Literature insight 5: The Lost World – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

BEFORE YOU READ

• 1Read about Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. What type of books did he write? What genre do you think The Lost World is?

• 2Read the background to the story. Why does Ned Malone want to go on an adventure?

About the author

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Born: 1859 in Edinburgh, Scotland

Died: 1930

Important works: Sherlock Holmes novels and collections of short stories, including The Sign of Four (1890) and The Hound of the Baskervilles (1902); Professor Challenger stories, including The Lost World (1912)

Did you know? Sir Arthur Conan Doyle learned the art of storytelling from his mother, who had a passion for books and an expressive, dramatic voice.

He started writing while he was a medical student at the University of Edinburgh, and some of his short stories appeared in magazines. When he graduated and became a doctor, he didn't have many patients at first, so he used to write between appointments.

Although Arthur Conan Doyle is famous as the creator of Sherlock Holmes, he also wrote many short stories in other genres, including science fiction and historical dramas. In addition, he published many non-fiction books, plays and poetry.

After the death of his first wife and one of his sons, he became very interested in spiritualism and wanted to find out if there was life after death. He was a member of The Ghost Club, which started in Cambridge in the 1850s to research paranormal activity. Many people were interested in spiritualism in the nineteenth century, including Charles Dickens.

BACKGROUND TO THE STORY

The young journalist Ned Malone is in love with a beautiful lady, Gladys Hungerton, and wants to marry her. Gladys thinks Ned is a good friend and she likes spending time with him, but she refuses to marry him. He isn't the type of man she dreams of marrying. In her imagination, her future husband is a fearless and famous adventurer. Ned decides to take up the challenge and 'do something great in the world'. Gladys tells him that they can talk again when he has achieved this goal.

1  Read the extract. Answer the questions. How does Ned feel on his way to work? What is Ned's opinion of Mr McArdle? What does Mr McArdle think of Ned's work? Why does Mr McArdle ask Ned if he wants to die young? Why is it unusual for young reporters to go to dangerous places? What has Professor Challenger done to other reporters? Why does Professor Challenger's trip to South America remain a mystery? What two explanations does McArdle give for Professor Challenger's behaviour?

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2  Read the questions and give your opinion.

1. In your opinion, why doesn't Mr McArdle send a famous reporter to interview Professor Challenger?
2. What personal qualities and skills do you need to be a great reporter? Has Ned got those skills?
3. What do you think will happen when Professor Challenger meets Ned?

 

3Read what happens next. What happens when Professor Challenger meets Ned? 

READ ON

Ned goes to see his friend Tarp Henry, who is a scientist and knows of Professor Challenger's work. Tarp shows Ned some of Challenger's books. Ned then decides to pretend that he's a young scientist interested in the Professor's work, and writes him a letter. When Tarp reads the letter, he warns Ned that Challenger is dangerous but he doesn't think that the Professor will answer Ned's letter. However, he's wrong and the Professor invites Ned to his home. When they meet, Challenger soon realises that Ned is a journalist and attacks him. The two men end up in the street with a policeman standing next to them ready to arrest the Professor. Ned tells the policeman that he started the fight and that Challenger didn't mean to hurt him. The Professor is surprised and suggests they return inside to finish their conversation.

4Play the recording and listen to the extract. Then complete the sentences. 

You need to use normal letters and capital letters correctly in this task. You also need to use correct punctuation.

• 1Professor Challenger went to South America  ago.

• 2The Indians took him to see an ill .

• 3In the book he found, there were drawings of people,  and .

• 4Ned is shocked when he sees the  on the last page.

• 5The first bone which the Professor shows Ned is  long.

• 6Professor Challenger thinks the bone came from a .

• 7Other  believe all the dinosaurs died millions of years ago.

5  Read the questions and give your opinion.

1. Would you like to go on an expedition to find new places or creatures? Why / why not? Where would you like to go?
2. Imagine one of you is the Professor and the other is Ned. Carry out an interview for the Gazette about how Professor Challenger found the drawings and bones.

6  Write an article for the Gazette based on the interview you carried out in exercise 5. Include this information: who Professor Challenger is what he has found, when and where what other scientists think of his ideas what you think of them

1.  Write your task in another program (e.g. Word).
2.  Save the file to your computer.
3.  Upload your file.
4.  If you want to add a note to your teacher, write it in the Comments box.
5.  Select Submit to Dropbox to send your work to your teacher.