Questions:

1) What does the author intend to emphasize, using this sentence as the opening?

The author intends to impress the readers that the boy disliked moving very much. The comparison formed between "12" and "4" is impressive.

2) What can you learn from the first 3 sentences of Paragraph 2?

From the "Background information" we've already got a good idea that in Berkshire there are lots of historic interests, including some famous ancient castles. For little boys, ancient castles usually mean brave explorations and endless pursuit of mysterious treasures. The boy, however, had no taste for these kinds of things. Instead, he just loved nature. Maybe besides this reason, he was also trying to avoid any involvement with other boys.

3) In the beginning of the story, what did Bear Wood mean to the little boy?

●heaven—but a lonely heaven (Was he really happy about the situation?)

●a secret fortress (What to defend? Did it form attachments or loneliness?)

●almost a holy place (Why holy?)

●a private paradise (Who was going to intrude into it?)

4) What is the implication of Paragraph 7?

Following the 6 short sentences connected by 5 "ands" and 1 "so", the readers can feel, in a vivid way, the boy is not at ease and is eager to leave.

5) The owls are "introduced", "not native". What is indicated here?

In fact, neither the old lady nor the little boy is native in Berkshire. The only common thing is that they can share nature peacefully and happily with the introduced animals.

6) Compare the two sentences.

"… she was growing frailer and less inclined to laugh."

"I began to grow quickly. I played soccer and made a good friend."

With time passing, the old lady was dying; at the meantime, with the inspiration of the friendship, the boy was developing into a confident and open-minded boy and no longer afraid of having new friends.

7) What is the implication here?

The old lady was so kind to the boy. She was so involved in furthering the communication with the boy that he even failed to notice how ill she was. Of course, because she was quite open to him, he could understand her loneliness.

8) Why does the image of "the biscuit tin" reoccur so many times in the last part of the story?

Such an image entails a lot:

●the finest shortbread in the world made by the old lady;

●the everlasting friendship between them;

●the kindness best shown by the boy's favorite snacks even before her death;

●the odds and ends kept to remind how much the boy had learned from the old lady—not only knowledge about nature, but also about lively life and rewarding friendship.