E-Book Overview
In these four stories, F. Scott Fitzgerald shows, with humour, how different people react in a variety of different situations, showing readers both the dark and light sides of human nature. ''Penguin Readers'' is a series of simplified novels, film novelizations and original titles that introduce students at all levels to the pleasures of reading in English. Originally designed for teaching English as a foreign language, the series' combination of high interest level and low reading age makes it suitable for both English-speaking teenagers with limited reading skills and students of English as a second language. Many titles in the series also provide access to the pre-20th century literature strands of the National Curriculum English Orders. ''Penguin Readers'' are graded at seven levels of difficulty, from ''Easystarts'' with a 200-word vocabulary, to Level 6 (Advanced) with a 3000-word vocabulary. In addition, titles fall into one of three sub-categories: ''Contemporary'', ''Classics'' or ''Originals''. At the end of each book there is a section of enjoyable exercises focusing on vocabulary building, comprehension, discussion and writing. Some titles in the series are available with an accompanying audio cassette, or in a book and cassette pack. Additionally, selected titles have free accompanying ''Penguin Readers Factsheets'' which provide stimulating exercise material for students, as well as suggestions for teachers on how to exploit the Readers in class.
E-Book Content
The Baby Party and Other Stories 'This is and free, our way but at a of doing more things,' he thought. 'Generous and fresh nervous speed these days.' Pretty Bernice finds out the hard w a y that there's m o r e to life t h a n b e i n g ' n i c e ' . J o h n a n d E d i t h A n d r o s l e a r n m o r e f r o m a polite baby party than they ever wished to. Beautiful y o u n g Ellen B a k e r finds herself pulled danger. t o w a r d s the d a r k side, and A n d h a n d s o m e b u t p o o r M i c h a e l C u r l y tries t o w i n C a r o l i n e D a n d y b a c k f r o m a m a n w h o offers h e r safety. T h e rich y o u n g A m e r i c a n s o f t h e 1920s w e r e different f r o m the people before them. T h e y had n e w freedoms, n e w ways a n d n e w p r o b l e m s . F . S c o t t F i t z g e r a l d m a d e i t h i s life's w o r k to w r i t e a b o u t t h e m , a n d in these four stories he describes their w o r l d : e x c i t i n g , silly, c r u e l a n d s o m e t i m e s sad - a n d n o t s o different f r o m o u r o w n . Francis Scott Fitzgerald's first novel, This m a d e h i m famous at the age of twenty-four. Side of Paradise, S o o n after, h e married a w e l l - k n o w n beauty, Zelda Sayre, and together they b e g a n a fast, b r i l l i a n t l i f e s t y l e t h a t b e c a m e f a m o u s . H i s b e s t novel, The Great Gatsby, a p p e a r e d i n 1925, b u t by t h e 1930s the couple's high living had b e g u n to hurt t h e m . Zelda was suffering f r o m m e n t a l illness a n d S c o t t f r o m his d r i n k i n g a n d their often disastrous lives. Z e l d a w e n t i n t o hospital a n d S c o t t tried to earn m o n e y by w r i t i n g films. He died in H o l l y w o o d of a heart attack in 1940, at the age of forty-four. His short stories and American novels writing. are now some of the best-loved o f all F o r a c o m p l e t e list of t h e titles available in t h e P e n g u i n R e a d e r s series please w r i t e to t h e fol