| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Daisy Miller by Henry James: "If you will do me the honor to accept my arm, we will go and select
one of them."
Daisy stood there smiling; she threw back her head and gave a little,
light laugh. "I like a gentleman to be formal!" she declared.
"I assure you it's a formal offer."
"I was bound I would make you say something," Daisy went on.
"You see, it's not very difficult," said Winterbourne.
"But I am afraid you are chaffing me."
"I think not, sir," remarked Mrs. Miller very gently.
"Do, then, let me give you a row," he said to the young girl.
"It's quite lovely, the way you say that!" cried Daisy.
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Country Doctor by Honore de Balzac: my father's knowledge. My mother knows that I am writing to you; her
indulgence in leaving me at liberty to be alone with you for a moment
has taught me the depth of her love for me, and strengthened my
determination to bow to the decree of my family, against which I had
almost rebelled. So I am writing to you, monsieur, for the first and
last time. You have my full and entire forgiveness for the troubles
that you have brought into my life. Yes, you are right; a first love
can never be forgotten. I am no longer an innocent girl; and, as an
honest woman, I can never marry another. What my future will be, I
know not therefore. Only you see, monsieur, that echoes of this year
that you have filled will never die away in my life. But I am in no
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Court Life in China by Isaac Taylor Headland: chains without proper apologies for his insult to the flag. This
angered the consul and he returned them to the viceroy, who
promptly cut off their heads without so much as the semblance of
a trial, and Britain, anxious, as she was, to have every door of
the Chinese empire opened to foreign trade, found in this another
pretext for war. We do not pretend to argue that this was not the
best thing for China and for the world, but it can only be
considered so from the bitter medicine, and corporal punishment
point of view, neither of which are agreeable to either the
patient or the pupil.
Britain went to war. The viceroy was taken a prisoner to India,
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