Inglese B1B2

These five famous O’Henry stories deal with the lives of ordinary people in a constantly changing New York City. Romance and humour abound in the lives of “ordinary” folk.

O. Henry has created characters that reveal in one way or another a true sense of dignity as they face their personal dramas. Love, forgiveness and tolerance flow through the heart of these stories and in the end there is always to be found poetic justice in the world. What has come to be known by readers worldwide as the “feel good” factor.

O. Henry’s original style and irresistible humour together with his sympathetic portraits of the lost and the loved make him a joy to read. Although written at the beginning of the twentieth century, these stories still have something that touches our hearts and fills us with wonder at the generosity and surprising selflessness that can be found in the human spirit. As soon as you start reading them you will be captured and captivated right up to the unexpected conclusion. And with O. Henry there is always an unexpected twist, now known as an “O. Henryesque ending”.

This volume is accompanied by notes and a wide range of learning activities to enable readers to enrich their vocabulary and practice language structures.

The two stories in this volume deal with the complexity between “inner” and “outer” beauty by portraying beauty as both the cause of moral degradation and a reward for moral virtues. The Birthday of the Infanta is one of Oscar Wilde’s fantastic and truly meaningful fairytales written for adults rather than for children. The short story is about a hunchbacked dwarf found in the woods and brought to the palace for the amusement of the Infanta, on her twelfth birthday. She very much enjoys the many festivities arranged in her honour, especially the dwarf’s performance where he dances as he usually does in the woods, unaware that his audience is laughing at him. In The Star Child, a star falls from the winter sky into a wood, and there two shepherds find a strange infant. Though exquisitely beautiful of face and form, the Star-Child turns out to be a cruel and selfish boy. This volume (accompanied by an Audio-CD) offers the opportunity to enjoy an original text while learning at the same time. All the activities aim to integrate the various language skills. A final section is dedicated to Wilde’s Aesthetic Views.

Benjamin Button was born under most unusual circumstances. At the ripe old age of seventy with a long smoke-coloured beard he found himself uncomfortably squashed into a hospital crib yearning for a cigar rather than warm milk. As the world moved forward he lived his life in reverse becoming younger and stronger much to the embarrassment of his family. The reader is carried dramatically through the various stages of his eventful existence as he goes to war, enters the business world, falls in love, has a son, goes to college and eventually slides back into babyhood. Although written in the 1920s, the story is still relevant today mirroring our obsession with age and appearance and ridiculing the social norms that condition our lives. This strange and haunting fable is written in the evocative and carefully constructed prose that made Fitzgerald one of the memorable voices in American literature.

In 2008 the story was made into a successful film by David Fincher starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett.

This volume is accompanied by notes and a wide range of learning activities to enable readers to enrich their vocabulary and practise language structures.

Quietly pacing up and down the foggy streets of London, Mr Utterson decides, almost despite himself, to investigate what bewildering connection might exist between the respected scientist Henry Jekyll, his long-time friend and client, and an evil-looking little man who is seen trampling over a child.

The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is the anatomy of a victim-killer, himself the product of a repressive society. With total originality, R.L. Stevenson locks the story inside an ingenious narrative structure and gives it a somber confessional tone, delineating the stages of a man’s gradual loss of self as witnessed by his loyal, compassionate but powerless friend.

This volume and CD offer the opportunity to enjoy an original text while learning at the same time. Notes and language activities help the reader to follow the stories, appreciate aspects of the writing, memorize vocabulary and practice language structures. A final section contains further stimuli, with contextualizing notes and images.

A Scottish general and his best friend in battle and life; a hero who turns into a bloodthirsty villain; his ambitious evil wife and a series of crimes committed to gain and keep the power over Scotland. In addition, the mysterious and ambivalent wisdom exuding from the witches, their magical power and spells, affecting human lives.

The text includes a variety of activities for the four skills and dossiers to explore and expand the cultural and historical aspects associated with the story. The volume also provides a recording of some parts of the text.

On a spring day in April Chaucer’s 29 pilgrims from many different walks of life set out on a traditional pilgrimage from London to Canterbury, each one telling a story to liven up the journey.

The five tales in this reader reflect the views of the various social classes in the new Medieval England, as well as revealing complex and comic aspects of human nature. The characters come to life as Chaucer describes their strengths and weaknesses, often with humour and irony and always with minute attention to detail, showing his deep understanding of men and women and their position in the social hierarchy.

This fascinating collection of individuals described in The General Prologue includes the noble Knight, the unforgettable Wife of Bath with her advice on matters of love, the avaricious Pardoner, the studious clerk and the Nun’s Priest whose tale proves that dreams are a serious subject.

Step into Regency-era England with Jane Austen’s Emma, a literary gem that unveils the intricacies of love and society. Meet Emma Woodhouse, beautiful, clever and rich whose favourite hobby is matchmaking.

As she busily organises the romantic affairs of her friends, she doesn’t realise she is developing feelings for a man she thinks is just a friend.

Will she succumb to love despite her resolution to never marry?

Austen’s smart observations on love, social class and self-discovery are brought to life through sparkling dialogue and vivid characters.

Emma is a delightful journey through the ups and downs of the heart, where societal norms are challenged and love triumphs in the end.

The text includes a variety of activities for the four skills and dossiers to discover more about cultural and historical aspects and Mp3 files.