The first story of the collection is narrated in the first person from the perspective of a young boy whose friend and mentor, a priest named Father Flynn that lives next door, is about to die. The character looks back on his time spent with Father Flynn before visiting the priest’s sisters together with his aunt. During the conversation between the aunt and the sisters, it becomes clear that Father Flynn had been acting in an increasingly strange manner, the reasons for which are never revealed before the story ends.
The full text of the story is included together with a set of tasks that are similar to the second part of the reading section of the exam.
After reading the story and doing the tasks, you and a partner can practice the speaking section of the exam using these task sheets based on themes from the story. Please make sure to mention the story while completing the task.
Speaking Task: Care for the Elderly
Speaking Task: Youth Mentoring
After finishing the tasks, you can move onto the second short story, "An Encounter". Before you do, you can also watch a short film version of the story by director Matthew James Eberle: