Q2 of 9 Page 18

How does Ausable manage to make Max believe that there is a balcony attached to his room? Look back at his detailed description of it. What makes it a convincing story?

Ausable is very clever, which he should be since he is a secret spy. He wanted to get rid of Max so he put up a story about a non-existent balcony and that it was the second time in a month when somebody had entered in his room through that balcony. He told that the balcony belonged to the adjacent apartment and that his room was once a part of that unit which was why the balcony extended under his window. He put this up in such a realistic way that Max and Fowler believed him and Max tried to hide in the balcony when somebody knocked at the door.


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2

How does Ausable say he got in?

 1

"Ausable did not fit any description of a secret agent Fowler had ever read." What do secret agents in books and films look like, in your opinion? Discuss in groups or in class some stories or movies featuring spies, detectives and secret agents, and compare their appearance with that of Ausable in this story. (You may mention characters from fiction in languages other than English. In English fiction you may have come across Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, or Miss Marple. Have you watched any movies featuring James Bond?)

 3

Looking back at the story, when do you think Ausable thought up his plan for getting rid of Max? Do you think he had worked out his plan in detail right from the beginning? Or did he make up a plan taking advantage of events as they happened?

 1

In this story, Ausable shows great 'presence of mind,' or the ability to think quickly, and act calmly and wisely, in a situation of danger and surprise. Give examples from your own experience, or narrate a story, which shows someone’s presence of mind.