Focus on Grammar

Bradbury was always a reader and writer, throughout his youth, spending muchtime in the library of his home town. ‘Libraries raised me. I don’t believe in colleges anduniversities. Most students don’t have money to go there. I couldn’t go to college either,so I went to the library three days a week for 10 years.Read the passage from the story the Smile by R. Bradbury and do the exercise.ContextHere is a science fiction story about distant future.People of the Earth move to another planet. They hate everything connected withthe planet they came from. They destroy all the masterpieces that might remind of thecivilization of the earth. That day when the boy came to town they were to put an end toa Portrait of a Woman with a Smile. When the crowd started destroying the picture, theboy manages to tear a piece and ran away.Without a word, sobbing, Tom ran. He ran out and down the bomb-pitted road, intoa field across a shining stream, not looking back, his hand under his coat. At sunset hereached the small village and passed on through. By nine o’clock he came to the ruinedfarm house. Around back, in the part that still remained upright he heard the sound ofsleeping, the family – his mother, father and brother. He slipped quietly, silently throughthe small door and lay down panting.“Tom?” called his mother in the dark.“Yes.”“Where’ve you been?” asked his father. “In town? If I learn that you were in thetown, I’ll beat you in the morning.”Tom lay down getting his breath. All was quiet. His hand was pushed to his chest,tight, tight. He lay for half an hour in this way, eyes closed.Then he felt something and it was a cold white light. The moon rose very high andthe little square of light crept slowly over Tom’s body. Then, and only then, did his handrelax. Slowly, carefully, listening to those who slept around him, Tom drew his handforth. He hesitated, keeping his breath for a while, and then, waiting, opened his handon which lay a piece of painted painting.All the world was asleep in the night. And their in his hand was the Smile. Helooked at it in the white light from the midnight sky, and he thought, over to himself,quickly, the Smile, the lovely Smile.An hour later he could still see it, even after he had carefully and hidden it. He shuthis eyes and the Smile was there in the darkness. And it was still there, warm and gentlewhen he went to sleep and the world was silent and the moon sailed up and then downthe cold sky towards morning.Comprehension question1. Can you guess what picture they were going to destroy that day?2. Who is the author of that picture?3. Which part of the story describes the magical smile?58