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Pages 25-26 are about breaking trickg questions down inlo rnanaleable chunks. Read theextract below and lhen have a go al the questions, referring back whenever Uou need lo.

This is an abridged extract from the novel The Picture of Dorian Cray by Oscar Wilde.

After about a quarter of an hour, Hallward stopped painting, looked for a long time at Dorian Gray,

and then for a long time at the picture, biting the end of one of his huge brushes, and smiling. "It isquite finished" he cried at last, and stooping down he wrote his name in thin vermilion letters on theleft-hand corner ofthe canvas.

Lord Henry came over and examined the picture. It was certainly a wonderful work of art, and a

wonderful likeness as well.

"My dear fellow, I congratulate you most warm$'he said. "Mr. Gray, come and look at yourself."

The lad started as if awakened from some dream. "Is it really finished?" he murmured steppingdown from the platform.

"Quite flnished" said Hallward. "And you have sat splendidly to-day. I am awfully obliged to you."

"That is entirely due to me," broke in Lord Henry. "Isn't it, Mr. Gray?"

Dorian made no answer, but passed listlessly in front of his picture and turned towards it. Whenhe saw it he drew back, and his cheeks flushed for a moment with pleasure. A look ofjoy came intohis eyes, as if he had recognized himself for the first time. He stood there motionless, and in wonder,dimly conscious that Hallward was speaking to him, but not catching the meaning of his words. Thesense of his own beauty came on him like a revelation. He had never felt it before. Basil Hallward'scompliments had seemed to him to be merely the charming exaggerations of friendship. He had

listened to them, laughed at them, forgotten them. They had not influenced his nature. Then had

come Lord Henry, with his strange panegyric on youth, his terrible warning of its brevity. Thathad stirred him at the time, and now, as he stood gazing at the shadow of his own loveliness, thefull reality of the description flashed across him. Yes, there would be a day when his face would be

wrinkled and wizen, his eyes dim and colourless, the grace of his figure broken and deformed. Thescarlet would pass away from his lips, and the gold steal from his hair. The life that was to make hissoul would mar his body. He would become ignoble, hideous, and uncouth.

As he thought of it, a sharp pang of pain struck like a knife across him, and made each delicateflbre of his nature quiver. His eyes deepened into amethyst, and a mist of tears came across them.

He felt as if a hand of ice had been laid upon his heart.

"Don't you like it?" cried Hallward at last, sfung a little by the lad's silence, and not understandingwhat it meant.

"Of course he likes it," said Lord Henry. "Who wouldn't like it? It is one of the greatest things inmodern art. I will give you anything you like to ask for it. I must have it."

"lt is not my property, Harry."

"Whose propefiy is it?"

"Dorian's, of course."

"He is a very lucky fellow."

"HorM sad it is!" murmured Dorian Gray, with his eyes still fixed upon his own portrait. "Howsad it is! I shall grow old and horrid and dreadful. But this picture will remain always young. Itwill never be older than this particular day of June. . . . If it was only the other way! If it was I whowere to be always yomg, and the picture that were to grow old! For this-for this-I would give

everything! Yes, there is nothing in the whole world I would not give!"

\ \ \ \ \ t \ I / I I / //

I p^nrgyr,, = a syeech in '--, Pratse oq torrlslhing :

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Section Four - Reading Practice Questions

Practice Questions

25

Practice QuestionsYou might gel given a question wilh prompls, which are hints thaf help Uou answer lhe queslion.If there are no prompis - make Uour own lo rernind gou of whal gour answer needs to cover.

Ql Copy outZv*,:*: phrases that suggest that Dorian is vulnerable and sensitive.

Q2 Why does Hallward think that Dorian might not like the picture?

Q3 Write out **c* phrase from the last paragraph whichshows that Dorian is desperate to stay young.

Q4 Copy out and correct the answer to the question below.

Explain how Oscar Wilde's use of similes and metaphorsconveys Dorian's state of mind in the extract.

]\\\lltr////- Hrnt: there are two '_

. e(rors in the ans*er. l

Wilde writes that"a sharp pang of pain struck like a kniie across him'i andthis metaphor shows that Dorian feels physically hurt when he realisesthat he will grow old. Then Dorian calms down again when Wilde writesthat "he felt as if a hand of ice had been laid upon his heart".

Q5 Write out the box of three prompts that would help you to answer the question below.

Comment on the way that Lord Henry and Basil Hallward act towards Dorian Cray.

How does Hallward react to Lord Henrg?

How does Lord Henrg react to Hallward?

How does Dorian feel about the painting?

What does Hallward sag to Dorian?

How does Hallward feel about the painting?

What does Lord Henrg sag lo Dorian?

Q6 Explain why the Broup of three prompts that you didn't pick in ft5 would be unsuitable.

Q7 Write a list of €*r** prompts that would help you answer the question below.

What is Dorian Cray's opinion of old age by the end of the extract?

Section Four - Reading Practice Questions

26

QB

Qe

Practice QuestionsYou'll probablg come across reading queslions withoui prompls quiie a bil, so

some more practice would be reallg helpful... Oh, look - what a coincidence...

Write out the sentence that sums up Dorian's view of himself at the start of the extract.

i) Dorian isn't really aware of his beauty and doesn't believe the compliments he gets.

ii) Dorian knows he is beautiful and loves hearing people say nice things about him.

iii) Dorian is vain and wants everyone to see his beautiful portrait.

Copy out phrases from the text that back up your answer lo {.}'22.

What happens in the text to make Dorian change his opinion of himself?

How does Dorian feel about his appearance afterwards? Write out the correct answer.

Q10

Ql1

i)

ii)

iii)

Ql2

Dorian realises that he is not as beautiful as he thought beforehand.

Dorian realises that he is as beauti{ul as people have been telling him.

Dorian wishes that he was even more beautiful than he already is.

Copy out a phrase from the text that backs up your answer lo *-'Z-.

How does Dorian feel about growing old? Copy and correct this answer.QI3

Ql4

Dorian imagines when his face will be "wrinkled and wizen" andhe feels so horrified that the thought hurts "like a sword across him".He imagines when "the scarlet would pass away from his lips'i whichshows that he thinks that he will become mean as well as ugly.

What does Dorian wish for at the end of the extract?What does this tell you about his feelings?

l)se 4z*;:*?i;srsz &-.1€ to write a list of prompts to answer this question'Qls

QI6 Now answer the question above - (irs no bigg.v, honest). Your prompts

and answers from the other questions on this page should help a lot.

\ \ \ \l\ t t tt t7Hint. there are two 1

errors in the answer. -///ltlttttr..-

How does Dorian Cray's opinion of himself change during the extract?

Section Four - Reading Practice Questions

9I

like "their eyes regarded him with evil across himinterest" to show that the creatures are eI0 He sees a painting of himself, by Hallward.

ilffJ,?,?:"t,whichmakesthemseemnrore e11 ii)Dorianrearisesthatheisasbeautifur as

people have been telling him.

Page 25 - Practice Questions Q12 Any reasonable answer, for example:

Q1 Any reasonable answer, for example: "The sense of his own beauty came on him

. a mist of tears like a revelation'"

. made each delicate fibre of his nature quiver Q13 Dorian imagines when his face will be

e2 Because Dorian hasn,t said anything. "wrinkled and wizen" and he feels so horrified

e3 Any reasonable at)swer,for example, thatthe thought hurts "like a knife across him"'

. I rvourcr give everythingr r' He imagines when "the scarlet would pass

. there is nothing in thewhoreworrd lwourd away from his Iips"' which shows that he

not givel I rb I I I tr iL vv I rurL vvur ru I vvuu ru he will become ugly'

e4 wilde writes that "a sharp pang of pain strucl< Q'|4 Any reasc:nable answer'| ior example:

like a knife across him", and this simile shows Dorian wishes that the portrait could grow old

that Dorian feels physically hurt when he instead of him' so that he can always stay the

rearises that he wirr grow ord. rhen Dorian iiTl^i9l-]l':::]l: us that he feels that his

panics when Wilde writes that "he felt as if a appearance ls very tnrportant'

hand of ice had been laid upon his heart". Q15 Any three reasonable prontpts' ior example:

Qs r what does Hailward say to Dorian? ' I:,ijT: ?:,:'flJ"el about himself at the

' How does Hallward feel about the painting'' . what happens to make Dorian change his. What does Lord Henry say to Dorian?

e6 . rhe first two prompts ask how Lord Henry . :i#:::j[J'lr",ltl"' about his appearanceand Hallward feel about each other, but the afterwards?question asks about how they feel about . How does Dorian feel about gror,rring old?Dorian. . What does Dorian wislr for aithe end of the. The third prompt asks about what Dorian extract?

I'[:#Tif |#t$"1i'ji]"#;"''" e16 your answer coutct inctude the rotowins points:

Hallward act. uqJrr . At the beginning of the extract Dorian

doesn't believe anyone who says that heQ7 Any three reasonable prompts, ior example: is beautiful.. How does Dorian feel about old age at the . Dorian,s opinion of himself changes as soon

. 3""il?j:f,]j,:^;r:illT'j, ",0

ase change ? . ffiH;"j,ll; l"::'l;:?jiffi l" reariseso What does Dorian say about old age at the that he is as beautiful as people have saicl.

end of the extract? . Dorian imagines when he *ill b" old, and

pase 26 -practice euestions . l?li'"'5Ji1;: ?:n: ;*?l *i,h", tn,tQB i) Dorian isn't really aware of his beauty and he will never grow old and that the painting

doesn't believe the compliments he gets. could age instead.

Q9 Any reasonable answers, for example:. The sense of his own beauty came on him

like a revelation.. Basil Hallward's compliments had seemed to

him to be merely the charming exaggerationsof friendship.

. He had listened to them, laughed at them,forgotter-r them.

-

They had not influenced his nature.

Answers