| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne: developed and firmly fixed upon long legs. Muscular arms,
and a general air of decision gave him the appearance of a hardy,
jolly, companion. He was dressed in a suit of ample dimensions,
loose neckerchief, open shirtcollar, disclosing a robust neck;
his cuffs were invariably unbuttoned, through which appeared
a pair of red hands.
On the bridge of the steamer, in the midst of the crowd, he
bustled to and fro, never still for a moment, "dragging his
anchors," as the sailors say, gesticulating, making free with
everybody, biting his nails with nervous avidity. He was one of
those originals which nature sometimes invents in the freak of
From the Earth to the Moon |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Betty Zane by Zane Grey: blow and the lower half of one of the planks fell inwards, leaving an aperture
large enough to admit an Indian. The men dashed forward to the assistance of
Wetzel, who stood by the hole with upraised axe. At the same moment a shot
rang out. Bennet stumbled and fell headlong. An Indian had shot through the
hole in the fence. Silas and Alfred sheered off toward the fence, out of line.
When within twenty yards of Wetzel they saw a swarthy-faced and athletic
savage squeeze through the narrow crevice. He had not straightened up before
the axe, wielded by the giant hunter, descended on his head, cracking his
skull as if it were an eggshell. The savage sank to the earth without even a
moan. Another savage naked and powerful, slipped in. He had to stoop to get
through. He raised himself, and seeing Wetzel, he tried to dodge the lightning
Betty Zane |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from What is Man? by Mark Twain: uncomplimentarily, so unadmiringly of me. No, no, I am aware
that when even the brightest mind in our world has been trained
up from childhood in a superstition of any kind, it will never be
possible for that mind, in its maturity, to examine sincerely,
dispassionately, and conscientiously any evidence or any
circumstance which shall seem to cast a doubt upon the validity
of that superstition. I doubt if I could do it myself. We
always get at second hand our notions about systems of
government; and high tariff and low tariff; and prohibition and
anti-prohibition; and the holiness of peace and the glories of
war; and codes of honor and codes of morals; and approval of the
What is Man? |
