Reading comprehension (comentario de texto)
The Outsider (el extraño)
I have lived in this dark castle[1] for as long as I can remember. I do not know how I got here, and I do not know how long I have been here. I have never seen sunlight.[2] I have never seen another human being. The only light comes from the candles that I find in the rooms, and I do not know who lights them.
The castle is old and full of shadows.[3] The walls are damp[4] and covered in something that looks like moss.[5] There are spiders[6] everywhere and the smell is terrible. I have spent my whole life walking through these dark rooms and reading the old books in the library. The books have taught me about the world outside — about the sun, about the forests,[7] about other people — but I have never experienced any of it. I have only known darkness.
Above the castle there is a tall tower.[8] It is the highest point I have ever seen. I have always wanted to climb it, because I believe that if I reach the top, I will finally see the light. But the stones are old and dangerous, and for many years I was too afraid to try.
One night, I decided that I could not wait any longer. I had to find out[9] what was above. I had to get out.[10] I began to climb the tower. The stones were wet[11] and slippery,[12] and several times I almost fell. I climbed for what felt like hours, in complete darkness, feeling the walls with my hands. I could not see anything.
Finally, my hand touched something flat[13] — a stone door above my head. I pushed it with all my strength.[14] It opened, and I crawled[15] out.
I expected to be high above the ground, at the top of the tower, looking down at the world. But instead, I was at ground level.[16] I was in a field,[17] and trees surrounded me. The moon was shining.[18] I could not understand it. I had climbed up for hours, and yet I was on the ground. Then I realized the terrible truth:[19] I had not been living in a castle on the surface.[20] I had been living underground,[21] deep below the earth, and the tower had only brought me up to the surface.
I walked through the forest. Everything was new and strange. I had never felt the wind[22] on my face before. I had never seen the stars. I walked for a long time until I saw lights in the distance.
It was a castle, and through the windows I could see a celebration. There were people inside — laughing, talking, and dancing. I had read about people in my books, but I had never seen them. I was filled with emotion. I wanted to be among them. I wanted to speak to them. I found a door and walked inside.
The moment I entered the room, everything changed. A woman saw me first and screamed.[23] Then another person saw me, and another. Everyone screamed. They ran in every direction, pushing each other, falling over,[24] desperate to get away from me. Within[25] seconds, the room was empty. I stood there alone, confused, not understanding why they had all run away.[26]
Then I saw it. At the far end of the room, there was a dark archway.[27] Standing in the archway, there was a creature[28] — the most horrible thing I had ever seen. It was tall and thin, with a face that was not quite[29] human. Its skin[30] was pale and seemed to be falling apart.[31] Its eyes were empty and dark. It wore old, rotting[32] clothes. I understood why everyone had screamed. This creature was a monster.
I was horrified, but I could not look away. Slowly, I raised[33] my hand. The creature raised its hand at the same time. I reached[34] forward to touch it.
My fingers touched cold, flat glass.[35]
It was a mirror.[36]
H.P. Lovecraft (1926). Adapted version
[1] castle ['kæsəl] - castillo
[2] sunlight ['sʌnlaɪt] - luz del sol
[3] shadows ['ʃædoʊz] - sombras
[4] damp [dæmp] - húmedo
[5] moss [mɔs] - musgo
[6] spiders ['spaɪdərz] - arañas
[7] forests ['fɔrɪsts] - bosques
[8] tower ['taʊər] - torre
[9] find out [faɪnd aʊt] - descubrir / averiguar
[10] get out [gɛt aʊt] - salir / escapar
[11] wet [wɛt] - mojado
[12] slippery ['slɪpəri] - resbaladizo
[13] flat [flæt] - plano
[14] strength [strɛŋθ] - fuerza
[15] crawl [krɔ:l] - arrastrarse / gatear
[16] ground level [graʊnd 'lɛvəl] - nivel del suelo
[17] field [fi:ld] - campo
[18] shine [ʃaɪn] - brillar
[19] truth [tru:θ] - verdad
[20] surface ['sɜrfɪs] - superficie
[21] underground [ʌndər'graʊnd] - bajo tierra
[22] wind [wɪnd] - viento
[23] scream [skri:m] - gritar
[24] fall over [fɔl 'oʊvər] - tropezar / caerse
[25] within [wɪ'ðɪn] - en cuestión de / dentro de
[26] run away [rʌn ə'weɪ] - huir / salir corriendo
[27] archway ['ɑrtʃweɪ] - arco / arcada
[28] creature ['kri:tʃər] - criatura
[29] not quite [nɑt kwaɪt] - no del todo
[30] skin [skɪn] - piel
[31] fall apart [fɔl ə'pɑrt] - desmoronarse / deshacerse
[32] rotting ['rɑtɪŋ] - podrido / en descomposición
[33] raise [reɪz] - levantar
[34] reach [ri:tʃ] - extender (la mano)
[35] glass [glæs] - cristal / vidrio
[36] mirror ['mɪrər] - espejo
Questions (preguntas)
- Where had the narrator lived his whole life?
- How had he learned about the outside world?
- What did he expect to find at the top of the tower?
- What was the terrible truth he discovered when he came out?
- What happened when he entered the room with the celebration?
- What was the creature he saw in the archway?
- Does the story end well or badly?
Puede parecer buena idea machacar un tema hasta dominarlo, pero alternar diferentes temas en una misma sesión de estudio funciona mejor. La variedad obliga al cerebro a esforzarse más, y eso favorece el aprendizaje.