Exercise of The Ant and the Grasshopper
The present discourse explores the utilization of the Romsay Family in juxtaposition with the renowned childhood tale, “The Ant and the Grasshopper.” Within this context, the character Tom assumes the role of the grasshopper, while George embodies the character of the ant from the aforementioned tale. Although the narrative itself differs considerably, the primary objective lies in drawing parallels between the underlying moral lessons conveyed by both stories.
George Ramsay, a serious and hardworking man, has spent twenty years dealing with the troubles caused by his carefree and irresponsible brother, Tom. Tom abandoned his responsibilities, lived a lavish lifestyle, and relied on George for financial support. Despite Tom’s charm and unscrupulous behavior, George continued to provide for him, while his own life aged prematurely due to the stress. George had planned a modest retirement, hoping to leave behind the burden of his brother’s actions. As George sat in a restaurant, visibly distressed, his friend sympathized with him, highlighting George’s virtuous life and contrasting it with Tom’s reckless ways. The story leaves the outcome uncertain, as George contemplates the consequences of their divergent paths.
Glossary of the Story
admirable /ˈædmərəb(ə)l/ – worthy of admiration or respect
amusing /əˈmjuːzɪŋ/ – entertaining; causing laughter or enjoyment
anticipate /ænˈtɪsɪpeɪt/ – to expect or predict
assurance /əˈʃʊərəns/ – a guarantee or promise
blackmail /ˈblækmeɪl/ – the act of demanding money or favors by threatening to reveal damaging information
burden /ˈbɜːrd(ə)n/ – a heavy load or responsibility
career /kəˈrɪə(r)/ – one’s occupation or profession
charm /tʃɑːm/ – attractiveness or appeal
common sense /ˈkɒmən sɛns/ – practical intelligence or sound judgment
concern /kənˈsɜːrn/ – worry or anxiety
convicted /kənˈvɪktɪd/ – found guilty of a crime
cultivate /ˈkʌltɪveɪt/ – to develop or improve through deliberate effort
disapproval /ˌdɪsəˈpruːv(ə)l/ – a negative opinion or lack of approval
discreditable /dɪsˈkrɛdɪtəb(ə)l/ – bringing shame or disrepute
dishonest /dɪsˈɒnɪst/ – not truthful; inclined to deceive or cheat
esteemed /ɪsˈtiːmd/ – highly respected or regarded
expenditure /ɪksˈpɛndɪtʃə(r)/ – spending or outlay of money
explanation /ˌɛkspləˈneɪʃ(ə)n/ – a statement or account that makes something clear
flirtatious /flɜːˈteɪʃəs/ – behaving in a playful or suggestive manner to attract romantic interest
fortitude /ˈfɔːrtɪtjuːd/ – courage and endurance in the face of adversity
fraudulent /ˈfrɔːdjʊlənt/ – involving deceit or deception, usually for personal gain
gaiety /ˈɡeɪəti/ – a state of joyful or cheerful exuberance
gloom /ɡluːm/ – a state of darkness, sadness, or depression
honorable /ˈɒnərəb(ə)l/ – deserving respect and admiration; having integrity and moral character
inconvenience /ˌɪnkənˈviːnjəns/ – a situation causing difficulty or disruption
industry /ˈɪndəstri/ – hard work or diligence in one’s occupation or profession
infamy /ˈɪnfəmi/ – a state of being well-known for a bad quality or deed
insensible /ɪnˈsɛnsɪb(ə)l/ – lacking awareness or consciousness
judicious /dʒuːˈdɪʃəs/ – showing good judgment or wisdom
levied /ˈlɛviːd/ – imposed or collected, usually in the form of taxes or fees
larder /ˈlɑːrdə(r)/ – a place where food is kept or stored
moral /ˈmɔːr(ə)l/ – relating to principles of right and wrong behavior
necessity /nɪˈsɛsɪti/ – something that is required or essential
optimism /ˈɒptɪmɪz(ə)m/ – a positive outlook or belief in favorable outcomes
philander /fɪˈlændə(r)/ – to engage in casual or illicit romantic relationships
prudence /ˈpruːd(ə)ns/ – cautiousness or sound judgment in practical affairs
qualify /ˈkwɒlɪfʌɪ/ – to meet the necessary requirements or conditions
respectable /rɪˈspɛktəb(ə)l/ – regarded as proper, decent, or honorable
revengeful /rɪˈvɛndʒfʊl/ – seeking or desiring revenge; vengeful
scoundrel /ˈskaʊndrəl/ – a dishonest or unscrupulous person; a villain
settle down /ˈsɛt(ə)l daʊn/ – to establish oneself in a stable or calm lifestyle
sobriety /səˈbraɪəti/ – the state of being sober; seriousness or solemnity
speculation /ˌspɛkjʊˈleɪʃ(ə)n/ – the act of engaging in risky financial transactions for potential profit
suffer /ˈsʌfə(r)/ – to experience pain, distress, or hardship
trial /ˈtraɪəl/ – a difficult or trying experience; a test of endurance or patience
trustworthy /ˈtrʌstwɜːrði/ – reliable and deserving of trust
unfaithful /ʌnˈfeɪθfʊl/ – not loyal or true to a partner, promise, or commitment
vindictive /vɪnˈdɪktɪv/ – having or showing a strong desire for revenge
worthless /ˈwɜːrθlɪs/ – having no value or merit; insignificant
yacht /jɒt/ – a medium-sized sailing or motorized vessel used for pleasure trips or racing
A. Choose the appropriate words given below to replace the underlined words in the given sentences.
[industry, hilarious, qualm, enticements, obliged, amendments, expostulations]
a. If your talent combines with diligence, you can excel in your field.
⇒ industry
b. The dessert menu has a lot of delicious temptations.
⇒ enticements
c. The house passed the bill without listening to the public objections.
⇒ expostulations
d. Knowledge of the ill effects of tobacco has led to modifications in smoking behaviour.
⇒ amendments
e. Without any regret, Yule started spending his father’s inheritance.
⇒ qualm
f. Mr. Smith read a humorous story which matched his real life.
⇒ hilarious
B. Put the following sentences from the story in the correct order.
The correct order is:
- The Ramsays were perfectly respectable people.
- Tom left his wife and his office.
- When his money was spent, he borrowed it from friends and spent it on luxuries.
- George continued to pay for his brother’s expenses.
- Tom promised to make a fresh start.
- Tom bought a motor car and some very nice jewellery.
- Tom never settled down.
- Tom began to blackmail his brother for money.
- Tom took the help of Cronshaw to cheat his brother, and left for Monte Carlo.
C. Answer the following questions.
a. Why is Tom described as the ‘black sheep’ of the Ramsay family?
⇒ Tom was a black sheep in Ramsays’ family because he always created problems.
b. What was a respectable profession for Tom?
⇒ To serve in a bar or to drive a taxi was a respectable profession to Tom.
c. Why was George Ramsay staring into space?
⇒ George Ramsay was staring into space because his only brother, Tom, troubled him very much.
d. Why did Tom leave his work and wife?
⇒ Tom left his work and wife because he wanted to enjoy himself.
e. How did Tom manage his life when he ran out of money in the beginning?
⇒ Tom managed his life when he ran out of money at first by borrowing from friends.
f. How did Cronshaw and Tom cheat George?
⇒ Cronshaw and Tom cheated George by creating a fake case at the court.
g. What made George realise that his brother would never settle down?
⇒ George gave Tom considerable sums for amendment which Tom spent to buy a car and jewellery. Such situations forced George to realise that his brother would settle down.
h. What is the moral of the story ‘The Ant and Grasshopper’?
⇒ The story writer takes a different approach to the moral of the traditional fable, presenting a contrasting perspective. Instead of emphasizing the notion that honesty and hard work lead to success, the story delves into the darker aspects of life, suggesting that not everyone who is honest and diligent will necessarily achieve prosperity. However, despite this portrayal, the narrative also carries a message of optimism, encouraging readers to maintain a positive outlook even during difficult times.
Read the story again and write a brief summary.
The Ramsays were a respected family, led by George Ramsay and his troublesome brother, Tom. Despite starting a business, Tom found it dull and abandoned not just his venture but also his wife and two children to embark on a journey. In dire need of funds, he borrowed money from friends, while George, hoping Tom would eventually settle down and start anew, continuously supported him financially. However, Tom misused the money given by George, purchasing a car and jewellery instead of focusing on stability. When George stopped providing him with funds, Tom resorted to blackmailing his own brother. Eventually, with the assistance of Cronshaw, he concocted a fraudulent lawsuit and managed to acquire five hundred pounds. Immediately after cashing the cheque, Tom and Cronshaw escaped to Mont Carlo, where they remained for several months.
Grammar I
Causative Verbs
A. Fill in the gaps with the correct form of have, get or make.
a. Did they make you give a speech on behalf of the group?
b. Instead of buying a new car, why don’t you get the old one fixed?
c. I will get my hair cut tomorrow morning.
d. The teacher gets every one of us to write an essay yesterday.
e. Ms Shrestha usually gets her hair dried at the hairdresser’s.
f. My mum always makes me clean my room on Saturdays.
g. I got my landlord to fix the broken windowpane this morning.
h. Suman had all the Maths problems solved by the teacher.
B. Rewrite the sentences with have, get or make.
a. She will ask her sister to light the lamp.
⇒ She will make her sister light the lamp.
b. I am going to ask the dentist to fill my teeth.
⇒ I get the dentist to fill my teeth.
c. Will you ask the barber to cut your hair?
⇒ I get the barber to cut my hair.
d. I can’t design my house myself. So I am going to ask an architect to do it.
⇒ I have an architect design my house.
e. The girl asked her mechanic to repair her moped.
⇒ She got her mechanic to repair her moped.
f. The landlady asks the gardener to cut the grass.
⇒ The landlady makes the gardener cut the grass.
C. Choose the best alternatives and complete the sentences.
[The answer of the Question has been bold]
a. Mina got Shambhu ……………… (carry/to carry/carried) her suitcase.
b. Rita had Ankit ………………… (wash/to wash/washed) her clothes.
c. They got me ……… (dance/to dance/danced) at my brother’s wedding.
d. Kumari was made………….(turn on/to turn on/turned on) the television.
e. Barsha got new books …………… (buy/to buy/bought) her last week.
f. Upendra got Mukesh ………… (watch/to watch/watched) his house.
g. My father is very kind. He never makes us ……… (do/to do/done) heavy work.
h. The film was very humorous. It made us all………………… (laugh/to laugh/laughed) throughout the film.
i. His hair was too long. So he had it ………………… (cut/to cut/cutting) yesterday.
j. The manager……………..(made/got/make) his secretary attend the conference.
k. Mathew made the mechanic ………………… (overhaul/to overhaul/overhauling) his car.
l. Smith had Jacque ……………… (fetch/to fetch/fetched) a pail of water.
m. My maths teacher asked us to remember all the theorems. In other words, we were made ……… (remember/remembered/to remember) all the theorems.
