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EMCParadigm Publishing Saint Paul, Minnesota

UNIT TWELVE

RESOURCE

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ISBN 0-8219-2159-2© 2001 EMC Corporation

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 permission from the publisher.

Published by EMC/Paradigm Publishing875 Montreal WaySt. Paul, Minnesota 55102800-328-1452www.emcp.comE-mail: [email protected]

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Cover CreditsCover Designer: C. Vern Johnson

The Human Condition, 1934. Rene Magritte.

The Farm, 1921–1922. Joan Miró.

The Persistence of Memory, 1931. Salvador Dali.

ContentsSelection Worksheet 12.1: “House Taken Over” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Selection Check Test 4.12.1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Selection Test 4.12.2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Selection Worksheet 12.2: “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Selection Check Test 4.12.3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Selection Test 4.12.4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Selection Worksheet 12.3: “The Adventure of the Speckled Band” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32


Selection Test 4.12.6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Selection Worksheet 12.4: “The Pedestrian” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48


Selection Test 4.12.8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Selection Worksheet 12.5: “By the Waters of Babylon” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62


Selection Test 4.12.10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Selection Worksheet 12.6: The Hitchhiker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Selection Check Test 4.12.11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Selection Test 4.12.12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Unit 12 Review/Study Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Unit 12 Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

Answer Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

© EMC U N D E R S TA N D I N G L I T E R AT U R E UNIT 12 RESOURCE 1

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Selection Worksheet 12.1 “House Taken Over,” page 917

READER RESPONSE ACTIVITIES

Graphic Organizer, page 917

On the cluster chart below, list facts that contribute to the mood of the story. One example has beendone for you.

Reader’s Journal, page 917

What is your favorite room in your house?

Mood

Irene turned downsuitors for no

particular reason

2 UNIT 12 RESOURCE U N D E R S TA N D I N G L I T E R AT U R E © EMC

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Guided Reading Questions

PAGE 918

Who lived in the house before the narrator and his sister Irene?

What was it that kept both the narrator and his sister from getting married?

What plans do the narrator and his sister have for the house?

How does Irene spend most of her days?

PAGE 919

How do they earn their living?

PAGE 920

What part of the house do they live in?

What does the narrator hear in the other part of the house?

What does he do in response to the sound?

PAGE 921

Why is it difficult to be restricted to one part of the house?

What is good about being restricted to one part of the house?

What do they gradually stop doing as they live in their part of the house?


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PAGE 922

In what part of the house do they remain silent?

What happens to Irene’s knitting?

What does the narrator do after he locks the front door?

Respond to the Selection, page 922

What or who do you think took over the house?

INVESTIGATE, INQUIRE, AND IMAGINE, PAGE 924

Recall

1a. What does the narrator do after he hears thefirst sounds in the house?

2a. Exactly how does Cortázar describe the soundsthat the narrator hears?

3a. What is Irene doing throughout most of thestory?

Interpret

1b. Why do you think he reacts this way? What ishe afraid of?

2b. Why do you think Cortázar uses these particu-lar details to describe the sounds? What mean-ing is he trying to get at here?

3b. What is the significance of her knitting anentire bureau full of clothes, which is obviouslyfar more than she and her brother can use?


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UNDERSTANDING LITERATURE, PAGE 924 SETTING. How does the setting reflect the meaning of “House Taken Over”?

MOOD. Review the cluster chart you completed for the Graphic Organizer. What is the mood of the story?

Analyze

4a. What evidence do you see in the story that thebrother and sister are satisfied with the waythings are in their lives? Cite evidence from thestory to support your answer.

Synthesize

4b. Why is the house being taken over? Whatwarning is the author giving us about our ownlives?

Evaluate

5a. Do you think the narrator’s ancestors wouldapprove of the life he is leading in this house?Explain your answer.

Extend

5b. Read the poem “House” by Pablo Neruda. Inwhat ways is the house in the poem like thehouse in “House Taken Over”? Use details fromboth the story and poem to support youranswer.


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WRITER’S JOURNAL, PAGE 925

1. Imagine that you are the narrator and you have just received a letter from a friend asking how youare and what you are up to. Write a letter answering your friend’s questions.

2. Imagine you are Irene. Write the journal entry that you might have written following the first signof the house being taken over.

3. Write a description of a location, paying attention to describing the mood you want to convey.


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INTEGRATING THE LANGUAGE ARTS, PAGE 925

Language, Grammar, and Style

LINKING VERBS. Read the Language Arts Survey 3.10, “Linking Verbs.” Then identify the linking verb ineach of the following sentences.

1. At the beginning of the story, the narrator and his sister are ready to move into the house.

2. They appear complacent about life.

3. They remain isolated in one wing of the house when the other section of the house is taken over.

4. At first they seem unaffected by the new occupants.

5. Do they leave the house because they grow afraid of the occupants?

Study and Research & Media Literacy

RESEARCHING SURREALISM. Using the library or the Internet, research the artistic movement of Surrealism.Who began the movement? What were its basic ideas, and where did they come from? How is it possi-ble to recognize a surreal literary or artistic work? Who were the movement’s most famous artists? Whataspects of “House Taken Over” are surreal? Use the research log below to record your findings and tonote the sources you consulted. Then, on your own paper, write a report to present to the class.

Research Log

Research Findings on Surrealism:


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Sources Used:


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Vocabulary

CONNOTATION AND DENOTATION. The denotation of a word is its dictionary definition, while itsconnotation is all the associations it has in addition to its literal meaning. The mood of a piece of litera-ture is determined in part by the connotations of the vocabulary chosen.

Pretend you have been asked to help Paul Blackburn translate “House Taken Over” from the originalSpanish. Your job is to reflect on the underlined Words for Everyday Use in the passages below, and sug-gest two synonyms with different connotations for each vocabulary word.

EXAMPLE

It was pleasant to take lunch and commune with the great hollow, silent house, and it was enough forus just to keep it clean.

commune: subsist, communicate

1. We were easing into our forties with the unvoiced concept that the quiet, simple marriage of sisterand brother was the indispensable end to a line established in this house by our grandparents.

indispensable:

2. But Irene was only interested in the knitting and showed a wonderful dexterity, and for me thehours slipped away watching her, her hands like silver sea-urchins, needles flashing . . .

dexterity:

3. I hurled myself against the door before it was too late and shut it, leaned on it with the weight ofmy body; luckily, the key was on our side; moreover, I ran the great bolt into place, just to be safe.

hurl:

4. Irene said that in my sleep I flailed about enormously and shook the blankets off.

flail:

5. Irene noticed how brusquely I had paused, and came up beside me without a word.

brusquely:


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Selection Check Test 4.12.1 “House Taken Over”

CHECKING YOUR READING

Short Answer

1. Who lives with the narrator in the huge, old house, and what do the two of them intend to do withthe house eventually?

2. What do the two inhabitants of the house do all day? What does the narrator say they eventually livewithout doing?

3. How do the two earn their money?

4. Why does the narrator have to close off the back part of the house?

5. What finally happens to the house at the end of the story? What do the narrator and Irene do?


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VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT

Sentence Completion

Fill in each blank with the most appropriate word from the following Words for Everyday Use from“House Taken Over.” You may not use every word, and you may have to change the tense of somewords.

dexterity indispensable nocturnal flail commune hurl brusquely

1. Kayla’s dad hung up the phone so that I had no chance to leave a messagefor Kayla.

2. People feel a special bond with dogs; they feel they can with them as with noother animal.

3. The protesters were arrested when they rocks at the police.

4. A typical kindergartener does not yet have the needed to write in cursive.

5. Cats are creatures; that is why you often see them napping during the day.

LITERARY TOOLS

Short Answer

1. What is the setting of a literary work?

2. What is mood?

3. What is another word for the mood of a literary work?


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Selection Test 4.12.2 “House Taken Over”

INSIGHTFUL READING

Multiple Choice

Circle the letter of the correct answer.

1. What might the narrator do to prevent his cousins from inheriting the house?

a. sell it

b. donate it to charity

c. get married

d. tear it down

2. Irene knits _____.

a. more things than she or the narrator can use

b. because they cannot afford to buy new clothes

c. things she can donate to the local orphanage

d. only in the morning

3. When the narrator hears noises in the back of the house, _____.

a. neither he nor Irene ever goes back there again

b. he is afraid to call the police because they are corrupt

c. he is afraid to call the police because he and Irene live there illegally

d. he makes plans to have it torn down

4. The narrator and Irene have a difficult time _____.

a. slaughtering the animals for food

b. keeping the house warm

c. sleeping

d. explaining their lives to the neighbors

5. Irene’s and the narrator’s activities seem designed to _____.

a. enable them to survive despite their poverty

b. antagonize the government

c. contribute to worthy causes

d. use up time


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Short Answer

1. Describe the relationship between Irene and the narrator.

2. How do the two interact with other people? Why?

3. What activity do Irene and the narrator spend all morning doing? What does this suggest about theirsituation?

4. Do the characters in this story have the power to change their lives? Why are they content?

5. Why does the house evict the narrator and Irene? How do you think they will react to this change?Why?


Sentence Completion

Fill in each blank below with the most appropriate word from the following Words for Everyday Use from“House Taken Over.” You may not use every word, and you may have to change the tense of somewords.

nocturnal skein brusquely flail indispensable commune recessed

1. We keep a basket for the mail on a table in the nook by the front door.

2. Many desert animals are , sleeping all day and moving about at night.

3. Martha likes to lie on the roof and with the stars in the night sky.

4. Just as the child her arms, the lifeguard spotted her and dove in after her.

5. In the last decade, computers have become for conducting business.


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UNDERSTANDING LITERARY CONCEPTS

True or False

1. This story takes place in twentieth-century Argentina.

2. The primary setting of this work is an old house.

3. Another term for mood is atmosphere.

4. All of the action of this story takes place in or near the house.

5. The details in this story create a romantic mood.

Short Answer

1. What does Irene’s knitting suggest about her character?

2. Why does the narrator say, “We were fine, and little by little we stopped thinking. You can live with-out thinking”? What does this suggest about him?

3. Irony is the difference between appearance and reality. Explain one thing that is ironic about the nar-rator’s lifestyle.

4. Some critics claim that the house itself is the strongest “character” in this story. Why do you thinkthey make this claim?

5. Explain the mood of this story.


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CRITICAL WRITING

Essay

Choose one of the following prompts and write an essay. Complete both the Prepare to Write and Writesections of the prompt you choose. Use your own paper as necessary.

1. Fantasy and Reality

PREPARE TO WRITE. What elements of this story appear real? What elements seem like fantasy? Why? Howdo the fantastic and realistic elements interact to support the story’s theme? How do they interact to cre-ate the story’s mood? What overall effect is achieved from this weaving of fantasy and reality?

WRITE. In your essay, explicate the use of fantasy and reality in this story, and show how the authorweaves them together to achieve an effect.


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2. What Will They Do?

PREPARE TO WRITE. At the end of this story, the narrator and Irene are leaving the house. Why? How arethey reacting to this event? What do you think they will do next? How will they react?

WRITE. Write a one- to two-page conclusion to the story, showing what the narrator and Irene do oncethey leave the house. The conclusion must maintain the style of the story.


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Selection Worksheet 12.2 “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings,” page 926



Complete the cluster chart below listing the examples of Magical Realism in the story. One example hasbeen done for you.


How would you treat a stranger who came to your door in search of help?

Magical Realism

Man with wings falls into the

village


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PAGE 929

What do the villagers throw at the angel?

What human aspects does the angel demonstrate?

PAGE 930

How does the angel react when it is branded?

PAGE 931

What do Pelayo and Elisenda do with their newly acquired wealth?

PAGE 932

What does the angel sing?


If you were the angel, how would you assess your stay with Pelayo and Elisenda?


Recall

1a. What does Pelayo find in his courtyard?

2a. Who comes to see the angel?

Interpret

1b. Why do Pelayo and Elisenda think the angel isa “lonely castaway from some foreign shipwrecked by the storm”?

2b. Why does the priest doubt the good intentionsof the angel?


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UNDERSTANDING LITERATURE, PAGE 934 POINT OF VIEW. How would the story be different if it were told from the angel’s point of view? Whatthings might we learn about the angel?

OXYMORON. What does Elisenda say when the angel comes to live in the house? What makes this anoxymoron?

3a. What happens to make the onlookers loseinterest in the angel?

3b. What lesson does the spider woman teachchildren?

Analyze

4a. Analyze Pelayo and Elisenda’s motivations fortreating the angel as they do.

Synthesize

4b. Why does the angel stay with Pelayo andElisenda if he is not treated well?

Evaluate

5a. Evaluate the potency of the angel’s powers.

Extend

5b. Read the Related Reading, “East Song.” Whatdoes the “invisible angel” represent in an indi-vidual’s life? How is the angel of the poem dif-ferent from the one in the short story?


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MAGICAL REALISM. Review the cluster chart you completed in Graphic Organizer. What elements ofMagical Realism does García Márquez incorporate in his story?


1. Imagine you work in the traveling circus. Write an advertisement for the local village newspaperadvertising the attraction of the spider woman so that people will want to pay to see her.

2. Imagine you are the angel. Write a journal entry about your incarceration in the chicken coop.What do you think of Pelayo, Elisenda, and the villagers? What do you think they think of you?


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3. Imagine you are the village priest. Write a letter to the pope asking for direction on what to doabout the angel. What are your concerns?



THERE SENTENCES. Read the Language Arts Survey, “Working with There Sentences.” Then identify the sub-ject and verb for each of the following sentences.

1. After Pelayo returned from the beach, there was a man with enormous wings in his courtyard.

2. Has there ever been a more surprising sight than an angel in a chicken coop?

3. There was a circus that came to town.

4. Many curiosity seekers came, and there were now more people interested in the spider woman.

5. There was an incidence of chicken pox.


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Study and Research & Collaborative Learning RESEARCHING ANGELS. With several classmates, research how angels are portrayed in religion, literature,and the media. What human characteristics do they possess? What spiritual characteristics do they pos-sess? Use the research log below to record your findings and to note the sources you consulted. Thenreport your findings to the class.

Research Log

Research Findings on Angels:

Sources Used:


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Vocabulary

EXPLORING WORD ORIGINS AND WORD FAMILIES. Just as types of literature such as Magical Realism reflect thecultural views from which they come, words also develop and evolve to help meet the needs for culturalexpression.

EXERCISE

Determine how each of the following words was formed by using a dictionary to look up its etymologyand definition.

EXAMPLE

etymology definition

cataclysm Greek kataklyzein—to inundate flood, deluge; a violent geologic change of theearth’s surface; a momentous and violentevent marked by overwhelming upheaval anddemolition

1. catechism etymology:

definition:

2. hermetic etymology:

definition:

3. iridescent etymology:

definition:

4. supernatural etymology:

definition:

5. terrestrial etymology:

definition:

6. grandeur etymology:

definition:

7. decrepitude etymology:

definition:


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8. robust etymology:

definition:

9. deign etymology:

definition:

10. haughty etymology:

definition:


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Selection Check Test 4.12.3 “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings”


Short Answer

1. What strange person does Pelayo find in his courtyard?

2. What is Father Gonzaga’s opinion of the man? What evidence does he have for feeling this way?

3. How do the people in the village react to the winged man? What do they want from him?

4. What new attraction comes to town?

5. What finally happens to the winged man?


Sentence Completion

Fill in each blank with the most appropriate word from the following Words for Everyday Use from “AVery Old Man with Enormous Wings.” You may not use every word, and you may have to change thetense of some words.

infamy penitent haughty ingenuous

iridescent celestial proliferate magnanimous

1. The oil splotches on the pavement were in the sunlight.

2. Years later, Raul felt and apologized to his younger sister for having picked onher when they were kids.

3. The child was shocked to learn that her grandmother was her father’s“mommy.”


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4. In the summertime, ants in our backyard.

5. The actor carried himself with an air of superiority, and waved away his fanswith a sneer of disgust.

LITERARY TOOLS

Short Answer

1. From whose point of view is “The Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” told?

2. Give an example of an oxymoron.

3. What is Magical Realism?


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Selection Test 4.12.4 “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings”

INSIGHTFUL READING

Multiple Choice


1. What connection does the old woman make between the old man and the newborn?

a. she thinks the old man caused the child’s illness

b. she thinks the old man cured the child

c. she thinks the old man was coming to take the child away

d. she thinks the old man suffers the same illness as the child

2. What best sums up the people’s attitude toward the old man?

a. suspicious curiosity

b. desperate fear

c. violent anger

d. kind generosity

3. What happened to the people who came to the old man looking for miracles?

a. the old man helped them

b. the old man ignored them

c. they got strange results

d. the priest chased them away

4. Who comes closest to befriending the old man?

a. Elisenda

b. the old woman

c. the child

d. the priest

5. Throughout the story, the old man is compared to _____.

a. a doctor

b. a sailor

c. a shepherd

d. a priest


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Short Answer

1. How do Pelayo and Elisenda react when they first encounter the old man?

2. How does the old man react to the people?

3. How is the old man’s presence a mixed blessing for Pelayo and Elisenda?

4. Why does the spider woman draw attention away from the old man?

5. After the old man moves into the house, he loses his feathers and seems near death. What signs arethere then that he is recovering?


Sentence Completion

Fill in each blank below with the most appropriate word from the following Words for Everyday Use from“A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings.” You may not use every word, and you may have to change thetense of some words.

magnanimous robust hermetic grandeur cataclysm penitent prudence

1. We were amazed by the of the homes in New Orleans’ garden district.

2. Gladys spent hours puzzling over the texts before finding the answer.

3. Wang is an excellent sailor, and he always uses when the weather is bad.

4. Nadia gasped when she saw the aftermath of the .

5. Although he had been sickly as a child, Marcello grew into a(n) adult.


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Multiple Choice


1. This story is told from whose point of view?

a. first person

b. second person

c. third-person limited

d. third-person omniscient

2. Whose perspective is shared the least?

a. Pelayo’s

b. Elisenda’s

c. the priest’s

d. the old man’s

3. Which of the following is an example of an oxymoron?

a. “I was so embarrassed I could have died!”

b. “The character’s fate was poetic justice.”

c. “After the curtain fell, a deafening silence filled the auditorium.”

d. “Are you working hard, or hardly working?”

4. Magical Realism most closely expresses the worldview of _____.

a. Europeans

b. Americans

c. Latin Americans

d. Asians

5. Which character best reflects Magical Realism?

a. the priest

b. the old woman

c. the circus woman

d. the child

Short Answer

1. As the story opens, how does García Márquez create a sense of discomfort and strangeness?


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2. Why do you think García Márquez sets his story in a small rural village?

3. Give an example of an oxymoron from the story.

4. What makes the priest ironic?

5. What is a primary conflict in this story?

CRITICAL WRITING

Essay


1. Magical Realism

PREPARE TO WRITE. How do Pelayo and Elisenda, the priest, the old woman, and the others react to theold man? What does and does not concern them? What other evidence is there that the villagers arewilling to believe in the supernatural? What does this suggest about their culture, especially their religionand their beliefs? What statement do you think García Márquez may have been making about humannature?


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WRITE. In an essay, examine the role of the supernatural in this story, and the statement you think GarcíaMárquez is making about human nature.

2. An Ancient Story

PREPARE TO WRITE. This story concludes with Elisenda watching the old man fly away “because then hewas no longer an annoyance in her life but an imaginary dot on the horizon of the sea.” Why does shefeel more kindly toward him now that he is gone? In what ways does the old man conform to people’sexpectations of an angel? How does he not live up to these expectations? How do they react when hedoesn’t live up to expectations? What statement do you think this story makes about expectations?


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WRITE. In an essay, examine the story’s point about expectations. Consider especially people’s treatmentof the old man when he does and does not meet expectations.


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Selection Worksheet 12.3 “The Adventure of the Speckled Band,” page 936



A plot is a series of events related to a central conflict, or struggle. A plot includes the introduction of aconflict, its development, and its resolution. Review the elements of plot in the Handbook of LiteraryTerms. Then identify the inciting incident, climax, and resolution of this story and fill them in on the plotpyramid below.


Think about someone you highly respect. He or she may be a mentor, teacher, or friend. What drawsyou to that person?


PAGE 937

Why does Holmes work?

PAGE 938

What does Watson admire about Holmes?

Rising Actio

n

Inciting Incident

Exposition

Falling Action

Climax

Resolution

Dénouement


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PAGE 939

Why do the young woman’s fears and suspicions seem silly to other people to whom she turns for advice?

PAGE 940

What change occurred in Miss Stoner’s stepfather? What happens as a result of this change?

PAGE 941

Who are Dr. Roylott’s friends?

Why does Holmes want her to be precise about the details of her story?

What does Julia ask Helen?

PAGE 942

What does Miss Stoner hear after the scream?

What were Helen’s sister’s last words?

PAGE 943

What conclusion does Holmes draw? On what basis?

Where is Miss Stoner sleeping? What is significant about the noise she hears? In what way is her situation sim-ilar to that of her sister just before her death?

PAGE 944

Why do you think Holmes doesn’t want the stepfather to know about his examining the rooms?


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What theory might Holmes have at this point about the cause of the sister’s death?

PAGE 945

Why does Dr. Roylott bend the steel poker?

PAGE 946

What motivation does Dr. Roylott have for committing murder?

PAGE 947

What does Holmes mean when he says, “that is suggestive”?

PAGE 949

What unusual details does Holmes observe in the room?

PAGE 950

What does Holmes find odd about the dog lash? What might he infer from this clue?

Holmes seems at this point to have solved the mystery. Based on the details presented so far in the story, whatdo you think the solution to the mystery is?

PAGE 951

What might be small enough to pass through the ventilator?

What detail led Holmes to infer the existence of the ventilator?


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What had Holmes noticed about the bed? What explanation does he give Watson?

PAGE 952

What items has Holmes brought in preparation for their vigil? Why do you think he brought these things?

PAGE 953

What sound do Holmes and Watson hear? What is Holmes’s reaction? What second sound do they hear?

What do you think has happened?

PAGE 954

Why is it dangerous to draw conclusions upon insufficient data?

What observation caused Holmes to reject his first theory about the murder?

PAGE 955

What clues did Holmes use to confirm his theory?


From Miss Stoner’s narrative, what guesses did you make about the cause of her death? What do youthink of Holmes’s reasoning? Do you detect any flaws in explanation?


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Recall

1a. What two sounds does Miss Stoner hear on thenight of Julia’s death?

2a. What is unusual about the bell-rope?

3a. What is “the speckled band”?

Interpret

1b. What three events cause Miss Stoner to fear forher life and prompt her urgent visit to Holmes?

2b. What facts about the furnishings in MissStoner’s bedroom suggest a horrible crime toHolmes?

3b. What “erroneous conclusion” reminds Holmesof the dangers of reasoning from “insufficientdata”?

Analyze

4a. What kind of man is Dr. Grimesby Roylott?What motivates him to commit such horriblecrimes?

Synthesize

4b. Holmes says, “Ah me! it’s a wicked world, andwhen a clever man turns his brains to crime, itis the worst of all.” In what ways does thisquote apply to Dr. Roylott?


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UNDERSTANDING LITERATURE, PAGE 956 NARRATOR. A narrator is one who tells a story. Who is the narrator of this story? What is that narrator’srelationship to the main character? What special circumstances give this narrator access to the detailsrelated in the story?

PLOT AND CONFLICT. Review the pyramid you completed for the Graphic Organizer. In this story, what isthe struggle that the main character undertakes? What techniques does the main character use toresolve the conflict?


1. Create three possible headlines used for a newspaper article that might be written about the night’sevents that took place at the Stoke Moran Manor House.

Perspective

5a. Pretend Holmes went to trial for the murder ofDr. Roylott. Imagine you are the judge. Wouldyou find him guilty or innocent of the murder?Why, or why not?

Empathy

5b. Imagine you are Holmes. Would you feel guiltyfor being indirectly responsible for Dr. Roylott’sdeath? Why, or why not?


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2. Imagine you are a coroner. Write a death report describing the cause of Dr. Roylott’s death.

3. Pretend you are Helen Stoner. Write a thank-you letter to both Holmes and Watson for destroyingyour fears and saving your life.



USING QUOTATION MARKS. Review the Language Arts Survey 3.92, “Quotation Marks.” Then copy thesentences below, adding quotation marks where needed.

1. I’m very sorry to wake you, said Holmes, but we need to get started with the investigation.

2. Watson said, I am willing to help you in any way you need.

3. My name is Helen Stoner, said the woman with fear on her face.


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4. My dear fellow, Watson said in earnest, I would not miss it for the world.

5. It is a swamp adder! cried Holmes; the most poisonous snake in India!

Study and Research

FAN CLUB. As a class, research the Baker Street Irregulars and the Sherlock Holmes Society of London andfind the names and addresses of other clubs devoted to Sherlock Holmes. Use the research log below torecord your findings and to note the sources you consulted. Then form small groups, assigning one clubto each group, and write a letter to the club president. In your letter, explain your group’s interest in theclub and request information about the club’s history, activities, and membership.

Research Log

Research Findings on Sherlock Holmes Clubs:

Sources Used:


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Vocabulary

UNDERSTANDING MEANING THROUGH WRITING. Use the words Sir Arthur Conan Doyle used in “TheAdventure of the Speckled Band” to write your own intriguing descriptions.

EXERCISE

Choose one of the prompts from Writer’s Journal on page 957 of your textbook. Use and underline atleast ten vocabulary words in the Words for Everyday Use feature. Then exchange papers with a partnerand see if you used the words correctly.

EXAMPLES

1. Headlines

“Coroner Deduces Imprudence in Poisoning Death of Pet Owner”

2. Death report

Coroner’s Report

Dr. Roylott of Stoke Moran; deceased

Skin covering the head, face, and neck was minutely examined to disclose two successive puncturewounds surrounding the left carotid artery. Massive coronary immediately followed the introduction ofvenom into the bloodstream . . .

3. Thank-you letter

My dear Mr. Holmes and Mr. Watson,

Words cannot express my gratitude for the invaluable service you have rendered me by averting theimpending disaster about to befall . . .


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“The Adventure of the Speckled Band”


Short Answer

1. Whose death does Miss Stoner wish Sherlock Holmes to investigate, and where did this person die?

2. What noise did the victim hear in the dead of night? What were her last words before she died?What noises did Miss Stoner hear on the night the victim died?

3. Who stands to benefit from the deaths of Miss Stoner and her sister? Explain.

4. What three strange details does Sherlock Holmes notice when inspecting Miss Stoner’s bedroom?

5. What was the speckled band? Who was guilty of the murder, and how did he accomplish it?


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Sentence Completion

Fill in each blank with the most appropriate word from the following Words for Everyday Use from “TheAdventure of the Speckled Band.” You may not use every word, and you may have to change the tenseof some words.

averse dissolute sear deduction manifold aperture tangible impending

1. The in the wall of the fort enabled soldiers to shoot at the enemy while beingshielded from counterattack.

2. The detective believed the suspect was guilty, but was unable to prove it without having found

evidence, such as a dropped item or fingerprints, at the scene of the crime.

3. Stan was to hard work, and would avoid it whenever possible.

4. Benjamin Franklin’s legacy to American society was : he passed down witti-cisms and philosophy, discoveries, inventions, and theories.

5. The details of the accident were in the driver’s memory—it was impossible forher to forget.

LITERARY TOOLS

Sentence Completion

Fill in the blanks using the following terms.

resolution plot conflict narrator climax inciting incident

1. A(n) is a series of events related to a central conflict, or struggle.

2. The of this story is Dr. Watson, Sherlock Holmes’s sidekick.

3. The of a story is the high point of interest or suspense in the plot.


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Selection Test 4.12.6 “The Adventure of the Speckled Band”

INSIGHTFUL READING

Multiple Choice


1. Holmes startles Helen when he first meets her because he _____.

a. admits that he knew her sister

b. announces that she came by train and cart

c. reveals that he knows her stepfather

d. scolds her for awakening him so early

2. Dr. Roylott has a particular interest in things from _____.

a. England

b. France

c. Japan

d. India

3. When Helen visits Holmes, whom does he accuse her of protecting?

a. her stepfather

b. her mother

c. her sister

d. her fiancé

4. Why has Helen come to Holmes in such a rush?

a. she heard a sound that reminded her of her sister’s death

b. her stepfather’s increasing violence has scared her

c. gypsies attacked her stepfather during the night

d. she feels she must solve the mystery before she gets married

5. Holmes’s first, incorrect conclusion of how Julia died was _____.

a. he thought she had died of fright

b. he thought the baboon had killed her

c. he thought the gypsies harmed her

d. he thought she had fallen


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Short Answer

1. What is the speckled band?

2. Why would Roylott benefit by Helen’s death?

3. Explain what the two sounds Helen hears turn out to be. How do they figure into the plot of thismystery?

4. What role does Watson play in this mystery?

5. Identify three clues that lead Holmes to the solution.


Sentence Completion

Fill in each blank with the most appropriate word from the following Words for Everyday Use from “TheAdventure of the Speckled Band.” You may not use every word, and you may have to change the tenseof some words.

haggard dissolute vigil manifold loathing sear recoil

1. William when he saw the spider, but Lula quickly killed it.

2. The chef marinated the fish for an hour, then quickly it and served it up.

3. Unable to leave his ship to attend the birth of his child, the young sailor maintained a tense

by the telephone.

4. “This degree will benefit you in ways,” the college recruiter assured us.

5. Over the years, Marshall grew weary of constantly bailing out his sister.


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True or False

1. The inciting incident in this story is Helen Stoner’s visit to Sherlock Holmes.

2. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is credited with inventing the detective-story genre.

3. The narrator is Sherlock Holmes’s client.

4. In the dénouement, we learn that Holmes is unconcerned that he caused Dr. Roylott’s death.

5. The primary conflict revolves around Holmes’s struggle to solve the mystery.

Short Answer

1. What is the climax of this story?

2. How is suspense created in this story?

3. Describe Dr. Roylott. Why did his neighbors at Stoke Moran grow afraid of him?

4. Describe the narrator. Does he play a large or a small role in the plot? Explain.

5. What details contribute to the sense of strangeness that surrounds Stoke Moran?


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CRITICAL WRITING

Essay


1. Detective Stories

PREPARE TO WRITE. Write a critique of “The Adventure of the Speckled Band” as detective fiction. First,draw a list of five criteria a story should meet to be considered successful detective fiction. Then, explainhow well “The Adventure of the Speckled Band” does or does not meet each criterion. Finally, give youroverall evaluation of the story.

WRITE. Follow the above procedure to write a critique of “The Adventure of the Speckled Band” as detec-tive fiction.


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2. Police Report

PREPARE TO WRITE. If you were the police officer charged with reporting the death of Dr. Roylott, whatdetails would you include? In order to remove suspicion from Holmes, you’d have to be sure to provethat he was protecting Helen’s life. Make a list of notes for such a report.

WRITE. Write a police report on Roylott’s death. Be sure to include details about Roylott’s plot against hisstepdaughters, about the characters of Roylott and Holmes, and Holmes’s solution to the crime of Julia’sdeath.


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Selection Worksheet 12.4 “The Pedestrian,” page 958



As you read the story, record in the chart below the various details that give you a better sense of theparticular time and place of the setting and the mood evoked. One example is done for you.


What do you think an automated world might be like?


PAGE 959

Who else is in Leonard’s world? What might the phrase “as good as alone” indicate?

Sight “. . . it was not unequal to walking through a graveyard where only the faintest glimmersof firefly light appeared in flickers behind the windows.”

Hearing

Touch/Feeling

Taste

Smell


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PAGE 960

To what does Leonard compare walking through the dark city?

Where does Leonard imagine himself to be?

What has Leonard noticed that is strange about his walks?

How does Leonard react to seeing the police car?

PAGE 961

Why does Leonard walk?

PAGE 962

What does he notice as he approaches the car?

What is different about Leonard’s house?


What do you find most disturbing about the world in which Mr. Mead lives?


Recall

1a. What does Leonard Mead like to do at night?What does he learn to do to be less noticeable?

Interpret

1b. Why does Leonard want to avoid drawingattention to himself? Why are the streetsdeserted?


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2a. What is Leonard Mead’s profession? What tworeasons does Leonard give for walking?

3a. What does the police car do after questioningLeonard? Where does it take him?

2b. Why does the police car say he has no profes-sion? Why does the police car find Leonard’sreasons unbelievable? What might have helpedhim?

3b. How is Leonard’s house different from thosearound it? Why is Leonard seen as possessing“regressive tendencies”?

Analyze

4a. Why is crime ebbing in this large city?

Synthesize

4b. What are the people in this city lacking? Whatdoes Leonard have that they do not?

Evaluate

5a. What comment might Bradbury be makingabout society?

Extend

5b. Now that we have entered the twenty-first century, do you think Bradbury is accurate withsome of his predictions and warnings? In whatways are his predictions true? In what wayshave his predictions not yet come to pass?


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UNDERSTANDING LITERATURE, PAGE 963 MOOD. To what does the author compare the city in the second paragraph? What kind of mood doesthis create?

SETTING. Review the chart you completed for this Graphic Organizer. Where and when is this story set?What is strange about this place?


1. Write a police report to describe the interaction between Mr. Leonard Mead and the automatedpolice car. Include a description of Mr. Mead’s “unusual” behavior, the answers he gave to the ques-tions asked, and the reasons for transporting him to the Psychiatric Center for Research onRegressive Tendencies.


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2. Write a prediction of what you think life will be like in 2053. Will things have changed very much?What role will technological and scientific advances play in the near future? Explain why you thinkyour predictions will come true.

3. Imagine a day, a week, or longer during which you avoided any contact with electronic media—noTV, no videos, no e-mail, no phone conversations, no web-browsing, and so forth. Do you think theexperience would be an ordeal? an inconvenience? a freeing experience? Write a poem describingyour imagined mood at the end of the time period.


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Media Literacy & Speaking and Listening

MEDIA SEARCH. Use the Internet or library to find electronic or print articles about recent scientific discov-eries or emerging technologies. Imagine ways that these developments could affect life as we know it.Use the research log below to record your findings and to note the sources you consulted. Then sharesome of your findings with the class.

Research Log

Research Findings on Science and Technology:

Sources Used:


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Applied English

ESSAY WRITING. Participate in a TV-free week where you do other activities instead of watching TV. Keep alog on the activities you enjoyed, such as reading, being with friends, sports, and so on. At the end ofthe week, write an essay on the pros and cons of life without television.


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Selection Check Test 4.12.7 “The Pedestrian”


Short Answer

1. What does Leonard Mead like to do at night?

2. What do the other people in his city do at night?

3. What does Leonard say to explain to the police car why he is out walking at night? Why doesn’t thecar believe him?

4. What does Leonard notice about the police car when he approaches it?

5. Where does the police car take Leonard?


Sentence Completion

Fill in each blank with the most appropriate word from the following Words for Everyday Use from “ThePedestrian.” You may not use every word, and you may have to change the tense of some words.

illumination jockey alibi riveted revue

1. The huge neon sign cast a red into the windows across the street.

2. The reporters shoved each other, and for the best vantage point from whichto photograph the celebrity.

3. When my parents asked who had left the mess in the kitchen, I pointed out that I had a(n)

: I had been at the softball tournament all day.


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LITERARY TOOLS

Short Answer

1. What is mood?

2. How does a writer create mood?

3 What is setting? What is the setting of “The Pedestrian”?


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Selection Test 4.12.8 “The Pedestrian”

INSIGHTFUL READING

Multiple Choice


1. To regress is to _____.

a. break the law

b. rebel against authority

c. revert to old ways

d. perform a dangerous act

2. Although Mead walks every night, his walking is considered odd because _____.

a. he never leaves the house except when he walks

b. he walks for several hours

c. no one else walks

d. he walks instead of working at a job

3. What, apparently, do few people in Mead’s society do?

a. work

b. talk

c. break the law

d. go to college

4. The police car decides that Mead is _____.

a. harmless

b. mentally disturbed

c. a criminal

d. a hero

5. How is Mead’s house different from the others?

a. the other houses are dark

b. Mead has no air conditioner

c. Mead’s house is isolated

d. the other houses are fully automated


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Short Answer

1. What do you think will happen to Mead after this story concludes?

2. Why does the police car react as it does when Mead says he is not married?

3. Why might this society fear people’s “regressive tendencies”?

4. What does Mead say and do as he walks along the street each night? Why does he behave this way?

5. What does Mead value that the other people in this society do not value?


Sentence Completion

Fill in each blank below with the most appropriate word from the following Words for Everyday Use from“The Pedestrian.” You may not use every word, and you may have to change the tense of some words.

revue illumination jockey alibi riveted

1. The bright highlighted the façade of the building all night long.

2. At the yellow get-ready light, kids their go-carts in anticipation of the green.

3. Millions of Americans were to their televisions on the night of the popularshow’s series finale.


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True or False

1. This story is set in the future.

2. The only characters in this story are Mead and his neighbor.

3. This story takes place on a dark, gloomy night.

4. It is unclear exactly where this story takes place.

5. The primary conflict in this story is between Mead and his neighbor.

Short Answer

1. Describe the setting of this story.

2. Why is this setting strange?

3. How does the character of Mead seem different from the rest of his society?

4. What is the mood of this story?

5. What details create this mood?


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CRITICAL WRITING

Essay


1. Law and Order

PREPARE TO WRITE. Describe the lifestyle of the people in the society portrayed in this story. Why mightthis lifestyle reduce the need for police? What are the police in charge of doing? Why does the police cartarget Mead? Why is it important that there is no one inside the police car?

WRITE. In an essay, first describe the police as represented by the police car Mead encounters. Using thisas evidence, explain the role the police force might play in this society, what that suggests about thesociety, and why Mead would be a target.


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2. Human Contact

PREPARE TO WRITE. In this society, what sorts of experiences are encouraged? What is missing from peo-ple’s lives? How does society encourage this lifestyle? Why? Why does Bradbury describe the city as “agraveyard” and the buildings as “tomb-like”? What warning is Bradbury making? How does Mead helpBradbury make this warning?

WRITE. In an essay, describe the society Bradbury creates and the warning this description carries. In whatways is modern American society approaching the society created in this story?


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Selection Worksheet 12.5 “By the Waters of Babylon,” page 965



As you read, complete the chart below listing the objects and places the narrator describes, and see ifyou can determine what it is he is depicting. One example is done for you.


Have you ever come to an important discovery or realization? If so, describe the experience.

NARRATOR’S DESCRIPTION OUR TERMINOLOGY

god-roads highway


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PAGE 967

What is most strictly forbidden?

How does the narrator’s father know the narrator will be a priest?

PAGE 968

How does the narrator feel about his knowledge?

What does the narrator see in his dream?

PAGE 969

What sign convinces the narrator that he is meant to go east?

What does the narrator see that no man of his tribe has seen before?

PAGE 970

Why is the narrator afraid to continue his journey? Why does he continue?

What does the narrator describe?

Who teaches the narrator how to cross the river?

PAGE 971

In what way is the Place of the Gods different from the stories about it?

What possible explanations does the narrator have for the large number of pigeons he finds?

PAGE 972

What stops the narrator from further exploration?

Why can’t the narrator open the bronze door? What do you think the bronze door is?


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PAGE 973

What are the things the narrator finds in the god’s house?

In what way is the magic of the place still there?

What does the narrator find magical about his vision?

PAGE 974

How does the narrator sum up the nature of the gods?

How was the Place of the Gods destroyed?

PAGE 975

What does the narrator realize about the gods?

What advice does the narrator’s father give him? How does the narrator respond to this advice?


What can you learn by studying the past?


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Recall

1a. In which direction is it forbidden to travel?What can be taken from the Dead Places? Whois allowed to do this?

2a. What signs does the narrator receive that makehim believe that his journey was meant to be?What does he do after seeing the Place of theGods from across the river? How does he pre-pare to go there?

3a. What startling thing does the narrator find inthe dead house in the morning after his vision?

Interpret

1b. Why does the narrator go to the forbiddenplace? What are his ideas about this placewhen he sets out?

2b. Why is the narrator frightened to continue hisjourney? Why does he do so anyway?

3b. What realization does the narrator come toabout the gods? What decision does the narra-tor come to because of this realization?

Analyze

4a. What causes the narrator’s fascination with thePlace of the Gods?

Synthesize

4b. How is the title related to the story? In whatway is the historical background related to thestory?


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UNDERSTANDING LITERATURE, PAGE 976 SIMILE. What simile does the narrator use to describe his feelings about crossing the river into the Place ofthe Gods? Why might the narrator use images from nature with which to compare himself? How dothese similes describe his physical condition? his mental state?

APHORISM. The narrator’s father tells him, “Truth is a hard deer to hunt.” What does he mean by this?What might make it difficult for people to accept the truths the narrator wishes to share?

DIALECT. Review the chart you completed in the Graphic Organizer. How does the author’s use of dialectgive the story a more realistic flavor?

Evaluate

5a. Why do you think the Hill People forbade theirtribe members from journeying to the east,crossing the river, and going to the Place of theGods?

Extend

5b. The narrator believed that he would die whenhe set foot in the Place of the Gods, but he feltcompelled to go there anyway. Otherwise hewould never be at peace with his spirit. Howwould you compare the narrator’s feelings withthe imagined feelings of the dead man whomthe narrator found looking out the window ofthe house?


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1. Write a simile to help describe some modern technological innovation to a person who has nounderstanding of modern technology.

2. Write a descriptive paragraph depicting how your house, local park, school, or town center mightlook if it were abandoned for fifty or a hundred years.


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3. At the end of the story the narrator says, “We must build again.” Write a speech the narrator mightgive to his people to rally their support and excite them about building again. As a prewriting sug-gestion, make a list of reasons for building again. Think of ways life might be improved for the narra-tor’s people. Imagine the world of the “gods” as the narrator saw it. In your speech show why thisworld is so wonderful. Think of the structural things that need to be rebuilt, but consider the societalchanges that will occur as well.


Media Literacy & Speaking and Listening

SCIENCE FICTION ON SCREEN. Watch a science fiction movie or television show and review it for your class.Give a brief plot summary and explain why the movie or show is classified as science fiction.


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Study and Research

A STUDY OF BABYLON. Research the ancient city of Babylon and the excavation efforts of the twentiethcentury. Use the research log below to record your findings and to note the sources you consulted.Then, on your own paper, write a report on your findings.

Research Log

Research Findings on Babylon:

Sources Used:


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Selection Check Test 4.12.9 “By the Waters of Babylon”


Short Answer

1. To what forbidden place does the narrator travel?

2. What signs assure the narrator that his journey is meant to be?

3. What does the narrator do before crossing the river?

4. What does the narrator see while he sleeps in the dead house?

5. What does the narrator realize about the gods?


Sentence Completion

Fill in each blank with the most appropriate word from the following Words for Everyday Use from “Bythe Waters of Babylon.” You may not use every word, and you may have to change the tense of somewords.

chamber summon perplexed enchantment

1. Julian was when I put his king in check; he had no idea what move to make.

2. During our class field trip to the governor’s mansion, we were kindly ushered into the governor’s

while we waited to shake hands with him.

3. Everything in the garden was peaceful and still, as if under some that hadfrozen all movement.

4. The coach the quarterback to his office after practice.


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LITERARY TOOLS

Short Answer

1. What is an aphorism?

2. Give one example of an aphorism.

3. What is dialect?

4. What is a simile?

5. Give one example of a simile.


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Selection Test 4.12.10 “By the Waters of Babylon”

INSIGHTFUL READING

Multiple Choice


1. Priests in this society may do all of the following except ____.

a. treat wounds

b. read

c. interpret dreams

d. eat the food of the gods

2. Why does the narrator decide he must go east?

a. he must defy his father if he is to become a man

b. he sees signs that support his yearning for knowledge

c. he realizes that the only food available is east

d. he must find his way to the river

3. In the great house, the narrator decides that lamps and faucets do not work because ____.

a. the gods have willed them not to

b. the house knows he was not meant to be there

c. they were destroyed in the Great Burning

d. they have lost their magic

4. The narrator’s awareness of what the Place of the Gods once looked like comes ____.

a. from a dream

b. from paintings he finds in the house

c. from the old man’s description

d. from the books he finds in the library

5. What place does the narrator discover?

a. New York

b. Chicago

c. Washington

d. Los Angeles


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Short Answer

1. Why does the narrator sing his death song as he pushes his raft into the river? What does his deathsong suggest about him?

2. The narrator believes that the events of this story were preordained. What evidence does the storygive to suggest that he is right?

3. What does the narrator realize when he grasps the piece of metal and does not die? What was prob-ably the real reason people died from touching metal?

4. How does the narrator deal with his discovery in the Place of the Gods? Why do you think he reactsas he does?

5. What role does magic play in this story? What does this suggest about the culture of the Hill People?


Sentence Completion

Fill in each blank below with the most appropriate word from the following Words for Everyday Use for“By the Waters of Babylon.” You may not use every word, and you may have to change the tense ofsome words.

perplexed summon chamber enchantment

1. We stood in awe inside the mammoth cave while the guide took small groups into the inner

.

2. Twinkling lights, soft candlelight, and quiet music created an air of for thedance.

3. Jacques waited impatiently to be in to discuss his raise.


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Multiple Choice


1. What process does the narrator describe as feeling “as a fish is drawn on a line”?

a. he feels his destiny drawn along behind him

b. he feels his dreams spilling into the god-house

c. he feels his spirit dragged from his body

d. he feels the gods pulling his raft down the river

2. The narrator’s description in question 1 gives an example of ____.

a. simile

b. dialect

c. aphorism

d. myth

3. In the narrator’s jargon, a Dead Place is probably ____.

a. a grave

b. a church

c. a house

d. a temple

4. The Atlantic Ocean is known as “Bitter Water” because ____.

a. it is large

b. it is salty

c. it is the site from which the warships arrived

d. it is where the Hill People went to mourn their dead

5. The narrator discovers the city of _____.

a. New York

b. London

c. Athens

d. Moscow


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Short Answer

1. What decision does the narrator refer to when he says, “It is better to lose one’s life than one’sspirit”? Why does the narrator recall these words when he finds the dead man?

2. Describe the great house in which the narrator takes refuge from the dog pack.

3. How do the speech patterns in this story, particularly the narrator’s heavy use of simile, reflect theprimitive society it depicts?

4. What is the central conflict in this story?

5. What is ironic about the Hill People’s beliefs about the gods?


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CRITICAL WRITING

Essay


1. The Quest

PREPARE TO WRITE. In a quest myth, the hero undertakes a real, physical journey that leads him to greaterunderstanding. Where does the hero go, and what understanding does he acquire, of others and of him-self? As he learns about the gods, what aspects of their lives seem familiar to him, and what aspects donot? To what does the narrator attribute things he does not understand about the gods? What happenswhen he realizes who the gods really were? How do you think the narrator’s new understanding willaffect the society he will one day lead?

WRITE. In your essay, trace the narrator’s journey toward understanding, as he comes to rely less on hissociety’s teachings and more on what he feels and discovers for himself. Suggest the implications of thisfor the future of his society.


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2. Ancient Babylon

PREPARE TO WRITE. The ancient city of Babylon was lively, crowded, and the most famous city in theworld. Today, the term “Babylon” is used to refer to a place known for luxury, self-indulgence, pleasure,and corruption. How do you think Benét used this information in composing this story and choosing atitle? To what modern city does this story refer? What warning might Benét be making in this story?

WRITE. In your essay, explain Benét’s allusion to ancient Babylon in this story. What theme does the allu-sion help Benét convey?


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Selection Worksheet 12.6 The Hitchhiker, page 978

READER RESOURCE ACTIVITIES


Do you enjoy ghost stories and thrillers? Why do you think such stories are so popular?


PAGE 980

How will this ghost story differ from others?

How does the writer communicate the setting and build suspense and mystery at the beginning of the play?

PAGE 981

What does Adams’s mother fear?

How do the sound effects help to communicate the action?

What is unusual about the hitchhiker’s voice?


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PAGE 982

Why is Adams asking about the rain?

How do the mechanic’s comments add to the mystery?

PAGE 983

Why does Henry react in this way? What is peculiar about the way in which Adams is behaving?

PAGE 986

Why does the girl run away?

PAGE 987

What does this passage confirm or deny about Adams’s previous theory that the hitchhiker was getting fastrides and so staying ahead of him?

Why does Adams make the telephone call?

PAGE 988

What inexplicable information does Adams receive from Mrs. Whitney?


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Did you guess the ending before you finished reading? Discuss with other students in your class whatyou thought would happen.


Recall

1a. What does Adams tell his mother just before heleaves Brooklyn? What happens as Adams iscrossing the Brooklyn Bridge in the rain?

2a. Whom does Adams pick up while driving?What does he tell this person? What crazy actdoes Adams perform?

3a. Whom does Adams telephone near the end ofthe play? What reason does he give for makingthis call? What does he learn from Mrs.Whitney?

Interpret

1b. What is Adams’s mother worried about at thebeginning of the play? Given the later events ofthe play, were her fears justified? What doesAdams think happened on the bridge?

2b. Why does the person whom Adams picks uprun away? Does this person have reason to fearAdams? Why, or why not?

3b. What do you think happened to Adams whenhe swerved on the Brooklyn Bridge?


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UNDERSTANDING LITERATURE, PAGE 992 NARRATOR AND SOUND EFFECTS. Who is the narrator of this play? What information does the narrator pro-vide about the play to come? What does the narrator say to capture the attention of the audience andkeep them tuned in? What are some of the sound effects used in this play? Why are such effects espe-cially important in a radio play?

Analyze

4a. What makes the figure beside the road sofrightening?

Synthesize

4b. What question does Adams raise at the end ofthe play? How would you answer the question?

Evaluate

5a. Do you agree with the narrator that this is aspine-tingling tale? Why, or why not?

Extend

5b. Compare the play The Hitchhiker with theurban legends from The Vanishing Hitchhiker.Do you think the idea for the play could havecome from urban legends about mysterioushitchhikers? Why, or why not? What similaritiesand differences are there between the legendsand the radio play?


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FORESHADOWING AND SUSPENSE. How does the conversation between Adams and his mother at the begin-ning of the play foreshadow later events? What aspects of the hitchhiker raise questions in the minds ofAdams and the audience for this play? What question does Adams repeat about the hitchhiker at theend of the play? What question does he have about himself at the end of the play? What do you thinkthe answers to these questions might be? What other questions do you have that were never answeredin the play?


1. Imagine you wanted to tell this story around a campfire. Create a prose retelling of the play, beingsure to include all of the chilling details.


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2. Imagine that the hitchhiker appeared again at the end of the play and delivered his lines in the formof a poem. Write the poem he would recite to Adams, explaining to his listener what has happenedto him and where he must now go.

3. Think of a ghost story you know—perhaps one that you heard when you were a child. Now rewriteit in the form of a short radio play, using The Hitchhiker as a model.


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PARTS OF SPEECH. Identify the part of speech for each underlined word or phrase in the sentences below.

1. Orson Welles, a famous actor, writer, and director, read the part of the narrator in The Hitchhiker.

2. In this radio play, Ronald Adams, the main character, experiences a nightmarish drive from Brooklynto New Mexico.

3. Radio plays were very popular in the years before television was invented.

4. Say, have you ever heard of Lucille Fletcher’s other well-known work, Sorry, Wrong Number?

5. It was made into a movie, but I haven’t seen it yet. Would you like to rent it?


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Study and Research & Media Literacy

RESEARCHING URBAN LEGENDS. On the Internet, find an urban legend on the Urban Legends ReferencePages at http://www.snopes.com, a site run by Barbara and David P. Mikkelson. Use the research logbelow to record your findings and to note the sources you consulted. Then prepare an oral report aboutone of the legends. You may wish to create visuals to go along with your presentation.

Research Log

Research Findings on an Urban Legend:

Sources Used:


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Selection Check Test 4.12.11 The Hitchhiker


Short Answer

1. On what bridge did Adams swerve to avoid hitting a hitchhiker?

2. Who keeps appearing to Adams as he is traveling?

3. What happens just before the female hitchhiker leaves Adams?

4. To whom does Adams wish to speak when he calls home?

5. What does Adams learn about himself when he calls home?


Sentence Completion

Fill in each blank with the most appropriate word from the following Words for Everyday Use from “TheHitchhiker.” You may not use every word, and you may have to change the tense of some words.

phosphorescent nondescript ominous outset

1. The mushrooms glowed in the pitch-black cave.

2. At the of their journey, the Donner party was optimistic, but once they hadtraveled many miles, they began to despair.

3. The house was ; it looked like most of the other houses in the suburbanneighborhood.

4. Rain had been predicted and the sky indeed looked , so we decided to post-pone the picnic.


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LITERARY TOOLS

Sentence Completion

Fill in the blanks using the following terms. You may use some terms more than once.

sound effects foreshadowing narrator suspense

1. Playwrights sometimes call for to make the action in a play seem morerealistic.

2. A feeling of anxiousness or curiosity in the mind of the reader, viewer, or listener is called

.

3. The of a play introduces the work and piques interest in it.

4. is the act of presenting materials that hint at events to occur later.

5. The writer keeps the audience interested in a story by raising questions that produce

.


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Selection Test 4.12.12 The Hitchhiker

INSIGHTFUL READING

Multiple Choice


1. Adams’s mother’s behavior as she bids him goodbye suggests that she is ____.

a. happy

b. envious

c. worried

d. angry

2. What startles Adams when he sees the hitchhiker in Oklahoma?

a. the hitchhiker looks menacing

b. the hitchhiker shouts at him

c. the hitchhiker’s coat is wet

d. the hitchhiker is riding in another car

3. Why does Adams disobey his mother’s instructions?

a. he thinks they are silly and old-fashioned

b. he thinks he knows a better way to California

c. he becomes frightened of driving alone

d. he is tired of her trying to control him

4. Why does the girl’s fear of Adams seem justified?

a. he gets furious when she doesn’t believe him

b. he tries to kill her

c. he does not drive safely

d. he claims he is a ghost

5. Why does Adams call home?

a. he is worried about his mother

b. he wants to know if his mother has seen the hitchhiker

c. he needs more money

d. he wants to hear a familiar voice


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Short Answer

1. What prophetic warning does his mother give Adams as he leaves?

2. What incident makes Adams begin to suspect that the hitchhiker is luring him to his death?

3. What does Adams tell the girl?

4. What happens to Adams’s sightings of the man as he drives further across the country?

5. At the end of the play, what is Adams’s assessment of his situation?


Sentence Completion

Fill in each blank below with the most appropriate word from the following Words for Everyday Use fromThe Hitchhiker. You may not use every word, and you may have to change the tense of some words.

outset ominous phosphorescent nondescript

1. The teacher warned us that from the , we would have to complete our home-work in order to stay current in the class.

2. The restaurant looks from the street, but inside it is cleverly decorated.

3. Fire trucks and police cars rushing by us gave warning of what lay ahead.


Multiple Choice


1. As Adams drives across the Brooklyn Bridge, what sound foreshadows the ending of the play?

a. a scream

b. screeching tires

c. a foghorn

d. the radio


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2. Which of the following sound effects is not part of this play?

a. coins clinking

b. train whistle

c. cattle mooing

d. drawbridge raising

3. What question is raised but not answered in this story?

a. What happened to Adams?

b. What happened to Adams’s mother?

c. Where is Adams going?

d. What condition is Adams in now?

4. Where is Adams as he tells his story?

a. in his mother’s house

b. in the hospital

c. in California

d. beside the road

5. As they listened to this play on the radio, the suspense would have increased for contemporary audi-ences because ____.

a. many hitchhikers were killed in those days

b. cross-country automobile travel was novel

c. it was during the Depression

d. radios were new

Short Answer

1. What does Orson Welles assure the audience as this play opens?

2. How does Ronald Adams’s opening speech foreshadow the rest of the play?

3. Describe the hitchhiker. What impression does the hitchhiker make on Adams?

4. Why are sound effects particularly important to this play?


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5. What details create suspense in this play?

CRITICAL WRITING

Essay


1. What Happened?

PREPARE TO WRITE. What do you think has happened to Adams? How do you explain the strange occur-rences along the road? Who—or what—is the hitchhiker, exactly? What do you predict will happenwhen Adams finally comes in contact with the hitchhiker? Do you think Adams’s questions will beanswered? What will the answers be?

WRITE. Write a persuasive essay arguing for your interpretation of what has happened to Adams andwhat will happen next. Use evidence from the play to support your points.


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2. In This Day and Age . . .

PREPARE TO WRITE. This play is fiction, but it does offer legitimate warning. What warning does it make?Why would audiences in the 1940s be interested in this warning? Is it still relevant today? Why, or whynot? How else does this play reflect the 1940s society in which it was written? Has society changed somuch since the forties that this play is obsolete? Why, or why not?

WRITE. In your essay, examine the warning the play makes and tell whether this and other details are orare not relevant to today’s audiences.


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Unit 12 Review/Study Guide VOCABULARY WORKSHEET

Spelling

Circle the letter of the word that is spelled incorrectly. Then spell the word correctly on the blank provided.

1.

a. skain

b. reverie

c. folio

d. parapet

2.

a. impassable

b. scaffolding

c. commune

d. apperture

3.

a. prudence

b. infamy

c. tangible

d. penitant

4.

a. hermetic

b. grandeur

c. haughty

d. vestabule

5.

a. eroneous

b. wretched

c. phosphorescent

d. frivolity


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Synonyms

Circle the letter of the word that comes closest to meaning the same as the underlined word.

1. The narrator and Irene liked to spend their evenings blandly pursuing their tasks.

a. repetitively

b. loudly

c. mildly

d. excitedly

2. The old woman deduced that the old man was an angel.

a. insisted

b. reasoned

c. forgot

d. prayed

3. Watson recoiled in fright when Holmes suddenly leaped up, struck a match, and began wildly swing-ing his cane.

a. withdrew

b. screamed

c. ran

d. fainted

4. Mead had never met another person in over ten years of nocturnal strolls.

a. strange

b. long

c. nighttime

d. lonely

5. After Adams confided his plan, the girl screamed and ran from the car.

a. whispered

b. ignored

c. disclosed

d. changed


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Antonyms

Circle the letter of the word that comes closest to meaning the opposite of the underlined word.

1. The narrator and Irene reacted quickly to the ominous sounds in the house.

a. loud

b. quiet

c. common

d. innocent

2. The old man could not stand up because of his massive wings.

a. beautiful

b. small

c. still

d. colorless

3. Helen was a beautiful woman, but she looked haggard the day she visited Holmes.

a. sad

b. lively

c. calm

d. unattractive

4. Because of his uncommon nighttime activity, the police decided Mead was dissolute.

a. harmless

b. normal

c. honorable

d. sympathetic

5. The young man chose not to act in compliance with his society’s laws.

a. acceptance

b. suspicion

c. defiance

d. respect


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Sentence Completion

Fill in each blank below with the most appropriate word from the following Words for Everyday Use fromUnit 12. You may not use every word, and you may have to change the tense of some words.

successive prolong providential cataclysm flail robust outset

1. The brother and sister did not their stay after they heard the strange noises.

2. After a long winter, the old man became more and his wings began to grow.

3. Watson jumped up when Holmes wildly.

4. The young man knew at the that he might be punished for his actions.

5. Adams grew more agitated with each sighting of the hitchhiker.

LITERARY TOOLS

Sentence Completion

Fill in the blanks using the following terms.

mood setting simile sound effects aphorism dialect foreshadowing

Magical Realism plot oxymoron point of view narrator

1. are especially important to radio plays, where there are no visual aids.

2. “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” is an example of .

3. “Truth is a hard deer to hunt” is an example of .

4. A story’s may be part of the action or removed from it.

5. Details that hint of future occurrences in a story are known as .

6. The of “The Pedestrian” is in the future in a nondescript American town.

7. The of The Hitchhiker is eerie and grows more ominous as the play unfolds.

8. “House Taken Over” is told from the of one of the two main characters.

9. The of “The Adventure of the Speckled Band” revolves around Holmes’s effortsto solve a frightening mystery.

10. “By the Waters of Babylon” is written in the simple of a primitive society.


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REVIEW: WORDS FOR EVERYDAY USEChoose ten words from the list of Words for Everyday Use on page 1003 that you would like to incorpo-rate into your own daily language. For each word, write a short sentence that includes the word incontext.

1. Word:

Word in context:

2. Word:

Word in context:

3. Word:

Word in context:

4. Word:

Word in context:

5. Word:

Word in context:

6. Word:

Word in context:

7. Word:

Word in context:

8. Word:

Word in context:

9. Word:

Word in context:

10. Word:

Word in context:

REVIEW: LITERARY TOOLSDefine the following terms, giving concrete examples of how they are used in this unit. To review aterm, refer to the page number indicated or to the Handbook of Literary Terms.

• aphorism

aphorism, 965conflict, 936dialect, 965foreshadowing, 978Magical Realism, 926

mood, 917, 958narrator, 936, 978oxymoron, 926plot, 936point of view, 926

setting, 917, 958simile, 965sound effects, 978suspense, 978


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• conflict

• dialect

• foreshadowing

• Magical Realism

• mood

• narrator

• oxymoron

• plot

• point of view

• setting

• simile

• sound effects

• suspense


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REFLECTING ON YOUR READING

Genre Studies

1. SURREALISM AND MAGICAL REALISM. Discuss the surreal qualities and supernatural elements in the stories“House Taken Over” and “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings.” Which elements in the stories arerealistic, and which are not? Define Magical Realism. What characteristics of Magical Realism arepresent in “A Very Old Man . . .”? Do you think “House Taken Over” can be considered a MagicalRealist story? Why, or why not?

2. MYSTERY AND DETECTIVE FICTION. What are some other names for the genre of detective fiction?Name some elements you associate with detective fiction. Which of these are present in “TheAdventure of the Speckled Band”? Which elements in “The Adventure of the Speckled Band” make itexciting and suspenseful to read? Why do you think the genre of detective fiction has been so popu-lar over the years?

3. SCIENCE FICTION. Define science fiction and discuss the elements of science fiction that can be foundin the stories “The Pedestrian” and “By the Waters of Babylon.”


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4. URBAN LEGENDS AND POPULAR CULTURE. Compare the Related Reading from The Vanishing Hitchhiker tothe radio play The Hitchhiker. How does the mysterious hitchhiker figure into the urban legendsretold in the Related Reading, and how does he appear in the radio play? Do you think it is possiblethat the author of the play, Lucille Fletcher, drew inspiration from urban legends about hitchhikers?Why do you think the idea of an eerie hitchhiker appears in so many legends and in stories in ourpopular culture? What is it about that type of story that appeals to people today?

5. ROLE OF THE NARRATOR IN FICTION. Compare the roles of the narrators in the detective story “TheAdventure of the Speckled Band,” “By the Waters of Babylon,” and The Hitchhiker. What is the pur-pose of each narrator? Which narrators are omniscient, or all-knowing, and which are not? Whichnarrator best reflects the point of view of the reader, and why?

Thematic Studies

6. INVASION OF THE SUPERNATURAL. Compare the relationship of the real to the supernatural in “HouseTaken Over,” “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings,” “East Song,” and The Hitchhiker. How do thecharacters in each story regard the supernatural elements? Are they perplexed or frightened, or dothey take these happenings at face value? Is the reader supposed to take these unreal elements atface value or is there some hidden meaning or trick the reader must figure out?


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7. VISIONS OF THE FUTURE. Compare the vision of the future depicted in “The Pedestrian” with thatdepicted in “By the Waters of Babylon.” What does each author forsee might happen in the future?Which aspects of each story reflect events that have actually happened in the real world? What evilsin human nature or in today’s society could actually lead to such a nightmarish future as thatdepicted in each story?

QUESTIONS FOR WRITING, DISCUSSION, AND RESEARCH

1. With a small group, read and discuss Herman Melville’s short story, “Bartleby the Scrivener.” Why doyou think Bartleby acts as he does? Would you consider him apathetic? Why, or why not? CompareBartleby with the characters in “House Taken Over.” Why, in both stories, are the characters’ fatesessentially taken from their own control?

2. Consider Holmes in “The Adventure of the Speckled Band,” Mead in “The Pedestrian,” the narratorin “By the Waters of Babylon,” and the old man in “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings.” Howare each of these characters different from the people around them? What do they do differently?How do they think differently? How do they and their societies interact with one another? In agroup, discuss what each of these situations might suggest about people who are different from therest of society.


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3. Create a radio play from one of the other selections in this unit. In groups of two or three, firstexamine The Hitchhiker and note how sound effects support the narrative. Then, choose a section ofanother selection and decide what sound effects would help develop it if it were a radio play. Finally,use recording equipment to record the section as a radio play. Play the recording for the rest of theclass.

FOR YOUR READING LIST

Independent Reading Activity

PREDICTING THE FUTURE. Make a list of some of the predictions about the future that have come true, someof the most outrageous ones that have not come true, and some of the things you see in our world nowthat no one predicted. Write a short report on your comparisons.


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Unit 12 Test INSIGHTFUL READING

Multiple Choice

1. In “House Taken Over,” when the narrator hears noises in the back of the house _____.

a. he is afraid to call the police because they are corrupt

b. he makes plans to have it torn down

c. he is afraid to call the police because he and Irene live there illegally

d. he never goes back there again

2. In “House Taken Over,” what do the narrator and his sister try to protect above everything else?

a. their house

b. their routine

c. their stamp collection

d. their books

3. In “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings,” the angel is often compared to _____.

a. a baby

b. a sailor

c. a bird

d. a ghost

4. At the end of “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings,” the angel _____.

a. dies

b. rewards Pelayo and Elisenda for their kindness

c. recovers

d. becomes human

5. In “The Adventure of the Speckled Band,” Holmes’s first, incorrect conclusion of how Julia died is ____.

a. he thinks she died of fright

b. he thinks the baboon killed her

c. he thinks the gypsies harmed her

d. he thinks she fell


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6. In “The Adventure of the Speckled Band,” what clues help Holmes solve the mystery?

a. a low whistle and a metallic clang

b. descriptions of the baboon, the cheetah, and the gypsies

c. the mud splattered on Helen’s dress

d. Dr. Roylott’s behavior when he visits Holmes’s office

7. In “The Pedestrian,” though Mead walks every night, his walking seems odd because _____.

a. he never leaves the house except when he walks

b. he walks for several hours

c. no one else walks

d. he walks instead of working at a job

8. In “The Pedestrian,” the police car says Mead has no profession because ____.

a. he is walking when everyone else is working

b. he refuses to answer their questions

c. his work generates products that no one ever uses anymore

d. he did not go to school

9. In “By the Waters of Babylon,” when the narrator explores the great house, he decides that lamps andfaucets do not work because ____.

a. they were destroyed in the Great Burning

b. they have lost their magic

c. the house knows he was not meant to be there

d. the gods have willed them not to

10. In The Hitchhiker, Adams insists that he _____.

a. did not harm his mother

b. is not dead

c. is sane

d. did not pick up a hitchhiker


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Sentence Completion

Fill in each blank below with the most appropriate word from the following Words for Everyday Use fromUnit 12. You may not use every word, and you may have to change the tense of some words.

haggard providential ingenuous massive prudence brusquely successive

1. Bartok was nervous during her first month in the city, but as she became less her confidence grew.

2. We attended lessons for seven weeks before feeling comfortable doing thesamba.

3. Gabriella looked but proud when she told us she’d passed her medical boardexams.

4. Mr. Pritchard answered so that we were sure something had upset him.

5. The lifeguard praised our when we stayed close to shore for our swim.


Short Answer

1. What does the house symbolize in “House Taken Over”? Explain.

2. What is the setting for “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings”? Why is setting particularly impor-tant to that story?

3. How might “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” have been different if told from the old man’spoint of view?

4. What is the primary conflict in “The Adventure of the Speckled Band”?

5. In “The Pedestrian,” Bradbury describes the city as “a graveyard” and buildings as “tomb-like.” Whatpoint do these comparisons help make about the setting of this story?


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6. Explain the allusion in the title of “By the Waters of Babylon.”

7. How do sound effects help set the mood of The Hitchhiker? Why are sound effects particularly impor-tant in this play?

CRITICAL WRITING

Short Answer

1. What warning does Cortázar give readers in “House Taken Over”?

2. In “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings,” what does the priest warn the people of, and why?What is odd about this?

3. In “The Adventure of the Speckled Band,” what three features of Julia Stoner’s bedroom strikeHolmes as odd?

4. In “The Pedestrian,” what kind of life does Mead lead, and how does it differ from the lives of his fel-low citizens?

5. In “By the Waters of Babylon,” what plan does the narrator hold for his society’s future? Why?


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Paragraph

Choose one of the following prompts and write a paragraph. Complete both the Prepare to Write andWrite sections of the prompt you choose.

1. Magical Realism

PREPARE TO WRITE. What is Magical Realism? Where did it originate, and what does it suggest about theculture that created it? Which selection or selections in this unit could be considered examples ofMagical Realism? Why?

WRITE. Describe Magical Realism and tell what it suggests about the culture that created it. Then identifyone or two selections as Magical Realism, and tell why you selected them.


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2. Mysteries

PREPARE TO WRITE. What makes a good mystery story? What elements must be present? Which selectionor selections in this unit could be considered good mysteries? Why?

WRITE. Explain what qualities define a good mystery story. Then identify one or two selections as goodmysteries, and tell why you selected them.


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Essay


1. Cautionary Tales

PREPARE TO WRITE. A cautionary tale is a story that gives a warning. It can be in any form, but generallythe lesson is quite clear. A cautionary tale could give a warning about behavior, or suggest readers opentheir minds and expand their worldviews. Which stories in this unit can be considered cautionary tales?What do these tales caution us about? How do the characters, mood, setting, and so on contribute tothe message of the cautionary tale?

WRITE. Choose one selection from this unit that you read as a cautionary tale. Then write a literary analy-sis of it, explaining its message and showing how the elements of the story contribute to its warning.


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2. Other Worlds

PREPARE TO WRITE. This unit is titled “Other Worlds.” What other worlds do the characters in each selec-tion in this unit encounter? What do they learn about themselves and about others in these worlds? Inwhich selections do characters coexist with these “other worlds,” and in which do they learn that theseworlds exist in other places or at other times? How do these other worlds inform, shape, teach, or other-wise affect the characters who encounter them? Does each character affect the “other world”?

WRITE. Choose one selection from this unit and analyze the interaction between the main character andthe “other world” he or she encounters. Use the questions in the prewriting section as a guide for youranalysis.

Answer Key


Answer Key (See the Annotated Teacher’s Edition for answers to specific Selection Worksheet activities. Answers tosome Vocabulary exercises are provided in this Answer Key.)

SELECTION WORKSHEET 12.1

“House Taken Over”INTEGRATING THE LANGUAGE ARTS

Vocabulary CONNOTATION AND DENOTATION. Responses will vary. Students may suggest synonyms similar to the followingwords.1. indispensable: vital, necessary2. dexterity: skill, aptitude3. hurl: throw, send4. flail: flutter, beat5. brusquely: tensely, offhandedly

SELECTION CHECK TEST 4.12.1

“House Taken Over”CHECKING YOUR READING

Short Answer 1. The narrator’s sister Irene lives with him. The two of them intend to die in the house and let the house

be inherited by distant cousins who will knock it down; or, they may knock down the house themselves.2. Irene knits constantly, making things that no one needs. The narrator goes down to buy wool and

watches her knit; rearranges his father’s stamp collection; and does little else. The two eventually livewithout thinking.

3. They do not need to work because they earn money from the farms owned by their family.


Sentence Completion 1. brusquely2. commune3. hurled4. dexterity5. nocturnal

LITERARY TOOLS

Short Answer 1. The setting is the time and place in which the work occurs, together with all the details used to create a

sense of that particular time and place.2. Mood is the emotion created in the reader by part or all of a literary work.3. Another word for mood is atmosphere.4. The narrator and his sister hear noises and voices coming from the back part of the house and conclude

that “they”—perhaps some mysterious people or ghosts—have taken over that part.5. The house gets completely taken over. The narrator and Irene are forced to flee the house. They throw

the key down the sewer so that no one can get inside it again.


SELECTION TEST 4.12.2

“House Taken Over” INSIGHTFUL READING

Multiple Choice 1. d. tear it down2. a. more things than she or the narrator can use3. a. neither he nor Irene ever goes back there again4. c. sleeping5. d. use up time

Short Answer 1. Responses will vary. They are brother and sister, middle aged, and neither has married. They spend all

of their time together and have no apparent contact with others except for the narrator’s shopping.2. Responses may vary, but they are most protective of their routine and their quiet comforts. This

suggests that they are complacent and unwilling to face change.3. They spend all morning cleaning the house. This suggests that they have a large house, and that they

have little else to do. 4. They are content because they prefer lives filled with mindless routine. They do have the power to

change their lives, but do not.5. They leave because they hear noises and decide the house has been taken over. They will be forced to

find a new place to live and to face change; this is likely to be very difficult for them.


Sentence Completion 1. recessed 2. nocturnal3. commune 4. flailed 5. indispensable


True or False 1. True 2. True 3. True 4. True 5. False

Short Answer 1. Her knitting suggests that she does not have enough to do, that her life has little purpose, and that she

is content to live this way.2. This suggests that he is content to just exist without reflection. 3. Responses will vary, but could suggest that the two live like servants although they are obviously

wealthy; they seem content to “not think” and yet fill their time with nervously mindless tasks; theyprotect their routine above all else, including their house.

4. Responses will vary. The house is the most “active” element in the story, saving itself by chucking thenarrator and Irene out.

5. Responses will vary. The mood is unworried and ironic; something may be wrong with the narrator andhis sister.


CRITICAL WRITING

Essay Students should write an essay based on one of the prompts.1. Fantasy and RealityResponses will vary. The weaving of fantasy and reality in the story create a mood of uneasiness. The super-natural elements of the story are not explained, leaving the reader with a feeling of uncertainty.

2. What Will They Do?Responses will vary.


“A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings”INTEGRATING THE LANGUAGE ARTS

Vocabulary EXPLORING WORD ORIGINS AND WORD FAMILIES. Responses will vary slightly, depending on the dictionary used.1. catechism Greek katechein—to teach oral instruction; a manual for catechizing; a

summary of religious doctrine often in the form ofquestions and answers; a set of formal questionsput as a test

2. hermetic Greek Hermes Trismegistus (person) of or relating to the Gnostic writings or teachingsarising in the first three centuries A.D. andattributed to Hermes Trismegistus; relating to orcharacterized by occultism or abstruseness; airtight(from the belief that Hermes Trisnegustys inventeda magic seal to keep vessels airtight

3. iridescent Latin irid–, iris—rainbow a play of colors producing rainbow effects (as in asoap bubble); a display or effect suggestive ofiridescence (as in brilliance): glitter

4. supernatural Latin super + natura—nature of or relating to an order of existence beyond thevisible observable universe; of or relating to God ora god, demigod, spirit, or devil; departing fromwhat is usual or normal esp. so as to appear totranscend the laws of nature; attributed to aninvisible agent (as a ghost or spirit)

5. terrestrial Latin terra—earth of or relating to the earth or its inhabitants;mundane in scope or character: prosaic; of orrelating to land as distinct from air or water; of orrelating to terrestrial organisms; belonging to theclass of planets that are like the earth

6. grandeur Middle French grand—large the quality or state of being grand: magnificence;an instance or example of grandeur

7. decrepitude Latin de + crepitare—to crackle the quality or state of being wasted or weak by oras if by the infirmities of old age; impaired by useor wear: worn-out; fallen into ruin or disrepair;dilapidated, run down

8. robust Latin robustus—oaken, strong having or exhibiting strength or vigorous health:vigorous; firm in purpose or outlook; stronglyformed or constructed: sturdy; rough, rude; fullbodied


9. deign Latin dignus—worthy to condescend reluctantly and with a strong senseof the affront to one’s superiority that is involved

10. haughty Middle French haut—high blatantly and disdainfully proud


“A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings”CHECKING YOUR READING

Short Answer 1. Pelayo finds an old man with wings lying face down in the courtyard.2. The priest believes that the man is not a true angel, since he does not understand Latin or know how to

greet a priest, and in addition, he smells and has parasites.3. The villagers mob the winged man. They want him to help cure their ailments.4. A woman who had been changed into a spider comes.5. He flies away to sea.


Sentence Completion 1. iridescent2. penitent3. ingenuous4. proliferate5. haughty

LITERARY TOOLS

Short Answer 1. This story is told from the third-person point of view.2. Students may give examples such as “freezer burn,” “act naturally,” and “genuine imitation.” 3. Magical Realism is a kind of fiction that is for the most part realistic but that contains elements of

fantasy.


“A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings”INSIGHTFUL READING

Multiple Choice 1. c. she thinks the old man was coming to take the child away2. a. suspicious curiosity3. c. they got strange results4. c. the child5. b. a sailor

Short Answer 1. They decide he is a sailor, and when they learn he is an angel, they are at first wary and then quickly

grow accustomed to him. 2. He is indifferent.3. They make money from him and live in grand style, but he is an annoyance and their house constantly

smells.4. She appears more credible to the people, and her lesson is more specific. They are angry that the old

man’s miracles have not succeeded.


5. He begins to sing, grow new feathers, and eventually flies away. His ability to move around the houseso quickly also suggests that he is regaining supernatural powers.


Sentence Completion 1. grandeur 2. hermetic 3. prudence 4. cataclysm5. robust


Multiple Choice 1. c. third-person limited2. d. the old man’s3. c. “After the curtain fell, a deafening silence filled the auditorium.”4. c. Latin Americans5. c. the circus woman

Short Answer 1. The baby is ill, the house stinks with dying crabs, and it has rained for several days.2. Responses may vary, but he creates a setting separated from the outside world, in which people rely on

folklore and superstition to understand their world.3. The best example is Elisenda’s cry that she cannot live in a “hell full of angels.”4. He is ironic because he places himself above the angel, declaring that the angel cannot be real because

he doesn’t understand Latin or greet the priest properly. He also warns against being “ingenuous,” andmakes a silly argument as to why the old man can’t be an angel. This is ironic because it does notaddress the very real existence of a man with real wings.

5. Responses will vary.

CRITICAL WRITING

Essay Students should write an essay based on one of the prompts.1. Magical RealismResponses will vary. The people accept the old man’s presence, treat him like an oddity, and are only con-cerned when he doesn’t act like an angel. The church seems equally unconcerned, symbolized by the slowresponses to the priest’s letters. The people are equally willing to accept the spider woman. This suggeststhat their culture is amenable to the surreal. García Márquez may be suggesting that human nature is sus-picious and requires even angels to win our reverence, symbolized by people switching their loyalty awayfrom the angel who cannot perform miracles to the spider woman, whose lesson is more concrete.

2. An Ancient StoryResponses will vary. The old man has wings and speaks in a peculiar dialect, but otherwise does not meettheir expectations. He looks and smells too human, is ill and weak, and does not adequately perform mira-cles. They treat him poorly when he does not conform. They attribute the baby’s illness and recovery tohim, and attribute events that are probably coincidence (the paralytic who almost won the lottery, and soforth) to skewed miracles. These events suggest how strong their expectations of angels are.



“The Adventure of the Speckled Band”INTEGRATING THE LANGUAGE ARTS

Vocabulary Responses will vary.


“The Adventure of the Speckled Band”CHECKING YOUR READING

Short Answer 1. She wishes him to investigate the death of her sister, Julia, who died in her bedroom at the family’s

estate, Stoke Moran.2. The victim, Julia, heard a whistle in the dead of the night. Her last words were, “It was the band! the

speckled band!” Miss Stoner heard the whistle and a metallic clanging sound.3. Miss Stoner’s stepfather, Dr. Roylott, stands to benefit from the deaths of his two stepdaughters,

because if they die they will not collect their inheritance, leaving more money for him.4. He notices a ventilator that leads to the next room rather than outside; a bell pull that is not connected

to any bell; and he notices that the bed is bolted to the floor.5. The speckled band was actually a deadly snake from India. Dr. Roylott was guilty of the murder. He sent

the snake through the ventilator, from whence it crept down the false bell-rope and bit Julia.


Sentence Completion 1. aperture2. tangible3. averse4. manifold5. seared

LITERARY TOOLS

Sentence Completion 1. plot2. narrator3. climax


“The Adventure of the Speckled Band”INSIGHTFUL READING

Multiple Choice 1. b. announces that she came by train and cart2. d. India3. a. her stepfather4. a. she heard a sound that reminded her of her sister’s death5. c. he thought the gypsies harmed her


Short Answer 1. The speckled band is a swamp adder.2. He would get the money she is set to inherit when she marries.3. She hears a low whistle, which turns out to be Roylott calling the snake, and a clang, which is his safe

shutting behind the snake.4. Watson is Holmes’s companion, who tells the story but doesn’t really help Holmes solve the mystery.5. Responses will vary.


Sentence Completion 1. recoiled 2. seared 3. vigil 4. manifold 5. dissolute


True or False 1. True2. False 3. False 4. True 5. True

Short Answer 1. The climax occurs in Helen’s room, when Holmes suddenly strikes at the bell pull with his cane.2. Responses will vary. Suspense is created in several ways: Dr. Roylott’s storming into Holmes’s office and

threatening him, Helen’s fearful tale of her sister’s death and her own encounter with the strangesound, details about Stoke Moran, with its gypsies and animals, Watson’s and Holmes’s vigil in the innacross the road and in Helen’s room, and so on.

3. Dr. Roylott was a large man with a violent temper and fiendish ways. He kept vicious animals andstrange friends at Stoke Moran, and he often brawled.

4. Watson is the narrator. He does not play a large role in the plot in the sense that without him, Holmesprobably would have still solved the crime. He is, however, present for the entire story.

5. Responses will vary. The old manor is all but abandoned; the family lives only in one part of it; gypsiesand animals roam its grounds, including a cheetah no one encounters; and so forth.

CRITICAL WRITING

Essay Students should write an essay based on one of the prompts.1. Detective StoriesResponses will vary. Criteria could include an intricate plot, suspense, detailed characters, a crime thatrequires solving, a winsome heroine in distress, etc.

2. Police ReportResponses will vary, but should include accurate details about Roylott, Holmes, and about Roylott’s plotagainst Julia and Helen.



“The Pedestrian”CHECKING YOUR READING

Short Answer 1. He likes to go for walks.2. They stay inside and watch television.3. Leonard says that he goes out for air and to see things. The police car doesn’t believe him because it

thinks he should have enough air from his air conditioner and should be able to see anything he wantson his “viewing screen,” or television.

4. He notices there is nobody inside the police car.5. It takes him to the “Psychiatric Center for Research on Regressive Tendencies.”


Sentence Completion 1. illumination2. jockeyed3. alibi

LITERARY TOOLS

Short Answer 1. Mood, or atmosphere, is the emotion created in the reader by part or all of a literary work.2. A writer can create mood through descriptive language and sensory details.3. The setting of a literary work is the time and place in which it occurs, together with all the details used

to create a sense of a particular time and place. The setting of “The Pedestrian” is outside in a city atnight, in the year A.D. 2053.


“The Pedestrian”INSIGHTFUL READING

Multiple Choice 1. c. revert to old ways2. c. no one else walks3. c. break the law4. b. mentally disturbed5. a. the other houses are dark

Short Answer 1. Responses will vary. He will probably be studied/treated/locked up for “regressive” tendencies.2. It says he does not have an alibi because he has no wife to provide it.3. Responses will vary, but there is the suggestion that this society has created uniformity among the

citizens and that any deviation is dangerous.4. He walks quietly, looking at houses and “whispering” to the people. He liked to imagine being alone on

a vast American plain, but there is also the suggestion that his whispering is an attempt to connect withothers.

5. Responses will vary. He seems to value reading, books, ideas, nature, and experiences.



Sentence Completion 1. illumination 2. jockeyed 3. riveted


True or False 1. True 2. False 3. True 4. True 5. False

Short Answer 1. It takes place on a chilly November night in 2053 on the streets of an anonymous American city. 2. There is no one on the streets of this city, and Mead says he’s never encountered anyone in all his years

of walking. There are no cars on the roadways and all the people are watching television.3. He likes to walk at night, he is a writer, and he doesn’t own a television.4. Responses will vary, but the mood is somber, eerie, and quiet, with a threatening undertone.5. Descriptions of the chill, windblown, dark city; the comparison to a graveyard; no people on the streets;

the menacing police car.

CRITICAL WRITING

Essay Students should write an essay based on one of the prompts.1. Law and OrderResponses will vary. The police car is menacing, getting orders over a computer; the fact that there is noone in the car suggests cold bureaucratic control. The police are apparently in charge of maintaining uni-formity among citizens, and their nightly attention to television helps maintain this. No one has real expe-riences, only virtual ones. The police target Mead because he is different.

2. Human ContactResponses will vary. The society is barren and encourages virtual, rather than real, experiences by encour-aging the watching of television. The graveyard imagery suggests a society of people who are dead inside;Mead’s bright house suggests he is open to ideas while the dark houses around him are closed to them.Bradbury warns us of the dangers of too much technology (primarily television). Students may also notethat Mead is a writer in a society that doesn’t read, which may suggest the danger writers tend to face inoppressive societies.


“By the Waters of Babylon”CHECKING YOUR READING

Short Answer 1. The narrator travels to the Place of the Gods.2. He sees an eagle flying east and three deer going east with a white fawn, and he kills a panther with

one arrow before it can kill the fawn.3. He says the sayings of the dead, he paints himself for death, and he sings a death song.4. He sees the city as it had been and how it was destroyed.5. He realizes that they were just people like himself.



Sentence Completion 1. perplexed2. chamber3. enchantment4. summoned

LITERARY TOOLS

Short Answer 1. An aphorism is a short saying or pointed statement.2. Responses will vary. Students should be able to think of at least one example, such as “You can lead a

horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.”3. A dialect is a version of a language spoken by the people of a particular time, place, or social group.4. A simile is a comparison using like or as.5. Responses will vary.


“By the Waters of Babylon” INSIGHTFUL READING

Multiple Choice 1. d. eat the food of the gods2. b. he sees signs that support his yearning for knowledge3 d. they have lost their magic4. a. from a dream5. a. New York

Short Answer 1. He sings the death song because he expects to be killed for his transgression. His death song suggests

that he is trying to be brave, that he is respectful of the laws and beliefs of his people although he feelscompelled to break them; that he is proud of his behavior and accepts the consequences.

2. Responses will vary. His vision is the primary evidence, and his father’s acceptance of the son’s story andplans. Students may note that the laws forbidding travel to the east may have originated in fear of theradiation, and because the narrator does not die the radiation must have receded, so his journey istimely.

3. The narrator realizes that he is meant to be a priest. The real reason people died was most likely due tothe radiation held in metal.

4. He accepts the knowledge that the gods were only men, and plans to focus on rebuilding civilization.The story suggests that a burning desire for knowledge led him on his quest, so he was ready foranswers.

5. Responses will vary. The Hill People believe strongly in magic, and use it to explain things they do notknow (such as “hot” and “cold” faucets, and who is destined to become a priest). This suggests aprimitive theology and an attempt to understand the cataclysmic events in their history.


Sentence Completion 1. chamber2. enchantment 3. summoned



Multiple Choice 1. c. he feels his spirit dragged from his body2. a. simile3. c. a house4. b. it is salty5. a. New York

Short Answer 1. He refers to his decision to cross the river. He recalls the words when he finds the dead man because he

thinks that man lost his life but not his spirit when he chose to sit and watch his city perish.2. Responses will vary.3. The patterns are simple, direct, and repetitive. The narrator uses similes to identify places and objects

for which he has no vocabulary words. 4. The central conflict is the narrator’s decision to undergo the journey.5. This is ironic because the gods were simply people like themselves.

CRITICAL WRITING

Essay Students should write an essay based on one of the prompts.1. The QuestResponses will vary, but should note changing relationship between the narrator and his culture’s beliefs.Particularly evident in his death-song, the narrator maintains respect for these beliefs but chooses to defythem, demonstrating his maturity in his acceptance of possible consequences. When he realizes that thegods were men, he accepts this and alters his plans for the future of his civilization based upon this newknowledge.

2. Ancient Babylon Responses will vary. Benét drew comparisons between Babylon and New York City and, perhaps ironically,cast New York City as the “Place of the Gods.” He may have been issuing a warning of the dangers of sucha society literally or figuratively burning out.


The HitchhikerCHECKING YOUR READING

Short Answer 1. He swerved on the Brooklyn Bridge.2. A male hitchhiker keeps appearing to Adams.3. Adams drives off the road and through a fence.4. He wishes to speak to this mother.5. He learns that he died in an accident on the Brooklyn Bridge.


Sentence Completion 1. phosphorescent2. outset3. nondescript4. ominous


LITERARY TOOLS

Sentence Completion 1. sound effects2. suspense3. narrator4. foreshadowing5. suspense


The HitchhikerINSIGHTFUL READING

Multiple Choice 1. c. worried2. c. the hitchhiker’s coat is wet3. c. he becomes frightened of driving alone4. c. he does not drive safely5. d. he wants to hear a familiar voice

Short Answer 1. She tells him not to drive fast or pick up hitchhikers.2. He suspects this after the hitchhiker beckons him across a railroad track in front of a train.3. He tells her that he sees a man who isn’t there and that he plans to run him down.4. The sightings become more and more frequent.5. He thinks he is sane, but barely, and that he may soon lose his hold on life but that he will then know

who the hitchhiker is.


Sentence Completion 1. outset2. nondescript 3. ominous


Multiple Choice 1. b. screeching tires2. d. drawbridge raising3. d. What condition is Adams in now?4. d. beside the road5. b. cross-country automobile travel was novel

Short Answer 1. He assures them that it will be a spine-tingler, but that no blood will be shed or other ghost-story

stereotypes exploited.2. He says he is in a rest area by the highway, and he doesn’t know if he is going mad but something has

gone horribly wrong.3. He looks gray, thin, and is carrying a suitcase. He doesn’t appear threatening.4. They are important because this is a radio play, and they help convey action and mood.5. Responses will vary, but could include Adams’s increasing discomfort, the escalating sightings of the

hitchhiker, the eerie details of the hitchhiker’s appearance, and finally the story of his mother.


CRITICAL WRITING

Essay Students should write an essay based on one of the prompts.1. What Happened?Responses will vary. Students should use evidence from the play to support their interpretation.

2. In This Day and Age . . . Responses will vary, but should note that one warning is against picking up hitchhikers, and this warning isas relevant today as it was then.

UNIT 12 REVIEW/STUDY GUIDE

VOCABULARY WORKSHEET

Spelling 1. a. skain/skein2. d. apperture/aperture3. d. penitant/penitent4. d. vestabule/vestibule5. a. eroneous/erroneous

Synonyms 1. c. mildly2. b. reasoned3. a. withdrew4. c. nighttime5. c. disclosed

Antonyms 1. d. innocent2. b. small3. b. lively4. c. honorable5. c. defiance

Sentence Completion 1. prolong 2. robust 3. flailed4. outset 5. successive

LITERARY TOOLS

Sentence Completion 1. sound effects 2. Magical Realism3. aphorism4. narrator 5. foreshadowing6. setting 7. mood 8. point of view 9. plot

10. dialect


REVIEW: WORDS FOR EVERYDAY USEResponses will vary.

REVIEW: LITERARY TOOLSResponses will vary.

REFLECTING ON YOUR READING

Genre Studies Responses will vary.

Thematic Studies Responses will vary.

QUESTIONS FOR WRITING, DISCUSSION, AND RESEARCH1. Responses will vary. 2. Responses will vary.3. Responses will vary.

FOR YOUR READING LIST

Independent Reading Activity Responses will vary.

UNIT 12 TEST

INSIGHTFUL READING

Multiple Choice 1. d. he never goes back there again2. b. their routine3. b. a sailor4. c. recovers5. c. he thinks the gypsies harmed her6. a. a low whistle and a metallic clang7. c. no one else walks8. c. his work generates products that no one ever uses anymore9. b. they have lost their magic

10. c. is sane


Sentence Completion 1. ingenuous 2. successive 3. haggard 4. brusquely 5. prudence


Short Answer 1. Responses will vary. It could symbolize forces that will shape our lives if we do not assert our own

willpower; it could symbolize a political force; it could symbolize fate; and so on. 2. The setting is a village in Latin America. The setting is particularly important because it is isolated, and

the people rely on folklore and superstition to understand their world.3. Responses will vary, but we may have learned more about who he was and his plight, as well as his

interpretation of his treatment.4. The primary conflict is Sherlock Holmes’s struggle to solve the mystery in time to save Helen.


5. These comparisons help make Bradbury’s point that the society is now dead inside and is without “life,”having traded real experiences for virtual ones.

6. The allusion refers to the comparison the author makes between New York City, the ruined city thenarrator discovers, and Babylon, a bustling and glamorous city in ancient times that is now in ruins.

7. The automobile sounds communicate the increasing speed and desperation with which Adams drives;the weird music sets the eerie mood. These effects are particularly important to a radio play becausethere are no visuals to communicate the same effects.

CRITICAL WRITING

Short Answer 1. He warns readers not to be too complacent or purposeless, lest outside forces take over our lives (as

symbolized in the house’s ejection of the narrator and Irene).2. The priest warns the people not to be naïve, that the old man could be the devil and that the wings do

not assure that the man is an angel. This is odd because it accepts the wings as natural, and because hedoes nothing else to ward off the evil he purports to see in the old man.

3. He thinks it is odd that the ventilator goes to the next room instead of outside; the bell pull is a dummy;and the bed is clamped to the floor.

4. Mead is a writer in a society that does not read; he likes to walk but has never, in ten years of walking,met another person walking; he has no wife or television; his house is brightly lit when everyone else’s isdark.

5. He plans to rebuild the ancient civilization because he has discovered that the gods were merely men,probably his society’s ancestors.

Paragraph Students should write a paragraph based on one of the prompts.1. Magical RealismResponses will vary. Magical Realism originated in Latin America, and was intended to illustrate that Latinosaccept what Europeans would call “fantastical occurrences” as part of everyday life. The selections in thisunit that contain elements of Magical Realism are “House Taken Over,” “A Very Old Man with EnormousWings,” and “The Hitchhiker.”

2. MysteriesResponses will vary. The true mystery story is one specifically involved with a riddle of some kind. A distin-guishing feature is that the reader be confronted with a number of mysterious facts and situations, explana-tion of which is reserved until the end of the story. The best example of a true mystery story in this unit is“The Adventure of the Speckled Band,” although all of the stories in this unit contain elements of mystery.

Essay Students should write an essay based on one of the prompts.1. Cautionary TalesResponses will vary. Several of the selections in this unit can be considered cautionary tales. Studentsshould support their choices with evidence from the stories.

2. Other WorldsResponses will vary.

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