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 or interesting: he considered her a poor housekeeper who was overweight, someone he no longer wanted to live with. Joe was so upset that he finally decided on divorce. But before he served her the papers, he made an appointment with a 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 psychologist’s 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.
Explanation
(a) Joe consults the psychologist to find out the best way to make his wife as unhappy as possible.
(b) He thinks that he will make the divorce painful to her.
(c) What is ironical about Joe's answer is that Joe, who no longer wanted to live with his wife now wants to live with her forever.
(d) What has been wrong with Joe's marriage is that he had not been endearing himself to his wife.
(e)(i) Noun clause (ii) Object of the verb "Thought"
(f) Exaggeration / Hyperbole or Overstatement.
(g) The psychologist wore a knowing smile because he knew that his advice would produce the result he had anticipated and he was not surprised.
(h)(i) Attractive - beautiful, appealing, lovely, good-looking, captivating, charming.
(ii) Upset - agitated, troubled, worried, perturbed, ravishing. (iii) Solution - answer, remedy.
(iv) Wonderful -remarkable, extraordinary, unusual, surprising, marvellous.
(v) Apparent - evident, obvious, known, clear.
(vi) Allotted - fixed, specified, prescribed, slated, given, agreed, appointed.