Comprehension Practice
Here is an excerpt from the autobiography of a short story writer. Read it carefully and answer the questions that follow. My father loved all instruments that would instruct and fascinate. His place to keep things was the drawer in the âlibrary tableâ where lying on top of his folder map was a telescope with brass extensions, to find the moon and the Big Dripper after supper in our front yard, and to keep appointments with eclipses. In the back of the drawer you could find a magnifying glass, a kaleidoscope and a gyroscope kept in black buckram box, which he would set dancing for us on a string pulled tight. He had also supplied himself with an assortment of puzzles composed of metal rings and intersecting links and keys chained together, impossible for the rest of us, however, patiently shown, to take apart, he had an almost childlike love of the ingenious. In time, a barometer was added to our dining room wall, but we didnât really need it. My father had the country boyâs accurate knowledge of the weather and its skies. He went out and stood on our front steps first thing in the morning took a good look at it and a sniff. He was a pretty good weather prophet. He told us children what to do if we were lost in a strange country. âLook for where the sky is brightest along the horizon,â he said. âThat reflects the nearest river. Strike out for a rive and you will find habitationâ. Eventualities were much on his mind. In his care for us children he cautioned us to take measures against such things as being struck by lightning. He drew us all away from the windows during the severe electrical storms that are common where we live. My mother stood apart, scoffing at caution as a character failing. So I developed a strong meteorological sensibility. In years ahead when I wrote stories, atmosphere took its influential role from the start. Commotion in the weather and the inner feelings aroused by such a hovering disturbance emerged connected in dramatic form.
Questions & Answers
1. why did the writerâs father spend time studying the skies?
The writerâs father spent time studying the skies because he had a deep fascination with instruments that could both instruct and fascinateâsuch as his telescope, which he used to observe the moon and track eclipses. He also had the instinctive, accurate weather knowledge of a country boy and was considered a reliable weather prophet.
2. Why the writer thinks that there was no need of a barometer?
The writer believed there was no need for a barometer because her fatherâs keen observation of the skies and weather patterns enabled him to predict the weather simply by looking at the sky and taking a sniff of the air from the front steps.
3. What does the bright horizon meant for the writerâs father?
For the writerâs father, a bright horizon meant that the light reflected the presence of a nearby river. He believed that if they followed the brightness toward the river, they would find signs of human habitation.
4. How did her father influence the writer in her later years?
Her father influenced her by nurturing in her a strong meteorological awareness. In her later writings, she gave the atmosphere a powerful role, linking the turbulence of the weather to the emotional disturbances of her characters, blending natural and human drama.