READER ORAL TEST

1-Can you summarize the book in two minutes?

The story is about Dashwood’s family. Mr Dashwood was an old and rich man who lived in a country house called Norland Park. He had great lands on his own. He had a nephew who was married twice. With the first woman he had a son called John, and with the second he had three beautiful daughters: Elinor, Marianne and Margaret. Mr Dashwood died because he was an eldest man. His nephew, Mr. Henry Dashwood inherited his fortune, but unfortunately he died the next year. Before his death, he asked to his son to keep a promise: he had to take care of his step mother and his step sisters, and give them enough money to live happily. John promised it without any doubt. All the family was sad because of their loss, everyone except Mrs John Dashwood. She convinced her husband to give only the necessary money to his step family, but not as much as his father said, and also she decided to move to Norland and appropriate of everything. Mrs Dashwood, very shocked for it decided to look for a new home and move there. Finally, she and her daughters moved to a cottage situated in Barton, in Devonshire. It was enough to forget all the worries they had in Norland and just remember the good moments lived there. Before moving, Elinor, the eldest daughter was really fond of Edward Ferrars, Mrs John Dashwood’s brother. They promised to see each other soon. In Devonshire, the girls met wonderful neighbours; they were John and Lady Middleton. John was really cheerful, but his wife was quite shy. One day, John decided to introduce them a friend of him. He was Colonel Brandon, a dull man who was very rich. Colonel Brandon soon was fond of Marianne but it wasn’t reciprocal. Some days later, while Marianne was going for a walk with his sister Margaret she felt down, and after it she couldn’t walk. Suddenly, like a miracle, a handsome boy went there to rescue her. He was Willoughby, and since that moment they were inseparable.
Dashwood girl’s life was really different, they were always in parties, visiting wonderful places, meeting friendly people…and all thanks for Mr John Middleton. Things couldn’t be better, but everything went wrong early… Marianne discovered the truth about Willoughby; he left her because he was trying to get the fortune of a young girl to be able then to receive an inheritance of a relative. It wasn’t all, Edward as far as he was concerned was lying too. He was engaged with another girl, he did it some years ago. Elinor knew it by Edward’s engaged. Everything was for the money, but anyway it hurt the sisters. After sending some letters to Willoughby, Marianne realized that he didn’t really love her, and that maybe she had to be happy with another man. Many years went by but the pain was still with them. Marianne felt ill, and she could die, but finally she recovered. One day, unexpectedly, Edward came back to apologize for everything. He wasn’t married as all of them thought; it was his brother who finally married to the girl. He said to Elinor how much he loved her, and they got married and moved to another town. Marianne realized that she could be happy with Colonel Brandon, and after marrying him she loved him with all her heart. After all, Mrs Dashwood was really proud of her daughters, and finally they have all their happy ending!

2-Is there a mystery sentence or a turning point in the story?

Yes! The story Is full of mysteries but they’re two of them who changed completely the life of the main characters.
First, the dark side of the handsome Willoughby. He seemed to be a young and good-looking boy and as well he seemed to be really fond of Marianne. But Colonel Brandon soon realized that Willoughby was two-faced. Mrs. Smith, a distant relative of him who was very rich, was always putting pressure on him to marry him to a wealthy lady and be able some day to inherit Mrs. Smith’s wealth. He was so weighed that he was taking advantage of an innocent young girl quite rich while he was in some sense engaged with Marianne. He stole everything to the young girl, and he broke Marianne’s heart with all his lies. When Marianne knew it she fell in a depression. She was imagining all day that Willoughby would be able to change his behaviour and they would live happily together. But days passed, and anything changed her situation. Marianne was crying all day remembering all the good moments lived with him.
On the second hand, there’s the mystery of Edward Ferrars. Everybody knew the attachment between Edward and Elinor, but things early went wrong...Edward’s engaged, quite jealous, told herself to Elinor that they get engaged some years ago and since that day they were very happy together. She also said that they would marry soon, and that he couldn’t live without her. Elinor was really strong, and she never wanted to express her feelings, she preferred always to hide everything inside herself. Elinor had always hopes with Edward but she could see how cruel reality is.

The turning point in the story happens when Mrs. Dashwood and her daughters decide to leave Sussex, and move to Barton to start a new life. They knew that they would always remember the past, but they wanted to forget all the troubles they were living in Sussex, and be happy again.

3-When and where does the story take place?

The story takes place in the 80th century. At first, the story is followed in Sussex in the house of Norland, where the main characters were born. Then, it takes place in Devonshire in a place called Barton. Barton was situated four miles north of the city of Exter and it was quite far from Norland.

4-Who are the main characters in the story? What’s their role?

The main characters are Mrs. Dashwood and her three daughters: Elinor, the eldest, Marianne and Margaret. All they were really kind and beautiful. Mrs. Dashwood and her daughters had suffered the death of her husband and their father respectively. After this accident Mrs. Dashwood had to take care of her daughters more than ever. She decided to be always by their side and help them as much as she was able to. Because of it she gets admirable in the story. She achieved make their family happy again.

Elinor was the eldest daughter. She was only nineteen years old but she was always persuadating his mother when she had to take a decision in any subject. She had strong feelings and even she was having the worst day of her life she wanted always to look cheerful at the others.

Marianne was a seventeen-year-old girl. She was the most beautiful daughter, and in spite of her similarities with her sisters, Marianne always expressed her feelings to everyone. Also, she was usually upset thinking about true love, and about her blue prince. But during the story some facts make her change her thinks.


5-Choose one character (main or secondary) and describe him/her.

I’ve chosen one of the main characters: Mrs. Dashwood. I really admire her behaviour and that’s the reason I decided to describe her. She’s a beautiful woman and she’s forty years old. She always looks younger than she really is. Mrs. Dashwood is a glamorous woman, and she’s always well-dressed. I can’t know exactly how her appearance is because in the story it isn’t explained. But I imagine her as a tall and quite thin woman, with smart hairstyles. Her behaviour is easier to describe: she’s a cheerful woman, she’s kind-hearted and she’s really sensitive. Because of it she usually feels insecure. Luckily she always follows her eldest daughter advice, and then she sees everything clear. During the story appear some problems which affect her daughters and make them very sad. Obviously in those moments Elinor isn’t able to give some advice, so Mrs. Dashwood has to resolve everything in her own. She was brilliant on it! With all this, I could see that she’s a great mother who would do anything to make their daughters happy. Mrs. Dashwood is very kind-hearted and she has so much love to give. In spite of her insecurities she passed these good qualities to her daughters. After the pain for her husband’s death she enjoyed every moment with her loved ones and they lived together a lot of good moments to remember.

6-Can you identify with any character? Why?

I feel much identified with Marianne. She’s seventeen years old, as I am. Like me, it sometimes seems that she’s dreaming awake and as well she always builds her hopes up with everything. But then, she always gets hurt with it because things aren’t always as perfect as we imagine them in our head.
Marianne lived the hardest moment of her life when Willoughby left her. After that, she felt like anything could have sense and she thought that she could never go on with her life. That’s the other thing which I’m identified with, because I lived it recently and I know exactly how that feeling is. When it happens to you, you feel as you are empty, and even living surrounded of thousand millions of people you feel so alone.
Finally, Marianne found someone to heal her hurts and happiness returned to her life once more.

7-Choose your favourite moment in the story

My favourite moment happens when the story is ending. When Edward came back to declare his love to Elinor and marry her. With it, Elinor was happy than ever and her sister Marianne was always by her side. She finally see how they dreams came true. After a few weeks Marianne also found happiness with Colonel Brandon. Both sisters had suffered very much for love but they helped each other in everything and finally they get what they deserve to live happily ever after.

8-Which new key words have you learnt to understand the story?

I’ve learnt so many new words! At first, I was looking up in the dictionary all time because there were many words I didn’t understand. But then I only had to look up to difficult words because I remembered the others. When I didn’t understand a word I wrote it in my notebook with its meaning because I don’t wanted to forget them! I learnt new words as...NOR, ATTACHEMENT, COTTAGE, DELIGHT, FOOLISH, CERTAIN, BLUSH, SOBBING, ATONISH, PRAISE, ELDEST, BEG, INHERIT, REQUEST...and so much more!

9-Provide an alternative ending.

In my opinion, the ending of the story wasn’t predictable but I liked it. If I had to change something in this story maybe it would be Willoughby’s behaviour, or even replace him for another handsome boy. The only thing I don’t agree very much is the engage between Marianne and Colonel Brandon. He’s a good man and he takes care of her, but perhaps he’s too old to marry her. The rest of the story is not perfect, but at least it has troubles that we could live ourselves, so I wouldn’t change it. I only would add a character kind-hearted and with good intentions. Someone who could never do anything to hurt Dashwood’s family but at the same time, someone very mysterious. Maybe a boy with a dramatic past or with another trouble, but something which many people could be identified with. I don’t know exactly if I would write a happy ending, but the only thing I know for sure is that it would be romantic.

10-Would you recommend this book? Why?

I absolutely recommend this book because it talks about love, about wealth, about sadness, happiness...well about things which everyone can be identified with! One of the things that I liked the most is that it’s not the typical story where everyone is rich and happy but it’s a wonderful story. The main characters are all full of love and they’re always together in their bad moments. It doesn’t avoid sad situations and they have to fight very hard to be happy. Maybe they have many reasons to leave it but thanks to their great feelings they were able to go on with their effort!
In story’s time people get married for interest. They only wanted wealth and comforts, but Dashwood girls proved/showed that it isn’t enough to be happy. Story’s moral is that we don’t love people for their material goods, we simply love people for their virtues and their faults.