by Somerset Maugham

What is a stereotype?

Four strangers, an Englishman, American, Israeli and a Japanese, all of whom speak English, have to spend a four-hour train journey in the same railway compartment. Read the following situation and discuss the question:

Who do you think would give the most / least information about himself? Why? Who do you think will start speaking first? Why? What do you think each would do if a young lady came into the compartment with two large heavy suitcases? How do you think each would react if they found they could not open the door of the compartment at the end of the journey?

“We are all in some way prejudiced”. “National stereotypes are dangerous because they provoke racial prejudices”. “Stereotypes are harmless jokes we tell about other groups of people.” “People fear anything different from themselves”. “When in Rome, do as the Romans do”. “All stereotypes contain certain amount of truth”. In pairs discuss the following statements (– agree / disagree)

Somerset Maugham ( ) was born in France, so French was his first language before he moved to England. His mother died when he was ten. Unfortunately, he had an unhappy childhood living with his cold uncaring uncle.

At school children laughed at him for his French accent and because he was short. He was so unhappy that he started to stammer which made everyone laugh at him even more. Later, he studied medicine for a few years but then decided to devote all his time to writing. Somerset Maugham wrote plays, novels and stories, and became a very popular, well- respected author of his time.

A short time after World War I

A ship sailing in INTERNATIONAL WATERS. The journey from the U.S.A to Japan takes 14 days.

The Narrator

Mr. Kelada

Mr. & Mrs. Ramsay

The Doctor

/knave

Let’s play Patience:

The Pearls

Three Strand Natural Pearl Necklace: $1.4 Million

Cowdray Pearls: $3.3 Million

The Baroda Pearl Necklace: $7.1 Million

How are Pearls formed? In the oceans and lakes, there are animals called “mollusks” ( ( רכיכות such as oysters and clams ( (צדפות.

A natural pearl begins its life inside an oyster's shell when an intruder, such as a grain of sand or bit of floating food, slips in between one of the two shells of the oyster, a type of mollusk, and the protective layer that covers the mollusk's organs, called the mantle מעטפת) ). In order to protect itself from irritation, the oyster will quickly begin covering the uninvited visitor with layers of nacre ( ( צִדְפַּת הַפְּנִינִים — the mineral substance that fashions the mollusk's shells. Layer upon layer of nacre, also known as mother-of-pearl, coat the grain of sand until the iridescent ( סַסְגּוֹנִי ) gem is formed.

The grit gets covered with “nacre”

Natural pearls grow in the ocean or lakes inside of mollusks without human intervention. They have many different shapes and colors. NATURAL PEARLS

Cultured pearls are also grown inside mollusks, but under controlled conditions. People insert the “seed” into the mollusk – often a small bead of mother-of-pearl. CULTURED PEARLS

Fake” or imitation pearls are made of man-made materials, such as glass or plastic. They are far less expensive and considered less desirable. “FAKE” PEARLS

THE PROCESS OF PEARL FORMATION (how to know if pearls are real or fake) Japanese Akoya Cultured Pearls)