27.The Midnight Visitor27.The Midnight Visitor

1. Guide Questions

3. Analysis and Explanation4. Reading Comprehension

5. Questions For Discussion

2. Summary of The Lesson

Distant Education College of Jilin UniversityDistant Education College of Jilin University

Extensive Reading IIExtensive Reading II

Guide Questions1. Who is the main character of the story?2. What was Ausable?

3. Why did Fowler feel disappointed when he saw Ausable had only a small room in the hole?

4.What’s the meaning of the sentence when Ausable said “ he only gets an ordinary telephone call making an appointment in his room?”

6. Why did Ausable mention the balcony?5. Who was the midnight visitor?

7. Why did Max come to Ausable’s room?

8. What do you think happened to Max?

1. Ausable.

Answer:

2. A spy.

Answer:

3. Because it did not look like the dwelling-place of a secret agent as described in novels and moves.

Answer:

4. He might have been emphasizing to Fowler that the work of a spy was not very fantastic and romantic.

Answer:

5. Max another spy.

Answer:

6. Ausable knew the waiter would come to knock at the door. He mentioned the non-existent balcony because he knew Max would want to escape through the window if a policeman came.

Answer:

7. For a report concerning some new missiles.

Answer:

8. Max dropped straight down to the ground from the sixth floor and most probably fell to his death.

Answer

Questions for Discussion

1. What’s your impression of Ausable?

Answer:Ausable was rather common-place in appearance. He was very fat and had an apparent New England accent. He was mild and friendly, too. However, he was both resourceful and gallant. He was quick-witted and had perfect self-control when faced with danger.

Questions for Discussion

2. How did Austable make sure Max did not know what was outside the window?

Answer:When Ausable mentioned the balcony in his room, Max felt very surprised to hear it. And he said if he had knewn it early, he would have come to the room from it.

1. Multiple-choice Questions

2. True/False Questions

Reading Comprehension

Multiple-choice Questions

1. Which of the following is not mentioned in 1. Which of the following is not mentioned in the text?the text?

A)     Ausable’s poor living conditions.A)     Ausable’s poor living conditions.

B) Ausable’s figure.B) Ausable’s figure.

C)C) An ordinary phone call.An ordinary phone call.

DD ） ） Ausabl’s speaking manner. Ausabl’s speaking manner.

Multiple-choice Questions

1. Which of the following is not mentioned in the tex1. Which of the following is not mentioned in the text? t? DD

A)     Ausable’s poor living conditions.A)     Ausable’s poor living conditions.

B) Ausable’s figure B) Ausable’s figure

C) An ordinary phone call.C) An ordinary phone call.

D) Ausabl’s speaking manner. D) Ausabl’s speaking manner.

Multiple-choice Questions

2. Ausable was __________ when faced with Max h2. Ausable was __________ when faced with Max holding a pistol in his hand.olding a pistol in his hand.

A) excitedA) excited

B) calm B) calm

C) worriedC) worried

D) confident D) confident

Multiple-choice Questions

2. Ausable was ____B______ when faced with Max holding a pistol in his hand.

A) excited

B) calm

C) worried

D) confident

Multiple-choice Questions

3. The statement “I’m going to raise the devil with the 3. The statement “I’m going to raise the devil with the management this time” (L . 33-L . 34) could be most management this time” (L . 33-L . 34) could be most suitably replaced by __________ .suitably replaced by __________ .

A)A) I’m going to talk with the people in charge of the hotel I’m going to talk with the people in charge of the hotel about the balconyabout the balcony

B)B) I’m going to put forward the problem of the balcony to I’m going to put forward the problem of the balcony to the people in charge of the hotel the people in charge of the hotel

C) I’m going to remind the people in charge of the hotel C) I’m going to remind the people in charge of the hotel about the balcony about the balcony

D) I’m going to demand that the people in change of the D) I’m going to demand that the people in change of the hotel solve the problem of the balcony. hotel solve the problem of the balcony.

Multiple-choice Questions

3. The statement “I’m going to raise the devil with the management this time” (L . 33-L . 34) could be most suitably replaced by _____D_____ .

A) I’m going to talk with the people in charge of the hotel about the balcony

B) I’m going to put forward the problem of the balcony to the people in charge of the hotel

C) I’m going to remind the people in charge of the hotel about the balcony

D) I’m going to demand that the people in change of the hotel solve the problem of the balcony.

Multiple-choice Questions

4.Max learned from Ausable’s complaint about his b4.Max learned from Ausable’s complaint about his balcony that_________alcony that_________

    A) A) Ausable was very angry with the hotel managerAusable was very angry with the hotel manager

B)B)  T  The balcony hadn’t been blocked off and he coulhe balcony hadn’t been blocked off and he could get into the room through it next time d get into the room through it next time

C) He could use the balcony if necessaryC) He could use the balcony if necessary

D) Ausable thought that he got into his room by usiD) Ausable thought that he got into his room by using the balconyng the balcony

Multiple-choice Questions

4. Max learned from Ausable’s complaint about his bal4. Max learned from Ausable’s complaint about his balcony thatcony that____C_________C_____

A)A)      Ausable was very angry with the hotel managAusable was very angry with the hotel manag

B) The balcony hadn’t been blocked off and he could B) The balcony hadn’t been blocked off and he could get into the room through it next time get into the room through it next time

C) C)   He could use the balcony if necessaryHe could use the balcony if necessary

D) Ausable thought that he got into his room by usinD) Ausable thought that he got into his room by using the balconyg the balcony

Multiple-choice Questions

5. The story could be described as 5. The story could be described as _________._________.

A) horrifying A) horrifying

B) exciting B) exciting

C) depressing C) depressing

D) thrillingD) thrilling

Multiple-choice Questions

5. The story could be described as ____D_____.

A) horrifying

B) exciting

C) depressing

D) thrilling

True/False Questions

1. To Fowler, Ausable didn’t look like a man of action.1. To Fowler, Ausable didn’t look like a man of action.

2. Ausable wasn’t frightened by Max because th2. Ausable wasn’t frightened by Max because that man didn’t look dangerous.at man didn’t look dangerous.

3. Ausable thought that Max got into his room by using t3. Ausable thought that Max got into his room by using the balcony. he balcony.

4. Fowler was so frightened that he didn’t know what mi4. Fowler was so frightened that he didn’t know what might happen next while Ausable spoke with Max .ght happen next while Ausable spoke with Max .

(T)

(F)

(F)

(T)

True/False Questions

5. Ausable looked calm and confident while facing Ma5. Ausable looked calm and confident while facing Max’s gun because he was certain that the police would cox’s gun because he was certain that the police would come soon..me soon.. (F)6. 6. IIt was a waiter who entered the room.t was a waiter who entered the room.

7.7. Henry was the name of a policemanHenry was the name of a policeman.

8. Max was not as experienced a spy as Ausable. 8. Max was not as experienced a spy as Ausable.

(T)

(F)

(T)

Fowler didn’t believe Ausable was a secret agent because of Ausable’s unromantic appearance. Then something happened at midnight which changed Fowler’s view.

27.The Midnight Visitor

Ausable did not fit the description of any secret agent Fowler had ever read about. Following him down the musty corridor of the gloomy French hotel where Ausable had a room, Fowler felt disappointed. It was a small room, on the sixth and top floor, and scarcely a setting for a romantic figure.

Ausable was , for one thing, fat . Very fat. And then there was his accent. Though he spoke French and German passably, he had never altogether lost the New England accent he had brought to Paris from Boston twenty years ago.

“You are disappointed ,”Ausable said wheezily over his shoulder. “You were told that I was a secret agent , a spy, dealing in espionage danger.” You wished to meet me because you are a writer , young and romantic . You expected mysterious figures in the night, the crack of pistols, drugs in the wine.

“Instead, you have spent a dull evening in a French music hall with a sloppy fat man who , instead of having messages slipped into his hand by dark-eyed beauties, gets only an ordinary telephone call making an appointment in his room. You have been bored!” The fat man chuckled to himself as he unlocked the door of his room and stood aside to let his frustrated guest enter.

“You are disillusioned, ” Ausable told him. “But take cheer, my young friend. Presently you will see a paper , a quite important paper for which several men and women have risked their lives, come to me in the next-to-last step of its journey into official hands. Some day soon that paper may well affect the course of history. In that thought is drama, is there not ?” As he spoke ,Ausable closed the door behind him. Then he switched on the light.

And as the light came on, Fowler had his first authentic thrill of the day. For halfway across the room ,a small automatic pistol in his hand, stood a man.

Ausable blinked a few times.

“Max ,” he wheezed ,“You gave me quite a start . I thought you were in Berlin. What are you doing in my room?”

Max was slender, not tall, and with a face that suggested the look of a fox. Except for the gun, he did not look very dangerous..

“The report,” he murmured. “The report that is being brought to you tonight concerning some new missiles . I thought I would take it from you . It will be safer in my hands than in yours.”

Ausable moved to an armchair and sat down heavily . “I’m going to raise the devil with the management this time; I am angry ,” he said grimly. “This is the second time in a month that somebody has gotten into my room off that damned balcony!” Fowler’s eyes went to the single window of the room. It was an ordinary window, against which now the night was pressing blackly.

“Balcony?”Max asked curiously. “No ,I had a passkey. I did not know about the balcony. It might have saved me some trouble I had known about it . ”

“It ’s not my balcony,” explained Ausable angrily. “It belongs to the next apartment.”He glanced explanatorily at Fowler. “You see,”he said,“ this room used to be part of a large unit , and the

next room — through that door there — used to be the living room. It had the balcony, which extends under my windows now. You can get onto it from the empty room next door, and somebody did, last month .The management promised to block it off .But they haven’t .” Max glanced at Fowler, who was standing stiffly a few feet from Ausable, and waved the gun with a commanding gesture. “Please sit down,” he said . “We have a wait of half an hour , I think.” “Thirty-one minutes.”Ausble said moodily. “The appointment was for twelve-thirty. I wish I knew how you learned about the report, Max . ”

The little spy smiled evilly. “And we wish we knew how your people got the report. But, no harm has been done. I will get it back tonight. What is that ?Who is at the door?”

Fowler jumped at the sudden knocking at the door. Ausable just smiled , “That will be the police, ”he said, “I thought that such an important paper as the one we are waiting for should have a little extra protection. I told them to check on me to make sure everything was all right. ”

Max bit his lip nervously. The knocking was repeated.

“What will you do now , Max? ” Ausable asked. “If I do not answer the door, they will enter anyway. The door is unlocked . And they will not hesitate to shoot. ”

Max’s face was black with anger as he backed swiftly toward the window; with his hand behind him , he opened the window and put his leg out into the night .“Send them away!” he warned .“I will wait on the balcony . Send them away or I’ll shoot and take my chances!”

The knocking at the door became louder and a voice was raised. “Mr .Ausable ! Mr . Ausable! ”

Keeping his body twisted so that his gun still covered the fat man and his guest, the man at the window grasped the frame with his free hand to support himself as he rested his weight on one thigh. Then he swung his other leg up and over the window sill.

The doorknob turned . Swiftly Max pushed with his left hand to free himself and drop to the balcony. And then as he dropped, he screamed once, shrilly.

The door opened and a waiter stood there with a tray, a bottle and two glasses. “Here is the drink you ordered , sir.” He set the tray on the table, deftly uncorked the bottle, and left the room.

White faced and shaking, Fowler stared after him. “But…but …what about… the police? ” he stammered.

“There never were any police.” Ausable sighed. “Only Henry,whom I was expecting. ”

“But what about the man on the balcony… ?”Fowler began. “No,”said Ausable, “he won’t return .”

Ausable did not fit the description of any secret agent :Ausable did not fit the description of any secret agent :

Ausable did not look like a secret as described in a novel .

Scarcely a setting for a romantic figure :hardly the right place for an important secret agent to live .

for one --- then --- :for one --- then --- : for one thing ---for another --- “ 首先 ------ 其次 ------” 。

I like her . For one thing she was kind . And then she was an orphan .

我喜欢她，首先她很善良，其次她是一个孤儿。

You were told that I was a secret agent , a spy , dealing in espionage danger .

有人告诉你我是一个特工，一个间谍，在从事危险的间谍活动。

deal in : 经营；从事 ( manage, be engaged in )

This import and export corporation deals in general merchandise , paper , lights , etc .

这家进出口公司经营日用百货，纸张，灯具等。

Instead , you have spent a dull in a French music hall with a sloInstead , you have spent a dull in a French music hall with a sloppy fat man who, instead of having messages sliped into his hanppy fat man who, instead of having messages sliped into his hand by dark-eyed beauties,get only an ordinary telephoned by dark-eyed beauties,get only an ordinary telephone

making an appointment in his room .making an appointment in his room . 而你却在一个法国音乐厅里与一个邋遢的胖子度过了一个无聊的夜晚，根本没有黑眼睛的美女给他传递情况，他只接了一个约定在他房间会面的普通电话。

make an appointment : 安排一次约会。

Presently you will see a paper , a quite important paPresently you will see a paper , a quite important paper for which several man and womem have rised tper for which several man and womem have rised t

heir lives,heir lives, come to me in the next-to-last stop of its jcome to me in the next-to-last stop of its journey into official hands: Right now you will see a ourney into official hands: Right now you will see a paper come to me before reaching its final official rpaper come to me before reaching its final official receivers .It is quite important for several men and weceivers .It is quite important for several men and women have risked their lives for itomen have risked their lives for it . 这句中 a quite important paper 作 a paper 的同位语 , come to me --- 作 a paper 宾语的补足语。

may well : be very likely to

You may well not recognize him after such a long separation .

分开了这么长时间你很可能认不出他来。

In that thought is drama, is there not ?:In that thought is drama, is there not ?: The thought that the paper may well affect the course of history is dramatic , isn’t it ?

Fowler had his first authentic thrill of the day :Fowler had his first authentic thrill of the day :

For the first time that day Fowler was really startled.

You gave me quite a start :You gave me quite a start : You gave me a great surprise.

and with a face that suggested the look of a fox . 面孔长得象狐狸。

suggest : 使人想起，使人联想到，暗示。启发。 ( remind, hint))

（ 1 ） The sight suggests my childhood .

这情景使我想起自已的童年。

（ 2 ） A cottage that suggests a garden stands among trees .

像花园一样的小屋掩映在树林中。

（ 3 ） This suggests a clue to the incident .

这件事件提供了一条线索。

-- against which now the night was pressing -- against which now the night was pressing blackly ;blackly ;

it was dark night outside the window.

It might have saved me some trouble had I known about it :It might have saved me some trouble had I known about it : 如果我早知有阳台的话 这会省去些麻烦。

This is a adverbial clause of condition contrary to the past. We must put “were, had ,should” at the beginning of the sentence if we want to omit “if ” , we can’t do so without them .

( 1 ) Were I in your position , I should go with them. 如果我处于你 的地位，我就同你一起去。

（ 2 ） Had you not helped me , I should have failed . 如果没有你的帮助，我是会失败的。

（ 3 ） Should it rain tomorrow , what would you do ? 假如明天下午的话，你们怎么办 ?

Fowler jumped at the sudden knocking at the door .Fowler jumped at the sudden knocking at the door .

福勒被突如其来的敲门声吓了一跳。

jump (at) : （因喜悦、吃惊、紧张）跃起、跳动、剧跳。

I jumped at my aunt’s unexpected visit .

婶婶的意外来访使我高兴地跳起来。

check on : exam if something is truecheck on : exam if something is true

We’ll check on everybody whether it’s true or not.

我们要向每个人核查此是了解真或假。

Send them away or I ‘ll shoot and take my chances.Send them away or I ‘ll shoot and take my chances.

打发他们走，否则我就 开枪，准备冒险。

( 1 ) or : other wise 可用于表示威胁。

she told him he had better return the car or she would call the police . 让他最好把汽车还回来，否则她会叫警察 .

( 2 ) take one’s chances : take a risk.

They took their chances to save him. 他们准备冒险去救他。

His gun still covered the fat man :His gun still covered the fat man : he kept his gun aimed at the fat man .

Then he swung his other leg up and over the window sillThen he swung his other leg up and over the window sill

然后他把另一条腿也越过窗户伸到窗台外。

Swing：悬挂、使旋转。

(1) Swing a basket of seed from a hook.

把一篮子种子挂在钩子上。

(2) Swing the gun towards the enemy and five.

调转枪口朝敌人开火。

 

frustrate[frustrate[ ]v. make someone or so ]v. make someone or something fail mething fail 使受挫折使受挫折

He was frustrated in an attempt to cross the river.

他试图渡河但没有成功

chuckle[ chuckle[ ] v Low and quite laugh ] v Low and quite laugh with closed mouth with closed mouth 暗笑暗笑

Father always chuckles when he reads the funny paper.

爸爸看到报纸上的连环画总是轻声笑。

be black with angrybe black with angry ：怒气冲天：怒气冲天

When he heard the news ,he was black with angry 他听到这个消息后怒气冲天。

take cheer (from sth.) :take cheer (from sth.) :( 因某事）振做起来

moodily[ moodily[ :: ] ]ad.gloomy; bad-tempered 不快的，易怒的

disillusion[ disillusion[ :: ] ]v. set free from mistaken beliefes 使幻想破灭It is time that she was disillusioned.现在该是他醒悟的时候 了。

 stiffly[ stiffly[ ] ] ad. firm,not easily bent or folded 直挺挺地

concerning prep. in respect ofconcerning prep. in respect of

Please inform me concerning the matter.关于这件事请告诉我。

•Outline of The Text

•Comment on the story

Comment

The author vividly presents us a quick-witted spy. Although Ausable’ s appearance did not fit the description of any secret agents, he was without doubt a good spy. This story is an excellent example of intrigue and suspense. Still we know espionage activities are primarily carried out by individual nations to gain data on other nations. One of the most notorious espionage institutions in the world is the Central Intelligence Agency ( CIA )Of the U.S.A ,which was established in 1947.Although espionage is not illegal under international law, every country has laws against other nations spying on them.

 

Outline of The Text When Fowler, the young writer, met Austable, he didn’t think Austable fit the description of a secret agent he’d ever read about.

As Fowler followed this spy down the musty corridor of a gloomy hotel to a small room, he got a great shock. For halfway across the room stood a man with a small automatic pistol in his hand. The man said to Ausable he came to take an important report that was being brought to Ausable. Instead of mentioning the report, Austable began to complain angrily about the management of the hotel .He said that was the second time in a month that somebody had got into his room off that balcony which extended under his window.

Just then there was a knock at the door. Austable told the man that would be the policeman he had called for extra protection. As the knocking became louder ,the man got quite nervous and frightened but warned he would wait on the balcony and take a risk. So when the door knob turned , he swiftly dropped out of the window. After the door opened, a waiter came in with the drink Ausable had ordered. While Foeler was worried about the man hiding on the balcony, Ausable told him calmly that the would never return.