1. (a) Recall: What document is Tom working on at the start of the story? (b) Analyze Cause and Effect: What long-term goals does he hope to achieve by this work? (c) Draw Conclusions: What does his plan tell you about his character?
Ans : (a) Tom is working on a proposal for a new grocery-store display method. (b) He hopes it will advance his career. (c) Tom is ambitious and cares deeply about his work.
2. (a) Recall: Why does Tom go out on the ledge? (b) Connect: Is his decision surprising given his character? Explain.
Ans: (a) Tom goes out on the ledge to retrieve a sheet of statistics. (b) No, Tom seems to be completely consumed with ambition.
3. (a) Compare and Contrast: Contrast Tom’s attitude toward life at the beginning of the story with his attitude at the end. (b) Infer: What causes his attitude to change? (c) Speculate: What changes, if any, will Tom make as a result of this experience?
Ans: (a) At the beginning, Tom is interested only in his work; at the end, he realizes that his relationship with his wife is more important. (b) His close encounter with death makes him realize what is important to him. (c) He will probably spend more time enjoying life with his wife.
4. (a) Evaluate: Do you think that a movie based on Finney’s story would be as effective as the story itself? Why or why not? (b) Discuss: Share and discuss responses with a partner. Then, discuss whether your partner’s response has changed or expanded your own thinking.
Ans : a movie version would be difficult because so much “action” takes place in Tom’s mind. (b) and (c) There is only one main character and little dialogue.
5. (a) What is the main external conflict in this story? Explain.(b) What is the main internal conflict in the story? Explain.
Ans : (a) The main external conflict is Tom’s struggle to escape the ledge. (b) The main internal conflict is between Tom’s ambition and his love