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Taka Posted 21 years ago
The answer is #3, but doesn't #2 work as well?
Grammar
Ashamed/afraid
Phra was too ( ) to bring it out at first. How could he sell a piece of glass as a diamond? He had always been honest in his business. But Lao was really beginning to irritate him, because no matter what Phra showed him, Lao didn't want it. And Phra could tell that lao didn't know anything about diamonds anyway, so he finally brought out the glass pendant that was made to look like a diamond and said, "Here is a diamond that you might like. I might be able to let you have it cheap.
1. tired 2. afraid 3. ashamed 4. uninterested
The answer is #3, but doesn't #2 work as well?
Top answer
Hello! I think it depends on the context where this story takes place... We don't know either what happened before, nor the relationship beween the 2 characters...
- Hello!
- I think it depends on the context where this story takes place...
- We don't know either what happened before, nor the relationship beween the 2 characters...
- I find it very hard to choose!
- It might be "afraid" because he had never done such a thing, and he dared not bring out the pendant.
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23 Answers
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Hello!
I think it depends on the context where this story takes place... We don't know either what happened before, nor the relationship beween the 2 characters... I find it very hard to choose!
It might be "afraid" because he had never done such a thing, and he dared not bring out the pendant.
On the other hand, he might also feel "ashamed" in advance, because he already knows he'
I think it depends on the context where this story takes place... We don't know either what happened before, nor the relationship beween the 2 characters... I find it very hard to choose!
It might be "afraid" because he had never done such a thing, and he dared not bring out the pendant.
On the other hand, he might also feel "ashamed" in advance, because he already knows he'
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Phra= a man who bought and sold jewls for a living. Very honest in his job and everyone knew that they could trust him.
Lao= sent by the emperor of China to buy diamonds for a crown that the emperor was having made. Since Phra was the most prominent jewler in town, Lao had come to him first.
Other than that, no explicit context specified.
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Yes, now I can see he was very much "ashamed" of what he was contemplating to do...
But I think he could also be "afraid" for fear someone might catch him?
But I think he could also be "afraid" for fear someone might catch him?
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Hello Taka and Pieanne
I think if the quote stopped here:
'Phra was too ( ) to bring it out at first. How could he sell a piece of glass as a diamond?'
we could choose 'afraid', because the 2nd sentence would then mean: 'how could he take the dangerous step of selling a piece of glass etc? (Someone might catch him...)'
But once we add: 'He had always been h
I think if the quote stopped here:
'Phra was too ( ) to bring it out at first. How could he sell a piece of glass as a diamond?'
we could choose 'afraid', because the 2nd sentence would then mean: 'how could he take the dangerous step of selling a piece of glass etc? (Someone might catch him...)'
But once we add: 'He had always been h
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Is it an exercise of vocabulary or moral? Could you tell us, Taka?
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2. He was ashamed>he could not>he was honest.
Yes. I know that's the usual logic.
I just wondered-
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s it an exercise of vocabulary or moral? Could you tell us, Taka?
Supposed to be both a vocabulary and a reading question. At least, not a moral question, I think.
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Hello Taka
'Afraid' would work with a small change:
'Phra was too afraid to bring it out at first. How could he sell a piece of glass as a diamond? And he had always been honest in his business...'
– thus making 'fear of being caught' the first consideration, and 'lapsed honesty' the second.
On the other hand, if the writer of the passage were a mildly adve
'Afraid' would work with a small change:
'Phra was too afraid to bring it out at first. How could he sell a piece of glass as a diamond? And he had always been honest in his business...'
– thus making 'fear of being caught' the first consideration, and 'lapsed honesty' the second.
On the other hand, if the writer of the passage were a mildly adve
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Two, three or sometimes more conflicting emotions run through human beings at some times. Of course, it could be afraid or ashamed or both together. He felt both afraid and ashamed. Perfectly natural for both language and human feelings.
The thing that ENL teachers like Taka [if you are a teacher, Taka] have to be concerned about is that their students don't "misuse" words like ashamed
The thing that ENL teachers like Taka [if you are a teacher, Taka] have to be concerned about is that their students don't "misuse" words like ashamed
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On the other hand (which is to say, an 'on the other hand' to my previous 'on the other hand'):
'But Lao was really beginning to irritate him...'
I'm not sure this suggests 'fear'.
'And Phra could tell that lao didn't know anything about diamonds anyway...'
So he had no need to be afraid of getting caught.
But no doubt a competent psychologist could demonst
'But Lao was really beginning to irritate him...'
I'm not sure this suggests 'fear'.
'And Phra could tell that lao didn't know anything about diamonds anyway...'
So he had no need to be afraid of getting caught.
But no doubt a competent psychologist could demonst
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