yamma-school.comyamma-school.com/files/2015/12/lit-4-pointers-1.docx · web viewthe poet uses the...

Count That Day Lost

Answer the questions.

1. According to lines 1-8, why should we count the acts that we have done in a day?

(i) To see if we enjoyed the day.

(ii) To think about who was nice to us.

(iii) To decide if we did something good.

(iv) To help us plan for the future.

(6 points)

2. The speaker thinks that a day "well spent" (line 8) is a day when (–).

(i) you buy many things

(ii) you help other people

(iii) you take care of yourself

(iv) you do something new

(6 points)

3. Copy ONE phrase from lines 9-16 that means "made someone feel good".

ANSWER: ..................................................................................................

............................................................................................................... .

(6 points)

4. Why do you think the poet relates only to acts "most small" (line 14)?

ANSWER: ..................................................................................................

.................................................................................................................

.................................................................................................................

.................................................................................................................

(10 points)

5. a. What is the difference between the message of stanza one

(lines 1-8) and the message of stanza two (lines 9-16)? Give an

example from each stanza to support your answer.

NOTE: For this question use ONE of the thinking skills from the

Appendix.

Thinking skill I chose: ......................................................................

ANSWER: ..........................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

(10 points)

b. Explain why you chose this skill to answer question 5a. Your

answer must refer specifically to the text.

ANSWER: ..........................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

(5 points)

OR:

6. a. According to stanza one, two examples of "acts that you have

done" are "One self-denying deed" and "One glance most

kind". Compare and contrast these two acts.

ANSWER: ..........................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

(7 points)

b. Why do you think the poem is called "Count That Day Lost"?

ANSWER: ..........................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

(8 points)

Answer key

1. (iii) To decide if we did something good.

2. (ii) you help other people.

3. brought the sunshine to one face // (That) helped some soul. (and nothing cost).

If paraphrasing: "When you helped some soul" – deduct 10%.

4. To show that even when an act we do is small / may seem unimportant to us, it can still

make a (big) difference in someone's (else's) life.

5. a. Possible thinking skill: Distinguishing different perspectives / Comparing and

contrasting

Any other thinking skills are acceptable as long as they are supported by the text

and can be explained in question 5b.

Stanza 1 talks about what makes a day well spent / worthwhile // a day when you

do at least one good thing for others / other people.

Example – ease the heart of someone / a glance most kind / a self-denying deed /

a kind word.

Stanza 2 talks about what makes a day seem wasted / a day when you don't do

anything helpful / nice for another person.

Example – cheered no heart / helped no one / nothing done to help someone.

In the first stanza the message is that if you do something good, like to smile, you

will have a good day and the message in the second stanza is that if you don't do

something nice for someone, like you helped no one, your day is a bad day.

b.

Possible explanations for thinking skill:

Distinguishing different perspectives: Each stanza has a different perspective on

what makes a day well spent or wasted.

Comparing and contrasting: I had to compare / contrast the two stanzas in order to see

the difference between a day well spent and a wasted day according to the poet.

6.

a. Comparison: Both examples are acts we do for other people / that make other

people feel good.

Contrast: "One self-denying deed" – an act that makes us give up something for

someone else.

"One glance most kind" – an act you don't have to give up anything for.

b. The poem is called "Count That Day Lost" because the poet wants us to think

about all the things we did on any day. If we didn't do something good for someone

on any day, then that day is lost / wasted.

*********************************

7. On a day you have done a "self-denying deed" you should (–).

(i) be ashamed

(ii) be surprised

(iii) feel sorry for yourself

(iv) feel good about yourself

(6 points)

8. The speaker thinks that you can count a day "as worse than lost" if (–).

(i) you haven't done what you planned to do

(ii) you haven't helped another person

(iii) you haven't had any fun

(iv) you haven't taken any risks

(6 points)

9. "No act most small

That helped some soul and nothing cost –"

Explain in your own words what the speaker means by the words "nothing

cost".

ANSWER: ..........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

(6 points)

10. "One glance most kind

That fell like sunshine where it went –"

Why do you think the poet uses the word "sunshine" in this quote?

ANSWER: ..........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

(10 points)

11. a. Why do you think the poet calls the poem "Count That Day Lost"?


Appendix.

Thinking skill I chose: ..............................................................................

ANSWER: ..................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

(10 points)

b. Explain why you chose this skill to answer question 11a.

ANSWER: ..................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

(5 points)

OR:

12. a. What is the message of the poem?

ANSWER: ..................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

(7 points)

b. Give TWO examples of how you can apply the message of the poem

to your own life.

ANSWER: ..................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

(8 points)

Answer key

7. (iv) feel good about yourself

8. (ii) you haven't helped another person

9. What you did, didn't take much effort. / was not difficult for you / You did something

good for somebody else and got nothing (for it) in return / You did something good for

someone and did not get something for this.

10. The poet uses the word "sunshine" to show how if you give someone a kind look it can

make that person feel happy. / Because “sunshine” has a positive connotation and your

glance made someone feel warm, good and happy / Because like sunshine a warm day

brings warm and light into someone's day.

good that happens to someone when you look at him" – accept

11. a. Possible thinking skill: Explaining cause and effect



It is important that we not waste our days and that we make sure we do good things

for other people. / If you had the opportunity to become a better person, but you

missed it, for you this is "worse than lost".

b. Possible explanations for thinking skill:

Explaining cause and effect: I chose the HOTS of Cause and Effect because it

helped me to see how doing or not doing something good for someone else had the

effect of making my day lost or well spent.

Uncovering motives: Sitting at the end of the day to think about the day lost. I chose

that skill because it helps me understand why the poet called the poem 'Count that

Day Lost' – accept

12. a.

The message is that we should spend each day doing something for someone else, not

only think about ourselves. / We have to make our life meaningful by helping other

people.

b. I can help someone who is in trouble. I can talk to my brother / sister about

problems he / she might be having.

A SUMMER'S READING/ Bernard Malamud

Answer questions 12-14 and either question 15 or question 16.

12. Why did George stop going to school?

(i) He left the neighborhood.

(ii) He wanted to read books.

(iii) He got a job as a carpenter.

(iv) He ran out of patience.

(6 points)

13. Give ONE reason why George doesn't have any money.

ANSWER: .................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................

(6 points)

14. Why did George cross the street when he saw Mr. Cattanzara reading

the newspaper outside his house?

(i) He wanted to see something interesting in a store window.

(ii) He was in a hurry to get to the park.

(iii) He didn't want Mr. Cattanzara to ask him about his reading.

(iv) He didn't want to get home late.

(6 points)

15. a. Why was Mr. Cattanzara an important person for George? Give

information from the story to support your answer.

NOTE: For this question use ONE of the thinking skills from the Appendix.

Thinking skill I chose: .....................................................................

ANSWER: .........................................................................................

..........................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................

(10 points)

b. Explain why you chose this skill to answer question 15a. Your

answer must refer specifically to the text.

ANSWER: .........................................................................................

..........................................................................................................

(5 points)

OR:

16. a. What can be inferred about the importance of Mr. Cattanzara's

job in the story? Give information from the story to support your

answer.

ANSWER: .........................................................................................

..........................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................

(8 points)

b. What did Mr. Cattanzara do to help George? Give information

from the story to support your answer.

ANSWER: .........................................................................................

..........................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................

(7 points)

Answer key

12. (iv) He ran out of patience.

13. He doesn't have a job. // His family is poor and doesn't have extra money to give him.

He is lazy and he doesn't study. // He is uneducated.

14. (iii) He didn't want Mr. Cattanzara to ask him about his reading.

15.

a. Possible thinking skill: Explaining cause and effect/Inferring



The answer should include at least TWO of the following points:

George admires Mr. Cattanzara because he is different from other people in the

neighborhood. / Mr. Cattanzara is more intelligent and knows about the world. /

Mr. Cattanzara asks unusual questions. / Mr. Cattanzara gets George to think about

his life. / Mr. Cattanzara gets George to think about reading books. / Mr. Cattanzara

wants to change George so he will make something of his life. / Mr. Cattanzara is

interested in George and his future and doesn't want him to make the same mistakes

that he did. / Mr. Cattanzara used to give George money when he was little.

b.

Possible explanations for thinking skills:

Explaining cause and effect: I chose the skill of Explaining cause and effect

because in the story Mr. Cattanzara causes George to think about making changes

in his life (effect).

Inferring: I chose the skill of Inferring because I can understand from Mr. Cattanzara's

actions how he made George think about his future and his education.

16.

a.

He works in a change booth. That shows that he hasn't succeeded in life and even

though he's smart (he reads newspapers) he doesn't have and education and didn't

get a good job. He wants George to do something more with his life.

AND/OR: He works in a change booth and that's a hint to the reader that he is going

to "change" George's life.

b. Mr. Cattanzara encouraged George to educate himself. He asked him different

questions than other people did. He got George to think about reading books and

going to the library. He told people that George was reading books and trying

to educate himself and that made the people in the neighborhood think well of

George. AND/OR: He protected George's reputation. He didn't tell the people in

the neighborhood that George wasn't really reading any books and so they still

thought well of George.

******************************

7. Someday George would like to (–).

i) work with Mr. Cattanzara

ii) play baseball

iii) have a private house

iv) be a shopkeeper

(6 points)

8. Why did George feel ashamed at the beginning of the story? Give ONE

answer.

(6 points)

9. After his first meeting with Mr. Cattanzara, what changed in the

neighborhood to make George not want to visit the park?

(6 points)

10. Sophie gave George a dollar a week because she thought he was (–).

i) helping Mr. Cattanzara

ii) reading books

iii) looking for a job

iv) cleaning the house

(6 points)

11. For this question, use ONE of the thinking skills from the Appendix on page 9

OR any thinking skill studied in class. Write the thinking skill you

chose and then answer the question. (10 points for the content of the answer,

5 points for the correct use of the thinking skill)

" 'Go buy yourself a lemon ice, Georgie.'

'It's not that time anymore, Mr. Cattanzara, George said. 'I am a big guy

now.'

'No, you ain't,' said Mr. Cattanzara..."

What do you think Mr. Cattanzara is trying to do for George in this conversation?

Give information from the story to support your answer.

(15 points)

OR:

12. a. What do you think George was thinking about during the week he closed

himself in his room?

(8 points)

b. When George entered the library in the fall, he "was struggling to

control an inward trembling."

Why do you think entering the library caused George to tremble? Give


(7 points)

Answer key

7. (iii) have a private house

8. He didn't finish high school. // He couldn't get a job. // He felt he was too old to go

back to high school. // He was poor.

If write: "He lied to Mr. Cattanzara." – 0 pts.

9. People in the neighborhood started acting friendly towards him / smiling at him /

respected him. // the attitude (of the people in the neighborhood (to George)) // George

felt a little better around the neighborhood.

10. (ii) reading books

11.

Inferring / Uncovering motives / Explaining cause and effect

Inferring: I can infer from this conversation that Mr. Cattanzara is treating George like

a child because he wants George to understand that he is behaving like one. George is

doing what he has done all his life. He is not taking responsibility for his actions.

Uncovering motives: Mr. Cattanzara tries to show George that his behavior is

immature / childish, that if George stops lying to himself and to others, he will have a

more meaningful adult life.

Supporting information: Mr. Cattanzara knows that George hasn't read any of the

books he said he was reading. // George tries to avoid Mr. Cattanzara in the street. //

George lies to Mr. Cattanzara about reading the books.

Explaining cause and effect: Mr. Cattanzara feels disappointed with George's childish

behavior. For this reason he makes this remark.

Supporting information: He gives George a nickel to buy a lemon ice.

12. a. George was probably thinking about what Mr. Cattanzara was trying to say to him

when he treated him like a child. // He was probably beginning to understand

that he needed to change his behavior and become like an adult. // He needed

to change. // That people thought he was a liar. // That Mr. Cattanzara told

other people that George did not read any books. // That he is a loser. // That he

disappointed his father and his sister. // He was thinking about his life / future.

b. Because he has always failed in the past, George is afraid he will not succeed. //

George is afraid to take action. He waited all his life for a change but did nothing to

improve the situation.

Supporting information: George did not succeed in finishing school / finding a job /

having a girlfriend.

// George is afraid (and excited) about what he is about to do. // George is trying

to take responsibility for himself for the first time. // George is trying to show Mr.

Cattanzara and the people in the neighborhood that he deserves their trust.

Supporting information: George understood that Mr. Cattanzara probably told the

neighbors he read all the books. // When George came out of his room after a week

Mr. Cattanzara did not say anything to him about the books although he knew he

hadn't read them. // A neighbor said it was a wonderful thing for a boy his age to

read so much.

*******************************

Answer questions 7-10 and either question 11 OR question 12.

7. George Stoyonovich (–).

(i) had many friends in the neighborhood

(ii) worked with his sister in the Bronx

(iii) never graduated from high school

(iv) spent his afternoons in the library

(6 points)

8. What does George want from life? Give TWO things.

(1) ....................................................................................................................

(2) ....................................................................................................................

(6 points)

9. How does Sophie try to help George after she hears that he is reading

100 books?

ANSWER: ..........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

(6 points)

10. During their first conversation Mr. Cattanzara says to George: "... maybe

you and I can shoot the breeze about them [the 100 books]?"

Why does Mr. Cattanzara want to talk to George about the books?

ANSWER: ..........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

(10 points)

11. a. Mr. Cattanzara is an unhappy man. How do we know this from the story?


Appendix )נספח( on page 13.


ANSWER: ..................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

(10 points)

b. Explain why you chose this skill to answer question 11a. Your answer

must refer specifically to the text.

ANSWER: ..................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

(5 points)

OR:

12. "George knew he looked passable on the outside, but inside he was

crumbling apart."

What caused George to feel like this during his second meeting with

Mr. Cattanzara? Explain.

ANSWER: ..........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

(15 points)

Answer key

7. (iii) never graduated from high school

8. Two of the following:

(George wants) a job / a house with a porch (on a street with trees) /

a girlfriend / some money / people to respect him / to live the American dream. / A better

life. / To be successful.

9. Sophie tries to help George by giving him a weekly allowance (of one dollar). / She

respects him more.

10. • Mr. Cattanzara tells George that he wants to talk to George about the books so that

George knows he is interested in him.

• Mr. Cattanzara really cares about George.

• He also thinks this will make George really read the books.

11. a. Possible thinking skills: Inferring/ Explaining cause and effect



Possible answers:

• In the evenings Mr. Cattanzara sits on the sidewalk reading the New York

Times while his wife is upstairs leaning out of the window. They don't seem to

communicate at all.

• His job is working in a change booth at a subway station in New York.

However, we know he is an intelligent man who must know a lot because he

reads the New York Times from cover to cover.

• He often gets drunk.

b. Possible explanations for thinking skills:

Inferring: The story doesn't tell us that Mr. Cattanzara is unhappy. We have to

infer that from his behavior. He is an intelligent man but he has a job that isn't very

satisfying.

Explaining patterns: Mr. Cattanzara's job is not a very satisfying one. He works in

the change booth at an IRT station. We know he is an intelligent man. As a result

he is frustrated and unhappy and that is why he often gets drunk.

12.

Possible information to be included in answer:

• George feels like he can't face Mr. Cattanzara.

• He lied to him and knows Mr. Cattanzara knows this.

• He feels that he disappointed Mr. Cattanzara and this makes him feel terrible about

himself.

• He sees himself as he thinks Mr. Cattanzara sees him: a liar, a failure, worthless.

****************************

18. After he dropped out of school, why didn't George go to summer school?

(i) He wanted to find a job.

(ii) He thought it would be too hard.

(iii) He felt too old to be at school.

(iv) He didn't have money.

(6 points)

19. At the beginning of the story, what did George do most of the day?

(i) He went to the library.

(ii) He played baseball in the street.

(iii) He spent time with his friends.

(iv) He stayed in his room.

(6 points)

20. Give TWO things we learn about Mr. Cattanzara from the story.

(1) ....................................................................................................................

(2) ....................................................................................................................

(6 points)

21. a. George meets Mr. Cattanzara in the street towards the end of the story.

The writer says, "His eyes were sad as he gazed at George, and George

felt so intensely uncomfortable he was tempted to shove the drunk

aside and continue on his walk."

Why do you think Mr. Cattanzara's eyes were sad? Explain.


Appendix.


ANSWER: ..................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

(10 points)



ANSWER: ..................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

.................................................................................................................... (5 points)

OR:

22. a. What caused George to run out of his house to the library at the end of

the story?

ANSWER: ..................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

(7 points)

b. What do you think his life will be like in the future? Base your answer

on the story.

ANSWER: ..................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

(8 points)

Answer key

18. (iii) He felt too old to be at school.

19. (iii) He stayed in his room.


He worked in a change booth (at an IRT station). // He read the New York Times from

cover to cover. // He sometimes got drunk. // He had a fat // sick wife. // He was intelligent

// He was kind to George // He cared about George // He told a lie to help George // He

told the neighbors George was reading.

21. a.

Possible thinking skills: Explaining cause and effect



Possible information that would be adapted according to the thinking skill chosen:

He was sad because he realized George was avoiding him. That meant that George

hadn't done the reading. / He was sad because he knew how embarrassed George

was and felt sorry for George. / He was disappointed in George and felt George in

the end would be a failure like him. / He thought of himself at George's age and

was afraid that George was making the same mistake.

b. Possible explanations for thinking skills:

Inferring: I had to infer how Mr. Cattanzara felt from his "sad eyes." The author

does not tell us.

Cause and Effect: I had to show the cause of Mr. Cattanzara's sad eyes.

Distinguishing different perspectives: I understood Mr. Cattanzara's "sad eyes"

from my point of view. Another reader might have a different perspective as to

why Mr. Cattanzara's eyes were sad.

22.

a. Possible information to be included in answer:

George now understood how much he wanted to succeed / please Mr. Cattanzara /

read the books / get the respect of his neighbors.

b. Possible information to be included in answer:

George will be successful in life because he has learned from Mr. Cattanzara's

mistake. He will get an education and make something of himself.

OR

George will be just like Mr. Cattanzara, an old, frustrated man who never did

anything in his life or made anything of his potential.

*****************************

7. What does George feel is missing from his life? Give TWO answers.

(1) ...........................................................................................................

(2) ...........................................................................................................

(6 points)

8. How does George relate to the people in the neighborhood at the beginning

of the story?

(i) He likes to spend time with them.

(ii) He hangs out at the candy store.

(iii) He doesn't speak to anyone.

(iv) He only speaks to Mr. Cattanzara.

(6 points)

9. Why does George like to go to the park?

ANSWER: ..................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................

(6 points)

10. During his first meeting with Mr. Cattanzara George says that he wants

an education that teachers "don't... give you in high school".

What kind of education do you think he is talking about?

ANSWER: ..................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................

(10 points)

11. a. How does George's relationship with his family influence his life?




ANSWER: ..........................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

(10 points)



ANSWER: ..........................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

(5 points)

OR:

12. a. What is Sophie's role in George's life? Give information from the

story to support your answer.

ANSWER: ..........................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

(8 points)

b. What can we infer from the story about Sophie's opinion of George?

ANSWER: ..........................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

(7 points)

Answer key

7. Two of the following: He has no money to spend. / He wants to have money. (He doesn't

have) a good job. / (He doesn't have) respect from other people or self-respect. / Respect //

(He doesn't have) a girlfriend. // Having enough money to go out with a girl. / going out

with a girl and spending money on her. / (He doesn't have) a nice home / a house (with a

porch in a different neighborhood). // (He doesn't have) an education. / a better life / the

American dream. / George feels he needs meaning.

8. iv) He only speaks to Mr. Cattanzara. Accept: iii) He doesn't speak to anyone.

9. At least one of the following: He has / needs / is looking for privacy. // He can dream

there about a better life. //

The park is pleasant / cool / green unlike his "hot and stony" neighborhood. // He can

escape there from the reality. // In the park there aren't a lot of people and he can be

alone with his thoughts. // He gets calm there. // He thinks there about his life. // He

wants to be alone. // He thinks there about his goals in life.

10. George is talking about an education he can use in "real" everyday life. // Information

that can help him work at something interesting or live a better life. // Education that

can help him work at something interesting / live a better life. // George is talking about

an education that can help him get the American dream. // An education that we get from

life experience.

11. a.

Possible thinking skills: Explaining cause and effect / Inferring



George has no one to talk to in his family. This makes it hard for him to solve his

problems and to change his life.

His family does not push him to get education and it causes George to stay uneducated.

Answer has to be supported by one or more of the following:

His mother is dead. / His father is quiet and shy. / His sister and his father work all

day. / Sophie cares about George and tries to help him out, but when she sees that

he isn't reading she gets angry instead of helping him understand how he can really

improve his life.

b.


Explaining cause and effect: I used the HOTS of cause and effect to show how

George's relationship with his family caused him to stay in his old life.

Inferring: I can infer from George's family life that he could not change without

their help.

12. a.

She is like a mother to him. She earns a living for the family. She takes care of

the home. // She encourages George when he wants to read. She gives him an

allowance / money. //She criticizes him when she thinks he is lying. // She wants

to educate George and teach him values. // She supports him. She gives him

magazines (from the cafeteria to read). // To educate George and teach him

values. She gives him money and magazines.

b.

Sophie thinks George could succeed in life and she believes it when she hears that

he is reading. At that point her opinion is that he is trying to get an education

and should get respect. // When Sophie learns that George lied, she thinks that he

is a lazy bum who doesn't do anything and expects other people to take care of him. //

When Sophie hears that George is reading, she is proud of him and respects him. //

She expects more from him. We can see it when she asks him about his reading.

Module F

1. Give TWO reasons why George is dissatisfied with his life. (5 points)

2. What was the rumor that went around the neighborhood after George's first

conversation with Mr. Cattanzara? (5 points)

3. "For a few weeks he [George] had talked only once with Mr. Cattanzara,

and though the change maker had said nothing more about the books,

asked no questions, his silence made George a little uneasy."

Why did Mr. Cattanzara's silence make George "a little uneasy"? (10 points)

4. For this question use ONE of the thinking skills from the Appendix:

George "had never exactly disliked the people in it [the neighborhood],

yet he had never liked them very much either. It was the fault of the

neighborhood."

How does George's attitude towards the people in his neighborhood

reflect his character in general? Give information from the story to

support your answer. (15 points)

OR:

5. a. "That same night a man on a street corner asked him if it was true

that he had finished reading so many books, and George admitted

he had. The man said it was a wonderful thing for a boy his age

to read so much."

How do you think this meeting with the man made George feel about Mr.

Cattanzara? Give information from the story to support your answer.

(7 points)

b. Why do you think these feelings motivated George to go to the library at

the end of the story? (8 points)

Answer Key

1. Two of the following: He has no money / no job / no girlfriend. // He is bored. // He feels

he doesn't get respect. // He hasn't finished school. // He wanted a bigger house / to live in

a better neighborhood. // He is lonely. // He doesn't have anyone to talk to. // He doesn't

have a mother. // He doesn't have a relationship with his father. // His family / father is

poor.

Accept: His sister has stopped giving him money.

Accept: He feels bad about lying to Mr. Cattanzara.

Accept: He thinks everyone knows about his lie.

2. That George had a list of (100) books and was already reading them. // That George was

picking up his education.

Accept: That George was planning to read the books.

3. George felt that Mr. Cattanzara knew the truth (that he hadn't read any books). //

George felt that Mr. Cattanzara was disappointed in him. // George was afraid that Mr.

Cattanzara would maybe tell the truth to the people in the neighborhood. Then the

neighbors would not respect him anymore.

He felt guilty that he wasn't reading and was afraid of what Mr. Cattanzara was thinking.

Accept: "George felt guilty about lying".

4. Possible thinking skills: Explaining patterns / Inferring / Explaining cause and effect

Explaining patterns:

George blames the neighbors for the fact that he does not have a relationship with them.

This is the pattern in his life. He is always blaming someone else / making excuses.

Supporting information: He says he wants an education but does nothing to reach his

goal. // He blames his teachers for not giving him respect. // He doesn't register for

summer school because the kids will be younger than he is. // He doesn't go to night

school because the teachers will tell him what to do. // He doesn't work at carpentry (his

hobby) because he doesn't know where he would do it. // He doesn't read fiction because

he can't stand made-up stories.

Inferring:

We can infer that George doesn't feel strongly enough about anything to do something

about it.

Supporting information: He wanders / hangs around. / He sits in his room. / He can't

decide what to so with his life, what job to work at, whether to study or not. / He wants

a job but finds reasons not to get one. /He wants to continue studying but finds excuses

not to.

Explaining cause and effect:

George is a person who doesn't see, or doesn't want to see, that his situation is the result

of his own behavior and his own wrong choices. Everything that happens to him is

someone else's fault, like in this case, "the fault of the neighborhood."

Supporting information: If he can't find a job, it's because it's a hard time for jobs. / If he

leaves school, it's becasue the teachers don't respect him.

5. a. When he meets this man, George understands that Mr. Cattanzara has not told

anyone that he wasn't reading and feels grateful to him for letting the neighbors

think he was. // George appreciates Mr. Cattanzara even more than before because

Mr. Cattanzara understands how much he needs self-confidence and the respect of

the neighbors. // Mr. Cattanzara is his savior. He feels that he owes him.

* Accept: "He is grateful / appreciative" with no other information.

b. George understands that Mr. Cattanzara is trying to help him improve his life and

he wants to prove that his trust in him is justified. // George feels that he needs to

justify the respect that he is getting from the people in the neighborhood. // George

wants to pay Mr. Cattanzara back (for helping him get respect) / to make Mr.

Cattanzara proud of him. / He feels he owes him for caring about him. // George

doesn't want to disappoint Mr. Cattanzara any more. // George feels he had gotten

a second chance after having felt that he had lost it all. // He has to live up to Mr.

Cattanzara's trust in him. // He feels remorse. // He has finally learned the lesson

that Mr. Cattanzara tried to teach him.

**************************

6. The result of George's leaving school at the age of sixteen was (–).

i) he lived at home and studied carpentry

ii) he spent most of his days doing nothing

iii) he went to the fish market with his father

iv) he walked around the neighborhood all day long

(5 points)

7. When George went to the park he wished for a better life. Give TWO

examples of things he wished for.

(1) ................................................................................................................. .

(2) ................................................................................................................. .

(5 points)

8. When George first meets Mr. Cattanzara he lies to him about reading books

because he wants his respect. Why is Mr. Cattanzara's respect so important to

George? Support your answer with information from the story.

ANSWER: ..........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

(10 points)

9. a. How do you think Mr. Cattanzara sees George? Support your answer

with information from the story.


Appendix.


ANSWER: ..................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

(10 points)

b. Explain why you chose that particular thinking skill to answer question 9a.

Your answer must refer specifically to the text.

ANSWER: ..................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

(5 points)

OR:

10. "He stayed in his room for almost a week, except to sneak into the kitchen

when nobody was home."

a. What caused George to stay in his room for a week?

ANSWER: .................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................

(7 points)

b. In what way is this behavior typical of George? Support your answer


ANSWER: .................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................

(8 points)

Answer Key

6. (ii) he spent most of his days doing nothing.

7. Two of the following: He wished for a good job. // to live in a private house. // to have

some money. // to have a girlfriend. // He wanted people to like and respect him.

8. Mr. Cattanzara's respect is important to George because George has a high opinion of

Mr. Cattanzara.

Answer should be supported by at least one of the following: Mr. Cattanzara asks George

questions that show he is very interested in him. // He is like a father to him. // George

thinks Mr. Cattanzara is smarter than other people in the neighborhood. For example, he

reads The New York Times from cover to cover.

9. a.

Possible thinking skills: Explaining patterns / Explaining cause and effect /

comparing and contrasting.

Mr. Cattanzara sees George as a young man who is going to repeat the same pattern

of behavior as he did when he was young. He was smart but wasted his potential

by not getting an education and works at a boring job. He wants George to stop

wasting his potential and do something to change his life. He says to George,

"Don't do what I did."

b.


Explaining patterns: I chose the skill of Explaining Patterns because I showed how

Mr. Cattanzara is afraid that George will repeat his own mistakes in life.

Explaining cause and effect: I chose the skill of Cause and Effect because if George

continues not doing anything with his life the effect will be that he will end up like

Mr. Cattanzara.

Comparing and contrasting: I chose the skill of Comparing and Contrasting

because I compared Mr. Cattanzara's life to what George's life is now and could be

in the future.

10. a.

George was ashamed to see anyone / was ashamed of himself so he didn't leave

the room. // He thought that Mr. Cattanzara would tell everyone that he hadn't

been doing any reading. // He thought he lost the respect of everyone in his

neighborhood.

b.

George doesn't deal with things; he just avoids them.

Answer should be supported by at least one of the following: He doesn't want to

meet Mr. Cattanzara after he lied to him about the book. / He avoids speaking to

people in the neighborhood by staying in his apartment all day and only going to the

park at night. / He dropped out of school because the teachers didn't respect him. /

He left every job he took. / He was good at carpentry but he did nothing about it.

If no supporting examples, deduct 20%.

**************************

1. Give TWO facts that we learn about George's family.

a. ...................................................................................................................

b. ...................................................................................................................

(5 points)

2. Why does George like Mr. Cattanzara? Give ONE reason.

ANSWER: ..........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

(5 points)

3. After Sophie realizes that George hasn't been reading the 100 books she says,

"Why should I break my back for you? Go on out, you bum, and get a job."

Do you agree with Sophie's opinion of George? Explain, with reference to

the text.

ANSWER: ..........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

(10 points)

4. a. How does what we learn about George's family and / or his neighborhood

help explain his situation at the beginning of the story?




ANSWER: ..................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

(10 points)


Your answer must refer specifically to the text.

ANSWER: ..................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

(5 points) OR:

5. At the end of the story, when George finally went out into the street, he

"... walked, in disgrace, away from them [the people on the block], but

before long he discovered they were still friendly to him."

a. What do you think Mr. Cattanzara has done to make people feel friendly

towards George?

ANSWER: ..................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

(7 points)

b. What might be Mr. Cattanzara's motive for doing this?

ANSWER: ..................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

(8 points)

Answer Key

1.

Two of the following: George's mother was dead. / The family was poor. / His sister was

older than him./ Sophie resembled George. / His father worked in the fish market. / His

sister worked in a cafeteria in the Bronx. / Sophie had to take care of the house. / They

lived above a butcher store. / They lived in a five room and / or railroad flat. / The father

didn't talk much. / The father was shy. / The father got up early to go to work. / Sophie took

the subway to work. / Sophie was tall and bony. / Sophie didn't earn much. / Whatever

Sophie earned she kept for herself. // Sophie read a lot // Sophie left for work early / at

8 a.m.

ACCEPT: "They were immigrants."

ACCEPT: "There were three members in the family."

2.

(George likes Mr. Cattanzara) because Mr. Cattanzara is really interested in

him / he asks him questions / he cares about him / he treats him well / he gave him

money as a child / he is different / he knows a lot. / He is an intelligent man.

ACCEPT: "He was nice to George" / "He helped George get respect in the neighborhood."

Accept examples such as "He gave him nickels to buy lemon ice as a kid" and "He knows

what's in all the papers."

3.

Possible answers:

I agree with Sophie because George isn't doing anything worthwhile with his life. He

told Mr. Cattanzara that he was reading 100 books and that made people respect him.

It also made Sophie proud of him. However, then she realizes that he isn't doing any

reading which means that he isn't doing anything about improving his situation. That

is why she thinks she doesn't have to give him a weekly allowance and he should earn

money by himself.

OR

I disagree with Sophie. She should understand that George is finding it difficult to

change his life. She needs to be more sympathetic / encourage him / try to help him find

a way to do that like Mr. Cattanzara is doing. She should continue to give him money

for as long as she can.

4. a.

Possible thinking skill: Explaining cause and effect / Explaining patterns / Comparing

and contrasting

Any other thinking skills are acceptable as long as they are supported by the text and

can be explained in question 4b.

Possible answers:

There is no one to encourage George in his studies. He has no mother and his

father works in a fish market. His sister works in a cafeteria. These are low-paying

jobs that do not demand a higher education. The people who surround him in his

neighborhood also work at low-paying jobs and haven't had a higher education.

None of George's role models have made a success of their lives. That is why he

gives up easily when faced with the challenge of high school. He knows that no

one around him is successful and, therefore, the chance that he will be successful

is very small. He gives up before he even tries.

b.


Explaining cause and effect: I chose the thinking skill of cause and effect because

I had to think of the cause that made George give up on his education so easily and

the effect this had on his life.

Explaining patterns: I chose the thinking skill of explaining patterns because the

pattern of behavior in George's neighborhood is that of people who don't have an

education and then go on to low-paying jobs.

Comparing and contrasting: I chose the thinking skill of comparing and contrasting

because I had to find out in what way George was similar or different to the other

people in his neighborhood.

5.

a. Mr Cattanzara (might have) told people that George has finished reading 100

books. That is why they still respect George and admire him for trying to get an

education. They don't know he lied about the reading.

b. Mr. Cattanzara knows George has a need for respect. If he still has people's respect

he might actually do the reading / improve his education / get a better life for

himself.

********************************

1. Before speaking to Mr. Cattanzara, how did George spend his days? Give

TWO examples from the story.

(a) ......................................................................................................................

(b) ......................................................................................................................

(5 points)

2. Give ONE way that people's attitudes towards George change after his first

meeting with Mr. Cattanzara.

ANSWER: ..........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

(5 points)

3. "Go buy yourself a lemon ice, Georgie."

Why did Mr. Cattanzara say this to George?

ANSWER: ..........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

(10 points)

4. a. Why do you think it was so important to Mr. Cattanzara to help George

change his life? Support your answer with reference to the story.




ANSWER: ..................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

(10 points)


ANSWER: ..................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

(5 points)

OR:

5. Can we infer from the story that Mr. Cattanzara has really succeeded in

changing George? Support your answer with reference to the story.

ANSWER: ..........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

(15 points)

Answer Key


He cleaned / tidied the house. // He sat in his room. // He read (old copies of) the

World Almanac / copies of old magazines / newspapers (Sophie had brought home

(from the cafeteria)) / He listened to the (ballgame on the) radio. / He went for

walks in the neighborhood. / He spent time at the park

2. They seem to respect / approve of him more. // People smile kindly

at him. // Sophie is softer towards George / She shows him she is proud of him in

different ways. / Sophie gives George a buck a week allowance.

3. Mr. Cattanzara says these words because he wants George to know

that he isn't fooled by George's behavior / to show George his disappointment with

his behavior. / He believes treating George like a child will "wake him up" and

show him that his behavior is leading him nowhere. Mr. Cattanzara believes that

George is only fooling himself and he is the one who will pay the price for this, not

anyone else.

4. a. Possible thinking skills: Inferring / Comparing and contrasting /

Explaining patterns / Explaining cause and effect / Distinguishing different

perspectives / Problem solving


It was important for Mr. Cattanzara to help George change his life because he likes

George very much and feels responsible for him. He identifies with George and

sees in George a reflection of himself as a young man. He realizes that George is

wasting his life and he knows that if he continues not doing anything to improve his

situation, he will end up like Mr. Cattanzara himself. George is bright but confused,

without direction. Like Mr. Cattanzara in the past, George is not making the most of

his potential. His own life has been one of missed opportunities and he can see the

same happening with George. He wants George to get an education and succeed in

life, something he was unable to do.

b.


Inferring: I chose this thinking skill because Mr. Cattanzara does not say

directly, "George, I want to help you." We must read between the lines as to Mr.

Cattanzara's motives from the things he says and does not say.

Comparing and contrasting: I chose this thinking skill because I had to

compare George to Mr. Cattanzara when he was a young man in order to

understand why he identifies with him and therefore wants to help him not make

the same mistakes.

Explaining patterns: I chose this thinking skill because in order to answer the

question I had to think of how Mr. Cattanzara tried to change George's pattern

of behavior: acting like a child who doesn't take responsibility for his own life.

Explaining cause and effect: I chose this thinking skill because in order to

answer this question I had to consider why Mr. Cattanzara said what he said,

and the effect he hoped his words would have on George.

Distinguishing different perspectives: I chose this thinking skill because

in order to answer this question I had to think of how Mr. Cattanzara saw his life

differently from the perspective of an older man, and could realize the mistakes

he had made in the past.

Problem solving: I chose this thinking skill because in order to answer this

question I had to think of the different tactics Mr. Cattanzara tried to use to help

George solve his problem: get out of his rut and make something of his life.

OR:

5. Yes, we can infer that Mr. Cattanzara has been able to change

George. At the end of the story, George goes to the library, counts off one hundred

books and starts to read. The writer chooses to end the story at this point, on a

positive note. He is now able to start his education and growth. He has changed

from being totally passive, to taking the first step to making a change in his life.

OR:

No, we cannot infer that Mr. Cattanzara has succeeded in changing George. The

author has purposely given us an open ending because the outcome is not clear

at all. We know that George has taken the first step with Mr. Cattanzara's help

but now it is up to George. It is very possible that he will give up; the story gives

us enough examples of times he has done this. He dropped out of school, wasn't

able to keep a job and never did anything about his carpentry skills. So we are not

convinced that on this occasion things will be different. In addition, George seems

to need the constant approval from others and it will not be so easy for him to get

this constant approval just by reading books.

THANK YOU, MA'M / Langston Hughes

1. At the beginning of the story, Roger tries to (-).

(i) talk to Mrs. Jones

(ii) steal Mrs. Jones' bag

(iii) push Mrs. Jones down

(iv) help Mrs. Jones

(7 points)

2. What do we know about Roger's life? (7 points)

3. When Mrs. Jones takes Roger to her house, she (-).

(i) gives him a pair of shoes

(ii) calls the police

(iii) gives him a meal

(iv) tells him to fix her purse (7 points)

4. Why do you think the story is called "Thank you, Ma'm"? Give information

from the story to support your answer. (10 points)

5. For this question use ONE of the thinking skills from the Appendix )נספח(

on page 7 OR any thinking skill studied in class. Write the thinking skill you

chose and then answer the question. (10 points for the content of the answer,

5 points for the correct use of the thinking skill)

Mrs. Jones tells Roger, "I have done things, too, which I would not tell

you, son... Everybody's got something in common"? How does this

quote change our opinion of Mrs. Jones? Give information from the story

to support your answer. (15 points)

OR:

6. a. "When they were finished eating, she got up and said, 'Now, here,

take this ten dollars and buy yourself some blue suede shoes.' "

Why do you think she did this? (7 points)

b. "The woman did not watch the boy to see if he was going to

run now..."

What effect did this have on Roger? Give information from the story to

support your answer. (8 points)

*********************************

Answer key

PART I (46 points)

1. ii) steal Mrs. Jones' bag

2.

Roger has no one at home to take care of him. // Roger doesn't have money to buy the

things he wants. // He steals from other people. // He is poor. // He has nobody at home

in the evening. // He steals from other people. // He is an Afro-American. // He lives in

a poor neighborhood.

3. iii) gives him a meal

4.

It is called Thank You, Ma'm because Roger is thankful that the woman gave him a

chance to change his life.

Supporting information: She didn't call the police.

It is called Thank You, Ma'm because Roger is thankful that the woman showed him

that she cared about him.

Supporting information: She took him to her house. // She washed his face/cleaned him

up. //She fed him. // She gave him ten dollars for shoes.

5. Possible thinking skills: Comparing and contrasting // Inferring // Explaining cause and

effect // Distinguishing different perspectives.

Comparing and contrasting: This quote helps me make a comparison between

Mrs. Jones and Roger. She was not that different from Roger when she was young. She

has changed her life. If Mrs. Jones can change, so can Roger. // This quote helps me

make a comparison between how Mrs. Jones was in the past and how she is now. We

think of Mrs. Jones as an honest, hard-working person. Now we realize that she was

like Roger in the past. She did things she wasn't proud of and she changed her life.

Inferring: I inferred that Mrs. Jones changed her life. I thought that she was a decent

woman, but I learned that she, too, did bad things. Today, Mrs. Jones has her own

room and she has a job in a beauty shop.

Inferring: This quote changed our opinion of Mrs. Jones. In the beginning of the

story we thought that she only wanted to kick Roger / punish him. I can infer that she

made mistakes when she was young. When Roger arrived at her house, she wanted to

teach him not to repeat the mistakes she had made.

Explaining cause and effect: Because of what she says I now see that she was not

always a decent woman.

Distinguishing different perspectives: In the beginning of the story we think that Mrs.

Jones is a positive, hard working woman. The quote makes us change our perspective

on Mrs. Jones. We understand that when she was young she also did bad things.

6.

a. She wanted to be nice to him / him to feel that someone cared for him. // She

wanted to help him change his behavior. // She wanted to show him that you don't

have to steal, you can ask. // She wanted to show him that there are good people in

the world. // She wanted to show him that she understands him. // She wanted to

teach him a lesson.

b. Roger understood that the woman trusted him. He didn't want to disappoint her. He

wanted to show her that he would not do anything to lose that trust. // He wanted

her to trust him.

Supporting information: He sat on the far side of the room away from her purse

where she could see him. / He offered to go to the store / to help.

*****************************

1. Why did Roger want to steal Mrs. Jones' pocketbook?

(i) His family needed money.

(ii) He wanted to buy something.

(iii) He was looking for trouble.

(iv) He wanted the key to her house. (6 points)

2. COMPLETE THE SENTENCE.

Why did Mrs. Jones take the boy home?

She wanted to ....................................................................................................

(6 points)

3. What did Mrs. Jones tell Roger about herself? She told him about (–).

(i) her job

(ii) her children

(iii) her parents

(iv) her friends (6 points)

4. "... shoes got by devilish ways will burn your feet."

What did Mrs. Jones mean by this?

ANSWER: ..........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

(10 points)

5. a. At the end of the story "The boy wanted to say something else other than, 'Thank you, M'am,' to

Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones,

but... he couldn't even say that."

What else besides "thank you" do you think Roger wanted to say to

Mrs. Jones? Explain.


Appendix.


ANSWER: ..................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

(10 points)



ANSWER: ..................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

(5 points)

OR:

6. a. While he was washing his face in Mrs. Jones' room Roger realized:

"The door was open. He could make a dash for it down the hall.

He could run, run, run, run!"

Why doesn't Roger run away?

ANSWER: ..................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

(7 points)

b. How do you think the day with Mrs. Jones will change Roger?

ANSWER: ..................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

(8 points)

Answer key

1. (ii) He wanted to buy something.

2. talk to him / help him / wash his face / give him food / understand why he wanted to

steal her pocketbook.

3. (ii) her job

4. If the boy steals the money to buy shoes he will not enjoy them. / If he steals he will get

punished somehow.

5. a.

Possible thinking skill: Explaining cause and effect / Inferring




He might want to say to her that her kindness had taught him a valuable lesson. /

He might want to say that she changed his life because she made him see there are

good people in the world / that she is the first person who ever really cared what

happens to him.

b.


Explaining cause and effect: I chose this HOTS because we have a cause: Mrs.

Jones' kindness, which had the effect of making Roger feel more positive and

hopeful / better about himself.

Inferring: The story doesn't tell us what he wants to say so I have to infer it from

the way he behaves towards Mrs. Jones at the end.

6. a.

Possible information to be included in answer:

He didn't want to disappoint her. / He was afraid of what she would think of him. /

He wanted to show her he was a good person.

b. Possible information to be included in answer:

• Now that he understands that there are kind people in the world he might trust

other people more. / take Mrs. Jones' advice.

• Roger has lived all his life in a bad neighborhood with mostly negative

influences / parents who gave him a bad education. One day with a nice person

isn't enough to make him change.

*********************************

13. What happened when Roger tried to steal Mrs. Jones' pocketbook?

(i) Roger managed to escape with the pocketbook.

(ii) Mrs. Jones ran away with the pocketbook.

(iii) Roger fell on the ground and Mrs. Jones kicked him.

(iv) Mrs. Jones fell down and dropped her pocketbook.

(6 points)

14. How does Roger get to Mrs. Jones' home?

ANSWER: .................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................

(6 points)

15. What is the first thing that Roger is worried about when he gets to Mrs.

Jones' home?

ANSWER: .................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................

(6 points)

16. a. "When I get through with you, sir, you are going to remember

Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones."

Why is it important for Roger to remember his meeting with

Mrs. Jones?


Appendix.


ANSWER: ..........................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................(10 points)



ANSWER: ..........................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

(5 points)

OR:

17. a. " 'There's nobody home at my house,' said the boy."

What can you understand about Roger's life from this statement?


ANSWER: ..........................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

(7 points)

b. What do you think motivates Mrs. Jones to make Roger feel at

home in her house?

ANSWER: ..........................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

(8 points)

Answer key

13. iii) Roger fell on the ground and Mrs. Jones kicked him.

14.

Mrs. Jones drags him there. / takes him there by force. // Mrs. Jones kicked him and took

him to her home.

15. He is worried that she is going to call / take him to the police / to jail. // He was afraid

to go to jail. // how to run away.

16. a.

Possible thinking skills: Distinguishing different perspectives / Explaining cause

and effect / Inferring



It is important for Roger to remember his meeting with Mrs. Jones so that he

doesn't do the same thing again. / because this meeting could change Robert's

life. / because she wanted to give him a lesson for his life. // Mrs. Jones shows

Roger that he has done something wrong and treats him nicely. She hopes that

Roger will never try to steal anything again.

b.

Distinguishing different perspectives: I chose different perspectives because

Roger sees things differently after his meeting with Mrs. Jones. At the beginning

he thinks that stealing is the way to get what he wants but at the end he realizes

that stealing is wrong.

Explaining cause and effect: I chose this skill because Mrs. Jones is trying to

change Roger's behavior and cause him to understand the difference between right

and wrong. // When someone shows love and care it can give hope and change

someone's life.

Inferring: Reading between the lines we can see that she teaches him right from

wrong.

17.

a. I can understand that Roger has no one to take care of him at home. // There is

nobody to tell him how to behave or to give him money to spend. // His life is

difficult and he has no one to teach him the difference between right and wrong. //

I can understand that Roger is a poor and lonely boy. In the story he tried to steal

money from Mrs. Jones to buy shoes.

b. Mrs. Jones doesn't want Roger to make the same mistakes she made in her life. //

She wants him to know the difference between right and wrong. // She wants to

teach him how to behave. // She wants to teach him not to steal from others. / She

wants to show him the right way (to live). She does not want him to be a criminal. /

She knows how he feels. // She feels sorry for him (because he said there was no

one in his house.) // She wants Roger not to be scared. / She gives him the feeling

of home and family.

THE ROAD NOT TAKEN / Robert Frost

7. According to the first stanza of the poem, what is the speaker sorry about?

(i) That the road bent in the undergrowth.

(ii) That he can't take both roads.

(iii) That he can't see the end of the road.

(iv) That he stands for a long time. (6 points)

8. What decision does the traveler make in lines 6-10? (6 points)

9. What does the speaker tell us about the two roads?

(i) How long they are.

(ii) What they looked like.

(iii) Who walked on them.

(iv) Why people walked on them. (6 points)

10. Quote the line(s) that tell us what the speaker will feel about his decision

in the future. (6 points)

11. For this question use ONE of the thinking skills from the Appendix

on page 7 OR any thinking skill studied in class. Write the thinking skill

you chose and then answer the question. (10 points for the content of the

answer, 5 points for the correct use of the thinking skill)

In the poem, the speaker must make a decision. How is the way the speaker

makes his decision similar to the way we make many decisions in our lives?

Give information from the poem to support your answer. (15 points)

OR:

12. a. What can we infer from the beginning of the poem about the speaker's

ability to make choices? Give information from the poem to support

your answer. (7 points)

b. At the end of the poem, how does the speaker feel about the choice he has

made? (8 points)

Answer Key

7. ii) That he can't take both roads.

8. To take the road less traveled by. / To take the other / second road.

9. ii) What they looked like. 6 points

10. "I shall be telling this with a sigh (Somewhere ages and ages hence:)" // "And that has

made all the difference." // "I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the

difference."

11. Possible thinking skills: Comparing and contrasting // Problem solving

Comparing and contrasting: In the poem the speaker has to choose which road to

take. We can compare this to the way we make decisions in life. Like in the poem, we

look at the choices we have to make and decide which is better for us, which road in

life we should take.

Problem solving: As a reader I have to understand what decision the speaker is trying

to make and what he considers when he is making it. I also have to understand what

the effect is on him. This helps me understand how this process of making decisions is

similar to how most of us make decisions in life.

Supporting information: The speaker compares the two roads in front of him and

chooses the one he prefers. He also considers how he will feel in the future about the

two roads. He will be satisfied he chose / regret his decision to choose the road less

taken and always wonder what the other road would be like.

12.

a. The speaker finds it difficult to make choices and needs to consider his options

carefully. // It takes him time to make choices. // He is bad at making choices. // He

is good at making choices. // He takes his time and he tries to weigh his options.

Supporting information: He stands for a long time, trying to decide which road to

take. // It is difficult for him to decide because both roads look similar to him. //

He cannot see the end of one of the roads which means he can't know where the

road will lead.

b. He seems happy that he has chosen the road that most people don't take. // He

thinks that he might be sorry in the future that he didn't get the chance to take the

other road as well. // He is sorry because he does not have a chance to take the

other road as well. // He is sad. // He is happy / relieved.

********************************

1. The traveler could not see where the road was going because (–).

(i) it wasn't straight

(ii) the woods were too dark

(iii) it was covered by leaves

(iv) it was very grassy

(6 points)

2. "Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back."

What does the speaker mean by these lines? He means that (–).

(i) one road was less traveled than the other

(ii) he could never take the other road

(iii) both roads looked the same

(iv) one road was more difficult than the other

(6 points)

3. "I shall be telling this with a sigh"

What does the word "this" refer to?

ANSWER: ..........................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................... (6 points)

4. The speaker takes a long time to make his decision. What is he thinking

about?

ANSWER: ..........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

(10 points)

5. "I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference."

a. What is the speaker saying here?


Appendix.


ANSWER: ..................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

(10 points)


ANSWER: ..................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

(5 points)

OR:

6. a. Some people say the poem is about regret. Why do you think they say

that? Support your answer with information from the poem.

ANSWER: ..................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

(8 points)

b. Do you agree with the interpretation of the poem in 6a? Compare it with

your own interpretation.

ANSWER: ..................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

(7 points)

Answer Key

1. (i) it wasn’t straight

2. (ii) he could never take the other road

3.

how the speaker had to make a choice between two roads / the choice (he made) /

making decision / his decision (about choosing the road) / not taking the other road

4.

He knows this is an important decision. He wants to choose the road that is best for

him but he's not sure which one that is. Each time he looks at them they look different /

Which road is better / Which road to choose / take / About the two roads / That he cannot

travel both roads / He compares the roads / How to choose the road.

5. a.

Possible thinking skill: Explaining cause and effect / Inferring



The speaker is saying that whatever choice you make in life influences what your

life will be like, for better or for worse / Our choices influence our life.

b.

Possible explanations for thinking skill:

Explaining cause and effect: I chose the skill of Cause and Effect because I

understood these lines to mean that the decision the speaker made in the past has

affected the way he has lived his life.

Inferring: I had to infer that the poet could not change his decision and could not

take the other road / feels sorry / regret about his decision. –

6. a.

They say that because the poem tells us that if you choose one thing you have to give

up something else and this makes you feel sorry. We can see this in the poem by the

title of the poem, which talks about the road not taken, meaning the speaker is sorry

about something he didn't do. / It can be regret because the poet would never know

what he had missed by not taking the other road / Because the poet could not choose

both ways and he is sorry about it / Because they think that the "sigh" at the end of

the poem expresses regret.

b. Yes, I agree with the interpretation because we always think of what we missed

/ what we didn't do. OR: No, I don't agree because I think this is a poem about

making an unusual choice, the choice that most people don't make.

Module F6. Read the quote and answer the question.

The poem begins: "Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,"

Give ONE reason why it was hard for the speaker to decide which road

to take.

ANSWER: ..........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

(5 points)

7. Why did the speaker choose the road he did?

ANSWER: ..........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

(5 points)



Explain this quote in your own words. Do you agree with the speaker?

Explain why or why not.

ANSWER: ..........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

(10 points)

9. a. The poem ends: "And that has made all of the difference."

This quote describes how the speaker will relate to his decision later

on in life. How does he think he will feel about his decision?


Appendix.


ANSWER: ..................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

(10 points)


ANSWER: ..................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

(5 points)

OR:

10. The last stanza begins:

"I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:"

a. Why do you think the speaker will be "telling this with a sigh"?

ANSWER: ..................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

(8 points)

b. What connection can we make between this quote and the title of the poem?

ANSWER: ..................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

(7 points)

Answer Key

6. Both roads looked appealing / the roads weren’t all that different / the

speaker knew that if he took one road he couldn’t take the other as well.

7. One road was used more often by people, the other was used far less

often. He comes to the conclusion that he will take the road that fewer people have

walked on.

8. One decision leads to another one and it is impossible in life to go

back to the point when one made the decision. I do agree with this quote because

in life one cannot go back in time and undo what has been decided. / I don't agree

with this quote because it is always / generally possible to correct mistakes one has

made.

9. a. Possible thinking skills: Inferring / Distinguishing different perspectives /

Explaining cause and effect

His decision has made all the difference to his life. He has chosen the unpopular /

nonconformist way in life. He isn't sure how he feels about this. He says he will

be telling this with a sigh because he will feel regret that he will never know

what the other road might have offered him. / The sigh may also be one of pride /

satisfaction.

b.

Inferring: I chose this thinking skill because it was necessary for me to infer

the meaning of the speaker's sigh.

Distinguishing different perspectives: I chose this thinking skill because the

speaker will have a different perspective on his decision later on in life than he

has now.

Explaining cause and effect: I chose this thinking skill because I had to think of

the effect that the speaker's choice will have on his life.

OR:

10. a. He thinks he will be talking about this decision in the future “with a sigh”. He

isn't sure whether it will be a sigh of regret or a sigh of relief about the choice

he has made in life. He says that he has chosen the road fewer people have

taken, but he knows that he will always wonder about the road he hasn't taken.

b. This is why the poem is called "The Road Not Taken". That is how it is in life:

we always wonder about the road we did not take, the choice we did not make.

That is because we already know where the road has led us. The speaker will

also remember how hard/satisfying it was to take the road few people take.

Answer the question for (17) Thank You, Ma'm OR (18) The Treasure of

Lemon Brown.

Suggested length: 60-80 words.

17. THANK YOU, MA'M / Langston Hughes

Langston Hughes was educated mostly by his grandmother who gave him

valuable lessons in life. She taught him how to be a moral, decent person and

to feel proud of who he was.

Make a connection between the above information and the short story. Give


18. THE TREASURE OF LEMON BROWN / Walter Dean Myers

"We all think we're different. But when it comes around we end up needing

the same things. Somebody to love us. Somebody to respect us." – Walter

Dean Myers, from the story, Carmen.

Make a connection between the above quote and the short story. Give


PART III (15 points)

Answer the question for either (19) Thank You, M'am OR (20) The Road Not Taken.


19. THANK YOU, M'AM / Langston Hughes

Research shows that elderly African-Americans are often involved in the discipline

of young people in their community. They sometimes help them with money and

often act as parents. They also see themselves as teachers. The lessons they give to

young people are about manners, values and morals. – Adapted from an article by

Susan Adcox

Make a connection between the above description and the story. Give information


20. THE ROAD NOT TAKEN / Robert Frost

"I haven't lived a perfect life. I have regrets. But that's from a lifetime of taking

chances, making decisions, and trying not to be frozen. The only thing that I can do

with my regrets is understand them." – Kevin Costner, American actor

Make a connection between the above quote and the poem. Give information from

the poem to support your answer.

A SUMMER'S READING / Bernard Malamud


7. What does George feel is missing from his life? Give TWO answers.

(1) ...........................................................................................................

(2) ...........................................................................................................

(6 points)

8. How does George relate to the people in the neighborhood at the beginning

of the story?

(i) He likes to spend time with them.

(ii) He hangs out at the candy store.

(iii) He doesn't speak to anyone.

(iv) He only speaks to Mr. Cattanzara.

(6 points)

9. Why does George like to go to the park?

ANSWER: ..................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................

(6 points)

10. During his first meeting with Mr. Cattanzara George says that he wants

an education that teachers "don't... give you in high school".

What kind of education do you think he is talking about?

ANSWER: ..................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................

(10 points)

) ). בעמוד הבא12-11שים לב: שאלות

+ נספח016115 - אנגלית, ספרות, קיץ תשע"ג, מס' 5/- 5המשך בעמוד /

المنطقة هذه في تكتب לא לכתוב באזור זהال

11. a. How does George's relationship with his family influence his life?




ANSWER: ..........................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

(10 points)



ANSWER: ..........................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

(5 points)

OR:

12. a. What is Sophie's role in George's life? Give information from the

story to support your answer.

ANSWER: ..........................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

(8 points)

b. What can we infer from the story about Sophie's opinion of George?

ANSWER: ..........................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

(7 points)

PART II (33 points)

Answer the questions for (C) Thank You, Ma'm.

C. THANK YOU, MA'M / Langston Hughes


13. What happened when Roger tried to steal Mrs. Jones' pocketbook?

(i) Roger managed to escape with the pocketbook.

(ii) Mrs. Jones ran away with the pocketbook.

(iii) Roger fell on the ground and Mrs. Jones kicked him.

(iv) Mrs. Jones fell down and dropped her pocketbook.

(6 points)

14. How does Roger get to Mrs. Jones' home?

ANSWER: .................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................

(6 points)

15. What is the first thing that Roger is worried about when he gets to Mrs.

Jones' home?

ANSWER: .................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................

(6 points)


/ + נספח016115 - אנגלית, ספרות, קיץ תשע"ג, מס' 7/- 7המשך בעמוד


16. a. "When I get through with you, sir, you are going to remember

Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones."

Why is it important for Roger to remember his meeting with

Mrs. Jones?




ANSWER: ..........................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

(10 points)



ANSWER: ..........................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

(5 points)

OR:

17. a. " 'There's nobody home at my house,' said the boy."

What can you understand about Roger's life from this statement?


ANSWER: ..........................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

(7 points)

b. What do you think motivates Mrs. Jones to make Roger feel at

home in her house?

ANSWER: ..........................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

(8 points)

/ + נספח016115 - אנגלית, ספרות, קיץ תשע"ג, מס' 8/- 8המשך בעמוד

PART III (24 points)

Answer the question for either (18) The Treasure of Lemon Brown OR

(19) Count That Day Lost.



The setting of "The Treasure of Lemon Brown" is in Harlem, a black neighborhood

in New York City where Walter Dean Myers grew up in the 1940s. Myers has said,

"As a black writer, I want to talk about my people." Nevertheless, the characters he

creates and the problems he talks about are interesting for everyone.



OR:

19. COUNT THAT DAY LOST / George Eliot

George Eliot lived in the Victorian era and saw many problems in her society.

In her writing she tries to make readers sympathetic to other people's difficulties.

She wants to teach readers how to make everyone's lives better. – Victorian Web

Make a connection between the above description and the poem. Give information

from the poem to support your answer.

Use this page and the next (pages 8-9) for writing a rough draft.

PART I (43 points)

Answer the questions for either (A) The Road Not Taken OR (B) Count That Day Lost.

A. THE ROAD NOT TAKEN / Robert Frost


1. The traveler could not see where the road was going because (–).

(i) it wasn't straight

(ii) the woods were too dark

(iii) it was covered by leaves

(iv) it was very grassy (6 points)



What does the speaker mean by these lines? He means that (–).

(i) one road was less traveled than the other

(ii) he could never take the other road

(iii) both roads looked the same

(iv) one road was more difficult than the other (6 points)

3. "I shall be telling this with a sigh"

What does the word "this" refer to?

ANSWER: ..........................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................... (6 points)

4. The speaker takes a long time to make his decision. What is he thinking

about?

ANSWER: ..........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

(10 points)


+ נספח016115 - אנגלית, ספרות, חורף תשע"ג, מס' 3/- 3המשך בעמוד /

5. "I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference."

a. What is the speaker saying here?




ANSWER: ..................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

(10 points)


ANSWER: ..................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

(5 points)

OR:

6. a. Some people say the poem is about regret. Why do you think they say

that? Support your answer with information from the poem.

ANSWER: ..................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

(8 points)

b. Do you agree with the interpretation of the poem in 6a? Compare it with

your own interpretation.

ANSWER: ..................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

(7 points)


OR:

B. COUNT THAT DAY LOST / George Eliot


7. On a day you have done a "self-denying deed" you should (–).

(i) be ashamed

(ii) be surprised

(iii) feel sorry for yourself

(iv) feel good about yourself

(6 points)

8. The speaker thinks that you can count a day "as worse than lost" if (–).

(i) you haven't done what you planned to do

(ii) you haven't helped another person

(iii) you haven't had any fun

(iv) you haven't taken any risks

(6 points)

9. "No act most small

That helped some soul and nothing cost –"

Explain in your own words what the speaker means by the words "nothing

cost".

ANSWER: ..........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

(6 points)

10. "One glance most kind

That fell like sunshine where it went –"

Why do you think the poet uses the word "sunshine" in this quote?

ANSWER: ..........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

(10 points)



11. a. Why do you think the poet calls the poem "Count That Day Lost"?




ANSWER: ..................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

(10 points)


ANSWER: ..................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

(5 points)

OR:

12. a. What is the message of the poem?

ANSWER: ..................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

(7 points)

b. Give TWO examples of how you can apply the message of the poem

to your own life.

ANSWER: ..................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

(8 points)

/ 6המשך בעמוד /


19. In his writing Malamud managed to create an honest picture of the

life of immigrants in America.

Make a connection between the above quote and the story. Support your answer


PART I (43 points)

Answer the questions for (A) Thank You, Ma'm.

A. THANK YOU, MA'M / Langston Hughes

1. Why does Mrs. Jones tell Roger that "I were young once and I wanted

things I could not get"?

(i) She wants to show him that she is special.

(ii) She wants to tell him she also did bad things.

(iii) She wants to buy him blue suede shoes.

(iv) She wants him to feel sorry for her.

(6 points)

2. After Roger says, "There's nobody home at my house," Mrs. Jones (–).

(i) invites him to stay with her

(ii) gives him supper

(iii) calls the police

(iv) talks to his parents

(6 points)

3. "Roger looked at the door – looked at the woman – looked at the

door – and went to the sink."

What is Roger afraid of?

ANSWER: ..................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................

(6 points)

4. When Roger heard other people in the house he knew that "he and the

woman were not alone."

Why is this important for Roger? Give ONE answer.

ANSWER: ..................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................

(10 points)


3/- 3המשך בעמוד / -


+ נספח016115אנגלית, ספרות, קיץ תשע"ג, מועד ב, מס'

5. a. Explain why Mrs. Jones says to Roger, "But you put yourself in

contact with me... If you think that that contact is not going to

last awhile, you got another thought coming."




ANSWER: ..........................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

(10 points)



ANSWER: ..........................................................................................

........................................................................................................... (5 points)

OR:

6. a. At the end of the story Roger thinks to himself, "... he did not want

to be mistrusted now."

How has his attitude changed during the story?

ANSWER: ..........................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

(7 points)

b. How has Mrs. Jones caused this change in Roger?

ANSWER: ..........................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

........................................................................................................... (8 points)

4המשך בעמוד / /

GRANDMOTHER / Sameeneh Shirazie

There is a tendency to think of older people as worthless because they no longer

have jobs. It is easy to forget how much we can learn from them and how much

they can contribute to a household; all that is needed is a kind word. – Adapted

from an article by J. Meradeuw, Askville Amazon



GRANDMOTHER / Sameeneh Shirazie

The poem says that the speaker wasn't going to speak to her grandmother at all but just say hello to her. Just

as in the quote, the speaker thought the grandmother was useless and just another "old life." But, because

the speaker said a kind word and asked her how she felt, she learned so much about her grandmother, how

much the grandmother did for the household and how hard life was for her. This is how we can learn from

an older person.

*****************


Langston Hughes was educated mostly by his grandmother who gave him

valuable lessons in life. She taught him how to be a moral, decent person and

to feel proud of who he was.

Make a connection between the above information and the short story. Give



"We all think we're different. But when it comes around we end up needing

the same things. Somebody to love us. Somebody to respect us." – Walter

Dean Myers, from the story, Carmen.

Make a connection between the above quote and the short story. Give


THANK YOU, MA'M / Lanagston Hughes

Hughes grandmother taught Hughes important lessons in life just like Mrs. Jones taught Roger. Mrs.

Jones doesn't call the police. / Mrs. Jones takes Roger to her home and cares for him/gives him food /

gets him to clean his face / teaches Roger right from wrong / teaches him to be a better person / teaches

him how to behave morally. / She shows him that she trusts him because she leaves her purse on the bed

and at the end, Roger wants to be trusted / has learned an important lesson / wants to be a moral person.


The quote is about needing love and respect. Lemon Brown loved his son and gave him the newspaper

clippings and the harmonica. / Lemon Brown loved his family and worked hard as a singer to make

money for them. / The cloppings showed how people respected Lemon Brown as a singer / the son loved

and respected his father / the son treasured Lemon's things and took them to war with him. / After his son's

death, Lemon Brown had no one to love and gave up his life as a singer. / After talking to Lemon Brown,

Greg realizes / understands that his father loves him. He understands his father wants him to study hard

so that he will be able to succeed in life.

The message of the story reflects the life philosophy of the author: the treasure is when somebody loves you.

***************************

THANK YOU, M'AM / Langston Hughes

Research shows that elderly African-Americans are often involved in the discipline

of young people in their community. They sometimes help them with money and

often act as parents. They also see themselves as teachers. The lessons they give to

young people are about manners, values and morals. – Adapted from an article by

Susan Adcox




"I haven't lived a perfect life. I have regrets. But that's from a lifetime of taking

chances, making decisions, and trying not to be frozen. The only thing that I can do

with my regrets is understand them." – Kevin Costner, American actor

Make a connection between the above quote and the poem. Give information from

the poem to support your answer.


Like in the above description, Mrs. Jones is an elderly African-American. In the story, she is trying to teach

Roger about morals / trust / how to be a caring / good person / manners / values. After Roger tries to steal

her bag, she doesn't punish him, but acts like a kind parent to him.

Supporting information: She takes him home and gives him food and money. // She tells him that he ought

to be her son. // She says she would teach him right from wrong. // She tells him she was young like him

once and wanted things she could not get. // She tells him not to steal anymore.

Without supporting details – deduct 20%.


In the poem, the speaker has to make a decision about which road to take. He knows that he must make a

choice and not remain "frozen", as Kevin Costner says in the quote. He chooses the road that most people

have not taken. However, he regrets that his choice is final and that he will never know what the other road

could offer him.

Optional relevant lines from poem: "sorry I vould not travel both"; "Yet knowing how way leads on to

way, I doubted if I should ever come back"; "I shall be telling this with a sigh (Somewhere ages and ages

hence.)"; "I took the one less traveled by, (And that has made all the difference.)"

Without supporting details – deduct 20%

********************

THE TREASURE OF LEMON BROWN / Walter Dean Myers

The setting of "The Treasure of Lemon Brown" is in Harlem, a black neighborhood

in New York City where Walter Dean Myers grew up in the 1940s. Myers has said,

"As a black writer, I want to talk about my people." Nevertheless, the characters he

creates and the problems he talks about are interesting for everyone.



OR:


George Eliot lived in the Victorian era and saw many problems in her society.

In her writing she tries to make readers sympathetic to other people's difficulties.

She wants to teach readers how to make everyone's lives better. – Victorian Web



THE TREASURE OF LEMON BROWN / Walter Dean Myers

The answer has to contain the elements of universal values / understanding what the real treasure in

life is / son-father relationships.

Possible answer:

The main character of the story is Greg who has a problem with his grades in Math. His father won't let

him play basketball until he improves his grades. Greg understands what his father is trying to do after

he meets Lemon Brown. The lesson that Greg learns from Lemon Brown is that his father loves him and

wants him to succeed. The story talks about universal values like what the treasure in life is or father-son

relationships. These lessons are interesting for everyone, especially teenagers.


The answer has to contain the elements making other people's lives better / make others feel better by

doing something good.

Possible answer:

In a society where there are many problems and people have difficulties every person can make a difference.

The poem shows how people can improve society. It says that a person should be nice and helpful to other

people in any way possible. A person can help others and make them feel better by doing something or by

saying something helpful or even just by looking at others in a kind way. But a person who doesn't care

and doesn't do anything to make life better for others each day is wasting his / her life, and can count that

day lost.

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19. In his writing Malamud managed to create an honest picture of the

life of immigrants in America.

Make a connection between the above quote and the story. Support your answer



19. In the story, Malamud talks about immigrants that live in a poor, ugly neighborhood. People work

in low-paying jobs, like George's sister Sophie who works in a cafeteria. People's lives are hard and

sometimes they feel they can't change, like Mr. Cattanzara. (But Malamud also shows how George,

who dropped out of high school, has dreams of a better life and that George might have a better

future if he gets an education and starts reading /working hard.)

If use a name from another story: "Greg" instead of "George" – deduct 20% p. inc.

If: "The story is about a boy who cannot read" – 0 pts

If add: "The story takes place in Harlem" – deduct 20% p. inc.

If add: "Immigrants in America have to lie to get respect and that is why George lied to be respected"

– deduct 25% p. inc.


Bernard Malamud's immigrant parents were not highly educated. He wrote,

"There were no books that I remember in the house..." This had the effect on

him of wanting to be educated and to write.

Make a connection between the above description and the story. Support your

answer with information from the story.


George Eliot, like many people of her time, was an optimistic person. She

believed that she had the power to improve her society. – Adapted from Ideas

and Beliefs of the Victorians, edited by Harmon Grisewood

Make a connection between the above description and the poem. Support

your answer with information from the poem.


Malamud creates a character in his story, George, who lives in a home that doesn't have a lot of books in

a neighborhood of immigrants. His sister and father are not highly educated. George's life is similar to the

way Malamud grew up. George also wants to be educated but at the end of the story it is not clear if he

will succeed or not.


The poem shows the point of view of people like George Eliot who believed they could change society.

The messgae of the poem is that every day we have an opportunity to do good deeds and change things for

the better for others. According to the poem, if we do


"When people care for you and cry for you, they can straighten out your

soul." - Langston Hughes

How does this quote help you understand the story?

OR:


Robert Frost said that "The Road Not Taken" was written about a friend of

his who, whatever road he went on, was sorry that he hadn't chosen another.

How does this quote help you understand the poem?


Possible answer:

This quote helps me understand the story because I understand why Mrs. Jones helped Roger even though

he tried to steal from her. Mrs. Jones showed how much she cared for Roger: she took him home with her,

gave him something to eat, talked to him and explained to him why stealing her purse was wrong. She did

all these things instead of calling the police. We don't know if she really helped him, because the story is

open. But Roger says "Thank you, Ma'am," at the end, so we know that she had a good effect on him and

maybe helped him to straighten out his soul.


Possible answer:

At the beginning of the poem Frost writes that he is sorry he isn't able to go on both roads. He also writes

how he stood for a long time looking at the roads before he made a decision. This fits in with the quote

which says that Frost's friend wasn't ever happy with his decisions because he always wanted the road he

didn't take. This is exactly what Frost says when he writes that he hoped to come back one day and take

the other road but knew in his heart it would not happen. The last stanza tells us he is sorry he can’t know

what is on the other road when he says that he will talk about his choice with a "sigh." (The title also relates

directly to the quote because it says "The Road NOT Taken" which shows us Frost (or his friend) is sorry

he couldn't take the other road as well. Instead of feeling satisfied with his life, he feels unhappy, like he's

missed something.)

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"Frost uses nature as a background. He usually begins a poem with an

observation of something in nature and then moves toward a connection to

some human situation." – The Pastoral Art of Robert Frost by John F. Lynen

Explain how the above quote adds to your understanding of the poem.


Note: Answer must include at least one "osbervation of something in nature" in the poem and its

connection to the human situation / life. Examples are:

Two roads in a wood Choices people make in life

A forest / wood Things aren't clear / it's not clear where you're going

Yellow wood / autumn The speaker is middle-aged

One of the roads bent in the undergrowth We can't see the future / We can't know when we make

a choice what the results will be

One road was grassy / wanted wear Choosing something that other people don't choose

Possible answer:

This quote helps me understand the poem better because it connects directly to the poem. The poem starts

by descripting something in nature: a wood in autumn. The wood has two roads.The speaker talks about

which road to choose. The choice of roads connects to the human situation where people have to make

decisions and can't come back to the same point in life. / know what the future will be.

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