| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne: the flesh of which is unrivalled; some nearly destitute of scales,
but of exquisite flavour; others, with bony jaws, and yellow-tinged
gills, as good as bonitos; all fish that would be of use to us.
After leaving these charming islands protected by the French flag,
from the 4th to the 11th of December the Nautilus sailed over about
2,000 miles.
During the daytime of the 11th of December I was busy reading
in the large drawing-room. Ned Land and Conseil watched the luminous
water through the half-open panels. The Nautilus was immovable.
While its reservoirs were filled, it kept at a depth of 1,000 yards,
a region rarely visited in the ocean, and in which large fish
 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Almayer's Folly by Joseph Conrad: his foot to show the solidity of the neatly-fitting floors and
expatiated upon the beauties and convenience of the building.
They listened and assented, amazed by the wonderful simplicity
and the foolish hopefulness of the man, till Almayer, carried
away by his excitement, disclosed his regret at the non-arrival
of the English, "who knew how to develop a rich country," as he
expressed it. There was a general laugh amongst the Dutch
officers at that unsophisticated statement, and a move was made
towards the boats; but when Almayer, stepping cautiously on the
rotten boards of the Lingard jetty, tried to approach the chief
of the Commission with some timid hints anent the protection
 Almayer's Folly |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Amy Foster by Joseph Conrad: dred futile and inappreciable reasons, how--shall
I say odious?--he was to all the countryside.
Every old woman in the village was up in arms.
Smith, coming upon him near the farm, promised
to break his head for him if he found him about
again. But he twisted his little black moustache
with such a bellicose air and rolled such big, black
fierce eyes at Smith that this promise came to noth-
ing. Smith, however, told the girl that she must
be mad to take up with a man who was surely wrong
in his head. All the same, when she heard him in
 Amy Foster |