Contents1TextAALessonLearnedatMidnightLanguageinUseTextBHowDidtheSupermarketStealYourMoney?

Warm-upQuestions:2Warm-upQuestions:1.Whatdoyouthinkoflife?2.Doyoubelievethereisgoodandevilinallofus?

Pre-classTask13Pre-classTask1Readthetextonceforthemainidea(s).Donotrefertothenotes,theglossary,ordictionaries.

TextAALessonLearnedatMidnight4PassageEversinceonemidnight,innineteenhundredandninewhenIfirstheardmymothercrying—Ihavebeengropingforbeliefstohelpmethroughtheroughgoingandconfusionsoflife.MydadsvoicewaslowandtroubledashetriedtocomfortMother―andintheiranguishtheybothforgotthenearnessofmybedroom.Ioverheardthem.1

5PassageIwasonlyseventhen,andwhiletheirproblemofthattimehaslongsincebeensolvedandforgotten,thebigdiscoveryImadethatnightisstillrightwithme―lifeisnotallheartsandflowers.Itshardandcruelformostofusmuchofthetime.Weallhavetroubles―theyjustdifferinnature,thatsall.Andthatleadstomyfirstbelief.TextAALessonLearnedatMidnight

6PassageIbelievethehumanraceisvery,verytough―almostimpossibletodiscourage.Ifitwasnt,thenwhydowehavesuchwordsas“laugh”15and“sing”and“music”and“dance”—inthelanguageofallmankindsincethebeginningofrecordedtime?Thisbeliefmakesmedownrightproudtobeahumanbeing.2TextAALessonLearnedatMidnight

7PassageNext,Ibelievethereisgoodandevilinallofus.ThomasManncomesclosetoexpressing20whatImtryingtosaywithhiscarefullywordedsentenceaboutthe“frightfullyradicalduality”betweenthebrainandthebeastinman—inallofus.3TextAALessonLearnedatMidnight

8PassageThisbeliefhelpsmebecausesolongasIrememberthattherearecertainforcesof25evileverpresentinme―andneverforgetthatthereisalsoadivinesparkofgoodnessinme,too―thenIfindthatthe“score”ofmyba