Read the following summary of The Spider’s Thread by Ryunosuke Akutagawa, one of Japan’s outstanding writers.
Then, write on your answer sheet the appropriate pronouns and their antecedents. Follow the numbering correctly.
One day, the Buddha was strolling along the brink of the lotus pond of Paradise. His eyes fell on a man
named Kandata (1. who, which, where) was squirming with the other sinners in the bottom of hell. This
Kandata had done many evil things in (2. His, her, their) lifetime but (3. he, she, it) had to his credit one good
action. Once, while on his way through a deep forest, he had noticed a little spider creeping along beside the
road. He was about to trample (4. he, her, it) to death when he suddenly changed his mind and spared the
spider’s life.
Now, as he looked down into the hell, the Buddha remembered this good deed and thought he would
like to deliver Kandata out of hell. Looking around, (5.he, she, it) saw a spider of Paradise spinning a beautiful
silvery thread on the lotus leaves. The Buddha took up the spider’s thread in his hand and let it straight down
to the bottom of hell (6.who, which, where) held Kandata securely with the other sinners in the Pool of Blood
on the floor of hell.
On this day, Kandata lifted his head by chance and saw a silver spider’s thread slipping down toward him
from the high heavens. Kandata grasped the thread tightly in (7.his, he, its) two hands and began to climb up
and up with all his might.
After climbing for a while, he was finally exhausted and could not ascend an inch higher. He stopped to
rest and looked below him. What he saw filled him with fear. For, below, on the thread, countless sinners
were climbing up eagerly after (8. Him, her, them), up and up, like a procession of ants.
Kandata blinked his eyes at (9.him, her, them) with his big mouth hanging foolishly open in surprise and
terror. How could that slender spider’s thread (10. Who, which, where) seemed as if it must break with him
alone, ever support the weight of all those people? (11. He, they, it) would break in mid air, even he (12.
Himself, herself, itself) would have to fall headlong back to Hell.
So Kandata cried in a loud voice. “Hey, you sinners! This thread is mine. Who gave you permission to
come up it? Get down! Get down!”
At that moment, the spider’s thread broke with a snap at the point where Kandata was hanging.
Without even time to utter a cry, Kandata shot down and fell headlong into the darkness, spinning swiftly
around and around like a top.
Read the following summary of The Spider’s Thread by Ryunosuke Akutagawa, one of Japan’s outstanding writers.
Then, write on your answer sheet the appropriate pronouns and their antecedents. Follow the numbering correctly.
One day, the Buddha was strolling along the brink of the lotus pond of Paradise. His eyes fell on a man
named Kandata (1. who, which, where) was squirming with the other sinners in the bottom of hell. This
Kandata had done many evil things in (2. His, her, their) lifetime but (3. he, she, it) had to his credit one good
action. Once, while on his way through a deep forest, he had noticed a little spider creeping along beside the
road. He was about to trample (4. he, her, it) to death when he suddenly changed his mind and spared the
spider’s life.
Now, as he looked down into the hell, the Buddha remembered this good deed and thought he would
like to deliver Kandata out of hell. Looking around, (5.he, she, it) saw a spider of Paradise spinning a beautiful
silvery thread on the lotus leaves. The Buddha took up the spider’s thread in his hand and let it straight down
to the bottom of hell (6.who, which, where) held Kandata securely with the other sinners in the Pool of Blood
on the floor of hell.
On this day, Kandata lifted his head by chance and saw a silver spider’s thread slipping down toward him
from the high heavens. Kandata grasped the thread tightly in (7.his, he, its) two hands and began to climb up
and up with all his might.
After climbing for a while, he was finally exhausted and could not ascend an inch higher. He stopped to
rest and looked below him. What he saw filled him with fear. For, below, on the thread, countless sinners
were climbing up eagerly after (8. Him, her, them), up and up, like a procession of ants.
Kandata blinked his eyes at (9.him, her, them) with his big mouth hanging foolishly open in surprise and
terror. How could that slender spider’s thread (10. Who, which, where) seemed as if it must break with him
alone, ever support the weight of all those people? (11. He, they, it) would break in mid air, even he (12.
Himself, herself, itself) would have to fall headlong back to Hell.
So Kandata cried in a loud voice. “Hey, you sinners! This thread is mine. Who gave you permission to
come up it? Get down! Get down!”
At that moment, the spider’s thread broke with a snap at the point where Kandata was hanging. Without
even time to utter a cry, Kandata shot down and fell headlong into the darkness, spinning swiftly around and
around like a top.