KEYS TO TEST 2

1. The story “The Story of an Hour” is written by Kate Chopin. The main character, Louise Mallard, a young woman with a heart trouble, receives the news of her husband’s death in a road accident. Greatly shocked at first she retreats to her room to grieve but suddenly feels relieved. Louise realizes now that her husband is dead she is free to live as she chooses and do what she likes. When Louise is down with her relatives again, the entrance door opens and her husband, Brently Mallard, appears. It turns out that the husband’s death has been a mistake. Louise’s weak heart can not endure one more shock and she dies instantly. Everyone is sure that she dies because she is glad to see her husband safely back home.

2. a) My younger sister Louise had a serious heart trouble so when the news about her husband’s death in a road accident arrived, I tried to tell her about it as carefully as possible. She wept at once and then retired to her room to grieve. I begged her to open the door and finally she joined us downstairs. Then suddenly the entrance door opened and Brently appeared safe and sound! Louise screamed and fell down. We did our best to revive her but I think the joy of having Brently restored to life and his family was too much for her weak heart. Louise died so young and I don’t know how her husband and I will get over it.

b) When I heard Brently was dead I felt a pang in the heart and a strike of real grief, of a loss. I rushed to my room as I couldn’t bear any consolation at that moment. I fell into the armchair to cry my heart out but all of a sudden I felt a relief. Brently is gone, what am I going to do? But I am young and attractive and rich! I am absolutely free to live as I choose and do what I like! I will live long, I will be happy! But my sister is calling for me behind the door. I’d better go and pretend I’m absolutely killed. But what is it? The door opens… Brently?! Could it be Brently?! Oh, no! No, Lord! No…

c)… he came back home at the usual hour and opened the door with his own key. He saw the white faces of his relatives turning to him, their swollen eyes opening wide. Then Louise gave a faint cry and fell on the floor. He had always known she had a serious heart trouble, but he wasn’t prepared — no, not her, she was so young and beautiful! They all rushed to her, tried to revive her but in vain. He remembered doctors came and explained things about weak hearts but he didn’t listen, he also felt sick at heart. Josephine had told him Louise just couldn’t stand two shocks in an hour and died of joy that kills. What a cruel irony of fate…

D) On that sweet spring morning Louise Mallard, a young woman with a heart trouble, received a terrible blow — her husband was said to have been killed in a road accident. Her sister Josephine was really careful and tender trying to console her, but Louise rushed to her room. She fell into the armchair and cried bitterly, but then, looking into the window on a glorious spring landscape, she gradually calmed down and joined her relatives downstairs. At that moment the entrance door opened and her