Q: CHAPTER THREE.

Obedient to orders, Tom Brixton lay perfectly still on his back, just where he had fallen, wondering much whether the cord was really cut, for he did not feel much relaxation of it or abatement of the pain. He resolved, at any rate, to give no further cause for rough treatment, but to await the issue of events as patiently as he could.

True to his promise, the Irishman after supper sang several songs, which, if not characterised by sweetness of tone, were delivered with a degree of vigour that seemed to make full amends in the estimation of his hearers. After that he told a thrilling ghost story, which drew the entire band of men round him. Paddy had a natural gift in the way of relating ghost stories, for, besides the power of rapid and sustained discourse, without hesitation or redundancy of words, he possessed a vivid imagination, a rich fancy, a deep bass voice, an expressive countenance, and a pair of large coal-black eyes, which, as one of the Yankee diggers said, "would sartinly bore two holes in a blanket if he only looked at it long enough."

We do not intend to inflict that ghost story on the reader. It is sufficient to say that Paddy began it by exclaiming in a loud voice--"'Now or niver, boys--now or niver.' That's what the ghost said."

"What's that you say, Paddy?" asked Gashford, leaving his own separate and private fire, which he enjoyed with one or two chosen comrades, and approaching that round which the great body of the diggers were already assembled.

1. CHAPTER THREE
2. Tom Brixton
3. no
4. he had fallen
5. much relaxation of it or abatement of the pain
6. Paddy
7. sang several songs
8. if not characterised by sweetness of tone, were delivered with a degree of vigour
9. he told a thrilling ghost story
10. coal-black
11. bore two holes
12. a separate and private fire

Numbered questions:
1. What chapter is this?
2. Who obeyed commands?
3. Was he standing?
4. Why?
5. What wasn't he feeling?
6. Who kept his word?
7. What was one thing he did after dinner?
8. Did he have a sweet voice?
9. What did he do to draw a crowd of men?
10. What color were his eyes?
11. What did a Yankee say they can do to a quilt?
12. What did Gashford have apart from the others?

Q: A lot of teenagers are good at art at school, but how would you feel if people called you "the new Picasso " or if presidents and other famous people collected your paintings? Alexandra Nechita was ten when her paintings became famous all over the world. She visited Britain, France, Italy, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and her family's native place Romania where 5,000 fans came to see her at the airport. Alexandra said, "When it all started, I was moved. It was very exciting and I loved the traveling, but I got very tired. And I missed home." Alexandra is a good student. Her studies always come first. She only starts painting after she's done her homework. She works on two or three paintings at a time. The paintings sell for thousands and Alexandra's parents have given up their jobs to work for their daughter. Life for the Nechita family is very different from what it was like a few years ago. Alexandra's father Niki left Romania for political reasons in 1985. At first he tried his best to learn English and had different kinds of low-paid jobs. In 1987, he brought his wife and Alexandra, who was then 18 months old, to America. The family was very poor. Alexandra began to draw at the age of three. She was drawing for four or five hours a day. Soon people offered to buy her paintings and she had her first art show at the age of eight. Stories about this child appeared in the newspapers and television. They now live in a large house with a swimming pool. Her mother said, "We started without anything, but thanks to Alexandra, we have everything we ever dreamed of."

1. Alexandra Nechita
2. Ten when she became famous
3. In America
4. All over the world
5. Romania
6. 5,000 fans met her
7. She was excited
8. She got very tired
9. unknown
10. She missed home

Numbered questions:
1. Who is well known for art?
2. How old was she?
3. Where?
4. Where are her drawings famous?
5. Where was her dad from originally?
6. How many went to meet her when she went there?
7. What were her feelings?
8. Then what happened?
9. What else?
10. What did she miss?

Q: Robert Spring, a 19

century forger ,was so good at his profession that he was able to make his living for 15 years by selling false signatures of Americans. Spring was born in England in 1813 and arrived in Philadelphia in 1858 to open a bookstore. At first he became rich by selling his small but real collection of early U.S. autographs . Discovering his ability at copying handwriting, he began imitating signatures of George. Washington and Ben Franklin and writing them on the title pages of old books. To lessen the chance of detection , he sent his forgeries to England and Canada for sale.

Forgers have a hard time selling their products. A forger can't deal with a respectable buyer but people who don't have much knowledge in the field. Forgers have many ways to make their work look real. For example, they buy old books to use the aged paper of the title page, and they can treat paper and ink with chemical.

In Spring's time right after the Civil War, Britain was still fond of the Southern states, so Spring invented a respectable maiden lady known as Miss Fanny Jackson, the only daughter of General "Stonewall" Jackson. For several years Miss Fanny's financial problems forced her to sell a great number of letters and manuscripts . Spring had to work very hard to satisfy the demand. All this activity did not prevent Spring from dying in poverty, leaving sharp-eyed experts the difficult task of separating his forgeries from the originals.

1. selling false signatures
2. 1813
3. England
4. no
5. Philadelphia
6. 1858
7. open a bookstore
8. England and Canada
9. lessen the chance of detection
10. Miss Fanny
11. only daughter of General "Stonewall" Jackson
12. financial problems
13. yes
14. no
15. George. Washington and Ben Franklin
16. yes
17. no

Numbered questions:
1. What was Robert Spring good at?
2. When was he born?
3. Where?
4. Did he stay there?
5. Where did he move?
6. When?
7. Why?
8. Where did he send his "work"?
9. Why?
10. Who "sold" them ?
11. And she was suppose to be who?
12. Why was she selling?
13. Was there a big demand?
14. Was everything he sold a forgery?
15. Who were some of the people he copied?
16. Was he rich at one time?
17. Did he die rich?