. 'I do declare.'" What does this suggest about her feelings regarding Calvin's fate?
It suggests a sense of calm wonder or resignation, rather than shock or grief. It implies she accepts the turn of events, perhaps even seeing it as a strange justice or a direct answer to her prayer from Extract 3, now permanently stopping the chore of hauling dirt (and Calvin's tyranny).
Give one word that means the same as 'living' (Extract 8).
Dwelling
How does Calvin react to the returning oil drum full of his unsold flashlights in Extract 11?
He initially grins, then is replaced by a look of utter disbelief. He makes "flat, bawling sounds" and, in a rage, sends the flashlights flying in all directions with a tremendous kick
In the final paragraph (Extract 12), what is the "live turkey" that the people below were so delighted with?
Calvin. He lowered himself into the oil drum to go down and "run those dirty rats down" , but the drum came back up with gold and a note saying they had eaten the "live turkey" (Calvin).
In Extract 11, the writer says, "The grin on Calvin’s face was broad as he reached out... A look of utter disbelief replaced the grin as he looked into it." What is the effect of this contrast?
The contrast highlights the shock and reversal of fortune for Calvin, emphasizing the failure of his greed and the sudden, humiliating discovery that the people below did not want his flashlights
Infer what the 'people down there' meant by 'turkey' in the final note when they said, "...this does not matter. So delicious was the turkey that we are again sending you a bonus payment" (Extract 12).
They meant the body of Calvin , whom they ate after he climbed into the oil drum and was lowered into the