Born Worker - EMC Publishing

Transcription

Level III
© EMC Publishing, LLC
000i-00vi_G8_ELL_FM.indd i
Differentiated Instruction for ELL
LEVEL III
i
4/23/09 8:22:15 PM
Differentiated Instruction for English Language Learners, Level III
Care has been taken to verify the accuracy of information presented in this book. However, the
authors, editors, and publisher cannot accept responsibility for Web, e-mail, newsgroup, or chat
room subject matter or content, or for consequences from application of the information in this
book, and make no warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to its content.
Trademarks: Some of the product names and company names included in this book have
been used for identification purposes only and may be trademarks or registered trade names
of their respective manufacturers and sellers. The authors, editors, and publisher disclaim any
affiliation, association, or connection with, or sponsorship or endorsement by, such owners.
ISBN 978-0-82193-122-6
© 2009 by EMC Publishing, LLC
875 Montreal Way
St. Paul, MN 55102
E-mail: [email protected]
Web site: www.emcp.com
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be adapted, reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher. Teachers using
Mirrors & Windows: Connecting with Literature, Level III may photocopy complete pages in
sufficient quantities for classroom use only and not for resale.
Printed in the United States of America
18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 09
000i-00vi_G8_ELL_FM.indd ii
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
4/23/09 8:22:20 PM
CONTENTS
Introduction
v
Unit 1
Charles, by Shirley Jackson
Analyze Sequence of Events
1
A Mother in Mannville, by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
Use Context Clues
12
Unit 2
The Tell-Tale Heart, by Edgar Allan Poe
Understand Literary Elements
26
Born Worker, by Gary Soto
Compare and Contrast
37
The Medicine Bag, by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve
Visualize
53
The Story of Iqbal Masih, by David L. Parker
Make Inferences
68
Luke Baldwin’s Vow, by Morley Callaghan
Analyze Cause and Effect
78
Unit 3
Ishi in Two Worlds, by Theodora Kroeber
Author’s Perspective
96
The Struggle to Be an All-American Girl, by Elizabeth Wong
Take Notes
108
Appearances Are Destructive, by Mark Mathabane
Identify Main Idea
117
Unit 5
Dreams /A Dream Deferred, by Langston Hughes
Identify Main Idea
125
from Immigrant Kids, by Russell Freedman
Identify Main Idea
132
Unit 6
Southbound on the Freeway, by May Swenson
Analyze Text Organization
142
Ode to My Socks, by Pablo Neruda
Identify Author’s Purpose
149
Birdfoot’s Grampa, by Joseph Bruchac
157
000i-00vi_G8_ELL_FM.indd iii
LEVEL III
iii
4/23/09 8:22:20 PM
Unit 7
Sorry, Right Number, by Stephen King
Text Organization
163
Unit 8
Where the Girl Rescued Her Brother, by Joseph Bruchac and Gayle Ross
Summarize
188
John Henry Blues, Anonymous
Understand Literary Elements
198
Annie Christmas, by Walker Brents
205
Paul Bunyan of the North Woods, by Carl Sandburg
214
Answer Key
Charles
221
A Mother in Mannville
222
The Tell-Tale Heart
223
Born Worker
224
The Medicine Bag
225
The Story of Iqbal Masih
226
Luke Baldwin’s Vow
228
Ishi in Two Worlds
229
All-American Girl
230
Appearances Are Destructive
232
Dreams /A Dream Deferred
233
from Immigrant Kids
233
Southbound on the Freeway
235
Ode to My Socks
235
Birdfoot’s Grampa
236
Sorry, Right Number
237
Where the Girl Rescued Her Brother
239
John Henry Blues
241
Annie Christmas
242
Paul Bunyan of the North Woods
243
Literary Credits
244
Photo Credits
245
iv
000i-00vi_G8_ELL_FM.indd iv
LEVEL III
4/23/09 8:22:20 PM
Introduction
Differentiated Instruction for English Language Learners provides activities that
increase students’ comprehension, vocabulary, oral language development, and
English language skills. The lessons in this book can be used with equal success for
all developing readers, not just English language learners.
In English Language Learners, students interact with authentic selections from
their Mirrors & Windows: Connecting with Literature textbook, applying reading
strategies and skills to fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama, and folk literature. The
lessons include instruction and exercises for use before, during, and after selected
readings, integrating the following instructional features to help students become
active and successful readers.
Lesson Features
Before Reading
• About the Selection builds background and engages students by giving a brief
synopsis of the selection.
• Make Connections poses questions that help students connect new material
with what they already know.
• Analyze Literature explains literary techniques and concepts and asks students
to apply their understanding of those elements.
• Use Reading Skills provides instruction and a full-size graphic organizer for
the reading skill introduced in the textbook.
• Preview Vocabulary introduces the key vocabulary words and idioms that appear
in the selection and that English language learners may be unfamiliar with.
During Reading
• Note the Facts questions check comprehension by asking for answers that can
be found directly in the text.
• Read Aloud prompts help develop fluency and comprehension by offering
opportunities for students to read passages aloud and answer questions about
them.
• Think and Reflect questions chunk the text into smaller sections and ask
higher-level critical thinking questions that require students to interpret, infer,
analyze, evaluate, or synthesize.
• Build Vocabulary questions and hints highlight vocabulary words and idioms
as they are used in context.
• Analyze Literature notes ask students to apply literary analysis at point of use
as they read the selection.
• Reading Skills prompts follow up on the reading skill for each selection during
reading.
• Culture Notes explain cultural traditions or practices that might be new to
non-native speakers.
• Vocabulary words are defined and accompanied by phonetic pronunciations.
These pronunciations help students develop phonological awareness (the
consciousness of the sounds of language). They also help students learn
phonics (the methodology that deals with the relationship between alphabet
letters and sounds).
• Footnotes explain references, unusual usage, and uncommon terms or words.
000i-00vi_G8_ELL_FM.indd v
LEVEL III
v
4/23/09 8:22:20 PM
After Reading
• Reading Check assesses literal reading comprehension with multiple-choice
questions that focus on facts or conclusions about the selection.
• Vocabulary Check uses multiple-choice questions to review the vocabulary
and idioms that were covered in the selection.
• Analyze Literature follows up on the literary technique introduced before
reading and applied during reading.
• Use Reading Skills synthesizes the material gathered in the graphic organizer
during reading.
• Build Vocabulary or Grammar & Style activities help English language
learners develop vocabulary skills and review and apply grammar and writing
concepts.
• Extension Activities provide individual and collaborative learning
opportunities for students to develop and extend their skills in writing,
speaking and listening, and working together with their classmates.
Related Program Resources
The Mirrors & Windows literature program is designed to help all students
succeed. Differentiated instruction is included throughout the program to help
you customize your lessons to meet the needs of all your students. You can quickly
find all the components listed below in the lesson plans located in the Program
Planning Guide.
• Vocabulary & Spelling workshops in the Student Edition cover the basics and
make sure your students can meet language-arts standards.
• A pronunciation key for vowel and consonant sounds is included in the
Glossary of Vocabulary Words in the back of the Student Edition.
• The Differentiated Instruction for Developing Readers supplement supplies
reading-specific support for about twenty selections from the textbook.
• The Meeting the Standards unit resource books offer vocabulary-development
and reading-skills activities for every lesson in the textbook.
• Exceeding the Standards: Vocabulary & Spelling provides developmental
lessons to build word study skills
• The bottom margins of the Annotated Teacher’s Edition contain hundreds
of notes addressing English language learning, developmental reading, and
reading styles.
• Timed Reading Fluency Assessments in the Assessment Guide offer oral fluency
practice and assessment.
• The Mirrors & Windows website (www.mirrorsandwindows.com) and
EMC Launchpad offer additional support for English language learners and
developing readers, including additional fluency activities to build word
recognition skills, silent reading fluency, and oral reading fluency.
vi
000i-00vi_G8_ELL_FM.indd vi
LEVEL III
4/23/09 8:22:20 PM
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
BEFORE READING
page 9
A Short Story by
Shirley Jackson
ABOUT THE STORY
In “Charles,” a mother tells a story about her son, Laurie, who is starting
kindergarten. He comes home with stories about a boy who often misbehaves. The
story does not take place today. Look for behavior by the teacher that would not be
tolerated today.
MAKE CONNECTIONS
What are your memories of elementary school? Was there a student who didn’t
follow the rules? What did he or she do?
ANALYZE LITERATURE: Plot
A plot is a series of events related to a central conflict,
or struggle. A plot usually involves the introduction of a
conflict, the events that develop that conflict, and the
eventual resolution of the conflict.
0001-0220_G8_ELL_TEXT.indd 1
LEVEL III, UNIT 1
1
4/23/09 8:44:07 PM
USE READING SKILLS: Analyze Sequence of Events
As you read, write down what Charles does; these are the events that
develop the conflict. When you are done reading, explain the resolution of the
conflict. Note that the conflict has been indicated for you.
Events That Develop the Conflict
Conflict
The impact Laurie’s parents think Charles is having
on him.
Resolution
2
LEVEL III, UNIT 1
4/23/09 8:44:12 PM
PREVIEW VOCABULARY
Key Words and
Phrases
Read each key word and
rate it using this scale:
1 I don’t know this word
or phrase at all.
2 I’ve seen this word or
phrase before.
3 I know this word or
phrase and use it.
Words and Phrases in
Context
Read to see how the key
word or phrase can be
used in a sentence.
insolently
in•so•lent•ly
(in s[e]> lent l7)
adverb
The girl spoke to her mom
insolently, calling her
names.
It’s best not to speak
insolently to...
Grandma embroidered
elaborately, placing
many details in a forest
scene.
Things that can be done
elaborately include...
Craig was mindful that
he had homework to do
because he had written
down his assignments.
When traveling abroad,
it is important to be
mindful about...
The matronly nurse put
a bandage on Ashley’s cut
knee, rubbed her arm,
and told her she was a
brave girl.
People who are matronly
like to...
Having worked for
sixteen hours straight,
Bill the mechanic looked
haggard.
The opposite of haggard
is...
1
2
2
3
mindful
mind•ful
(m8n[d]> f@l)
adjective
1
2
3
matronly
ma•tron•ly
(m6> tr3n l7)
adverb
1
2
3
haggard
hag•gard
(ha> g@rd)
adjective
1
2
3
Practice
Practice using the key
words and phrases by
completing the following
sentences.
3
elaborately
e•lab•o•rate•ly
(i la> b[e] r@t l7)
adverb
1
Definition
Write down what you
think the word or phrase
means. Then use a
dictionary to check your
definition.
LEVEL III, UNIT 1
3
4/23/09 8:44:13 PM
DURING READING
A Short Story by
Shirley Jackson
Note the Facts
Is Laurie afraid of going to
kindergarten? How can you tell?
5
in•so•lent•ly (in s[e]> lent l7)
adverb, exhibiting boldness or
contempt; insultingly
10
e•lab•o•rate•ly (i la> b[e] r@t l7)
adverb, involving many details; lengthy
or exaggerated
Build Vocabulary
Idioms Fresh (line 24) means
that Charles was rude or showed
disrespect. What do you think
he said to the teacher? See here
(line 29) means “Give me your
attention.” What is the father
concerned about that Laurie does?
15
20
25
30
mind•ful (m8n[d]> f@l) adjective,
bearing in mind; aware
35
The day my son Laurie started kindergarten he renounced1
corduroy overalls with bibs and began wearing blue jeans with
a belt; I watched him go off the first morning with the older girl
next door, seeing clearly that an era of my life was ended, my
sweet-voiced nursery-school tot replaced by a long-trousered,
swaggering2 character who forgot to stop at the corner and
wave good-bye to me.
He came home the same way, the front door slamming
open, his cap on the floor, and the voice suddenly become
raucous3 shouting, “Isn’t anybody here?”
At lunch he spoke insolently to his father, spilled his baby
sister’s milk, and remarked that his teacher said we were not to
take the name of the Lord in vain.
“How was school today?” I asked, elaborately casual.
“All right,” he said.
“Did you learn anything?” his father asked.
Laurie regarded his father coldly. “I didn’t learn nothing,”
he said.
“Anything,” I said. “Didn’t learn anything.”
“The teacher spanked a boy, though,” Laurie said,
addressing his bread and butter. “For being fresh,” he added,
with his mouth full.
“What did he do?” I asked. “Who was it?”
Laurie thought. “It was Charles,” he said. “He was fresh. The
teacher spanked him and made him stand in a corner. He was
awfully fresh.”
“What did he do?” I asked again, but Laurie slid off his
chair, took a cookie, and left, while his father was still saying,
“See here, young man.”
The next day Laurie remarked at lunch, as soon as he sat
down, “Well, Charles was bad again today.” He grinned enormously and said, “Today Charles hit the teacher.”
“Good heavens,” I said, mindful of the Lord’s name, “I
suppose he got spanked again?”
“He sure did,” Laurie said. “Look up,” he said to his father.
1. renounced. Gave up
2. swaggering. Walking with a boastful, arrogant air; strutting
3. raucous. Harsh, rowdy
4
LEVEL III, UNIT 1
4/23/09 8:44:13 PM
40
45
50
55
60
“What?” his father said,
looking up.
“Look down,” Laurie said.
“Look at my thumb. Gee,
you’re dumb.” He began to
laugh insanely.
“Why did Charles hit the
teacher?” I asked quickly.
“Because she tried to make
him color with red crayons,”
Laurie said. “Charles wanted
to color with green crayons
so he hit the teacher and she
spanked him and said nobody
play with Charles but everybody did.”
The third day—it was Wednesday of the first week—Charles
bounced a see-saw on to the head of a little girl and made her
bleed, and the teacher made him stay inside all during recess.
Thursday Charles had to stand in a corner during story-time
because he kept pounding his feet on the floor. Friday Charles
was deprived of blackboard privileges4 because he threw chalk.
On Saturday I remarked to my husband, “Do you think
kindergarten is too unsettling5 for Laurie? All this toughness,
and bad grammar, and this Charles boy sounds like such a bad
influence.”
“It’ll be all right,” my husband said reassuringly. “Bound to
be people like Charles in the world. Might as well meet them
now as later.”
DURING READING
Analyze Literature
Plot What is the conflict in the
story? Think about the type of
educational environment Laurie’s
parents want for their son.
Think and Reflect
Which parent is more concerned about Charles’s influence on Laurie?
On Monday Laurie came home late, full of news. “Charles,”
he shouted as he came up the hill; I was waiting anxiously on
the front steps. “Charles,” Laurie yelled all the way up the hill,
“Charles was bad again.”
“Come right in,” I said, as soon as he came close enough.
70 “Lunch is waiting.”
65
4. blackboard privileges. When students are allowed to write on the board
5. unsettling. Jarring or made unstable
LEVEL III, UNIT 1
5
4/23/09 8:44:15 PM
DURING READING
Read Aloud
With two of your classmates,
play the roles of Laurie and
his parents and read the
conversation on lines 65–109
aloud. The other classmate will
play the role of the narrator.
What new information do you
learn about Charles?
75
80
85
Note the Facts
Laurie is being funny by making
a rhyme. Which two words
rhyme?
90
Is Laurie being insolent?
95
100
105
“You know what Charles did?” he demanded, following me
through the door. “Charles yelled so in school they sent a boy in
from first grade to tell the teacher she had to make Charles keep
quiet, and so Charles had to stay after school. And so all the
children stayed to watch him.”
“What did he do?” I asked.
“He just sat there,” Laurie said, climbing into his chair at
the table. “Hi, Pop, y’old dust mop.”
“Charles had to stay after school today,” I told my husband.
“Everyone stayed with him.”
“What does this Charles look like?” my husband asked
Laurie. “What’s his other name?”
“He’s bigger than me,” Laurie said. “And he doesn’t have
any rubbers6 and he doesn’t ever wear a jacket.”
Monday night was the first Parent-Teachers meeting, and
only the fact that the baby had a cold kept me from going; I
wanted passionately to meet Charles’s mother. On Tuesday
Laurie remarked suddenly. “Our teacher had a friend come to
see her in school today.”
“Charles’s mother?” my husband and I asked
simultaneously.7
“Naaah,” Laurie said scornfully.8 “It was a man who came
and made us do exercises, we had to touch our toes. Look.” He
climbed down from his chair and squatted down and touched
his toes. “Like this,” he said. He got solemnly9 back into his
chair and said, picking up his fork, “Charles didn’t even do
exercises.”
“That’s fine,” I said heartily.10 “Didn’t Charles want to do
exercises?”
“Naaah,” Laurie said. “Charles was so fresh to the teacher’s
friend he wasn’t let 11 do exercises.”
“Fresh again?” I said.
“He kicked the teacher’s friend,” Laurie said. “The teacher’s
friend told Charles to touch his toes like I just did and Charles
kicked him.”
“What are they going to do about Charles, do you suppose?”
Laurie’s father asked him.
Laurie shrugged elaborately. “Throw him out of school, I
guess,” he said.
6. rubbers. Shoe protectors that are made out of rubber
7. simultaneously. At the same time
8. scornfully. Showing dislike or disrespect
9. solemnly. Seriously
10. heartily. With all sincerity
11. he wasn’t let... He wasn’t allowed...
6
LEVEL III, UNIT 1
4/23/09 8:44:16 PM
110
115
120
125
130
Wednesday and Thursday were routine;12 Charles yelled
during story hour and hit a boy in the stomach and made him
cry. On Friday Charles stayed after school again and so did all
the other children.
With the third week of kindergarten Charles was an
institution13 in our family; the baby was being a Charles when
she cried all afternoon; Laurie did a Charles when he filled his
wagon full of mud and pulled it through the kitchen; even my
husband, when he caught his elbow in the telephone cord and
pulled the telephone, ashtray, and a bowl of flowers off the
table, said, after the first minute, “Looks like Charles.”
During the third and fourth weeks it looked like a
reformation14 in Charles; Laurie reported grimly 15 at lunch on
Thursday of the third week. “Charles was so good today the
teacher gave him an apple.”
“What?” I said, and my husband added warily, “You mean
Charles?”
“Charles,” Laurie said. “He gave the crayons around and he
picked up the books afterward and the teacher said he was her
helper.”
“What happened?” I asked incredulously.16
“He was her helper, that’s all,” Laurie said, and shrugged.
“Can this be true, about Charles?” I asked my husband that
night. “Can something like this happen?”
DURING READING
Think and Reflect
Why
h might
i h Charles
h l be
b changing?
h i ?
“Wait and see,” my husband
135 said cynically.17 “When you’ve
got a Charles to deal with, this may
mean he’s only plotting.” 18
He seemed to be wrong. For over
a week Charles was the teacher’s
140 helper; each day he handed things
out and he picked things up; no one
had to stay after school.
Build Vocabulary
Idioms To deal with (line 136)
means “to be responsible for.”
Is Laurie’s father optimistic
about the change in Charles’s
behavior?
What does he think?
12. routine. Customary, regular, habitual
13. institution. Familiar, long-established person, thing, or practice; fixture
14. reformation. Improvement, betterment
15. grimly. Gloomily
16. incredulously. With doubt or disbelief
17. cynically. With disbelief about another person’s honesty
18. he’s only plotting. He’s just planning (more bad behavior)
LEVEL III, UNIT 1
7
4/23/09 8:44:17 PM
DURING READING
145
Culture Note
The PTA is a parent-teacher
organization that meets in
school to plan events, establish
priorities, raise money, etc. PTAs
were very popular at the time
the story was written.
150
155
160
165
Build Vocabulary
Idioms To set out (lines 166–
167) means “to leave for.” Does
Laurie’s mother set out for the
PTA meeting with or without her
husband?
170
175
ma•tron•ly (m6> tr3n l7) adjective,
referring to a mature woman
hag•gard (ha> g@rd) adjective, worn
or wild in appearance; tired
180
“The PTA meeting’s next week again,” I told my husband
one evening. “I’m going to find Charles’s mother there.”
“Ask her what happened to Charles,” my husband said. “I’d
like to know.”
“I’d like to know myself,” I said.
On Friday of that week things were back to normal. “You
know what Charles did today?” Laurie demanded at the lunch
table, in a voice slightly awed. “He told a little girl to say a word
and she said it and the teacher washed her mouth out with soap
and Charles laughed.”
“What word?” his father asked unwisely, and Laurie said,
“I’ll have to whisper it to you, it’s so bad.” He got down off his
chair and went around to his father. His father bent his head
down and Laurie whispered joyfully. His father’s eyes widened.
“Did Charles tell the little girl to say that?” he asked
respectfully.
“She said it twice,” Laurie said. “Charles told her to say it
twice.”
“What happened to Charles?” my husband asked.
“Nothing,” Laurie said. “He was passing out the crayons.”
Monday morning Charles abandoned the little girl and said
the evil word himself three or four times, getting his mouth
washed out with soap each time. He also threw chalk.
My husband came to the door with me that evening as I set
out for the PTA meeting. “Invite her over for a cup of tea after
the meeting,” he said. “I want to get a look at her.”
“If only she’s there,” I said prayerfully.
“She’ll be there,” my husband said. “I don’t see how they
could hold a PTA meeting without Charles’s mother.”
At the meeting I sat restlessly, scanning each comfortable
matronly face, trying to determine which one hid the secret of
Charles. None of them looked to me haggard enough. No one
stood up in the meeting and apologized for the way her son had
been acting. No one mentioned Charles.
After the meeting I identified and sought out Laurie’s
kindergarten teacher. She had a plate with a cup of tea and
a piece of chocolate cake; I had a plate with a cup of tea and
a piece of marshmallow cake. We maneuvered 19 up to one
another cautiously, and smiled.
“I’ve been so anxious to meet you,” I said. “I’m Laurie’s
mother.”
19. maneuvered. Make one’s way, move or situate oneself
8
LEVEL III, UNIT 1
4/23/09 8:44:18 PM
DURING READING
Build Vocabulary
“We’re all so interested in Laurie,” she said.
“Well, he certainly likes kindergarten,” I said. “He talks
185
about it all the time.”
“We had a little trouble adjusting, the first week or so,” she
said primly, “but now he’s a fine little helper. With occasional
lapses,20 of course.”
“Laurie usually adjusts very quickly,” I said. “I suppose this
190
time it’s Charles’s influence.”
“Charles?”
“Yes,” I said laughing, “you must have your hands full in
that kindergarten, with Charles.”
“Charles?” she said. “We don’t have any Charles in the
195
kindergarten.” ✤
Idioms To have one’s hands
full (line 193) means “to be very
busy.” Why does Laurie’s mother
think the teacher has her hands
full?
Analyze Literature
Plot What is the resolution of
the plot? Who is Charles really?
20. lapses. Slips, tempory failures
&
W
IRRORS
W INDOWS
What seems to be Laurie’s attitude toward
Charles at the beginning of the story? How
does it change? How does our idea of what
is good behavior change as we mature?
LEVEL III, UNIT 1
9
4/23/09 8:44:18 PM
AFTER READING
READING CHECK
Circle the letter of the correct answer.
1. How does Laurie feel when he goes off to
kindergarten for the first time?
A. sad and afraid
B. confident and secure
C. clingy and shy
2. Why are Laurie’s parents so concerned about
Charles?
A. They don’t want Charles to hit Laurie.
B. Charles is Laurie’s best friend.
C. They are afraid Charles will be a bad
influence on their son.
3. What does Charles not do?
A. throw chalk
B. tell classmates to say bad words
C. give the teacher an apple
4. Why does Charles’s behavior begin to change?
A. He wants to please his teacher.
B. He is probably adjusting to school.
C. He listens to his parents, who want him
to behave better.
5. Who is Charles really?
A. Laurie
B. Laurie’s next-door neighbor
C. Laurie’s brother
VOCABULARY CHECK
1. At lunch Laurie speaks insolently to his father.
In other words, how does Laurie address his
father?
A. He’s brutal and dishonest.
B. He’s rude and disrespectful.
C. He’s kind and generous.
2. Laurie’s mother says she’s elaborately casual
when she addresses Laurie. What does this
imply?
A. She’s carefully thought out what she
wants to ask her son.
B. She speaks without thinking.
C. She wants to appear in charge.
3. Laurie’s mother is mindful of not taking the
Lord’s name in vain. Why is this?
A. Laurie’s mother is religious.
B. Laurie’s mother is intelligent.
C. Laurie learned from his teacher not to
take the Lord’s name in vain and Laurie’s
mother wants to set a good example for
her son.
4. What does it mean when Laurie’s mother
examines each matronly face at the PTA
meeting?
A. She is trying to find Charles’s father and tell
him his son is a bad influence on Laurie.
B. She is looking at all the mothers and
trying to guess who Charles’s mother is.
C. She is looking for clues to find out who
Laurie’s teacher is.
5. Why does Laurie’s mother think Charles’s
mother would look haggard?
A. She thinks it would be exhausting and
challenging to raise Charles.
B. She thinks Charles’s mother is older than
the rest of the mothers.
C. She knows what it’s like to live with a
kindergartner.
Summarize the plot of “Charles.” Include the conflict, the events, and the resolution.
You may refer back to your graphic organizer. Conclude by making a judgment
about what Laurie’s parents learned about their son.
10
LEVEL III, UNIT 1
4/23/09 8:44:20 PM
READING SKILLS: Analyze Sequence of Events
1. Does Charles adjust well to kindergarten at first?
2. What is the major conflict of the story?
3. How is the conflict resolved?
4. Before the end of the story, did the author provide clues that could have helped
Laurie’s parents figure out who Charles was? Think of Laurie’s behavior at home.
BUILD VOCABULARY: Adverbs
You can turn adjectives into adverbs by adding -ly. For numbers 1–2, change the
adjectives into adverbs. For numbers 3–4, use the new adverbs in a sentence.
1. mindful
2. haggard
3.
4.
GRAMMAR AND STYLE
Laurie says to his father, “I didn’t learn nothing.” This is a double negative; double
negatives occur when two negative words are mistakenly put in the same sentence.
Laurie should have said “I didn’t learn anything.” Rewrite the following sentences to
correct the double negatives. Make any other necessary changes as well.
1. I ain’t got no paper.
2. I’m not going nowhere.
3. I don’t want nothing.
WRITING SKILLS
Imagine you are Laurie’s teacher. On a separate sheet of paper, write a note to his parents
requesting a parent-teacher meeting and giving an indication of what the problem is.
LEVEL III, UNIT 1
11
4/23/09 8:44:20 PM
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
BEFORE READING
page 33
A Short Story by
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
ABOUT THE STORY
“A Mother in Mannville” is about a woman who moves to a remote cabin in
rural Florida. She hires a boy from an orphanage and develops a friendship with this
special young man. Read to find out what happens.
MAKE CONNECTIONS
Tell about a time that you misjudged someone. What did that person do that
surprised you so much?
ANALYZE LITERATURE: Setting
A setting is the time and place that a story happens. Setting can include the past,
present, or future. As you read, pay attention to how the author describes the time
and place of the story.
12
LEVEL III, UNIT 1
4/23/09 8:44:21 PM
USE READING SKILLS: Use Context Clues
When you don’t know a word, you may be able to figure it out using context
clues. Context clues are words around an unknown word. They may define the
unknown word, or they may give a synonym or an example of the unknown word.
As you read, follow these steps to fill in the context clues chart below.
• In column 1, write down words that are new to you.
• Look in the same paragraph to find clues to what the word means, and write
those clues in column 2.
• In column 3, explain what you think the word means.
New Word
institution
Context Clues Chart
Context Clues
the orphanage, cottage
What I Think the Word Means
building or house
LEVEL III, UNIT 1
13
4/23/09 8:44:21 PM
PREVIEW VOCABULARY
Key Words and
Phrases
1I don’t know this word
or phrase at all.
2I’ve seen this word or
phrase before.
3I know this word or
phrase and use it.
Context
used in a sentence.
inadequate
in•ad•e •quate
(in adP e kw@t)
adjective
There was inadequate
sugar for the cake recipe,
so Leslie added honey to
make up the difference.
Inadequate information
can lead to…
Jack’s mother explained
the math problem with
clarity. Then Jack was
able to finish all his
homework.
The opposite of clarity
is…
The report was
predicated on the latest
research.
Our vacation plans were
predicated on…
Kylene’s family had
sufficient food to
last several days at the
campsite.
A sufficient breakfast
would consist of…
The last song on the CD
was anomalous. It didn’t
sound like the others.
I once noticed something
anomalous when I
saw…
We were surprised when
the television turned on
of its own accord.
One thing I’ve done on
my own accord was…
1
2
2
3
predicated
pred•i•cat•ed
(predP i k6t @d)
adjective
1
2
3
sufficient
suf•fi•cient
(s@ fiP sh@nt)
adjective
1
2
3
anomalous
a•nom•a•lous
(@ n5P m@ l@s)
adjective
1
2
3
of his own accord
of his own ac•cord
(@v hiz 9n @ ko rd)
idiom
1
14
2
Practice
sentences.
3
clarity
clar•i•ty
(klerP e t7)
noun
1
Definition
Write down what you
means. Then use a
definition.
3
LEVEL III, UNIT 1
4/23/09 8:44:22 PM
DURING READING
A Short Story by
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
5
10
15
20
25
The orphanage is high in the Carolina mountains. Sometimes
in winter the snowdrifts are so deep that the institution is cut
off from the village below, from all the world. Fog hides the
mountain peaks, the snow swirls down the valleys, and a wind
blows so bitterly that the orphanage boys who take the milk twice
daily to the baby cottage reach the door with fingers stiff in an
agony of numbness.
“Or when we carry trays from the cookhouse for the ones
that are sick,” Jerry said, “we get our faces frostbit, because we
can’t put our hands over them. I have gloves,” he added. “Some
of the boys don’t have any.”
He liked the late spring, he said. The rhododendron1 was in
bloom, a carpet of color, across the mountainsides, soft as the
May winds that stirred the hemlocks. He called it laurel.
“It’s pretty when the laurel blooms,” he said. “Some of it’s
pink and some of it’s white.”
I was there in the autumn. I wanted quiet, isolation, to
do some troublesome writing. I wanted mountain air to blow
out the malaria2 from too long a time in the subtropics. I was
homesick, too, for the flaming of maples in October, and for
corn shocks and pumpkins and black-walnut trees and the lift
of hills. I found them all, living in a cabin that belonged to the
orphanage, half a mile beyond the orphanage farm. When I took
the cabin, I asked for a boy or man to come and chop wood for
the fireplace. The first few days were warm, I found what wood I
needed about the cabin, no one came, and I forgot the order.
I looked up from my typewriter one late afternoon, a
little startled. A boy stood at the door, and my pointer dog,3
my companion, was at his side and had not barked to warn
Analyze Literature
Setting What is the setting of
this story?
What does this setting tell
you about the boys in the
orphanage?
Note the Facts
Why does the narrator come to
the cottage?
Use Reading Skills
Use Context Clues Use clues
from the sentence to determine
what a typewriter is.
1. rhododendron. Type of shrub or tree with alternate leaves and large clusters of bright
flowers
2. malaria. Serious disease transmitted by the bite of a certain type of mosquito
3. pointer dog. Short-haired, muscular hunting dog, known for its ability to help a human
hunter find prey by standing erect, with its head and body pointed in the direction of the prey
LEVEL III, UNIT 1
15
4/23/09 8:44:23 PM
DURING READING
in•ad•e•quate (in adP e kw@t)
adjective, lacking in quality; not equal to
what is required
Build Vocabulary
Idiom Not inclined to
conversation is a formal way of
saying that she does not want to
talk. Why do you think she uses
such formal language?
me. The boy was probably twelve years old, but undersized.
He wore overalls and a torn shirt, and was barefooted.
He said, “I can chop some wood today.”
I said, “But I have a boy coming from the orphanage.”
“I’m the boy.”
“You? But you’re small.”
35
“Size don’t matter, chopping wood,” he said. “Some of
the big boys don’t chop good. I’ve been chopping wood at the
orphanage a long time.”
I visualized mangled and inadequate branches for my fires.
40 I was well into my work and not inclined to conversation. I was
a little blunt.
“Very well. There’s the ax. Go ahead and see what you
can do.”
30
Think and Reflect
What does the narrator think of the boy?
45
50
55
Analyze Literature
Setting The narrator offers to
pay ten cents an hour. What
does this tell you about the
setting?
60
65
16
LEVEL III, UNIT 1
I went back to work, closing the door. At first the sound
of the boy dragging brush annoyed me. Then he began to
chop. The blows were rhythmic and steady, and shortly I had
forgotten him, the sound no more of an interruption than
a consistent rain. I suppose an hour and a half passed, for
when I stopped and stretched, and heard the boy’s steps on
the cabin stoop, the sun was dropping behind the farthest
mountain, and the valleys were purple with something deeper
than the asters.
The boy said, “I have to go to supper now. I can come again
tomorrow evening.”
I said, “I’ll pay you now for what you’ve done,” thinking
I should probably have to insist on an older boy. “Ten cents
an hour?”
“Anything is all right.”
We went together back of the cabin. An astonishing amount
of solid wood had been cut. There were cherry logs and heavy
roots of rhododendron, and blocks from the waste pine and oak
left from the building of the cabin.
“But you’ve done as much as a man,” I said. “This is a
splendid pile.”
I looked at him, actually, for the first time. His hair was
the color of the corn shocks and his eyes, very direct, were
4/23/09 8:44:23 PM
like the mountain sky when rain is pending—gray, with a
shadowing of that miraculous blue. As I spoke, a light came
over him, as though the setting sun had touched him with the
70 same suffused4 glory with which it touched the mountains.
I gave him a quarter.
“You may come tomorrow,” I said, “and thank you very
much.”
He looked at me, and at the coin, and seemed to want to
75 speak, but could not, and turned away.
“I’ll split kindling5 tomorrow,” he said over his thin, ragged
shoulder. “You’ll need kindling and medium wood and logs and
backlogs.”
DURING READING
Use Reading Skills
the meaning of pending.
Think and Reflect
Why can’t the boy speak when he is given the quarter?
80
85
90
95
100
At daylight I was half-wakened by the sound of chopping.
Again it was so even in texture that I went back to sleep. When I
left my bed in the cool morning, the boy had come and gone, and
a stack of kindling was neat against the cabin wall. He came again
after school in the afternoon and worked until time to return to
the orphanage. His name was Jerry; he was twelve years old, and
he had been at the orphanage since he was four. I could picture
him at four, with the same grave gray-blue eyes and the same—
independence? No, the word that comes to me is “integrity.”
The word means something very special to me, and the
quality for which I use it is a rare one. My father had it—there
is another of whom I am almost sure—but almost no man of
my acquaintance possesses it with the clarity, the purity, the
simplicity of a mountain stream. But the boy Jerry had it. It is
bedded on courage, but it is more than brave. It is honest, but
it is more than honesty. The ax handle broke one day. Jerry
said the woodshop at the orphanage would repair it. I brought
money to pay for the job and he refused it.
“I’ll pay for it,” he said. “I broke it. I brought the ax down
careless.”
“But no one hits accurately every time,” I told him.
“The fault was in the wood of the handle. I’ll see the man from
whom I bought it.”
clar•i•ty (klerP e t7) noun, state of
being clear
Build Vocabulary
Complete the map with four
other words the narrator uses to
describe Jerry’s integrity.
integrity
4. suffused. Spread through or across
5. kindling. Sticks and other thin pieces of wood used to start a fire
LEVEL III, UNIT 1
17
4/23/09 8:44:24 PM
DURING READING
Use Reading Skills
what accurately means.
105
110
pred•i•cat•ed (predP i k6t @d)
adjective, affirmed, or based, on given
facts or conditions
Note the Facts
115
What does Jerry do that
impresses the narrator?
120
125
It was only then that he would take the money. He was
standing back of his own carelessness. He was a free-will agent
and he chose to do careful work, and if he failed, he took the
responsibility without subterfuge.6
And he did for me the unnecessary thing, the gracious
thing, that we find done only by the great of heart. Things no
training can teach, for they are done on the instant, with no
predicated experience. He found a cubbyhole beside the
fireplace that I had not noticed. There, of his own accord, he
put kindling and “medium” wood, so that I might always have
dry fire material ready in case of sudden wet weather. A stone
was loose in the rough walk to the cabin. He dug a deeper hole
and steadied it, although he came, himself, by a short cut over
the bank. I found that when I tried to return his thoughtfulness
with such things as candy and apples, he was wordless. “Thank
you” was, perhaps, an expression for which he had had no use,
for his courtesy was instinctive. He only looked at the gift and
at me, and a curtain lifted, so that I saw deep into the clear well
of his eyes, and gratitude was there, and affection, soft over the
firm granite of his character.
He made simple excuses to come and sit with me.
I could no more have turned him away than if he had been
physically hungry. I suggested once that the best time for us
to visit was just before supper, when I left off my writing.
6. subterfuge. Deception; dishonesty
18
LEVEL III, UNIT 1
4/23/09 8:44:24 PM
After that, he waited always until my typewriter had been
some time quiet. One day I worked until nearly dark. I went
outside the cabin, having forgotten him. I saw him going
up over the hill in the twilight toward the orphanage. When
130 I sat down on my stoop, a place was warm from his body
where he had been sitting.
DURING READING
Think and Reflect
Name three actions that show that Jerry and the narrator care
deeply about one another.
135
140
145
150
155
He became intimate, of course, with my pointer, Pat. There
is a strange communion7 between a boy and a dog. Perhaps they
possess the same singleness of spirit, the same kind of wisdom. It
is difficult to explain, but it exists. When I went across the state
for a weekend, I left the dog in Jerry’s charge. I gave him the dog
whistle and the key to the cabin, and left sufficient food. He was
to come two or three times a day and let out the dog, and feed
and exercise him. I should return Sunday night, and Jerry would
take out the dog for the last time Sunday afternoon and then
leave the key under an agreed hiding place.
My return was belated and fog filled the mountain passes so
treacherously that I dared not drive at night. The fog held the
next morning, and it was Monday noon before I reached the
cabin. The dog had been fed and cared for that morning. Jerry
came early in the afternoon, anxious.
“The superintendent8 said nobody would drive in the fog,”
he said. “I came just before bedtime last night and you hadn’t
come. So I brought Pat some of my breakfast this morning.
I wouldn’t have let anything happen to him.”
“I was sure of that. I didn’t worry.”
“When I heard about the fog, I thought you’d know.”
He was needed for work at the orphanage and he had to
return at once. I gave him a dollar in payment, and he looked
at it and went away. But that night he came in the darkness and
knocked at the door.
suf•fi•cient (s@ fiP sh@nt) adjective,
as much as is needed; enough
Use Reading Skills
what belated means.
7. communion. A relationship; trust
8. superintendent. Someone in charge of an institution or building
LEVEL III, UNIT 1
19
4/23/09 8:44:28 PM
DURING READING
Read Aloud
160
Read lines 157–174 aloud. How
does the dog bring the narrator
and Jerry closer together?
165
170
175
180
185
Use Reading Skills
the meaning of wholesome.
190
195
“Come in, Jerry,” I said, “if you’re allowed to be away this late.”
“I told maybe a story,” he said. “I told them I thought you
would want to see me.”
“That’s true,” I assured him, and I saw his relief. “I want to
hear about how you managed with the dog.”
He sat by the fire with me, with no other light, and told me
of their two days together. The dog lay close to him, and found
a comfort there that I did not have for him. And it seemed to
me that being with my dog, and caring for him, had brought
the boy and me, too, together, so that he felt that he belonged to
me as well as to the animal.
“He stayed right with me,” he told me, “except when
he ran in the laurel. He likes the laurel. I took him up over
the hill and we both ran fast. There was a place where the
grass was high and I lay down in it and hid. I could hear Pat
hunting for me. He found my trail and he barked. When he
found me, he acted crazy, and he ran around and around me,
in circles.”
We watched the flames.
“That’s an apple log,” he said. “It burns the prettiest of any
wood.”
We were very close.
He was suddenly impelled9 to speak of things he had not
spoken of before, nor had I cared to ask him.
“You look a little bit like my mother,” he said. “Especially in
the dark, by the fire.”
“But you were only four, Jerry, when you came here. You
have remembered how she looked, all these years?”
“My mother lives in Mannville,” he said.
For a moment, finding that he had a mother shocked me
as greatly as anything in my life has ever done, and I did not
know why it disturbed me. Then I understood my distress.
I was filled with a passionate resentment10 that any woman
should go away and leave her son. A fresh anger added itself.
A son like this one—The orphanage was a wholesome place,
the executives were kind, good people, the food was more
than adequate, the boys were healthy, a ragged shirt was no
hardship, nor the doing of clean labor. Granted, perhaps, that
the boy felt no lack, what blood fed the bowels of a woman
who did not yearn over this child’s lean body that had come
9. impelled. Urged or driven, as if by strong moral or emotional feelings
10. passionate resentment. Very strong feelings of anger or annoyance
20
LEVEL III, UNIT 1
4/23/09 8:44:28 PM
200
205
210
215
220
225
230
235
in parturition11 out of her own?
At four he would have looked
the same as now. Nothing, I
thought, nothing in life could
change those eyes. His quality
must be apparent to an idiot, a
fool. I burned with questions I
could not ask. In any case, I was afraid, there would be pain.
“Have you seen her, Jerry—lately?”
“I see her every summer. She sends for me.”
I wanted to cry out, “Why are you not with her? How can
she let you go away again?”
He said, “She comes up here from Mannville whenever she
can. She doesn’t have a job now.”
His face shone in the firelight.
“She wanted to give me a puppy, but they can’t let any
one boy keep a puppy. You remember the suit I had on
last Sunday?” He was plainly proud. “She sent me that for
Christmas. The Christmas before that”—he drew a long breath,
savoring the memory—“she sent me a pair of skates.”
“Roller skates?”
My mind was busy, making pictures of her, trying to
understand her. She had not, then, entirely deserted or
forgotten him. But why, then—I thought, “I must not
condemn12 her without knowing.”
“Roller skates. I let the other boys use them. They’re always
borrowing them. But they’re careful of them.”
What circumstance13 other than poverty—
“I’m going to take the dollar you gave me for taking care of
Pat,” he said, “and buy her a pair of gloves.”
I could only say, “That will be nice. Do you know her size?”
“I think it’s 8½,” he said.
He looked at my hands.
“Do you wear 8½?” he asked.
“No. I wear a smaller size, a 6.”
“Oh! Then I guess her hands are bigger than yours.”
I hated her. Poverty or no, there was other food than bread,
and the soul could starve as quickly as the body. He was taking
his dollar to buy gloves for her big stupid hands, and she lived
away from him, in Mannville, and contented herself with
sending him skates.
DURING READING
Analyze Literature
Setting Think about the time
in which the story is set. What
about the setting makes it seem
reasonable that a mother would
leave her boy at the orphanage?
Build Vocabulary
The word drew (past tense of
draw) here does not mean the
same as drawing on paper. Use
a classroom resource to look up
the word draw. Write down the
appropriate meaning of draw in
this space.
11. parturition. Childbirth
12. condemn. Blame
13. circumstance. Situation
LEVEL III, UNIT 1
21
4/23/09 8:44:29 PM
DURING READING
“She likes white gloves,” he said. “Do you think I can get
them for a dollar?”
240
“I think so,” I said.
I decided that I should not leave the mountains without
seeing her and knowing for myself why she had done this thing.
Think and Reflect
Do you think it’s fair that the narrator hates Jerry’s mother without
meeting her? Explain your answer.
245
250
Note the Facts
How does knowing that Jerry has
a mother help the narrator leave
this place behind?
255
260
a•nom•a•lous (@ n5P m@ l@s)
adjective, strange, abnormal, or irregular
265
The human mind scatters its interests as though made of
thistledown,14 and every wind stirs and moves it. I finished my
work. It did not please me, and I gave my thoughts to another
field. I should need some Mexican material.
I made arrangements to close my Florida place. Mexico
immediately, and doing the writing there, if conditions were
favorable. Then, Alaska with my brother. After that, heaven
knew what or where.
I did not take time to go to Mannville to see Jerry’s mother,
nor even to talk with the orphanage officials about her. I was
a trifle abstracted15 about the boy, because of my work and
plans. And after my first fury at her—we did not speak of her
again—his having a mother, any sort at all, not far away, in
Mannville, relieved me of the ache I had had about him. He did
not question the anomalous relation. He was not lonely. It was
none of my concern.
He came every day and cut my wood and did small helpful
favors and stayed to talk. The days had become cold, and often
I let him come inside the cabin. He would lie on the floor in
front of the fire, with one arm across the pointer, and they would
both doze and wait quietly for me. Other days they ran with a
common ecstasy through the laurel, and since the asters were
now gone, he brought me back vermilion16 maple leaves, and
chestnut boughs dripping with imperial yellow. I was ready to go.
I said to him, “You have been my good friend, Jerry. I shall
often think of you and miss you. Pat will miss you too. I am
leaving tomorrow.”
14. thistledown. Fine, feathery seedlings from a thistle plant
15. abstracted. Confused; unsure what to think
16. vermilion. Vivid reddish orange
22
LEVEL III, UNIT 1
4/23/09 8:44:29 PM
270
275
280
285
290
295
300
He did not answer. When he went away, I remember that a
new moon hung over the mountains, and I watched him go in
silence up the hill. I expected him the next day, but he did not
come. The details of packing my personal belongings, loading my
car, arranging the bed over the seat, where the dog would ride,
occupied me until late in the day. I closed the cabin and started the
car, noticing that the sun was in the west and I should do well to be
out of the mountains by nightfall. I stopped by the orphanage and
left the cabin key and money for my light bill with Miss Clark.
“And will you call Jerry for me to say goodbye to him?”
“I don’t know where he is,” she said. “I’m afraid he’s not well.
He didn’t eat his dinner this noon. One of the other boys saw him
going over the hill into the laurel. He was supposed to fire the
boiler17 this afternoon. It’s not like him; he’s unusually reliable.”
I was almost relieved, for I knew I should never see him
again, and it would be easier not to say good-bye to him.
I said, “I wanted to talk with you about his mother—why he’s
here—but I’m in more of a hurry than I expected to be. It’s out of
the question for me to see her now too. But here’s some money
I’d like to leave with you to buy things for him at Christmas and
on his birthday. It will be better than for me to try to send him
things. I could so easily duplicate—skates, for instance.”
She blinked her honest spinster’s eyes.
“There’s not much use for skates here,” she said.
Her stupidity annoyed me.
“What I mean,” I said, “is that I don’t want to duplicate
things his mother sends him. I might have chosen skates if I
didn’t know she had already given them to him.”
She stared at me.
“I don’t understand,” she said. “He has no mother. He has
no skates.” ✤
DURING READING
Culture Note
The narrator calls the woman
who runs the orphanage
“honest spinster.” A spinster is
an impolite term that means an
older woman who has never
been married. The narrator
uses this term in her anger and
frustration.
17. boiler. Furnace or large heating element, fueled by wood, oil, or natural gas, in which heat
is produced by boiling water
&
W
IRRORS
W INDOWS
Why does the narrator say that Jerry has
such integrity even though he lies to her
about having a mother?
LEVEL III, UNIT 1
23
4/23/09 8:44:30 PM
AFTER READING
READING CHECK
VOCABULARY CHECK
1. What does the narrator value most about the
location of the cabin?
A. the space for her dog to run
B. the peace and quiet for writing
C. the closeness to the orphanage
2. At first, what surprises the narrator about
Jerry?
A. He is from the orphanage.
B. Her dog does not bark at him.
C. He seems too small to chop wood well.
3. Which does the narrator ask Jerry to do?
A. chop wood and watch her dog
B. fix her stone path and store wood
C. purchase gloves and roller skates for her
4. Why does the narrator become angry when
she hears that Jerry’s mother is alive?
A. She thinks that boys like Jerry need bread
more than roller skates.
B. She thinks that Jerry’s mother beats him
during the summers when he visits.
C. She thinks that Jerry should live with his
mother, even if she doesn’t have money.
5. Why does Jerry lie to the narrator about
having a mother?
A. He doesn’t want her to worry about him.
B. He truly believes he has a mother in
town.
C. He doesn’t think she’ll like him if he
doesn’t have a mother.
1. The narrator assumes that the wood the
boy will chop will be inadequate. What does
inadequate mean?
A. too wet
B. too little
C. too green
2. According to the narrator, Jerry’s integrity has
clarity. Clarity means
A. clearness.
B. allergies.
C. honesty.
3. Jerry knows things about the narrator that are
not predicated on experience. That means
A. he knows what she needs without being
told.
B. he knows how to chop wood extremely
well.
C. he knows that he is going to be in the
orphanage forever.
4. The narrator leaves sufficient food for the
dog. Therefore, Jerry has to
A. buy food for the dog.
B. keep the food from the dog.
C. feed the dog the provided food.
5. The narrator calls Jerry’s relationship with his
mother anomalous. Anomalous means
A. dangerous.
B. unusual.
C. misunderstood.
Setting is the time and place of a story. In what time period do you think this story
happens? Why do you think so?
24
LEVEL III, UNIT 1
4/23/09 8:44:31 PM
USE READING SKILLS: Use Context Clues
Review the context clues chart you completed as you read the story. Were you
able to figure out all the new words using context clues? Share your answers with a
partner. Confirm the meaning of each word by looking it up in a dictionary.
GRAMMAR & STYLE: Dialect
Much of Jerry’s speech is written in dialect. Dialect is the way a person from a
specific place speaks. The grammar and word choice that the author uses for Jerry’s
speech is different from standard English.
EXAMPLES
Dialect: “Size don’t matter.”
Standard English: “Size doesn’t matter.”
Jerry’s dialect shows that he is from a rural area in a state in the southern United
States. The narrator does not have the same dialect, but speaks in standard English.
It is generally considered rude to correct someone’s dialect.
Underline the examples of dialect in these sentences from the text. Rewrite them in
standard English.
1. Some of the big boys don’t chop good.
2. I brought the ax down careless.
3. I told maybe a story.
4. They’re always borrowing them. But they’re careful of them.
SPEAKING & LISTENING SKILLS
The narrator rented the cabin near the Carolina mountains to clear her mind and
work on her writing. With a partner, discuss your favorite places to relax and think.
Where would you go to write quietly on your own? What would you bring with you
to keep you company? Practice your listening skills by describing your partner’s
favorite places for the class.
LEVEL III, UNIT 1
25
4/23/09 8:44:31 PM
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
BEFORE READING
page 145
A Short Story by
Edgar Allan Poe
ABOUT THE STORY
“The Tell-Tale Heart” is about a murder narrated by a man who denies he is
insane. He explains why he killed a man and describes how he did it. Read to find
out what gives him away to the authorities.
MAKE CONNECTIONS
Tell about something you tried to hide. Were you able to hide it? If not, what gave it away?
ANALYZE LITERATURE: Point of View
The point of view describes the perspective in a story. There are three main
points of view an author can use: first person, second person, and third person.
• A story that uses first-person point of view includes pronouns such as I, me,
we, and us, and the main character tells his or her own story.
• A story told from the second-person point of view uses the pronoun you and
describes the experience of the reader.
26
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
4/23/09 8:44:31 PM
• A story that uses third-person point of view is told from the point of view of
the narrator. In some stories that use third-person point of view, the narrator
describes many characters’ thoughts.
As you read, determine the point of view of this story. Think about how the story
would be different if it were written in a different point of view.
USE READING SKILLS: Understand Literary Elements
Analyze Character
A character is a person (or sometimes an animal) who takes part in the action of
a story. In “The Tell-Tale Heart,” the narrator is the main character. As you read, fill in
the Character Chart below with details from the text that describe the narrator.
Character Chart
Character:
Narrator
Detail About Character
Evidence from Text
He speaks quickly and excitedly
The many dashes in the text (ex. “The disease had
sharpened my senses—not destroyed—not dulled them.”)
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
27
4/23/09 8:44:33 PM
PREVIEW VOCABULARY
Key Words and
Phrases
1 I don’t know it at all.
2 I’ve seen it before.
3 I know it and use it.
Context
used in a sentence.
conceive
con•ceive
(k@n s7v>)
verb
We tried to conceive
a plan that would help
people in other countries
access fresh water.
A very smart person can
conceive…
Maria followed the stifled
meows to find her cat
caught in the cupboard.
In my school, you may
hear stifled...
Mr. Kennedy was vexed
by the car alarm in the
parking lot.
Things that vex people
include…
The mother put her
glass collection in
concealment so her
toddler wouldn’t break it.
A person in concealment
will…
Our lead actor played her
part boldly; her audacity
made it possible for us to
win Best Play.
Many people don’t have
the audacity to…
1
2
2
3
vex
vex
(veks)
verb
1
2
3
concealment
con•ceal•ment
(k@n s7l> m@nt)
noun
1
2
3
audacity
au•dac•i•ty
(0 das> @ t7)
noun
1
28
2
Practice
sentences.
3
stifled
sti•fled
(sti> f@ld)
adjective
1
Definition
Write down what you
means. Then use a
definition.
3
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
4/23/09 8:44:34 PM
DURING READING
A Short Story by
Edgar Allan Poe
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
True!—nervous—very, very dreadfully nervous I had been
and am; but why will you say that I am mad? The disease had
sharpened my senses—not destroyed—not dulled them. Above
all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the
heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How, then,
am I mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily—how calmly I
can tell you the whole story.
It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain;
but once conceived, it haunted me day and night. Object there
was none. Passion there was none. I loved the old man. He had
never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For his gold I
had no desire. I think it was his eye! Yes, it was this! He had the
eye of a vulture—a pale blue eye, with a film over it. Whenever
it fell upon me, my blood ran cold; and so by degrees—very
gradually—I made up my mind to take the life of the old man,
and thus rid myself of the eye forever.
Now this is the point. You fancy me mad. Madmen know
nothing. But you should have seen me. You should have seen
how wisely I proceeded—with what caution—with what
foresight—with what dissimulation1 I went to work! I was never
kinder to the old man than during the whole week before I
killed him. And every night, about midnight, I turned the latch
of his door and opened it—oh, so gently! And then, when I had
made an opening sufficient for my head, I put in a dark lantern,2
all closed, closed, so that no light shone out, and then I thrust in
my head. Oh, you would have laughed to see how cunningly I
thrust it in! I moved it slowly—very, very slowly, so that I might
not disturb the old man’s sleep. It took me an hour to place my
whole head within the opening so far that I could see him as he
lay upon his bed. Ha!—would a madman have been so wise as
this? And then, when my head was well in the room, I undid
the lantern cautiously—oh, so cautiously—cautiously (for the
hinges creaked)—I undid it just so much that a single thin ray
fell upon the vulture eye. And this I did for seven long nights—
every night just at midnight—but I found the eye always closed;
Use Reading Skills
Understand Literary
Elements: Analyze Character
What do you think about the
narrator when he says that
he can hear all things in the
heaven and earth? Record this
information in your chart.
con•ceive (k@n s7v>) verb, develop
an idea
Build Vocabulary
Idioms As you find phrases you
do not know, try to guess what
they mean. What do you think
blood ran cold means?
What makes the narrator's blood
run cold?
Analyze Literature
Point of View How does the
first-person point of view help
you understand the narrator?
1. dissimulation. Act of hiding
2. dark lantern. A lantern with a single opening that can be closed to block the light
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
29
4/23/09 8:44:34 PM
DURING READING
Use Reading Skills
Understand Literary
The narrator feels powerful and
triumphant as he opens the
door. What does this say about
him? Put this information in your
Character Chart.
Note the Facts
How does the narrator react to
the old man's terror?
and so it was impossible to do the work; for it was not the
old man who vexed me, but his Evil Eye. And every morning,
when the day broke, I went boldly into the chamber, and spoke
courageously to him, calling him by name in a hearty tone, and
40 inquiring how he had passed the night. So you see he would
have been a very profound old man, indeed, to suspect that
every night, just at twelve, I looked in upon him while he slept.
Upon the eighth night I was more than usually cautious in
opening the door. A watch’s minute hand moves more quickly
45 than did mine. Never before that night, had I felt the extent of
my own powers—of my sagacity. I could scarcely contain my
feelings of triumph. To think that there I was, opening the door,
little by little, and he not even to dream of my secret deeds or
thoughts. I fairly chuckled at the idea; and perhaps he heard me;
50 for he moved on the bed suddenly, as if startled. Now you may
think that I drew back—but no. His room was as black as pitch
with the thick darkness, (for the shutters were close fastened,
through fear of robbers), and so I knew that he could not see the
opening of the door, and I kept pushing it on steadily, steadily.
Think and Reflect
What do you predict will happen on the eighth night of the
narrator’s watch?
I had my head in, and was about to open the lantern, when
my thumb slipped upon the tin fastening, and the old man
sprang up in bed, crying out—“Who’s there?”
I kept quite still and said nothing. For a whole hour I did
not move a muscle, and in the meantime I did not hear him
60 lie down. He was still sitting up in the bed, listening;—just as I
have done, night after night, hearkening to the deathwatches3 in
the wall.
Presently I heard a slight groan, and I knew it was the groan
of mortal terror. It was not a groan of pain or of grief—oh,
65 no!—it was the low, stifled sound that arises from the bottom
of the soul when overcharged with awe. I knew the sound well.
Many a night, just at midnight, when all the world slept, it has
welled up from my own bosom, deepening, with its dreadful
55
sti•fled (sti> f@ld) adjective, describes
something that is held back with difficulty
3. deathwatches. Small beetles that bore through wood and make a tapping sound. They are
thought to predict death
30
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
4/23/09 8:44:35 PM
70
75
80
85
90
95
100
105
110
echo, the terrors that distracted me. I say I knew it well. I knew
what the old man felt, and pitied him, although I chuckled at
heart. I knew that he had been lying awake ever since the first
slight noise, when he had turned in the bed. His fears had been
ever since growing upon him. He had been trying to fancy them
causeless, but could not. He had been saying to himself—“It
is nothing but the wind in the chimney—it is only a mouse
crossing the floor,” or “It is merely a cricket which has made a
single chirp.” Yes, he has been trying to comfort himself with
these suppositions: but he had found all in vain. All in vain;
because Death, in approaching him, had stalked with his black
shadow before him, and enveloped the victim. And it was the
mournful influence of the unperceived shadow that caused him
to feel—although he neither saw nor heard—to feel the presence
of my head within the room.
When I had waited a long time, very patiently, without
hearing him lie down, I resolved to open a little—a very, very
little crevice in the lantern. So I opened it—you cannot imagine
how stealthily, stealthily—until, at length, a single dim ray, like
the thread of the spider, shot from out the crevice and fell upon
the vulture eye.
It was open—wide, wide open—and I grew furious as I
gazed upon it. I saw it with perfect distinctness—all a dull
blue, with a hideous veil over it that chilled the very marrow
in my bones; but I could see nothing else of the old man’s face
or person: for I had directed the ray as if by instinct, precisely
upon the damned spot.
And now have I not told you that what you mistake for
madness is but overacuteness of the senses?—now, I say, there
came to my ears a low, dull, quick sound, such as a watch
makes when enveloped in cotton. I knew that sound well, too. It
was the beating of the old man’s heart. It increased my fury, as
the beating of a drum stimulates the soldier into courage.
But even yet I refrained and kept still. I scarcely breathed. I
held the lantern motionless. I tried to see how steadily I could
maintain the ray upon the eye. Meantime the hellish tattoo of
the heart increased. It grew quicker and quicker, and louder
and louder every instant. The old man’s terror must have been
extreme! It grew louder, I say, louder every moment!—do you
mark me well? I have told you that I am nervous: so I am.
And now at the dead hour of the night, amid the dreadful
silence of that old house, so strange a noise as this excited me to
uncontrollable terror. Yet, for some minutes longer I refrained
DURING READING
Read Aloud
Read lines 84–89 aloud. What
does the narrator do after
waiting?
Note the Facts
What is the narrator's reaction on
seeing the old man's eye?
Use Reading Skills
Understand Literary
The narrator claims that the old
man’s heart beats so loudly that
the neighbors can hear it. What
does this claim say about the
narrator? Record this information
in your Character Chart.
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
31
4/23/09 8:44:36 PM
DURING READING
115
vex (veks) verb, trouble or worry
120
125
con•ceal•ment (k@n s7l> m@nt)
noun, the state of being hidden
130
Note the Facts
What does the narrator do with
the old man's body?
135
140
Use Reading Skills
Understand Literary
What does the narrator's
reaction to the death of the old
man say about the narrator?
Record this information in your
Character Chart.
145
150
and stood still. But the beating grew louder, louder! I thought
the heart must burst. And now a new anxiety seized me—the
sound would be heard by a neighbor! The old man’s hour had
come! With a loud yell, I threw open the lantern and leaped
into the room. He shrieked once—once only. In an instant I
dragged him to the floor, and pulled the heavy bed over him.
I then smiled gaily, to find the deed so far done. But, for many
minutes, the heart beat on with a muffled sound. This, however,
did not vex me; it would not be heard through the wall. At
length it ceased. The old man was dead. I removed the bed and
examined the corpse. Yes, he was stone, stone dead. I placed
my hand upon the heart and held it there many minutes. There
was no pulsation. He was stone dead. His eye would trouble me
no more.
If still you think me
mad, you will think so no
longer when I describe
the wise precautions I
took for the concealment
of the body. The night
waned, and I worked
hastily, but in silence.
First of all I dismembered
the corpse. I cut off the
head and the arms and
the legs.
I then took up three planks from the flooring of the
chamber, and deposited all between the scantlings.4 I then
replaced the boards so cleverly, so cunningly, that no human
eye—not even his—could have detected any thing wrong. There
was nothing to wash out—no stain of any kind—no bloodspot whatever. I had been too wary for that. A tub had caught
all—ha! ha!
When I had made an end of these labors, it was four
o’clock—still dark as midnight. As the bell sounded the hour,
there came a knocking at the street door. I went down to open
it with a light heart—for what had I now to fear? There entered
three men, who introduced themselves, with perfect suavity, as
officers of the police. A shriek had been heard by a neighbor
during the night; suspicion of foul play had been aroused;
information had been lodged at the police office, and they (the
officers) had been deputed to search the premises.
4. scantlings. Small pieces of timber
32
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
4/23/09 8:44:36 PM
Think and Reflect
DURING READING
How do you think the narrator will react to the visit of the officers?
155
160
165
170
175
180
185
I smiled—for what had I to fear? I bade the gentlemen
welcome. The shriek, I said, was my own in a dream. The old
man, I mentioned, was absent in the country. I took my visitors
all over the house. I bade them search—search well. I led them,
at length, to his chamber. I showed them his treasures, secure,
undisturbed. In the enthusiasm of my confidence, I brought
chairs into the room, and desired them here to rest from their
fatigues, while I myself, in the wild audacity of my perfect
triumph, placed my own seat upon the very spot beneath which
reposed the corpse of the victim.
The officers were satisfied. My manner had convinced
them. I was singularly at ease. They sat, and while I answered
cheerily, they chatted of familiar things. But, ere long, I felt
myself getting pale and wished them gone. My head ached, and
I fancied a ringing in my ears: but still they sat and still chatted.
The ringing became more distinct—it continued and became
more distinct: I talked more freely to get rid of the feeling: but
it continued and gained definitiveness—until, at length, I found
that the noise was not within my ears.
No doubt I now grew very pale—but I talked more fluently,
and with a heightened voice. Yet the sound increased—and
what could I do? It was a low, dull, quick sound—much such
a sound as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton. I gasped
for breath—and yet the officers heard it not. I talked more
quickly—more vehemently; but the noise steadily increased. I
arose and argued about trifles, in a high key and with violent
gesticulations;5 but the noise steadily increased. Why would
they not be gone? I paced the floor to and fro with heavy
strides, as if excited to fury by the observations of the men—but
the noise steadily increased. Oh God! what could I do? I
foamed—I raved—I swore! I swung the chair upon which I had
been sitting, and grated it upon the boards, but the noise arose
over all and continually increased. It grew louder—louder—
louder! And still the men chatted pleasantly, and smiled. Was it
possible they heard not? Almighty God!—no, no! They heard!—
au•dac•i•ty (0 das> @ t7) noun,
fearlessness or boldness
Note the Facts
What convinces the officers
that the narrator is innocent?
Underline the sentences that
give this information.
5. gesticulations. Energetic movements
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
33
4/23/09 8:44:37 PM
DURING READING
Note the Facts
What does the narrator think that
he hears inside the room?
they suspected!—they knew!—they were making a mockery of
190 my horror!—this I thought, and this I think. But anything was
better than this agony! Anything was more tolerable than this
derision6! I could bear those hypocritical smiles no longer! I
felt that I must scream or die! and now—again!—hark! louder!
louder! louder! louder!
“Villains!” I shrieked, “dissemble no more! I admit the
195
deed!—tear up the planks—here, here!—it is the beating of his
hideous heart!” ✤
6. derision. Ridicule or mockery
&
W
IRRORS
W INDOWS
34
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
Do you believe that the narrator is
not mad? Why?
4/23/09 8:44:38 PM
AFTER READING
READING CHECK
VOCABULARY CHECK
1. What does the narrator say is the result of his
illness?
A. sharp hearing
B. vivid imagination
C. extreme strength
1. An idea is conceived in the narrator's mind.
To conceive means
A. to satisfy.
B. to develop.
C. to understand.
2. How does the narrator feel when he sees the
old man's pale blue eye?
A. excited
B. content
C. troubled
2. The old man's stifled sound shows that he is
his fear.
trying to
A. listen to
B. hold back
C. express all
3. What does the narrator do for seven nights?
A. He sneaks outside to look for the old
man's family.
B. He goes to the old man's room and waits
to see the eye.
C. He digs a hole in his own room to escape
from the old man.
3. The muffled sound does not vex the narrator.
That means
A. he is not happy.
B. he is not excited.
C. he is not troubled.
4. How does the narrator conceal the old man's
body?
A. He carries the body and buries it under
the flowerbeds.
B. He wraps the body in a blanket and
throws it in the river.
C. He hides the dismembered body beneath
the flooring.
5. What causes the narrator to confess to the
officers?
A. The beating heart is driving him mad.
B. The old man returns and accuses him.
C. The officers are so pleasant that he feels
guilty.
4. The narrator takes many precautions in the
concealment of the old man's body. He
wants to make sure the body stays
A. alive.
B. visible.
C. hidden.
5. The narrator has the audacity to invite the
police officers into the room of the old man.
What does this say about him?
A. He is friendly.
B. He is confident.
C. He is impossible.
ANALYZE LITERATURE: Narrator
A narrator is a person or character who tells the events of the story. The story is
told from the narrator’s point of view. In this story, what makes the narrator appear
sane? What makes the narrator appear insane?
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
35
4/23/09 8:44:38 PM
Analyze Character Review the chart you completed while reading this story. What
is the most prominent trait of the narrator? Do you think the old man knows it?
Share your answers with your partner.
BUILD LANGUAGE SKILLS: Pronouns and Antecedents
An antecedent is the word that a pronoun stands for. The antecedent determines
the number (singular or plural) and gender (masculine, feminine, neutral) of the
pronoun.
Examples
Kaye showed off her latest book. (singular, feminine)
The children are very excited over their class presentation. (plural, neutral)
Sometimes, the antecedent appears in one sentence and the pronoun appears in
the following sentence.
Examples
Why is Allan here? He wanted to see the old man's blue eye. (singular, masculine)
The officers entered the house. They were called to answer a concern. (plural, neutral)
For each sentence, determine whether the pronoun and antecedent agree. If they agree,
write correct. If they disagree, write incorrect. Then, correct each incorrect sentence.
1. The people heard a shriek coming from their apartment.
2. The old man's pale blue eye appeared glassy on her face.
3. The madman insisted it was not crazy.
WORK TOGETHER
With three classmates, act out the part of the narrator and the police officers. Imagine
what would have happened if the narrator continued to act friendly and at ease. Would
the officers have discovered the truth about the old man's death? Use your imaginations
to show what could have happened. Then, act out the scene before the class.
36
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
4/23/09 8:44:39 PM
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
BEFORE READING
page 154
A Short Story by
Gary Soto
ABOUT THE STORY
“Born Worker ” is a story about two cousins with different attitudes. José, a junior
high school student, believes in the value of hard work. His cousin, Arnie, believes
in getting what he wants without working for it. When Arnie comes up with a plan
to get work for the two of them, José agrees on the condition that Arnie helps out.
Read the story to find out what happens when they face trouble at work.
MAKE CONNECTIONS
José is a junior high school student who works to earn money. What kinds of jobs
can students have that won’t interfere with their schoolwork?
ANALYZE LITERATURE: Theme
A theme gives a broad statement about the story’s topic. For example, a story about
honesty can have the following theme: To earn people’s trust, you must be honest
with them. “Born Worker” is a story about being a hard worker. As you read, look for
passages that suggest the story’s theme.
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
37
4/23/09 8:44:40 PM
USE READING SKILLS: Compare and Contrast
When you compare one thing to another, you describe similarities between the
two things; when you contrast two things, you describe their differences. As you
read, you may notice that José and Arnie are very different from one another. Write
each character’s traits in the Venn diagram below.
Compare-and-Contrast Chart
José
Arnie
Both
José is a hard worker
Arnie is lazy
they both want extra
money
38
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
4/23/09 8:44:40 PM
PREVIEW VOCABULARY
Key Words and
Phrases
Context
used in a sentence.
grime
grime
(gr8m)
noun
The grime from the car
repair shop covered him
from head to toe.
If you have grime on
your hands, you should…
Because they worked
together to win the cash
prize, Annie and Lennox
split it fifty-fifty.
An item you can split
fifty-fifty is…
Since Luke was a good
errand boy, they decide to
compensate him well.
Anyone is willing to
compensate for…
The teachers volunteer to
supervise the community
party.
When you supervise a
beginner, you are…
The kids were startled
when the clown suddenly
appeared from the next
room.
Startled people have
different reactions like…
1
2
2
3
compensate
com•pen•sate
(k5m p@n s6t)
verb
1
2
3
supervise
su•per•vise
(s2 p@r v8z)
verb
1
2
3
startled
star•tled
(st5r t?ld)
adjective
1
2
3
Practice
sentences.
3
split it fifty-fifty
(split it fif t7 fif t7)
idiom
1
Definition
Write down what you
means. Then use a
definition.
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
39
4/23/09 8:44:41 PM
DURING READING
A Short Story by
Gary Soto
grime (gr8m) noun, filth or dirt
Read Aloud
Read aloud the first paragraph
of the selection. What kind of
work do you think José is good
at doing?
Note the Facts
Where do José’s parents work?
They said that José was born with a ring of dirt around his
neck, with grime under his fingernails, and skin calloused from
the grainy twist of a shovel. They said his palms were already
rough by the time he was three, and soon after he learned his
5 primary colors, his squint was the squint of an aged laborer.
They said he was a born worker. By seven he was drinking
coffee slowly, his mouth pursed the way his mother sipped.
He wore jeans, a shirt with sleeves rolled to his elbows. His eye
could measure a length of board, and his knees genuflected1
10 over flower beds and leafy gutters.
They said lots of things about José, but almost nothing of
his parents. His mother stitched at a machine all day, and his
father, with a steady job at the telephone company, climbed
splintered, sun-sucked poles, fixed wires and looked around the
15 city at tree level.
“What do you see up there?” José once asked his father.
“Work,” he answered. “I see years of work, mi’jo.”2
Think and Reflect
What does José’s father really see when he looks at the city at tree
level? Why does it mean “years of work” for him?
José took this as a truth, and though he did well in school,
he felt destined to labor. His arms would pump, his legs would
20 bend, his arms would carry a world of earth. He believed in
hard work, believed that his strength was as ancient as a rock’s.
“Life is hard,” his father repeated from the time José could
first make out the meaning of words until he was stroking his
fingers against the grain of his sandpaper beard.
1. genuflected. Bent the knee; knelt, especially in worship
2. mi’jo. (Spanish) My son
40
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
4/23/09 8:44:41 PM
25
30
35
40
45
50
His mother was an example to José. She would raise her
hands, showing her fingers pierced from the sewing machines.
She bled on her machine, bled because there was money to
make, a child to raise, and a roof to stay under.
One day when José returned home from junior high, his
cousin Arnie was sitting on the lawn sucking on a stalk of grass.
José knew that grass didn’t come from his lawn. His was cut
and pampered, clean.
“José!” Arnie shouted as he took off the earphones of his
CD Walkman.
“Hi, Arnie,” José said without much enthusiasm. He didn’t
like his cousin. He thought he was lazy and, worse, spoiled by
the trappings of being middle class. His parents had good jobs
in offices and showered him with clothes, shoes, CDs, vacations,
almost anything he wanted. Arnie’s family had never climbed a
telephone pole to size up the future.
Arnie rose to his feet, and José saw that his cousin was
wearing a new pair of high-tops. He didn’t say anything.
“Got an idea,” Arnie said cheerfully. “Something that’ll
make us money.”
José looked at his cousin, not a muscle of curiosity twitching
in his face.
Still, Arnie explained that since he himself was so clever
with words, and his best cousin in the whole world was good
at working with his hands, that maybe they might start a
company.
“What would you do?” José asked.
“Me?” he said brightly. “Shoot, I’ll round up all kinds of
jobs for you. You won’t have to do anything.” He stopped, then
started again. “Except—you know—do the work.”
DURING READING
Culture Note
Many Mexican families have
moved to California’s Central (or
San Joaquin) Valley in search
of jobs in farms and agricultural
businesses. Look for details in
the selection that describe José’s
Mexican heritage.
Use Reading Skills
Compare and Contrast In
what ways are José and Arnie
different?
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
41
4/23/09 8:44:41 PM
DURING READING
55
60
Note the Facts
According to Arnie, what kind
of work has Bechtel done to
become rich?
65
70
Build Vocabulary
Idioms What does Arnie mean
by splitting the work with José
“fifty-fifty” (lines 74–75)?
75
80
split it fifty-fifty idiom, to divide
something in half or equally
85
90
95
“Get out of here,” José said.
“Don’t be that way,” Arnie begged. “Let me tell you how it
works.”
The boys went inside the house, and while José stripped off
his school clothes and put on his jeans and a T-shirt, Arnie told
him that they could be rich.
“You ever hear of this guy named Bechtel?” Arnie asked.
José shook his head.
Man, he started just like us,” Arnie said. “He started digging
ditches and stuff, and the next thing you knew, he was sitting
by his own swimming pool. You want to sit by your own pool,
don’t you?” Arnie smiled, waiting for José to speak up.
“Never heard of this guy Bechtel,” José said after he rolled
on two huge socks, worn at the heels. He opened up his chest of
drawers and brought out a packet of Kleenex.
Arnie looked at the Kleenex.
“How come you don’t use your sleeve?” Arnie joked.
José thought for a moment and said, “I’m not like you.” He
smiled at his retort.
“Listen, I’ll find the work, and then we can split it fifty-fifty.”
José knew fifty-fifty was a bad deal.
“How about sixty-forty?” Arnie suggested when he could
see that José wasn’t going for it. “I know a lot of people from
my dad’s job. They’re waiting for us.”
José sat on the edge of his bed and started to lace up his
boots. He knew that there were agencies that would find you
work, agencies that took a portion of your pay. They’re cheats,
he thought, people who sit in air-conditioned offices while
others work.
“You really know a lot of people?” José asked.
“Boatloads,” Arnie said. “My dad works with this millionaire—honest—who cooks a steak for his dog every day.”
He’s a liar, José thought. No matter how he tried, he
couldn’t picture a dog grubbing3 on steak. The world was too
poor for that kind of silliness.
“Listen, I’ll go eighty-twenty,” José said.
“Aw, man,” Arnie whined. “That ain’t fair.”
José laughed.
“I mean, half the work is finding the jobs,” Arnie explained,
his palms up as he begged José to be reasonable.
José knew this was true. He had to go door-to-door, and
he disliked asking for work. He assumed that it should
3. grubbing. Eating messily
42
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
4/23/09 8:44:43 PM
100
105
110
115
120
125
130
135
automatically be his since he was a good worker, honest, and
always on time.
“Where did you get this idea, anyhow?” José asked.
“I got a business mind,” Arnie said proudly.
“Just like that Bechtel guy,” José retorted.
“That’s right.”
José agreed to a seventy-thirty split, with the condition that
Arnie had to help out. Arnie hollered, arguing that some people
were meant to work and others to come up with brilliant ideas.
He was one of the latter. Still, he agreed after José said it was
that or nothing.
In the next two weeks, Arnie found an array of jobs. José
peeled off shingles from a rickety garage roof, carried rocks
down a path to where a pond would go, and spray-painted
lawn furniture. And while Arnie accompanied him, most of the
time he did nothing. He did help occasionally. He did shake the
cans of spray paint and kick aside debris so that José didn’t trip
while going down the path carrying the rocks. He did stack the
piles of shingles, but almost cried when a nail bit his thumb.
But mostly he told José what he had missed or where the work
could be improved. José was bothered because he and his work
had never been criticized before.
But soon José learned to ignore his cousin, ignore his
comments about his spray painting, or about the way he lugged
rocks, two in each arm. He didn’t say anything, either, when
they got paid and Arnie rubbed his hands like a fly, muttering,
“It’s payday.”
Then Arnie found a job scrubbing a drained swimming
pool. The two boys met early at José’s house. Arnie brought
his bike. José’s own bike had a flat that grinned like a
clown’s face.
“I’ll pedal,” José suggested when Arnie said that he didn’t
have much leg strength.
With Arnie on the handlebars, José tore off, his pedaling so
strong that tears of fear formed in Arnie’s eyes.
“Slow down!” Arnie cried.
José ignored him and within minutes they were riding the
bike up a gravel driveway. Arnie hopped off at first chance.
“You’re scary,” Arnie said, picking a gnat from his eye.
José chuckled.
When Arnie knocked on the door, an old man still in
pajamas appeared in the window. He motioned for the boys to
come around to the back.
DURING READING
Use Reading Skills
Compare and Contrast How
much of the work does Arnie do
compared to José?
Read Aloud
Read aloud lines 119–123
Mimic Arnie’s actions when he
rubs his hands “like a fly” while
muttering, “It’s payday.” What is
your impression of Arnie when
he does this?
Culture Note
In all fifty states, certain laws
keep children and young
adults from being hired for
most kinds of work. The most
common jobs allowed for
people below fourteen years
old are babysitting, delivering
newspapers, working on a farm,
and acting. Simple household
chores or working for friends and
family is also allowed.
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
43
4/23/09 8:44:43 PM
DURING READING
140
145
150
su•per•vise (s2 p@r v8z) verb, watch
over and direct
155
Build Vocabulary
Read lines 154–155. A synonym
of supervise is manage. What
other synonyms do you know for
supervise?
com•pen•sate (k5m p@n s6t)
verb, pay
160
165
170
Note the Facts
How does Mr. Clemens know
Arnie?
175
“Let me do the talking,” Arnie suggested to his cousin.
“He knows my dad real good. They’re like this.” He pressed two
fingers together.
José didn’t bother to say OK. He walked the bike into the
backyard, which was lush with plants—roses in their last bloom,
geraniums, hydrangeas, pansies with their skirts of bright
colors. José could make out the splash of a fountain. Then he
heard the hysterical yapping of a poodle. From all his noise, a
person might have thought the dog was on fire.
“Hi, Mr. Clemens,” Arnie said, extending his hand.
“I’m Arnie Sanchez. It’s nice to see you again.”
José had never seen a kid actually greet someone like this.
Mr. Clemens said, hiking up his pajama bottoms, “I only
wanted one kid to work.”
“Oh,” Arnie stuttered. “Actually, my cousin José really does
the work and I kind of, you know, supervise.”
Mr. Clemens pinched up his wrinkled face. He seemed not
to understand. He took out a pea-sized hearing aid4, fiddled
with its tiny dial, and fit it into his ear, which was surrounded
with wiry gray hair.
“I’m only paying for one boy,” Mr. Clemens shouted. His
poodle click-clicked and stood behind his legs. The dog bared
its small crooked teeth.
“That’s right,” Arnie said, smiling a strained smile.
“We know that you’re going to compensate only one of us.”
Mr. Clemens muttered under his breath. He combed his
hair with his fingers. He showed José the pool, which was
shaped as round as an elephant. It was filthy with grime. Near
the bottom some grayish water shimmered and leaves floated as
limp as cornflakes.
“It’s got to be real clean,” Mr. Clemens said, “or it’s not
worth it.”
“Oh, José’s a great worker,” Arnie said. He patted his
cousin’s shoulders and said that he could lift a mule.
Mr. Clemens sized up José and squeezed his shoulders, too.
“How do I know you, anyhow?” Mr. Clemens asked Arnie,
who was aiming a smile at the poodle.
“You know my dad,” Arnie answered, raising his smile to
the old man. “He works at Interstate Insurance. You and he had
some business deals.”
4. hearing aid. An electronic device worn by a person with poor hearing to make sounds
louder
44
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
4/23/09 8:44:44 PM
Mr. Clemens thought for a moment, a hand on his mouth,
head shaking. He could have been thinking about the meaning
of life, his face was so dark.
“Mexican fella?” he inquired.
“That’s him,” Arnie said happily.
José felt like hitting his cousin for his cheerful attitude.
185
Instead, he walked over and picked up the white plastic bottle
of bleach.5 Next to it were a wire brush, a pumice stone,6 and
some rags. He set down the bottle and, like a surgeon, put on a
pair of rubber gloves.
“You know what you’re doing, boy?” Mr. Clemens asked.
190
José nodded as he walked into the pool. If it had been filled
with water, his chest would have been wet. The new hair on his
chest would have been floating like the legs of a jellyfish.
180
DURING READING
Note the Facts
How does Arnie describe
both José and himself to
Mr. Clemens?
Use Reading Skills
“Oh yeah,” Arnie chimed, speaking for his cousin. “José was
195 born to work.”
José would have drowned his cousin if there had been
more water. Instead, he poured a bleach solution into a rag and
swirled it over an area. He took the wire brush and scrubbed.
The black algae came up like a foamy monster.
“We’re a team,” Arnie said to Mr. Clemens.
200
Arnie descended into the pool and took the bleach bottle
from José. He held it for José and smiled up at Mr. Clemens,
who, hands on hips, watched for a while, the poodle at his side.
He cupped his ear, as if to pick up the sounds of José’s scrubbing.
“Nice day, huh?” Arnie sang.
205
“What?” Mr. Clemens said.
Who displays qualities of a
good worker, Arnie or José?
Use details from the page to
compare and contrast Arnie’s
and José’s work habits.
5. bleach. A strong cleaning solution; to remove stains, to make whiter
6. pumice stone. Volcanic glass, full of small holes; used for smoothing and polishing
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
45
4/23/09 8:44:45 PM
DURING READING
Analyze Literature
210
Theme Why do you think
Mr. Clemens treats Arnie and
José differently? Explain why.
215
220
Use Reading Skills
Compare and Contrast As
you read this page, pay close
attention to what Arnie says
and does. Write these traits in
your Venn diagram in the circle
labeled “Arnie.”
225
230
235
Culture Note
Loquats flourish in California’s
Central Valley. They grow on
short, rounded trees with
palm-shaped leaves. The fruit
is similar to apples and pears,
and many describe its taste as
a combination of apricot, plum,
and cherry. Loquat trees are
often used to shade outdoor
seating areas, such as patios.
46
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
240
245
“Nice day,” Arnie repeated, this time louder. “So which ear
can’t you hear in?” Grinning, Arnie wiggled his ear to make
sure that Mr. Clemens knew what he was asking.
Mr. Clemens ignored Arnie. He watched José, whose arms
worked back and forth like he was sawing logs.
“We’re not only a team,” Arnie shouted, “but we’re also
cousins.”
Mr. Clemens shook his head at Arnie. When he left, the
poodle leading the way, Arnie immediately climbed out of the
pool and sat on the edge, legs dangling.
“It’s going to be blazing,” Arnie complained. He shaded his
eyes with his hand and looked east, where the sun was rising
over a sycamore, its leaves hanging like bats.
José scrubbed. He worked the wire brush over the black and
green stains, the grime dripping like tears. He finished a large
area. He hopped out of the pool and returned hauling a garden
hose with an attached nozzle. He gave the cleaned area a blast.
When the spray got too close, his cousin screamed, got up, and,
searching for something to do, picked a loquat from a tree.
“What’s your favorite fruit?” Arnie asked.
José ignored him.
Arnie stuffed a bunch of loquats into his mouth, then
cursed himself for splattering juice on his new high-tops. He
returned to the pool, his cheeks fat with the seeds, and once
again sat at the edge. He started to tell José how he had first
learned to swim. “We were on vacation in Mazatlán. You been
there, ain’t you?”
José shook his head. He dabbed the bleach solution onto the
sides of the pool with a rag and scrubbed a new area.
“Anyhow, my dad was on the beach and saw this drowned
dead guy,” Arnie continued. “And right there, my dad got
scared and realized I couldn’t swim.”
Arnie rattled on about how his father had taught him in
the hotel pool and later showed him where the drowned man’s
body had been.
“Be quiet,” José said.
“What?”
“I can’t concentrate,” José said, stepping back to look at the
cleaned area.
Arnie shut his mouth but opened it to lick loquat juice
from his fingers. He kicked his legs against the swimming pool,
bored. He looked around the backyard and spotted a lounge
chair. He got up, dusting off the back of his pants, and threw
4/23/09 8:44:47 PM
250
255
260
265
270
275
280
285
290
himself into the cushions. He raised and lowered the back of
the lounge. Sighing, he snuggled in. He stayed quiet for three
minutes, during which time José scrubbed. His arms hurt but
he kept working with long strokes. José knew that in an hour
the sun would drench the pool with light. He hurried to get the
job done.
Arnie then asked, “You ever peel before?”
José looked at his cousin. His nose burned from the bleach.
He scrunched up his face.
“You know, like when you get sunburned.”
“I’m too dark to peel,” José said, his words echoing because
he had advanced to the deep end. “Why don’t you be quiet and
let me work?”
Arnie babbled on that he had peeled when on vacation
in Hawaii. He explained that he was really more French than
Mexican, and that’s why his skin was sensitive. He said that
when he lived in France, people thought that he could be
Portuguese or maybe Armenian, never Mexican.
José felt like soaking his rag with bleach and pressing it over
Arnie’s mouth to make him be quiet.
Then Mr. Clemens appeared. He was dressed in white pants
and a flowery shirt. His thin hair was combed so that his scalp,
as pink as a crab, showed.
“I’m just taking a little rest,” Arnie said.
Arnie leaped back into the pool. He took the bleach bottle
and held it. He smiled at Mr. Clemens, who came to inspect
their progress.
“José’s doing a good job,” Arnie said, then whistled a song.
Mr. Clemens peered into the pool, hands on knees,
admiring the progress.
“Pretty good, huh?” Arnie asked.
Mr. Clemens nodded. Then his hearing aid fell out, and José
turned in time to see it roll like a bottle cap toward the bottom
of the pool. It leaped into the stagnant water with a plop. A
single bubble went up, and it was gone.
“Dang,” Mr. Clemens swore. He took shuffling steps toward
the deep end. He steadied his gaze on where the hearing aid
had sunk. He leaned over and suddenly, arms waving, one
leg kicking out, he tumbled into the pool. He landed standing
up, then his legs buckled, and he crumbled, his head striking
against the bottom. He rolled once, and half of his body settled
in the water.
“Did you see that!” Arnie shouted, big-eyed.
DURING READING
Note the Facts
One of Mr. Clemens’s objects
falls into the swimming pool.
Name the object.
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
47
4/23/09 8:44:48 PM
DURING READING
Use Reading Skills
295
How does Arnie react when
Mr. Clemens falls?
300
How is his reaction different
from José’s reaction?
305
310
star•tled (st5r t’ld) adjective,
frightened or surprised
Culture Note
In the United States, the
three-digit telephone number
9-1-1 is the “Universal
Emergency Number.” Citizens
can contact this emergency
number to get immediate help
from emergency technicians,
police officers, or firefighters.
315
320
José had already dropped his brushes on the side of the pool
and hurried to the old man, who moaned, eyes closed, his false
teeth jutting from his mouth. A ribbon of blood immediately
began to flow from his scalp.
“We better get out of here!” Arnie suggested. “They’re going
to blame us!”
José knelt on both knees at the old man’s side. He took
the man’s teeth from his mouth and placed them in his shirt
pocket. The old man groaned and opened his eyes, which were
shiny wet. He appeared startled, like a newborn.
“Sir, you’ll be all right,” José cooed, then snapped at his
cousin. “Arnie, get over here and help me!”
“I’m going home,” Arnie whined.
“You punk!” José yelled. “Go inside and call 911.”
Arnie said that they should leave him there.
“Why should we get involved?” he cried as he started for his
bike. “It’s his own fault.”
José laid the man’s head down and with giant steps leaped
out of the pool, shoving his cousin as he passed. He went into
the kitchen and punched in 911 on a telephone. He explained to
the operator what had happened. When asked the address, José
dropped the phone and went onto the front porch to look for it.
“It’s 940 East Brown,” José breathed. He hung up and
looked wildly about the kitchen. He opened up the refrigerator
and brought out a plastic tray of ice, which he twisted so that
a few of the cubes popped out and slid across the floor. He
wrapped some cubes in a dish towel. When he raced outside,
Arnie was gone, the yapping poodle was doing laps around the
edge of the pool, and Mr. Clemens was trying to stand up.
Think and Reflect
What would you do if you were in José’s situation? Would you help
Mr. Clemens?
“No, sir,” José said as he jumped into the pool, his own
knees almost buckling. “Please, sit down.”
Mr. Clemens staggered and collapsed. José caught him
325 before he hit his head again. The towel of ice cubes dropped
from his hands. With his legs spread to absorb the weight, José
raised the man up in his arms, this fragile man. He picked him
48
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
4/23/09 8:44:48 PM
330
335
340
345
up and carefully stepped toward the shallow end, one slow
elephant step at a time.
“You’ll be all right,” José said, more to himself than to Mr.
Clemens, who moaned and struggled to be let free.
The sirens wailed in the distance. The poodle yapped, which
started a dog barking in the neighbor’s yard.
“You’ll be OK,” José repeated, and in the shallow end of the
pool, he edged up the steps. He lay the old man in the lounge
chair and raced back inside for more ice and another towel. He
returned outside and placed the bundle of cubes on the man’s
head, where the blood flowed. Mr. Clemens was awake, looking
about. When the old man felt his mouth, José reached into his
shirt pocket and pulled out his false teeth. He fit the teeth into
Mr. Clemens’s mouth and a smile appeared, something bright
at a difficult time.
“I hit my head,” Mr. Clemens said after smacking his teeth
so that the fit was right.
José looked up and his gaze floated to a telephone pole, one
his father might have climbed. If he had been there, his father
would have seen that José was more than just a good worker. He
would have seen a good man. He held the towel to the old man’s
head. The poodle, now quiet, joined them on the lounge chair.
DURING READING
Use Reading Skills
A fire truck pulled into the driveway and soon they were
surrounded by firemen, one of whom brought out a first-aid
kit. A fireman led José away and asked what had happened. He
was starting to explain when his cousin reappeared, yapping
like a poodle.
355
“I was scrubbing the pool,” Arnie shouted, “and I said,
‘Mr. Clemens, you shouldn’t stand so close to the edge.’ But did
he listen? No, he leaned over and…Well, you can just imagine
my horror.”
350
How is Arnie’s version of
Mr. Clemens’s accident different
from the real story?
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
49
4/23/09 8:44:49 PM
DURING READING
José walked away from Arnie’s jabbering. He walked away,
360 and realized that there were people like his cousin, the liar,
and people like himself, someone he was getting to know. He
walked away and in the midmorning heat boosted himself up a
telephone pole.
He climbed up and saw for himself what his father saw365 miles and miles of trees and houses, and a future lost in the
layers of yellowish haze. ✤
&
W
IRRORS
W INDOWS
50
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
What message is the story trying to convey
about hard work? Is it worth it to be a
good worker when you do not profit from
your work?
4/23/09 8:44:50 PM
AFTER READING
READING CHECK
VOCABULARY CHECK
1. On what condition does José agree to go into
business with Arnie?
A. They split their earnings fifty-fifty.
B. Arnie doesn’t talk while José works.
C. José gets 70 percent of their earnings.
1. Workers with grime under their fingernails
have hands that are
A. dirty.
B. hard.
C. shaky.
2. Why does Arnie want José to go into
business with him?
A. He wants to be as rich as Bechtel.
B. He wants José to do all the work for him.
C. He wants to own his own swimming pool.
2. Arnie wants José to earn money with him.
They will split it fifty-fifty, so Arnie will get
A. half of the money.
B. a third of the money.
C. 25 percent of the money.
3. What kind of work does Mr. Clemens need
José and Arnie to do?
A. He needs them to mow his lawn.
B. He needs them to take his dog for a walk.
C. He needs them to clean his
swimming pool.
3. Mr. Clemens will compensate for one boy
only. He will
A. wait for no one else.
B. shout loud orders.
C. pay for nothing more.
4. What does Arnie do when Mr. Clemens gets
into an accident?
A. He helpeds José call 9-1-1.
B. He calleds his dad on the phone.
C. He runs away from Mr. Clemens’s house.
5. What does José tell the firefighters about
the accident?
A. He tells them that Arnie ran away.
B. He isn’t able to tell them anything.
C. He tells them how he helped
Mr. Clemens.
4. Arnie says that his job is to supervise. While
José works, he
A. helps.
B. watches.
C. demands.
5. Mr. Clemens looks startled after opening his
eyes. What happens to him after falling in
the pool?
A. He is excited.
B. He is surprised.
C. He is concerned.
Write a paragraph that evaluates José’s work attitude. What do you think the story is
trying to tell readers about being a good worker?
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
51
4/23/09 8:44:51 PM
1. Review the Venn diagram you completed while reading the story. What traits do
José and Arnie share?
2. Who do you think is a good worker, Arnie or José? Give supporting details from the
selection.
BUILDING LANGUAGE SKILLS: Commas
A comma is a punctuation mark that separates items in a series. A series is a list of
three or more items or ideas. A comma is also placed before the conjunction and in
a series. If there are only two items, there is no need to place a comma before and.
Examples
The colors in the flag are red, white, and blue.
To make a kite, you will need paper, scissors, and string.
A comma is also used before the conjunction in a compound sentence. It shows
that the ideas are separate but still related.
Examples
Arnie wants to earn money, but he wants only José to work.
Mr. Clemens is an old man, and he is deaf.
For each sentence, write correct if the commas are used correctly and incorrect if
the commas are used incorrectly. If the sentence is incorrect, rewrite it correctly on
the line below.
1. José wears a pair of old jeans, and a shirt.
2. He worked hard to remove the grime, algae, and dead leaves.
SPEAKING & LISTENING SKILLS: Role-Play
Imagine that Arnie meets José a few days later to tell him about another job in the
neighborhood. What would José say to Arnie? Would he talk about Mr. Clemens’s
accident? Would he refuse to work with Arnie again? Discuss these questions with
a partner. Use your answers to write a short dialogue script for José and Arnie.
Perform your script in class.
52
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
4/23/09 8:44:51 PM
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
BEFORE READING
page 211
A Short Story by
Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve
ABOUT THE STORY
In “The Medicine Bag,” Martin and Cheryl have always boasted to their friends
about their visits to their Sioux grandfather. What they don’t tell their friends is that
their Grandpa is far from the Native American of their stories. So when Grandpa
visits them in the city, each reacts differently. Cheryl invites all her friends over to
meet Grandpa, but will Martin do the same? Read to see what Martin will do.
MAKE CONNECTIONS
Think about family members or friends who are many years older than you. How do
you relate to them?
A theme is the central idea of the whole text. As you read “The Medicine Bag,” try
to determine the central idea of the text by noting details about the events in the
story and about the characters’ words and actions.
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
53
4/23/09 8:44:52 PM
USE READING SKILLS: Visualize
It is important to make sure that you understand what you are reading to fully
comprehend the text. To monitor comprehension of the text, stop and picture the
events in your head. As you read, fill in the visualization chart below. You can use
words or draw pictures to describe what you visualize.
Visualization Chart
What It Says…
54
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
What I Visualize
4/23/09 8:44:53 PM
PREVIEW VOCABULARY
Key Words and
Phrases
Context
used in a sentence.
wearily
wear•i•ly
(wir> @ l7)
adverb
After a day’s work, the
farmer wearily sits
underneath a big tree.
Something I might do
wearily is…
Miriam could not
continue climbing the
stairs because of extreme
fatigue.
The last time I felt extreme
fatigue was…
My parents frowned upon
my unseemly behavior at
the party.
I remember someone
demonstrating an
unseemly behavior in…
The actor smiled
sheepishly after
forgetting his line.
I sheepishly smile
whenever…
The constant teasing of
her sister rouses Jeff’s
anger.
Events that rouse my
anger include…
1
2
2
3
unseemly
un•seem•ly
(un s7m> l7)
adjective
1
2
3
sheepishly
sheep•ish•ly
(sh7> pish l7)
adverb
1
2
3
rouse
rouse
(rauz)
verb
1
2
3
Practice
sentences.
3
fatigue
fa•tigue
(f@ t7g>)
noun
1
Definition
Write down what you
means. Then use a
definition.
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
55
4/23/09 8:44:53 PM
DURING READING
A Short Story by
Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve
Culture Note
The Sioux are a group of Native
Americans from the Great Lakes
Region. They were considered
great warriors. They prefer to be
called Dakota, Nakota, or Lakota,
according to their language
group.
Note the Facts
What objects did Martin and
his sister use to impress their
friends?
My kid sister Cheryl and I always bragged about our Sioux
grandpa, Joe Iron Shell. Our friends, who had always lived in
the city and knew about Indians only from movies and TV,
were impressed by our stories. Maybe we exaggerated and made
5 Grandpa and the reservation sound glamorous, but when we’d
return home to Iowa after our yearly summer visit to Grandpa
we always had some exciting tale to tell.
We always had some authentic Sioux article to show our
listeners. One year Cheryl had new moccasins1 that Grandpa
10 had made. On another visit he gave me a small, round, flat,
rawhide drum which was decorated with a painting of a warrior
riding a horse. He taught me a real Sioux chant to sing while I
beat the drum with a leather-covered stick that had a feather on
the end. Man, that really made an impression.
Think and Reflect
What image do Martin’s friends have of the narrator's grandfather?
Culture Note
The Rosebud Sioux are from the
Teton Lakota band of the Oceti
Sakowin. The tribe’s homeland is
the Rosebud Indian Reservation
in south-central South Dakota.
The name Rosebud was linked
with the tribe because many wild
rose bushes grew in the area.
We never showed our friends Grandpa’s picture. Not that
we were ashamed of him, but because we knew that the
glamorous tales we told didn’t go with the real thing. Our
friends would have laughed at the picture, because Grandpa
wasn’t tall and stately2 like TV Indians. His hair wasn’t in
20 braids, but hung in stringy, gray strands on his neck and he
was old. He was our great-grandfather, and he didn’t live in a
tipi3 but all by himself in a part log, part tar-paper shack on the
Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota. So when Grandpa came
to visit us, I was so ashamed and embarrassed I could’ve died.
25
There are a lot of yippy poodles and other fancy little dogs
in our neighborhood, but they usually barked singly at the
mailman from the safety of their own yards. Now it sounded as
if a whole pack of mutts were barking together in one place.
15
1. moccasins. A soft leather slipper traditionally worn by certain Native Americans
2. stately. Dignified
3. tepee. A Native American tent
56
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
4/23/09 8:44:53 PM
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
I got up and walked to the curb to see what the commotion
was. About a block away I saw a crowd of little kids yelling,
with the dogs yipping and growling around someone who was
walking down the middle of the street.
I watched the group as it slowly came closer and saw that
in the center of the strange procession was a man wearing a tall
black hat. He’d pause now and then to peer at something in his
hand and then at the houses on either side of the street. I felt
cold and hot at the same time as I recognized the man. “Oh,
no!” I whispered. “It’s Grandpa!”
I stood on the curb, unable to move even though I wanted
to run and hide. Then I got mad when I saw how the yippy
dogs were growling and nipping at the old man’s baggy pant
legs and how wearily he poked them away with his cane.
“Stupid mutts,” I said as I ran to rescue Grandpa.
When I kicked and hollered at the dogs to get away, they
put their tails between their legs and scattered. The kids ran to
the curb where they watched me and the old man.
“Grandpa,” I said and felt pretty dumb when my voice
cracked. I reached for his beat-up old tin suitcase, which was
tied shut with a rope. But he set it down right in the street and
shook my hand.
“Hau, Takoza, Grandchild,” he greeted me formally in
Sioux.
All I could do was stand there with the whole neighborhood
watching and shake the hand of the leather-brown old man. I
saw how his gray hair straggled from under his big black hat,
which had a drooping feather in its crown. His rumpled black
suit hung like a sack over his stooped frame. As he shook my
hand, his coat fell open to expose a bright red satin shirt with a
beaded bolo tie4 under the collar. His getup wasn’t out of place
on the reservation, but it sure was here, and I wanted to sink
right through the pavement.
“Hi,” I muttered with my head down. I tried to pull my
hand away when I felt his bony hand trembling, and looked up
to see fatigue in his face. I felt like crying. I couldn’t think of
anything to say so I picked up Grandpa’s suitcase, took his arm,
and guided him up the driveway to our house.
Mom was standing on the steps. I don’t know how long she’d
been watching, but her hand was over her mouth and she looked
as if she couldn’t believe what she saw. Then she ran to us.
DURING READING
Use Reading Skills
Visualize Picture how the
narrator looks as he sees his
grandfather walking down the
street. What kind of expression or
gestures might the narrator have?
Describe your mental pictures in
your visualization chart.
wear•i•ly (wir> @ l7) adverb, in an
exhausted way
Build Vocabulary
Read lines 39–43. What do you
think wearily means?
fa•tigue (f@ t7g>) noun, extreme
weariness or exhaustion
4. bolo tie. Cord with ornamental fastening, worn as a necktie
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
57
4/23/09 8:44:54 PM
DURING READING
70
un•seem•ly (un s7m> l7) adjective,
not decent or proper
Build Vocabulary
Read lines 72–74 about how
a display of affection would
embarrass Grandpa. What does
the word unseemly suggest?
75
80
85
Note the Facts
How does Cheryl greet Grandpa?
90
Note the Facts
What does Martin find around
Grandpa’s neck?
95
100
105
110
“Grandpa,” she gasped. “How in the world did you get here?”
She checked her move to embrace Grandpa and I remembered that such a display of affection is unseemly to the Sioux
and would embarrass him.
“Hau, Marie,” he said as he shook Mom’s hand. She smiled
and took his other arm.
As we supported him up the steps the door banged open and
Cheryl came bursting out of the house. She was all smiles and was
so obviously glad to see Grandpa that I was ashamed of how I felt.
“Grandpa!” she yelled happily. “You came to see us!”
Grandpa smiled and Mom and I let go of him as he
stretched out his arms to my ten-year-old sister, who was still
young enough to be hugged.
“Wicincala, little girl,” he greeted her and then collapsed.
He had fainted. Mom and I carried him into her sewing
room, where we had a spare bed.
After we had Grandpa on the bed Mom stood there
helplessly patting his shoulder.
“Shouldn’t we call the doctor, Mom?” I suggested, since she
didn’t seem to know what to do.
“Yes,” she agreed with a sigh. “You make Grandpa
comfortable, Martin.”
I reluctantly moved to the bed. I knew Grandpa wouldn’t
want to have Mom undress him, but I didn’t want to, either. He
was so skinny and frail that his coat slipped off easily. When I
loosened his tie and opened his shirt collar, I felt a small leather
pouch that hung from a thong5 around his neck. I left it alone
and moved to remove his boots. The scuffed old cowboy boots
were tight and he moaned as I put pressure on his legs to jerk
them off.
I put the boots on the floor and saw why they fit so tight.
Each one was stuffed with money. I looked at the bills that lined
the boots and started to ask about them, but Grandpa’s eyes
were closed again.
Mom came back with a basin of water. “The doctor thinks
Grandpa is suffering from heat exhaustion,” she explained as
she bathed Grandpa’s face. Mom gave a big sigh, “Oh, hinh,
Martin. How do you suppose he got here?”
We found out after the doctor’s visit. Grandpa was angrily
sitting up in bed while Mom tried to feed him some soup.
“Tonight you let Marie feed you, Grandpa,” spoke my dad,
who had gotten home from work just as the doctor was leaving.
5. thong. Narrow strip of leather
58
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
4/23/09 8:44:54 PM
“You’re not really sick,” he said as he gently pushed Grandpa
back against the pillows. “The doctor said you just got too tired
and hot after your long trip.”
DURING READING
Note the Facts
Why does Grandpa decide to
visit Martin's family?
115
120
125
130
135
140
Grandpa relaxed, and between sips of soup he told us of his
journey. Soon after our visit to him Grandpa decided that he
would like to see where his only living descendants lived and
what our home was like. Besides, he admitted sheepishly, he
was lonesome after we left.
I knew everybody felt as guilty as I did—especially Mom.
Mom was all Grandpa had left. So even after she married my
dad, who’s a white man and teaches in the college in our city,
and after Cheryl and I were born, Mom made sure that every
summer we spent a week with Grandpa.
I never thought that Grandpa would be lonely after our
visits, and none of us noticed how old and weak he had become.
But Grandpa knew and so he came to us. He had ridden on
buses for two and a half days.When he arrived in the city, tired
and stiff from sitting for so long, he set out, walking, to find us.
He had stopped to rest on the steps of some building
downtown and a policeman found him. The cop, according to
Grandpa, was a good man who took him to the bus stop and
waited until the bus came and told the driver to let Grandpa
out at Bell View Drive. After Grandpa got off the bus, he started
walking again. But he couldn’t see the house numbers on the
other side when he walked on the sidewalk, so he walked in
the middle of the street. That’s when all the little kids and dogs
followed him.
I knew everybody felt as bad as I did. Yet I was proud of this
86-year-old man, who had never been away from the reservation, having the courage to travel so far alone.
“You found the money in my boots?” he asked Mom.
sheep•ish•ly (sh7> pish l7) adverb,
in an awkward, shy, or embarrassed
manner
Use Reading Skills
Visualize As you read about
Grandpa's journey to Martin's
house, try to picture Grandpa
during each part of the trip. Draw
or describe mental pictures you
form in your visualization chart.
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
59
4/23/09 8:44:55 PM
DURING READING
Think and Reflect
Why does Martin have mixed feelings while listening to Grandpa's story?
rouse (rauz) verb, stir up, as to anger
or action
145
150
Analyze Literature
Theme How does Dad's
response to Grandpa fit in with
the theme of the story?
155
160
165
Note the Facts
170
How does Martin feel about
wearing the medicine bag?
175
60
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
“Martin did,” she answered, and roused herself to scold.
“Grandpa, you shouldn’t have carried so much money. What if
someone had stolen it from you?”
Grandpa laughed. “I would’ve known if anyone had tried to
take the boots off my feet. The money is what I’ve saved for a
long time—a hundred dollars—for my funeral. But you take it
now to buy groceries so that I won’t be a burden to you while I
am here.”
“That won’t be necessary, Grandpa,” Dad said. “We are
honored to have you with us and you will never be a burden. I am
only sorry that we never thought to bring you home with us this
summer and spare you the discomfort of a long trip.”
Grandpa was pleased. “Thank you,” he answered. “But do
not feel bad that you didn’t bring me with you for I would not
have come then. It was not time.” He said this in such a way
that no one could argue with him. To Grandpa and the Sioux,
he once told me, a thing would be done when it was the right
time to do it, and that’s the way it was.
“Also,” Grandpa went on, looking at me, “I have come
because it is soon time for Martin to have the medicine bag.”
We all knew what that meant. Grandpa thought he was
going to die and he had to follow the tradition of his family to
pass the medicine bag, along with its history, to the oldest male
child.
“Even though the boy,” he said still looking at me, “bears a
white man’s name, the medicine bag will be his.”
I didn’t know what to say. I had the same hot and cold
feeling that I had when I first saw Grandpa in the street.
The medicine bag was the dirty leather pouch I had found
around his neck. “I could never wear such a thing,” I almost
said aloud. I thought of having my friends see it in gym class,
at the swimming pool, and could imagine the smart things they
would say. But I just swallowed hard and took a step toward the
bed. I knew I would have to take it.
4/23/09 8:44:57 PM
180
185
190
195
200
205
210
215
But Grandpa was tired. “Not now, Martin,” he said, waving
his hand in dismissal, “it is not time. Now I will sleep.”
So that’s how Grandpa came to be with us for two months.
My friends kept asking to come see the old man, but I put them
off.6 I told myself that I didn’t want them laughing at Grandpa.
But even as I made excuses I knew it wasn’t Grandpa that I was
afraid they’d laugh at.
Nothing bothered Cheryl about bringing her friends to see
Grandpa. Every day after school started there’d be a crew of
giggling little girls or round-eyed little boys crowded around the
old man on the patio,7 where he’d gotten in the habit of sitting
every afternoon.
Grandpa would smile in his gentle way and patiently answer
their questions, or he’d tell them stories of brave warriors,
ghosts, animals, and the kids listened in awed silence. Those
little guys thought Grandpa was great.
Finally, one day after school, my friends came home with
me because nothing I said stopped them. “We’re going to
see the great Indian of Bell View Drive,” said Hank, who was
supposed to be my best friend. “My brother has seen him three
times so he oughta be well enough to see us.”
When we got to my house Grandpa was sitting on the patio.
He had on his red shirt, but today he also wore a fringed leather
vest that was decorated with beads. Instead of his usual cowboy
boots he had solidly beaded moccasins on his feet that stuck out
of his black trousers. Of course, he had his old black hat on—he
was seldom without it. But it had been brushed and the feather
in the beaded headband was proudly erect, its tip a brighter
white. His hair lay in silver strands over the red shirt collar.
I stared just as my friends did and I heard one of them
murmur, “Wow!”
Grandpa looked up and when his eyes met mine they
twinkled as if he were laughing inside. He nodded to me and
my face got all hot. I could tell that he had known all along I
was afraid he’d embarrass me in front of my friends.
“Hau, hoksilas, boys,” he greeted and held out his hand.
My buddies passed in a single file and shook his hand as I
introduced them. They were so polite I almost laughed. “How,
there, Grandpa,” and even a “How-do-you-do, sir.”
“You look fine, Grandpa,” I said as the guys sat on the lawn
chairs or on the patio floor.
DURING READING
Note the Facts
What do Cheryl’s friends think of
Grandpa?
Note the Facts
What changes in Grandpa’s
appearance during the boys'
visit?
Read Aloud
Read aloud lines 208–211.
How do Martin’s friends react to
Grandpa?
6. put them off. To delay or postpone
7. patio. An area, usually paved, connecting a house
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
61
4/23/09 8:44:58 PM
DURING READING
220
225
230
235
Note the Facts
What does Martin dream about?
62
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
“Hanh, yes,” he agreed. “When I woke up this morning it
seemed the right time to dress in the good clothes. I knew that
my grandson would be bringing his friends.”
“You guys want some lemonade or something?” I offered.
No one answered. They were listening to Grandpa as he started
telling how he’d killed the deer from which his vest was made.
Grandpa did most of the talking while my friends were
there. I was so proud of him and amazed at how respectfully quiet my buddies were. Mom had to chase them home at
supper time. As they left they shook Grandpa’s hand again and
said to me:
“Martin, he’s really great!”
“Yeah, man! Don’t blame you for keeping him to yourself.”
“Can we come back?”
But after they left, Mom said, “No more visitors for a
while, Martin. Grandpa won’t admit it, but his strength hasn’t
returned. He likes having company, but it tires him.”
That evening Grandpa called me to his room before he went
to sleep. “Tomorrow,” he said, “when you come home, it will be
time to give you the medicine bag.”
I felt a hard squeeze from where my heart is supposed to be
and was scared, but I answered, “OK, Grandpa.”
All night I had weird dreams about thunder and lightning
240
on a high hill. From a distance I heard the slow beat of a drum.
When I woke up in the morning I felt as if I hadn’t slept at all.
At school it seemed as if the day would never end and, when it
finally did, I ran home.
Grandpa was in his room, sitting on the bed. The shades
245
were down, and the place was dim and cool. I sat on the floor
in front of Grandpa, but he didn’t even look at me. After what
seemed a long time he spoke.
4/23/09 8:44:58 PM
250
255
260
265
270
275
280
285
“I sent your mother and sister away. What you will hear
today is only for a man’s ears. What you will receive is only for
a man’s hands.” He fell silent and I felt shivers down my back.
“My father in his early manhood,” Grandpa began, “made
a vision quest8 to find a spirit guide for his life. You cannot
understand how it was in that time when the great Teton Sioux
were first made to stay on the reservation. There was a strong
need for guidance from Wakantanka, the Great Spirit. But too
many of the young men were filled with despair and hatred.
They thought it was hopeless to search for a vision when the
glorious life was gone and only the hated confines9 of a reservation lay ahead. But my father held to the old ways.
“He carefully prepared for his quest with a purifying10 sweat
bath and then he went alone to a high butte11 top to fast and
pray. After three days he received his sacred dream—in which
he found, after long searching, the white man’s iron. He did
not understand his vision of finding something belonging to
the white people, for in that time they were the enemy. When
he came down from the butte to cleanse himself at the stream
below, he found the remains of a campfire and the broken shell
of an iron kettle. This was a sign which reinforced12 his dream.
He took a piece of the iron for his medicine bag, which he had
made of elk skin years before, to prepare for his quest.
“He returned to his village, where he told his dream to the
wise old men of the tribe. They gave him the name Iron Shell,
but neither did they understand the meaning of the dream.
The first Iron Shell kept the piece of iron with him at all times
and believed it gave him protection from the evils of those
unhappy days.
“Then a terrible thing happened to Iron Shell. He and
several other young men were taken from their homes by the
soldiers and sent far away to a white man’s boarding school.
He was angry and lonesome for his parents and the young
girl he had wed before he was taken away. At first Iron Shell
resisted the teachers’ attempts to change him and he did not
try to learn. One day it was his turn to work in the school’s
blacksmith13 shop. As he walked into the place he knew that
his medicine had brought him there to learn and work with the
white man’s iron.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
Note the Facts
How does Grandpa's father find
his spirit guide?
Note the Facts
What does Iron Shell discover
about his medicine?
vision quest. Spiritual journey
confines. Limits or boundaries
purifying. Cleansing
butte. Isolated hill or mountain
reinforced. Strengthened
blacksmith. A person who forms objects of iron.
DURING READING
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
63
4/23/09 8:44:59 PM
DURING READING
“Iron Shell became a blacksmith and worked at the trade
when he returned to the reservation. All of his life he treasured
290 the medicine bag. When he was old and I was a man, he gave it
to me, for no one made the vision quest any more.”
Grandpa quit talking and I stared in disbelief as he covered
his face with his hands. His shoulders were shaking with quiet
sobs and I looked away until he began to speak again.
Think and Reflect
Why is Grandpa crying?
295
300
305
Note the Facts
What is in the medicine bag?
310
315
320
“I kept the bag until my son, your mother’s father, was a
man and had to leave us to fight in the war across the ocean. I
gave him the bag, for I believed it would protect him in battle,
but he did not take it with him. He was afraid that he would
lose it. He died in a faraway place.”
Again Grandpa was still and I felt his grief around me.
“My son,” he went on after clearing his throat, “had only a
daughter and it is not proper for her to know of these things.”
He unbuttoned his shirt, pulled out the leather pouch, and
lifted it over his head. He held it in his hand, turning it over
and over as if memorizing how it looked.
“In the bag,” he said as he opened it and removed two
objects, “is the broken shell of the iron kettle, a pebble from
the butte, and a piece of the sacred sage.”14 He held the pouch
upside down and dust drifted down.
“After the bag is yours you must put a piece of prairie sage
within and never open it again until you pass it on to your son.”
He replaced the pebble and the piece of iron, and tied the bag.
I stood up, somehow knowing I should. Grandpa slowly
rose from the bed and stood upright in front of me holding the
bag before my face. I closed my eyes and waited for him to slip
it over my head. But he spoke.
“No, you need not wear it.” He placed the soft leather bag
in my right hand and closed my other hand over it. “It would
not be right to wear it in this time and place where no one
will understand. Put it safely away until you are again on the
reservation. Wear it then, when you replace the sacred sage.”
14. sage. A type of a fragrant plant
64
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
4/23/09 8:44:59 PM
DURING READING
Grandpa turned and sat again on the bed. Wearily he leaned
his head against the pillow. “Go,” he said. “I will sleep now.”
“Thank you, Grandpa,” I said softly and left with the bag in
325 my hands.
That night Mom and Dad took Grandpa to the hospital.
Two weeks later I stood alone on the lonely prairie of the
reservation and put the sacred sage in my medicine bag. ✤
&
W
IRRORS
W INDOWS
How would you have felt in Martin's
position? What would your reaction be to
having different generations of your family
live with you?
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
65
4/23/09 8:45:00 PM
AFTER READING
READING CHECK
VOCABULARY CHECK
1. What conclusion can you make about
Martin's grandfather?
A. He is a proud man.
B. He is a weak man.
C. He does not appreciate his family.
2. Who has mixed feelings about Grandpa’s visit
at the beginning of the story?
A. Cheryl
B. Father
C. Martin
3. What does Martin find in Grandpa’s boots?
A. crumpled paper
B. medicine bag
C. money
4. Who is Iron Shell?
A. Grandpa’s brother
B. Grandpa’s father
C. Grandpa’s son
5. What conclusion can you make about
Martin's feelings toward his grandfather at the
end of the story?
A. Martin is embarrassed by him.
B. Martin feels proud of him and respects
him.
C. Martin wants him to go home to the
reservation.
1. Tired after a long journey, Grandpa wearily
pokes the dogs that surround him as he
walks in the street. Which word in the
sentence relates to the meaning of wearily?
A. journey
B. surround
C. tired
2. Martin feels like crying after seeing fatigue in
Grandpa’s face. What does fatigue mean?
A. tiredness
B. happiness
C. loneliness
3. Displaying affection is unseemly to the Sioux,
so Grandpa only shakes hands with Martin’s
mom. What does unseemly mean?
A. unknown
B. expected
C. improper
4. Grandpa admits sheepishly that he was lonely
when Martin’s family left him last summer. How
does Grandpa reveal this information?
A. boldly
B. shyly
C. excitedly
5. Martin’s mother rouses herself to scold
Grandpa after finding money in his father’s
boots. What does rouse mean?
A. turn up
B. mix up
C. stir up
Write a sentence or two describing the message of the story in your notebook.
USE READING SKILLS: Visualize
Think about parts of the story during which you visualized events in the text. Briefly
describe how forming the images in your mind helped you understand the text.
66
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
4/23/09 8:45:02 PM
BUILD LANGUAGE SKILLS: Subject and Verb Agreement
The subject of a sentence—who or what the sentence is about—must agree with
its verb. This means that if the subject is singular, or only one, the verb must be in
singular form. If the subject is plural, or more than one, the verb must be plural.
EXAMPLES
The boy plays in the garden. (singular)
The boys play in the garden. (plural)
Sometimes the subject and the verb are separated in a sentence by other words or
phrases. Even in such cases, the subject and verb must agree.
EXAMPLES
The boy with the black bag plays in the garden. (singular)
The boys from Brooklyn play in the garden. (plural)
Write the correct form of the verb in the following sentences.
1. Martin’s grandfather
2. Martin
very tired. (look)
money in Grandpa’s boots. (find)
3. Cheryl, Martin’s sister,
4. Cheryl’s friends
proud of her Grandpa. (feel)
spending time with Grandpa. (enjoy)
WRITING SKILLS
Write a short personal essay about a tradition in your family that you are proud of.
Describe in detail this tradition and how it has helped you better understand who
you are as a person.
Use the checklist below to guide you as you write.
Writing Checklist:
Does the essay give meaningful background on the family tradition?
Do the details help the reader clearly understand what the tradition is?
Does the essay explain why the tradition is personally meaningful to the
student?
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
67
4/23/09 8:45:02 PM
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
BEFORE READING
page 238
Essay by
David L. Parker
ABOUT THE STORY
“The Story of Iqbal Masih” describes the experience of a young boy named
Iqbal Masih and his determination to stop child labor in factories around the world.
Iqbal was forced to work in a carpet factory to help pay his parents’ debt. With the
help of a man named Essan Ulla Khan, the young boy was able to make other
people aware of the child workers in his country. Read the essay to find out what
Iqbal did to help thousands of other Pakistani children.
MAKE CONNECTIONS
Describe a time you worked hard for a good cause. How did you deal with the
situation?
The setting of a story is the time and place in which the story happens.
As you read the essay, point out the details that provide a clear picture of
the story’s setting.
68
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
4/23/09 8:45:02 PM
USE READING SKILLS: Make Inferences
When you make inferences, you connect the clues given in the text with what you
already know to come up with a new idea. As you read, pay close attention to the
important details. In the chart below, record these details and write your inferences
about what the writer is trying to communicate.
Inference Chart
Text or Details
What I Infer
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
69
4/23/09 8:45:05 PM
PREVIEW VOCABULARY
Key Words and
Phrases
Context
used in a sentence.
intricate
in•tri•cate
(in tri k@t)
adjective
I find it hard to imitate
his intricate scrapbook
designs.
This puzzle is intricate
because…
Elmer’s boss reminded
him to ignore the memo
and stick to his work.
Sid needs to stick to his
work because…
Their masters held them
in bondage.
A time in history when
people were kept in
bondage was…
Fred failed many times,
but his perseverance
helped him find a
good job.
A person with
perseverance will
succeed because…
The workers’ plight led
to new reforms in the
company’s organization.
They were in a terrible
plight when…
1
2
2
3
bondage
bond•age
(b5n dij)
noun
1
2
3
perseverance
per•se•ver•ance
(pur s@ vir en(t)s)
noun
1
2
3
plight
plight
(pl8t)
noun
1
70
2
Practice
sentences.
3
stick to his work
idiom
1
Definition
Write down what you
means. Then use a
definition.
3
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
4/23/09 8:45:06 PM
DURING READING
Essay by
David L. Parker
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Each morning, six days a week, more than half a million
children between the ages of four and fourteen rise before
dawn and make their way along dark country roads leading to
Pakistan’s carpet factories. Most of these children must be at
work by 6:00 AM. If they are late, they may be punished—hit
with a wooden cane, or worse, hung upside down, their ankles
tightly bound with rope. The carpet weavers work 14 hours a
day, with only a 30-minute break for lunch.
Iqbal Masih was one of these workers. He started
working in a carpet factory when he was just four years old.
His parents were poor farmers living near Lahore, the largest
city in Pakistan. Because they did not have enough money
to feed their children or buy them clothes, Iqbal’s parents
made a very difficult choice. In exchange for a small sum of
money, about $16, they agreed to send their son to work in
a nearby carpet factory until he had earned enough money
to pay back the loan. Iqbal was told he would be paid three
cents a day for his work.
A man named Arshad owned the factory. Inside, the only
light came from two bare light bulbs that hung in the middle of
the room like dragon’s eyes. Only a few flecks of paint dotted
the walls. The carpet looms looked as though they were a
hundred years old. Two strong wooden beams ran across the
top and bottom of each loom’s frame, which had been created
by driving four large stakes into the ground.
In front of each loom sat a small child on a piece of
wood scaffolding1. The young weaver would tie short
lengths of brightly colored thread to a warp2 of heavier
white threads. To make just one carpet, workers had to tie
more than a million small knots into a colorful rhythm of
circles, squares, and other intricate designs. In the United
States, hand-knotted carpets such as these sell for more than
$2,000 each.
The scaffold bench could be moved up or down as the child
worked on the rug, so the rug did not have to be moved. Except
Analyze Literature
Setting How would you
describe the setting of the story?
Note the Facts
Why did Iqbal have to work in
the carpet factory?
in•tri•cate (in tri k@t) adjective, very
complicated
1. scaffolding. A kind of support, usually made of wood
2. warp. Pile
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
71
4/23/09 8:45:06 PM
DURING READING
Note the Facts
Why were the children not
allowed to speak to each other
while working?
40
45
Use Reading Skills
Make Inferences Why do
you think the police officer did
not try to help Iqbal? Write your
inference in your chart.
stick to his work idiom, continue
doing one’s work
50
55
Build Vocabulary
Idioms What do you think the
police officer meant when he
told Iqbal to stick to his work?
60
65
Culture Note
Usury is the illegal lending of
money at a very high rate of
interest. Borrowers often end
up borrowing more money to
pay their debts, as Iqbal’s family
did. Even though usury is illegal,
in some countries it is often
overlooked.
72
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
70
75
for a rare and forbidden whisper, the children never spoke to
one another. “If I let them talk, I know they will start making
mistakes,” Iqbal’s boss said. “And when they make mistakes,
I lose money.”
If the children complained about how they were treated,
they were beaten. Over the years, Iqbal received many cuts and
bruises from Arshad’s punishments. And Iqbal found out what
would happen if he talked back or tried to force Arshad to stop
treating the workers so badly.
One night, when Iqbal was 10 years old, Arshad pulled him
out of bed at 3:00 AM and ordered him to repair some carpets.
Iqbal went to the local police to complain. He told them that his
boss had beat him up and showed them the bruises on his arms.
One of the police officers glared at Iqbal. He told him he had no
right to complain—he’d better stick to his work and do what
he was told. The officer grabbed Iqbal by his sore arm and led
him back to the factory. “If he tries this again, chain him to his
loom,” the officer told Arshad.
Arshad did chain Iqbal to his loom. Even when Iqbal hurt
so much he could hardly move, he fought back. He believed
that what Arshad was doing was wrong.
At 10 years old, Iqbal was just under 4 feet tall, the normal
size of a child who is two or three years younger. He weighed
less than 60 pounds. From years of sitting hunched in front of
the loom, his spine curved like that of an old man. When Iqbal
walked, his feet shuffled slowly, as though he were wearing
slippers that were too big. Arshad told Iqbal that the harder
he worked, the faster the loan made to his parents would
be paid off. But no matter what Iqbal did, the loan just got
bigger and bigger. Iqbal’s father left home, and his mother was
forced to borrow more money from Arshad. By the time Iqbal
was 11 years old, his loan had increased to $419—more than
25 times the original amount. When Iqbal heard this, he knew
he would be trapped forever unless he found a way to escape.
In the summer of 1992, Iqbal heard about a meeting to be
held in a nearby town. A man named Essan Ulla Khan was
going to speak about a new law forbidding carpet factories to
employ children. Iqbal decided he must go to this meeting.
On the day of the meeting, Iqbal had worked almost
10 hours. In Arshad’s factory there were no fans and no open
windows. In the summer, the heat climbed to 120 degrees
Fahrenheit. When Iqbal finally made it to the meeting, he was
exhausted and very hot. He managed to push his way through
4/23/09 8:45:07 PM
80
85
90
95
100
105
the crowd to the front. He sat on the floor below the platform
where Khan was speaking.
Khan talked about an organization called the Bonded Labor
Liberation Front (BLLF). Its goal was to free Pakistan’s bonded
laborers. Like Iqbal, they were treated as slaves. The companies
they worked for owned them just as they owned property
or buildings. The workers were not free to leave their jobs.
Khan said that thousands of children worked in bondage in
Pakistan’s textile and brick factories, tanneries3, and steelworks.
Under the new law, bonded laborers did not have to work if
they did not want to.
When Khan finished speaking, several people jumped up to
ask questions. Finally Khan noticed Iqbal’s small raised hand
and told the audience to let the boy speak. After a pause, Iqbal
asked quietly, “How can I stop working and go to school?”
Khan explained that Iqbal had new rights under the law. He
could show Arshad some legal papers and Arshad would have
to let Iqbal go. Khan also told Iqbal about the schools that the
BLLF sponsored for children who had been bonded laborers.
The next morning, when Iqbal returned to the carpet
factory, he took the legal papers with him. He told Arshad he
would no longer work, nor would he pay his debt, because
bonded labor was illegal. Arshad’s face grew red with anger.
He cursed at Iqbal and beat him. But Iqbal escaped and ran out
of the factory.
Two days later, Arshad came to Iqbal’s home, demanding
that Iqbal return to the factory or pay the money he said the
family owed. Iqbal stood his ground. He knew he could count
on his new friend for help.
DURING READING
Use Reading Skills
Make Inferences Why do you
think Iqbal wanted to go to the
meeting? Write your inference in
your chart.
bond•age (b5n dij) noun, condition
of being bound to someone
Read Aloud
Read lines 98–103. Why was
Arshad angry?
3. tanneries. A place for making leather
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
73
4/23/09 8:45:07 PM
DURING READING
per•se•ver•ance (pur s@ vir en(t)s)
noun, moving on despite difficulties
110
Build Vocabulary
What other words are related to
the word perseverance?
115
120
Note the Facts
What did Iqbal want to be when
he grew up?
125
130
Note the Facts
What did Iqbal do in a carpet
factory in Kasur?
Khan did help Iqbal get away from the factory. He threatened
to have Arshad arrested if he protested. Khan greatly admired
Iqbal’s courage and perseverance. He found Iqbal a place in a
BLLF primary school in Lahore.
Iqbal told his teachers that he wanted to become a lawyer
and fight for children’s rights. He did not want any child to
suffer the way he had. Some of the other kids at school teased
him by calling him “Chief Justice,” but he didn’t care. He
worked hard at school and was a good student. Every night after
school, he brought a book to bed and read late into the night.
Other children were not as lucky. Many did not hear about
the new law. Factory owners kept workers from talking to
people from the BLLF. The police did not enforce the labor
law4, and factories just ignored it.
Iqbal and Khan started traveling together to talk about the
new law and to free young bonded laborers. One day Khan took
Iqbal to visit a carpet factory in a village called Kasur. Because Iqbal
was so small, the guards let him in the gate, thinking he was just
another worker. But once he was inside, Iqbal started asking the
children questions. How often were they beaten? How often did
they have to work overtime? How were they treated?
Khan used the information that Iqbal gathered to write an
investigative report5. Because of the report, police raided the
factory and found 300 children who had been tortured and
beaten. They were all between the ages of four and ten.
Think and Reflect
How did Iqbal help the children working in Kasur?
Note the Facts
Why was Iqbal honored by ABC
News and Reebok Corporation?
When Iqbal was 12 years old, he began speaking to huge
crowds in Pakistan and India. He inspired 3,000 child workers
135 to break away from their masters6. He encouraged adults to
demand better working conditions. People in Europe and the
United States heard about Iqbal and invited him to come speak
in their countries. He told audiences that the colorful carpets
some of them had in their homes were made by children who
140 lived as slaves. In the United States, Iqbal was featured on
4. labor law. A law that covers people who are working
5. investigative report. A document that provides information about a controversial topic
6. masters. The people servants work for
74
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
4/23/09 8:45:08 PM
145
150
155
160
165
ABC News as “Person of the Week.” The Reebok Corporation
honored him with an award for his work.
When people learned how their carpets were being
made, they did not want to buy any more. In 1992, factories
in Pakistan sold fewer carpets to foreign countries than in
previous years. At first, the decline was slight, but two years
later sales fell sharply.
Carpet factory owners and managers were furious. The
Pakistan Carpet Manufacturers and Exporters Association
blamed “subversive organizations” and “the child revolutionary.”
Threats were made on Iqbal’s life.
On Easter Sunday7 in 1995, Iqbal went to visit relatives in
a rural village. After spending some time with his aunt, he and
two cousins rode their bicycles to see Iqbal’s uncle, who was
working in a nearby field. As the boys bounced along the dirt
path, someone suddenly fired a shotgun at them from a short
distance. Iqbal was instantly killed. He was 12 years old.
No one knows exactly what happened or who killed Iqbal.
Some people say it was an accident. Others say it was a murder
arranged by the carpet manufacturers. The real facts may never
be known. Many human rights groups accused the police of
failing to investigate the crime thoroughly.
At Iqbal’s funeral, 800 mourners crowded into the small
village cemetery. A week later, 3,000 protesters—half of them
under the age of 12—marched through the streets of Lahore.
For many children working under harsh conditions, Iqbal
Masih provided a voice. He gave them the courage to follow
him out of bondage. His story brought attention to the plight of
the world’s working children. ✤
7. Easter Sunday. A Christian holiday
&
W
IRRORS
W INDOWS
Do you think Iqbal died in vain? How did
Iqbal’s life inspire you? What do you admire
most about the boy?
DURING READING
Note the Facts
How were the factory owners
affected by Iqbal’s speeches?
Analyze Literature
Setting When and where was
Iqbal killed?
plight (pl8t) noun, difficult or
unfortunate situation
Build Vocabulary
What other word or phrase could
you substitute for plight in the
last sentence?
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
75
4/23/09 8:45:09 PM
AFTER READING
READING CHECK
VOCABULARY CHECK
1. Why did Iqbal end up working in the carpet
factory?
A. because he needed to help pay his
parents’ loan
B. because he refused to attend his classes
C. because he wanted to buy a new pair
of shoes
1. Carpet designs are very intricate. You have
to tie more than a million small knots into a
pattern of circles, squares, and other designs.
What does intricate mean?
A. colorful
B. complicated
C. creative
2. How old was Iqbal when he started working
in the carpet factory?
A. three
B. four
C. five
2. The officer told Iqbal that he had no right
to complain and that he’d better stick to his
work. What does stick to his work suggest?
A. continue doing his work
B. put sticky tape on his hands
C. change his attitude toward work
3. Who was Essan Ulla Khan?
A. He was the owner of the carpet factory
where Iqbal worked.
B. He was the president of the Bonded
Labor Liberation Front.
C. He helped Iqbal get away from the carpet
factory.
4. What honor did Iqbal receive from
ABC News?
A. Person of the Month
B. Person of the Week
C. Person of the Year
5. How did Iqbal die?
A. from a gunshot
B. in a bicycle accident
C. from a serious illness
3. Khan told Iqbal that thousands of
children work in bondage in different
Pakistani companies. Someone who is in
bondage feels
A. responsible.
B. powerful.
C. controlled.
4. Khan admired Iqbal’s courage and
perseverance. Which other word has the
same meaning as perseverance?
A. bravery
B. determination
C. intelligence
5. Iqbal’s story brought attention to the plight
of the world’s working children. What does
plight mean?
A. issue
B. problem
C. solution
Write the details that the author gives to provide a clear picture of the setting.
76
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
4/23/09 8:45:10 PM
USE READING SKILLS: Make Inferences
Look at the chart of inferences that you created. As you read the story, what details in
the story supported or confirmed the inferences that you made?
BUILD LANGUAGE SKILLS: Adverbs
Adverbs answer such questions as when, where, and how an action takes place.
EXAMPLES
I will visit Grandpa on Saturday. (when)
The students are playing outside. (where)
She happily accepts my job offer. (how)
Identify which question is answered by the underlined adverbs in the following
sentences.
1. The officer held Iqbal in the arm tightly.
2. Iqbal goes to work every day.
3. Khan willingly answered all the questions.
4. Iqbal returned to the factory the following day.
5. Iqbal visited his relatives in a rural village.
WORK TOGETHER
Work with a partner to research more about Iqbal Masih. Use the Internet or other
reference materials to learn more about this young boy from Pakistan. Focus on details
that are not mentioned in the essay. Use note cards to record important and interesting
details about his life. Then, share your notes with the rest of the class.
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
77
4/23/09 8:45:10 PM
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
BEFORE READING
page 244
A Short Story by
Morley Callaghan
ABOUT THE STORY
“Luke Baldwin’s Vow” is a coming-of-age story that shows how a boy deals
with challenges. Luke Baldwin learns what has true value in life after he becomes
attached to a dog. With the help of Mr. Kemp, Luke learns how to respond to
practical people, such as Uncle Henry. Read to find out what happens.
MAKE CONNECTIONS
People have different attitudes toward their pets and other possessions. Tell about
an object or a pet that you love. How would you explain your thoughts and feelings
to someone who does not understand why you value this object or pet so much?
ANALYZE LITERATURE: Character
A character is a person or animal who is part of the action in
a story. Characters are flat characters when they display only
one kind of quality or trait. Round characters show a range of
traits and qualities. Round characters tend to be more complex
and realistic. As you read, think about which characters are flat,
and which characters are round.
78
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
4/23/09 8:45:11 PM
USE READING SKILLS: Analyze Cause and Effect
When you analyze cause and effect, you are looking for the relationship between
causes and one or more effects. A cause can be anything that makes something
else happen. A cause can be a character’s action or an event in the story. The
effect is what happens because of the cause. An effect can be a character’s
response to a specific event. Using a graphic organizer like the one below will help
you keep track of the causes and effects in the story.
Cause-and-Effect Chart
Cause
Effect
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
79
4/23/09 8:45:13 PM
PREVIEW VOCABULARY
Key Words and
Phrases
Context
used in a sentence.
precise
pre•cise
(pri s8s)
adjective
His solutions to the math
problems are precise.
Precise instructions make
sure that…
The teacher wants to
assess the students’
mastery of the lesson.
To assess a problem
correctly…
The smell of chocolates
can divert Mina’s
attention in a second.
Activities that can divert
attention from studying
are…
The new student was very
aloof and was always
alone.
A person who is aloof is
always…
They were competent
workers.
People who are
competent are…
1
2
2
3
divert
di•vert
(d@ v@rt)
verb
1
2
3
aloof
a•loof
(@ l2f)
adjective
1
2
3
competent
com•pe•tent
(k5m p@ t@nt)
adjective
1
80
2
Practice
sentences.
3
assess
as•sess
(@ ses)
verb
1
Definition
Write down what you
means. Then use a
definition.
3
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
4/23/09 8:45:14 PM
DURING READING
A Short Story by
Morley Callaghan
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
That summer when twelve-year-old Luke Baldwin came
to live with his Uncle Henry in the house on the stream by the
sawmill, he did not forget that he had promised his dying father
he would try to learn things from his uncle; so he used to watch
him very carefully.
Uncle Henry, who was the manager of the sawmill, was a
big, burly man weighing more than two hundred and thirty
pounds, and he had a rough-skinned, brick-colored face. He
looked like a powerful man, but his health was not good. He
had aches and pains in his back and shoulders which puzzled
the doctor. The first thing Luke learned about Uncle Henry
was that everybody had great respect for him. The four men he
employed in the sawmill were always polite and attentive when
he spoke to them. His wife, Luke’s Aunt Helen, a kindly, plump,
straightforward woman, never argued with him. “You should
try and be like your Uncle Henry,” she would say to Luke.
“He’s so wonderfully practical. He takes care of everything in a
sensible, easy way.”
Luke used to trail around the sawmill after Uncle Henry
not only because he liked the fresh clean smell of the newly
cut wood and the big piles of sawdust, but because he was
impressed by his uncle’s precise, firm tone when he spoke to
the men.
Sometimes Uncle Henry would stop and explain to Luke
something about a piece of timber. “Always try and learn
the essential facts, son,” he would say. “If you’ve got the
facts, you know what’s useful and what isn’t useful, and no
one can fool you.”
He showed Luke that nothing of value was ever wasted
around the mill. Luke used to listen, and wonder if there was
another man in the world who knew so well what was needed
and what ought to be thrown away. Uncle Henry had known
at once that Luke needed a bicycle to ride to his school, which
was two miles away in town, and he bought him a good one. He
knew that Luke needed good, serviceable clothes. He also knew
exactly how much Aunt Helen needed to run the house, the
Note the Facts
What is Luke's promise to his
father?
Note the Facts
Highlight what the people think
of Uncle Henry.
Use Reading Skills
What are some causes and
effects in this section? Record
your answers in the cause-andeffect chart.
pre•cise (pri s8s) adjective, exact
Note the Facts
Underline the things that Uncle
Henry knows.
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
81
4/23/09 8:45:15 PM
DURING READING
40
as•sess (@ ses) verb, evaluate or
estimate the value
Analyze Literature
Character Is Dan a flat
character or a round character?
List details from the text to
support your answer.
45
50
55
price of everything, and how much a woman should be paid for
doing the family washing. In the evenings Luke used to sit in
the living room watching his uncle making notations in a black
notebook which he always carried in his vest pocket, and he
knew that he was assessing the value of the smallest transaction
that had taken place during the day.
Luke promised himself that when he grew up he, too, would
be admired for his good, sound judgment. But, of course,
he couldn’t always be watching and learning from his Uncle
Henry, for too often when he watched him he thought of his
own father; then he was lonely. So he began to build up another
secret life for himself around the sawmill, and his companion
was the eleven-year-old collie, Dan, a dog blind in one eye
and with a slight limp in his left hind leg. Dan was a fat slowmoving old dog. He was very affectionate and his eye was the
color of amber.1 His fur was amber too. When Luke left for
school in the morning, the old dog followed him for half a mile
down the road, and when he returned in the afternoon, there
was Dan waiting at the gate.
Think and Reflect
Why do you think Luke likes Dan as his companion?
Note the Facts
What are the things that Luke
tells Dan?
Sometimes they would play around the millpond or by
the dam, or go down the stream to the lake. Luke was never
lonely when the dog was with him. There was an old rowboat
that they used as a pirate ship in the stream, and they would
60 be pirates together, with Luke shouting instructions to Captain
Dan and with the dog seeming to understand and wagging his
tail enthusiastically. Its amber eye was alert, intelligent and
approving. Then they would plunge into the brush on the other
side of the stream, pretending they were hunting tigers. Of
65 course, the old dog was no longer much good for hunting; he
was too slow and too lazy. Uncle Henry no longer used him for
hunting rabbits or anything else.
When they came out of the brush, they would lie together
on the cool, grassy bank being affectionate with each other, with
70 Luke talking earnestly, while the collie, as Luke believed, smiled
with the good eye. Lying in the grass, Luke would say things to
1. amber. Yellowish to brownish translucent fossil resin often used for jewelry
82
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
4/23/09 8:45:15 PM
75
80
85
90
95
100
105
110
Dan he could not say to his uncle or his aunt. Not that what he
said was important: it was just stuff about himself that he might
have told to his own father or mother if they had been alive.
Then they would go back to the house for dinner, and after
dinner Dan would follow him down the road to Mr. Kemp’s
house, where they would ask old Mr. Kemp if they could go
with him to round up his four cows. The old man was always
glad to see them. He seemed to like watching Luke and the
collie running around the cows, pretending they were riding on
a vast range in the foothills of the Rockies.
Uncle Henry no longer paid much attention to the collie,
though once when he tripped over him on the veranda,2 he shook
his head and said thoughtfully, “Poor old fellow, he’s through. Can’t
use him for anything. He just eats and sleeps and gets in the way.”
One Sunday during Luke’s summer holidays when they had
returned from church and had had their lunch, they had all
moved out to the veranda where the collie was sleeping. Luke
sat down on the steps, his back against the veranda post. Uncle
Henry took the rocking chair, and Aunt Helen stretched herself
out in the hammock,3 sighing contentedly. Then Luke, eying
the collie, tapped the step with the palm of his hand, giving
three little taps like a signal and the old collie, lifting his head,
got up stiffly with a slow wagging of the tail as an acknowledgment that the signal had been heard, and began to cross the
veranda to Luke. But the dog was sleepy, his bad eye was turned
to the rocking chair; in passing, his left front paw went under
the rocker. With a frantic yelp, the dog went bounding down
the steps and hobbled around the corner of the house, where he
stopped, hearing Luke coming after him. All he needed was the
touch of Luke’s hand. Then he began to lick the hand methodically, as if apologizing.
“Luke,” Uncle Henry called sharply, “bring that dog here.”
When Luke led the collie back to the veranda, Uncle Henry
nodded and said, “Thanks, Luke.” Then he took out a cigar,4 lit
it, put his big hands on his knees and began to rock in the chair
while he frowned and eyed the dog steadily. Obviously he was
making some kind of an important decision about the collie.
“What’s the matter, Uncle Henry?” Luke asked nervously.
“That dog can’t see any more,” Uncle Henry said.
DURING READING
Use Reading Skills
What causes Uncle Henry to
study Dan more closely? Write
the details in your cause-andeffect chart.
Read Aloud
Read lines 103–121 aloud.
What does Uncle Henry say
about Dan and what does Luke
do about it?
2. veranda. An open porch area often with a roof
3. hammock. A bed made of canvas or ropes that can be slept on, usually attached between
two trees
4. cigar. Dried tobacco rolled in a tight bundle used for smoking
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
83
4/23/09 8:45:16 PM
DURING READING
115
120
125
130
135
140
84
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
“Oh, yes, he can,” Luke said quickly. “His bad eye got
turned to the chair, that’s all, Uncle Henry.”
“And his teeth are gone, too,” Uncle Henry went on, paying
no attention to what Luke had said. Turning to the hammock,
he called, “Helen, sit up a minute, will you?”
When she got up and stood beside him, he went on. “I was
thinking about this old dog the other day, Helen. It’s not only
that he’s just about blind, but did you notice that when we
drove up after church he didn’t even bark?”
“It’s a fact he didn’t, Henry.”
“No, not much good even as a watchdog now.”
“Poor old fellow. It’s a pity, isn’t it?”
“And no good for hunting either. And he eats a lot, I suppose.”
“About as much as he ever did, Henry.”
“The plain fact is the old dog isn’t worth his keep any more.
It’s time we got rid of him.”
“It’s always so hard to know how to get rid of a dog, Henry.”
“I was thinking about it the other day. Some people think
it’s best to shoot a dog. I haven’t had any shells for that shotgun
for over a year. Poisoning is a hard death for a dog. Maybe
drowning is the easiest and quickest way. Well, I’ll speak to one
of the mill hands and have him look after it.”
Crouching on the ground, his arms around the old collie’s
neck, Luke cried out, “Uncle Henry, Dan’s a wonderful dog!
You don’t know how wonderful he is!”
“He’s just a very old dog, son,” Uncle Henry said calmly.
“The time comes when you have to get rid of any old dog.
We’ve got to be practical about it. I’ll get you a pup, son. A
smart little dog that’ll be worth its keep. A pup that will grow
up with you.”
4/23/09 8:45:16 PM
“I don’t want a pup!” Luke cried, turning his face away.
Circling around him, the dog began to bark, then flick his long
pink tongue at the back of Luke’s neck.
DURING READING
Think and Reflect
Compare and contrast Uncle Henry’s and Dan’s view of dogs.
145
150
155
160
165
170
175
Aunt Helen, catching her husband’s eye, put her finger on
her lips, warning him not to go on talking in front of the boy.
“An old dog like that often wanders off into the brush and sort of
picks a place to die when the time comes. Isn’t that so, Henry?”
“Oh sure,” he agreed quickly. “In fact, when Dan didn’t
show up yesterday, I was sure that was what had happened.”
Then he yawned and seemed to forget about the dog.
But Luke was frightened, for he knew what his uncle was
like. He knew that if his uncle had decided that the dog was
useless and that it was sane and sensible to get rid of it, he
would be ashamed of himself if he were diverted by any
sentimental considerations. Luke knew in his heart that he
couldn’t move his uncle. All he could do, he thought, was keep
the dog away from his uncle, keep him out of the house, feed
him when Uncle Henry wasn’t around.
Next day at noontime Luke saw his uncle walking from the
mill toward the house with old Sam Carter, a mill hand. Sam
Carter was a dull, stooped, slow-witted man of sixty with an
iron-gray beard, who was wearing blue overalls and a blue shirt.
He hardly ever spoke to anybody. Watching from the veranda,
Luke noticed that his uncle suddenly gave Sam Carter a cigar,
which Sam put in his pocket. Luke had never seen his uncle
give Sam a cigar or pay much attention to him.
Then, after lunch, Uncle Henry said lazily that he would like
Luke to take his bicycle and go into town and get him some cigars.
“I’ll take Dan,” Luke said.
“Better not, son,” Uncle Henry said. “It’ll take you all
afternoon. I want those cigars. Get going, Luke.”
His uncle’s tone was so casual that Luke tried to believe they
were not merely getting rid of him. Of course he had to do what
he was told. He had never dared to refuse to obey an order from
his uncle. But when he had taken his bicycle and had ridden
down the path that followed the stream to the town road and had
di•vert (d@ v@rt) verb, turn to
another course
Use Reading Skills
Read lines 151–158 aloud. Why
is Luke so worried? Write the
details in your cause-and-effect
chart.
Build Vocabulary
Idioms Use context clues to
determine the meaning of
slow-witted.
Who is slow-witted?
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
85
4/23/09 8:45:17 PM
DURING READING
180
a•loof (@ l2f) adjective, distant,
reserved
Note the Facts
185
Is Luke right in worrying about
Dan? Explain your answer.
190
Note the Facts
195
What does Luke see by the river
bend and why does it seem
wrong to him?
200
got about a quarter of a mile along the road, he found that all he
could think of was his uncle handing old Sam Carter the cigar.
Slowing down, sick with worry now, he got off the bike and
stood uncertainly on the sunlit road. Sam Carter was a gruff,
aloof old man who would have no feeling for a dog. Then
suddenly Luke could go no farther without getting some assurance that the collie would not be harmed while he was away.
Across the fields he could see the house.
Leaving the bike in the ditch, he started to cross the field,
intending to get close enough to the house so Dan could hear
him if he whistled softly. He got about fifty yards away from
the house and whistled and waited, but there was no sign of
the dog, which might be asleep at the front of the house, he
knew, or over at the saw-mill. With the saws whining, the dog
couldn’t hear the soft whistle. For a few minutes Luke couldn’t
make up his mind what to do, then he decided to go back to
the road, get on his bike and go back the way he had come until
he got to the place where the river path joined the road. There
he could leave his bike, go up the path, then into the tall grass
and get close to the front of the house and the sawmill without
being seen.
He had followed the river path for about a hundred yards,
and when he came to the place where the river began to bend
sharply toward the house his heart fluttered and his legs felt
paralyzed, for he saw the old rowboat in the one place where
the river was deep, and in the rowboat was Sam Carter with
the collie.
The bearded man in the blue overalls was smoking the
205 cigar; the dog, with a rope around its neck, sat contentedly
beside him, its tongue going out in a friendly lick at the hand
holding the rope. It was all like a crazy dream picture to Luke:
all wrong because it looked so lazy and friendly, even the
86
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
4/23/09 8:45:18 PM
210
215
220
225
230
235
240
245
250
curling smoke from Sam Carter’s cigar. But as Luke cried out,
“Dan, Dan! Come on, boy!” and the dog jumped at the water,
he saw that Sam Carter’s left hand was hanging deep in the
water, holding a foot of rope with a heavy stone at the end. As
Luke cried out wildly, “Don’t! Please don’t!” Carter dropped the
stone, for the cry came too late; it was blurred by the screech of
the big saws at the mill. But Carter was startled, and he stared
stupidly at the riverbank, then he ducked his head and began to
row quickly to the bank.
But Luke was watching the collie take what looked like a
long, shallow dive, except that the hind legs suddenly kicked up
above the surface, then shot down, and while he watched, Luke
sobbed and trembled, for it was as if the happy secret part of his
life around the sawmill was being torn away from him. But even
while he watched, he seemed to be following a plan without
knowing it, for he was already fumbling in his pocket for his
jackknife, jerking the blade open, pulling off his pants, kicking
his shoes off while he muttered fiercely and prayed that Sam
Carter would get out of sight.
It hardly took the mill hand a minute to reach the bank
and go slinking furtively around the bend as if he felt that
the boy was following him. But Luke hadn’t taken his eyes
off the exact spot in the water where Dan had disappeared.
As soon as the mill hand was out of sight, Luke slid down
the bank and took a leap at the water, the sun glistening
on his slender body, his eyes wild with eagerness as he
ran out to the deep place, then arched his back and dived,
swimming under water, his open eyes getting used to the
greenish-gray haze of the water, the sandy bottom and the
embedded rocks.
His lungs began to ache, then he saw the shadow of the
collie floating at the end of the taut rope, rock-held in the sand.
He slashed at the rope with his knife. He couldn’t get much
strength in his arm because of the resistance of the water. He
grabbed the rope with his left hand, hacking with his knife. The
collie suddenly drifted up slowly, like a water-soaked log. Then
his own head shot above the surface, and while he was sucking
in the air he was drawing in the rope, pulling the collie toward
him and treading water. In a few strokes he was away from the
deep place and his feet touched the bottom.
Hoisting the collie out of the water, he scrambled toward
the bank, lurching and stumbling in fright because the collie felt
like a dead weight.
DURING READING
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
87
4/23/09 8:45:20 PM
DURING READING
Think and Reflect
Evaluate Luke's actions. Does he do the right thing, or should he have
followed his uncle's wishes?
255
com•pe•tent (k5m p@ t@nt)
adjective, properly qualified or capable
260
265
270
275
280
He went on up the bank and across the path to the tall
grass, where he fell flat, hugging the dog and trying to warm
him with his own body. But the collie didn’t stir, the good
amber eye remained closed. Then suddenly Luke wanted to act
like a resourceful, competent man. Getting up on his knees, he
stretched the dog out on its belly, drew him between his knees,
felt with trembling hands for the soft places on the flanks just
above the hipbones, and rocked back and forth, pressing with
all his weight, then relaxing the pressure as he straightened up.
He hoped that he was working the dog’s lungs like a bellows.5
He had read that men who had been thought drowned had
been saved in this way.
“Come on, Dan. Come on, old boy,” he pleaded softly. As a
little water came from the collie’s mouth, Luke’s heart jumped,
and he muttered over and over, “You can’t be dead, Dan! You
can’t, you can’t! I won’t let you die, Dan!” He rocked back and
forth tirelessly, applying the pressure to the flanks. More water
dribbled from the mouth. In the collie’s body he felt a faint
tremor. “Oh gee, Dan, you’re alive,” he whispered. “Come on,
boy. Keep it up.”
With a cough the collie suddenly jerked his head back, the
amber eye opened, and there they were looking at each other.
Then the collie, thrusting his legs out stiffly, tried to hoist
himself up, staggered, tried again, then stood there in a stupor.
Then he shook himself like any other wet dog, turned his head,
eyed Luke, and the red tongue came out in a weak flick at
Luke’s cheek.
“Lie down, Dan,” Luke said. As the dog lay down beside
him, Luke closed his eyes, buried his head in the wet fur and
wondered why all the muscles of his arms and legs began to
jerk in a nervous reaction, now that it was all over. “Stay there,
5. bellows. An instrument that expands to take in air through a valve, and contracts to let air
out through a tube
88
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
4/23/09 8:45:20 PM
285
290
295
300
305
310
315
320
325
Dan,” he said softly, and he went back to the path, got his
clothes and came back beside Dan and put them on. “I think
we’d better get away from this spot, Dan,” he said. “Keep down,
boy. Come on.” And he crawled on through the tall grass till
they were about seventy-five yards from the place where he had
undressed. There they lay down together.
In a little while he heard his aunt’s voice calling, “Luke. Oh,
Luke! Come here, Luke!”
“Quiet, Dan,” Luke whispered. A few minutes passed, and
then Uncle Henry called, “Luke, Luke!” and he began to come
down the path. They could see him standing there, massive and
imposing, his hands on his hips as he looked down the path,
then he turned and went back to the house.
As he watched the sunlight shine on the back of his uncle’s
neck, the exultation Luke had felt at knowing the collie was
safe beside him turned to bewildered despair, for he knew that
even if he should be forgiven for saving the dog when he saw
it drowning, the fact was that his uncle had been thwarted. His
mind was made up to get rid of Dan, and in a few days’ time, in
another way, he would get rid of him, as he got rid of anything
around the mill that he believed to be useless or a waste of
money.
As he lay back and looked up at the hardly moving clouds,
he began to grow frightened. He couldn’t go back to the house,
nor could he take the collie into the woods and hide him and
feed him there unless he tied him up. If he didn’t tie him up,
Dan would wander back to the house.
“I guess there’s just no place to go, Dan,” he whispered
sadly. “Even if we start off along the road, somebody is sure to
see us.”
But Dan was watching a butterfly that was circling crazily
above them. Raising himself a little, Luke looked through the
grass at the corner of the house, then he turned and looked
the other way to the wide blue lake. With a sigh he lay down
again, and for hours they lay there together, until there was no
sound from the saws in the mill and the sun moved low in the
western sky.
“Well, we can’t stay here any longer, Dan,” he said at last.
“We’ll just have to get as far away as we can. Keep down, old
boy,” and he began to crawl through the grass, going farther
away from the house. When he could no longer be seen, he got
up and began to trot across the field toward the gravel road
leading to town.
DURING READING
Use Reading Skills
How will Luke’s actions affect
the characters in the story? Write
your ideas in the cause-andeffect chart.
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
89
4/23/09 8:45:21 PM
DURING READING
Think and Reflect
If you were in Luke's place, what would you do about Dan?
330
335
340
345
350
Note the Facts
355
What does Mr. Kemp tell Luke
about Uncle Henry?
360
90
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
On the road, the collie would turn from time to time as if
wondering why Luke shuffled along, dragging his feet wearily,
his head down. “I’m stumped, that’s all Dan,” Luke explained.
“I can’t seem to think of a place to take you.”
When they were passing the Kemp place they saw the old man
sitting on the veranda, and Luke stopped. All he could think of was
that Mr. Kemp had liked them both and it had been a pleasure to
help him get the cows in the evening. Dan had always been with
them. Staring at the figure of the old man on the veranda, he said in
a worried tone, “I wish I could be sure of him, Dan. I wish he was
a dumb, stupid man who wouldn’t know or care whether you were
worth anything....Well, come on.” He opened the gate bravely, but
he felt shy and unimportant.
“Hello, son. What’s on your mind?” Mr. Kemp called from
the veranda. He was a thin, wiry man in a tan-colored shirt.
He had a gray, untidy mustache, his skin was wrinkled and
leathery, but his eyes were always friendly and amused.
“Could I speak to you, Mr. Kemp?” Luke asked when they
were close to the veranda.
“Sure. Go ahead.”
“It’s about Dan. He’s a great dog, but I guess you know that as
well as I do. I was wondering if you could keep him here for me.”
“Why should I keep Dan here, son?”
“Well, it’s like this,” Luke said, fumbling the words
awkwardly: “My uncle won’t let me keep him any more...says
he’s too old.” His mouth began to tremble, then he blurted out
the story.
“I see, I see,” Mr. Kemp said slowly, and he got up and came
over to the steps and sat down and began to stroke the collie’s
head. “Of course, Dan’s an old dog, son,” he said quietly. “And
sooner or later you’ve got to get rid of an old dog. Your uncle
knows that. Maybe it’s true that Dan isn’t worth his keep.”
“He doesn’t eat much, Mr. Kemp. Just one meal a day.”
“I wouldn’t want you to think your uncle was cruel and
unfeeling, Luke,” Mr. Kemp went on. “He’s a fine man...maybe
just a little bit too practical and straightforward.”
4/23/09 8:45:21 PM
“I guess that’s right,” Luke agreed, but he was really waiting
and trusting the expression in the old man’s eyes.
“Maybe you should make him a practical proposition.”
“I—I don’t know what you mean.”
365
“Well, I sort of like the way you get the cows for me in the
evenings,” Mr. Kemp said, smiling to himself. “In fact, I don’t
think you need me to go along with you at all. Now, supposing
I gave you seventy-five cents a week. Would you get the cows
370 for me every night?”
DURING READING
“Sure I would, Mr. Kemp. I like doing it, anyway.”
“All right, son. It’s a deal. Now I’ll tell you what to do. You
go back to your uncle, and before he has a chance to open up
on you, you say right out that you’ve come to him with a busi375 ness proposition. Say it like a man, just like that. Offer to pay
him the seventy-five cents a week for the dog’s keep.”
“But my uncle doesn’t need seventy-five cents, Mr. Kemp,”
Luke said uneasily.
“Of course not,” Mr. Kemp agreed. “It’s the principle
380 of the thing. Be confident. Remember that he’s got nothing
against the dog. Go to it, son. Let me know how you do,” he
added, with an amused smile. “If I know your uncle at all, I
think it’ll work.”
“I’ll try it, Mr. Kemp,” Luke said. “Thanks very much.” But
385 he didn’t have any confidence, for even though he knew that
Mr. Kemp was a wise old man who would not deceive him, he
couldn’t believe that seventy-five cents a week would stop his
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
91
4/23/09 8:45:22 PM
DURING READING
390
395
Use Reading Skills
What is the effect of Aunt
Helen's words on Luke? Write
the details in the cause-andeffect chart.
Analyze Literature
400
405
Character Based on Uncle
Henry's distress, what kind of a
person do you think he is?
410
Read Aloud
415
What does Uncle Henry want
to say to Luke that he can't
tell him?
420
425
430
92
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
uncle, who was an important man. “Come on, Dan,” he called,
and he went slowly and apprehensively back to the house.
When they were going up the path, his aunt cried from the
open window, “Henry, Henry, in heaven’s name, it’s Luke with
the dog!”
“Oh. Oh, I see,” Uncle Henry said, and gradually the color
came back to his face. “You fished him out, eh?” he asked, still
looking at the dog uneasily. “Well, you shouldn’t have done
that. I told Sam Carter to get rid of the dog, you know.”
“Just a minute, Uncle Henry,” Luke said, trying not to
falter. He gained confidence as Aunt Helen came out and stood
beside her husband, for her eyes seemed to be gentle, and he
went on bravely. “I want to make you a practical proposition,
Uncle Henry.”
“A what?” Uncle Henry asked, still feeling insecure, and
wishing the boy and the dog weren’t confronting him.
“A practical proposition,” Luke blurted out quickly. “I know
Dan isn’t worth his keep to you. I guess he isn’t worth anything
to anybody but me. So I’ll pay you seventy-five cents a week for
his keep.”
“What’s this?” Uncle Henry asked, looking bewildered.
“Where would you get seventy-five cents a week, Luke?”
“I’m going to get the cows every night for Mr. Kemp.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, Henry,” Aunt Helen pleaded,
looking distressed, “let him keep the dog!” and she fled into the
house.
“None of that kind of talk!” Uncle Henry called after
her. “We’ve got to be sensible about this!” But he was
shaken himself, and overwhelmed with a distress that
destroyed all his confidence. As he sat down slowly in the
rocking chair and stroked the side of his big face, he wanted
to say weakly, “All right, keep the dog,” but he was ashamed
of being so weak and sentimental. He stubbornly refused
to yield to this emotion: he was trying desperately to turn
his emotion into a bit of good, useful common sense, so he
could justify his distress. So he rocked and pondered. At
last he smiled. “You’re a smart little shaver, Luke,” he said
slowly. “Imagine you working it out like this. I’m tempted
to accept your proposition.”
“Gee, thanks, Uncle Henry.”
“I’m accepting it because I think you’ll learn something out
of this,” he went on ponderously.
“Yes, Uncle Henry.”
4/23/09 8:45:23 PM
435
440
445
450
“You’ll learn that useless luxuries cost the smartest of men
hard-earned money.”
“I don’t mind.”
“Well, it’s a thing you’ll have to learn sometime. I think
you’ll learn, too, because you certainly seem to have a practical
streak in you. It’s a streak I like to see in a boy. O.K., son,” he
said, and he smiled with relief and went into the house.
Turning to Dan, Luke whispered softly, “Well, what do you
know about that?”
As he sat down on the step with the collie beside him and
listened to Uncle Henry talking to his wife, he began to glow
with exultation. Then gradually his exultation began to change
to a vast wonder that Mr. Kemp should have had such a perfect
understanding of Uncle Henry. He began to dream of someday
being as wise as old Mr. Kemp and knowing exactly how to
handle people. It was possible, too, that he had already learned
some of the things about his uncle that his father had wanted
him to learn.
Putting his head down on the dog’s neck, he vowed to
himself fervently that he would always have some money on
hand, no matter what became of him, so that he would be able
to protect all that was truly valuable from the practical people
in the world. ✤
&
W
IRRORS
W INDOWS
DURING READING
Note the Facts
What is Luke's vow?
Build Vocabulary
Idioms Use context clues to
determine what on hand means.
Why does Luke think that he
should have money on hand?
What do you value most in your life? What
will you do to protect them?
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
93
4/23/09 8:45:23 PM
AFTER READING
READING CHECK
VOCABULARY CHECK
1. What is the first thing that Luke learns about
Uncle Henry?
A. He should be like Uncle Henry.
B. Uncle Henry is a practical man.
C. Everyone respects Uncle Henry.
2. Luke's companion is a dog named Dan. How
does Dan look?
A. Dan is a purebred dog with a long and tall
body.
B. Dan is a fat and slow-moving collie with
amber eyes.
C. Dan is a mongrel with a shiny yellow coat
and sharp teeth.
3. Why does Mr. Kemp like to see Luke and
Dan?
A. He likes to watch Luke and Dan running
around the cows.
B. He likes to listen to Luke and Dan as they
run around his house.
C. He likes to talk to Luke and Dan about his
adventures in the big city.
4. What does Uncle Henry say to convince Luke
about getting rid of Dan?
A. He says that he will get Luke a pup that
will be worth its keep.
B. He says that Dan is an old dog that can
turn against Luke any time.
C. He says that Luke must learn to let go
because life is about letting go.
5. What is Luke's proposition to his uncle?
A. He promises to pay his uncle every week
for keeping Dan.
B. He promises to work in the mill in
exchange for having Dan.
C. He promises to get good grades in school
1. Uncle Henry is a practical man who uses
precise tones in speaking. Because of this,
everyone
A. understands exactly what he wants to say.
B. gets confused with what he is attempting
to say.
C. knows that his thoughts are different from
what he says.
2. Luke’s uncle uses a notebook to assess all
the money that goes in and out of the mill.
This notebook helps his uncle
A. treasure memories.
B. interview applicants.
C. calculate the price.
3. Uncle Henry does not divert from his
decisions. If he has decided to do something,
he will
A. make a new plan.
B. think about it again.
C. not change his mind.
4. Sam Carter, the aloof mill hand ordered to
drown the dog, feels
A. guilty.
B. nothing.
C. cheerful.
5. To act like a competent young man, Luke
decides to save Dan
A. all by himself.
B. in another day.
C. with Sam Carter.
so that he can keep Dan.
94
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
4/23/09 8:45:24 PM
Which characters in the story are flat? Which characters in the story are round?
Name one character for each type, and provide details to explain your answer.
USE READING SKILLS: Analyze Cause and Effect
Review the cause-and-effect chart you completed while reading this story. How
did determining the causes and the effects of different parts of the story help you
understand the text? Use an example from your chart to provide details for your
answer.
BUILD LANGUAGE SKILLS: Predicate Adjectives
A predicate adjective modifies or describes the subject in the sentence. A linking
verb, such as is, are, feel, turn, and seem, connects the predicate adjective to the
subject.
EXAMPLES
Maiko is excited about his upcoming birthday party.
Luke knows that he will always be happy when Dan is with him.
Complete the sentences by using a predicate adjective that will match the context of
the sentence.
1. Uncle Henry is
and always follows his common sense.
2. One of the amber eyes of Dan is
3. To Luke, Dan is a
and cannot see anything anymore.
pet and he will fight to keep him.
WRITING SKILLS
Think about the decisions that Uncle Henry and Luke make throughout the story.
Write a paragraph that describes how each character makes decisions.
LEVEL III, UNIT 2
95
4/23/09 8:45:24 PM
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
BEFORE READING
page 290
A Biography by
Theodora Kroeber
ABOUT THE STORY
“Ishi in Two Worlds” is a story about a Native American who was the last of his
tribe. His story is told by Theodora Kroeber, the wife of one of the anthropologists
who knew Ishi personally. Kroeber talks about Ishi’s life after he was discovered in
Oroville, California. Read to find out about Ishi’s life.
MAKE CONNECTIONS
When Ishi first met the people of Oroville, nobody understood him. Ishi could not
speak a word of English, or even other Native American languages. What would
you feel if you were in Ishi’s place? How would you try to communicate with other
people?
ANALYZE LITERATURE: Biography
A biography is the life story of a person told by another person. The
author of a biography uses the third-person point of view. This means
that the story is told according to how the author sees the main
character. As you read, pay attention to how the author, Theodora
Kroeber, talks about Ishi.
96
LEVEL III, UNIT 3
4/23/09 8:45:24 PM
USE READING SKILLS: Author’s Perspective
Author’s perspective is the way an author’s views about a subject or topic. In
many ways, the author’s account of Ishi is affected by her perspective, or how she
sees the main character. Society’s opinions about Native Americans during her time
may have also affected her writing.
As you read, mark the sections of the text that show the author’s perspective,
or her opinions about Ishi. Record each opinion in the Opinions column of the chart
below. Gather the facts in each opinion and rewrite them as sentences in the Facts
column. Then, fill in the Analysis column with your thoughts on how the author’s
perspective affects each stated fact.
Fact and Opinion Chart
Opinions
Facts
Analysis
LEVEL III, UNIT 3
97
4/23/09 8:45:26 PM
PREVIEW VOCABULARY
Key Words and
Phrases
Context
used in a sentence.
suppress
sup•press
(su pres)
verb
I suppressed a cough
during the memorial
service because I wanted
to be respectful of the
speaker.
You try to suppress a…
Your worries about
reaching the hotel late are
groundless.
When you have a
groundless idea, you…
She made only a halfhearted attempt to eat
because she did not like
the food.
You make a half-hearted
effort when…
My sister badgered me
with her school project
until I decided to help her.
When you are badgered
by someone, you feel…
We had only met the day
before, so our friendship
was tentative.
You might become
tentative when…
1
2
2
3
half-hearted
idiom
1
2
3
badger
bad•ger
(ba j3r)
verb
1
2
3
tentative
ten•ta•tive
(ten te tiv)
adjective
1
98
2
Practice
sentences.
3
groundless
ground•less
(groun (d)->les)
adjective
1
Definition
Write down what you
means. Then use a
definition.
3
LEVEL III, UNIT 3
4/23/09 8:45:27 PM
DURING READING
A Biography by
Theodora Kroeber
Prologue: OUTSIDE THE SLAUGHTER HOUSE
The story of Ishi begins for us early in the morning of the
twenty-ninth day of August in the year 1911 and in the corral1
of a slaughter house. It begins with the sharp barking of dogs
5 which roused the sleeping butchers. In the dawn light they saw
a man at bay, crouching against the corral fence—Ishi.
They called off the dogs. Then, in some considerable
excitement, they telephoned the sheriff in Oroville two or
three miles away to say that they were holding a wild man and
10 would he please come and take him off their hands. Sheriff
and deputies arrived shortly, approaching the corral with guns
at the ready. The wild man made no move to resist capture,
quietly allowing himself to be handcuffed.
Think and Reflect
What happened to Ishi during his first encounter with the “civilized
world”? Why do you think Ishi made no move to resist capture?
The sheriff, J. B. Webber, saw that the man was an Indian,
15 and that he was at the limit of exhaustion and fear. He could
learn nothing further, since his prisoner understood no English.
Not knowing what to do with him, he motioned the Indian
into the wagon with himself and his deputies, drove him to
the county jail in Oroville, and locked him up in the cell for
20 the insane. There, Sheriff Webber reasoned, while he tried to
discover something more about his captive he could at least
protect him from the excited curiosity of the townspeople and
the outsiders who were already pouring in from miles around
to see the wild man.
Note the Facts
Why did the sheriff put Ishi
in jail?
1. corral. A pen for cattle
LEVEL III, UNIT 3
99
4/23/09 8:45:27 PM
DURING READING
25
Use Reading Skills
Author’s Perspective The
author includes Ishi’s recollection
of his time in the county jail. Why
would the author add information
from a later time in Ishi’s life into
this part of the story?
30
35
40
Build Vocabulary
In your own words, write the
definition for groundless as it is
used in the selection.
sup•press (su pres) verb, block out;
put out of one’s mind.
45
50
ground•less (groun (d)->les)
adjective,not justified; having no real
basis.
55
60
The wild man was emaciated2 to starvation, his hair was
burned off close to his head, he was naked except for a ragged
scrap of ancient covered-wagon canvas which he wore around
his shoulders like a poncho. He was a man of middle height,
the long bones, painfully apparent, were straight, strong, and
not heavy, the skin color somewhat paler in tone than the full
copper characteristic of most Indians. The black eyes were
wary and guarded now, but were set wide in a broad face, the
mouth was generous and agreeably molded. For the rest, the
Indian’s extreme fatigue and fright heightened a sensitiveness
which was always there, while it masked the usual mobility and
expressiveness of the features.
It should be said that the sheriff’s action in locking Ishi up
was neither stupid nor brutal given the circumstances. Until
Sheriff Webber took the unwonted3 measure of keeping them
out by force people filled the jail to gaze through the bars of his
cell at the captive. Later, Ishi spoke with some diffidence4 of
this, his first contact with white men. He said that he was put
up in a fine house where he was kindly treated and well fed by a
big chief. That he would eat nothing and drink nothing during
his first days of captivity Ishi did not say. Such was the case; nor
did he allow himself to sleep at first. Quite possibly it was a time
of such strain and terror that he suppressed all memory of it.
Or he may have felt that it was unkind to recall his suspicions
which proved in the event groundless, for Ishi expected in
those first days to be put to death. He knew of white men only
that they were the murderers of his own people. It was natural
that he should expect, once in their power, to be shot or hanged
or killed by poisoning.
Meanwhile, local Indians and half-breeds as well as Mexicans
and Spaniards tried to talk to the prisoner in Maidu, Wintu, and
Spanish. Ishi listened patiently but uncomprehendingly, and
when he spoke it was in a tongue which meant no more to the
Indians there than to the whites.
The story of the capture of a wild Indian became headline
news in the local valley papers, and reached the San Francisco
dailies in forms more or less lurid5 and elaborated. The story in
the San Francisco Call was accompanied by a picture, the first of
many to come later. In another newspaper story, a Maidu Indian,
Conway by name, “issued a statement” that he had conversed
2. emaciate. Cause to lose flesh and become very thin. emaciated, adjective
3. unwonted. Rare or unusual
4. diffidence. Shyness; lack of self-confidence
5. lurid. Startling, sensational
100
LEVEL III, UNIT 3
4/23/09 8:45:27 PM
65
70
75
80
85
90
95
100
with the wild man. Conway’s moment of publicity was brief since
the wild man understood nothing of what he said.
These accounts were read by Professors Kroeber and
Waterman, anthropologists6 at the University of California,
who were at once alerted to the human drama behind the event
and to its possible importance, the more particularly because it
recalled to them an earlier episode on San Nicolas Island, one
of the Channel Islands of the Pacific Ocean some seventy miles
offshore from Santa Barbara.
In 1835, the padres of Mission Santa Barbara transferred the
San Nicolas Indians to the mainland. A few minutes after the
boat, which was carrying the Indians, had put off from the island,
it was found that one baby had been left behind. It is not easy to
land a boat on San Nicolas; the captain decided against returning
for the baby; the baby’s mother jumped overboard, and was last
seen swimming toward the island. Half-hearted efforts made to
find her in subsequent7 weeks were unsuccessful: it was believed
that she had drowned in the rough surf. In 1853, eighteen
years later, seal hunters in the Channel waters reported seeing
a woman on San Nicolas, and a boatload of men from Santa
Barbara went in search of her. They found her, a last survivor
of her tribe. Her baby, as well as all her people who had been
removed to the Mission, had died. She lived only a few months
after her “rescue” and died without anyone having been able to
communicate with her, leaving to posterity8 this skeletal outline
of her grim story, and four words which someone remembered
from her lost language and recorded as she said them. It so
happens that these four words identify her language as having
been Shoshonean, related to Indian languages of the Los Angeles
area, not to those of Santa Barbara.
Another reason for the anthropologists’ particular interest
in the wild man was that three years earlier, in 1908, some
surveyors working a few miles north of Oroville had surprised
and routed9 a little band of Indians. After hearing of this incident, Waterman with two guides had spent several weeks in an
unsuccessful search for the Indians: the wild man of Oroville
might well be one of them.
On August 31, 1911, Kroeber sent the following telegram:
“Sheriff Butte County. Newspapers report capture wild Indian
speaking language other tribes totally unable understand. Please
DURING READING
Build Vocabulary
Idioms Imagine that you were
part of the search party looking
for the woman from the San
Nicolas tribe. How would you
and your fellow searchers go
about looking for her?
half-hearted idiom, lacking
enthusiasm or courage.
Analyze Literature
Biography Why does the
author include a previous
account of another Native
American who was the last
survivor of her tribe?
6. anthropologists. Scientists who study the origins and social relationships of human beings
7. subsequent. Following
8. posterity. The generations that come after
9. routed. Beaten, overwhelmed. route, verb, overpower; defeat.
LEVEL III, UNIT 3
101
4/23/09 8:45:28 PM
DURING READING
105
Culture Note
A telegram is a form of
communication sent through
a telegraph. The telegraph was
used as a quick way to spread
news before the telephone
became widely available. Sending
a telegram took a lot of time, so
these messages were usually
short. The messages often
omitted punctuation, because
each punctuation mark had to be
spelled out. People also skipped
words rather than writing out full
messages, much like the way you
might communicate with your
friends online.
bad•ger (ba j3r) verb, pester or annoy
someone persistently.
110
115
120
125
Note the Facts
Which group of Native Americans
did the anthropologists suspect
Ishi to have come from?
130
135
Build Vocabulary
List some synonyms for the
verb badger.
140
confirm or deny by collect telegram and if story correct hold Indian
till arrival Professor State University who will take charge and be
responsible for him. Matter important account aboriginal10 history.”
The sheriff’s office must have confirmed the report
promptly: Waterman took the train to Oroville the same
day. That he and Kroeber correctly “guessed” Ishi’s tribe and
language was no tour de force11 of intuition. The guess was based
on field work with Indians all up and down California; they
knew that Oroville was adjacent12 to country which formerly
belonged to the Yana Indians; presumably the strange Indian
would be a Yana. He might even be from the southernmost tribe
of Yana, believed to be extinct. If this were true, neither they
nor anyone so far as they knew could speak his language. But if
he were a Northern or Central Yana, there were files of expertly
recorded vocabularies for those dialects from two old Yanas,
Batwi, called Sam, and Chidaimiya, called Betty Brown.
With a copy of Batwi’s and Chidaimiya’s vocabularies in his
pocket, Waterman arrived in Oroville where he identified himself
to Sheriff Webber and was taken to visit the wild man. Waterman
found a weary, badgered Indian sitting in his cell, wearing the
butcher’s apron he had been given at the slaughter house, courteously making what answer he could in his own language to a
barrage13 of questions thrown at him in English, Spanish, and
assorted Indian from a miscellaneous set of visitors.
Waterman sat down beside Ishi, and with his phonetically14
transcribed list of Northern and Central Yana words before
him, began to read from it, repeating each word, pronouncing
it as well as he knew how. Ishi was attentive but unresponding
until, discouragingly far down the list, Waterman said siwini
which means yellow pine, at the same time tapping the pine
framework of the cot on which they sat. Recognition lighted up
the Indian’s face. Waterman
said the magic word again;
Ishi repeated it after him,
correcting his pronunciation,
and for the next moments the
two of them banged at the
wood of the cot, telling each
other over and over, siwini,
siwini!
11. tour de force. Feat of skill, strength, or brilliance
12. adjacent. Next to; adjoining
13. barrage. Heavy attack
14. phonetically. Concerning spoken pronunciation
102
LEVEL III, UNIT 3
4/23/09 8:45:29 PM
With the difficult first sound recognition achieved, others
followed. Ishi was indeed one of the lost tribe, a Yahi; in other
words, he was from the southernmost Yana. Waterman was
learning that the unknown Yahi dialect differed considerably but
not to the point of unintelligibility15 from the two northern ones of
150 his list. Together he and Ishi tried out more and more words and
phrases: they were beginning to communicate. After a while Ishi
ventured to ask Waterman, I ne ma Yahi? “Are you an Indian?”
Waterman answered that he was. The hunted look left Ishi’s eyes—
here was a friend. He knew as well as did his friend that Waterman
155 was not an Indian. The question was a tentative and subtle way of
reassuring and being reassured, not an easy thing to do when the
meaningful shared sounds are few. Between meetings with Ishi,
Waterman wrote to Kroeber from Oroville:
145
Think and Reflect
Why did Waterman tell Ishi that he was also a Native American?
This man [Ishi] is undoubtedly wild. He has pieces of
deer thong in place of ornaments in the lobes16 of his
ears and a wooden plug in the septum17 of his nose.
He recognizes most of my Yana words and a fair
proportion of his own seem to be identical [with
mine]. Some of his, however, are either quite
different or else my pronunciation of them is very
bad, because he doesn’t respond to them except by
pointing to his ears and asking to have them
repeated. “No!” k’u’i—it is not—is one. “Yes!” aha,
pleases him immensely. I think I get a few endings
that don’t occur in Northern Yana on nouns, for
example. Phonetically, he has some of the prettiest
cracked consonants I ever heard in my life. He will
be a splendid informant, especially for phonetics, for
he speaks very clearly. I have not communicated with
him successfully enough to get his story, but what
160
165
170
175
DURING READING
ten•ta•tive (ten te tiv) adjective,
hesitant; uncertain.
Analyze Literature
Biography Authors of
biographies may use
autobiographical materials in
their works. These materials
are included in the text in their
original form. Any changes
that the author makes in these
materials are enclosed in
brackets.
What autobiographical materials
does Theodora Kroeber use in
her biographical account of Ishi?
Use Reading Skills
Author’s Perspective What
is the author’s opinion about
Waterman’s first few attempts at
communication with Ishi?
15. unintelligibility. Not being understandable
16. lobes. The rounded lower part of the ear
17. septum. Membrane between nostrils
LEVEL III, UNIT 3
103
4/23/09 8:45:30 PM
DURING READING
can I expect? He has a yarn to tell about his woman,
who had a baby on her back and seems to have been
drowned, except that he is so cheerful about it.
Read Aloud
Waterman described the way
Ishi talked and acted as if
Waterman was the scientist and
Ishi was a lab experiment. Read
the second part of Waterman’s
letter about Ishi in an expressive
manner, lines 172–178.
Waterman misunderstood. In the excitement and relief of
180 having someone to talk to, Ishi poured out confidences and recollections which Waterman could by no means comprehend even
with the aid of an elaborate pantomime18. Ishi’s seeming pleasure
was not in the recollected event, but was rather a near hysteria19
induced by human interchange of speech and feelings too long
185 denied. Waterman’s letters continue:
What is your impression of how
Waterman treated Ishi?
190
195
Culture Note
During Ishi’s time, the U.S.
government treated Native
Americans like wards of the
state. Today, Native Americans
are American citizens, and
the tribes work with the
government to resolve any
issues that arise.1The Bureau
of Indian Affairs (BIA), formed
in 1824, monitors the activities
of the Native Americans. It also
manages the 66 million acres of
land held in trust by the United
States for these indigenous
people.
We had a lot of conversation this morning about
deer hunting and making acorn soup, but I got as far
as my list of words would take me. If I am not mistaken,
he’s full of religion—bathing at sunrise, putting out
pinches of tobacco where the lightning strikes, etc.
I’ll try rattlesnake on him when I go back after lunch.
It was a picnic to see him open his eyes when he heard
Yana from me. And he looked over my shoulder at the
paper in a most mystified way. He knew at once where
I got my inspiration. . . . We showed him some arrows
last night, and we could hardly get them away from him.
He showed us how he flaked20 the points, singed21 the
edges of the feathering, and put on the sinew wrappings.
Even before Waterman had established a thin line of commu200 nication with Ishi, the sheriff had become convinced that his
prisoner was neither insane nor dangerous. There were no charges
against him; he did not properly belong in jail. The question was,
what in place of the shelter of the jail was there for him? Waterman
offered to take him to San Francisco. Phones and telegraph wires
205 were kept busy for the next forty-eight hours between Oroville and
San Francisco, where the University’s Museum of Anthropology
then was, and between the museum and Washington, D.C. While
these negotiations were going forward, the sheriff, at Waterman’s
suggestion, sent a deputy to Redding to find and bring back with
210 him the old man, Batwi, to act as interpreter-companion to Ishi.
Batwi came, and although he patronized22 Ishi outrageously, he was
for the present a help. He and Ishi could communicate in Yana,
not without some difficulty, but quite fully. Meanwhile, the Indian
18. pantomime. Communication by means of gestures
19. hysteria. Outbreak of wild, uncontrolled excitement
20. flaked. To separate in flakes; to peel or scale off
21. singed. Burned
22. patronize. Act helpful, but in a snobbish way; talk down to
104
LEVEL III, UNIT 3
4/23/09 8:45:30 PM
215
220
225
230
235
240
Bureau in Washington telegraphed permission for Ishi to go to the
University’s museum whose staff was to be responsible for him at
least until there was opportunity for fuller investigation. The sheriff
of Butte County was greatly relieved; he at once made out a receipt
of release from the jail to the University. This remarkable document
seems not to have survived the years of moving and storing in odd
corners which has been the fate of the museum files and specimens23
In any case, Waterman, Batwi, and Ishi, with the release
and government permission, left Oroville on Labor Day, September
4, arriving in San Francisco somewhat before midnight. There
remained to Ishi four years and seven months of life, years which
were to pass within the shelter of the museum walls at the Affiliated
Colleges, or in the hospital next door when he was sick.
Ishi was the last wild Indian in North America, a man of Stone
Age culture subjected for the first time when he was past middle age
to twentieth-century culture. He was content that it should be so,
participating as fully as he could in the new life. Before examining
more closely those astounding few years and what one Stone Age
man contributed in so short a time to our understanding of man
as such, let us go back to the years of childhood, young manhood,
and middle age—almost a whole lifetime. These were years spent by
him without experience or understanding of a way of life other than
that of a tiny fugitive24 band of fewer than a dozen souls at most,
opposing their ancient Yahi skills and beliefs to an unknown but
hostile outside world.
There came the time—months, perhaps two or three years
before August, 1911—when Ishi was the only one remaining of
the little band, violence from without, old age and illness from
within, having brought death to the others. ✤
DURING READING
Note the Facts
How long did Ishi live in the
Museum of Anthropology?
Analyze Literature
A stereotype is an
unexamined, false idea about
a type of person or group of
people. For instance, the author
describes Ishi as “the last wild
Indian.” In the biography, Sheriff
Webber himself thought that
Ishi was “neither insane or
dangerous.” Why do you think
that Ishi was still described as a
“wild” man?
23. specimens. Artifacts
24. fugitive. Someone who fled from danger or repression
Note the Facts
&
W
IRRORS
W INDOWS
What does Ishi’s story tell you about society
and the “civilized world”? How do you think
Ishi should have been treated by the people
who studied him? Why is it important that
anthropologists treat people this way?
What factors have caused Ishi’s
tribe to become extinct?
LEVEL III, UNIT 3
105
4/23/09 8:45:31 PM
AFTER READING
READING CHECK
VOCABULARY CHECK
1. Who found Ishi in the slaughterhouse?
A. the butchers
B. Sheriff Webber
C. Waterman and Kroeber
1. When you suppress a memory, you
A. think about it often.
B. keep it in a safe place.
C. block it from your mind.
2. Where was Ishi taken after he was found in
the slaughterhouse?
A. to the wilderness outside Oroville
B. to the Butte County jail in Oroville
C. to the Museum of Anthropology
2. A groundless argument has
A. no reason or proof to support it.
B. weak or little evidence to support it.
C. clear evidence or reason to support it.
3. How did Waterman first attempt to
communicate with Ishi?
A. He spoke to him in a mix of English and
Mexican.
B. He drew pictures and used facial
expressions.
C. He read from a list of Yana vocabulary
words.
4. Who was the first person to communicate
fully with Ishi?
A. Sheriff J. B. Webber
B. Waterman
C. Batwi
5. Who allowed Ishi to move from Oroville to
San Francisco?
A. the padres of Mission Santa Barbara
B. the Bureau of Indian Affairs in
Washington, DC.
C. the Affiliated Colleges in San Francisco
3. The searchers made a half-hearted effort.
They
A. only pretended to look.
B. looked only in a few places.
C. tried looking in many places.
4. The curious townspeople badgered Ishi.
They
A. ignored him.
B. talked to him.
C. bothered him.
5. Giving someone a tentative answer means
that
A. you don’t have an answer.
B. you aren’t sure of the answer.
C. you are confident of the answer.
ANALYZE LITERATURE: Biography
Write a paragraph on your thoughts about the author of the biography. Do you
think that being the wife of one of the anthropologists who studied Ishi personally
influenced her writing?
106
LEVEL III, UNIT 3
4/23/09 8:45:32 PM
USE READING SKILLS: Author’s Perspective
1. Review the chart you completed while reading the story. What are the qualities of a
biography?
2. What are the advantages of using autobiographical materials in a biography?
3. Why is it important to know about Theodora Kroeber’s life? What bearing does her
life have on her biography of Ishi?
BUILD LANGUAGE SKILLS: Concept Maps
A concept map is a tool to help you expand your understanding of vocabulary words.
Use a concept map to help you understand words with multiple meanings.
The vocabulary word suppress has several meanings. Look in the dictionary and record
at least two definitions of suppress in your concept map. Then, create sentences using
the word suppress to apply to each definition recorded in the concept map.
suppress
SPEAKING AND LISTENING SKILLS: Role-Play
Form a group with two other students, and dramatize a short skit of Ishi, Waterman,
and Sheriff Webber during Ishi’s time in the Butte County jail. How do you imagine
Ishi acted? How did Waterman and Sheriff Webber treat Ishi? Include props and
costumes to make the skit realistic.
LEVEL III, UNIT 3
107
4/23/09 8:45:32 PM
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
BEFORE READING
page 335
A Personal Essay by
Elizabeth Wong
ABOUT THE ESSAY
“The Struggle to Be an All-American Girl” shares the experiences of a
ten-year-old girl growing up in a land that is different from her heritage. Her mother
makes the girl and her brother attend a Chinese school every afternoon, and the
girl’s reaction is different from what is expected. Read to find out what happens.
MAKE CONNECTIONS
People have different feelings about the culture of their ancestors. How would
you feel if you your parents made you take lessons to learn more about it? Would
you see it as a good way to learn more about your culture, or would you see it as
something that takes away from your free time?
ANALYZE LITERATURE: Conflict
Conflict is the struggle that happens in a written work. An internal conflict is a
struggle that takes place inside a character. When the struggle takes place
between a character and an outside factor, it is called an external conflict.
As you read, think about the internal and external conflicts in the story.
108
LEVEL III, UNIT 3
4/23/09 8:45:32 PM
USE READING SKILLS: Take Notes
When you take notes, you write down important details and information on your
paper. As you read, take notes on the struggles that the writer shares in her essay and
fill in the Conflict Chart below. Then, think of a possible resolution for each conflict you
have listed.
Conflict Chart
Conflict
The narrator and her brother do not want to go to Chinese
school.
Resolution
They could try to compromise with their mother.
LEVEL III, UNIT 3
109
4/23/09 8:45:42 PM
PREVIEW VOCABULARY
Key Words and
Phrases
Context
used in a sentence.
dissuade
dis•suade
(di sw6d)
verb
Mimi tried to dissuade
Mark from cheating on
the test.
You should dissuade
people from…
Lyka looked defiant
when she insisted on
playing games instead of
studying.
A defiant child might…
The fragile vase fell
from the desk and broke.
When holding fragile
objects, you should…
I observed the comings
and goings of our
new neighbors.
When you are interested
in the comings
and goings of
someone, you…
The rapper’s gibberish
is hard to understand.
Examples of sounds
that are like gibberish
include…
People who are always
late infuriate Yamato.
When you are
infuriated
by someone you
don’t know…
1
2
2
3
fragile
frag•ile
(fra j@l)
adjective
1
2
3
comings and goings
idiom
1
2
3
gibberish
gib•ber•ish
(ji b@ rish)
noun
1
2
3
infuriate
in•fu•ri•ate
(in fyur 7 6t)
verb
1
110
2
Practice
sentences.
3
defiant
de•fi•ant
(di f8 @nt)
adjective
1
Definition
Write down what you
means. Then use a
definition.
3
LEVEL III, UNIT 3
4/23/09 8:45:43 PM
DURING READING
A Personal Essay by
Elizabeth Wong
5
10
15
20
25
It’s still there, the Chinese school on Yale Street where my
brother and I used to go. Despite the new coat of paint and
the high wire fence, the school I knew 10 years ago remains
remarkably, stoically1 the same.
Every day at 5 P.M., instead of playing with our fourthand fifth-grade friends or sneaking out to the empty lot to
hunt ghosts and animal bones, my brother and I had to go to
Chinese school. No amount of kicking, screaming, or pleading
could dissuade my mother, who was solidly determined to have
us learn the language of our heritage2.
Forcibly, she walked us the seven long, hilly blocks from our
home to school, depositing our defiant tearful faces before the
stern principal. My only memory of him is that he swayed on
his heels like a palm tree, and he always clasped his impatient
twitching hands behind his back. I recognized him as a repressed
maniacal child killer, and knew that if we ever saw his hands
we’d be in big trouble.
We all sat in little chairs in an empty auditorium. The
room smelled like Chinese medicine3, an imported faraway
mustiness4. Like ancient mothballs or dirty closets. I hated that
smell. I favored crisp new scents. Like the soft French perfume
that my American teacher wore in public school. There was a
stage far to the right, flanked by an American flag and the flag
of the Nationalist Republic of China, which was also red, white
and blue but not as pretty. Although the emphasis at the school
was mainly language—speaking, reading, writing—the lessons
always began with an exercise in politeness. With the entrance
Note the Facts
What does the author do every
day at 5:00 PM?
dis•suade (di sw6d) v., try to
convince someone not to do
something
de•fi•ant (di f8 5nt) adj., bold and
resistant to authority, disobedient
Note the Facts
Underline the author’s
impressions of the principal.
Use Reading Skills
Take Notes Think about the
author’s reaction in this section.
What is she struggling against?
Record this information below
the Conflict heading in your
chart. Then, think of a resolution
to the conflict and write this
under the Resolutions heading.
1. stoically. Appearing as if not affected by emotions
2. heritage. Practices handed down from the past
3. Chinese medicine. Ancient method of herbal medicine
4. mustiness. Characteristic of smelling or tasting old, stale, or moldy
LEVEL III, UNIT 3
111
4/23/09 8:45:43 PM
DURING READING
30
Read Aloud
Read lines 20–30 aloud. What
does the text show about the
author’s opinion of her Chinese
heritage?
frag•ile (fra j5l) adj., easily broken,
delicate
35
40
Use Reading Skills
author’s thoughts on this page.
45
50
55
gib•ber•ish (ji b5 rish) n., rapid talk
that can’t be understood
Build Vocabulary
Idioms To understand idioms, try
to guess their meaning by looking
for clues in the sentence. What
does comings and goings mean?
How does the author describe
the comings and goings of the
people in Chinatown?
112
LEVEL III, UNIT 3
60
of the teacher, the best student would tap a bell and everyone
would get up, kowtow5, and chant, “Sing san ho,” the phonetic
for “How are you, teacher?”
Being ten years old, I had better things to learn than
ideographs6 copied painstakingly in lines that ran right
to left from the tip of a moc but, a real ink pen that had to
be held in an awkward way if blotches were to be avoided.
After all, I could do the multiplication tables, name the
satellites of Mars, and write reports on Little Women and
Black Beauty. Nancy Drew, my favorite book heroine,
never spoke Chinese.
The language was a source of embarrassment. More
times than not, I had tried to disassociate myself from the
nagging loud voice that followed me wherever I wandered
in the nearby American supermarket outside Chinatown.
The voice belonged to my grandmother, a fragile woman
in her seventies who could outshout the best of the street
vendors. Her humor was raunchy, her Chinese rhythmless,
patternless. It was quick, it was loud, it was unbeautiful.
It was not like the quiet, lilting romance of French or the
gentle refinement of the American South. Chinese sounded
pedestrian7. Public.
In Chinatown, the comings and goings of hundreds of
Chinese on their daily tasks sounded chaotic and frenzied.
I did not want to be thought of as mad, as talking gibberish.
When I spoke English, people nodded at me, smiled sweetly,
said encouraging words. Even the people in my culture would
cluck and say that I’d do well in life. “My, doesn’t she move her
lips fast,” they would say, meaning that I’d be able to keep up
with the world outside Chinatown.
My brother was even more fanatical than I about
speaking English. He was especially hard on my mother,
criticizing her, often cruelly, for her pidgin8 speech—
smatterings of Chinese scattered like chop suey9 in her
conversation. “It’s not ‘What it is,’ Mom,” he’d say in
exasperation. “It’s ‘What is it, what is it, what is it!’”
5. kowtow. To touch the forehead to the floor while kneeling to show deep respect
6. ideographs. Symbols that stand for ideas or things without the use of sound; characters in
Chinese written language
7. pedestrian. Lacking imagination
8. pidgin. Simplified form of speech usually a mixture of two or more languages
9. chop suey. “Mixed piece,” a dish of meat or fish stir-fried with vegetable
4/23/09 8:45:44 PM
DURING READING
Culture Note
Chinatowns are centers in
which large numbers of Chinese
people live or do business.
During the author’s childhood,
people often saw Chinatowns as
neighborhoods to be avoided.
How do you think this explains
the author’s thoughts about the
place in which she lives?
65
Sometimes Mom might leave out an occasional “the”
or “a,” or perhaps a verb of being. He would stop her in
mid-sentence: “Say it again, Mom. Say it right.” When
he tripped over his own tongue, he’d blame it on her:
“See, Mom, it’s all your fault. You set a bad example.”
Think and Reflect
If you were in the author’s situation, would you react in the same
way? Why or why not?
What infuriated my mother most was when my brother
70 cornered her on her consonants, especially “r.” My father
had played a cruel joke on Mom by assigning her an
American name that her tongue wouldn’t allow her to say.
No matter how hard she tried, “Ruth” always ended up
“Luth” or “Roof.”
75
After two years of writing with a moc but and reciting words
with multiples of meanings, I finally was granted a cultural
divorce. I was permitted to stop Chinese school.
Use Reading Skills
author’s opinions on this page.
in•fu•ri•ate (in fyur 7 6t) verb, make
someone furious
Analyze Literature
Conflict What is the conflict
between the author’s brother
and mother? What type of
conflict is this?
LEVEL III, UNIT 3
113
4/23/09 8:45:45 PM
DURING READING
Note the Facts
What is one way that we know
the author’s mother has trouble
with the English language?
I thought of myself as multicultural. I preferred tacos
to egg rolls; I enjoyed Cinco de Mayo more than Chinese
80 New Year.
At last, I was one of you; I wasn’t one of them.
Sadly, I still am. ✤
&
W
IRRORS
W INDOWS
How have the author’s feelings about her
heritage changed as she grew older? What
are things you believed in when you were
younger that changed as you grew older?
Use Reading Skills
author’s thoughts on this page.
114
LEVEL III, UNIT 3
4/23/09 8:45:47 PM
AFTER READING
READING CHECK
VOCABULARY CHECK
1. Why does the author’s mother force the
siblings to attend Chinese school?
A. She wants them to learn Chinese.
B. She teaches at the school.
C. She does not trust American schools.
1. The author tries to dissuade her mother from
sending her to Chinese school because she
A. wants to learn.
B. doesn’t want to go.
C. doesn’t want to stay.
2. What does the author think about learning
ideographs?
A. She hopes she will use them in school.
B. She wants to do something else.
C. She thinks she is good at them.
2. The author and her brothers do not hide their
defiant faces. They are
A. nervous about school.
B. not afraid of authority.
C. excited to see the principal.
3. What does the author think about the
language of her heritage?
A. It is strange.
B. It is mysterious.
C. It is embarrassing.
3. The author’s grandmother is a fragile woman.
She is very old and must be dealt with
A. easily.
B. uneasily.
C. carefully.
4. How does the author’s brother react to their
mother’s English speaking?
A. He laughs at her speech.
B. He scolds her for her speech.
C. He teases her about her speech.
4. The author speaks in English because she
does not want people to think she speaks
gibberish. She thinks that speaking Chinese
will make people
A. distrust her.
B. misunderstand her.
C. believe her completely.
5. What does the author do after two years?
A. She leaves Chinatown.
B. She goes to Chinese high school.
C. She stops going to Chinese school.
5. The author’s brother infuriates their mother.
It makes her
A. angry.
B. proud.
C. lonely.
ANALYZE LITERATURE: Conflict
What is the author’s greatest conflict in “The Struggle to Be an All-American Girl”?
USE READING SKILLS: Take Notes
Review your notes and the Conflict Chart you completed while reading the essay.
How do these conflicts affect the author? How could the author have avoided these
conflicts? Share your answers with a partner.
LEVEL III, UNIT 3
115
4/23/09 8:45:48 PM
BUILD LANGUAGE SKILLS: Consistent Verb Tenses
A verb tense tells the time that the action takes place. An action can take place in
the present, in the past, or in the future.
In writing about the same event or a group of events, use consistent verb
tense. If you begin to describe a particular event with the past tense, you should
continue to use the past tense to describe the rest of the event. If you begin an
account with the present tense, you should use the present tense throughout that
account. If you begin a piece with the future tense, you should use the future tense
in the rest of the piece.
EXAMPLE
I want to play with my friends, but my mother makes me go to school.
I wanted to play with my friends, but my mother made me go to school.
For each sentence, write correct if the sentence uses consistent verb tense. If the
sentence does not use consistent verb tense, correct the incorrect sentences on the line.
1. She thinks she only needs to learn how to speak in English.
2. The principal stared down at them and frown.
3. Her grandmother was very old and will speak gibberish.
WRITING SKILLS
Imagine that your parents make you take a class in something that you are not
interested in, such as playing piano or computer programming. Then one day they
say that you no longer need to go to class. Write a journal entry that shares your
feelings about the news and the reaction of your parents and teacher. Explain
whether you would stop taking the class.
116
LEVEL III, UNIT 3
4/23/09 8:45:48 PM
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
BEFORE READING
page 376
Essay by
Mark Mathabane
ABOUT THE ESSAY
“Appearances are Destructive” is an author’s thoughts about school uniforms
and the troubles students face at school. Mathabane relates his sisters’ experiences
in school with uniforms, and then discusses how they fare when they move to a
school without uniforms. Read to find out why the author thinks that schools should
have uniforms.
MAKE CONNECTIONS
Mathabane writes that the advantages of wearing uniforms far outweigh any loss of
identity that students might have. Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not?
The setting is the time and place that a story occurs. A setting can provide
important details about the main idea of a text. In texts with multiple settings, the
different places can be compared. As you read, think about the settings described in
this essay. Think about the similarities and differences between each setting.
LEVEL III, UNIT 3
117
4/23/09 8:45:49 PM
USE READING SKILLS: Identify Main Idea
The main idea is the overall point the author wants the readers to understand
from the text. The main idea is supported with important details, which are details
with information about the main idea. As you read, record important details from
“Immigrant Appearances are Destructive” in the Main Idea Organizer below. Write the
main idea in the circle in the center.
Main Idea Map
Details: Students get bullied
because of their appearance,
and students with uniforms
all look the same
MAIN IDEA:
118
LEVEL III, UNIT 3
4/23/09 8:45:50 PM
PREVIEW VOCABULARY
Key Words and
Phrases
Context
used in a sentence.
hotly debated
phrase
They hotly debated
which movie they were
going to see for almost
an hour.
Topics that are hotly
debated in schools
include…
Because of apartheid,
many black African
students were less
privileged than white
African students.
Students living in places
that support apartheid
might…
Our plans for swimming
were derailed when we
heard the thunder in the
distance.
Plans for school
improvement might
be derailed if…
They pampered their
brother when he had the
flu, getting him whatever
he asked for.
Parents who pamper
their children will
probably…
The diminution of the
cast made it impossible
for everyone to perform in
the play.
The diminution of a
library’s books might…
1
2
2
3
derailed
de•railed
(d7 r6ld)
verb
1
2
3
pamper
pam•per
(pam per)
verb
1
2
3
diminution
dim•i•nu•tion
(dim i n2 shun)
noun
1
2
3
Practice
sentences.
3
apartheid
a•part•heid
(5 p5rt h8d)
noun
1
Definition
Write down what you
means. Then use a
definition.
LEVEL III, UNIT 3
119
4/23/09 8:45:50 PM
DURING READING
Essay by
Mark Mathabane
hotly debated phrase, to argue
and yell
Note the Facts
5
What is the topic being debated
in schools?
a•part•heid (5 p5rt h8d) noun,
a government policy that separated
blacks and whites
10
de•railed (d7 r6ld) verb, to stop
15
Analyze Literature
Setting How are the girls’
schools in South Africa different
than the girls’ schools in
America?
20
As public schools reopen for the new year, strategies to curb
school violence will once again be hotly debated. Installing
metal detectors and hiring security guards will help, but the
experience of my two sisters makes a compelling case for
greater use of dress codes as a way to protect students and
promote learning.
Shortly after my sisters arrived here from South Africa
I enrolled them at the local public school. I had great
expectations for their educational experience. Compared
with black schools under apartheid, American schools are
Shangri-Las,1 with modern textbooks, school buses, computers,
libraries, lunch programs and dedicated teachers.
But despite these benefits, which students in many parts of
the world only dream about, my sisters’ efforts at learning were
almost derailed. They were constantly taunted for their homely
outfits. A couple of times they came home in tears. In South
Africa students were required to wear uniforms, so my sisters
had never been preoccupied with clothes and jewelry.
They became so distraught that they insisted on transferring
to different schools, despite my reassurances that there was
nothing wrong with them because of what they wore.
Think and Reflect
The author’s sisters wanted to change schools because they were
being bullied about their clothes. How would you respond to
them if they asked you to put them in a different school?
1. Shangri-Las. Perfect, imaginary places
120
LEVEL III, UNIT 3
4/23/09 8:45:51 PM
DURING READING
25
30
35
40
I have visited enough public schools around the country to
know that my sisters’ experiences are not unique. In schools
in many areas, Nike, Calvin Klein, Adidas, Reebok and Gucci
are more familiar names to students than Zora Neale Hurston,
Shakespeare and Faulkner. Many students seem to pay more
attention to what’s on their bodies than in their minds.
Teachers have shared their frustrations with me at being
unable to teach those students willing to learn because classes
are frequently disrupted by other students ogling themselves in
mirrors, painting their fingernails, combing their hair, shining
their gigantic shoes or comparing designer labels on jackets,
caps and jewelry.
The fiercest competition among students is often not over
academic achievements, but over who dresses most expensively.
And many students now measure parental love by how willing
their mothers and fathers are to pamper them with money for
the latest fads in clothes, sneakers and jewelry.
Those parents without the money to waste on such
meretricious2 extravagances are considered uncaring and
cruel. They often watch in dismay and helplessness as their
children become involved with gangs and peddle drugs to
raise the money.
Build Vocabulary
Students pay more time ogling
themselves in mirrors than they
do paying attention in class.
What does ogling mean?
pam•per (pam per) verb, to indulge
a person’s desires; to spoil
2. meretricious. Superficial
3. civil libertarians. People who believe in little government authority
LEVEL III, UNIT 3
121
4/23/09 8:45:52 PM
DURING READING
45
Use Reading Skills
Identify Main Idea What
is the main idea of this page?
Record your ideas in your Main
Idea Organizer.
50
dim•i•nu•tion (dim i n2 shun) noun,
a decrease or lessening of
55
Note the Facts
Why do many people say
uniforms should not be used?
60
Use Reading Skills
Identify Main Idea What
is the main idea of this page?
Record your ideas in your Main
Idea Organizer.
65
When students are asked why they attach so much importance to clothing, they frequently reply that it’s the cool
thing to do, that it gives them status and earns them respect.
And clothes are also used to send sexual messages, with girls
thinking that the only things that make them attractive to boys
are skimpy dresses and gaudy looks, rather than intelligence
and academic excellence.
The argument by civil libertarians3 that dress codes infringe
on freedom of expression is misleading. We observe dress codes
in nearly every aspect of our lives without any diminution of
our freedoms—as demonstrated by flight attendants, bus drivers,
postal employees, high school bands, military personnel, sports
teams, Girl and Boy Scouts, employees of fast-food chains,
restaurants, and hotels.
In many countries where students outperform their
American counterparts academically, school dress codes are
observed as part of creating the proper learning environment.
Their students tend to be neater, less disruptive in class and
more disciplined, mainly because their minds are focused
more on learning and less on materialism. It’s time Americans
realized that the benefits of safe and effective schools far
outweigh any perceived curtailment of freedom of expression
brought on by dress codes. ✤
3. civil libertarians. People who believe in little government authority
&
W
IRRORS
W INDOWS
122
LEVEL III, UNIT 3
Students disagree about whether or not
dress codes and uniforms should be used
in schools. Do you think strict dress codes
are useful? Why or why not?
4/23/09 8:45:54 PM
AFTER READING
READING CHECK
VOCABULARY CHECK
1. What are schools debating?
A. drugs in schools
B. uniforms in schools
C. violence in schools
2. Why did the author’s sisters look forward to
America’s schools?
A. American schools are free and close by
B. American schools have good equipment
C. American schools do not require uniforms
3. Why were the girls being bullied in school?
A. They dressed in plain clothes.
B. They had South African accents.
C. They were behind in their subjects.
4. Why are clothes so important to many
students?
A. They are a sign of status.
B. They are a sign of intelligence.
C. They are a sign of independence.
5. Why does the author think uniforms should
be used?
A. It is cheaper to wear uniforms.
B. Uniforms allow students more freedom.
C. The benefits of uniforms outweigh the
disadvantages.
1. Schools are hotly debating issues that affect
the students. They are
A. arguing about what to do about the
issues.
B. determining ways to shield the students
from the issues.
C. comparing students’ academic records
influenced by the issues.
2. The apartheid in South Africa meant that
some students had fewer resources than
others. Apartheid is
A. a school-wide funding program.
B. a government segregation policy.
C. an immigrant-regulation precaution.
3. Attempts to study in school were being
derailed by bullying. The girl’s studies were
A. started.
B. stopped.
C. assisted.
4. Other students were pampered by their
parents. Their parents
A. spoiled them.
B. ignored them.
C. watched them
5. Some parents argue that uniforms cause
the diminution of freedom. They think that
uniforms
A. help the students’ freedom.
B. change the students’ freedom.
C. take away the students’ freedom.
“Appearances are Destructive” describes school in South Africa and in America.
Which school system does the author seem to think is better? Why?
LEVEL III, UNIT 3
123
4/23/09 8:45:55 PM
Review the Main Idea Organizer you filled in while reading this essay. Use the important
details to determine the main idea of what you have read. Write a statement that tells
the main idea, and share your statement with a partner.
BUILD VOCABULARY SKILLS
Use context clues from each sentence to create definitions for each italicized word or
phrase.
1. The author makes a compelling argument for uniforms with all of the facts he
includes in his essay.
2. The author’s sisters were so distraught in their new school that they often came
home in tears.
3. Students who could not afford to spend money on extravagances like jewelry were
mocked.
4. Girls wore fewer and more skimpy clothes that showed too much skin.
5. Students who do not concentrate on materialism tend to do better in their classes.
SPEAKING & LISTENING: Debate
With a partner, take turns debating for and against uniforms in schools. First, list some
benefits of uniforms. Then list some drawbacks about uniforms. Then choose a side and
debate with your partner. Listen to what your partner says, and explain why you disagree
with him or her. Take turns arguing both sides of the debate.
124
LEVEL III, UNIT 3
4/23/09 8:45:56 PM
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
BEFORE READING
pages 481, 484
Lyric Poems by
Langston Hughes
ABOUT THE POEMS
“Dreams” and “A Dream Deferred” are poems about dreams, ambitions, and
ideals. Langston Hughes believed in the power of dreams, and both poems are
reminders of the importance of holding on to dreams. Read to find out more.
MAKE CONNECTIONS
What are your goals? What do you do when you have difficulty achieving a goal.
ANALYZE LITERATURE: Metaphor and Simile
Metaphors and similes are figures of speech that writers use to make a
comparison between two unlike objects. A simile always uses like or as when
comparing the two objects. A metaphor makes a more direct comparison by
speaking of one thing as if it were another. As you read the poems, look for
instances of metaphors and similes.
LEVEL III, UNIT 5
125
4/23/09 8:45:57 PM
The main idea of a piece is the overall point that the author wants to get across.
The details in the text that support the main idea are called important details. As
you read, note the important details in the poems and record them in the main idea
map below.
Main Idea Map
Detail:
Detail:
Life is a bird with a broken
wing that cannot fly
Main Idea:
You need to hold onto
your dreams.
Detail:
126
LEVEL III, UNIT 5
Detail:
4/23/09 8:45:59 PM
PREVIEW VOCABULARY
Key Words and
Phrases
1I don’t know it at all.
2I’ve seen it before.
3I know it and use it.
Context
used in a sentence.
barren
bar•ren
(>ber @n)
adjective
The mountain was
barren without the trees.
A barren land is not…
We decided to defer our
vacation until we could
save up enough money.
You might defer a plan
because…
Our hope dried up like a
raisin in the sun.
Like a raisin in the
sun, …
Take care of a wound so
that it doesn’t fester.
Things that fester
always…
A balloon filled with too
much air can explode.
If something looks like it’s
about to explode, you
should…
1
2
2
3
raisin in the sun
phrase
1
2
3
fester
fes•ter
(>fes t@r)
verb
1
2
3
explode
ex•plode
(ik >spl9d)
verb
1
2
3
Practice
sentences.
3
defer
de•fer
(di >f@r)
verb
1
Definition
Write down what you
means. Then use a
definition.
LEVEL III, UNIT 5
127
4/23/09 8:45:59 PM
DURING READING
Lyric Poem by
Langston Hughes
Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.
Note the Facts
In the first stanza, what does the
poem say about a dream that
dies?
5
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow. ✤
Analyze Literature
Metaphor and Simile Focus
on the second stanza. Does this
section of the poem use a simile
or a metaphor? What objects are
being compared?
bar•ren (>ber @n) adjective, bare,
fruitless
Think and Reflect
What is the poem trying to say about life without dreams?
128
LEVEL III, UNIT 5
4/23/09 8:46:00 PM
DURING READING
Lyric Poem by
Langston Hughes
Harlem1
5
What happens to a dream deferred?
de•fer (di >f@r) verb, delay, hold back
to a later time
Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore—
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over—
like a syrupy sweet?
raisin in the sun phrase, something
that has dried up; something that is gone
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.
10
fes•ter (>fes t@r) verb, rot
Note the Facts
In the poem, underline one thing
that could happen to a dream
deferred.
Or does it explode? ✤
1. Harlem. A district in New York City occupied mostly by African Americans
&
W
IRRORS
W INDOWS
What are your dreams for the future? Do
you think you can attain them? How?
ex•plode (ik >spl9d) verb, burst
outward, be destroyed
Use Reading Skills
Identify Main Idea Find the
important details in the poem.
Record them in your chart.
LEVEL III, UNIT 5
129
4/23/09 8:46:01 PM
AFTER READING
READING CHECK
VOCABULARY CHECK
1. In the poem “Dreams,” dead dreams are
compared to
A. a bird with no wings.
B. a bird with three wings.
C. a bird with a broken wing.
1. Some people have a life that is like a barren
field frozen with snow. Their lives
A. are simple.
B. are perfect.
C. are empty.
2. What does the poem “Dreams” tell readers
to do?
A. plan for their lives
B. hold fast to dreams
C. heal a helpless bird
2. Dreams that defer happen
A. later.
B. earlier.
C. on time.
3. A life without dreams is compared to
A. a broken-winged bird.
B. a windy and rainy day.
C. a barren field of snow.
4. The poem “A Dream Deferred” compares a
dream that dries up to
A. a raisin in the sun.
B. a raisin in the fire.
C. a raisin in the hearth.
5. What does the poem “A Dream Deferred”
warn the readers about?
A. Dreams explode when reached too late.
B. Dreams that are planned later cannot be
reached.
C. Dreams that are not followed have bad
results.
3. The phrase raisin in the sun means
A. alone and deserted.
B. dried up and shriveled.
C. likely to grow something.
4. Sores that fester and run are
A. fast.
B. slow.
C. rotting.
5. If a dream explodes, it can
A. not be seen anymore.
B. bring the dreamer fear.
C. bring the dreamer hope.
Metaphors and similes compare different objects. These comparisons focus on
a characteristic that both objects have. How do the metaphors and similes in the
poems help you understand the meaning of “Dreams” and “A Dream Deferred”?
130
LEVEL III, UNIT 5
4/23/09 8:46:02 PM
Review the Main Idea Map you filled in while reading the poem. Use the important
details from the poem to write a short statement that expresses the main idea of
“A Dream Deferred.” Share your statement with a classmate.
BUILDING LANGUAGE SKILLS: Rhyme
Rhyme is a technique that repeats sounds. Most poems use rhyme because it appeals
to the ears of the listener or reader.
Examples
1. Hold fast to dreams / For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird / That cannot fly
2. I think that I shall never see/ A poem lovely as a tree
3. share / care
Complete the lines with a word that rhymes with the underlined word.
1. Dreams bring tears
.
And hidden
2. There is too much snow
Maybe you shouldn’t
.
3. You must walk fast
You won’t be
.
4. The sun’s heat
Feels like a
.
5. Reach for the star.
It is never
.
With a partner, take turns reading aloud “Dreams” and “A Dream Deferred.” As you read,
emphasize the rhymes in the poems. When you are done, try retelling the poems in
your own words. Discuss what you would change and why you would change it with
your partner.
LEVEL III, UNIT 5
131
4/23/09 8:46:02 PM
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
BEFORE READING
page 501
Historical Nonfiction by
Russell Freedman
ABOUT THE HISTORICAL NONFICTION
“Immigrant Kids” shares the true-to-life experiences of immigrants entering the
United States through Ellis Island. From the steerage to the immigration center,
the narrator gives an account of what the immigrants felt and how they worked to
achieve a better life. Read to find out what happens.
MAKE CONNECTIONS
Immigrants in the United States come from different parts of the world to achieve
the dream of a better life. How would you feel if you had to leave your country to
start a new life in a new land?
Point of View hows the position from which events are viewed in a
written work. In accounts that are written with first-person point of view, the
writer describes the perspective of the story using first-person pronouns,
such as I, my, and our. In accounts written in the third-person point of
view, the writer uses third-person pronouns, such as he, she, and they.
As you read, think about the point of view used in this text. Think
about how the story would be different if it were written from a different
point-of-view.
132
LEVEL III, UNIT 5
4/23/09 8:46:02 PM
The main idea is the overall point the author wants the readers to understand
from the text. The main idea is supported with important details, which are
details with information about the main idea. As you read, record important
details from “Immigrant Kids” in the Main Idea Fishbone Map below. Use these
important details to help you identify the main idea of the selection. Write the
main idea on the spine of the fish.
Main Idea Fishbone Map
nd
0a
8
8
1
.
een rrived
w
t
Be ts a
ils: igran
a
t
m
De
nt lion im
a
t
l
por mi
Im 0, 23
192
Main Idea:
LEVEL III, UNIT 5
133
4/23/09 8:46:03 PM
PREVIEW VOCABULARY
Key Words and
Phrases
Context
used in a sentence.
fervent
fer•vent
(f@r v@nt)
adjective
The child’s fervent wish
for his mother to get well
was answered.
Topics that bring fervent
feelings are…
We’ve scraped together
a few dollars so that we
can watch a movie.
I scraped together some
money for…
The father caught a
glimpse of his new
daughter.
A short glimpse of a
drawing can…
Luna can feel her
mother’s anxiety as they
wait for Apollo.
I feel anxiety when…
They won the
championship with their
indomitable spirit.
If you want to succeed,
you must have an
indomitable…
1
2
2
3
glimpse
glimpse
(glimps)
noun
1
2
3
anxiety
anx•i•ety
(a4 z8 @ t7)
noun
1
2
3
indomitable
in•dom•i•ta•ble
(in d@ m@ t@ b@l)
adjective
1
134
2
Practice
sentences.
3
scrape together
idiom
1
Definition
Write down what you
means. Then use a
definition.
3
LEVEL III, UNIT 5
4/23/09 8:46:04 PM
DURING READING
Historical Nonfiction by
Culture Note
Russell Freedman
5
10
15
20
25
30
In the years around the turn of the century, immigration1
to America reached an all-time high. Between 1880 and 1920,
23 million immigrants arrived in the United States. They
came mainly from the countries of Europe, especially from
impoverished towns and villages in southern and eastern
Europe. The only thing they had in common was a fervent
belief that in America, life would be better.
Most of these immigrants were poor. Somehow they
managed to scrape together enough money to pay for their
passage to America. Many immigrant families arrived penniless.
Others had to make the journey in stages. Often the father came
first, found work, and sent for his family later.
Immigrants usually crossed the Atlantic as steerage2
passengers. Reached by steep, slippery stairways, the steerage
lay deep down in the hold of the ship. It was occupied by
passengers paying the lowest fare.
Men, women, and children were packed into dark,
foul-smelling compartments. They slept in narrow bunks
stacked three high. They had no showers, no lounges, and no
dining rooms. Food served from huge kettles was dished into
dinner pails provided by the steamship3 company. Because
steerage conditions were crowded and uncomfortable,
passengers spent as much time as possible up on deck.
The voyage4 was an ordeal, but it was worth it. They were
on their way to America.
The great majority of immigrants landed in New York City,
at America’s busiest port. They never forgot their first glimpse
of the Statue of Liberty.
Edward Corsi, who later became United States
Commissioner of Immigration, was a ten-year-old Italian
immigrant when he sailed into New York harbor in 1907:
Millions of immigrants arrive in the
United States each year. Most of
the immigrants during the time
period of the narration came from
Europe. They came with the belief
that hard work could lead to the
“American dream.”
fer•vent (f@r v@nt) adjective, earnest,
intense, full of feeling
scrape together idiom, to gather
together with difficulty
Build Vocabulary
Idioms Read the sentences
before and after the sentence
that contains the idiom scrape
together. Look for clues in
these sentences that will help
you determine what this idiom
means. What does scrape
together mean?
glimpse (glimps) noun, a quick look
Note the Facts
5
My first impressions of the New World will always
remain etched in my memory, particularly that hazy
Describe the people who
immigrated to America.
1. immigration. The act of coming into a country to live there permanently
2. steerage. The part of a passenger ship where passengers who pay the cheapest rates stay
3. steamship. A ship powered by steam
4. voyage. A journey to a distant place, often by boat
5. New World. One of the names used to refer to the Americas
LEVEL III, UNIT 5
135
4/23/09 8:46:05 PM
DURING READING
Use Reading Skills
Identify Main Idea Use the
Main Idea Fishbone Map to
record the important details on
this page.
Analyze Literature
Point of View Whose point of
view is narrated from lines 32–51?
What type of point of view is this?
What pronouns does the narrator
use in this section?
35
40
Use Reading Skills
45
this page.
50
October morning when I first saw Ellis Island6. The
steamer Florida, fourteen days out of Naples7, filled to
capacity with 1,600 natives of Italy, had weathered one of
the worst storms in our captain’s memory; and glad we
were, both children and grown-ups, to leave the open sea
and come at last through the Narrows into the Bay.
My mother, my stepfather, my brother Giuseppe,
and my two sisters, Liberta and Helvetia, all of us together,
happy that we had come through the storm safely,
clustered on the foredeck8 for fear of separation and looked
with wonder on this miraculous land of our dreams.
Giuseppe and I held tightly to Stepfather’s hands,
while Liberta and Helvetia clung to Mother. Passengers
all about us were crowding against the rail. Jabbered
conversation, sharp cries, laughs and cheers—a steadily
rising din filled the air. Mothers and fathers lifted up
babies so that they too could see, off to the left, the
Statue of Liberty….
Think and Reflect
Amid the excitement, mothers and fathers lifted their babies to see the
Statue of Liberty. What do you think is the importance of the Statue of
Liberty to the immigrants?
6. Ellis Island. Island in New York Harbor, formerly the main immigration station in the
United States
7. Naples. A port city and tourist center in southwestern Italy
8. foredeck. The forward part of a deck or a ship
136
LEVEL III, UNIT 5
4/23/09 8:46:05 PM
Finally the Florida veered to the left, turning northward
into the Hudson River9 and now the incredible buildings of
lower Manhattan10 came very close to us.
The officers of the ship…went striding up and down
the decks shouting orders and directions and driving the
immigrants before them. Scowling and gesturing, they
pushed and pulled the passengers, herding us into separate
groups as though we were animals. A few moments later
we came to our dock, and the long journey was over.
55
60
65
70
75
80
85
90
But the journey was not yet over. Before they could be
admitted to the United States, immigrants had to pass through
Ellis Island, which became the nation’s chief immigrant
processing center in 1892. There they would be questioned
and examined. Those who could not pass all the exams would
be detained; some would be sent back to Europe. And so their
arrival in America was filled with great anxiety. Among the
immigrants, Ellis Island was known as “Heartbreak Island.”
When their ship docked at a Hudson River pier, the
immigrants had numbered identity tags pinned to their
clothing. Then they were herded onto special ferryboats11 that
carried them to Ellis Island. Officials hurried them along,
shouting “Quick! Run! Hurry!” in half a dozen languages.
Filing into an enormous inspection hall, the immigrants
formed long lines separated by iron railings that made the hall
look like a great maze.
Now the examinations began. First the immigrants were
examined by two doctors of the United States Health Service.
One doctor looked for physical and mental abnormalities.
When a case aroused suspicion, the immigrant received a
chalk mark on the right shoulder for further inspection: L for
lameness, H for heart, X for mental defects, and so on.
The second doctor watched for contagious and infectious
diseases. He looked especially for infections of the scalp and at
the eyelids for symptoms of trachoma, a blinding disease. Since
trachoma caused more than half of all medical detentions, this
doctor was greatly feared. He stood directly in the immigrant’s
path. With a swift movement, he would grab the immigrant’s
eyelid, pull it up, and peer beneath it. If all was well, the
immigrant was passed on.
DURING READING
Read Aloud
was Ellis Island known as
“Heartbreak Island” among the
immigrants?
Note the Facts
Underline what happened after the
ship with the immigrants docked at
a pier by the Hudson River.
Use Reading Skills
this page.
9. Hudson River. A river in New York that flows southward into New York Bay
10. Manhattan. A city in New York
11. ferryboat. A boat that transports people or vehicles across the water on a regular schedule
LEVEL III, UNIT 5
137
4/23/09 8:46:07 PM
DURING READING
Note the Facts
What kind of examinations did
the immigrants have to pass to
be allowed to live in America?
Use Reading Skills
Those who failed to get past both doctors had to undergo
a more thorough medical exam. The others moved on to
the registration clerk, who questioned them with the aid of
an interpreter: What is your name? Your nationality? Your
95 occupation? Can you read and write? Have you ever been in
prison? How much money do you have with you? Where are
you going?
Some immigrants were so flustered12 that they could not
answer. They were allowed to sit and rest and try again.
About one immigrant out of every five or six was detained
100
for additional examinations or questioning.
The writer Angelo Pellegrini has recalled his own family’s
detention13 at Ellis Island:
this page.
Think and Reflect
Some of the immigrants on Ellis Island felt flustered when they were
examined. How would you have felt?
105
anx•i•ety (a4 z8 @ t7) noun,
uneasiness of mind, fearful concern
110
in•dom•i•ta•ble (in d@ m@ t@ b@l)
adjective, cannot be defeated
115
We lived there for three days—Mother and we five
children, the youngest of whom was three years old.
Because of the rigorous physical examination that we
had to submit to, particularly of the eyes, there was this
terrible anxiety that one of us might be rejected. And if
one of us was, what would the rest of the family do? My
sister was indeed momentarily rejected; she had been so
ill and had cried so much that her eyes were absolutely
bloodshot, and Mother was told, “Well, we can’t let her
in.” But fortunately, Mother was an indomitable spirit
and finally made them understand that if her child had
a few hours’ rest and a little bite to eat she would be all
right. In the end we did get through.
Think and Reflect
If you were an immigrant, how would you feel if you were told that your
mother or father couldn’t stay in America? What would you do?
12. flustered. Confused
13. detention. Act of being kept back, confinement
138
LEVEL III, UNIT 5
4/23/09 8:46:07 PM
120
125
130
135
Most immigrants passed through Ellis Island in about
one day. Carrying all their worldly possessions, they left the
examination hall and waited on the dock for the ferry that
would take them to Manhattan, a mile away. Some of them
still faced long journeys overland before they reached their
final destination. Others would head directly for the teeming
immigrant neighborhoods of New York City….
Immigrants still come to America. Since World War II,
more than 8 million immigrants have entered the country.
While this is a small number compared to the mass migrations14
at the turn of the century, the United States continues to admit
more immigrants than any other nation.
Many of today’s immigrants come from countries within
the Western Hemisphere, and from Asia and Africa as well as
Europe. When they reach the United States, they face many of
the same problems and hardships that have always confronted
newcomers. And they come here for the same reason that
immigrants have always come: to seek a better life for
themselves and their children. ✤
DURING READING
Note the Facts
Highlight what the immigrants
who passed through Ellis Island
do next.
Use Reading Skills
main idea fishbone map to
this page.
14. migration. Movement of a group of people from one country to another
&
W
IRRORS
W INDOWS
The narrator says that the immigrants carried
all their worldly possession from their home
country to America. If you were one of the
immigrants and you could take only what you
could carry, what would you bring?
LEVEL III, UNIT 5
139
4/23/09 8:46:08 PM
AFTER READING
READING CHECK
VOCABULARY CHECK
1. Why did the immigrants choose to travel to
America?
A. America was the nearest country.
B. America was the friendliest country.
C. They believed their lives would be better.
2. Where did the majority of immigrant ships
dock?
A. Naples
B. Florida
C. New York City
3. After docking at a pier by the Hudson River,
where did the immigrants go?
A. They went to Naples using steamships.
B. They went to Ellis Island using ferryboats.
C. They went to Manhattan Island using
taxicabs.
4. After passing through two doctors for medical
examination, who was the last official to
interact with an immigrant?
A. registration clerk
B. real estate agent
C. steamship captain
5. What happened to someone who failed the
examinations?
A. They became prisoners of America.
B. They were sent back to their countries.
C. They became low-paid workers in
America.
1. The immigrants had a fervent belief that their
lives would be better in America. Their faith
in the country was
A. true.
B. shallow.
C. intense.
2. We had to scrape together enough money to
the
buy that new game. We had to
money we needed.
A. gather and save
B. borrow and return
C. calculate and determine
3. Immigrants landing in New York City get their
first glimpse of the Statue of Liberty. They
never forget what they
A. see.
B. hear.
C. feel.
4. The immigrants were filled with anxiety at
being sent back to their countries. Their eyes
showed their
A. joy.
B. worry.
C. sadness.
5. The writer's mother had an indomitable spirit,
so she would not
A. go on.
B. give up.
C. stop talking.
“Immigration Kids” shifts between third-person and first-person point of view. Which
point of view do you think is more effective in narrating events? Why?
140
LEVEL III, UNIT 5
4/23/09 8:46:09 PM
Review the Main Idea Fishbone Map you filled in while reading this story. Use the
important details to determine the main idea of what you have read. On the spine of
the fish, write a statement that tells the main idea. Share your statement with a partner.
BUILD LANGUAGE SKILLS: Predicate
A predicate is the part of the sentence that tells what the subject does. It contains
the verb and any words or phrases that follow the verb.
EXAMPLES
The immigrants were very anxious.
The storm almost made the ship sink.
Complete the sentences with a predicate that makes sense.
1. The captain of the steamship
.
2. Sometimes, one member of the family of immigrants
3. The Statue of Liberty
4. The doctors on Ellis Island
.
.
.
5. Immigrants from different parts of the world
.
WORK TOGETHER
With five other classmates, act out the parts of two immigrants, two doctors, a
registration clerk, and an interpreter. Imagine what would have happened if one of
you was an immigrant who passed the medical examinations but failed to provide
the necessary information for the registration clerk. What would you do to be able
to pass through Ellis Island? Use your imagination to convince the registration clerk.
Then, act out the scene before the class.
LEVEL III, UNIT 5
141
4/23/09 8:46:09 PM
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
BEFORE READING
page 543
A Lyric Poem by
May Swenson
ABOUT THE LYRIC POEM
"Southbound on the Freeway” is a lyric poem written in two-line stanzas
called couplets. The speaker is an alien who believes that Earth is peopled with
automobiles. Read to find out more.
MAKE CONNECTIONS
Recall a time when you looked at something you did not recognize. What did you
think it was? What was it?
ANALYZE LITERATURE: Speaker
The speaker is the voice that speaks or narrates a poem. The
speaker and the writer of the poem are not always the same. Often,
the speaker is a character in the poem itself. As you read, look for
clues that the speaker is not the same as the author.
142
LEVEL III, UNIT 6
4/23/09 8:46:10 PM
USE READING SKILLS: Analyze Text Organization
Poets may choose different ways to organize their stanzas. May Swenson chose
two-line stanzas that do not rhyme. As you read, think about other ways that Swenson
organized this poem and write them in the Text Organization Chart below. Notice how
the emphasis changes because of these choices.
Stanza length:
2 lines
Sentence length:
Text Organization
of “Southbound on the Freeway”
Sentence breaks:
Use of dashes and
pauses:
LEVEL III, UNIT 6
143
4/23/09 8:46:11 PM
PREVIEW VOCABULARY
Key Words and
Phrases
2 I’ve seen it before
Context
used in a sentence.
transparent
trans•par•ent
(tr5nz per> @nt)
adjective
The window in our house
is transparent, so we
cover them with curtains.
Plastic is a transparent
object used to…
Raphaela used a diagram
to explain the planets to
Leo.
Diagrams are useful for
school subjects such as…
It’s hard to wind among
big crowds.
If you cannot wind
around people, you
might…
The skaters glide around
the ice like ballerinas.
Dancers glide on the
floor and…
1
2
2
3
wind
wind
(†w8nd)
verb
1
2
3
glide
glide
(†gl8d)
verb
1
144
2
Practice
sentences.
3
diagram
di•a•gram
(d8> @ gram)
noun
1
Definition
Write down what you
means. Then use a
definition.
3
LEVEL III, UNIT 6
4/23/09 8:46:12 PM
DURING READING
A Lyric Poem by
May Swenson
5
A tourist came in from Orbitville1,
parked in the air, and said:
trans•par•ent (tr5nz per> @nt)
adjective, able to be seen through
The creatures of this star
are made of metal and glass.
Read Aloud
Through the transparent parts
you can see their guts.
Their feet are round and roll
on diagrams or long
measuring tapes, dark
10 with white lines.
They have four eyes.
The two in the back are red.
Sometimes you can see a five-eyed
one, with a red eye turning
15
on the top of his head.
He must be special—
the others respect him
and go slow
when he passes, winding
20 among them from behind.
Read lines 3–10 aloud. What do
“the creatures” look like?
di•a•gram (d8> @ gram) noun,
a chart or drawing used to explain
something
Use Reading Skills
Note sentence length, sentence
breaks, and other pauses you
can see and hear in the poem as
you read. Record this information
in your chart.
Note the Facts
What do you think is the
five-eyed one?
How can you tell?
1. Orbitville. Name of an imaginary planet
wind (†w8nd) verb, go to one side or
the other
LEVEL III, UNIT 6
145
4/23/09 8:46:12 PM
DURING READING
Analyze Literature
Speaker What can you learn
from the poem about the
speaker’s perspective?
glide (†gl8d) verb, move smoothly
They all hiss as they glide,
like inches, down the marked
Note the Facts
Use Reading Skills
Note sentence length, sentence
breaks, and other pauses you
can see and hear in the poem as
you read. Record this information
in your chart.
146
LEVEL III, UNIT 6
25
the hard bodies—are they
their guts or their brains?
W
Highlight or underline what
the tourist sees and hears the
creatures do.
tapes. Those soft shapes,
shadowy inside
&
IRRORS
W INDOWS
✤
At the end of the poem, the tourist wonders
if the people inside are the guts or brains of
the car. Do you live by your brains (thinking)
or do you live by your guts (feelings)? Why?
4/23/09 8:46:13 PM
AFTER READING
READING CHECK
VOCABULARY CHECK
1. In line 3, which star is the speaker referring
to?
A. Orbitville’s star
B. the sun
C. the North Star
1. The transparent parts of the creatures are
A. windows.
B. guts.
C. wheels.
2. What creatures does the speaker see?
A. monsters
B. animals
C. automobiles
2. What does the speaker describes as
diagrams?
A. creatures
B. roads
C. brains
3. What is the five-eyed creature with its red
turning eye?
A. police car
B. taxi cab
C. airplane
3. The special creature is able to wind through
the others, moving
A. with difficulty.
B. above them.
C. in and out of traffic.
4. What does the speaker compare the roads
to?
A. shadows
B. ribbons
C. measuring tapes
4. The creatures glide, because their feet are
A. wheels.
B. sticky.
C. dancing.
5. What makes the creatures “hiss” as they
move?
A. The creatures are speaking to one
another.
B. The engines of the creatures make noise.
C. The brains of the creatures are very loud.
ANALYZE LITERATURE: Speaker
There are two speakers in the poem—the narrator who speaks in the first two lines,
and the tourist who speaks in the rest of the poem. Why do you think the author
includes two speakers?
LEVEL III, UNIT 6
147
4/23/09 8:46:15 PM
USE READING SKILLS: Analyze Text Organization
Review the chart you filled in while reading the poem. How do the stanza length,
pauses, sentence length, and sentence breaks help you interpret the meaning of the
poem? Share your answers with a classmate.
BUILD LANGUAGE SKILLS: Possessive Pronouns
A possessive pronoun shows ownership of an object. It can be singular or plural.
Examples
The tourist parked its vehicle above the air. (singular)
The tourists parked their vehicles above the air. (plural)
Each of the sentences below has a singular possessive pronoun. Rewrite each sentence
so that it has a plural possessive pronoun. If necessary, change the corresponding noun
or pronoun in the sentence from singular to plural as well.
1. The creature of metal and glass rolled its feet.
2. The five-eyed one turned the eye above its head.
3. I slowed down my steps on the marked tapes.
4. My class enjoyed reading the poem.
WRITING SKILLS
Pretend that you are the speaker in the poem, but you land in a different place.
You could imagine that you land in a city, on a beach, or even in Antarctica! Write a
short story or poem describing what the creatures and setting look like. Compare the
creatures in your setting with the creatures that the speaker of “Southbound on the
Freeway” saw on Earth.
148
LEVEL III, UNIT 6
4/23/09 8:46:15 PM
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
BEFORE READING
page 560
A Lyric Poem by
Pablo Neruda
ABOUT THE POEM
“Ode to My Socks” is a special type of poem dedicated to the speaker’s pair of
socks. This pair of socks is knitted especially for him. As he wears them, he experiences
different kinds of feelings. Read to find out what the speaker feels about the socks.
MAKE CONNECTIONS
Sometimes, even the simplest things can make us feel good about ourselves.
Describe a favorite article of clothing and explain why it is a favorite. What do you
feel when you wear it?
Metaphor and simile are figures of speech that compare two unlike things.
The only difference between the two is that a metaphor directly compares
two unlike things, while a simile uses words such as like and as to make
the comparison. As you read, pay attention to metaphors and similes that
the author uses to make comparisons.
LEVEL III, UNIT 6
149
4/23/09 8:46:16 PM
USE READING SKILLS: Identify Author’s Purpose
As you read, fill in the chart below to help you determine why Pablo Neruda wrote
“Ode to My Socks.” Remember that the language the author uses can tell you
whether he or she is trying to entertain, persuade, or inform the readers.
clue
clue
clue
Author's
Purpose
"My feet
were honored in
this way"
clue
clue
150
LEVEL III, UNIT 6
4/23/09 8:46:17 PM
PREVIEW VOCABULARY
Key Words and
Phrases
Context
used in a sentence.
slip my feet
idiom
I slipped my feet into a
comfortable pair of shoes.
I cannot wait to slip my
feet into a pair of warm
slippers when I get home.
The school’s hall is so
immense that many
students get lost on their
first days.
Something immense
usually…
The decrepit hut is in
danger of falling apart
because of the strong
winds.
A decrepit person
needs…
The Koran is one of the
sacred texts of the world.
Sacred objects must be
handled with…
Amy bought the new
blouse on impulse, and
now she has no money
for food.
Acting on impulse will
get you in…
Matt showed remorse
for breaking his friend’s
computer.
One of the things I did in
the past that brought me
remorse is…
1
2
2
3
decrepit
de•crep•it
(di <kr@p @t)
adjective
1
2
3
sacred
sa•cred
(<sa kr@d)
adjective
1
2
3
impulse
im•pulse
(<im p@ls)
noun
1
2
3
remorse
re•morse
(ri <mors)
noun
1
2
3
Practice
sentences.
3
immense
im•mense
(i <men(t)s)
adjective
1
Definition
Write down what you
means. Then use a
definition.
LEVEL III, UNIT 6
151
4/23/09 8:46:18 PM
DURING READING
Use Reading Skills
Write down the clues that show
why the author wrote this poem.
Why does the author describe
the person who gave the socks?
Analyze Literature
Metaphor and Simile To
what does the speaker compare
his socks?
What figures of speech did the
speaker use?
im•mense (i <men(t)s) adjective,
great in size or degree
Analyze Literature
Metaphor and Simile Which
metaphors for his socks does
the speaker use in this stanza?
Why do you think he uses these
metaphors?
What metaphors does the speaker
use for his feet? Why do you think
he uses these metaphors?
A Lyric Poem by
Pablo Neruda
Maru Mori brought me
a pair
of socks
which she knitted herself
5 with her sheepherder’s1 hands,
two socks as soft
as rabbits.
I slipped my feet
into them
10 as though into
two
cases
knitted
with threads of
15 twilight
and goatskin.
Violent socks,
my feet were
two fish made
20 of wool,
two long sharks
sea-blue, shot
through
by one golden thread,
25 two immense blackbirds,
two cannons2:
my feet
were honored
in this way
30 by
these
heavenly
socks.
1. sheepherder. Person who keeps the sheep together in the flock
2. cannon. A heavy gun transported and supported by wheels
152
LEVEL III, UNIT 6
4/23/09 8:46:18 PM
They were
35 so handsome
for the first time
my feet seemed to me
unacceptable
like two decrepit
40 firemen, firemen
unworthy
of that woven
fire,
of those glowing
45 socks.
DURING READING
de•cre•pit (di <kr@p @t) adjective,
worn out by age
Read Aloud
What does the speaker think of
his feet with the socks?
Think and Reflect
Why do you think the speaker decides to resist the temptation to
“save” the socks?
50
55
60
65
Nevertheless
I resisted
the sharp temptation
to save them somewhere
as schoolboys
keep
fireflies,
as learned men
collect
sacred texts,
I resisted
the mad impulse
to put them
into a golden
cage
and each day give them
birdseed
and pieces of pink melon.
Like explorers
in the jungle who hand
over the very rare
green deer
Use Reading Skills
Write the clues that show you
why the author wrote this lyric
poem. Why does the author
show how the speaker finds it
difficult to wear the socks?
sa•cred (<sa kr@d) adjective, holy or
special
im•pulse (<im p@ls) noun, sudden
action or force
LEVEL III, UNIT 6
153
4/23/09 8:46:19 PM
re•morse (ri <mors) noun, deep
sense of guilt
Analyze Literature
Metaphor and Simile
A simile is a figure of speech that
compares two objects using like
or as. Read the third stanza and
list the similes you see.
Use Reading Skills
In this stanza, the speaker gives
a moral lesson. What is the
author’s purpose in including
this stanza?
154
LEVEL III, UNIT 6
to the spit
and eat it
70 with remorse,
I stretched out
my feet
and pulled on
the magnificent
75 socks
and then my shoes.
The moral
of my ode is this:
beauty is twice
80 beauty
and what is good is doubly
good
when it is a matter of two socks
made of wool
85 in winter. ✤
W
DURING READING
&
IRRORS
W INDOWS
What gift have you received that you
particularly enjoyed? What was so special
about it?
4/23/09 8:46:20 PM
AFTER READING
READING CHECK
VOCABULARY CHECK
1. Where did Maru Mori get the new socks?
A. she made them herself
B. she found them in her closet
C. she bought them from a friend
2. Why does the speaker think his feet
are unworthy of the socks?
A. The socks are made of gold.
B. The socks are so handsome.
C. The socks are too big for him.
3. What does the speaker say his feet turn into
when he wears the socks?
A. They turn into two fat pink pigs.
B. They turn into two long sea-blue sharks.
C. They turn into two small brown puppies.
4. What does the speaker decide to do with
the socks?
A. He pulls them up his feet.
B. He washes them by hand.
C. He hides them in his chest box.
5. What does the speaker feel about his socks?
A. He feels unworthy of his friend’s
kindness.
B. He thinks they should be used only
for important events.
C. He loves them and enjoys wearing them
whenever he can.
1. The speaker says that the socks on his feet
look like two immense blackbirds. This
implies that the speaker’s feet are
A. big.
B. soft.
C. small.
2. The speaker thinks that his feet are unworthy
of the handsome socks because his feet look
decrepit, like two
A. old firemen.
B. young firemen.
C. unhappy firemen.
3. He is tempted to hide his socks the way
learned men hide their sacred texts,
because the socks are very
A. nice.
B. special.
C. important.
4. He decides not to give in to his impulse
to hide the socks. Making decisions should
not be
A. long.
B. sudden.
C. probable.
5. If he does not wear the socks, he might feel
the remorse of jungle explorers who have to
eat a very rare deer. Not wearing the gift will
give him
A. fun.
B. peace.
C. guilt.
The speaker shifts between comparing his socks to his feet and using similes to show
his hesitation to wear them. Why do you think he shifts his comparisons throughout
the poem?
LEVEL III, UNIT 6
155
4/23/09 8:46:21 PM
The author’s purpose in any literary writing may be to entertain, to inform, or to
persuade. What is the author’s main purpose in writing the poem? What clues give you
this idea?
BUILDING LANGUAGE SKILLS: Intensive Pronouns
Intensive pronouns are pronouns used to give emphasis to a noun or another
pronoun. Intensive pronouns usually come after the word they emphasize, and they
should match the gender of the word (masculine, feminine, or neutral).
Examples
Maru Mori herself knitted the socks. (Maru Mori—feminine)
The students cleaned the room themselves. (students—neutral)
Intensive pronouns can be removed in sentences without changing the idea. If removing a
pronoun changes the meaning of a sentence, then the pronoun is not intensive.
Examples
Jack himself admitted that he loves socks. (intensive pronoun)
We congratulated ourselves. (not intensive pronoun)
Complete the sentences by using the correct intensive pronoun to match the noun or
pronoun in the sentence.
1. The speaker
thinks that his feet are not worthy of the woven socks.
2. His friend made the pair of socks
3. Explorers
before she brought it to him.
feel deep guilt when they are forced to eat a rare animal to survive.
4. We should treasure every gift we receive by taking care of it
5. The purpose of the gift
.
is sometimes enough to increase its value.
Do you agree with the message of the poem? Share your answers with the class and
provide reasons for why you agree or disagree.
156
LEVEL III, UNIT 6
4/23/09 8:46:21 PM
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
BEFORE READING
page 590
A Narrative Poem by
Joseph Bruchac
ABOUT THE POEM
“Birdfoot’s Grampa” describes the way a man acts during a rainstorm that
affects small toads. Read to find out what is so special about what he does.
MAKE CONNECTIONS
What kinds of animals would you save if you saw one in danger? Why?
ANALYZE LITERATURE: Symbolism
A symbol is an image or idea that represents something else. For
example, an American flag represents the United States as well as the
ideals that the country tries to represent. As you read, think about what
the toads represent to the grandfather and to the speaker.
LEVEL III, UNIT 6
157
4/23/09 8:46:22 PM
When you compare and contrast subjects, you look for what is similar and different
between the subjects. In this poem, you will compare and contrast the speaker,
Birdfoot, and his grandfather. Consider what both characters say and do. Also, think
about what each values. Complete the graphic organizer below.
Venn Diagram
Speaker (Birdfoot)
anxious
158
LEVEL III, UNIT 6
Both
In the car
Grampa
patient
4/23/09 8:46:23 PM
PREVIEW VOCABULARY
Key Words and
Phrases
Context
used in a sentence.
mist
mist
(mist)
noun
The shower was so hot
that mist hung in the air
around the curtain.
Mist occurs when...
The old man’s face was
leathery.
Something leathery
looks like…
The flood waters were
knee deep by evening.
When grass is knee
deep, I...
1
2
2
3
knee deep
knee deep
idiom
1
2
3
Practice
sentences.
3
leathery
lea•ther•y
(le th@ r7)
adjective
1
Definition
Write down what you
means. Then use a
definition.
LEVEL III, UNIT 6
159
4/23/09 8:46:24 PM
DURING READING
A Narrative Poem by
Joseph Bruchac
Use Reading Skills
Identify differences between
the speaker (Birdfoot) and his
grandfather in the Venn Diagram.
mist (mist) noun, water in the air that
has condensed from vapor to liquid.
lea•ther•y (le th@ r7) adjective, like
leather, hard and brown.
knee deep idiom, as tall as one’s
knees.
The old man
must have stopped our car
two dozen times to climb out
and gather into his hands
5 the small toads blinded
by our lights and leaping,
live drops of rain.
The rain was falling,
a mist about his white hair
10 and I kept saying
you can’t save them all,
accept it, get back in
we’ve got places to go.
But, leathery hands full
15 of wet brown life,
knee deep in the summer
roadside grass,
he just smiled and said
they have places to go to
20 too. ✤
&
W
IRRORS
W INDOWS
160
LEVEL III, UNIT 6
Do you think it is important to protect
other forms of life, such as animals? Why
or why not?
4/23/09 8:46:24 PM
AFTER READING
READING CHECK
VOCABULARY CHECK
1. What was the old man protecting the frogs
from?
A. rain
B. cars
C. coyotes
1. The mist around the grandfather’s hair is
formed by
A. rain.
B. light.
C. toads.
2. What was the old man doing to the toads?
A. moving them out of the road
B. putting them in a bucket
C. taking them out of the grass
2. The old man’s hands are leathery. They look
most like
A. sandpaper.
B. a wallet.
C. a mirror.
3. Which statement best explains the message
of the poem?
A. all life is valuable
B. people are less important than toads
C. young people don’t respect their elders
4. What emotion does the speaker express
during the poem?
A. pride
B. confusion
C. frustration
3. The old man was knee deep in roadside
grass. This describes the grass’s
A. moisture.
B. texture.
C. height.
5. What is the “wet brown life” from the poem?
A. The old man’s hands
B. Roadside summer grass
C. Toads covered in mud
ANALYZE LITERATURE: Symbolism
Reread “Ode to My Socks,” by Pablo Neruda on page 157. The speaker wants to
save his socks because they symbolize many things. Complete the two charts with
what each symbol represents. Then answer the question below to compare how
symbols are used in the poems.
Symbol
Details
What it Suggests
toads
rain
What is similar about what the two symbols suggest?
LEVEL III, UNIT 6
161
4/23/09 8:46:25 PM
Review the Venn Diagram you filled in while reading this poem. How does the speaker’s
language change from the beginning of the poem to the end? What does this tell you
about how the speaker changes?
BUILD VOCABULARY: Connotation and Denotation
Synonyms are words that mean the same. Synonyms have the same denotation, or
definition in the dictionary. They mean exactly the same thing. Some words are very
similar, but they have different connotations. A connotation is an idea or meaning that is
suggested by the word.
For each of the following words, write a word that has the same denotation. Then
explain how the connotation of each word is different. An example has been done for
you.
Denotation/Connotation Chart
Word
old
stopped
gather
Synonym
ancient
How Connotations Differ
Old is more general than ancient.
wet
full
smiled
WRITING SKILLS: Small Moments
Some poems, like “Birdfoot’s Grampa,” capture a very small moment in time and
explore the importance of this moment. Think of some small moments when you
remember learning something new or seeing something in a new way. It could be a
moment you shared with a family member, as in this poem, or it could be a moment
you had by yourself. Make a list of five small moments. Then choose one and write a
poem or a small moment story that explores the significance of the moment.
162
LEVEL III, UNIT 6
4/23/09 8:46:25 PM
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
BEFORE READING
page 714
A Screenplay by
Stephen King
ABOUT THE SCREENPLAY
“Sorry, Right Number ” tells of a desperate call that Katie Weiderman receives one
night. The call is cut off in the middle of the sentence and, sure that the caller was her
oldest daughter, Katie tries to call back. She tries to identify who the desperate caller
was and learns that she had been wrong. With the help of her husband, Bill, a writer
of horror stories that have been made into movies, Katie tries to get to the bottom of
the mystery. Read to find out what happens as they try to solve this mystery.
MAKE CONNECTIONS
Whose voice would you recognize on the phone? How do you recognize that
person’s voice?
Plot is the series of events related to the central conflict or struggle in a written
work. The plot generally introduces, develops, and resolves the central conflict.
A plot usually includes the following elements:
• exposition (how the story starts out)
• rising action (the development of a conflict or problem that occurs)
• climax (how the problem is dealt with)
• falling action (what happens after the characters decide to act)
• resolution (what happens as a result of these actions)
As you read, identify the plot elements of this screenplay.
LEVEL III, UNIT 7
163
4/23/09 8:46:26 PM
USE READING SKILLS: Text Organization
Text organization is how a literary work is written or structured. In drama, plays
often use stage directions to give the reads clues about what is going on in the
story. Stage directions may include intonation, facial and body gestures, and physical
descriptions of characters. They may also include directions for specific sound
effects or music in a scene, or give directions describing a special effect done with
cameras or stage equipment.
Stage directions are usually abbreviated, but you can use context clues to determine
what the abbreviations mean. As you read, write down any stage directions you find
in your Stage Directions Chart. Be sure to include the page number and who the
directions are meant.
Page #
714
164
Stage Directions
Katie Wiederman’s MOUTH, ECU
LEVEL III, UNIT 7
Who is the Direction For?
Person operating the camera
4/23/09 8:46:27 PM
PREVIEW VOCABULARY
Key Words and
Phrases
Context
used in a sentence.
inflict
in•flict
( in flikt)
verb
Pencil pokes inflict small
wounds on the skin.
Sharp weapons can
inflict…
Beverly was glum as her
cousin left for school.
When someone looks
glum, you can…
Harry’s friends
rummaged through his
closet for his old baseball
bats.
If you rummage through
the dirt in a garden, you
might find…
walking on air
idiom
1 2 3
After winning the poetry
contest, Shanti was
walking on air.
Events in life that can
make people walk on air
include…
eat it up
idiom
The movie pairing of two
famous stars assured the
director that the viewers
would eat it up.
Some people like a good
horror story, and they eat
it up because…
The new mother looks
radiant with her child in
her arms.
The radiant morning
light was…
After being saved from the
fire, the hysterical victim
tried to go back to save
her family photos.
During earthquakes
and hurricanes, people
can become hysterical
because…
1
2
2
3
rummage
rum•mage
( <r@ mij)
verb
1
1
2
2
3
3
radiant
ra•di•ant
( <r6 d7 @nt)
adjective
1
2
3
hysterical
hys•ter•i•cal
( his <ter I k@l)
adjective
1
2
3
Practice
sentences.
3
glum
glum
( <gl@m)
adjective
1
Definition
Write down what you
means. Then use a
definition.
LEVEL III, UNIT 7
165
4/23/09 8:46:27 PM
DURING READING
A Screenplay by
Stephen King
Author’s Note: Screenplay1 abbreviations are simple and exist, in
this author’s opinion, mostly to make those who write screenplays
feel like lodge brothers. In any case, you should be aware that
CU means close-up; ECU means extreme close-up; INT. means
5 interior; EXT. means exterior; B.G. means background; POV
means point of view. Probably most of you knew all that stuff to
begin with, right?
10
15
20
CHARACTERS
Katie
Bill
Polly
The Weidermans
Dennis
Connie
Jeff
Sobbing Voice
Frieda
Katie’s mother
Voices
Operator
Minister
Announcer
Dawn
Groundskeeper
Hank
Groom and assorted wedding guests
— ACT 1 —
25
Note the Facts
What is Katie doing?
Fade in on:
Katie Weiderman’s mouth, ECU
She’s speaking into the telephone. Pretty mouth; in a few
seconds we’ll see that the rest of her is just as pretty.
30
Katie. Bill? Oh, he says he doesn’t feel very well, but
he’s always like that between books, can’t sleep, thinks every
headache is the first symptom of a brain tumor…once he gets
going on something new, he’ll be fine.
1. screenplay. A script for a film
166
LEVEL III, UNIT 7
4/23/09 8:46:28 PM
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
75
Sound. B.G: The television.
The camera draws back. Katie is sitting in the kitchen
phone nook, having a good gab with her sister while she idles
through some catalogues. We should notice one not-quite-ordinary
thing about the phone she’s on: it’s the sort with two lines. There
are lighted buttons to show which ones are engaged. Right now
only one—Katie’s—is. As Katie continues her conversation, the
camera swings away from her, tracks across the kitchen,
and through the arched doorway that leads into the family room.
Katie. [Voice, fading.] Oh, I saw Janie Charlton today…
yes! Big as a house!…
She fades. The TV gets louder. There are three kids: Jeff,
eight, Connie, ten, and Dennis, thirteen. Wheel of Fortune
is on, but they’re not watching. Instead they’re engaged in that
great pastime, Fighting About What Comes On Later.
Jeff. Come onnn! It was his first book!
Connie. His first gross book.
Dennis. We’re gonna watch Cheers and Wings, just like we
do every week, Jeff.
Dennis speaks with the utter finality only a big brother can
manage. “Wanna talk about it some more and see how much
pain I can inflict on your scrawny body, Jeff?” his face says.
Jeff. Could we at least tape it?
Connie. We’re taping CNN for Mom. She said she might
be on the phone with Aunt Lois for quite awhile.
Jeff. How can you tape CNN, for God’s sake? It never stops!
Dennis. That’s what she likes about it.
Connie. And don’t say God’s sake, Jeffie—you’re not old
enough to talk about God except in church.
Jeff. Then don’t call me Jeffie.
Connie. Jeffie, Jeffie, Jeffie.
Jeff gets up, walks to the window, and looks out into the
dark. He’s really upset. Dennis and Connie, in the grand
tradition of older brothers and sisters, are delighted to see it.
Dennis. Poor Jeffie.
Connie. I think he’s gonna commit suicide2.
Jeff. [Turns to them.] It was his first book! Don’t you guys
even care?
Connie. Rent it down at the Video Stop tomorrow, if you
want to see it so bad.
Jeff. They don’t rent R-rated pictures to little kids and you
know it!
DURING READING
Note the Facts
Underline the words that
describe where Katie is sitting.
Note the Facts
What are the siblings arguing
about?
in•flict (in flikt) verb, force on
another
Use Reading Skills
Stage Directions Which stage
directions on this page are
meant for people working with
sound? Write your answers in
your Stage Directions Chart.
2. suicide. The act of killing yourself
LEVEL III, UNIT 7
167
4/23/09 8:46:29 PM
DURING READING
Note the Facts
80
Highlight Jeff's response to his
siblings.
85
glum (<gl@m) adjective, sad or moody
90
95
100
105
Connie. [Dreamily.] Shut up, it’s Vanna! I love Vanna!
Jeff. Dennis—
Dennis. Go ask Dad to tape it on the VCR in his office and
quit being such a totally annoying little booger3.
Jeff crosses the room, poking his tongue out at Vanna White
as he goes. The camera follows as he goes into the kitchen.
Katie.... so when he asked me if Polly had tested strep
positive, I had to remind him she’s away at prep school…and
gosh, Lois, I miss her…
Jeff is just passing through, on his way to the stairs.
Katie. Will you kids please be quiet?
Jeff. [Glum.] They’ll be quiet. Now.
He goes up the stairs, a little dejected. Katie looks after him
for a moment, loving and worried.
Katie. They’re squabbling again. Polly used to keep
them in line, but now that she’s away at school…I don’t
know…maybe sending her to Bolton wasn’t such a hot idea.
Sometimes when she calls home she sounds so unhappy…
Int. Bela Lugosi as Dracula, CU.
Drac’s standing at the door of his Transylvanian castle.
Someone has pasted a comic-balloon coming out of his mouth
which reads: “Listen! My children of the night! What music they
make!” The poster is on a door but we only see this as JEFF opens
it and goes into his father’s study.
Int. A photograph of Katie, CU. The camera holds,
then pans slowly right. We pass another photo, this one of
Polly, the daughter away at school. She’s a lovely girl of sixteen
or so. Past Polly is Dennis…then Connie…then Jeff.
The camera continues to pan and also widens out
so we can see Bill Weiderman, a man of about forty-four. He
looks tired. He’s peering into the word-processor on his desk, but
his mental crystal ball4 must be taking the night off, because the
screen is blank. On the walls we see framed book-covers. All of
them are spooky. One of the titles is Ghost Kiss.
Think and Reflect
What kind of a person is Bill Weiderman?
3. booger. Slang, dried nasal mucus
4. crystal ball. A glass ball believed by some to know the future
168
LEVEL III, UNIT 7
4/23/09 8:46:30 PM
Jeff comes up quietly behind his dad. The carpet muffles his
feet. Bill sighs and shuts off the wordcruncher. A moment later
JEFF claps his hands on his father’s shoulders.
Jeff. BOOGA-BOOGA!
Bill. Hi, Jeffie.
He turns in his chair to look at his son, who is disappointed.
115
Jeff. How come you didn’t get scared?
Bill. Scaring is my business. I’m case-hardened5. Something
wrong?
Jeff. Daddy, can I watch the first hour of Ghost Kiss and
120 you tape the rest? Dennis and Connie are hogging everything.
Bill swivels to look at the book-jacket, bemused.
Bill. You sure you want to watch that, champ? It’s pretty—
Jeff. Yes!
Int. Katie, in the phone nook. In this shot, we clearly see
125 the stairs leading to her husband’s study behind her.
Katie. I really think Jeff needs the orthodontic 6 work but
you know Bill—
The other line rings. The other light stutters.
Katie. That’s just the other line, Bill will—
110
DURING READING
Note the Facts
What does Jeff try to do to his
father?
Analyze Literature
Plot What does Katie hear on
the other end of the line?
5. case-hardened. Not affected from constant exposure
6. orthodontic. Of or relating to orthodontics, the dental practice of preventing and
correcting irregularities of the teeth
LEVEL III, UNIT 7
169
4/23/09 8:46:30 PM
DURING READING
130
Use Reading Skills
directions on this page are meant
for the actors? Write your answers
in your Stage Directions Chart.
Note the Facts
135
140
Who does Katie think it is?
145
150
155
rum•mage (<r@ mij) verb, search in a
very thorough manner
160
165
170
170
LEVEL III, UNIT 7
But now we see Bill and Jeff coming downstairs behind her.
Bill. Honey, where’re the blank videotapes? I can’t find any
in the study and—
Katie. [To Bill.] Wait! [To Lois.] Gonna put you on hold
a sec, Lo.
She does. Now both lines are blinking. She pushes the top one,
where the new call has just come in.
Katie. Hello, Weiderman residence.
Sound. Desperate sobbing.
Sobbing Voice. [Filter.] Take…please take… t-tKatie. Polly? Is that you? What’s wrong?
Sound. Sobbing…It’s awful, heartbreaking.
Sobbing Voice. [Filter.] Please—quick—
Sound. Sobbing…Then, CLICK! A broken connection.
Katie. Polly, calm down! Whatever it is can’t be that b—
Hum of an open line.
Jeff has wandered toward the TV room, hoping to find a
blank tape.
Bill. Who was that?
Without looking at her husband or answering him, Katie
slams the lower button in again.
Katie. Lois? Listen, I’ll call you back. That was Polly, and
she sounded very upset. No… she hung up. Yes. I will. Thanks.
She hangs up.
Bill. [Concerned.] It was Polly?
Katie. Crying her head off. It sounded like she was
trying to say “Please take me home”…I knew that…school was
bumming her out…Why I ever let you talk me into it…
She’s rummaging frantically on her little phone desk.
Catalogues go slithering to the floor around her stool.
Katie. Connie did you take my address book?
Connie. [Voice.] No, Mom.
Bill pulls a battered book out of his back pocket and pages
through it.
Bill. I got it. Except—
Katie. I know,…dorm phone is always busy. Give it to me.
Bill. Honey, calm down.
Katie. I’ll calm down after I talk to her. She is sixteen,
Bill. Sixteen-year-old girls are prone to depressive interludes.
Sometimes they even k…just give me the…number!
Bill. 617-555-8641.
As she punches the numbers, The camera slides in to CU.
4/23/09 8:46:32 PM
175
180
185
190
195
200
205
210
Katie. Come on, come on…don’t be busy… just this once…
Sound. Clicks. A pause. Then…the phone starts ringing.
Katie. [Eyes closed.] Thank You, God.
Voice. [Filter.] Hartshorn Hall, this is Frieda. If you want
Christine…, she’s still in the shower, Arnie.
Katie. Could you call Polly to the phone? Polly
Weiderman? This is Kate Weiderman. Her mother.
Voice. [Filter.] Oh, jeez! Sorry. I thought—hang on,
please, Mrs. Weiderman.
Sound. The phone clunks down.
Voice. [Filter, and very faint.] Polly? Pol?… Phone call!…
It’s your mother!
Int. A wider angle on the phone nook, with Bill.
Bill. Well?
Katie. Somebody’s getting her. I hope.
Jeff comes back in with a tape.
Jeff. I found one, Dad. Dennis hid ’em. As usual.
Bill. In a minute, Jeff. Go watch the tube.
Jeff. But—
Bill. I won’t forget. Now go on.
Jeff goes.
Katie. Come on, come on, come on…
Bill. Calm down, Katie.
Katie. [Snaps.] If you’d heard her, you wouldn’t tell me to
calm down! She sounded—
Polly. [Filter, cheery voice.] Hi, mom!
Katie. Pol? Honey? Are you all right?
Polly. [Happy, bubbling voice.] Am I all right? I aced my
bio exam, got a B on my Free Conversational Essay, and Ronnie
Hansen asked me to the Harvest Ball. I’m so all right that if one
more good thing happens to me today, I’ll probably blow up
like the Hindenburg7.
Katie. You didn’t just call me up, crying your head off?
We see by Katie’s face that she already knows the answer to
this question.
Katie. I’m glad about your test and your date, honey. I
guess it was someone else. I’ll call you back, okay?
Polly. [Filter.] ’Kay. Say hi to Dad!
Katie. I will.
Int. The phone nook, wider.
Bill. She okay?
DURING READING
Use Reading Skills
Stage Directions Write who
uses the stage direction [filter] in
your Stage Directions Chart.
7. Hindenburg. German airship that burst into flames while landing in Lakehurst, New York,
in 1936
LEVEL III, UNIT 7
171
4/23/09 8:46:32 PM
DURING READING
Build Vocabulary
Idioms As you find words or
phrases you do not know, try to
guess what they mean. Then,
discuss your ideas with a partner.
What does the idiom walking on
air mean?
Who is walking on air?
215
220
225
230
235
240
Katie. Fine. I could have sworn it was Polly, but…she’s
walking on air.
Bill. So it was a prank. Or someone who was crying so
hard she dialed a wrong number…“through a shimmering film
of tears,” as we veteran hacks like to say.
Katie. It was not a prank and it was not a wrong number!
It was someone in my family.
Bill. Honey, you can’t know that.
Katie. No? If Jeffie called up, just crying, would you know
it was him?
Bill. [Struck by this.] Yeah, maybe. I guess I might.
She’s not listening. She’s punching numbers, fast.
Bill. Who you calling?
She doesn’t answer him. Sound: phone rings twice. Then:
Older Female Voice. [Filter.] Hello?
Katie. Mom? Are you…[She pauses.] Did you call just a
few seconds ago?
Voice. [Filter.] No, dear…why?
Katie. Oh…you know these phones. I was talking to Lois
and I lost the other call.
Voice. [Filter.] Well, it wasn’t me. Kate, I saw the prettiest
dress in La Boutique today, and—
Katie. We’ll talk about it later, Mom, okay?
Voice. [Filter.] Kate, are you all right?
Katie. I have…Mom, I think maybe I’ve got diarrhea8. I
have to go. ’Bye.
She hangs up. Bill hangs on until she does, then he bursts
into wild donkey-brays of laughter.
Bill. Oh boy…diarrhea…I gotta remember that the next
time my agent calls…oh Katie, that was so cool—
Katie. [Almost screaming.] This is not funny!
Think and Reflect
Would you react the same way that Katie does?
Bill stops laughing.
Int. The TV room.
245
Jeff and Dennis have been tussling. They stop. All three kids
look toward the kitchen.
8. diarrhea. Condition in which the person has frequent and watery bowel movements
172
LEVEL III, UNIT 7
4/23/09 8:46:33 PM
250
255
260
265
270
275
280
285
290
Int. In the phone nook with Bill and Katie.
Katie. I tell you it was someone in my family and she
sounded—oh, you don’t understand. I knew that voice.
Bill. But if Polly’s okay and your mom’s okay…
Katie. [Positive.] It’s Dawn.
Bill. Come on, hon, a minute ago you were sure it
was Polly.
Katie. It had to be Dawn. I was on the phone with Lois
and Mom’s okay so Dawn’s the only other one it could have
been. She’s the youngest…I could have mistaken her for Polly…
and she’s out there in that farmhouse alone with the baby!
Bill. [Startled.] What do you mean, alone?
Katie. Jerry’s in Burlington! It’s Dawn! Something’s
happened to Dawn!
Connie comes into the kitchen, worried.
Connie. Mom? Is Aunt Dawn okay?
Bill. So far as we know, she’s fine. Take it easy, doll. Bad
to buy trouble before you know it’s on sale.
Katie punches numbers and listens. Sound: The
Dah-Dah-Dah of a busy signal. Katie hangs up. Bill looks a
question at her with raised eyebrows.
Katie. Busy.
Bill. Katie, are you sure—
Katie. She’s the only one left—it had to be her. Bill, I’m
scared. Will you drive me out there?
Bill takes the phone from her.
Bill. What’s her number?
Katie. 555-616 .
Bill dials. Gets a busy. Hangs up and punches 0.
Operator. [Filter.] Operator.
Bill. I’m trying to reach my sister-in-law, operator. The
line is busy. I suspect there may be a problem. Can you break
into the call, please?
Int. The door to the TV room.
All three kids are standing there, silent and worried.
Int. The phone nook, with Bill and Katie.
Operator. [Filter.] What is your name, sir?
Bill. William Weiderman. My number is—
Operator. [Filter.] Not the William Weiderman that
wrote Spider Doom?
Bill. Yes, that was mine. If—
Operator. [Filter.] Oh my God. I just loved that book! I
love all your books! I—
DURING READING
Read Aloud
does Katie think that the caller
might be her sister Dawn?
Use Reading Skills
directions on this page are
meant for the camera operators?
Write your answers in your Stage
Directions Chart.
LEVEL III, UNIT 7
173
4/23/09 8:46:33 PM
DURING READING
Note the Facts
What does the operator learn
that makes her worried?
295
300
305
310
Analyze Literature
Plot Where are Katie and Bill
heading? Why?
174
LEVEL III, UNIT 7
315
Bill. I’m delighted you do. But right now my wife is very
worried about her sister. If it’s possible for you to—
Operator. [Filter.] Yes, I can do that. Please give me
your number, Mr. Weiderman, for the records. [She giggles.] I
promise not to give it out.
Bill. It’s 555-4408.
Operator. [Filter.] And the call number?
Bill. [Looks at Katie.] Uh…
Katie. 555-6169.
Bill. 555-6169.
Operator. [Filter.] Just a moment, Mr. Weiderman…
Night of the Beast was also great, by the way. Hold on.
Sound. Telephonic clicks and clacks
Katie. Is she—
Bill. Yes. Just…
There’s one final click.
Operator. [Filter.] I’m sorry, Mr. Weiderman, but that
line is not busy. It’s off the hook. I wonder if I sent you my copy
of Spider Doom—
Bill hangs up the phone.
Katie. Why did you hang up?
Bill. She can’t break in. Phone’s not busy. It’s off the hook.
They stare at each other bleakly.
Ext. Night. A low-slung sports car passes the
camera.
Int. The car, with Katie and Bill. Katie’s scared. Bill,
at the wheel, doesn’t look exactly calm.
4/23/09 8:46:34 PM
320
325
330
335
340
345
350
355
360
Katie. Hey, Bill—tell me she’s all right.
Bill. She’s all right.
Katie. Now tell me what you really think.
Bill. Jeff snuck up behind me tonight and put the old
booga-booga on me. He was disappointed as hell when I didn’t
jump. I told him I was case-hardened. [Pause.] I lied.
Katie. Why did Jerry have to move out there when he’s
gone half the time? Just her and that little tiny baby? Why?
Bill. Shh, Kate. We’re almost there.
Katie. Go faster.
Ext. The car.
He does. That car is smokin.
Int. The Weiderman TV room.
The tube’s still on and the kids are still there, but the horsing
around has stopped.
Connie. Dennis, do you think Aunt Dawn’s okay?
Dennis. [Thinks she’s dead, decapitated by a maniac.]
Yeah. Sure she is.
Int. The phone, POV from The Tv Room.
Just sitting there on the wall in the phone nook, lights dark,
looking like a snake ready to strike.
Fade out:
— ACT 2 —
Ext. An isolated farmhouse.
A long driveway leads up to it. There’s one light on in the
living room. Car lights sweep up the driveway. The Weiderman
car pulls up close to the garage and stops.
Int. The car, with Bill and Katie.
Katie. I’m scared.
Bill bends down, reaches under his seat, and brings out a pistol.
Bill. [Solemnly.] Booga-booga.
Katie. [Total surprise.] How long have you had that?
Bill. Since last year. I didn’t want to scare you or the kids.
I’ve got a license to carry. Come on.
Ext. Bill and Katie.
They get out. Katie stands by the front of the car while Bill
goes to the garage and peers in.
Bill. Her car’s here.
The camera tracks with them to the front door. Now we
can hear the Tv Playing Loud. Bill pushes the doorbell. We
hear it inside. They wait. Katie pushes it. Still no answer. She
pushes it again and doesn’t take her finger off. Bill looks down at:
Ext. The Lock, Bill’s POV.
DURING READING
Use Reading Skills
Stage Directions List the
people who need to know
where the camera tracks in your
Stage Directions Chart.
LEVEL III, UNIT 7
175
4/23/09 8:46:36 PM
DURING READING
Note the Facts
Why does Bill say that the lock
has been tampered with?
365
370
375
380
385
Big scratches on it.
Ext. Bill and Katie.
Bill. [Low.] The lock’s been tampered with.
Katie looks, and whimpers. Bill tries the door. It opens. The
TV is louder.
Bill. Stay behind me. Be ready to run if something
happens. God, I wish I’d left you home, Kate.
He starts in. Katie comes after him, terrified, near tears.
Int. Dawn and Jerry's living room.
From this angle we see only a small section of the room. The TV
is much louder. Bill enters the room, gun up. He looks to the right…
and suddenly all the tension goes out of him. He lowers the gun.
Katie. [Draws up beside him.] Bill…what…
He points.
Int. The living room, wide, Bill and Katie’s POV.
The place looks like a cyclone hit it…but it wasn’t robbery
and murder that caused this mess; only a healthy eighteenmonth-old baby. After a strenuous day of trashing the living
room, Baby got tired and Mommy got tired and they fell
asleep on the couch together. The baby is in Dawn’s lap.
There is a pair of Walkman earphones on her head. There
are toys—tough plastic Sesame Street and PlaySkool stuff,
for the most part—scattered here to breakfast. The baby has
also pulled most of the books out of the bookcase. Had a good
munch on one of them, too, by the look. Bill goes over and
picks it up. It is Ghost Kiss.
Think and Reflect
Build Vocabulary
Idioms As you find words or
discuss your ideas with a partner.
What does the idiom eat it [my
books] up mean?
Who literally eats up Bill's book?
eat it up idiom, enjoy completely
176
LEVEL III, UNIT 7
How would you react if you walked into a family member’s house
and saw this scene?
Bill. I’ve had people say they just eat my books up, but this
is ridiculous.
He’s amused. Katie isn’t. She walks over to her sister, ready to be
390 mad…but she sees how really exhausted Dawn looks and softens.
Int. Dawn and the baby, Katie’s POV.
Fast asleep and breathing easily, like a Raphael painting
of Madonna and Child. The camera pans down To: the
Walkman. We can hear the faint strains of Huey Lewis and the
4/23/09 8:46:36 PM
395
400
405
410
415
420
425
430
435
News. The camera pans a bit further To a Princess telephone on the table by the chair.
It’s off the cradle. Not much; just enough to break the connection and scare people to death.
Int. Katie.
She sighs, bends down, and replaces the phone. Then she
pushes the STOP button on the Walkman.
Int. Dawn, Bill, and Katie.
Dawn wakes up when the music stops. Looks at Bill and
Katie, puzzled.
Dawn. [Fuzzed out.] Well…hi.
She realizes she’s got the Walkman phones on and removes them.
Bill. Hi, Dawn.
Dawn. [Still half asleep.] Shoulda called, guys. Place is a mess.
She smiles. She’s radiant when she smiles.
Katie. We tried. The operator told Bill the phone was off
the hook. I thought something was wrong. How can you sleep
with that music blasting?
Dawn. It’s restful. [Sees the gnawed book Bill’s holding.] Oh,
my God, Bill, I’m sorry! Justin’s teething and—
Bill. There are critics who’d say he picked just the right
thing to teethe on. I don’t want to scare you, beautiful, but
somebody’s been at your front door lock with a screwdriver or
something. Whoever it was forced it.
Dawn. Gosh, no! That was Jerry, last week. I locked us
out by mistake and he didn’t have his key and the spare wasn’t
over the door like it’s supposed to be. He was mad so he took the
screwdriver to it. It didn’t work, either—that’s one tough lock.
Bill. If it wasn’t forced, how come I could just open the door
and walk in?
Dawn. [Guiltily.] Well…sometimes I forget to lock it.
Katie. You didn’t call me tonight, Dawn?
Dawn. Gee, no! I didn’t call anyone! I was too busy chasing
Justin around! He kept wanting to eat the fabric softener! Then he
got sleepy and I sat down
here and thought I’d listen
to some tunes while I waited
for your movie to come on,
Bill, and I fell asleep—
At the mention of the
movie Bill starts visibly and
looks at the book. Then he
glances at his watch.
DURING READING
Use Reading Skills
directions on this page are used
to tell the actors how to act?
Directions Chart.
ra•di•ant (<r6 d7 @nt) adjective
vividly bright and glowing
Note the Facts
Why is the lock on Dawn's front
door forced?
LEVEL III, UNIT 7
177
4/23/09 8:46:37 PM
DURING READING
440
445
450
hys•ter•i•cal (his <ter I k@l) adjective,
uncontrollably emotional
455
460
Note the Facts
What does Bill promise to do
for Jeff?
465
470
475
Bill. I promised to tape it for Jeff. Come on, Katie, we’ve got
time to get back.
Katie. Just a second.
She picks up the phone and dials.
Dawn. Gee, Bill, do you think Jeffie’s old enough to watch
something like that?
Bill. It’s network. They take out the blood-bags.
Dawn. [Confused but amiable.] Oh. That’s good.
Int. Katie, CU.
Dennis [Filter.] Hello?
Katie. Just thought you’d like to know your Aunt Dawn’s fine.
Dennis. [Filter.] Oh! Cool. Thanks, Mom.
Int. The phone nook, with Dennis and the Others.
He looks very relieved.
Dennis. Aunt Dawn’s okay.
Int. the car, with Bill and Katie.
They drive in silence for awhile.
Katie. You think I’m a hysterical idiot, don’t you?
Bill. [Genuinely surprised.] No! I was scared, too.
Katie. You sure you’re not mad?
Bill. I’m too relieved. [Laughs.] She’s sort of
a scatterbrain9, old Dawn, but I love her.
Katie. [Leans over and kisses him.] I love you. You’re a
sweet man.
Bill. I’m the boogeyman10!
Katie. I am not fooled, sweetheart.
Ext. The car passes the camera and we dissolve to:
Int. Jeff, In bed.
His room is dark. The covers are pulled up to his chin.
Jeff. You promise to tape the rest?
Camera widens out so we can see Bill, sitting on the bed.
Bill. I promise.
Jeff. I especially liked the part where the dead guy ripped off
the punk rocker’s head.
Bill. Well…they used to take out all the blood-bags.
Jeff. What, Dad?
Bill. Nothing. I love you, Jeffie.
Jeff. I love you, too. So does Rambo.
Jeff holds up a stuffed dragon of decidedly unmilitant aspect.
Bill kisses the dragon, then Jeff.
Bill. ’Night.
9. scatterbrain. A person who is flighty and disorganized
10. boogeyman. An imaginary monster that is used to scare children
178
LEVEL III, UNIT 7
4/23/09 8:46:38 PM
480
485
490
495
500
505
510
515
520
Jeff. ’Night. [As Bill reaches the door.] Glad Aunt Dawn
was okay.
Bill. Me too.
He goes out.
Int. TV, CU.
A guy who looks like he died in a car crash about two weeks
prior to filming (and has since been subjected to a lot of hot
weather) is staggering out of a crypt. The camera widens to
show Bill, releasing the VCR pause button.
Katie. [Voice.] Booga-booga.
Bill looks around companionably. The camera widens
out more to show Katie, wearing a nightgown.
Bill. Same to you. I missed the first forty seconds or so after
the break. I had to kiss Rambo.
Katie. You sure you’re not mad at me, Bill?
He goes to her and kisses her.
Bill. Not even a smidge.
Katie. It’s just that I could have sworn it was one of mine.
You know what I mean? One of mine?
Bill. Yes.
Katie. I can still hear those sobs. So lost…so heartbroken.
Bill. Kate, have you ever thought you recognized someone
on the street, and called her, and when she finally turned around
it was a total stranger?
Katie. Yes, once. In Seattle. I was in a mall and I thought I
saw my old roommate. I…oh. I see what you’re saying.
Bill. Sure. There are sound-alikes as well as look-alikes.
Katie. But…you know your own. At least I thought so until
tonight.
She puts her cheek on his shoulder, looking troubled.
Katie. I was so positive it was Polly…
Bill. Because you’ve been worried about her getting her
feet under her at the new school…but judging from the stuff she
told you tonight, I’d say she’s doing just fine in that department.
Wouldn’t you?
Katie. Yes…I guess I would.
Bill. Let it go, hon.
Katie. [Looks at him closely.] I hate to see you looking so
tired. Hurry up and have an idea, you.
Bill. Well, I’m trying.
Katie. You coming to bed?
Bill. Soon as I finish taping this for Jeff.
DURING READING
Use Reading Skills
Stage Directions Who uses
the stage directions for Bill?
Directions Chart.
Note the Facts
What is Bill's explanation about
the phone call?
LEVEL III, UNIT 7
179
4/23/09 8:46:39 PM
DURING READING
Katie. [Amused.] Bill, that machine was made by Japanese
technicians who think of…near everything. It’ll run on its own.
Bill. Yea, but it’s been a long time since I’ve seen this one, and…
Katie. Okay. Enjoy. I think I’ll be awake for a little while.
525 [Pause.] I’ve got a few ideas of my own.
Bill. [Smiles.] Yeah?
Katie. Yeah.
She starts out, then turns in the doorway as something else
strikes her.
530
Katie. If they show that part where the punk’s head gets—
Bill. [Guiltily.] I’ll edit it.
Katie. ’Night. And thanks again. For everything.
She leaves. Bill sits in his chair.
Think and Reflect
Would you be able to get to sleep that night? Why or why not?
Analyze Literature
Plot What does Katie discover
at two in the morning?
Use Reading Skills
Stage Directions In your
Stage Directions Chart, write
which stage directions are used
to describe camera shots.
180
LEVEL III, UNIT 7
Int. TV, CU.
535
A couple is necking in a car. Suddenly the passenger door is
ripped open by the dead guy and we Dissolve to:
Int. Katie, in bed.
It’s dark. She’s asleep. She wakes up…sort of.
Katie. [Sleepy.] Hey, big guy—She feels for him, but his side of
540 the bed is empty, the coverlet still pulled up. She sits up. Looks at:
Int. A clock on the night-table, Katie’s POV.
It says 2:03 AM. Then it flashes 2:04.
Int. Katie.
Fully awake now. And concerned. She gets up, puts on her
545 robe, and leaves the bedroom.
Int. The TV screen, CU. Snow.
Katie. [Voice, approaching.] Bill? Honey? You okay? Bill? Bi—
Int. Katie, in bill’s study.
She’s frozen, wide-eyed with horror.
4/23/09 8:46:39 PM
550
555
560
565
570
575
580
585
590
Int. Bill, in his chair.
He’s slumped to one side, eyes closed, hand inside his shirt.
Dawn was sleeping. Bill is not.
Ext. A coffin, being lowered into a grave.
Minister. [Voice.] And so we commit the earthly remains
of William Weiderman to the ground, confident of his spirit and
soul. “Be ye not cast down, brethren…”
Ext. Graveside.
All the Weidermans are ranged here.
Katie and Polly wear identical black dresses and veils. Connie
wears a black skirt and white blouse. Dennis and Jeff wear black
suits. Jeff is crying. He has Rambo the Dragon under his arm for
a little extra comfort.
Camera moves in on Katie. Tears course slowly down her
cheeks. She bends and gets a handful of earth. Tosses it into the
grave.
Katie. Love you, big guy.
Ext. Jeff.
Weeping.
Ext. Looking down into the grave.
Scattered earth on top of the coffin.
Dissolve to:
Ext. The grave.
A groundskeeper pats the last sod into place.
Groundskeeper. My wife says she wishes you’d written a
couple more before you had your heart attack, mister. [Pause.] I
like Westerns, m’self.
The Groundskeeper walks away, whistling.
Dissolve to:
Ext. Day. A church.
Title card: Five years later.
The Wedding March is playing. Polly, older and radiant
with joy, emerges into a pelting shower of rice. She’s in a wedding
gown, her new husband by her side. Celebrants throwing rice line
either side of the path. From behind the bride and groom come
others. Among them are Katie, Dennis, Connie, and Jeff…all
five years older. With Katie is another man. This is Hank. In
the interim, Katie has also taken a husband.
Polly turns and her mother is there.
Polly. Thank you, Mom.
Katie. [Crying.] Oh doll, you’re so welcome.
DURING READING
Note the Facts
Who is Hank?
LEVEL III, UNIT 7
181
4/23/09 8:46:40 PM
DURING READING
They embrace. After a moment Polly draws away and looks
at Hank. There is a brief moment of tension and then Polly
embraces Hank, too.
Think and Reflect
Why is there tension between Polly and Hank?
595
600
605
Use Reading Skills
the stage directions that describe
Hank’s actions? Write your
answers in your Stage Directions
Chart.
610
615
Note the Facts
620
The day is Polly's wedding
day. What else makes the day
important?
625
182
LEVEL III, UNIT 7
Polly. Thank you too, Hank. I’m sorry I was such a creep
for so long…
Hank. [Easily.] You were never a creep, Pol. A girl only has
one father.
Connie. Throw it! Throw it!
After a moment, Polly throws her bouquet.
Ext. The bouquet, CU, slow motion.
Turning and turning through the air.
Dissolves to:
Int. night. the study, with Katie.
The word-processor has been replaced by a wide lamp
looming over a stack of blueprints. The book jackets have been
replaced by photos of buildings. Ones that have first been built in
Hank’s mind, presumably.
Katie is looking at the desk, thoughtful and a little sad.
Hank. [Voice.] Coming to bed, Kate?
She turns and The camera widens out to give us Hank. He’s
wearing a robe over pajamas. She comes to him and gives him a
little hug, smiling. Maybe we notice a few streaks of gray in her hair;
her pretty pony has done its fair share of running since Bill died.
Katie. In a little while. A woman doesn’t see her first one
get married every day, you know.
Hank. I know.
The camera follows as they walk from the work area of
the study to the more informal area. This is much the same as it
was in the old days, with a coffee table, stereo, TV, couch, and
Bill’s old easy-chair. She looks at this.
Hank. You still miss him, don’t you?
Katie. Some days more than others. You didn’t know, and
Polly didn’t remember.
Hank. [Gently.] Remember what, doll?
Katie. Polly got married on the five-year anniversary of
Bill’s death.
Hank. [Hugs her.] Come on to bed, why don’t you?
4/23/09 8:46:40 PM
630
635
640
645
650
655
660
665
Katie. In a little while.
Hank. Okay. Maybe I’ll still be awake.
Katie. Got a few ideas, do you?
Hank. I might.
Katie. That’s nice.
He kisses her, then leaves, closing the door behind him. Katie
sits in Bill’s old chair. Close by, on the coffee table, is a remote
control for the TV and an extension phone. Katie looks at the
blank TV, and The camera moves in on her face. One tear
rims one eye, sparkling like a sapphire11.
Katie. I do still miss you, big guy. Lots and lots. Every day.
And you know what? It hurts.
The tear falls. She picks up the TV remote and pushes the ON
button.
Int. TV, Katie’s POV.
An ad for Ginsu Knives comes to an end and is replaced by a
star logo.
Announcer. [Voice.] Now back to Channel 63’s Thursday
night Star Time Movie…Ghost Kiss.
The logo dissolves into a guy who looks like he died in a
car crash about two weeks ago and has since been subjected to a
lot of hot weather. He comes staggering out of the same old crypt.
Int. Katie.
Terribly startled—almost horrified. She hits the OFF button
on the remote control. The TV blinks off.
Katie’s face begins to work. She struggles against the
impending emotional storm, but the coincidence of the movie is
just one thing too many on what must have already been one of
the most emotionally trying days of her life. The dam breaks and
she begins to sob…terrible heartbroken sobs. She reaches out for
the little table by the chair, meaning to put the remote control
on it, and knocks the phone
onto the floor.
Sound: The hum of an
open line.
Her tear-stained face
grows suddenly still as
she looks at the telephone.
Something begins to fill it…
an idea? an intuition? Hard
to tell. And maybe it doesn’t
matter.
DURING READING
Note the Facts
What does Katie sees on the TV
that horrifies her?
11. sapphire. A precious transparent stone of rich blue
LEVEL III, UNIT 7
183
4/23/09 8:46:41 PM
DURING READING
670
675
Analyze Literature
Plot Who does Katie reach
through the phone?
680
685
Use Reading Skills
Stage Directions Which
stage directions on this page
are meant for Katie’s actress?
Directions Chart.
690
695
Note the Facts
700
What does Katie want her past
self to do?
705
710
184
LEVEL III, UNIT 7
Int. The telephone, Katie’s POV.
The camera moves in to ECU…
Moves in until the dots in the off-the-hook receiver look like
chasms.
Sound of open-line buzz up to loud.
We go into the black…and hear:
Bill. [Voice.] Who are you calling? Who do you want to
call? Who would you call, if it wasn’t too late?
Int Katie.
There is now a strange hypnotized look on her face. She
reaches down, scoops the telephone up, and punches in numbers,
seemingly at random.
Sound. Ringing phone.
Katie continues to look hypnotized. The look holds until the
phone is answered…and she hears herself on the other end of the line.
Katie. [Voice; filter.] Hello, Weiderman residence.
Katie—our present-day Katie with streaks of gray in her
hair—goes on sobbing, yet an expression of desperate hope is
trying to be born on her face. On some level she understands
that the depth of her grief has allowed a kind of telephonic-timetravel. She’s trying to talk, to force the words out.
Katie. [Sobbing.] Take…please take…t-tInt. Katie, in the phone nook, reprise.
It’s five years ago. Bill is standing beside her, looking concerned.
Jeff is wandering off to look for a blank tape in the other room.
Katie. Polly? What’s wrong?
Int. Katie, in the study.
Katie. [Sobbing.] Please—quick—
Sound. Click of a broken connection.
Katie. [Screaming.] Take him to the hospital! If you want
him to live, take him to the hospital! He’s going to have a heart
attack. He—
Sound. hum of an open line.
Slowly, very slowly, Katie hangs up the telephone. Then, after
a moment, she picks it up again. She speaks aloud with no selfconsciousness whatever. Probably doesn’t even know she’s doing it.
Katie. I dialed the old number. I dialed—
Slam cut to: Int. Bill, in the phone nook with Katie
beside him.
He’s just taken the phone from Katie and is speaking to the
operator.
Operator. [Filter, giggles.] I promise not to give it out.
Bill. It’s 555Differentiated Instruction for ELL
4/23/09 8:46:42 PM
715
720
725
730
735
740
745
Slam cut to:
Int. Katie, in bill’s old chai, CU.
Katie. [Finishes.] -4408.
Int. The phone, CU.
Katie’s trembling finger carefully picks out the number, and
we hear the corresponding tones: 555-4408.
Int. Katie, in Bill’s old chair, CU.
She closes her eyes as the phone begins to
ring. Her face is filled with an agonizing mixture of hope
and fear. If only she can have one more chance to pass the vital
message on, it says…just one more chance.
Katie. [Low.] Please…please…
Recorded Voice. [Filter.] You have reached a non-working
number. Please hang up and dial again. If you need assistance—
Katie hangs up again. Tears stream down her cheeks. The
camera pans away and down to the telephone.
Int. The phone nook, with Katie and Bill, reprise.
Bill. So it was a prank. Or someone who was crying so hard
she dialed a wrong number…“through a shimmering film of
tears,” as we veteran hacks like to say.
Katie. It was not a prank and it was not a wrong number!
It was someone in my family!
Int. Katie (present day) in Bill’s study.
Katie. Yes. Someone in my family. Someone who is close.
[Pause.] Me.
She suddenly throws the phone across the room. She starts to
sob again and puts her hands over her face. Camera holds on
her for a moment, then dollies across.
Int. The phone.
It lies on the carpet, looking both bland and somber. Camera
moves in to ECU—the holes in the receiver look like huge dark
chasms.
We hold, then
Fade to black: ✤
&
W
IRRORS
W INDOWS
DURING READING
Analyze Literature
Plot Does Katie succeed in
warning her past self? Why or
why not?
Use Reading Skills
the stage directions that describe
the telephone? Write your
answers in your Stage Directions
Chart.
If you could call someone in the past, who
would it be and what would you say?
LEVEL III, UNIT 7
185
4/23/09 8:46:42 PM
AFTER READING
READING CHECK
VOCABULARY CHECK
1. Who is Katie talking to on the phone when
another call comes in?
A. Lois
B. Polly
C. Connie
1. Dennis is confident that he can inflict pain on
Jeff. He is Jeff's big brother, and he is
A. braver.
B. happier.
C. stronger.
2. How does the voice of the mysterious caller
sound?
A. normal
B. ecstatic
C. desperate
2. Jeff is glum when his mother sees him. He
and his siblings were arguing and he
A. won.
B. lost.
C. tied.
3. What do Katie and Bill do when they can't
reach Dawn?
A. They go to Dawn's farmhouse to investigate.
B. They call the police to give details of the call.
C. They alert Jerry about his family's
whereabouts.
3. Katie rummages for her address book. She
eyes her little phone desk and
A. observes truthfully.
B. searches thoroughly.
C. watches thoughtfully.
4. What happens to Bill the same night?
A. He dies of a heart attack.
B. He receives the same call.
C. He forgets to tape the movie.
5. Who is the mysterious caller?
A. Hank
B. Katie
C. Polly
4. Dawn is radiant when she smiles. The place
seems to
A. darken.
B. light up.
C. make a shade.
5. Bill does not think that Katie is hysterical, but
she thinks she had been very uncontrollably
A. radical.
B. practical.
C. emotional.
Think about the events that take place in “Sorry, Right Number.” Briefly list the
exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution of the screenplay.
186
LEVEL III, UNIT 7
4/23/09 8:46:43 PM
Review your Stage Directions Chart. Were most of the stage directions meant for one person,
or would multiple people need to know these directions? Why?
BUILD LANGUAGE SKILLS: Ellipses
The ellipsis mark is made up of three periods (...). Ellipses can be used to show that
something was removed from a quotation.
Examples
1. “I was afraid of horror stories and vampires as a child.”
2. “I was afraid of horror stories ... as a child..”
Ellipses also show pauses and unfinished sentences. If an ellipsis mark comes after a
sentence, there must be four periods (. ...) instead of three to close the sentence.
Examples
1. Wait ... are you kidding?
2. Try to scare me again. ...
Write three sentences in which the screenplay uses ellipses.
1.
2.
3.
Choose three other lines from the screenplay. Choose some words to omit from those
lines. Write those lines using ellipses to indicate the omitted words.
1.
2.
3.
SPEAKING & LISTENING SKILLS: Literary Presentation
Prepare an oral summary of “Sorry, Right Number.” Select the key ideas and main plot
points of the screenplay and write these on note cards. Use brief phrases instead of
entire sentences to help you memorize your oral summary. Work with a partner to
rehearse your oral summary and provide feedback for each other.
LEVEL III, UNIT 7
187
4/23/09 8:46:43 PM
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
BEFORE READING
page 778
A Cheyenne Legend by
Joseph Bruchac and Gayle Ross
ABOUT THE LEGEND
“Where the Girl Rescued Her Brother” tells of the brave act of Buffalo Calf Road
Woman when she rides into battle with the men of her tribe and their allies. She
rides to war with pride as a member of the Society of Quilters, the bravest of women
in their tribe. While watching the battle between her tribe and the white people, she
sees her brother Comes-in-Sight in trouble. Read to find out what happens.
MAKE CONNECTIONS
Share a time when someone you know surprised you with his or her bravery.
ANALYZE LITERATURE: Flashback
A flashback is a part of a written work that shows
events that happened earlier than the present event.
Authors use flashbacks to give more information
about characters or events. As you read, identify when
the authors use this technique in the story.
188
LEVEL III, UNIT 8
4/23/09 8:46:44 PM
USE READING SKILLS: Summarize
Summarizing helps you remember the events in a story better. To summarize
the events of the story, recall important details and retell in your own words. Note
these details in the story as you read and fill in these pieces of information in the
Summary Map below.
Summary Map
Event 1
Event 2
Event 3
Event 4
Event 5
Summary of story
LEVEL III, UNIT 8
189
4/23/09 8:46:45 PM
PREVIEW VOCABULARY
Key Words and
Phrases
Context
used in a sentence.
honorable
hon•or•able
(<5 n@r (@)b@l)
adjective
Langley is a very
honorable
businessperson who
doesn’t lie or steal to earn
money.
When you find a wallet,
the honorable thing to
do is…
Jemima became Joe’s
unexpected ally against
the bullies.
It is more fun to play
games when you have an
ally who…
The dog stopped in its
tracks at the sight of the
speeding car.
Things that can stop
people in their tracks
include…
The students are very
determined to memorize
the multiplication table.
Being determined to do
something ensures that…
The tamer bravely stood
against the lion’s ferocity.
The ferocity of angry
people can make the
bravest person…
The soldiers retreat
in the face of the poor
villagers.
You must retreat when
you know that…
1
2
2
3
stopped in its tracks
idiom
1
2
3
determined
de•ter•mined
(di t@r> m@nd)
adjective
1
2
3
ferocity
fe•roc•i•ty
(f@ >r5 s@ t7)
noun
1
2
3
retreat
re•treat
(ri tr7t>)
verb
1
190
2
Practice
sentences.
3
ally
al•ly
(a> l8<)
noun
1
Definition
Write down what you
means. Then use a
definition.
3
LEVEL III, UNIT 8
4/23/09 8:46:46 PM
DURING READING
A Cheyenne Legend by
Joseph Bruchac and Gayle Ross
5
10
15
20
25
30
It was the moon when the chokecherries1 were ripe.
A young woman rode out of a Cheyenne camp with her
husband and her brother. The young woman’s name was
Buffalo Calf Road Woman. Her husband, Black Coyote, was
one of the chiefs of the Cheyenne,2 the people of the plains who
call themselves Tsis-tsis-tas, meaning simply “The People.”
Buffalo Calf Road Woman’s brother, Comes-in-Sight, was also
one of the Cheyenne chiefs, and it was well-known how close he
was to his sister.
Like many of the other young women of the Cheyenne,
Buffalo Calf Road Woman was respected for her honorable
nature. Although it was the men who most often went to war
to defend the people—as they were doing on this day—women
would accompany their husbands when they went to battle. If a
man held an important position among the Cheyenne, such as
the keeper of the Sacred Arrows, then his wife, too, would have
to be of the highest moral character, for she shared the weight
of his responsibility.
Buffalo Calf Road Woman was well aware of this, and as she
rode by her husband she did so with pride. She knew that today
they were on their way to meet their old allies, the Lakota.3 They
were going out to try to drive back the veho, the spider people
who were trying to claim all the lands of the Native peoples.
The Cheyenne had been worried about the veho, the
white people, for a long time. They had given them that name
because, like the black widow spider, they were very beautiful
but it was dangerous to get close to them. And unlike the
Cheyenne, they seemed to follow a practice of making promises
and not keeping them. Although their soldier chief Custer4 had
promised to be friendly with the Cheyenne, now he and the
others had come into their lands to make war upon them.
Note the Facts
Who is Buffalo Calf Road
Woman?
hon•or•able (<5 n@r (@)b@l) adjective,
worthy of respect; honest
al•ly (a> l8<) noun, person who is
helpful; friend
Use Reading Skills
Summarize Identify the
important details on the page.
Retell the event and put this in
your summary map with the
label “Event 1.”
Note the Facts
What name do the Cheyenne
give to the white people? To what
are the white people compared?
1. chokecherries. Species of cherry that are native to North America
2. Cheyenne. Native American nation of the Great Plains
3. Lakota. Native American tribe also known as the Sioux
4. Custer. Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer, leader of the 7th U.S. Calvary in the
Indian Wars
LEVEL III, UNIT 8
191
4/23/09 8:46:46 PM
DURING READING
Analyze Literature
35
Flashback What earlier event
does Buffalo Calf Road Woman
remember? How does it affect
her?
40
Use Reading Skills
the summary map with the label
“Event 2.”
45
50
55
60
65
de•ter•mined (di t@r> m@nd)
adjective, not easily moved or changed
stopped in its tracks idiom,
suddenly stopped doing something in
surprise
70
Buffalo Calf Road Woman wore a robe embroidered with
porcupine quills.5 The clothing of her brother and her husband,
Black Coyote, was also beautifully decorated with those quills,
which had been flattened, dyed in different colors, folded, and
sewed on in patterns. Buffalo Calf Road Woman was proud
that she belonged to the Society of Quilters. As with the men’s
societies, only a few women—those of the best character—could
join. Like the men, the women had to be strong, honorable, and
brave. Buffalo Calf Road Woman had grown up hearing stories
of how Cheyenne women would defend their families when the
men were away. The women of the Cheyenne were brave, and
those in the Society of Quilters were the bravest of all.
Buffalo Calf Road Woman smiled as she remembered one
day when the women of the Society of Quilters showed such
bravery. It was during the Moon of Failing Leaves. A big hunt
had been planned. The men who acted as scouts had gone out
and located the great buffalo herd. They had seen, too, that
there were no human enemies anywhere near their camp. So
almost none of the men remained behind.
On that day, when all the men were away, a great grizzly
bear came into the camp. Such things seldom happened, but
this bear was one that had been wounded in the leg by a white
fur-trapper’s6 bullet. It could no longer hunt as it had before,
and hunger brought it to the Cheyenne camp, where it smelled
food cooking.
When the huge bear came walking into the camp, almost
everyone scattered. Some women grabbed their little children.
Old people shut the door flaps of their tepees,7 and the boys ran
to find their bows and arrows. Only a group of seven women
who had been working on the embroidery of an elk-skin robe
did not run. They were members of the Society of Quilters, and
Buffalo Calf Road Woman was among them. The seven women
put down their work, picked up the weapons they had close to
hand, and stood to face the grizzly bear.
Now of all of the animals of the plains, the only one fierce
enough and powerful enough to attack a human was the grizzly.
But confronted by that determined group of women, the
grizzly bear stopped in its tracks. It had come to steal food,
not fight. The head of the Society of Quilters stepped forward a
pace and spoke to the bear.
5. quills. A stiff and hollow protective spine on a porcupine or hedgehog
6. fur-trapper. People who hunt animals to obtain their furs mainly for clothes
7. tepee. A tent, used especially by the Native Americans, shaped like a cone and made of
animal hides or birch bark wrapped around poles
192
LEVEL III, UNIT 8
4/23/09 8:46:47 PM
75
80
85
90
95
100
105
“Grandfather,” she said, her voice low and firm, “we do not
wish to harm you, but we will protect our camp. Go back to
your own home.”
The grizzly shook its head and then turned and walked out
of the camp. The women stood and watched it as it went down
through the cottonwoods and was lost from sight along the
bend of the stream.
Buffalo Calf Road Woman turned her mind away from her
memories. They were close to Rosebud Creek. The scouts had
told them that a great number of the veho soldiers would be
there and that the Gray Fox,8 General George Crook, was in
command. The Cheyenne had joined up now with the Oglala,9
led by Crazy Horse. The Lakota people were always friends to
the Cheyenne, but this man, Crazy Horse, was the best friend of
all. Some even said that he was one of their chiefs, too, as well
as being a war leader of his Oglala.
There were Crow10 and Shoshone11 scouts with Crook,
and the veho had many cannons. The Lakota and the
Cheyenne were outnumbered by the two thousand men in
Crook’s command. But they were prepared to fight. They
had put on their finest clothes, for no man should risk his
life without being dressed well enough so that if he died, the
enemy would know a great warrior had fallen. Some of the
men raised their headdresses12 three times, calling out their
names and the deeds they had done. Those headdresses of
eagle feathers were thought to give magical protection to a
warrior. Other men busied themselves painting designs on
their war ponies.
Now they could hear Crook’s army approaching. The
rumble of the horses’ hooves echoed down the valley, and there
was the sound of trumpets.
War ponies reared up and
stomped their feet. Many of
the Cheyenne men found
it hard to put on the last of
their paint as their hands
shook from the excitement of
the coming battle.
DURING READING
Read Aloud
Read lines 66–78 aloud. How
does the woman approach the
grizzly bear? What does the
animal do?
Use Reading Skills
your summary map with the
label “Event 3.”
8. Gray Fox. Nantan Lupan, a nickname given by the Apache tribe to General Crook as a
mark of respect.
9. Oglala. Chief branch of the Lakota nation
10. Crow. Native American tribe historically from the Yellowstone River Valley
11. Shoshone. Native American tribe traditionally enemies with the Cheyenne and Lakota.
12. headdresses. Decorative coverings for the head made of bird feathers or animal hair
LEVEL III, UNIT 8
193
4/23/09 8:46:48 PM
DURING READING
110
Culture Note
The Battle of Rosebud Creek is
named for the site of the battle,
located forty miles south of Little
Bighorn. The Cheyenne and
Lakota had joined together to
fight against the armed forces of
Brigadier General George Crook.
The victory under Crazy Horse in
the Battle of the Rosebud Creek
led to a later victory in Little
Bighorn, known in history as
Custer’s Last Stand.
115
120
125
fe•roc•i•ty (f@ <r5 s@ t7) noun, quality
of being wild and fierce
re•treat (ri tr7t>) verb, withdraw;
back off
Note the Facts
130
135
Underline what Buffalo Calf Road
Woman sees that horrifies her.
Use Reading Skills
“Event 4.”
140
145
Crazy Horse vaulted onto his horse and held up one arm.
“Hoka Hey,”13 he cried. “It is a good day to die.”
Buffalo Calf Road Woman watched from a hill as the two
lines of men—the blue soldiers to one side, and the Lakota and
Cheyenne to the other—raced toward each other. The battle
began. It was not a quick fight or an easy one. There were brave
men on both sides. Two Moons, Little Hawk, Yellow Eagle,
Sitting Bull, and Crazy Horse were only a few of the great
warriors who fought for the Cheyenne and the Lakota. And
Crook, the Gray Fox general of the whites, was known to be a
tough fighter and a worthy enemy.
Buffalo Calf Road Woman’s husband, Black Coyote, and
her brother, Comes-in-Sight, were in the thick of the fight. The
odds in the battle were almost even. Although the whites had
more soldiers and guns, the Lakota and the Cheyenne were
better shots and better horsemen. Had it not been for the Crow
and Shoshone scouts helping Crook, the white soldiers might
have broken quickly from the ferocity of the attack.
From one side to the other, groups of men attacked and
retreated as the guns cracked, cannons boomed, and smoke
filled the air. The war shouts of the Lakota and the Cheyenne
were almost as loud as the rumble of the guns. The sun moved
across the sky as the fight went on, hour after hour, while the
confusion of battle swirled below.
Then Buffalo Calf Road Woman saw something that
horrified her. Her brother had been drawn off to one side,
surrounded by Crow scouts. He tried to ride free of them, but
his pony went down, struck by a rifle bullet and killed. Now he
was on foot, still fighting. The Crow warriors were trying to get
close, to count coup14 on him. It was more of an honor to touch
a living enemy, so they were not firing their rifles at him. And
he was able to keep them away with his bow and arrows. But it
was clear that soon he would be out of ammunition and would
fall to the enemy.
Buffalo Calf Road Woman waited no longer. She dug her
heels into her pony’s sides and galloped down the hill. Her head
low, her braids streaming behind her, she rode into the heart
of the fight. Some men moved aside as they saw her coming,
for there was a determined look in her eyes. She made the
long howling cry that Cheyenne women used to urge on the
13. Hoka Hey. “It is a good day to die.” A cry traditionally shouted by Lakota warriors. Crazy
Horse encouraged his warriors with this shout when going into battle.
14. count coup. Claim victory among the Native American people
194
LEVEL III, UNIT 8
4/23/09 8:46:49 PM
150
155
160
165
170
warriors. This time, however, she was the one going into
the fight. Her voice was as strong as an eagle’s. Her horse
scattered the ponies of the Crow scouts who were closing in
on her brother, Comes-in-Sight. She held out a hand; her
brother grabbed it and vaulted onto the pony behind her.
Then she wheeled, ducking the arrows of the Crow scouts,
and heading back up the hill.
That was when it happened. For a moment, it seemed as if
all the shooting stopped. The Cheyenne and the Lakota, and
even the veho soldiers, lowered their guns to watch this act of
great bravery. A shout went up, not from one side but from
both, as Buffalo Calf Road Woman reached the safety of the
hilltop again, her brother safe behind her on her horse. White
men and Indians cheered her.
So it was that Buffalo Calf Road Woman performed the act
for which the people would always remember her. Inspired by
her courage, the Cheyenne and Lakota drove back the Gray
Fox—Crook made a strategic withdrawal.
“Even the veho general was impressed,” said the Cheyenne
people. “He saw that if our women were that brave, he would
stand no chance against us in battle.”
So it is that to this day, the Cheyenne and the Lakota people
do not refer to the fight as the Battle of the Rosebud. Instead,
they honor Buffalo Calf Road Woman by calling the fight
Where the Girl Rescued Her Brother. ✤
&
W
IRRORS
W INDOWS
DURING READING
Note the Facts
Highlight the people who cheer
for what Buffalo Calf Road
Woman did.
Use Reading Skills
“Event 5.”
What risks would you take to save the life of
someone you care for? Do you believe that
this kind of heroism described in the story
still exists today? Why?
LEVEL III, UNIT 8
195
4/23/09 8:46:49 PM
AFTER READING
READING CHECK
VOCABULARY CHECK
1. What is Comes-in-Sight well-known for?
A. his closeness to his sister
B. his bravery in the battlefield
C. his determination in being chief
2. Who are the bravest of women among the
Cheyenne?
A. members of the chief’s family
B. women in the Society of Quilters
C. those who have had several children
3. Who are the Cheyenne and Lakota fighting
against?
A. western soldiers
B. another Lakota tribe
C. the white people
4. Why do the warriors dress themselves in their
finest clothes for battle?
A. so that if they die, their parents will know
that they fell as honorable warriors
B. so that if they die, their friends will know
that they fell as wealthy warriors
C. so that if they die, their enemies will know
that they fell as great warriors
5. What does Buffalo Calf Road Woman do
upon seeing her brother in trouble?
A. She rescues her brother by herself.
B. She calls Black Coyote to rescue him.
C. She stops the battle and pleads for peace.
1. Buffalo Calf Road Woman has an honorable
nature, and so she is
A. envied.
B. ignored.
C. respected.
2. The Cheyenne and Lakota are old allies. They
are meeting to
A. make peace.
B. work together.
C. fight each other.
3. The determined women stop the grizzly bear
in its tracks. They are not easily
A. scared.
B. moved.
C. encouraged.
4. The ferocity of the attacks of the Cheyenne
and Lakota could have defeated their
enemies quickly if not for the Crow and
Shoshone. These Native American scouts
showed they were just as
A. tame.
B. brave.
C. fierce.
5. Warriors attack and retreat during the battle.
Others remain to fight without
A. backing off.
B. stopping by.
C. moving ahead.
ANALYZE LITERATURE: Flashback
The story flashes back to a time when Buffalo Calf Road Woman and the Society of
Quilters faced a great grizzly bear by themselves. What does the flashback say about
Buffalo Calf Road Woman and the Society of Quilters? How does it parallel with
what is happening between the Native Americans and the veho?
196
LEVEL III, UNIT 8
4/23/09 8:46:50 PM
USE READING SKILLS: Summarize
Review the summary map you filled in while reading this story. From the details you
have gathered, write a summary of the story in the last box. Analyze your summary.
What is the main idea of the story? Share your answers with a classmate.
BUILD LANGUAGE SKILLS: Modifiers
A modifier is a word or group of words that limits or describes another word or
group of words in the sentence. An adjective modifies nouns and pronouns by telling
details about them. Adjectives answer the questions how many and what kind.
EXAMPLES
The brave Buffalo Calf Road Woman rescued her brother. (what kind; modifies
Buffalo Calf Road Woman)
Twenty warriors fought against the white soldiers. (how many; modifies warriors)
An adverb modifies verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. Most of these modifiers
answer the questions how, when, where, why, and how often.
EXAMPLES
They excitedly painted the war ponies. (how; modifies painted )
Crazy Horse always shouted Hoka Hey at the start of a battle. (how often; modifies
shouted)
Complete the sentences by providing a modifier that fits with the context of the sentence.
1. Black Coyote
marches to Rosebud Creek.
2. The Society of Quilters only accepts women with
3. Crazy Horse
encourages the warriors.
4. Buffalo Calf Road Woman
5. Comes-in-Sight is
character.
saves her brother.
for what his sister did.
WRITING SKILLS: Short Story
Write a short story for children based on the events in “Where the Girl Rescued Her
Brother.” Choose an event that you want to retell in your story. Create a Sequence
Map of the event, and include pictures. Make sure that your writing fits your audience.
LEVEL III, UNIT 8
197
4/23/09 8:46:50 PM
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
BEFORE READING
page 805
A Folk Song transcribed by
Norm Cohen
ABOUT THE FOLK SONG
“John Henry” tells the story of a steel-driving man with unusual strength. He grows
up to work on the railroad. When the captain brings in a steam drill one day, John
Henry challenges the machine in a competition. Read to find out what happens.
MAKE CONNECTIONS
There are people famous for the unusual feats they have accomplished.
What unusual feat would you like to accomplish?
ANALYZE LITERATURE: Compare Literature
Character is a person or animal that is part of a written
work. The main character is called the protagonist. A
character struggling against the protagonist is called an
antagonist. As you read, determine who the protagonists
are, and who the antagonists are.
198
LEVEL III, UNIT 8
4/23/09 8:46:51 PM
Character As you read, fill in the pyramid below to help you understand the
protagonist in the folk song. Identify the antagonist and compare with the
protagonist.
Character Analysis Pyramid
Name
Characteristics
Antagonist
Problems/Challenges
Major Accomplishments
LEVEL III, UNIT 8
199
4/23/09 8:46:52 PM
PREVIEW VOCABULARY
Key Words and
Phrases
Context
used in a sentence.
yonder
yon•der
(<y5nd@r)
adverb
That path yonder should
lead you home.
Look for the house over
yonder…
Grace told Kennedy
to holler if he needs
anything.
If you holler too much,
you can…
The new student looks so
lonesome, sitting in the
corner.
A person who is
lonesome is probably…
Her father is a captain in
the U.S. Navy.
The basketball team
named Michael captain
because…
An adult lion weighs
around 450 to 500
pounds.
A pound of steel can be
carried by…
1
2
2
3
lonesome
lone•some
(<l9n(t) s@m)
adjective
1
2
3
captain
cap•tain
(<kap t@n)
noun
1
2
3
pound
pound
(<paund)
noun
1
200
2
Practice
sentences.
3
holler
hol•ler
(<h5 l@r)
verb
1
Definition
Write down what you
means. Then use a
definition.
3
LEVEL III, UNIT 8
4/23/09 8:46:53 PM
DURING READING
A Folk Song transcribed by
Norm Cohen
5
John Henry was a very small boy,
Fell on his mammy’s1 knee;
Picked up a hammer and a little piece of steel,
“Lord, a hammer’ll be the death of me,
Lord, a hammer’ll be the death of me.”
10
John Henry went upon the mountain,
Come down on the side;
The mountain so tall, John Henry was so small,
Lord, he lay down his hammer and he cried, “Oh, Lord,”
He lay down his hammer and he cried.
15
John Henry was on the right hand,
But that steam drill2 was on the left;
“Before your steam drill beats me down,
Hammer my fool self to death,
Lord, I’ll hammer my fool self to death.”
20
The captain says to John Henry,
“Believe my tunnel’s fallin’ in.”
“Captain, you needn’t not to worry,
Just my hammer hawsing3 in the wind,
Just my hammer hawsing in the wind.”
25
“Look away over yonder4, captain,
You can’t see like me.”
He hollered out in a low, lonesome cry,
“This hammer’ll be the death of me,
Lord, this hammer’ll be the death of me.”
John Henry told his captain,
“Captain, you go to town,
Bring John back a twelve-pound hammer,
And he’ll whup5 your steam drill down,
[And] he’ll whup your steam drill down.”
30
1.
2.
3.
4.
Many believed that the story of
John Henry is based on historical
circumstances. In the 1800s,
railroad companies replaced
hired workers with steam drills
to make holes in rocks to create
tunnels. This saved time and
money for the company, but it
also took jobs away from men.
According to the legend, John
Henry, a man with great strength,
challenged the use of steam drill
in a contest to prove that man
was better than a machine. Do
you think this story is true? Why?
cap•tain (<kap t@n) noun, a person
who has authority over others
yon•der (<y5nd@r) adverb, in or at a
distant place that can be seen
hol•ler (<h5 l@r) v., shout out
lone•some (<l9n(t) s@m) adjective,
sad or dejected (as a result of being
separated from others)
pound (<paund) noun, a unit of
weight equal to 16 ounces
mammy’s. Mother’s
steam drill. A drill powered by a steam engine
hawsing. Falling forward
yonder. At a distant place that can be seen
Cultural Note
LEVEL III, UNIT 8
201
4/23/09 8:46:53 PM
DURING READING
Analyze Literature
Compare Literature
Character How is John Henry
the protagonist? What is he
struggling against?
35
45
John Henry told his shaker7,
“Shaker, you better pray;
For if I miss the six-foot steel,
Tomorrow’ll be your buryin’ day,
An’ tomorrow’ll be your buryin’ day.”
John Henry told his lovin’ little woman,
“Sick and I want to go to bed;
Fix me a place to lay down, child,
Got a rollin’ in my head,
Got a rollin’ in my head.”
50
John Henry had a lovely little woman,
Called her Polly Ann;
John Henry got sick and he had to go home,
But Polly broke steel like a man,
Polly broke steel like a man.
40
Use Reading Skills
Understand Literary
Elements Character Identify
at least three important details
related to the main character
and put them in the pyramid.
For the man that invented that steam drill
Thought he was mighty fine;
John Henry sunk a fo’teen6 foot,
The steam drill only made nine,
The steam drill only made nine.
John Henry had another little woman,
The dress she wore was blue;
She went down the track and she never looked back,
“John Henry, I’ve been true to you.” ✤
5. whup. Whip
6. fo’teen. Fourteen
7. shaker. Person who holds the steam drill
&
W
IRRORS
W INDOWS
202
LEVEL III, UNIT 8
John Henry proves that he can do better work
than a machine. What would you like to prove
that you can do better than a person or an
object? How would you prove that?
4/23/09 8:46:54 PM
AFTER READING
READING CHECK
VOCABULARY CHECK
1. What does John Henry do for a living?
A. He operates a steam drill.
B. He drives steel with a hammer.
C. He climbs up and down mountains.
1. John looked over yonder to a place
A. far away.
B. close by.
C. right here.
2. What does John Henry say will be the cause
of his death?
A. a hammer
B. a mountain
C. a steam drill
2. John Henry hollers, his voice coming out
A. soft.
B. loud.
C. rough.
3. What does he want to prove to his captain?
A. He wants to prove that he can climb
higher than a steam drill.
B. He wants to prove that he can work faster
than a steam drill.
C. He wants to prove that he can drive
better than a steam drill.
4. How deep was John Henry able to drive his
steel posts?
A. nine feet
B. twelve feet
C. fourteen feet
5. Why does John Henry want to go to bed?
A. He needs to visit his mother.
B. He feels sick from exhaustion.
C. He wants to get some rest for the
competition.
3. The lonesome cry echoes in the mine,
sounding almost
A. excited.
B. irritated.
C. dejected.
4. The captain was ____ of the drill team.
A. a friend
B. a member
C. the leader
5. John carries a twelve-pound hammer. Only
he can carry that
A. height.
B. length.
C. weight.
ANALYZE LITERATURE: Compare Literature
Character The main character, or the protagonist, in the folk song is John Henry, a
steel-driver with exceptional strength. Who or what becomes his ultimate antagonist?
Explain.
LEVEL III, UNIT 8
203
4/23/09 8:46:55 PM
Character Review the pyramid you completed while reading this story. What traits
do John Henry and a common worker have in common? What are their differences?
Share your answers with a classmate.
BUILDING VOCABULARY SKILLS: Dialect
A dialect is a language spoken by the people of a specific place, time, or group.
Some of the language of “John Henry” belongs to a dialect in the rural South that
was spoken in the past. Complete the chart below by writing the Standard English
equivalent for each word or phrase. One example has been done for you.
Dialect
beats me down
Standard English
defeats me
fool self
needn’t not to worry
mighty fine
tomorrow’ll be your buryin’ day
lovin’
WORK TOGETHER
Work in groups of three to perform the events narrated in the folk song. Assign one
role of each of the following: John Henry, the captain, and the shaker who operates
the steam drill. Act out the scene of the competition between John Henry and the
steam drill.
204
LEVEL III, UNIT 8
4/23/09 8:46:55 PM
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
BEFORE READING
page 808
A Tall Tale by
Walker Brents
ABOUT THE TALE
“Annie Christmas” is a tale about the strongest woman in New Orleans who
also works better than any man. She saves the city from the river flood and soon
after encounters a sinking steamboat on her way up the river. Read to find out what
happens as she works to save the people on the boat.
MAKE CONNECTIONS
People have different degrees of determination. There will always be people who
are more determined than others, and these people often have stories to inspire
others. Why do you think stories of determination inspire people?
A character is a person or animal that is part of
a written work. The main character is called the
protagonist. A character struggling against the
protagonist is called an antagonist. As you read,
identify the protagonists and antagonists in this
story.
LEVEL III, UNIT 8
205
4/23/09 8:46:56 PM
Venn diagram When you compare and contrast something, you are looking for
similarities and differences between two objects. In this story, Annie Christmas has
many character traits, or qualities that are different than the character Mike Fink. As
you read, compare and contrast character traits of Annie and Mike Fink and record
your answers in your Character Comparison Chart.
Character Comparison Chart
Mike Fink
Annie Christmas
Thinks about women…
Acts…
Leaves New Orleans
because…
206
LEVEL III, UNIT 8
4/23/09 8:46:58 PM
PREVIEW VOCABULARY
Key Words and
Phrases
Context
used in a sentence.
capacity
ca•pac•i•ty
(k@ pas> @t 7)
noun
Bernardo’s bag has the
capacity to carry a heavy
weight.
If you want to measure
your mental capacity,
you can…
The police made a
barricade to corner the
robber.
Placing a barricade
around a baby will…
The nurses worked round
the clock to take care of
the patients.
Studying round the
clock will make you…
Caitlin stopped the dog
from biting her visitor in
the nick of time.
Reaching the bus in the
nick of time, I was…
The peacock has very
bright and colorful
plumes.
Animals with plumes
include…
Ellie’s rubber duckie is as
buoyant as a balloon.
If our model plane
remains buoyant in air,
we can…
The audience acclaimed
the artist with a standing
ovation.
My parents acclaim me
for my…
1
2
2
3
round the clock
idiom
1
2
3
in the nick of time
idiom
1
2
3
plume
plume
(pl@m)
noun
1
2
3
buoyant
buoy•ant
(boi> @nt)
adjective
1
2
3
acclaim
ac•claim
(@ <kl6m)
verb
1
2
3
Practice
sentences.
3
barricade
bar•ri•cade
(ber> @ k6d>)
noun
1
Definition
Write down what you
means. Then use a
definition.
LEVEL III, UNIT 8
207
4/23/09 8:46:58 PM
DURING READING
A Tall Tale by
Walker Brents
5
ca•pac•i•ty (k@ pas> @t 7) noun,
ability; skill
10
Analyze Literature
Character Characters in a
written work can be described
as flat or rounded. A flat
character can be described in
one sentence because of a
character’s lack of complexity. A
rounded character is complex
and realistic. What kind of a
character is Mike Fink? Why?
15
20
Annie Christmas was six feet eight inches tall, dark and
beautiful to behold, and with the power to blow over boulders.
In build she was neither muscle-bound nor skinny. It was the
way she moved and used movement that made her able to lift
and pull. Her mind was just as strong: she knew the Big River
like the back of her hand.
She had twelve sons, each one tall as her, some say taller.
They stood six on either side of her. No one took their photograph—there were no picture-takers then—but people of New
Orleans1, Natchez2, and points between remembered them so
vividly their stories survive to this day.
It was a bright sunny day when Annie, loading bales of cotton
on a busy New Orleans dock, was approached by Mike Fink who,
new in town, aggressively cast aspersions3 on her capacity to work
like a man. He told her out and out to go home. Said Annie casually, looking at him as she took off her gloves, “Seems to me we
should be clear about who should be where.” So saying she raised a
half-ton cotton bale over her head with her bare hands and threw it
into the river in such a way that it hit the water just in front of him.
The splash it made generated a mighty wave that swept poor Mike
Fink off the dock and carried him all the way to Natchez. It was
one time in his life when he didn’t know what to say. He was just
carried away on the waves with his mouth open wide but no sound
coming out. He never returned to New Orleans.
Think and Reflect
Why does Mike Fink never return to New Orleans?
Use Reading Skills
Compare and Contrast Identify
the three details about Mike Fink
and put them in the Character
Comparison chart.
25
Big rains hammer the delta4 at various times of the year. They
threaten to fill the river past its banks and flood the lowlands
1. New Orleans. The largest city in the state of Louisiana and located near the mouth of the
Mississippi River
2. Natchez. Town in southwest Mississippi on the Mississippi River
3. cast aspersions. Attack with evil reports or harmful accusations
4. delta. Place where a river empties into a larger body of water; here it refers to the
Mississippi River delta
208
LEVEL III, UNIT 8
4/23/09 8:46:58 PM
30
35
40
45
50
55
where the crops are. That is why men were building a barricade
to support the riverbank when Annie Christmas came by. Racing
against time to beat the flood, the men called on her to help.
Annie joined right in, working round the clock and long past it,
finally sending the men on to other emergency work. She finished
the barricade by herself in the nick of time to save the lowlands.
When she was done, she went into town and bought herself a
beautiful red velvet dress, some say scarlet satin, with matching red
plumes which she placed in her shining black hair. She gathered
her friends around her and they went on a journey in a flatboat5
up the river, stopping in every town along the way and having a
good time. By and by her friends made friends in the towns where
they stopped and stayed behind, leaving Annie Christmas all alone
pulling her flatboat along on a rope. It just shows you how strong
she was, pulling against that river. No one else could do that. One
day she said, “It’s just you and me, Boat, way up here on this big
river. I’ll call you Big River’s Daughter. That will be your name.
We’ll float this river up and down and make it our own.” And
that’s just what she did. She knew the swirls, the shadows and the
brambles. She knew the currents and the shoals6, the snags and
the tears. Her mind was a map of that river. The boat was like her
second skin; the river to her was like a string of freshwater pearls of
which she knew every bend and kink.
One cold rainy night she found herself close behind the great
steamboat, Natchez Belle. Annie peered ahead through the driving
hail. “She seems to be in trouble. Better have a look.” Annie tied
Big River’s Daughter to the rail of the Natchez Belle and climbed
up into it to behold utter pandemonium7. The steamboat had run
aground on a sandbar. The deck was listing, small fires burning,
scared sodden people running every which way. Worst of all the
captain and crew were locked in the cabin. Annie broke open the
lock with a shovel—some say her bare hands—and pulled the
captain and crew to safety before they burned in a fire that started
DURING READING
bar•ri•cade (ber> @ k6d<) noun,
barrier; obstacle
round the clock idiom, all day and all
night without rest
in the nick of time idiom, just in
time; at the last possible moment
plume (pl@m) noun, feather
Build Vocabulary
Idiom As you find words or
check against a reference. What
do the idioms “round the clock”
and “in the nick of time” mean?
What is it that Annie does “round
the clock” and finishes “in the
nick of time”?
5. flatboat. A rectangular boat with a flat bottom used for carrying freight, livestock, and
people in shallow waters or rivers
6. shoals. Shallows in water or sandbanks; sandbars that make the water shallow
7. pandemonium. Extreme confusion and disorder; chaos
LEVEL III, UNIT 8
209
4/23/09 8:46:59 PM
DURING READING
60
buoy•ant (boi> @nt) adjective,
capable of floating
65
70
Use Reading Skills
75
Find details about how Annie
Christmas acts and put those
details in the Character
Comparison Chart
80
at that very spot. Annie started gathering all the people who hadn’t
jumped or fallen overboard. Far away bobbed Big River’s Daughter
upon the waves. She was too buoyant and steady-keeled8 to sink
or break apart, but that wasn’t the danger: the rope tying her to
the rail of the other vessel was frayed9 and ready to break. In some
sections only one or two tendrils10 held the rope together. Annie
reached out with her strong graceful arms. She placed her long
supple11 fingers around the frayed sisal12 lifeline and began to draw
the rope in, and her boat toward her. The rope stretched and more
strands popped asunder13. Hailstones14 stung her eyes. The people
in their dripping clothes, teeth chattering, held their breath and
watched. Slowly but surely Annie drew Big River’s Daughter to
her. The rope held together. She brought the boats toward each
other so closely the captain and crew and passengers all stepped
over to Big River’s Daughter, with no one so much as stumbling.
It was timely they got over when they did, for as soon as Annie
poled them a safe distance away, the Natchez Belle split apart over
the sandbar, rolled over twice, and cracked into pieces upon the
jagged branches of submerged15 fallen trees. Annie navigated Big
River’s Daughter, now carrying about a hundred people, and used
her steering-pole to continue picking up what survivors she could.
The passengers and crew helped with coils of rope they used as
lifelines to grab onto, and they used tree branches as poles to help
those in the water catch hold. As the rain lessened they neared
home, Annie pulling them along in her mud-soaked scarlet dress.
Think and Reflect
Analyze Literature
If you were in Annie Christmas’s position without her super strength,
what would you have done?
Character Who or what
becomes Annie’s antagonist?
Why?
85
As they approached New Orleans a funny thing happened, an
early rising watcher saw them coming, and informed the whole city
of the news. Soon the docks were full of people and they greeted
Annie Christmas and the survivors of the Natchez Belle with a
8. steady-keeled. Level; the keel of a boat is the structure along the center of its bottom
9. frayed. Worn away; tattered along the edges
10. tendrils. Anything that looks like a tendril; a slender spiral shoot of a climbing vine that
attaches the vine to its support
11. supple. Flexible; able to move without stiffness or awkwardness
12. sisal. Strong, durable fiber used to make rope
13. asunder. Into parts or pieces
14. Hailstones. Small pellets of ice that fall during a hailstorm
15. submerged. Covered with water
210
LEVEL III, UNIT 8
4/23/09 8:47:00 PM
90
95
100
105
110
hero’s welcome. Everyone acclaimed her, but she was not to enjoy
it long. A fever brought on by overexertion16 soon laid her low.
Upon her deathbed she gathered her twelve sons around her, six
on either side of the bed. Her strong breath was fading from this
world. She knew her time had come, and spoke her dying words.
“Dress me in my scarlet dress. Put the bright red plumes
in my black hair. Walk on either side of me as you wear your
black suits. Let the horse cart draw me down the road to the
river on the darkest night of all. The river, my boat, and me: we
were one. Put me on my boat; let me float upon my river. Annie
fades away, but Big River goes on and on.”
It was a sad night when New Orleans said goodbye to
Annie Christmas. The moon hid her face from grief. The stars
sparkled in their own tears. The horses clip-clopped over the
stones drawing her funeral-coach. Her sons sang a song of
farewell. The men she’d defeated in feats of strength joined in,
then all the women, children, and men of New Orleans.
The night was dark as death when they loaded her body from
the funeral coach to Big River’s Daughter, which floated waiting at
the docks. Her body in its dress and plumes was placed upon her
planks and the boat pushed away. The river’s current caught her and
carried her to sea. All the people of New Orleans stood watching as
she faded in the distance. At the very point upon the horizon where
she disappeared from sight, the morning sun began to rise.
From then on, if ever a man demonstrated great might,
people would say, “Why, he’s as strong as Annie Christmas.” ✤
DURING READING
ac•claim (@ <kl6m) verb, applaud;
praise
Use Reading Skills
Find details about why Annie
Christmas leave New Orleans
and put those details in the
Character Comparison Chart.
16. overexertion. Too much effort
&
W
IRRORS
W INDOWS
Think of someone you know who is
as determined as Annie. What other
characteristics does that person have
in common with Annie? What are their
differences? What did you learn from this tale?
LEVEL III, UNIT 8
211
4/23/09 8:47:01 PM
AFTER READING
READING CHECK
VOCABULARY CHECK
1. What is Annie Christmas known for?
A. her great power
B. her deep wisdom
C. her perfect beauty
2. Annie pulls her flatboat along on a rope
against the river. What does it say about her?
A. She has no friends.
B. She is incredibly strong.
C. She pulls boats for a living.
3. What does Annie do to save the people in
the steamboat?
A. She finds all the hidden lifejackets in the
steamboat and instructs everyone to wear
it and jump.
B. She pulls her flatboat with her bare hands
so that everyone in the steamboat can
step to her boat.
C. She carries the captain, crew, and all the
passengers with her strong arms and
swims to the shore.
4. What happens after Annie rescues the people
in the steamboat?
A. She gets a reward.
B. She gets a medal.
C. She gets a fever.
5. What do the people say if a man
demonstrates great might?
A. “Why, he must be Annie Christmas.”
B. “Why, he's as strong as Annie Christmas.”
C. “Why, he could be the child of Annie
Christmas.”
1. Annie Christmas has the capacity to work like
a man. Mike Fink says that Annie has no such
A. ability.
B. patience.
C. understanding.
2. The men build barricades against the river
flood. The riverbank is supported by these
A. wells.
B. barriers.
C. fountains.
3. Annie buys a matching red plume for her
dress. Her shining black hair looks nice with
the
A. wing.
B. talon.
C. feather.
4. Big River’s Daughter is too buoyant and
Annie knew it would
A. sink.
B. float.
C. vanish.
5. Everyone acclaims Annie, but she can not
enjoy the
A. gifts.
B. praises.
C. embraces.
The main character, or the protagonist, in the tale is Annie Christmas, a woman with
great strength. Who or what becomes her ultimate antagonist? Explain.
212
LEVEL III, UNIT 8
4/23/09 8:47:02 PM
Character
Review the Character Comparison chart you completed while reading this story. What
traits do Annie Christmas and Mike Fink have in common? What are their differences?
How does Annie Christmas affect the people around her? Share your answers with a
classmate.
BUILD LANGUAGE SKILLS: Direct Object
The direct object is the noun or pronoun that receives the action in the sentence.
It usually answers the questions what? or whom?
EXAMPLES
Annie bought a red dress after finishing the barricade. (What does Annie buy? A red dress)
The Mississippi River floods the lowlands with every strong rain. (What does the
Mississippi River flood? The lowlands)
She throws Mike Fink with her own hand. (Whom does she throw? Mike Fink)
Complete the sentences by providing a direct object that will match with the context
of the sentence.
1. Annie pulls the
closer to her.
2. Mike Fink spreads
about Annie.
3. The steamboat carries
4. The barricade stops the
5. Annie saves
across the river.
and protects the people in their community.
from the burning steamboat.
SPEAKING & LISTENING SKILLS: Role-Play
With a partner, take turns playing the roles of Annie Christmas and Mike Fink.
What would these two talk about? How would they act around one another?
Act out a short scene that would take place between the two, and present this
scene to the class.
LEVEL III, UNIT 8
213
4/23/09 8:47:02 PM
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
BEFORE READING
page 814
A Tall Tale by
Carl Sandburg
ABOUT THE FOLK TALE
“Paul Bunyan of the North Woods” is a humorous tale that describes some
adventures of the famous American folk tale hero Paul Bunyan. Paul is a lumberjack in
the pioneer times; he lives in logging camp in the wilderness with his blue ox. Read on to
find out more about this legendary figure.
MAKE CONNECTIONS
Imagine that you are faced with a very hard task, like stopping a meteor from
crashing to your city or feeding one hundred children. What superhuman powers
would you like to have to help you complete these kinds of tasks?
ANALYZE LITERATURE: Hyperbole
Hyperbole is an overstatement used to create an effect or
to emphasize an idea. It should not be taken literally because
hyperbole stretches the truth. As you read, look for examples
of hyperbole in the story.
214
LEVEL III, UNIT 8
4/23/09 8:47:03 PM
Authors write with an aim or purpose in mind. The style of writing often reflects the
author's purpose, which could be to entertain, to inform, to instruct, or to persuade.
As you read, identify details related to the author's purpose and fill the information
in the Author’s Purpose Chart below.
Author´s Purpose Chart
To Entertain
To Inform
To Instruct
To Persuade
Paul Bunyan had long
teams of oxen hauling
regular white snow over
from China
The author’s main purpose in
is to
.
LEVEL III, UNIT 8
215
4/23/09 8:47:07 PM
PREVIEW VOCABULARY
Key Words and
Phrases
Context
used in a sentence.
apparition
ap•pa•ri•tion
(a< p@ ri> sh@n)
noun
The apparition of my
cousin’s cat around the
dark corner made me
scream.
Upon seeing an , the first
reaction is…
The humble shanty at
the edge of the forest is
owned by the old man.
A line of shanties can
be mostly seen in places
with…
We took turns hauling
the heavy bags up the
stairs.
If you are hauling heavy
materials, you can use…
The bird lighted on
a branch close to my
window.
The group of sea gulls
flew down and lighted
on…
A lot of students were late
because of a commotion
in the street.
Commotions are normal
in concerts from groups
like…
1
2
2
3
hauling
haul•ing
(h0l i4)
verb
1
2
3
lighted on
idiom
1
2
3
commotion
com•mo•tion
(k@ <m9 sh@n)
noun
1
216
2
Practice
sentences.
3
shanty
shan•ty
(shan> t7)
noun
1
Definition
Write down what you
means. Then, use a
definition.
3
LEVEL III, UNIT 8
4/23/09 8:47:08 PM
DURING READING
A Tall Tale by
Carl Sandburg
5
10
15
20
25
30
Who made Paul Bunyan, who gave him birth as a myth, who
joked him into life as the Master Lumberjack, who fashioned
him forth as an apparition easing the hours of men amid axes
and trees, saws and lumber? The people, the bookless people,
they made Paul and had him alive long before he got into the
books for those who read. He grew up in shanties, around the
hot stoves of winter, among socks and mittens drying, in the
smell of tobacco smoke and the roar of laughter mocking the
outside weather. And some of Paul came overseas in wooden
bunks below decks in sailing vessels. And some of Paul is old as
the hills, young as the alphabet.
The Pacific Ocean froze over in the winter of the Blue Snow and
Paul Bunyan had long teams of oxen hauling regular white snow
over from China. This was the winter Paul gave a party to the Seven
Axmen.1 Paul fixed a granite2 floor sunk two hundred feet deep for
them to dance on. Still, it tipped and tilted as the dance went on.
And because the Seven Axmen refused to take off their hobnailed3
boots, the sparks from the nails of their dancing feet lit up the place
so that Paul didn’t light the kerosene4 lamps. No women being on
the Big Onion river at that time the Seven Axmen had to dance with
each other, the one left over in each set taking Paul as a partner. The
commotion of the dancing that night brought on an earthquake
and the Big Onion river moved over three counties to the east.
One year when it rained from St. Patrick’s Day5 till the Fourth
of July,6 Paul Bunyan got disgusted because his celebration on the
Fourth was spoiled. He dived into Lake Superior and swam to
where a solid pillar of water was coming down. He dived under
this pillar, swam up into it and climbed with powerful swimming
strokes, was gone about an hour, came splashing down, and as
the rain stopped, he explained, “I turned the thing off.” This is
ap•pa•ri•tion (a> p@ ri> sh@n) noun,
strange figure that appears suddenly
shan•ty (shan> t7) noun, shack; hut
Analyze Literature
Hyperbole Look for examples
of hyperbole of size and action
on the page.
haul•ing (h0l i4) verb, dragging or
pulling
com•mo•tion (k@ <m9 sh@n) noun,
violent motion; noisy disturbance
Use Reading Skills
Identify Author's Purpose
Identify at least three important
details on the page that relate to
the author's purpose. Place these
details under the correct heading
in the Author’s Purpose Chart.
1. the Seven Axemen. Paul Bunyan's workcrew
2. granite. Very hard rock
3. hobnailed. Nailed with hobnails, a short large-headed nail used to attach the sole of a shoe
4. kerosene. Flammable oil used for fuel
5. St. Patrick’s Day. Holiday observed on March 17 in honor of St. Patrick, the patron saint
of Ireland in Europe
6. Fourth of July. Independence Day in the United States
LEVEL III, UNIT 8
217
4/23/09 8:47:08 PM
DURING READING
lighted on idiom, landed on
35
Use Reading Skills
40
45
Use Reading Skills
50
55
60
told in the Big North Woods and on the Great Lakes, with many
particulars.
Two mosquitoes lighted on one of Paul Bunyan’s oxen,
killed it, ate it, cleaned the bones, and sat on a grub shanty
picking their teeth as Paul came along. Paul sent to Australia for
two special bumblebees to kill these mosquitoes. But the bees
and the mosquitoes intermarried; their children had stingers on
both ends. And things kept getting worse till Paul brought a big
boatload of sorghum7 up from Louisiana and while all the bee
mosquitoes were eating at the sweet sorghum he floated them
down to the Gulf of Mexico. They got so fat that it was easy to
drown them all between New Orleans and Galveston.8
Paul logged on the Little Gimlet in Oregon one winter. The
cookstove at that camp covered an acre of ground. They fastened
the side of a hog on each snowshoe and four men used to skate on
the griddle while the cook flipped the pancakes. The eating table
was three miles long; elevators carried the cakes to the ends of the
table where boys on bicycles rode back and forth on a path down
the center of the table dropping the cakes where called for.
Benny,9 the Little Blue Ox of Paul Bunyan, grew two feet
every time Paul looked at him, when a youngster. The barn
was gone one morning and they found it on Benny’s back:
he grew out of it in a night. One night he kept pawing and
bellowing for more pancakes, till there were two hundred
men at the cook-shanty stove trying to keep him fed. About
breakfast time Benny broke loose, tore down the cook-shanty,
ate all the pancakes piled up for the loggers’ breakfast. And
after that Benny made his mistake: he ate a red hot stove; and
that finished him. This is only one of the hot-stove stories
told in the North Woods. ✤
&
W
IRRORS
W INDOWS
What heroes do you look up to? What
characteristics do they have that you
especially admire? Why do you think stories
about heroes remain popular?
7. sorghum. Tropical grass grown and harvested to produce grain or syrup
8. Galveston. City in Texas on the Gulf of Mexico
9. Benny. In most retellings of the Bunyan story, the blue ox is named Babe. Such variations are
common in stories from the oral tradition.
218
LEVEL III, UNIT 8
4/23/09 8:47:10 PM
AFTER READING
READING CHECK
VOCABULARY CHECK
1. What does Paul Bunyan do in the winter of
the Blue Snow?
A. He has his cook make loads of rice to use
as snow.
B. He has his oxen haul regular white snow
from China.
C. He has his crew color the blue snow with
white paint.
2. How did the Big Onion River move?
A. Paul used Benny to grab and haul the
river away.
B. The pounding of the men’s feet caused
an earthquake.
C. Syrup from the loggers’ pancake breakfast
spilled into the river.
3. How does Paul kill the bee mosquitoes?
A. He cuts them with his axe before they fly
off.
B. He fills them up with sorghum and
drowns them.
C. He hits them with his fist until they can’t
breathe.
4. How is the logging crew fed?
A. Women use skillets as bats to throw their
food.
B. Trained dogs race up and down carrying
their food.
C. Boys on bicycles ride back and forth to
give their food.
1. Paul Bunyan is fashioned like an apparition, a
figure that
A. lives forever.
B. appears suddenly.
C. survives everywhere.
2. The logger grew up in the shanties, around
the hot stoves inside the
A. huts.
B. cottages.
C. apartments.
3. The ox teams worked on hauling in snow
from China. They were
A. melting the snow.
B. dropping the snow.
C. carrying the snow.
4. The bee mosquitoes lighted on Bunyan’s trap
and drowned. They
A. ate.
B. slept.
C. landed.
5. The commotion caused by the dancing
lumberjacks caused a
A. gentle rumble.
B. violent motion.
C. smooth rhythm.
5. What does Benny eat that finishes him?
A. A red hot stove
B. An ice blue icicle
C. A steel black axe
LEVEL III, UNIT 8
219
4/23/09 8:47:11 PM
ANALYZE LITERATURE: Hyperbole
How does the use of hyperbole in “Paul Bunyan of the North Woods” affect the
story? Give at least five examples of hyperbole used in the story.
Review the chart you filled in while reading this story. What is the main purpose of
the story? What does the author use to reflect this purpose? Share your answers
with a classmate.
BUILD LANGUAGE SKILLS: Colloquialism
Colloquialisms are words or phrases used in informal setting. It is the common
way that people talk to each other and it is accepted in ordinary conversation. Folk
tales like “Paul Bunyan of the North Woods” use colloquialism because it is passed
down through storytelling, which is done by word-of-mouth.
EXAMPLES
1. formal language: “How are you?” colloquialism: “How’s it going?”
2. formal language: “I am well.” colloquialism: “All good.” or “I’m cool.”
Complete the chart below by listing five instances of colloquialism in the story and
writing its formal language equivalent. One example has been done for you.
Colloquialism
that finished him
Formal Language
that caused his death
WORK TOGETHER: Role-Play
Work in groups of five to role-play the last scene in the tale. Assign the role of the
narrator to one person, the role of Paul Bunyan to another person, the role of Benny
the Little Blue Ox to a third person, and have two people act as the crew members.
220
LEVEL III, UNIT 8
4/23/09 8:47:11 PM
ANSWER KEY
Charles
BEFORE READING
Preview Vocabulary
Definition
Answers will vary.
Practice
Possible answers:
It’s best not to speak insolently to your teachers/parents.
Things that can be done elaborately include
embroidery/cooking.
When traveling abroad, it is important to be mindful
about keeping your passport in a secure location.
People who are matronly like to nurture and comfort.
The opposite of haggard is “rested” or “healthy-looking.”
DURING READING
Page 4 Note the Facts
Laurie is not afraid of going to kindergarten. The
speaker, his mother, describes him as a “long-trousered,
swaggering character who forgot to stop at the corner
and wave good-bye to me” on his first day of school.
Page 4 Build Vocabulary: Idioms
Charles might have been too familiar with the teacher,
or told her to do something. The father is concerned
that Laurie does not ask to be excused from the table
or ask if he may take a cookie.
Page 5 Analyze Literature: Plot
The conflict of the story is the impact that Laurie’s
parents think Charles is having on their son.
Page 5 Think and Reflect
The mother is more concerned about Charles’s
influence on Laurie. The father thinks the world is full
of characters like Charles and that Laurie might as well
get introduced to them now.
Page 6 Read Aloud
Charles yelled in class and had to stay after school.
He’s bigger than Laurie, and he doesn’t wear rubbers
or a jacket.
“Pop” and “mop” rhyme. Yes, Laurie is being insolent,
but he thinks he’s only being funny.
Charles might be changing because he’s getting used to how
to follow kindergarten rules and behave appropriately.
No, Laurie’s father is cynical about the change in Charles’s
behavior. He thinks Charles will continue to misbehave.
Laurie’s mother sets out for the PTA meeting without her
husband.
Laurie’s mother thinks the teacher has her hands full
because of Charles’s bad behavior in class.
0221-0245_G8_ELL_AK.indd 221
The resolution of the plot occurs at the PTA meeting
when Laurie’s teacher says to his mother there is no
child named Charles in her class. Charles is Laurie.
Page 9 Mirrors & Windows
You may want to ask students to write a journal entry or
quick write, or divide students into discussion groups,
or lead a whole-class discussion about this question.
Answer: At the beginning of the story, Laurie seems in
awe of Charles’s boldness and fresh behavior. Then, by
the third or fourth week of kindergarten, Laurie reports
that Charles has changed. He is now a classroom helper.
Laurie does not seem impressed with Charles’s change;
in fact, when Charles has a lapse and uses a bad word,
Laurie reports the incident “joyfully.” Answers will vary
regarding students’ conceptions of attractive behavior.
They might suggest that as we mature, we tend to find
behavior that shows compassion, confidence, or a sense
of justice attractive.
AFTER READING
Reading Check
1. B
2. C
3. C
4. B
5. A
Vocabulary Check
1. B
2. A
3. C
4. B
5. A
Analyze Literature: Plot
The exposition is about a boy named Laurie going to
kindergarten, where a boy named Charles misbehaves.
A series of reports by Laurie shows that Charles is out
of control in class; this is the rising action. The conflict
is the impact that Laurie’s parents think Charles is
having on their son. The falling action occurs when
Charles begins to adjust to school and misbehaves
less. The resolution occurs at the PTA meeting when
the narrator, Laurie’s mother, realizes that Charles is
actually Laurie.
Reading Skills: Analyze Sequence of Events
1. No, Charles hits, throws, and is “fresh.”
2. The major conflict in the story is the impact that
Laurie’s parents think a classmate named Charles
is having on their son.
3. The conflict is resolved at the PTA meeting when
the teacher reveals there is no boy named Charles
in her class.
4. Laurie was a bit “fresh” at home, too; he addressed
his father as “Pop, y’old dust mop.” On another
occasion he spoke insolently to his father.
Build Vocabulary: Adverbs
1. mindfully
2. haggardly
LEVEL III
221
4/23/09 8:49:54 PM
3. Laurie mindfully recalled what Charles did at school.
4. The anorexic girl walked haggardly to the doctor’s
office.
Grammar & Style
1. I don’t have any paper.
2. I’m not going anywhere.
3. I don’t want anything.
Writing Skills
Possible letter:
September 15, 2008
Dear Parents,
Please call me at your earliest convenience to
arrange a meeting. I would like to discuss Laurie’s
behavior in my kindergarten class.
Sincerely,
Ms. Olson
Page 15 Use Reading Skills: Use Context Clues
See Use Reading Skills: Use Context Clues section above.
Page 16 Build Vocabulary: Idiom
She is an educated woman who is a writer. She probably
uses formal language because she thinks she’s better
than the boy.
The narrator doesn’t think the boy is able to do much.
She calls him “small” and thinks the pile of wood will be
“inadequate” and “mangled.”
Page 16 Analyze Literature: Setting
Students may say this story takes place long ago because
people generally get paid more than ten cents an hour
these days.
The boy cannot speak because it is a lot of money for him.
Page 17 Build Vocabulary
A Mother in Mannville
BEFORE READING
courage
honest
Use Reading Skills: Use Context Clues
Responses will vary. Possible responses follow.
Word: pending; What I Think It Means: coming;
Context Clues: The sky was dark and cloudy, and it
looked like rain was on its way.
Word: accurately; What I Think It Means: on the mark;
Context Clues: He said he hit it carelessly, but she said
that no one hits accurately every time.
Word: belated; What I Think It Means: late; Context
Clues: She could not get home on time because of the fog.
Word: wholesome; What I Think It Means: nice; pleasant;
Context Clues: She describes the orphanage as a nice place.
Preview Vocabulary
Definitions for key words and phrases are provided.
Students’ practice sentences will vary.
inadequate: lacking in quality; not equal to what is required
clarity: state of being clear
predicated: affirmed, or based on given facts or conditions
sufficient: as much as is needed; enough
anomalous: strange, abnormal, or irregular
DURING READING
The setting of this story is in the Carolina Mountains.
It seems like it takes place a long time ago because the
orphans have to do a lot of hard work, and current
American regulations restrict child labor.
Students may say that the setting tells them that the
boys in the orphanage are cut off from the rest of the
world. The boys may not know how modern people live.
The narrator comes to the cottage for peace and quiet
and to get rid of her malaria. She also needs to write
something.
222
LEVEL III
0221-0245_G8_ELL_AK.indd 222
integrity
brave
independence
Jerry does extra, thoughtful work, like finding a place
to keep the kindling dry and fixing a loose stone on the
path without being asked.
1. The narrator notices how the stoop is still warm
from his body.
2. Jerry comes in the evening, after she has finished
working, to keep her company.
3. She gives him food and lots of treats.
Page 20 Read Aloud
Jerry takes care of the dog, so the narrator and he have
something to talk about.
The story takes place in a rural area long ago. It’s
possible that there were few child welfare services to
support the mother. It’s also possible that the mother
has too little money to support a child.
4/23/09 8:49:56 PM
Students should choose the definition “pull closed” or a
similar phrase.
Possible response: I don’t think it’s fair because the
narrator doesn’t know what the mother is going
through. Maybe she’s mentally unstable and needs
to protect him, or maybe she’s hiding him from an
abusive father.
Knowing that Jerry has a mother helps the narrator
leave with less guilt. If she didn’t believe that someone
cared about the boy, she might have a hard time leaving,
or she might even adopt him.
Students’ responses will vary. Students may say that the
narrator understands that he had to lie to let her go. The
lie is a noble one because he could have been selfish and
encouraged her to stay with him and adopt him. She
might think that he recognizes that she is a great writer
and doesn’t want to stop her career.
AFTER READING
Reading Check
4. C
5. A
Vocabulary Check
1. B
2. A
3. A
4. C
5. B
Analyze Literature: Setting
It might take place in the 1920s because many people
had little money then. She has a typewriter, so it’s not a
modern story.
Building Language Skills: Grammar & Style:
Dialect
1. good; Some of the big boys don’t chop well.
2. careless; I brought the ax down carelessly.
3. I told maybe. Possible responses: I may have told a
story. I may have told a lie.
4. careful of them; But they’re careful with them.
Speaking & Listening Skills
Responses will vary. Students should identify a place that
brings them peace and quiet. Students should also name
practical items for visiting such a place, and things that
would be likely to keep them occupied in solitude. Students
should be able to describe details about their partner’s
favorite places and why they are special to him or her.
0221-0245_G8_ELL_AK.indd 223
BEFORE READING
Use Reading Skills: Understand Literary Elements
Analyze Character Responses will vary. Possible
response:
Character: The Old Man
Detail About
Character
Evidence from Text
He is rich
“For his gold I had no desire”
He is partially
blind
“One of his eyes resembled that of
a vulture—A pale blue eye, with a
film over it.”
He is alight
sleeper
“I had my head in, and was about to
open the lantern, when my thumb
slipped upon the tin fastening,
and the old man sprang up in bed,
crying out—“Who’s there?””
Preview Vocabulary
1. B
2. C
3. A
The Tell-Tale Heart
con•ceive (k@n s7v>) verb, develop an idea
sti•fled (sti> f@ld) adjective, describes something that is
held back with difficulty
vex (veks) verb, trouble or worry
con•ceal•ment (k@n s7l> m@nt) noun, the state of
being hidden
au•dac•i•ty (0 das> @ t7) noun, fearlessness or
boldness
DURING READING
Page 29 Use Reading Skills: Understand Literary
Elements
Analyze Character The narrator may not be reliable.
“Blood ran cold” means that he was very afraid. The old
man’s pale blue eye frightened the narrator.
Page 29 Analyze Literature: Point of View
The first-person point of view gives the reader a clear idea
of the narrator’s motivations, thoughts, and feelings.
Elements
Analyze Character The narrator feels powerful and
triumphant because he is sure that he will be able to
conceal his crime. Perhaps he does not feel guilty about
killing the old man.
Perhaps the old man will wake up and realize that the
narrator was watching him and could be dangerous.
He pities the old man, but he is amused. He says he
chuckled at heart.
LEVEL III
223
4/23/09 8:49:56 PM
Page 31 Read Aloud
He very carefully opens the door until a stream of light
hits the old man in the eye.
He is furious and he wants to get rid of it.
Elements
Analyze Character The narrator is growing very
anxious and guilty.
He hides the old man’s body.
Elements
Analyze Character He doesn’t feel remorse. Perhaps the
eye has really driven the narrator mad.
He might be scared that the officers are there to arrest him.
Students should underline the sentences “The officers
were satisfied. My manner had convinced them. I
was singularly at ease. They sat, and while I answered
cheerily, they chatted of familiar things.”
He thinks he hears the beating heart of the dead man.
Responses will vary. Possible response: I believe that the
narrator is mad. He is irrationally afraid of something
harmless and he kills an old man without feeling any
guilt. He also keeps hearing things that no one else hears.
AFTER READING
Reading Check
1. A
2. C
3. B
4. C
5. A
Vocabulary Check
1. B
2. B
3. C
4. C
5. B
Analyze Literature: Narrator
The way the narrator acts makes him appear reasonable,
but his thoughts show that he is insane.
Analyze Character
1. He is not reliable. He seems insane. The old man
never knew about it.
Build Language Skills: Pronouns and Antecedents
1. correct
2. incorrect; The old man’s pale blue eye appeared
glassy on his face.
3. incorrect; The madman insisted he was not crazy.
4. incorrect A deathwatch made its tapping sound,
predicting the old man’s death.
5. correct
224
LEVEL III
0221-0245_G8_ELL_AK.indd 224
Work Together: Skit
Rubric: A successful role-play
• presents the characters and their character traits
effectively through speech, facial expressions, and
mannerisms
• shows a situation that is based on the facts from the
short story
• creates a logical flow from the time the narrator
ushers the police into the old man’s chamber
Born Worker
BEFORE READING
Use Reading Skills: Compare and Contrast
Responses will vary. See possible answers in AfterReading, Use Reading Skills: Compare and Contrast.
Preview Vocabulary
grime: dirt
split fifty-fifty: divide in two
compensate: give money in return for work
supervise: watch over
startled: surprised
DURING READING
Page 40 Read Aloud
Responses will vary. Possible response: José is probably
good at carpentry and farm work.
José’s mom works at a clothes factory, and his dad
works for a telephone company.
José’s father probably sees a lot of telephone poles and
wires. Since he fixes telephone wires for a living, he
thinks that it will take him years of work to fix all the
telephone wires he can see.
Page 41 Use Reading Skills: Compare and Contrast
Arnie gets many things from his parents that José’s
parents cannot afford.
Betchel dug ditches.
José and Arnie will divide the work between them
equally.
Arnie finds the jobs, but he does little to help José with
the work.
Page 43 Read Aloud
Responses will vary. Possible response: Arnie cares
more about money than doing good work.
direct, deal with
Mr. Clemens has business dealings with Arnie’s dad.
Arnie describes them as a team.
4/23/09 8:49:56 PM
Arnie talks a lot and does little. José begins working
on the pool immediately. José proves that he is a good
worker by working quickly and efficiently.
Page 46 Analyze Literature: Theme
Responses will vary. Possible responses: Mr. Clemens
doesn’t like Arnie because he talks too much. Mr.
Clemens wants someone who can earn his pay for
cleaning the pool. He likes it that José does good work.
talkative, unhelpful, not a good worker
Mr. Clemens’s hearing aid falls into the swimming pool.
Arnie wants to get as far away from the accident as he
can. José immediately goes to the man and helps. Arnie
thinks only of himself, while José thinks of others.
Responses will vary. Possible response: I would help Mr.
Clemens. It would be terrible to leave the old man where
he fell and just run away.
Arnie says that he warned Mr. Clemens not to stand so
close to the edge of the pool. In reality, he only watched
the man fall and didn’t help him in any way.
Responses will vary. Possible response: If I work hard, I
know that I can be a much better person than someone
who doesn’t believe in hard work. I might not get the
recognition that I deserve, but I would be proud of
myself for doing a good job.
AFTER READING
Reading Check
1. C
2. B
3. C
4. C
5. B
1. A
2. A
3. C
4. B
5. B
Analyze Literature: Theme
Responses will vary. Possible responses: The story
talks about how being a good worker can be difficult
but rewarding. People like Arnie want to get far in life
without working too hard. They do this by taking credit
for the work of others. However, people like José, who
believe in hard work, are the ones who end up being
better and kinder people.
1. They both have a Mexican heritage.
2. José is fair, honest, and a hard worker. Arnie is a
liar and a lazy worker.
3. José is a good worker. He scrubs Mr. Clemens’s
pool quickly and efficiently.
0221-0245_G8_ELL_AK.indd 225
1. José wears a pair of old jeans and a shirt.
2. He worked hard to remove the grime, algae, and
dead leaves.
3. Arnie is a lazy boy who often lies and pretends to
work when someone is watching.
4. The poodle yipped, barked, and ran around the pool.
5. José starts to tell what happened, but Arnie suddenly
comes back to brag that he saved Mr. Clemens.
Speaking & Listening Skills: Role-Play
Responses will vary. The dialogue script should be one to
two pages long. The script may use informal language. It
should address the questions in the Speaking and Listening
activity. When students perform the script, they should
convey the characters’ different attitudes and emotions.
The Medicine Bag
BEFORE READING
Use Reading Skills: Visualize
Responses will vary. Possible visualization: Details: He
taught me a real Sioux chant to sing while I beat the
drum with a leather-covered stick that had a feather on
the end; Visualization: I see Martin beating his drum
while his grandfather sings and watches him. I can see
Cheryl dancing to their music.
Preview Vocabulary
Definitions for key words and phrased are provided.
wearily: in a tired manner
fatigue: extreme tiredness
unseemly: not proper
sheepishly: in a shy or embarrassed manner
rouse: stir up to be angry or to do something
DURING READING
Vocabulary Chec k
Build Language Skills: Commas
Cheryl has new moccasins that Grandpa has made.
Martin has a small rawhide drum that is decorated with
a painting of a warrior riding a horse.
They think that he is like the proud warriors they see in
movies and on television.
Wearily means “in a tired manner.”
Unseemly suggests something that is improper or
unacceptable, so showing affection for someone is seen
as improper or unacceptable.
Cheryl greets Grandpa happily by hugging him.
Martin finds a small leather pouch hanging from a
thong around Grandpa’s neck.
LEVEL III
225
4/23/09 8:49:57 PM
Grandpa decides to visit Martin’s family because he
was feeling lonely when they left the last time they
visited him.
Page 59 Use Reading Skills: Visualize
Possible response: I can see an old man who is walking
slowly and looking confused because he is in an
unfamiliar place. I can see people on the street watching
him as he passes.
Martin has mixed feelings because he feels guilty for acting
the way he did when he learned that Grandpa came for a
visit. At the same time, he feels proud that his grandfather
was able to make it to their home despite his old age.
Page 60 Analyze Literature
Dad understands the importance of treating elderly
family members with love and respect.
Martin has mixed feelings about wearing the medicine
bag. He feels embarrassed because he thinks his friends
will laugh, but he also feels that it is his duty to take it.
Cheryl’s friends think Grandpa is great and love coming
to hear his stories.
Grandpa is wearing his red shirt and fringed leather
vest that is decorated with beads. Instead of his usual
cowboy boots, he wears moccasins. The feather on his
old black hat is brushed. His hair lies in silver strands
over the red shirt collar.
Page 61 Read Aloud
Martin’s friends think Grandpa is great. They want to
see more of Grandpa in the coming days.
Martin has weird dreams about thunder and lightning on
a high hill. He hears the slow beat of a drum.
Grandpa’s father finds his spirit guide by preparing a
purifying sweat bath and going alone to a high butte top
to fast and pray.
Iron Shell discovers that his medicine brings him to the
school’s blacksmith shop to learn and work with the
white man’s iron.
Grandpa is crying because the traditions of his people,
like vision quests, are lost.
Inside the medicine bag are the broken shell of the
iron kettle, a pebble from the butte, and a piece of the
sacred sage.
Responses will vary. Possible response: I would have
the same mixed feelings as Martin did. If different
generations of our family lived with us, I would
probably learn more about my heritage and feel proud
about our family’s history.
226
Level iii
0221-0245_G8_ELL_AK.indd 226
AFTER READING
Reading Check
1. A
2. C
3. C
4. B
5. B
Vocabulary Check
1. C
2. A
3. C
4. B
5. C
Analyze Literature: Theme
The story shares how important traditions are in
helping family members love and understand one
another across generations.
Use Reading Skills: Visualize
Responses will vary. Possible response: When I read the
section about Martin’s friends visiting his grandfather, I
saw a group of boys sitting around an elderly man. They
were all very excited to listen to the old man’s stories,
and he is calm and quiet and patient with them. I can
see Martin surprised that his friends are so impressed
with his grandfather.
Build Language Skills: Subject and Verb
Agreement
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
looks
finds
feels
enjoy
cries
Writing Skills
Students’ essays will vary.
Essay Rubric
3 – Excellent The essay gives meaningful background
on the family tradition. The details help the reader to
clearly understand what the tradition is, and why the
tradition is personally meaningful to the student.
2 – Satisfactory The essay gives background on the
family tradition. The student uses some details to help
the reader to understand what the tradition is, and why
the tradition is personally meaningful to the student.
1 – Poor The essay gives little background on the family
tradition. The student provides few details help the
reader to clearly understand what the tradition is, and
there is little to no explanation as to why the tradition is
personally meaningful to the student.
The Story of Iqbal Masih
BEFORE READING
Use Reading Skills: Make Inferences
Responses will vary. See possible responses in
after-reading Use Reading Skills: Make Inferences.
6/3/09 11:04:36 AM
Preview Vocabulary
intricate: very complicated
stick to his work: continue doing one’s work
bondage: condition of being bound to someone
perseverance: moving on despite difficulties
plight: difficult or unfortunate situation
DURING READING
The story took place in Pakistan. Every morning, six
days a week, more than half a million children between
the ages of four and fourteen rose before dawn and
made their way along dark country roads leading to
different carpet factories.
Iqbal’s parents agreed to send their son to work in the
factory to help them pay off their loan.
They were not allowed to talk because their boss was
afraid that they would start making mistakes and that he
would lose money.
Page 72 Use Reading Skills: Make Inferences
Responses will vary. Possible response: I think that
Iqbal realizes that no one will help him, so he needs
to figure out a way to help himself and the other
children.
The police officer wanted Iqbal to stop complaining and
continue working.
Page 73 Use Reading Skills: Make Inferences
Responses will vary. Possible response: I think that Iqbal
will ask Khan to help him change the children’s working
conditions.
Page 73 Read Aloud
Arshad was angry because Iqbal told him that he would
no longer work for him because bonded labor is illegal.
determination
Iqbal wanted to be a lawyer.
He asked child laborers questions about their working
conditions.
Iqbal gave the information he gathered from
interviewing the children to Khan. Then, Khan wrote an
investigative report about it.
The two companies recognized Iqbal’s efforts in exposing
the unfortunate conditions of child laborers in Pakistan.
They lost money because the carpet sales were very low.
0221-0245_G8_ELL_AK.indd 227
Iqbal was killed on Easter Sunday in 1995 while visiting
relatives in a rural village. He and two cousins were
riding their bicycles along a dirt path when someone
fired a shotgun at him, killing him instantly.
Responses will vary. Possible responses: difficulty,
difficult situation
Responses will vary. Possible response: No, I think
Iqbal’s life served its purpose. I admire him for taking
the courage to stand up against Arshad and for taking the
responsibility for making others aware of the unfortunate
conditions of child workers all over the world.
AFTER READING
Reading Check
1. A
2. B
3. C
4. B
5. A
Vocabulary Check
1. B
2. A
3. C
4. B
5. B
Responses will vary. Possible responses: the time of
day, the number of children, the name of the country,
description of roads, dates, and events
Use Reading Skills: Make Inferences
Responses will vary. Possible responses: The incident
between Iqbal and Arshad took place because Iqbal
learned of the new laws that made child labor illegal.
When Iqbal visited other factories, he learned about the
suffering of other child workers like him. Iqbal wanted
to go to the meeting because he realized that it could be
his way out of the factory. Khan helped Iqbal expose the
plight of child workers around the world.
Build Language Skills: Adverbs
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
how
when
how
when
where
Work Together
Responses will vary.
LEVEL III
227
4/23/09 8:49:57 PM
Luke Baldwin’s Vow
BEFORE READING
Use Reading Skills: Analyze Cause and Effect
Cause
Effect
Luke’s parents
die.
Luke lives with his aunt and
uncle
Dan is an old
dog.
Uncle Henry wants to get rid
of Dan.
Uncle Henry
sends Luke on an
errand.
Luke worries that his uncle
will try to get rid of Dan.
Luke wants to
keep Dan as pet.
He strikes a deal with his
Uncle Henry.
Preview Vocabulary
precise: exact
assess: measure
divert: distract
aloof: cool and distant
competent: capable
DURING READING
Luke promises his father that he will try to learn things
from his uncle.
Students should highlight the lines 1–3 [“The first – for
him”], 9–11 [“He’s so—to the men.”], and 25–43 [“Luke
used to – during the day.”].
Page 81 Use Reading Skills: Analyze Cause and Effect
Responses will vary. Possible response: One cause is that
Uncle Henry knows that Luke would need some items
for school. The effect is that he buys Luke a bicycle and
some new clothes.
Uncle Henry knows what is needed and what can be
thrown away. He knows that Luke would need a bicycle
and good clothes. He knows that Aunt Helen needs to
take care of the house and how much items cost. He
knew where all of his money is being spent.
He likes Dan because Dan is always waiting for him and
happy to play with him. Luke also thinks that he and
Dan understand each other.
Page 82 Analyze Literature: Character
Responses will vary. Possible response: Dan is a round
character because the author provides many varied
228
LEVEL III
0221-0245_G8_ELL_AK.indd 228
details about him: he is blind in one eye with a slight
limp; he is affectionate, trusting, playful, and loyal; to
Luke’s uncle he is slow, lazy, unable to hunt or provide
protection, and no longer worth his keep; to Luke he is a
valued friend and companion.
Luke tells Dan things that he couldn’t say to his uncle or
aunt, things that he would have told his parents if they
were still alive.
Page 83 Use Reading Skills: Analyze
Cause and Effect
Responses will vary. Possible response: Dan accidentally
puts his paw under the rocker, which makes him yelp.
He is acting old, so Uncle Henry starts to think about
whether it is a good idea to keep Dan.
Page 83 Read Aloud
Uncle Henry talks about how Dan is too old to be useful
anymore, and Luke defends the dog.
Uncle Henry thinks that a dog must earn his keep by
being a watch guard, while Luke thinks that it is enough
for a dog to be kept as a friend.
Cause and Effect
Responses will vary. Possible response: Luke knows that
Uncle Henry doesn’t want to keep Dan anymore. He also
knows that his aunt won’t stop Uncle Henry from getting
rid of Dan. He starts to worry about keeping Dan safe.
stupid; not smart
Sam Carter
Responses will vary. Possible response: Yes, Uncle
Henry acts differently with Sam Carter, a man that Luke
realizes won’t care for a dog. Luke knows what his uncle
thinks of Dan, and Luke thinks that his uncle is now
acting on the decision to get rid of the dog.
Luke sees Sam Carter with Dan in the rowboat. It seems
wrong to him because the sight looks friendly and lazy,
but he knows that Sam Carter is about to drown Dan.
Responses will vary. Possible response: Luke does what he
feels is right, even if his uncle disagrees. He is right in saving
his friend and he just has to show his uncle that some things
need to be kept even though they may not be practical.
Cause and Effect
Uncle Henry might forgive Luke for saving the dog, but
he will also still want to get rid of it. Luke will be happy
that Dan is safe, but worried that his uncle will try
something again. Luke will need to figure out something
else to do with Dan to keep him safe from his uncle.
Responses will vary. Possible response: I would ask
everyone I knew if they would keep Dan for me. I
would not give up until I knew Dan was safe.
4/23/09 8:49:57 PM
He tells Luke that his uncle is not cruel. He says
that Uncle Henry is just a very practical and
straightforward man.
Cause and Effect
Luke becomes more confident because he sees that Aunt
Helen seemed to understand how he feels.
Uncle Henry is a very practical man who doesn’t want
to lose face by his decision without logical reasoning.
Page 92 Read Aloud
Uncle Henry wants to tell Luke to keep the dog but he
can’t because he doesn’t want to show that he can be
swayed by emotions.
His vow is to make sure that he always has some money
available so that he can protect all that is valuable to him.
available
He knows that practical people see value through
money, so if he has money, he can protect what he
values against those people.
Responses will vary. Possible response: I value my
family and friends the most in my life, and I will do
what I can to make sure that they are safe from harm.
AFTER READING
Reading Check
1. C
2. B
3. A
4. A
5. A
Vocabulary Check
1. A
2. C
3. C
4. B
5. A
Analyze Literature: Character
Responses will vary. Possible response: Sam Carter is a
flat character because the only things we know about him
is that he is old and a little slow, and that Luke doesn’t
trust him to keep Dan alive. Luke is a round character
because he is well described, the author explains what
Luke is thinking, and Luke’s actions affect the story.
Use Reading Skills: Analyze Cause and Effect
Responses will vary. Possible response: Understanding
the cause and effect of different events in the story
made it easier for me to understand what was going on
in the story, and to predict what might happen next.
For example, on page 247, I knew that Uncle Henry’s
casual behavior was strange, and that caused Luke to
panic. Therefore, I guessed that Uncle Henry might try
something to get rid of Dan, and that Luke would be
watching Dan as closely as possible.
0221-0245_G8_ELL_AK.indd 229
Building Language Skills: Predicate Adjectives
1. practical; logical; reasonable
2. blind
3. kind; loving; nice
Writing Skills
Responses will vary. Students should explain that everything
Uncle Henry does is practical, and he does not let emotion
get in his way. He believes that they should get rid of Dan
because Dan is not worth taking care of anymore.
Luke’s actions are very emotional, but he is also practical.
He acts out of love for Dan, but he also thinks about the
situation and tries to figure out a way to keep Dan. With Mr.
Kemp’s help, he is able to come up with a practical solution
that appeases his uncle and allows him to keep Dan.
Ishi in Two Worlds
BEFORE READING
Use Reading Skills: Author’s Perspective
She places herself as one of the spectators of Ishi’s life.
Preview Vocabulary
sup•press (s@ pres) verb, block out; put out of one’s mind.
ground•less (graun (d)- >l@s) adjective, not justified;
having no real basis.
half-hearted (haf h5r t@d) idiom, lacking enthusiasm
or courage.
bad•ger (ba j@r) verb, pester or annoy someone
persistently.
ten•ta•tive (ten t@ tiv) adjective, hesitant; uncertain.
DURING READING
Ishi was handcuffed and brought to the county jail.
He was too weak and frightened to resist capture.
The sheriff wanted to protect Ishi from the curious
townsfolk.
Page 100 Use Reading Skills: Author’s Perspective
The author wants to compare the historical account
of Ishi’s time in the Butte County jail and Ishi’s own
recollection of his experiences while staying there.
It means that the sheriff had no reason to suspect Ishi.
We would only search a small part of the sea or island.
Page 101 Analyze Literature: Biography
The author wants to compare the fate of the woman
from the San Nicolas tribe to Ishi’s fate. She wants to
show why the anthropologists who studied Ishi treated
him the way they did.
LEVEL III
229
4/23/09 8:49:58 PM
The Yana tribe; He said siwini, which means “yellow pine.”
pester, annoy, harass, irritate
He wanted Ishi to think that he was a friend and that
Ishi was not alone.
Page 103 Analyze Literature: Biography
She used telegrams sent by Waterman to his colleague,
Kroeber.
Page 103 Use Reading Skills: Author’s Perspective
The author states that Waterman misunderstood Ishi.
She describes how Waterman could not understand
Ishi’s real feelings when Waterman and Ishi tried to
communicate with each other.
Page 104 Read Aloud
Responses will vary. Some students may suggest that
Waterman treated Ishi like an experiment, a wild
animal, or a strange creature.
Ishi lived there for the rest of his life. He lived there for
four years and seven months.
The “civilized world” treated them with violence, and
killed many of Ishi’s people. Others suffered from old
age and illness.
Responses will vary. Some students may suggest that
society is complicated and that there is not always a clear
right and wrong. Students may say that Ishi should have
been treated as a person with the same rights as the people
who studied him. They may reflect on how they would
have wanted to be treated if they were in Ishi’s situation.
AFTER READING
Reading Check
1. A
2. B
3. C
4. C
5. B
Vocabulary Check
1. C
2. A
3. B
4. C
5. B
Analyze Literature: Biography
Responses may vary. Some students may say that the
author might have described the anthropologist in a
more favorable way because she was his wife. Others
may answer that she may have understand what
Ishi was going through because her husband was an
anthropologist and she had been exposed to other
people with the same background as Ishi.
Use Reading Skills: Author’s Purpose
1. Responses will vary. Some students may say that
the author of a biography shapes the life story of
230
Level iii
0221-0245_G8_ELL_AK.indd 230
the person he or she is writing about using his or
her own perspective.
2. Responses will vary. Some students may say that
autobiographical materials lend authenticity to the
biography. In some instances, they may allow the
reader to analyze and judge the evidence without
the author’s bias.
3. Responses will vary. Some students may suggest that the
author had an advantage in researching Ishi’s life story
because she was the wife of one of the anthropologists
who studied Ishi. They may also say that she had a
biased view of Ishi as well, and saw him partly as a
creature that was not part of the “civilized world.”
Build Language Skills: Concept Maps
Responses will vary. Possible responses:
1. to keep information from others; He tried
to suppress a document that would prove he
was guilty.
2. to refrain from or keep from: I had to suppress a
yawn when I listened to the soothing music.
Speaking & Listening Skills: Role-Play
*Responses will vary.
Role-Play Rubric
3 – Excellent Students use props and costumes in
their skit. They use varied speech and intonation
patterns to distinguish the three men from one
another. Students use both verbal and nonverbal
communication to effectively convey a variety of
emotions that suggest the different feelings of the
three men. Students combine formal and informal
language in their dialogue.
2 – Satisfactory Students use props or costumes in their skit.
They use some varied speech and intonation patterns to
distinguish the three men from one another. Students
use some verbal and nonverbal communication to
convey some emotions. Students use some formal and
informal language in their dialogue.
1 – Poor Students do not use props or costumes. They use
little or no variety in speech and intonation patterns
to distinguish the three men from one another.
Students convey little or no emotion. Students use
mostly formal or informal language in their dialogue.
All-American Girl
BEFORE READING
Use Reading Skills: Take Notes
Conflict: The author does not want to attend Chinese
school. She wants to play with her friends, but her
mother insists that she learn Chinese culture and
language with her brother instead.
Resolution: The author could try to compromise with
her mother.
6/3/09 11:08:57 AM
Conflict: The author believes that American is better
than Chinese, and this belief is causing her problems.
She doesn’t want to learn ideographs, and she thinks
that the Chinese language is embarrassing.
Resolution: She could try to understand why her mother
thinks it is important to learn Chinese.
Conflict: The author thinks that people will look down at
her if she speaks Chinese. She wants to be treated the way
she is treated when she speaks in English. When she speaks
English, people smile at her and give her encouraging words.
Resolution: She can speak Chinese to people who want to her
to speak in Chinese, but speak English the rest of the time.
Conflict: The author struggles against learning her
language for two years. She wants to break free from her
Chinese heritage.
Resolution: She can learn to accept her heritage by
blending it with her American heritage.
Preview Vocabulary
dis•suade (dis sw6d) verb, try to convince a person
not to do something
de•fi•ant (di f8 5nt) adjective, bold and resistant
to authority, disobedient
frag•ile (fra j5l) adjective, easily broken, delicate
gib•ber•ish (ji b5 rish) noun, rapid talk that can’t
be understood
in•fu•ri•ate (in fyur 7 6t) verb, make someone furious
DURING READING
The writer attends Chinese school with his brother.
Students may underline the sentence about the principal
being stern, or the descriptions the author wrote.
Page 111 Use Reading Skills: Take Notes
The author does not want to attend Chinese school. She
wants to play with her friends, but her mother insists
that she learn Chinese culture and language with her
brother instead.
Page 112 Read Aloud
The author doesn’t like her Chinese heritage. She
compares Chinese culture to American culture and
shows that the American language is superior to the
Chinese language.
The author believes that American is better than
Chinese, and this belief is causing her problems. She
doesn’t want to learn ideographs, and she thinks that
the Chinese language is embarrassing.
Comings and goings means the activities that people do;
people who come and go to a specific place, like Chinatown.
The author describes the comings and goings of the
people in Chinatown by saying that they are always
busy, that they speak quickly, and that they shout out
their wares to passing customers.
0221-0245_G8_ELL_AK.indd 231
Page 113 Culture Note
The author is not proud of where she lives and tries her
best to act as American as she can.
Responses will vary. Some students may say that they
wouldn’t react the way she did and that they would be
proud of where they come from. Other students may say
that they can relate to the author’s experience and that
they would have reacted similarly.
The author thinks that people will look down at her if
she speaks Chinese. She wants to be treated the way she
is treated when she speaks in English. When she speaks
English, people smile at her and give her encouraging
words.
Page 113 Analyze Literature: Conflict
The author’s brother is very fanatical about English, and
he criticizes their mother a lot. This conflict is external.
Her mother cannot even pronounce her name because
it starts with an r.
The author struggles against learning her language for two
years. She wants to break free from her Chinese heritage.
Responses will vary. Possible response: The author
learns to value her heritage when she grows older.
When I was younger, I used to think that I could never
ask for help if I wanted to be independent. Now, I
know that it’s OK to ask for help in some situations.
Sometimes, it’s good to depend on other people.
AFTER READING
Reading Check
1. A
2. B
3. C
4. B
5. C
Vocabulary Check
1. B
2. B
3. C
4. B
5. A
Analyze Literature: Conflict
The greatest conflict in the essay is the low regard that
the author had for her country’s heritage when she was
a young girl.
Use Reading Skills: Take Notes
Responses will vary. Possible response: The conflicts
made everything more difficult for the author and so
she feels like learning the Chinese language is almost
like a nightmare. I believe these conflicts could have
been avoided if she had listened to her mother. Her
mother just wanted her to appreciate their heritage. The
author could have learned more, and she wouldn’t have
had to regret the attitudes she had as a young child.
LEVEL III
231
4/23/09 8:49:58 PM
Build Language Skills: Consistent Verb Tenses
1. correct
2. incorrect; The principal stared down at them
and frowned.
3. incorrect; Her grandmother was very old and
spoke gibberish.
4. When she came home from school, she had a snack.
5. correct
Speaking & Listening Skills: Persuasive Speech
Writing Rubric
3 – Excellent The student shows understanding of the
situation and uses creativity to explain the events
in detail. The student uses descriptive words
and phrases to show his or her feelings and the
reactions of the parents and teacher. The student
also provides a sound explanation for whether he
or she would continue taking the class.
2 – Satisfactory The student shows a general
understanding of the situation and uses some
creativity to explain the events. The student uses
some descriptive words and phrases to show his
or her feelings and the reactions of the parents and
teacher. The student also provides an explanation for
whether he or she would continue taking the class.
1 – Poor The student shows little understanding of
the situation and does not creatively explain the
events. The student uses few descriptive words
and phrases to show his or her feelings and the
reactions of the parents and teacher. The student
provides little explanation for whether he or she
would continue taking the class.
Appearances Are Destructive
BEFORE READING
Use Reading Skills: Identify Main Idea
Responses will vary. Possible response: Main Idea:
American schools offer more opportunities than many
other schools; Details: American schools have more
and better supplies and equipment than many other
countries’ schools
Preview Vocabulary
hotly debated phrase, to argue and yell
a•part•heid (5 p5rt h8d) noun, a government policy
that separated blacks and whites
de•railed (d7 r6ld) verb, to stop
pam•per (pam per) verb, to indulge a person’s desires;
to spoil
dim•i•nu•tion (dim i n2 shun) noun, a decrease or
lessening of
232
LEVEL III
0221-0245_G8_ELL_AK.indd 232
DURING READING
School violence
The schools in South Africa required uniforms. The
schools in America allow students to wear whatever
clothes and jewelry they want.
Responses will vary. Possible response: I would tell them
not to worry, and to make friends with some of the other
students. That way, they could ignore the bullying and
just be with their friends. I would talk to their teachers
and ask why the teachers are letting my sisters be bullied.
Ogling means looking or staring at.
Page 122 Use Reading Skills: Identify Main Idea
Main Idea: Students care more about their appearance
than their academics; Details: students’ parents pamper
them with clothes, clothing creates status and respect
Some people think that uniforms limit students’
creativity and individuality.
Uniforms should be worn in schools: Students in uniform
do better in school; they are less disruptive in class.
Responses will vary. Possible response: I think uniforms
are a good idea because it means you don’t have to spend
time in the morning or night before thinking about what
you’re going to wear, you just wear your uniform.
AFTER READING
Reading Check
1. C
2. B
3. A
4. A
5. C
Vocabulary Check
1. A
2. B
3. B
4. A
5. C
Responses will vary. Possible response: The author seems
to think that the South African system with uniforms
is more effective than the American school system.
He thinks that the resources and better equipment in
American schools are wasted because the students are
too busy checking their appearances that they don’t have
time or motivation to study.
Responses will vary. Possible response: I believe the
author’s main idea is that uniforms should be worn in
school because students will stop worrying about how
they look and start thinking about how they do in school.
4/23/09 8:49:58 PM
Build Vocabulary Skills
1. a convincing or strong argument
2. miserable and unhappy
3. extra, unnecessary things
4. small, very little, insufficient
5. interest in items, money, and superficial things
Speaking & Listening: Debate
Students should take turns debating for and against
uniforms in schools, making sure to respond to their
partner’s arguments.
Debate Rubric
3 – Excellent Students took turns debating each side of the
argument, and used details from the text to support
their responses. Students listened to what their
partner said and responded with a point against it.
2 – Satisfactory Students debated each side of the
argument. Students listened to what their partner
said and responded against their partner’s point.
1 – Poor Students debated only one side of the
argument, and had very little support for their
responses. Students did not respond to or argue
against what their partner said.
Dreams /A Dream Deferred
BEFORE READING
Responses will vary. Possible response:
Main Idea: Where do dream go when they are given up?
Details: They dry up like a raisin in the sun.
They fester and run like a sore.
They stink like rotten meat.
They crust over like sugar and syrup.
They sag like a heavy load.
They explode.
Preview Vocabulary
barren: bare, fruitless
defer: delay, hold back to a later time
raisin in the sun: something that has dried up;
something that is gone
fester: rot
explode: burst outward, be destroyed
DURING READING
The poem says that a dream that dies is like a bird with a
broken wing that cannot fly.
Page 128 Analyze Literature: Metaphor and Simile
The poet is using a metaphor. The metaphor compares
life to a barren field that is frozen with snow.
0221-0245_G8_ELL_AK.indd 233
Responses will vary. Possible response: I think the poem
is saying that a life without dreams is an empty, sad life.
It stinks like rotten meat.
dries up like a raisin in the sun; festers like a sore, stinks
like a rotten meat, crusts and sugars over like a syrupy
sweet, sags like a heavy load, explodes
Responses will vary. Possible response: I dream of being
a musician. I will work hard and never give up so that
my dream comes true. I’ll also make sure that I never
step on anyone as I reach for my dream.
AFTER READING
Reading Check
1. C
2. B
3. A
4. A
5. C
Vocabulary Check
1. C
2. A
3. B
4. C
5. A
Analyze Literature: Metaphor and Simile
The metaphors and similes show comparisons using
strong images. This clarifies the meaning and strengthens
the tone of the poem.
The main idea of the poem is about the result of a dream
that is not fulfilled. With the use of similes, the poet
was able to make me understand that the results are not
good. It could also be violent.
Build Language Skills: Rhyme
1. fears
2. go
3. last
4. sheet
5. far
Responses will vary. Students should practice reading the
poem aloud, emphasizing the rhymes they find. Student
retellings should maintain the idea of each poem.
Students should discuss their ideas with their partners
and be able to explain their retellings of their partners.
from Immigrant Kids
BEFORE READING
Responses will vary. Possible response: Main Idea:
The immigrants were poor. Details: They arrived
LEVEL III
233
4/23/09 8:49:59 PM
penniless and had to ride in steerage.; Main Idea: The
voyage was difficult. Details: The ships were crowded and
uncomfortable, and the crew treated immigrants like animals.
Preview Vocabulary
fer•vent (fur v5nt) adjective, earnest
scrape together idiom, to gather together with difficulty
glimpse (glimps) noun, a quick look
anx•i•ety (a4 z8 5 t7) noun, worry
in•dom•i•ta•ble (in d5m i t5 bl) adjective, unbeatable
DURING READING
Scrape together means to gather money or other materials
with difficulty. The families were poor, but they were able
to pay the fare for their dream to come true.
They are poor people who managed to scrape together
enough money to get to America. Often, they were
families who would arrive penniless.
Responses will vary. Possible response: Millions of
immigrants arrive in the United States every year. The
immigrants believe that life would be better in America.
The conditions on the ship were very uncomfortable.
Page 136 Analyze Literature: Point of View
Lines 39–65 narrate the point of view of Edward Corsi.
This section is written in first-person point of view and
uses pronouns such as My, I, our, we, and us.
Responses will vary. Possible response: The majority of
immigrants landed in New York. The Statue of Liberty
is an important sight for them.
Responses will vary. Possible response: I think the
immigrants see the Statue of Liberty as a symbol of
freedom and equality.
Page 137 Read Aloud
It was known by that name among the immigrants
because they could be sent back to Europe if they didn’t
pass the immigrant processing center in Ellis Island.
Students should underline the section that describes how
the immigrants had numbers pinned to their clothes.
Immigrants could be detained or sent back if they failed
the examinations at the immigrant processing center in
Ellis Island.
The immigrants had to undergo two medical
examinations. If they passed, they would be interviewed
by the registration clerk with the help of an interpreter.
The examinations and interview for immigrants were
very strict. Some immigrants couldn’t answer because
they were very flustered.
234
LEVEL III
0221-0245_G8_ELL_AK.indd 234
Responses will vary. Possible response: I think I would
have been flustered, too. I would be very anxious
because I wouldn’t want to go back after traveling from
my home country.
Responses will vary. Possible response: I would be very
worried, and I would convince the people in charge to
give my mother a chance.
Students should highlight the sentence that says that
immigrants waited for ferries to take them to Manhattan.
Some immigrants who passed Ellis Island stayed in
Manhattan, while some continued to their final destination.
America admits more immigrants than any other nation.
Responses will vary. Possible response: I’d make sure to
carry my most precious possessions that were given to me
by my family and friends, like my books and necklace.
AFTER READING
Reading Check
1. C
2. C
3. B
4. A
5. B
Vocabulary Check
1. C
2. A
3. A
4. B
5. B
Analyze Literature: Point of View
Responses will vary. Possible response: I think the firstperson point of view is more effective than the thirdperson point of view, because I can relate to the narrator
with that point of view and I can understand what he or
she is thinking.
Responses will vary. Possible response: I believe the
main idea of what I read is that you can make a dream
come true if you work hard enough. All the immigrants
had one dream, and that is to have a better life. They
weren’t afraid to leave what was familiar to them to go
to a new place to make their dream come true.
Build Language Skills: Predicate
1. ordered everyone to go
2. is rejected
3. is a symbol of freedom
4. are very strict
5. believed in the American dream
Work Together
Students will work in groups of five to act out what
would happen if an immigrant failed an inspection
while on Ellis Island.
4/23/09 8:49:59 PM
Role-Play Rubric
3 – Excellent Students showed good grasp of the
story. They performed creatively, using props
or costumes, and expressively, using nonverbal
language. They were able to convey their ideas
about the characters and narrator from this scene.
2 – Satisfactory Students were able to express their ideas
using clear and simple language. They made an effort to
show the emotions of the characters in their role-play.
1 – Poor Students were not able to express their ideas
clearly or understandably in the script. They lacked
creativity or expressiveness in the role-play.
Southbound on the Freeway
Responses will vary. Possible response: I live by my brains,
or by thinking. I think about things before I do them.
AFTER READING
Reading Check
1. B
2. C
3. A
4. C
5. B
Vocabulary Check
1. A
2. B
3. C
4. A
Analyze Literature: Speaker
BEFORE READING
Use Reading Skills: Analyze Text Organization
Clues such as “Orbitville” and “parked in the air,” in
the first two stanzas, give clues to the reader that the
speaker is not from Earth.
Use Reading Skills: Analyze Text Organization
Sentence length:
Sentences are long
Stanza length:
2 lines
Text Organization
of “Southbound on the
Freeway”
Sentence breaks: Sentences
break across stanzas
Use of dashes and pauses:
Seem to be when the
speaker is hypothesizing.
Preview Vocabulary
transparent: can be seen through
diagram: a chart for explaining a process or idea
wind: move to a different side
glide: move smoothly
DURING READING
Page 145 Read Aloud
The creatures seen by the tourist are made of metal and
glass. Their transparent parts show their guts, and their
feet are round.
Page 145 Use Reading Skills: Analyze Text
Organization
See chart above.
Responses will vary. Possible response: I think the fiveeyed one is the police car. The turning red eye on top of
the head is probably the siren above the police car, and
the tourist also notes that “he” must be special because
the others slow down when they see “him.”
Page 146 Analyze Literature: Speaker
The speaker is curious and focuses a lot on details of what he
or she sees. The tourist doesn’t know anything about Earth.
Page 146 Use Reading Skills: Analyze Text
Organization
See chart above.
0221-0245_G8_ELL_AK.indd 235
Possible answer: Each stanza is two sentences long,
which makes me think that the speaker is organized, like
a scientist. Long sentences broken across stanzas seem
like thoughtful hypotheses. The pauses occur where the
speaker is unsure of what he or she sees.
Build Language Skills: Possessive Pronouns
1. The creatures of metal and glass rolled their feet.
2. The five-eyed ones turned the eyes above their
heads.
3. We slowed down our steps on the marked tapes.
4. Our class enjoyed reading the poem.
Writing Skills
Use the rubric below to score students' debates.
Debate Rubric
3 – Excellent Students took turns debating each side
of the argument, and used details from the text
to support their responses. Students listened to
what their partner said and responded with a point
against it.
2 – Satisfactory Students debated each side of the
argument. Students listened to what their partner
said and responded against their partner’s point.
1 – Poor Students debated only one side of the
argument, and had very little support for their
responses. Students did not respond to or argue
against what their partner said.
Ode to My Socks
BEFORE READING
Use Reading Skills: Identify Author’s Purpose
LEVEL III
235
4/23/09 8:49:59 PM
Preview Vocabulary
Vocabulary Check
immense: great in size or degree
decrepit: worn out by age
sacred: holy or special
impulse: sudden action or force
remorse: deep sense of guilt
DURING READING
Page 152 Use Reading Skills: Identify Author’s Purpose
The author shows that the socks were given to the
speaker. Students might suggest that the author wants to
express gratitude to thoughtful, generous people.
The speaker compares his socks’ softness to rabbits.
He also compares the socks to two cases knitted with
threads of twilight and goatskin.
The figures of speech the speaker uses in these lines
are similes.
The speaker used the metaphors of fish and sharks
in this stanza to compare his socks. He used these
metaphors to highlight the color of his socks and to
show how light the socks are to his feet.
The speaker compares his feet with blackbirds andcannons
to show how heavy his feet are compared to the socks.
Page 153 Read Aloud
He thinks that his feet are not worthy of his special socks.
The speaker thinks so highly of the socks that he has to
force himself to wear them. Students might suggest that
the author wrote this lyric poem to show how much
people appreciate the gifts that they receive.
I think he wants to use the socks to show his
appreciation for them. If he hides the socks in a special
place, Maru Mori will not be able to see that he likes the
socks she made for him.
as schoolboys keep fireflies, as learned men collect sacred
texts; like explorers in the jungle who hand over the very
rare green deer to the spit and eat it with remorse
The author expresses the moral of the story in simple
terms. Even small things can bring great happiness and
beauty, and they are more beautiful when they are used.
Responses may vary. Possible response: I received a
bracelet on my twelfth birthday, and I wore it all the
time. It was special because my big sister made it for me.
Reading Check
236
4. A
5. C
LEVEL III
0221-0245_G8_ELL_AK.indd 236
4. B
5. C
Responses will vary. Possible response: Students might
suggest that the speaker uses metaphors and similes
to show his great appreciation for the socks and how
unworthy he feels of them. These similes and metaphors
emphasize his hesitation about wearing the socks, which
is described in later stanzas.
Responses will vary. Possible response: I think the poem
is to entertain because of the unusual imagery that the
author has presented. It may be to inform because of the
moral of the poem.
Build Language Skills: Intensive Pronouns
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
himself
herself
themselves
ourselves
itself
Discussion Rubric
3 – Excellent The student conveyed the message of
the poem and expressed a strong position about
whether he or she agrees with the message. The
student orally presented his or her ideas to the class
in a clear and understandable way. The student
provided strong textual support for his or her ideas.
2 – Satisfactory The student conveyed the message of
the poem and expressed a strong position about
whether he or she agrees with the message. The
student expressed his or her ideas in a simple
but understandable way. The student gave some
textual support for his or her ideas.
1 – Poor The student did not demonstrate an
understanding of the poem’s message and did not
express a position on the issue. The student did
not clearly present his or her ideas to the class. The
student was not able to provide textual support for
his or her ideas.
Birdfoot’s Grampa
BEFORE READING
Speaker: anxious, etc.
Grampa: patient, etc.
Both: in the car, etc.
AFTER READING
1. A
2. B
3. B
1. A
2. A
3. B
Preview Vocabulary
4/23/09 8:49:59 PM
mist (mist) noun, water in the air that has condensed
from vapor to liquid.
lea•ther•y (le th@ r7) adjective, like leather, hard and
brown.
knee deep idiom, as tall as one’s knees.
DURING READING
Responses will vary. Some students may say it is
important to preserve life in all forms because we all
share the same Earth.
AFTER READING
Reading Check
1. B
2. A
3. A
4. C
5. C
Vocabulary Check
1. A
2. B
3. C
Analyze Literature: Symbolism
Symbol
Details
What it Suggests
toads
“Wet brown life”
Grampa’s own life.
rain
line drops of rain
time passing
Answer: In both poems, the characters try to preserve
the symbolic element.
Responses will vary. Students may say that at first, the
speaker’s language was businesslike and realistic. Near the
end of the poem, the speaker uses more figurative language
and is more sympathetic to his Grampa’s actions.
Build Vocabulary: Connotation and Denotation
Answers will vary. These are some possible answers to
guide students’ responses. Students may identify any
number of ways to describe how the words are similar
and different,
Word
Synonym
How Connotations Differ
old
ancient
Old is more general than
ancient.
stopped
Halted
Halted is more formal
than stopped
gather
collect
Gather seems more careful
than collect.
wet
soaking
Wet is more general than
soaking
0221-0245_G8_ELL_AK.indd 237
full
complete
Complete means that
something is now whole,
but full means that it has a
lot inside it
smiled
grinned
A smile is more genuine
and sincere than a grin.
Writing Skills: Small Moments
Use the rubric below to score students' poems or stories.
Writing Rubric
3 – Excellent The student lists five small moments,
chooses one, and composes an interesting poem
or short story that explores the meaning of the
moment. The moment is compelling and the
exploration is accurate and profound.
2 – Satisfactory The student lists five small moments,
chooses one, and composes a poem or short story
that explores the meaning of the moment. The
moment is perhaps too long, or has not been
explored as deeply as it could have been.
1 – Poor The student lists some small moments,
chooses one, and composes a poem or short story
that explores the meaning of the moment. The
moment is too large and encompassing, or the
significance was not explored.
Sorry, Right Number
BEFORE READING
Use Reading Skills: Text Organization
Page: XX (715) Stage Directions: CAMERA DRAWS
BACK/ CAMERA SWINGS AWAY FROM HER,
TRACKS ACROSS KITCHEN Who is the Direction
For? Camera Crew, Katie’s actress, Sound Crew
Page: XX (717) Stage Directions: SOUND. THE
PHONE CLUNKS DOWN. Who is the Direction For?
Sound Crew
Preview Vocabulary
in•flict (in flikt) verb, force on another
glum (<gl@m) adjective, sad or moody
rum•mage (<r@ mij) verb, search in a very thorough
manner
walking on air idiom, being in a state of great happiness
eat it up idiom, enjoy completely
ra•di•ant (<r6 d7 @nt) adjective, vividly bright
and glowing
hys•ter•i•cal (his <ter I k@l) adjective, uncontrollably
emotional
DURING READING
Katie is on the phone speaking with someone.
LEVEL III
237
4/23/09 8:50:00 PM
kitchen phone nook, catalogs, phone with two lines
They are arguing about what they will be watching after
Wheel of Fortune.
Page 167 Use Reading Skills: Stage Directions
SOUND. B.G. The Television; [Voice fading]
Students should highlight “poking his tongue out.”
Responses will vary. Some may say that he is scary because
of the Dracula poster on his study door. Others may say
that he is a brave man because he writes scary stories.
Jeff tries to scare him.
She hears a sobbing voice that sounds desperate.
[to Bill]; [to Lois]; [concerned]; She’s rummaging
frantically on her little phone desk. Catalogues go
slithering to the floor around her stool.
She thinks it is her daughter Polly.
The people working with sound
very happy; Polly
Responses will vary. Some students may say that Katie
overreacted, while others might say they would act the
same way.
Page 173 Read Aloud
Dawn is in the farmhouse alone with her baby while
her husband is nowhere near her. Katie is afraid that Dawn
might have been attacked and have called to ask for help.
Int. In the phone nook with Bill and Katie; Int. The door
to the TV room; In. The phone nook with Bill and Katie
She learns that her caller, Bill, is the writer of her
favorite books.
They are heading to the farmhouse where Dawn lives.
They want to know what happened to her.
The camera operators, the special effects people, the actors
They see big scratches on the lock.
Responses will vary. Some students may say that they
would still be worried, but they would feel relieved on
seeing that their family member is all right.
enjoy completely; Dawn’s baby
[fuzzed out]; [still half asleep]; [guiltily]
Dawn’s husband, Jerry, forced the door open because
238
LEVEL III
0221-0245_G8_ELL_AK.indd 238
Dawn and her husband had accidentally locked
themselves out. Neither had a key, so Jerry tried to use a
screwdriver to open the lock.
He promises to tape the rest of the Ghost Kiss movie so
that Jeff can watch it.
Bill’s actor, sound and special effects people, camera
operators, Katie’s actress
He says that Katie must have heard someone who
simply sounds similar to the people she knows.
Responses will vary. Possible response: I would not
be able to get to sleep that night because I would be
too unsettled by the events of the evening.
She discovers that her husband, Bill, is dead.
we dissolve to; Int. TV, CU; Int. Katie, in bed; Int. Katie,
in Bill’s study
Hank is Katie’s new husband.
Responses will vary. Some may say that Polly and Hank
do not like each other. Others may say that Polly did not
want Hank to replace her father.
Hank’s actor, Katie’s actress
It is the five-year anniversary of Bill’s death.
She sees Ghost Kiss, the movie that Bill was taping on
the night he died.
She reaches her past self through the phone.
There is now a strange hypnotized look on her face. She
reaches down, scoops the telephone up, and punches in
numbers, seemingly at random.; [voice; filter]; [sobbing]
She wants her past self to take Bill to the hospital before
it’s too late.
She does not succeed, because if she had, then Bill
would still be alive.
The camera operators, special effects people; sound crew.
Responses will vary. Possible response: I would call
myself from two weeks ago. I would tell myself to study
harder for the science test I did poorly on, so I wouldn’t
have to worry about my grades.
4/23/09 8:50:00 PM
AFTER READING
Use the rubric below to score students' role-play activity.
Reading Check
1. A
2. C
3. A
4. A
5. B
Vocabulary Check
1. C
2. B
3. B
4. B
5. C
Analyze Literature: Plot
Responses may vary. Possible responses:
Exposition: Katie is on the phone with her sister and
gets another call from someone who is upset.
Rising action: Katie thinks it is a family member and
calls to check on them. She goes to check on her sister,
who doesn’t answer, but finds out she is OK. She goes
home and she and her husband Bill decide it was a
wrong number. Katie goes home and goes to bed while
Bill stays up.
Climax: When Katie wakes up, she finds Bill has died of
a heart attack.
Falling action: Five years later, Katie picks up the
phone and hears her dead husband’s voice asking her
who she would call if it wasn’t “too late.” She dials her
old number and hears her own voice repeating the
mysterious call of five years ago.
Resolution: She realizes that the complete message
was a warning to take her husband to the hospital for
immediate care.
Most stage directions are meant for more than one
person. This is because everyone needs to know how the
stage will be set up, and where the actors will need to
stand, and how to respond to lights, sounds, and other
actors on the stage. Everyone needs to work together,
so everyone needs to know how their part is affected by
other elements of the play.
Build Language Skills: Ellipses
Responses will vary. The sentences below are possible
responses.
1. Oh, I saw Janie Charlton today … yes!
2. So when he asked me if Polly had tested strep
positive, I had to remind him she’s away at prep
school … and gosh, Lois, I miss her. …
3. No … she hung up.
1. I’ll calm down after I talk to her. = I’ll calm down…
after I talk to her.
2. I aced my bio exam, got a B on my essay, and
Ronnie Hansen asked me to the Harvest Ball. = I
aced my exam … got a B … and Ronnie Hansen
asked me to the Harvest Ball.
3. It was not a prank and it was not a wrong number!
= It was not a prank … not a wrong number!
0221-0245_G8_ELL_AK.indd 239
Role-Play Rubric
3 – Excellent Students showed good understanding
of the characters by showing the animosity
between the two characters. They performed
creatively and expressively, using appropriate
gestures and body language. They listened to the
argument of their partner and responded with
a remark that demonstrated understanding of
what was said.
2 – Satisfactory Students were able to express their
ideas using clear and simple language. They made
an effort to show the emotions of the characters in
their role-play.
1 – Poor Students did not portray the characters
realistically. They were not able to express their
ideas clearly or understandably in their argument.
They lacked creativity or expressiveness in the
role-play.
Where the Girl Rescued Her Brother
BEFORE READING
Use Reading Skills: Summarize
Responses will vary. Students should have a completed
summary map listing events similar to the example shown.
1. Buffalo Calf Road Woman rides with her tribe to
meet with another tribe
2. White soldiers start attacking their group
3. Buffalo Calf Road Woman’s brother is surrounded
by enemies
4. Buffalo Calf Road Woman rides in to save her
brother
5. The fighting stops and Buffalo Calf Road Woman
is considered a hero
Preview Vocabulary
hon•or• able (<5 n@r (@)b@l) adjective, worthy
of respect; honest
al•ly (a> l8<) noun, person who is helpful; friend
stopped in its tracks idiom, suddenly stopped doing
something in surprise
de•ter•mined (di t@r> m@nd) adjective, not easily
moved or changed
fe•roc•i•ty (f@ <r5 s@ t7) noun, quality of being wild
and fierce
re•treat (ri tr7t>) verb, withdraw; back off
DURING READING
She is one of the bravest young women among
the Cheyenne. She is the sister of Comes-in-Sight,
one of the Cheyenne chiefs, and wife of Black Coyote,
also one of the Cheyenne chiefs.
LEVEL III
239
4/23/09 8:50:00 PM
Page 191 Use Reading Skills: Summarize
Buffalo Calf Road Woman, Black Coyote, and Comesin-Sight ride out of their Cheyenne camp to meet with
their old allies, the Lakota. They plan to drive out the
veho who are trying to claim all the lands of the Native
American tribes.
They named the white people veho, or the spider people.
They compare the veho to the black widow spider, very
beautiful to look at but dangerous to get close to.
Page 192 Analyze Literature: Flashback
She remembers the time when the Society of Quilters,
the bravest women of their tribe, faced a great grizzly
bear that came into their camp. She is proud to belong
to that society of the few women with the strongest,
bravest, and most honorable character.
Buffalo Calf Road Woman remembers a time when they
defended the camp in the absence of the men. She and
six other women of the Society of Quilters bravely faced
the grizzly bear that was drawn to their camp by the
scent of food.
Page 193 Read Aloud
The woman talks to the grizzly bear in a low and firm
voice. Her approach is calm and determined, and the
bear shakes its head, turns, and walks out of their camp.
Buffalo Calf Road Woman nears Rosebud Creek where
a great number of soldiers under the Gray Fox are.
They join up with Crazy Horse of the Oglala, and they
prepare themselves for the battle. They wear their finest
clothes, paint war designs on their war ponies, and call
out their names and deeds.
Students should underline the line that explains that Buffalo
Calf Road Woman’s brother is surrounded by enemies.
Under Crazy Horse, the Cheyenne and the Lakota fight
against the soldiers of the government who are helped
by the Crow and Shoshone. Buffalo Calf Road Woman
watches from a hill as both sides attack and retreat in
the battle. Then, she sees her brother drawn off to the
side by Crow scouts trying to count surround him.
Students should highlight that both sides cheered for
Buffalo Calf Road Woman.
Buffalo Calf Road Woman gallops down the hill and
into the center of the fight. She reaches out a hand to
Comes-in-Sight, which he grabs, and he vaults behind
her. They make it back to the hill and the warriors and
soldiers locked in battle cheers over her courage. Crook
makes a strategic withdrawal and the battle is named
in her honor. Instead of the Battle of the Rosebud, they
name it Where the Girl Rescued Her Brother.
Responses will vary. Some students may say that this
kind of heroism still exists. They may cite examples
240
LEVEL III
0221-0245_G8_ELL_AK.indd 240
like that of firefighters who enter a burning building to
save someone trapped inside, or doctors who refuse to
give up on patients. Others may say that people today
are more concerned about themselves and would not
bother about other people.
AFTER READING
Reading Check
1. A
2. B
3. C
4. C
5. A
Vocabulary Check
1. C
2. B
3. B
4. C
5. A
Analyze Literature: Flashback
Responses will vary. Some students may say that the
flashback shows the exceptional courage of the Cheyenne
women and Buffalo Calf Road Woman. Other students may
say that the women from the tribe are calm under pressure.
In response to the second question, some students may say
that the wound inflicted on the grizzly bear is inflicted by the
veho’s bullet, which parallels the threat of the veho’s bullets
that the Native Americans are facing. Others may say that
the bravery of the Society of Quilters parallels the bravery
demonstrated by Buffalo Calf Road Woman in coming to
the rescue of her brother in the heart of the battle.
Use Reading Skills: Summarize
Responses will vary. Some students may say that love
can give you the courage you need to protect the one
you care for. Other students may say that bravery is
respected even by the enemy. The main idea of the story
is that the women of the Cheyenne tribe—especially
Buffalo Calf Road Woman—are particularly brave.
Build Language Skills: Modifiers
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Responses will vary. Possible response: bravely
Responses will vary. Possible response: honorable
Responses will vary. Possible response: loudly
Responses will vary. Possible response: hurriedly
Responses will vary. Possible response: grateful
Writing Skills
Use the rubric below to score students’ stories.
Writing Rubric
3 – Excellent Student created his or her story in a
creative way. He or she showed a good grasp of
grammar and language. He or she used vocabulary
and word choice appropriate for the audience.
2 – Satisfactory Student’s story was based on an
event from the legend. He or she used clear and
understandable language.
1 – Poor Student’s story showed poor grasp of
grammar and language. His or her story was not
clear, understandable, or coherent.
4/23/09 8:50:01 PM
John Henry Blues
BEFORE READING
Vocabulary Check
1. A
2. B
3. C
4. C
5. C
Use Reading Skills: Understand Literary
Elements
Analyze Literature: Compare Literature
Character Responses will vary. Possible response:
Name: John Henry
Characteristic: Incredible strength
Antagonist: The captain
Problems/Challenges: He must race against the steam
machine to hammer out the rocks
Major Accomplishments: He won against the machine
that everyone thought was invincible
Character Responses will vary. Some students may say
that it is the steam driller, because it is taking the work
that is allowing them to provide for their needs. Some
may say that it’s the captain, who wants to spend lesser
than he is spending on workers. Others may say that the
ultimate antagonist is progress, because even when John
Henry defeated the steam drill, his feat is not enough
to stop the use of the machine in replacing human labor.
Preview Vocabulary
yonder: in or at a distant place that can be seen
holler: shout out
lonesome: sad or dejected (as a result of being separated
from others)
captain: a person who has authority over others
pound: a unit of weight equal to 16 ounces
Character Responses will vary. Some may say that John
Henry and a common worker are both determined in
their work, hardworking, and ready to prove themselves
when needed. Others may say that they are both proud
of their work. In terms of differences, most students
will say that John Henry has extraordinary strength
compared to the common worker.
Build Language Skills: Dialect
DURING READING
Page 201 Cultural Note
Responses will vary. Some may say that the story is true
because man will always beat a machine. Some may
say it’s not true because no one can drive stakes more
deeply than a steam drill.
Page 202 Analyze Literature: Compare Literature
Character
John Henry is a very strong man who is proud of his
abilities. He is struggling against the steam drill that is
threatening to take jobs away from him and his fellow
workers.
Elements
Character Responses will vary. Sample responses:
(characteristics) proud; determined; (challenges)
proving that man is still better than a machine
Elements
Character Responses will vary. Sample responses:
(characteristics) confident; strong; loyal; (antagonist)
steam drill; (accomplishment) defeating the steam drill’s
drive of nine feet with his own fourteen feet
Responses will vary. Sample response: I want to prove
that I am a better actor than the class favorite. I will
prove it by joining in a play that he will be a part of and
acting to the best of my abilities.
AFTER READING
Reading Check
1. B
2. A
3. C
0221-0245_G8_ELL_AK.indd 241
4. C
5. B
Dialect
Standard English
beats me down
defeats me
fool self
[foolish self]
needn’t not to worry
[no need to worry]
mighty fine
[very good]
tomorrow’ll be your
buryin’ day
[tomorrow will be the
day you are buried]
lovin’
[loving]
Work Together
Work in groups of three to perform the events
narrated in the folk song. Assign one role of each of
the following: John Henry, the captain, and the shaker
who operates the steam drill. Act out the scene of the
competition between John Henry and the steam drill.
Role-Play Rubric
their role-play.
LEVEL III
241
4/23/09 8:50:01 PM
Annie Christmas
BEFORE READING
Character Comparison Chart
Mike Fink: thinks women are not as strong as
women; aggressive, cowardly, weak; Annie sends him
floating on a wave out of New Orleans
Annie Christmas: thinks women are just as strong,
if not stronger, than men; strong, brave, determined;
Annie dies of a fever after saving the passengers and
crew from Natchez Belle.
DURING READING
Mike Fink is a flat character. He is only shown as an
aggressive newcomer who attacks Annie Christmas with
false accusations.
Possible responses: (thinks of women) Mike Fink thinks
women are not as strong as women.; (acts) aggressive;
cowardly; weak; (Leaves New Orleans because) Annie
sends him floating on a wave out of New Orleans.
He is ashamed to be proven wrong by Annie Christmas.
He might also be afraid of her power.
Page 209 Build Vocabulary: Idiom
The first means “all day and night without stopping,”
and the second means “at the last moment.”
Annie works “round the clock” to build a barricade to
support the riverbank, and she finishes it by herself “in
the nick of time.”
Responses may vary. Students might answer that they
would jump back to their boat and pole it to reach the
steamboat again. Then, they will help everyone transfer
to the steamboat into their boat.
Page 210 Compare and Contrast
Possible responses: Annie thinks that women are just as
strong as men, and she acts strong, brave, and determined.
The river becomes Annie’s antagonist. It has tried to
take some of the people around her countless times. It is
also the cause for her overexertion in saving the people
from the steamboat.
Possible responses: Annie leaves New Orleans because
she dies of a fever after saving the passengers and crew
from Natchez Belle, while Annie sends Mike Fink
floating on a wave out of the city.
Responses will vary. Possible response: This person
I know is helpful and friendly like Annie. He never
ignores people who need his help. The only difference
242
LEVEL III
0221-0245_G8_ELL_AK.indd 242
is that he is not as strong as Annie. I learned that if you
really want to help, you can do anything.
AFTER READING
Reading Check
1. A
2. B
3. B
4. C
5. B
Vocabulary Check
1. A
2. B
3. C
4. B
5. B
Analyze Literature: Character
The correct answer is the river, which represents man’s
struggle against nature. Throughout the tale, the river is
mentioned to be a part of Annie’s daily life along with
her struggle against its force. In the end, she has saved the
people from drowning in the river at the cost of her life.
Students will probably note that Annie Christmas is very
determined and has super-strengths, while Mike Fink is
cowardly and weak. Students may say that they both work
on the river. With the last question, students may say that
the presence of Annie Christmas assures the people around
her that they can count on her help if they need it.
Build Language Skills
Direct Object Responses will vary. The sentences below
are possible responses.
1. flatboat
2. lies
3. passengers
4. river
5. the people
Role-Play Rubric
3 – Excellent Students showed good understanding of
the characters by showing the animosity between
the two characters. They performed creatively
and expressively, using nonverbal language. They
were able to listen to the argument of their partner
and respond with a remark that demonstrates
understanding of what is being said.
their role-play.
1 – Poor Students did not portray the characters
realistically. They were not able to express their ideas
clearly or understandably in their argument. They
lacked creativity or expressiveness in the role-play.
4/23/09 8:50:01 PM
Paul Bunyan of the North Woods
BEFORE READING
Responses will vary. Possible response: unredressed
(word); overtakes its redresser; avenger fails (context
clues); not taken care of; unaddressed (meaning)
Preview Vocabulary
ap•pa•ri•tion (a< p@ ri> sh@n) noun, strange figure that
appears suddenly
shan•ty (shan> t7) noun, shack; hut
haul•ing (h0l i4) verb, dragging or pulling
lighted on idiom, landed on
com•mo•tion (k@ <m9 sh@n) noun, violent motion;
noisy disturbance
DURING READING
Page 217 Analyze Literature: Hyperbole
Possible responses: The Pacific Ocean froze over; Paul
Bunyan had long teams of oxen hauling regular white
snow over from China; granite floor sunk two hundred
feet deep; the sparks from the nails of their dancing feet lit
up the place so that Paul didn’t light up the kerosene lamp.
Responses will vary. Possible responses: (To inform) the
bookless people made Paul and had him alive long before
he got into the books for those who read; Paul grew up in
the shanties; Paul came overseas; Paul is as old as the hills
and young as the alphabet; (To entertain) the Pacific Ocean
froze over in the winter of the Blue Snow; Paul had long
teams of oxen haul regular snow from China; Paul gave a
party to the Seven Axemen; Paul fixed a granite floor sunk
two hundred feet deep to dance on that tipped and tilted as
the dance went on; sparks from the axemens’ boots lit up
the place and Paul didn’t need to light his lamps.
Responses will vary. Possible responses: (To entertain)
the commotion of the dancing brought an earthquake
and moved the Big Onion River three counties to the
east; it rained from St. Patrick’s Day until Fourth of July;
(To inform) Paul logged on the Little Gimlet in Oregon.
Responses will vary. Possible responses: (To entertain)
Benny paws and bellow for more pancakes one night;
two hundred men at the cook-shanty try to keep Benny
fed; Benny breaks loose around breakfast; the ox tears
down the cook-shanty and eats all the pancakes; Benny
eats a red hot stove by mistake and dies.
Responses will vary. Students may mention real-life
heroes like soldiers, doctors, firefighters, and policemen.
They may say that the characteristics they admire are
bravery, honesty, determination, and perseverance. At
the last question, students may say that these stories are
popular because they inspire readers to make a difference.
0221-0245_G8_ELL_AK.indd 243
AFTER READING
Reading Check
1. B
2. B
3. B
4. C
5. A
Vocabulary Check
1. B
2. A
3. C
4. C
5. B
Analyze Literature: Hyperbole
Responses will vary. Some students may say that the
hyperbole made the story very entertaining. Others may
say that it made Paul Bunyan seemed like a hero. Examples
of hyperbole include: Paul fixed a granite floor sunk two
hundred feet deep; The Pacific Ocean froze over in the
winter of the Blue Snow; Two mosquitoes lighted on one of
Paul Bunyan’s oxen, killed it, ate it; The cookstove at that
camp covered an acre of ground; The eating table was three
miles long. There are other possible responses.
The author’s purpose is to entertain. He conveys this
purpose with the use of exaggeration in describing Paul
Bunyan—his feats of strength, his crews, his logging
camp, and Benny.
Build Language Skills: Colloquialism
Colloquialism
Formal Language
that finished him
that caused his death
[No women being on
the Big Onion river]
[With the absence of women
on the Big Onion river]
[particulars]
[detailed information]
[clean the bones]
[eat the meat off the bones]
[eating at the sweet
sorghum]
[feeding upon the sweet
sorghum]
[Benny broke loose]
[Benny escaped from his hold]
Work Together: Role-Play
Student interpretations of the text will vary. Use the
rubric below to evaluate students’ skits.
Role-Play Rubric
2 – Satisfactory Students were able to express their ideas
using clear and simple language. They made an
effort to show the emotions of the characters in
their role-play.
LEVEL III
243
4/23/09 8:50:01 PM
LITERARY CREDITS
“Charles” from The Lottery by Shirley Jackson. Reprinted by permission of Farrar, Straus, & Giroux, LLC.
“A Mother in Mannville” from When the Whippoorwill by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. Copyright © 1936 by Marjorie
Kinnan Rawlings. Copyright renewed © 1964 by Norton Baskin. Used by permission of Brandt & Hochman Literary
Agents, Inc. Any electronic copying or distribution of this text is expressly forbidden.
“Born Worker” from Petty Crimes by Gary Soto, copyright © 1998 by Gary Soto, reprinted by permission of
Harcourt, Inc.
“The Medicine Bag” by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve, published in BOY’S LIFE, March 1975. Reprinted by
permission of the author.
“The Story of Iqbal Masih” from Stolen Dreams: Portraits of Working Children by David L. Parker with Lee Engfer
and Robert Conrow. Copyright © 1998 by David L. Parker. Reprinted with the permission of Twenty-First Century
Books, a division of Lerner Publishing Group., Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this text excerpt may be used or
reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the prior written permission of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.
From Luke Baldwin’s Vow by Morley Callaghan. Reprinted by permission of Exile Editions.
From Ishi In Two Worlds, A Biography Of The Last Wild Indian In North America, by Theodora Kroeber. Copyright
© 1961 Theodora Kroeber, © 1962 Regents of the University of California. Renewal 1989 John H. Quinn. Reprinted
by permission of John H. Quinn 1992 Trust and Jed Riffe & Associates, Ltd.
“The Struggle to be an All-American Girl” by Elizabeth Wong. Reprinted by permission of the author at www.
elizabethwong.net.
From Immigrant Kids by Russell Freedman, copyright © 1980 by Russell Freedman. Used by permission of Dutton
Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. 345 Hudson
Street, New York, NY 10014. All rights reserved.
“Appearances are Destructive” by Mark Mathabane. Reprinted by permission of Fifi Oscard Agency.
“Dreams” copyright © 1994 by the Estate of Langston Hughes, from The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes by
Langston Hughes, edited by Arnold Rampersad with David Poessel, Associate Editor, copyright © 1994 by the Estate
of Langston Hughes. Used by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc.
“Southbound on the Freeway” from The Complete Poems to Solve by May Swenson. Reprinted by permission of
Literary Estate of May Swensen.
“Ode to My Socks” from Neruda and Vallejo: Selected Poems by Pablo Neruda, translated by Robert Bly. Reprinted
by permission of Robert Bly.
“Oda a los calcentines” from Odas Elementales by Pablo Neruda. Copyright © Fundacion Pablo Neruda, 2007. Reprinted
by permission of Agencia Literaria Carmen Balcells S.A.
“Birdfoot’s Grandpa” from Entering Onondaga by Joseph Bruchac. Reprinted by permission of Barbara Kouts.
“Sorry, Right Number” by Stephen King. Reprinted with Permission. Copyright © Stephen King. All rights reserved.
“Where the Girl Rescued Her Brother” from The Girl Who Married the Moon by Joseph Bruchac and Gayle Ross.
Reprinted by permission of Barbara Kouts Literary Agency.
“John Henry Blues” from Long Steel Rail: The Railroad in American Folksong transcribed by Norm Cohen. Copyright
© 2000 by Board of Trustees. Used with permission of the University of Illinois Press.
“The Tale of Annie Christmas” retold by Walker Brents. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“Paul Bunyan of the North Woods” from The People, Yes by Carl Sandburg, copyright 1936 by Harcourt, Inc. and
renewed 1964 by Carl Sandburg, reprinted by permission of the publisher. This material may not be reproduced in
any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher.
244
LEVEL III
0221-0245_G8_ELL_AK.indd 244
4/23/09 8:50:02 PM
PHOTO CREDITS
Page 18. Photo taken by Anne Hornyak, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Licence
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/).
Page 45. This image is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_the_GNU_Free_Documentation_License).
Page 84. Photo taken by John Haslam, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Licence
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/).
Page 128. Photo taken by SriMesh, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0 Licence
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/).
Page 146. Photo taken by Tomás Rodríguez Ontiveros, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike
2.5 Licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5/).
Page 152. Photo taken by Lisa Risager, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.0 Licence
Page 174. Photo taken by Meno Keller, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0 Licence
0221-0245_G8_ELL_AK.indd 245
LEVEL III
245
4/23/09 8:50:02 PM

Born Worker - EMC Publishing

Transcription

Similar documents

UP UP AND AWAY - Principato di Seborga

The Little School Bus - AmazingClassroom.com

Power, Steering Proxes R888 sticks to the track whilst you stick to

ELL

Easy-Happy-Sex - Aboriginal Tribal Leader Mourning her Son is

Keep It Moving. - Center for Integrative Medicine

Everyday Value

IDeal™ - Afimilk

EUROLOGY. confOrmation.

Best Places to Work Genumark