Comprensión de Lectura y Vocabulario en Inglés: La Historia de Malcom y la Casa del Juez

Comprensión de Lectura: The Judge's House

Preguntas y Respuestas sobre el Relato

Why didn't Malcom go to the seaside? Where did he decide to go?
He didn't want to go to the seaside because he wanted to avoid the attractions typical of the seaside. Then, he decided to go to the countryside, to a quiet and little town so as not to get distracted by anything.

Where did he exactly go? What was the name of the place?
He bought a train ticket for a place he had never heard of; the place was called Benchurch. It was a market town and it was only crowded once in three weeks.

Could you describe the only house that he liked? What was the problem with the house?
The house was very quiet and isolated. It was an old, rambling house with small windows and heavy gables, and it was surrounded by high brick walls. There was a kind of prejudice about it and it wasn't rented, so he decided to pay for three months in advance. At the beginning of the story, you don't know the kind of prejudice about the house because nobody speaks openly about it. Everybody warns him, but they don't speak their minds about what happens in that place.

What did the landlady of The Good Travellers say when Malcom told her he was going to live there? What had the people in the village given to the house?
She turned pale and she was amazed. She told him that the house had belonged to a judge who was very severe and cruel. She didn't know what the specific problem was, but she knew there was something wrong with it.

Where did he decide to live? Which part of the house did he decide to live in?
He decided to live in the great dining room; it had a fireplace and it was big enough to eat, study, and sleep.

According to Mrs. Dempster, the cleaning lady, what were the "things" in the house?
According to her, the only things you could find in the house were beetles, mice, rats, and also creaking doors.

What were the strange noises that he heard the first night he spent there? What did he think? When did the noises stop?
The strange noises were made by the rats which ran up and down the walls, over the ceiling, and under the floor. He thought that the rats could be frightened by his presence. The noise stopped just before dawn.

When the noise stopped, what did he see? What did he do? How did he react?
He saw an enormous rat that was staring at him and sitting on an old oak chair. He tried to scare the big rat away, but it wouldn't go away; it stood there showing its teeth in a menacing way to the young student. He picked up the poker and ran at the rat to try to kill it, and it escaped by climbing up the rope that hung from the ceiling.

When he told Mrs. Witham about the night, what word did he use to describe the big rat? What was her reaction?
He said there was "one wicked devil." She was afraid when he said the word devil; she was very scared.

What happened on the second night? What did he think of the rope?
On the second night, the huge rat was sitting again on the oak chair with its eyes glaring at him. He chased it again and it disappeared, but he didn't know where it had gone because the shade of the light obscured that area. When he examined the rope, he noticed that it was strong enough to hang a man.

After Malcom hit the rat with the book, he looked at the title of the book. Why did he start trembling with fear?
He started trembling with fear because he had hit the rat with the Holy Bible, and the rat had given a terrified squeak.

Why did Dr. Thornhill tell Malcom about the rope?
Because he wanted to warn Malcom about the rope and the fact that it had been used to hang all the victims of the judge's cruelty. He also wanted to tell him that the rope was the only way to escape, because if he was in danger he could pull it and the bell would ring.

What was important about the third picture?
The picture was of a judge dressed in scarlet robes. His eyes were the most striking feature because they were cruel and had a cunning look, but most importantly, they were the same eyes that he had seen when looking at the rat. He also noticed that the judge used to sit on an oak chair and that a rope was hanging from the ceiling next to him.

Why did the rat bite the rope?
The rat bit the rope so that Malcom wouldn’t be able to ring the bell to ask for help.

How did the third picture change?
When he looked at the picture, he could see that the image of the judge had changed. The judge was now sitting on his oak chair, dressed in his scarlet robe and staring directly at him.

What sign did the judge give that Malcom had been sentenced to death?
He put a black cap he had on his head when the clock struck midnight.

What did the judge then do?
He tied one end of the rope into a noose and then started to move across the room towards the student. The judge threw the noose to the student, but he managed to escape the first time. Then, the judge played with the student like a cat plays with a mouse, chasing him. Finally, the judge placed the rope around his neck and carried the student to the oak chair, standing him on it. The judge tied the end of the noose to the bell rope, got off the chair, and pulled it from under Malcom's feet.

Why did the alarm bell ring?
The bell rang when the student was hanged, and soon a crowd of people arrived. They found the student hanging from a rope in the corner of the room, and in the picture, the judge had a malignant smile.

Glosario de Términos y Vocabulario

Vocabulario General

• To make up one's mind: decidirse
• Inn: posada
• To be crowded: lleno de gente
• Gables: techo de dos aguas
• Prejudice: prejuicio, predisponer
• Severe: severo, duro, grave, riguroso
• Trials: juicios
• To concern: preocuparse
• Draughty: con corrientes de aire
• Ceiling: techo
• Oak: roble
• Poker: atizador
• Devil: demonio
• To manage: arreglárselas
• Cunning: astuto
• Sudden: repentino
• To wipe: limpiar
• To realize: darse cuenta
• To avoid: evitar
• To book: reservar
• Rambling: laberíntica
• To rent: alquilar
• Amazement: asombro
• Sentences: condenas, sentencia
• To be amused: estar divertido
• Screen: pantalla
• To be frightened: asustado
• Rope: cuerda
• To scare: asustar
• Wicked: malvado, perverso
• Shade: sombra
• Robes: túnica
• Noose: lazo
• Stillness: quietud
• Sweat: sudor

Sonidos (Boca y Ruidos)

• To mutter: Hablar entre dientes, refunfuñar, murmurar
• Mutter: Murmullo
• To wail: Gemir
• Wail: Gemido
• To growl: Gruñir, rugir
• Growl: Gruñido, rugido
• To sigh: Suspirar
• Sigh: Suspiro
• To whisper: Cuchichear, susurrar
• Whisper: Susurro, rumor
• To cry out: Gritar, pedir algo a gritos, chillar
• To stammer: Tartamudear, balbucear
• Stammer: Tartamudeo
• To murmur: Murmurar, susurrar
• Murmur: Murmuro, susurro
• To scream: Gritar, chillar
• Scream: Grito, chillido, alarido
• To shout: Gritar
• Shout: Grito
• To creak: Chirriar, crujir (un pestillo o cerrojo)
• To rattle: Repiquetear (una cadena)
• To scrape: Chirriar al rayar algo
• To knock: Golpear, llamar, tocar (la puerta)
• To ring: Tocar al timbre
• To crunch: Crujir (los pasos en la nieve)
• To shriek: Gritar, chillar (un dragón)
• To howl: Aullar, bramar (el viento)
• To squeak: Chillar (ratas)
• To scratch: Arañar
• To blow: Soplar (el viento)
• To roar: Tronar (una tormenta)
• To clang: Hacer sonar, tocar (un timbre)

Temática de Muerte y Misterio

• Ghosts: Fantasmas, espíritus
• To pale: Palidecer
• Pale: Pálido, blanco
• Rotten: Podrido
• Grave: Tumba, sepultura
• Corpse: Cadáver
• To bury: Enterrar, sepultar
• Buried: Enterrado, sepultado
• Burial: Entierro
• Coffin: Ataúd, féretro
• Evil: Malvado, maligno
• Tomb: Tumba, sepulcro
• Perish: Perecer, deteriorarse
• Vault: Cripta
• Deceased: Difunto, fallecido

Verbos de Percepción Visual

• To peer: Mirar algo detenidamente
• To stare: Mirar fijamente
• To glance: Echar un vistazo, echar una ojeada
• To wink: Guiñar el ojo
• To frown: Mirar con el ceño fruncido
• To blind: Cegar, dejar ciego
• To glare: Fulminar a alguien con la mirada

Enfermedades y Salud

• Pallor: Palidez
• Faint: Desmayo, sentirse mareado o débil
• Disease: Enfermedad, dolencia
• Ghastly: Espantoso, horroroso
• Sullen: Hosco, huraño

Naturaleza y Geografía

• Path: Camino, sendero, senda
• Bog: Ciénaga
• Isolated: Aislado
• Moor: Llanura
• Dawn / Dusk: Amanecer / Anochecer
• Sunrise / Sunset: Salida del sol / Puesta de sol
• Cliff: Precipicio, acantilado
• Whirlwind: Torbellino
• Lake: Lago
• Forest: Bosque, selva

Adjetivos de Carácter y Personalidad

• Cruel: Cruel
• Practical: Práctico, útil
• Timid: Tímido
• Vindictive: Vengativo
• Hard-working: Trabajador
• Malignant: Maligno
• Friendly: Amistoso
• Cheerful: Alegre
• Efficient: Eficiente
• Cunning: Astuto, ingenioso
• Humorous: Humorístico, gracioso, divertido
• Superstitious: Supersticioso
• Clever: Listo, inteligente
• Hysterical: Histérico
• Realistic: Realista
• Kind: Amable, buena persona
• Motherly: Maternal
• Studious: Estudioso, aplicado
• Curious: Curioso