Unit 5 Fourteen Steps          

Section One Pre-reading Activities

I. Audiovisual supplement

Watch a video and answer the following questions.

1. What did the mother mean at the end of the video ?

2. What do you know about the movie Forrest Gump?

（插入视频）

 

Script:

Doctor:    Let’s take a little walk around. How do those feel? His legs are strong, Mrs. Gump, as strong as I’ve ever seen. But his back’s as crooked as a politician. But we’re going to straighten him right up, aren’t we, Forrest?

Mother:   Forrest!

Voiceover: Now, when I was a baby, Mama named me after the great Civil War hero General Nathan Bedford Forrest. She said we were related to him in some way. What he did was, he started up this club called the Ku Klux Klan. They’d all dress up in their robes and their bedsheets and act like a bunch of ghosts or spooks or something. They’d even put bedsheets on their horses and ride around. Anyway, that’s how I got my name — Forrest Gump. Mama said the Forrest part was to remind me that sometimes we all do things that, well, that just don’t make no sense.

Mother:   All right. What are y’all staring at? Haven’t you ever seen a little boy with braces on his legs before? Don’t ever let anybody tell you they’re better than you, Forrest. If God intended everybody to be the same, he’d have given us all braces on our legs.

Voiceover:  Mama always had a way of explaining things so I could understand them.

 

Answers to the Questions:

1. She was trying to tell her boy that everybody should be treated equally, even for those who had some physical or intelligence problems.

2. Forrest Gump is a 1994 film based on Winston Groom’s 1986 novel of the same name. The film, directed by Robert Zemeckis, stars Tom Hanks, Robin Wright Penn, and Gary Sinise. The story is of Forrest Gump, an ordinary man who comes from Alabama and his journey through life meeting historical figures, influencing popular culture, and experiencing firsthand historic events of the late 20th century.

 

II. Cultural information

1. Quote

I am quite often asked: How do you feel about having ALS? The answer is, not a lot. I try to lead as normal a life as possible, and not think about my condition, or regret the things it prevents me from doing, which are not that many.

                                                        — Stephen Hawking

 

Section Two Global Reading

I. Main idea

It is hard to imagine that a blind old man should be willing and able to fix a car for someone else on a dark stormy night. This happened to the author, a crippled man who was afflicted by a progressive disease and who took others’ help for granted. Up to that day, the author had lived in disillusionment, self-pity, indifference and selfishness, as he was becoming increasingly feeble. He struggled to climb the fourteen steps every day only to hold on to his sanity, his wife, his home and his job. After he met the blind old man, it suddenly dawned on him that even a handicapped person was capable of performing an act of love for his fellow beings, and that was where the value of life lies.

 

II. Structural analysis

1.       How many parts can the text be divided into and what’s the topic of each part?

According to the development of the story, the text could be divided into four parts, each of which focuses on one topic. Respectively, these topics are about the author’s first life, his second life, his third life and his reflection on the auto-repair incident.

2.       Summarize the main idea of each part by completing the table.

Paragraphs	Main ideas
1-2	It depicts the author’s first phase of life in which he began to enjoy everything pleasant: excellent health, a good job, a nice house, a happy family and lovely daughters.
3-5	The author describes his second life. Because of his disease, he became miserable and frustrated.
6-8	The author’s third life began with the trouble of his car on the stormy night and he described the blind man’s magnanimous, selfless help.
9-10	The author reflected on the incident and his life philosophy, from which he discovered the true value of life.

 

Section Three Detailed Reading

Text I

Fourteen Steps

Hal Manwaring

1               They say a cat has nine lives,1 and I am inclined to think that possible since I am now living my third life and I’m not even a cat. My first life began on a clear, cold day in November 1934, when I arrived as the sixth of eight children of a farming family. My father died when I was 15, and we had a hard struggle to make a living. As the children grew up, they married, leaving only one sister and myself to support and care for Mother, who became paralyzed in her last years and died while still in her 60s. My sister married soon after, and I followed her example within the year.

2               This was when I began to enjoy my first life. I was very happy, in excellent health, and quite a good athlete. My wife and I became the parents of two lovely girls. I had a good job in San Jose and a beautiful home up the peninsula in San Carlos2. Life was a pleasant dream. Then the dream ended. I became afflicted with a slowly progressive disease of the motor nerves, affecting first my right arm and leg, and then my other side. Thus began my second life …

 

 

Words and Expressions

1. be inclined to: be likely to do sth. or tend to do sth.

 

2. follow one’s example: imitate

Synonym:

follow one’s lead

 

3. afflict vt. cause severe suffering or pain

Collocation:

  be afflicted with

Derivation:

afflictive a.

affliction n.

 

4. progressive a. developing gradually

Synonym: gradual

 

5. paralyzed: cause to be unable to move

 

6. peninsula: land surrounded mostly by water

 

7. motor nerves: a nerve that controls muscular movements

 

Sentences

 a cat has nine lives (Paragraph 1)

Explanation: It is a proverb. Cats are very tough and seem able to survive accidents or hardships.

 

3               In spite of my disease I still drove to and from work each day, with the aid of special equipment installed in my car. And I managed to keep my health and optimism, to a degree, because of 14 steps.

4               Crazy? Not at all. Our home was a split-level affair with 14 steps leading up from the garage to the kitchen door. Those steps were a gauge of life. They were my yardstick, my challenge to continue living. I felt that if the day arrived when I was unable to lift one foot up one step and then drag the other painfully after it — repeating the process 14 times until, utterly spent, I would be through — I could then admit defeat and lie down and die. So I kept on working, kept on climbing those steps. And time passed. The girls went to college and were happily married, and my wife and I were alone in our beautiful home with the 14 steps.

5              You might think that here walked a man of courage and strength. Not so. Here hobbled a bitterly disillusioned cripple, a man who held on to his sanity and his wife and his home and his job because of 14 miserable steps leading up to the back door from his garage. As I became older, I became more disillusioned and frustrated.

 

 

Words and Expressions

1. with the aid of: with the help of

 

2. install vt. set up

Derivation: installation n.

 

3. to a / some degree: partly

Synonym: in a sense, in some way

 

4. hobble vi. walk in an awkward way because one’s feet are injured

Synonym: limp

 

5. disillusioned a. disappointed

 

6. hold on to: keep one’s grip on; not let go of

 

7. lead up to: extend to

 

8. split-level: having floors at different heights

 

9. gauge: a standard dimension or quantity; a fact or event used for judging sb. or sth.

 

10. yardstick: a test or standard used in measurement, comparison, or judgment; sth. that you compare similar thing to as a way of judging their quality or value

 

11. utterly spent: completely / extremely tired

 

12. hobble: walk with difficulty

 

13. cripple: people unable to use their limbs or legs normally

 

14. frustrated: feeling disappointed, impatient or angry because of inability

 

Activity: Choose a word or phrase and change its form if necessary to fill in each blank in the following sentences.

with the aid of         lead up to hold on to             hobble       disillusion

 

 

 

1. ____ your umbrella so that it won’t be blown away.

2. She was anxious to enlighten me about the events that _____ the dispute.

3. All the other teachers are thoroughly _____with their colleagues.

4. Some of the runners could only manage to ____ over the finishing line.

5. _____ the searching dog, the rescue team has rescued many people’s lives in the earthquake.

 

Sentences

2. I felt that if the day arrived when I was unable to lift one foot up one step and then drag the other painfully after it — repeating the process 14 times until, utterly spent, I would be through — I could then admit defeat and lie down and die. (Paragraph 4)

Translation: 我感到如果哪天我不能先抬起一只脚，另一只脚再痛苦地跟上，并把这一动作重复14次，直到疲惫不堪，那我就完了。这一天到来之时，就是我承认失败、倒下、死亡之时。

 

3. Here hobbled a bitterly disillusioned cripple, a man who held on to his sanity and his wife and his home and his job because of 14 miserable steps leading up to the back door from his garage. (Paragraph 5)

Paraphrase: Painfully and bitterly, a disabled man hobbled around here. Owing to the 14 miserable steps leading up to the back door from his garage, the man could keep up to his sanity and his wife and his home and his job.  

Translation: 这是一个梦想破灭、痛苦失望的残疾人，他蹒跚着，正是因为有了这条从车库通向后门的可怕的14级台阶，他才能保持理智、陪伴妻子、维护家庭、坚持工作。

 

6               Then on a dark night in August, 1971, I began my third life. It was raining when I started home that night; gusty winds and slashing rain beat down on the car as I drove slowly down one of the less-traveled roads. Suddenly the steering wheel jerked in my hands and the car swerved violently to the right. In the same instant I heard the dreaded bang of a blowout. I fought the car to stop on the rain-slick shoulder of the road and sat there as the enormity of the situation swept over me.3 It was impossible for me to change that tire! Utterly impossible! A thought that a passing motorist might stop was dismissed at once. Why should anyone? I knew I wouldn’t! Then I remembered that a short distance up a little side road was a house. I started the engine and thumped slowly along, keeping well over on the shoulder until I came to the dirt road, where I turned in — thankfully. Lighted windows welcomed me to the house and I pulled into the driveway and honked the horn.

7               The door opened and a little girl stood there, peering at me. I rolled down the window and called out that I had a flat tire and needed someone to change it for me because I had a crutch and couldn’t do it myself. She went into the house and a moment later came out bundled in raincoat and hat, followed by a man who called a cheerful greeting. I sat there comfortable and dry, and felt a bit sorry for the man and the little girl working so hard in the storm. Well, I would pay them for it. The rain seemed to be slackening a bit now, and I rolled down the window all the way to watch. It seemed to me that they were awfully slow and I was beginning to become impatient. I heard the clank of metal from the back of the car and the little girl’s voice came clearly to me. “Here’s the jack-handle, Grandpa.” She was answered by the murmur of the man’s lower voice and the slow tilting of the car as it was jacked up. There followed a long interval of noises, jolts and low conversation from the back of the car, but finally it was done. I felt the car bump as the jack was removed, and I heard the slam of the truck lid, and then they were standing at my car window.

8               He was an old man, stooped and frail-looking under his slicker. The little girl was about eight or ten, I judged, with a merry face and a wide smile as she looked up at me. He said, “This is a bad night for car trouble, but you’re all set now.” “Thanks,” I said. “How much do I owe you?” He shook his head. “Nothing. Cynthia told me you were a cripple —on crutches. Glad to be of help. I know you’d do the same for me. There’s no charge, friend.” I held out a five-dollar bill. “No! I like to pay my way.” He made no effort to take it and the little girl stepped closer to the window and said quietly, “Grandpa can’t see it.”

 

 

Words and Expressions

1. swerve vi. turn sharply and suddenly

Synonym: turn, change

 

2. sweep vi. to move, especially quickly and powerfully

Comparison:

clean-- the most common word, clean a dirty place or dirty object
clear-- to remove or get rid of whatever is blocking or filling something, or to stop

being blocked or full

sweep-- give a cleaning with a broom, sometimes used figuratively
mop-- to wash or wipe with or as if with a mop
wipe-- to slide something, especially a piece of cloth, over the surface of something else,

in order to remove dirt, food or liquid

scrub-- to rub something hard in order to clean it, especially using a stiff brush, soap

and water

Exercise: Choose a word from the list and use its appropriate form to fill in the blanks:

clean     clear     mop      wipe       scrub

1.       I _____my shoes on the mat before I came in. (wiped)

2.       The mayor is determined to____ up the city. (clean)

3.       It took several hours to ___ the road after the accident. (clear)

4.       I have to____ the kitchen floor at least once a day. (mop)

5.       Although she ____ the old pot thoroughly, she could not make it look completely clean. (scrubbed)

 

3. dismiss vt.

1) refuse to accept that sth. might be true or important

2) formally ask or order someone to leave; fire

Derivation: dismissible a.

 

4. gusty: characterized by strong rushes of wind

 

5. slash: come down and cross violently and forcefully

 

6. jerk: pull suddenly and quickly

 

7. bang: a sudden loud noise

 

8. blowout: a sudden bursting of a tire

 

9. slick: smooth and slippery

 

10. enormity: a great deal (of difficulty)

 

11. thump: move forcefully or with a heavy deadened sound

 

12. dirt road: a road with a rough or loose surface

 

13. driveway: a road for vehicles that connects a house

 

14. honk: make a horn produce a sound

 

15. horn: an apparatus to produce a warning sound

 

16. flat tire: a tire without air

 

17. crutch: a stick for supporting a cripple to walk

 

18. bundle: dress or wrap in clothes

 

19. clank: a short loud sound

 

20. tilt: cause to slope

 

21. be all set: be ready or prepared

 

22. peer: look carefully searchingly and difficulty

Collocation: peer through / peer into

 

23. slacken vt. become slower or less active or less heavily

 

24. jack up: lift with a jack (a device for lifting heavy objects)

 

25. interval n. a period of time between activities

Collocation:

at intervals 不时，时时；每隔一段时间（距离）

at intervals of 相隔，每隔

 

Activity: Fill in each of the following blanks with a word or expression in its proper form.

at regular intervals     interval     jack up     bundle up     peer

1. In the budget the chancellor is bound to____ the price of cigarettes.

2. _____ in heavy clothes, the pedestrians walked hurriedly against the piercing cold wind.

3. When no one answered the door, she ____through the window to see if anyone was there.

4. We see each other _____ — usually about once a month.

5. There’s often a long ___ between an author completing a book and it appearing in the shops.

 

26. frail a. weak and poor in health

e.g. A frail old woman with a walking stick came slowly down to the gate to meet us.

His frail arm could barely hold his plate.

 

27. charge n. the price that you have to pay for services or goods

Derivation: chargeable a.

 

Sentences

1. … gusty winds and slashing rain beat down on the car as I drove slowly down one of the less-traveled roads. (Paragraph 6)

Paraphrase: Strong winds and heavy rain slammed the car when I drove slowly along the less-traveled roads.

Translation: 狂风阵阵，倾盆大雨敲打着车身，我缓缓地驾车沿着一条车辆罕至的公路行驶。

 

2. … the enormity of the situation swept over me. (Paragraph 6)

Paraphrase: … the seriousness of the situation gripped me.

Translation: ……坐在车内，我深感形势危急。

 

3. She was answered by the murmur of the man’s lower voice and the slow tilting of the car as it was jacked up. (Paragraph 7)

Translation: 老人用低沉的声音回应了她。随着千斤顶把汽车托起，车身缓慢地倾斜。

 

9               In the next few frozen seconds the shame and horror of that moment penetrated and I was sick with an intensity I had never felt before.4 A blind man and a child! Fumbling, feeling with cold, wet fingers for bolts and tools in the dark — a darkness that for him would probably never end until death. I don’t remember how long I sat there after they said good night and left me, but it was long enough for me to search deep within myself and find some disturbing traits. I realized that I was filled to overflowing with self-pity, selfishness, indifference to the needs of others and thoughtlessness. I sat there and said a prayer.

10            “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them5: for this is the law and the prophets.” To me now, months later, this Scriptural admonition is more than just a passage in the Bible. It is a way of life, one that I am trying to follow. It isn’t always easy. Sometimes it is frustrating, sometimes expensive in both time and money, but the value is there. I am trying now not only to climb 14 steps each day, but in my small way to help others. Someday, perhaps, I will change a tire for a blind man in a car — someone as blind as I had been.

 

 

Words and Expressions

1. penetrate vt. enter, pass (into or through)

Derivation: penetration n. a movement into or through something or someone; insight

 

2. fumble vi. move the fingers in an attempt to do sth. awkwardly

 

3. overflow vi./vt. be so full that the contents go over the sides; be very full

Synonym: flood, fill

was filled to overflowing with:

 

4. indifference n. lack of interest, love, etc.

Derivation: indifferent a.

 

5. thoughtlessness n. the attitude of forgetting about the needs of other people

thoughtless a.

 

6. whatsoever: whatever

 

7. prophet: the second of the three divisions of the Hebrew Scriptures

 

8. Scriptural admonition: cautionary advice in the Bible

 

Sentences

1. In the next few frozen seconds the shame and horror of that moment penetrated and I was sick with an intensity I had never felt before. (Paragraph 9)

Paraphrase: I had never been so overwhelmed by shame and horror as I was in the next few seemingly never-ending seconds.

Translation: 接下来的几秒钟里，时间仿佛凝固了，那一刻羞愧与恐惧感将我穿透，那强烈的痛苦我从未感受过。

 

2. I realized that I was filled to overflowing with self-pity, selfishness, indifference to the needs of others and thoughtlessness. (Paragraph 9)

Translation: 我意识到自己内心充满了自怜、自私和对别人需要的漠然与忽视。

 

3. “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.” (Paragraph 10)

Paraphrase: Therefore, do to other people whatever you would like them to do to you: because this is the regulation and principle.

Translation: 因此，无论你希望别人为你做什么，你都应先为别人做。因为这就是规则和先知。

 

IV Exercises for integrated skills

1. Dictation

With the invention of the radio, / newspaper publishers wondered / how broadcasting would affect them. / Many feared / that the radio as a quick and easy means of keeping people informed / would displace the newspaper industry altogether. /

Others hoped / that the brief newscast heard on the air / would stimulate listeners’ interest in the story, / so they’d buy the paper to get more information. / This second idea turned out to be closer to the truth. / Radio and print actually supported each other. / However, this is not always the case. / Take television and motion pictures for example. / With the popularization of TV, / the motion picture suffered greatly. / Movie attendance dropped / when people chose to stay at home and be entertained.

 

2. Cloze

It was very late at night on the eve of Memorial Day. A nice-looking white lady got on the subway train (1) with a baby on her right arm and two children after her. I saw her preparing to get off at the next station — which happened to be the place (2) where I had to get off. I could see the steep concrete stairs going up into the street. Should I offer my help (3) as the American white man had done? But how could I, a Negro, approach this white lady (4) who very likely might be prejudiced against Negroes?

What would she say? What would be the first reaction of this white lady? What would I do if she screamed (5) as I went toward her to offer my help? Was I misjudging her? So much is written every day in the daily press against Negroes. I hesitated for a long, long time. The traditional good manners were struggling (6) inside me. Here I was, hours past midnight, face-to-face with a situation (7) that could very well become an incident of prejudice caused by the unjust policy of our society today.

It was a long time. I passed on by her as (8) if I saw nothing. As if I didn’t see (9) that she needed help. I just moved on, half running, leaving the children and the woman (10) alone / behind.

 

        Hints:

        2) There should be a relative adverb leading the attributive clause, referring to place.

        3) What word can lead an adverbial clause of manner?

        4) There should be a relative pronoun leading the attributive clause.

        7) There should be a relative pronoun leading the attributive clause.

 

VI Writing Practice

Paragraph development — Analogy

Writers very often explain something that is new or difficult by comparing it to something that the reader already knows well. When such a comparison is carried through in detail, we call it an analogy.

Creative analogies are always impressive and inspiring. They arouse readers’ interest and make them want to read more. Some analogies may appear strange and weird at first sight, but they can open our minds to see our subject in new and interesting ways.

 

Exercises: Write two paragraphs based on the following topic sentences with the analogy strategy.

1. Elderly people are like babies.

Ideas for reference:

They need the care and intervention of others.

They rely on their families for emotional support.

Sample:

Elderly people are like babies. Babies come into the world with no teeth, the elderly leave with no teeth too. The most obvious similarity between elderly people and babies is that they need the care and intervention of others. They may depend upon someone for something as simple as moving from place to place. Many elderly people and infants cannot walk without assistance. A person weak with age may sit in a wheelchair all day and require others to push them. Most importantly, they both need others’ extra attention. They are not so socially active so they rely more on their families for emotional support. Babies and old people, you have to love them, they are the most lovable people in the world.

…………

Elderly people are like babies. First of all, elderly people are physically vulnerable just like babies. They are so easily taken ill whenever the weather changes drastically. When a cold wave strikes, elderly people are as likely to catch a cold as babies do and they may also have blood pressure problems or even develop other more serious conditions. Second, many people of advanced ages seem to return to the state of ignorance typical of the naïve child. That is why we have come across so many stories of criminal frauds that have victimized retired, elderly people. Last but not least, elderly people need their adult children’s extra attention just as much as babies want their parents’ love and care. They are no longer as socially active as they used to by; they rely ever more on their families for emotional support. However, in many domestic situations, they feel left out, and even deliberately ignored. When they are in emotional trouble, they are not able to handle it effectively and skillfully. They want their children’s company as much as their children’s babies, but in most cases they are too proud to say so.

 

2. Finding the right major is like finding the right person to marry.

Ideas for reference:

They both take two parties to make work.

Love really counts when we decide on the choice.

They are both hard to find.

Sample:

Finding the right major is like finding the right person to marry. A marriage takes two parties to make it work. Likewise, a successful college education depends on the relationship between the student and the major that they choose. The branch of learning that can supposedly prepare one for the financially most rewarding job is not necessarily the best choice for a particular person. Similarly, the most intelligent student is very often not among the right people to take the most competitive major. Just as in marriage, love really counts when we decide on the choice of major. Only when we have a passion for the particular field of knowledge will we be able to come out as excellent students and then start a highly profitable or emotionally rewarding career. Finding the right college major can also be as hard as finding the right person to marry. As much as appearances can be deceptive in relationships, many academic subjects can look appealing but often turn out to be most boring. So it is sensible for a college student to open their eyes wide when they shop around for the right major before they make up their minds.

 

VII Listening Exercises

A.     Read the four brief newspaper reports below. Then, as you listen, try to decide which report best corresponds to the information given in the radio news item. Why? And why were the other three wrong?

a.       Third amnesia case

The third man in less than a month suffering from amnesia was found yesterday in Skipton, about 55 miles from Leeds. A police spokesman told reporters that the man had been wandering the hills for days. His wallet contained money, but no identification.

Report A is wrong for three reasons: the man was found in Grassington, not in Skipton; the reporter said he had no wallet on him; and the police didn’t know for sure if he had been wandering the hills or not.

b.       Man says: “I can’t remember anything.”

A middle-aged man found wandering in a village in Yorkshire suffering from amnesia said he couldn’t remember anything. Police describe him as about 55, about six feet tall, with grey hair, grey beard and glasses.

Report B corresponds best. Nothing in it contradicts the radio news item.

c.       Grassington visited by stranger

A 55-year-old blind man was found yesterday wandering the hills near Grassington in Yorkshire. Well dressed, and apparently well educated, he is suffering from severe amnesia.

Report C is wrong for two reasons: the man was not blind, and he was not found wandering the hills.

d.       Police appeal for help to identify man

Yorkshire police have appealed to the public to help identify a tall man who drove into a Yorkshire village suffering from shock. When he arrived, he was wearing a black suit and a grey shirt.

Report D is wrong for three reasons: he did not drive into the village, he was not suffering from shock, and he was not wearing a black suit and a grey shirt.

 

B.      Listen again. In pairs, ask and tell each other:

1. where the man was found. In the village of Grassington.

2. what he was suffering from. Amnesia.

3. why he couldn’t be identified. He had no means of identification on him.

4. what the police inspector said the man was wearing.

 A dark grey suit and black shoes, and a blue striped shirt.

5. what the inspector said they would be issuing. A photograph of the man.

6. what the inspector said they thought the man might have been doing.

He might have been wandering around the hills.

7. what the inspector said they would surely do.

They would of course check the “Missing Persons” files.

8. who the inspector said they would have to rely on. The public.

9. what Mr. X told the reporter. How he felt.

10. what the reporter said about further news.

They would bring us further news on this mysterious case when they can.

 

C.      Imagine you had lost your memory. How do you think you would feel? What would you do about it? What would you say to other people in order to hide any embarrassment you might feel?

 

Script

Newsreader:     Police today issued an appeal to the public to help identify a man found

yesterday wandering around the village of Grassington in Yorkshire suffering from amnesia. A report from Ron Warrington in Leeds.

Warrington:         The sudden appearance of Mr. X at 5 a.m. yesterday morning in the village of

Grassington, about 8 miles from Skipton, and 35 from Leeds, drew the attention of villagers and greatly disturbed the local police. For this man is the third person suffering from amnesia to be found in this area in the past month. This man, like the previous two, had no means of identification on him — no wallet, no money, no papers, nothing — and all of the labels in his clothes had been cut out. One villager told me that the man was wandering around like a blind man: he had to be led to a house while someone phoned for the police, she said. When I interviewed the local Inspector of Police, he had this to say:

Police inspector:     What is worrying is that this man seems to be quite well-educated and is wearing expensive clothes, but he can’t remember anything. He has no idea who he is or what he is doing in this part of the country. I would like to appeal to anyone who may know him, or anyone who thinks they may know him, to come forward. He’s about 55 years old, about 6 feet tall, with glasses, has grey hair and a short grey beard. He’s wearing a dark grey suit and black shoes, and a blue striped shirt. We shall be issuing a photograph of him taken just after he was found. From the condition of his clothes, we think he may have been wandering around the hills, but we don’t know for sure. Unless someone can recognize him — and the two other gentlemen — we have a real mystery on our hands. I can only repeat that we shall do everything we can to discover this man’s identity, and shall of course be checking our “Missing Persons” files, but we shall have to rely very much on the public for help.

Warrington:      In a brief interview, Mr. X told me how he felt.

Man:            I can’t remember anything at all. I wish I could. I could be anybody. I might

be single, I might be married and have three or four children. I should probably be at work somewhere right now. But I just don’t know. I simply have to find out something about myself. It’s like living in a dream world. It’s horrible …

Warrington:     We shall bring you further news on this mysterious case when we can. Ron

Warrington, Yorkshire.