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Read The First Part of The Other Man. Then Do The Activities

The writer moved into a small room to work on his new book. Strange things began to happen, like his pen disappearing and hearing voices at night. He saw a reflection of a bearded man in the mirror that was not himself. His friend later visited but only saw the bearded man and not the writer, realizing the other man had taken over his body and room. Despite being unable to speak, the writer found a way to tell his story by writing it down.

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Carlos Revollo
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135 views4 pages

Read The First Part of The Other Man. Then Do The Activities

The writer moved into a small room to work on his new book. Strange things began to happen, like his pen disappearing and hearing voices at night. He saw a reflection of a bearded man in the mirror that was not himself. His friend later visited but only saw the bearded man and not the writer, realizing the other man had taken over his body and room. Despite being unable to speak, the writer found a way to tell his story by writing it down.

Uploaded by

Carlos Revollo
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Read the first part of The Other Man. Then do the activities.

I was a writer. I wrote books. I can still write, but you can’t hear me, and you can’t see me.

In January, I wanted to write a very long book. So I left my home and I found a little room.

‘This is a good room for a writer,’ I thought. ‘I’ll write my book here.’

It was a little room, but I liked it. It was very quiet. I began to work on my book and I was
happy.

Then things began to happen - strange things.

One day I was at my desk with my pen in my hand. Suddenly, I thought, ‘Oh dear, I want a
cigarette and I haven’t got any. I’ll have to go to the shop.’

I put my pen on the table and went out.

I came back and looked for the pen. It wasn’t on the table. I looked on the floor, on my chair
and then on the table again. It just wasn’t there!

‘I don’t understand it,’ I thought.

Another strange thing happened that night. I was in bed and the room was very quiet.
Suddenly, I opened my eyes.

‘What was that?’ I said softly.

Then I heard a voice-a man’s voice.

‘Who’s there?’ I cried.

There wasn’t an answer and there wasn’t a man in the room! I didn’t understand that, and I
was frightened.

Answer. Give your opinion


1. Was the writer a man or a woman?
2. How old do you think the writer was? Why?
3. Why do you think the writer left home?
4. Do you think the writer had a family?
Answer with info from the text
1. When did he move?
2. What was the room like?
3. Why was he happy?
4. What was the first strange thing that happened?
5. What was the second?
6. How did he feel?

Read the first part of the text and circle the verbs in the past. What’s the infinitive form?
Are they regular or irregular?

Read
‘What shall I do?’ I thought. ‘What is it?’

After that, strange things happened every day.

‘What must I do?’ I thought. I didn’t know. But I still had to finish my book, so I decided to
stay.

The room was very small. There were not many things in it; just a bed, a table and a chair.
And there was a mirror on the wall. It was a very old mirror and I liked it. And then, one day,
I looked in the mirror and--I saw him! The other man! It wasn’t me. This man had a beard
and I never had a beard.
I was very frightened. I shut my eyes and looked again. This time, I saw my own face in the
mirror.

‘It didn’t happen,’ I thought. ‘I imagined it. There wasn’t another man.’

I went for a walk that day, and didn’t work on my book. I just didn’t want to be in the room.
I didn’t want to imagine things.

At night, I went home. The room was very quiet. I looked in the mirror and saw only my own
face. But I wasn’t happy. I went to bed but I couldn’t sleep.

‘I’ll leave the room tomorrow,’ I decided. And after that, I slept.

But I had a strange dream. I imagined a strange thing. The other man stood at my bed and
spoke to me.
‘You will never leave here,’ he said. ‘You will stay with me always.’

And then I opened my eyes. I was very cold and frightened. ‘I must leave now,’ I thought. ‘I
can’t stay here.’

I was cold and sick, but I put my things in a case. I wanted to go that day. I couldn’t forget
the dream, and so I was afraid. But afraid of what? I didn’t know.

The case was soon full of clothes.

‘I’ll leave the room now,’ I thought.

Answer.
1. Describe the room in detail.
2. Where did the writer see the other man?
3. How was the other man different from him?
4. Why do you think the writer didn’t move immediately?

Look at the verbs in the past. Find examples in the negative form.

Read
I looked at the room, and I also looked in the mirror again. And then, I was very cold and
very frightened. I didn’t see the other man in the mirror. Why? Because he wasn’t there. But
I didn’t see my own face in the mirror! The mirror was empty!

I tried to cry out but there wasn’t a sound. I didn’t have a voice.

And then, I did see him. I saw the other man-the man with the beard. He sat at the table,
with my pen in his hand. He wrote my book with my pen! I was angry and I tried to speak.
But I couldn’t. Why? Because I didn’t have a voice.

The other man didn’t speak, but he smiled and wrote. Suddenly, there was a sound at the
door, and I heard a friend’s voice.

‘Are you there?’ my friend asked. ‘I want to see you.’

I was very happy then. ‘My friend will help me,’ I thought. I couldn’t move, but the other
man went to the door and opened it.
‘Come in,’ he said to my friend. ‘Come and see my room. I’m writing my book.’
My friend came into the room but he didn’t see me. He only smiled at the other man.

My friend said, ‘Oh, you have a beard now.’

Again and again, I tried to speak but I couldn’t. My friend didn’t see me; didn’t hear me. He
only saw the other man.

That is my story. The other man has taken my room. And he has also taken my body and my
voice. He will finish my book as well. Who can help me now?

But the other man doesn’t know one thing. I can’t speak, but I can write. I can tell my story.
And I have lust told it to you!

 
 Answer
1. When did the writer get really frightened?
2. What did the other man do?
3. Why didn’t his friend recognize him?
4. What do you think happened? Was it his imagination?

Write a summary of the story.

Retell the story.

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