| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Pellucidar by Edgar Rice Burroughs: the parting shot of the gale, which died out immediately
after, leaving us free to make for the shore, which we
lost no time in attempting. But Hooja had drawn closer
in toward shore than we, so it looked as if he might
head us off before we could land. However, we did our
best to distance him, Dian taking a paddle with us.
We were in a fair way to succeed when there ap-
peared, pouring from among the trees beyond the beach,
a horde of yelling, painted savages, brandishing all
sorts of devilish-looking primitive weapons. So menac-
ing was their attitude that we realized at once the
Pellucidar |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Alcibiades I by Plato: would acknowledge (would you not) to be a much smaller matter than justice?
ALCIBIADES: Yes.
SOCRATES: And can they teach the better who are unable to teach the worse?
ALCIBIADES: I think that they can; at any rate, they can teach many far
better things than to play at draughts.
SOCRATES: What things?
ALCIBIADES: Why, for example, I learned to speak Greek of them, and I
cannot say who was my teacher, or to whom I am to attribute my knowledge of
Greek, if not to those good-for-nothing teachers, as you call them.
SOCRATES: Why, yes, my friend; and the many are good enough teachers of
Greek, and some of their instructions in that line may be justly praised.
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Garden Party by Katherine Mansfield: delicate-looking little boys. Pip and Rags, shivering, crouching down,
slapping the water, never hesitated. But Isabel, who could swim twelve
strokes, and Kezia, who could nearly swim eight, only followed on the
strict understanding they were not to be splashed. As for Lottie, she
didn't follow at all. She liked to be left to go in her own way, please.
And that way was to sit down at the edge of the water, her legs straight,
her knees pressed together, and to make vague motions with her arms as if
she expected to be wafted out to sea. But when a bigger wave than usual,
an old whiskery one, came lolloping along in her direction, she scrambled
to her feet with a face of horror and flew up the beach again.
"Here, mother, keep those for me, will you?"
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