Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions on it.
It seemed that Joe had just about had it with his wife of three years. He no longer thought her attractive interesting: he considered her a poor housekeeper who was overweight, someone he no longer wanted to live with. j Or was so _upset that he finally decided on divorce. But before he served her the papers, he made an appointment with% psychologist for the specific purpose of finding out how to make life as difficult as possible for his wife.
The psychologist listened to Joe's story and then gave his advice: "Well. Joe, I think I've got the perfect solution for you From tonight when you get home, I want you to start treating your wife as if she were a goddess. That's right, a goddess, I want you to change your attitude towards her completely. Start doing everything in your power to please her. Listen intently to her when she talks about her problems. Help around the house; take her out to dinner on weekends. I want you to pretend that she's a goddess. Then after two months of this wonderful behaviour, just pack your bags and leave her. That should get to her.
Joe thought it was a tremendous idea. That night he started treating his wife as if she were a goddess. He couldn't wait to do things for her. He brought her breakfast in bed and had flowers delivered to her for no apparent reason. They read books to each other at night and Joe listened to her as never before. It was incredible what Joe was doing for his wife. He kept it up for the two full months. After the allotted time, the psychologist gave Joe a call at home. "Joe," he asked. "How's it going? Did you file for divorce? Are you a happy bachelor once again?" "Divorce?" asked Joe in surprise. "You must be kidding! I'm married to a goddess. I've never been happier in my life. I'd never leave my wife in a million years. In fact, I'm discovering new, wonderful things about her every single day. Divorce? Not on your life!" The psychologist hung up wearing a knowing smile.
(a) Why did Joe consult the psychologist?
(b) What did Joe think he would achieve by following the psychologists advice?
(c) What is ironical about Joe's answer to the psychologist's question towards the end of the passage'
(d) From this episode, what do you think had really been wrong with Joe's marriage?
(e) "... it was a tremendous idea'. ((i) What grammatical name is given to this expression as it is used in the passage?
(ii) What is its function in the sentence?
(f) "I'd never leave my wife in a million years" What figure of speech is contained in the sentence above?
(g) Why do you think the psychologist wore a knowing smile?
(h) For each of the following words. find another word or phrase which means the same and which can replace it as used in the passage. (i) attractive. (ii) upset; (iii) solution (iv) wonderful; (v) apparent; (vi) allotted.
(a) Why Joe consulted the psychologist
Joe consulted the psychologist for one specific purpose: to find out how he could make life as difficult and miserable as possible for his wife before he divorced her.
(b) What Joe hoped to achieve
Joe believed that if he treated his wife like a goddess for two months and then suddenly abandoned her, the shock and sense of loss would wound her deeply. In short, he thought the sudden desertion after such loving treatment would devastate her and get back at her.
(c) The irony in Joe's answer
The irony lies in the fact that Joe set out to hurt his wife and to divorce her, yet he ended up loving her more than ever and refusing to leave her under any circumstances. The very plan designed to make her miserable made Joe himself the happiest he had ever been. What was meant to destroy the marriage saved it.
(d) What had really been wrong with the marriage
Nothing was truly wrong with the wife. The real problem lay in Joe himself, in his cold, neglectful and unappreciative attitude. Once he began to show her love, attention and kindness, the marriage flourished, proving that his own behaviour, not his wife, had been at fault.
(e) “it was a tremendous idea”
(i) It is a noun clause.
(ii) It functions as the object of the verb “thought” (Joe thought that it was a tremendous idea).
(f) “I'd never leave my wife in a million years”
The figure of speech is hyperbole (deliberate exaggeration).
(g) Why the psychologist wore a knowing smile
The psychologist had understood from the beginning that the fault lay in Joe's attitude and not in the wife. He knew that once Joe changed and began to treat her with love, the marriage would be repaired, so his advice worked exactly as he had secretly intended. His smile showed the quiet satisfaction of one whose plan had succeeded.
(h) Words and their replacements as used in the passage
- (i) attractive: appealing / good-looking
- (ii) upset: distressed / troubled
- (iii) solution: answer / remedy
- (iv) wonderful: excellent / marvellous
- (v) apparent: obvious / evident
- (vi) allotted: allocated / appointed
(a) Why Joe consulted the psychologist
Joe consulted the psychologist for one specific purpose: to find out how he could make life as difficult and miserable as possible for his wife before he divorced her.
(b) What Joe hoped to achieve
Joe believed that if he treated his wife like a goddess for two months and then suddenly abandoned her, the shock and sense of loss would wound her deeply. In short, he thought the sudden desertion after such loving treatment would devastate her and get back at her.
(c) The irony in Joe's answer
The irony lies in the fact that Joe set out to hurt his wife and to divorce her, yet he ended up loving her more than ever and refusing to leave her under any circumstances. The very plan designed to make her miserable made Joe himself the happiest he had ever been. What was meant to destroy the marriage saved it.
(d) What had really been wrong with the marriage
Nothing was truly wrong with the wife. The real problem lay in Joe himself, in his cold, neglectful and unappreciative attitude. Once he began to show her love, attention and kindness, the marriage flourished, proving that his own behaviour, not his wife, had been at fault.
(e) “it was a tremendous idea”
(i) It is a noun clause.
(ii) It functions as the object of the verb “thought” (Joe thought that it was a tremendous idea).
(f) “I'd never leave my wife in a million years”
The figure of speech is hyperbole (deliberate exaggeration).
(g) Why the psychologist wore a knowing smile
The psychologist had understood from the beginning that the fault lay in Joe's attitude and not in the wife. He knew that once Joe changed and began to treat her with love, the marriage would be repaired, so his advice worked exactly as he had secretly intended. His smile showed the quiet satisfaction of one whose plan had succeeded.
(h) Words and their replacements as used in the passage
- (i) attractive: appealing / good-looking
- (ii) upset: distressed / troubled
- (iii) solution: answer / remedy
- (iv) wonderful: excellent / marvellous
- (v) apparent: obvious / evident
- (vi) allotted: allocated / appointed
