Learning with Ms Winslow
Hat Ihnen James Schofields Kurzgeschichte gefallen? Dann nutzen Sie die Gelegenheit, das nebenbei Gelernte gleich noch zu vertiefen – mit Hilfe von Ms Winslow und Übungen von VANESSA CLARK.
Our very own detective stars in three chapters’ worth of stories on pages 38–43. Use these exercises to test what you have learned.
James Schofield’s stories about the indomitable Ms Winslow are always an entertaining read — but they can also provide an opportunity to improve your English in a more active way. On the next few pages, you will find exercises that will help you to understand the story fully, highlight some of the useful vocabulary and give you the chance to test yourself and learn.
Meet the characters
Read the profiles of the four main characters in the story.
Dorothy Winslow
When she was a young woman, Dorothy Winslow worked for the British diplomatic service abroad, including in Estonia in the 1980s. She has always been very vague about the work that she did for the government, which has led to suspicions that she was a secret agent. She is a charming woman and can be very persuasive and passionate. She is also intelligent, analytical, practical and organized. When the situation requires action, she takes control. When she senses injustice, she fights against it with an icy passion. She’s a good person to have on your side in a crisis.
Lucy Tischler
Lucy is Ms Winslow’s niece and is very fond of her elderly aunt. Lucy lives a peaceful life in Heroldstein, Germany, with her husband and their twin sons, little Roland and Freddie. The last member of the household is Trotsky the dog. Lucy has long been curious about her aunt’s interesting past and suspects there may be more to her than meets the eye.
Colonel Lukas Renno
Colonel Renno is a tall, elderly man with a moustache, a well-cut suit and a military air. He is polite, courteous and thoughtful. He is Estonian and is a former chief of police. He remembers Ms Winslow from her days in Tallinn.
Viktor Laur
Recently deceased, Viktor Laur was a pacifist poet and an academic in his home country of Estonia. He had been a professor, but was fired for anti-government activity. He wrote political poems that were not massively popular with his audiences.
1. A woman of contrasts
Add the missing vowels (a, e, i, o, u) to create adjectives that describe the different aspects of Dorothy Winslow’s character. (Tip: All the words appear in her profile to the left.)
A. nlytcl _______________________________
B. chrmng _____________________________
C. cy __________________________________
D. ntllgnt ______________________________
E. rgnzd _______________________________
F. prssv _______________________________
G. prctcl _______________________________
H. pssnt _______________________________
I. vg __________________________________
Answers
2. True or false?
Reread chapter 1 and decide whether each statement is true (T) or false (F).
T F
A. Lucy’s Aunt Dorothy had already
arrived.
B. An unexpected visitor arrived at
the door: Colonel Renno. C. Colonel Renno wanted to ask
Lucy something about her aunt. D. Colonel Renno had known Dorothy Winslow in the 1980s.
E. The Colonel had been the chief of
police in Moscow.
F. He had been suspicious of Dorothy Winslow’s role in the UK diplomatic service.
G. He found evidence that Dorothy
Winslow was a spy.
H. Dorothy Winslow fell in love
with Colonel Renno.
Answers 3. Complete the sentences
Reread chapter 2 and choose the right “-ing” words to complete the statements.
criticizing | listening | reading | singing | teaching | terrifying | warning | working
A. Viktor Laur lost his job as a result of
________ to a banned radio station. B. Viktor started ________ Dorothy
Winslow Estonian.
C. When she found out that Viktor wrote poems, Dorothy organized a public ________ .
D. When Russian soldiers interrupted the event, Viktor started ________ the old Estonian national anthem. E. Viktor found a clever way of ________
the Soviet government in his poems. F. Renno brought Viktor to the police
headquarters to give him a ________ . G. Dorothy’s ________ anger made the
Colonel set Viktor free.
H. Dorothy’s threats revealed that she
was probably ________ as a spy.
Answers 4. Match the sentence halves
Reread chapter 3 and match the sentence halves to retell the events in the story.
A. At the song festival, children went
through the crowd,…
B. The choir began to sing the words of
Viktor’s poem,…
C. The crowd sang with the choir,…
D. It had been Dorothy’s idea to make
the poem into a song,…
E. Colonel Renno realized that Estonia
could be free,…
F. The colonel persuaded Dorothy to
leave Estonia,…
1. but he also knew that Dorothy was in
danger.
2. but to the tune of a traditional Estonian song.
3. to keep her safe and to help the revolution.
4. handing out copies of one of Viktor’s
poems.
5. louder and louder, and they applauded wildly.
6. so that it could reach more people.
Answers
5. A political story
The story includes many words connected with political protest and revolution. Read these sets of three words and phrases from the story and, each time, find the one word that doesn’t fit. Cross the odd one out in each trio.
A. tanks | guns | discussions
B. twins | troops | soldiers
C. hostility | poetry | bloodshed D. diplomatic service | kindergarten |
consulate
E. troublemaker | dissident | amazement F. reception | protest | riot
G. free | independent | amateur
H. arrest | lock up | let go
I. carry out surveillance | put on a performance | keep an eye on someone
Answers 6. A love story
“The agent and the poet” is a love story, too — a love story told by the man who didn’t win the girl. Read what Colonel Renno said and choose the right word to complete each quotation.
A. “I had a hard heart / soft spot for your aunt.” B. “You can imagine my disagreement / disappointment when Dorothy fell / felt in love with a local poet!” C. “There was too much fashion / passion in her eyes and voice.” D. “She was on / in love with Viktor.” E. “They were having a fair / an affair.”
F. “I collected evidence of their relationship / relations.”
Answers