Q: CHAPTER XIII

Four men were discussing the verdict at the adjourned inquest upon Victor Bidlake, at Soto's American Bar about a fortnight later. They were Robert Fairfax, a young actor in musical comedy, Peter Jacks, a cinema producer, Gerald Morse, a dress designer, and Sidney Voss, a musical composer and librettist, all habitues of the place and members of the little circle towards which the dead man had seemed, during the last few weeks of his life, to have become attracted. At a table a short distance away, Francis Ledsam was seated with a cocktail and a dish of almonds before him. He seemed to be studying an evening paper and to be taking but the scantiest notice of the conversation at the bar.

"It just shows," Peter Jacks declared, "that crime is the easiest game in the world. Given a reasonable amount of intelligence, and a murderer's business is about as simple as a sandwich-man's."

"The police," Gerald Morse, a pale-faced, anaemic-looking youth, declared, "rely upon two things, circumstantial evidence and motive. In the present case there is no circumstantial evidence, and as to motive, poor old Victor was too big a fool to have an enemy in the world."

Sidney Voss, who was up for the Sheridan Club and had once been there, glanced respectfully across at Francis.

"You ought to know something about crime and criminals, Mr. Ledsam," he said. "Have you any theory about the affair?"

Francis set down the glass from which he had been drinking, and, folding up the evening paper, laid it by the side of him.

Answer the following questions:
1. Who was accused of a crime?
2. How long ago was the inquest?
3. Where was it being discussed?
4. Who was someone in the conversation?
5. What was his profession?
6. Who else?
7. What did he do?
8. What did he have to say about it?
9. Who else was in the conversation?
10. Did he think the man was guilty?
11. What was his profession?
12. Who else was talking about it?
13. What did he do for a living?
14. Who else was sitting close by?
15. What was he eating?
16. What was he doing?
17. Did anyone talk to him?
18. Who?
19. What did he ask him?
20. Was the dead man a friend?
A: 1. Victor Bidlake
2. about a fortnight
3. at Soto's American Bar
4. Robert Fairfax
5. he was a young actor in musical comedy,
6. Peter Jacks
7. he was a cinema producer
8. he stated that crime is the easiest game in the world
9. Gerald Morse
10. no
11. a dress designer
12. Sidney Voss
13. he was a musical composer
14. Francis Ledsam
15. a dish of almonds
16. reading an evening paper
17. yes
18. Sidney Voss
19. if he had any theory about the affair
20. yes

Answer the questions at the end based on the text.

A) LiYugang dresses like a woman and sings like a bird. He won the third prize in CCTV's Star Road in 2006. He sings folk songs. However, he seems to have the spirit of Mei Lanfang. In fact, the young man had learnt something from Mei Lanfang's students. People in China usually don't like cross-dressing . But people are really surprised at Li's beauty and _ when he sings and dances. B) Do you know who invented QQ? It was Ma Huateng. He was born in Guangdong in 1971. He chose computer science when he entered Shenzhen University in 1989. He worked as a computer programmer for a company in Shenzhen for five years after he graduated in 1993. Later he left the company and started his own company in 1998. C) Yue Fei was a famous hero of Southern Song Dynasty. He was born in a poor family in Henan Province. He was very brave and won many battles with his soldiers. But Qin Hui killed Yue Fei for Mo Xuyou. Later a temple about Yue Fei was built in memory of him at the foot of Qixia Ling by the West Lake, in Hangzhou.

1. who is a famous Chinese Cross dresser?
2. Is he pretty?
3. Does he have any talents?
4. What can he do?
5. can he do anything else?
6. has he won any awards for his performance?
7. which one?
8. what kind of songs does he sing?
9. What did Ma Huateng create?
10. Where did he go to school?
11. did he graduate?
12. when?
13. was he able to find a job after graduation?
14. Doing what?
15. how long did he do that job?
16. what did he do after that?
17. Where was Yue Fei born?
18. Was he born wealthy?
19. Was there a temple built in his honor?
20. Where is it?
21. Which Provence is that in?

Numbered answers:

A:
1. LiYugang
2. Yes
3. Yes
4. Sing like a bird
5. Dance
6. Yes
7. CCTV's Star Road
8. folk songs
9. QQ
10. Shenzhen University
11. yes
12. 1993
13. Yes
14. a computer programmer
15. five years
16. started his own company
17. Henan Province
18. no
19. Yes
20. Qixia Ling by the West Lake
21. Hangzhou