A Country Doctor's Late-Night Call

• A country doctor navigates a windy night to assist a patient.
• The narrative follows the doctor's encounters and observations.

Objectives

• Read and comprehend a suspense story.
• Use phrasal verbs.
• Convert direct speech into indirect speech.
• Give and understand directions in speech.
• Write a paragraph reporting experiences.

Section 1

• The doctor gets a phone call late at night.
• The doctor identifies himself as Doctor Benson.

Section 2

• The doctor dresses and gets ready to head out.
• It is 2 o'clock in the morning.
• The doctor takes two bags: a short pill bag and a long obstetrical case, also known as the baby bag.
• The doctor encounters a strong wind that feels like a surgeon's life.
• The doctor drives to Mrs. Ott Sorley's house, who is about to give birth.
• Mrs. Ott Sorley has had almost a dozen children.
• The doctor notes that Mrs. Sorley never seems to have babies in good weather or daylight.
• The doctor's father, also a doctor, used to treat the Sorley's and wait a long time for payment.

Intext Questions 8.1

• The doctor in the story is not elderly.
• The doctor's father was also a country doctor.
• The doctor does not like late night calls.
• The doctor carries two bags on his visits.
• Mrs. Ott Sorley is not having her first baby.
• Doctor Benson received the call at two o'clock.
• He is visiting Mrs. Ott Sorley because she is giving birth.
• The doctor carries a short pill bag and a long obstetrical case (baby bag).
• The doctor does not receive prompt payment.

Section 2

• The doctor sees a man walking along the road.
• The doctor invited who say he is going to Detroit to find work to get a lift in his car.
• The man asks the doctor for a cigarette, and takes two.
• The man says that he is going to Detroit to look for work in one of the automobile plants.
• The man claims to have been an army ambulance driver for four years.
• The man introduces himself as Evans.
• Evans says the car smelled like pills.
• Evans moves a package on the floor.
• The doctor notices Evans's small catlike face and a fresh scar on his cheek.
• The doctor discovers his watch is missing after noticing the scar.

Intext Questions 8.2

• A man asked the doctor for a lift in his car.
• The man was not crying because he wanted a cigarette.
• Evans was not working as a mechanic in an automobile plant.
• The doctor offered him one cigarette, and he took two.
• Evans had been an ambulance driver in the army.
• The doctor offers the man rides because he saw a man walking alone along the country road, as seen just ahead by the lights of the car, was a welcome relief to the doctor.
• The man takes two cigarettes without the permission of Doctor Benson, and he did not like this.
• What irritated the doctor was that the man took the cigarette without asking while he was driving on the road.
• Evans was not working at the time and going to Detroit to find work.
• The two expressions that show the doctor was suspicious of Evans, was "caught his first good look at the small, catlike face" and “long deep scar on the man's cheek, bright and red".
• The doctor reached for his watch because he thought of Mrs. Ott Sorly
• The doctor did not find his watch right away, and he thought that Evans took it.

Section 3

• The doctor slowly reaches for the automatic pistol he carries.
• The doctor holds the pistol the dark at his side.
• Doctor Benson stops the car and pushes the gun into Evans' side.
• Evans is scared and puts his hands up.
• The doctor makes Evans return his watch.
• The doctor pushes Evans out of the car.
• Doctor Benson drives to the Sorley farm.
• Ott Sorley had sent one of his older boys with a lantern to guide Doctor Benson.
• Mrs. Sorley delivers the baby with little difficulty.
• Doctor Benson takes a cigarette and sits down to smoke.

Intext Questions 8.3

• Doctor reaches for his pistol for protection.
• Evans' reaction was surprise and he returned the watch.
• The doctor turns Evans out of the car because had stolen the watch.
• The Sorley farm was up in the mountains.
• Doctor didn't have difficulty with his patient because she delivered the baby without issue.
• It is known that the doctor was relaxed after the baby was born because "Doctor Benson took a cigarette and sat down to smoke".

Section 4

• The doctor tells Ott that the man he picked up tried to rob him, and that the man gave the watch back because he pushed his pistol into his side..
• Ott is happy that Doctor Benson got his watch because they would know what time the child was born.
• The doctor said "The baby was delivered about thirty minutes ago, and right now it's ......” He walked over to the lamp on the table.
• The doctor examines/stared at the watch and read the inscription.
• The inscription reads:"To Private T. Evans, Ambulance Section, whose personal bravery preserved our lives the night of Nov. 3, 1943 near the Italian front. Nurses Nesbitt, Jones and Wingate."

Intext Questions 8.4

• The words "A fellow I picked up in my car on my way up here tonight tried to rob me,” he said to Ott, feeling a little proud. “He took my watch. But when I pushed my 0.45 pistol into his side, he decided to give it to me back." shows that Doctor Benson felt justified in turning Evans out.
• Mr. Sorley/Ott was happy because the doctor would know what time the baby was born.
• The doctor realised that he was not looking at his own watch when he read the inscription on the watch.
• The inscription gave information about the man being a part of the ambulance section in the war.

Overall Questions

• The title of the passage is appropriate because it is a story filled with suspense and mistaken identity.
• Doctor Benson is suspicious of Evans.
• No, it was not justified.
• The doctor's intial impression of Evans was that he was a mysterious character
• The doctor realised his mistake by seeing the inscription on the watch.
• Evans could argue that Doctor pointed a pistol was him for no reason.
• No, Evans would think Dr. Benson wasn't kind, due to the gun incident.
• Dr. Benson was prejudiced against Evans because of his shabby appearance, uncouth manners, the scar on his face and irritating behaviour.
• Calmly try to locate it.

Vocabulary Enrichment

• Every wise person puts by a little money for a rainy day.
• Please put out the fire after you have cooked rice.
• The meeting was put off as the chairman was not well.
• Please put back the dictionary on the top shelf after you have looked up the meaning of the words.
• Put on your cardigan as it is cold.
• The team put up a great performance.

Grammar

• Our questions were quickly answered as the travel agent. "have a finger in every pie".
• 2. I can't make head or tail of this strange message.
• 3. Ravi knows a little about all the six different projects. Let's ask him about your project as he has all the facts on his finger..
• 4. Let's put our heads together and see if we can decipher this message in code.
• 5. The principal put her foot and told his clerks that he wasn't going to grant him any more leave.

Reported Speech

• He asked me whether I was going home.
• He asked whether I/he saw his brother the previous day.
• He asked me which bus stopped there.
• My friend asked what my brother was doing those days.
• My brother asked whether Ram knew his address.