Question

Read the extract given below and answer the following questions.

She did nothing. She only watched him breathing loudly, until the elevator reached the first floor at last. Martin wanted to run past her to get out, but there was no room. He could only wait as she turned and moved slowly into the lobby. Then he ran. He didn’t care what she thought. He ran nearly all the way to school.

1. What was the lady’s behaviour while in the elevator with the boy? How would you explain it? (Understanding and Analysis)
2. Why couldn’t Martin run past the lady? (Understanding)
3. What was the boy’s impression of the lady in the elevator? (Understanding)
4. Where did the lady live? Did Martin know this? (Understanding and Analysis)
5. What time of the day was it then? How do you know? (Analysis)

Answer 1

1. The lady remained silent and simply watched Martin while breathing loudly. She did not speak or physically harm him. Her strange silence and fixed gaze made Martin feel threatened, although her actual intention is left uncertain.
2. Martin could not run past the lady because the elevator was very small and cramped. The lady’s large body occupied most of the available space, leaving Martin no room to get past her.
3. Martin felt that the lady was frightening and threatening. Her large size, strange appearance, loud breathing, and fixed stare made him believe that she might harm him.
4. The lady lived on the fourth floor. Martin knew that she got off at the fourth floor, but he did not know that she lived there until this encounter.
5. It was morning. Martin was on his way to school, and after leaving the elevator, he ran nearly all the way to school. This indicates that the incident happened in the morning before school.