Paragraphs 1-2
How much money was the bet about?
Two million rubles.
From which year on did the lawyer show a huge appetite for inner growth and self-discipline?
The sixth year.
The lawyer learned nothing during his imprisonment. True or False?
What was found on the table in the cabin?
A handwritten letter addressed to the banker.
Which punishment did the banker believe was worse, the death penalty or life imprisonment?
He believed that life imprisonment was worse than the death penalty.
How did the lawyer contact the outside world?
Through a small window.
What did the lawyer turn to as a source of support and company?
Books.
How did the banker change over the years?
He now stood on the brink of financial ruin.
How did the banker feel after reading the letter from the lawyer?
He was overcome with guilt.
What does the sentence mean? "As terrible as life in prison would be, he would rather live than die."
雖然在監獄的生活很可怕，他寧願活著也不願死去。
Where was the lawyer kept during his sentence?
He was locked up in a cabin on the banker’s property.
How many books did the lawyer manage to read in just four years?
Hundreds of books.
How did the lawyer change over the years?
He mastered several languages, and acquired profound knowledge.
Why did the banker steal into the cabin on the night before the lawyer's release?
He wanted to murder the lawyer.
How was the heated debate resolved?
The banker proposed that the lawyer prove his claim.
How did the lawyer experience his imprisonment emotionally?
He felt terribly lonely.
What did the lawyer realize after being confined in the prison?
He realized that material pleasures could not fill the emptiness in his heart.
Why did the banker intend to kill the young lawyer?
He couldn’t bear the thought of the young man enjoying his life savings.
Why did the banker take the lawyer’s letter and lock it in his safe?
To prevent the spread of rumors.
Why did the young lawyer disagree with the banker’s opinion about punishment?
He believed that life was too precious to lose under any circumstances.
What did the old banker expect about the outcome of the bet? Why?
He expected that he would win the bet because he didn’t believe the young man would make it in the end.
What roles did books play during the lawyer’s imprisonment?
Books were his companions and his means of mental escape.
What did the banker's change reveal about his mindset?
It reveals the banker's decline in morality.
What was the lawyer looking to do with the bet?
He intended to abandon the bet on purpose and surrender any claim to the banker’s wealth.