The Third Level

 

Difficult Words and Meanings – The Third Level

Word	Simple Meaning
Third Level	An imaginary railway platform
Suburban	Near a city
Corridor	A long passage
Arched	Curved in shape
Wainscoting	Wooden panels on the lower part of a wall
Vestibule	Entrance area of a building
Locomotive	Railway engine
Gaslight	Light produced by gas lamps
Curiosity	Desire to know something
Psychiatrist	A doctor who treats mental problems
Escape	To get away from something
Insecurity	Lack of safety or confidence
Worry	Anxiety or tension
Stamp Collection	A group of collected postage stamps
Currency	Money used in a country
Coin	A piece of metal money
Clerk	A person who works in an office or ticket counter
Ticket Window	Place where tickets are sold
Whistle	A sharp sound made by a train
Platform	Place where passengers board trains
Commuter	A person who travels daily to work or school
Fancy	To imagine or like something
Incredible	Difficult to believe
Galesburg	A town in Illinois, USA
Hay	Dried grass used as animal food
Lawn	An area covered with grass
Porch	A covered area at the entrance of a house
Peaceful	Calm and quiet
Modern	Related to the present time
Imagination	The ability to form ideas or pictures in the mind
Reality	The real world
Adventure	An exciting experience
Relaxed	Free from stress or worry
Nervous	Feeling worried or afraid
Ordinary	Normal; not special
Remarkable	Unusual or special
Dream	A series of thoughts or images during sleep or an imagined wish
Refuge	A safe place
Anxiety	Feeling of fear or worry
Depression	A state of deep sadness
Exclaimed	Spoke loudly with surprise
Bewildered	Very confused
Disappear	To go out of sight
Evidence	Proof or facts that show something is true
Illusion	Something that seems real but is not
Fantasy	An imagined world or situation

The Third Level

1. What does the third level refer to?

Answer:
The third level is an imaginary platform at Grand Central Station. Charley finds it by chance while looking for a train. It looks like a railway station from the year 1894. There are old gas lamps, old ticket windows, and people wearing old clothes. The third level shows Charley's wish to escape from the busy and stressful life of the present and live in a peaceful past.

2. Would Charley ever go back to the ticket counter on the third level to buy tickets? Why?

Answer:
Yes, Charley would like to go back. He wants to buy two tickets to Galesburg, Illinois, for himself and his wife, Louisa. He thinks that Galesburg is a quiet and happy place where people live a simple life. He could not buy the tickets the first time because he had modern money instead of old money. He hopes to find the third level again.

3. Do you think that the third level was a way of escape for Charley? Why?

Answer:
Yes, the third level was a way of escape for Charley. He was tired of the worries and problems of modern life. He wanted peace, happiness, and a simple life. The third level gave him hope of finding such a life. It shows that people sometimes use dreams and imagination to escape from stress.

4. What do you learn from Sam's letter to Charley?

Answer:
Sam's letter tells Charley that he has reached Galesburg in the year 1894. He says that life there is peaceful and enjoyable. He asks Charley and Louisa to come there too. The letter makes the story more interesting because we do not know if Sam really travelled to the past or if it was only a dream.

5. "The modern world is full of fear, worry and stress." Do you agree? Give reasons.

Answer:
Yes, I agree. Today people have many problems like work pressure, money problems, competition, and fear about the future. There are also wars and violence in many places. Because of these problems, many people want a peaceful and simple life. The story shows this feeling through Charley's wish to live in the past.

Important Extra Questions

1. Why could Charley not buy the tickets?

Answer:
Charley could not buy the tickets because he had modern money. The ticket clerk accepted only the money used in 1894. So, Charley had to leave without buying the tickets.

2. Who was Sam? What happened to him?

Answer:
Sam was Charley's friend and a psychiatrist. At first, he did not believe Charley's story about the third level. Later, Sam disappeared. He sent a letter saying that he had reached Galesburg in 1894 and was living happily there.

3. What is the main message of the story?

Answer:
The story tells us that people often want to escape from the worries of modern life. It shows that dreams and imagination can give hope and comfort. At the same time, it reminds us that we should face life with courage instead of running away from our problems.