Woods English

10^th Grade Semester Two Final Study Guide

Our Final Exam will consist of:

1. Dystopia Films (Cautionary Tale Project)

2. Greek and Latin Roots

3. Literature – be prepared to write briefly about the themes of these novels:

All Quiet on the Western Front

Lord of the Flies

Fahrenheit 451

You will need to refresh your memory about them for concrete details. Know:

names of main characters

conflicts (inner and outer)

themes

4. Writing Conventions

Comma placement

Topic Sentences

MLA in-text citation and bibliography format

9^th Grade Semester 2 Extra Credit (Max credit: half a letter grade)

Due Date: Tuesday, May 29

1. Read the excerpt from Maya Angelou’s autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, which can be found on page 481 in our anthology.
2. On page 490, answer Questions 1 (both the What do You Think? And Comprehension Check sections), 3, and 4.
3. Write a 5-paragraph essay about the theme of altruism in the excerpt from I Know Why the Caged Bird Sing. Why did Mrs. Bertha Flowers take time to read with young Marguerite Johnson (as Maya Angelou was called when she was young)? What did she contribute to the world with her act of kindness? Keep in mind that this is a true story, and in real life, Marguerite Johnson grew up to be an author and poet who inspired millions of people.
1. Write a thesis statement first and show it to me for approval and assistance.
2. Essay should follow the format shown on my website under Writing an Introduction and Writing Body Paragraphs.
3. Include at least three quotes from the reading.

Chapter 19
1. Compare and contrast the sense of battle within this chapter to that found in chapter 16.
Why is there a difference here?
2. Is this chapter the climax of this story? If so, why? If not, why not, and where would the climax be? (Compare and contrast with your answer in chapter 17.)
Chapter 20
1. What irony of shame does the youth experience in this chapter? Does he recognize this irony? Why or why not?
2. What is the mood of this chapter? Give 4 examples of where this is clearly reflected in the words/phrases/descriptions of the author.

Chapter 21
1. What perception of time and place does the youth experience following the battle and return to camp? What does this tell you of war?
2. What are your impressions of the youth in this chapter? Do these impressions compare/contrast to your previous impressions? Explain.

Chapter 22
1. What does poignant mean? Which images of war are poignant in this chapter? (This is not the same as the lessons learned in chapter 21.) Refer to specific examples, with page numbers.
2. How does the tone of this chapter contrast to the previous chapter?

Writing Introductions

1. Start general, and then get specific. Relate your topic to humanity in general. Examples of opening statements:
   1.  “A friend in need is a friend indeed.” This saying sums up an important aspect of human interactions.
   2. Without hope, people cannot weather the storms of life. People in every culture are sustained by their dreams. However, dreams are seldom adequate to overcome great challenges.

1. Relate your statement to the novel, and tell the name, author, and genre that you are writing about. Examples:
   1. This was especially true during the Great Depression in the 1930’s. John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men explores the themes of ___________.
   2. In the novel Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, the characters’ lives demonstrate the (importance of friendship) (the tragedy of loneliness, the importance of dreams…).

1. Lead in to your thesis while giving background about the story. This should include the setting and the characters you will write about in your essay. This will vary. Example:
   1. George and Lennie are two men wandering the country to find work on ranches. Lennie’s mental handicap prevents him from living alone, and George’s friendship is the only thing standing between him and complete poverty, and perhaps jail.

1. 4.     The thesis statement is the last sentence in your introduction. Examples:

1. a.     Although the characters in Of Mice and Men are sustained by their dreams, reality eventually proves to be stronger than aspirations.
2. b.     As illustrated in Of Mice and Men, social isolation [loneliness] was one of the inevitable consequences of the Great Depression.
3. c.     George, Lennie, and Curley’s wife illustrate the futility of dreams during the Great Depression. 
4. d.     George and Lennie’s unique relationship demonstrates the power of friendship to overcome life’s challenges.

DO use in literary analysis: present tense. (“Okonkwo spends seven years in his mother’s land.”)

Do NOT use in academic writing: I, we, you, I believe, I think, you can tell, good, bad, very, guy

Body Paragraphs

1. Topic Sentence – tells what your paragraph will be about, but doesn’t get into the details. Often needs to start with a transition word.

1. Lennie’s most notable characteristic is his tremendous size.
2. The first characteristic the ranchers notice about Lennie is always his substantial size.
3. Another aspect of George’s character is his quick temper, which flares frequently in the difficult personal interactions of the men in the bunk house.

2. Elaborate on the idea for 1 – 2 sentences. Use concrete details.

3. Context for quote – What does your reader need to know to understand the quote you are about to include? Who said it? Was it part of the narration? When in the story was this said?

a. For instance, as George discusses their impending employment, he explains to Lennie, “xxxxxxxxxxx”

b. An example of George’s anger comes after the death of Curley’s wife. He states, “xxxxxxxxxxx”

c. Example (quote from narration): Even during the sacred week of peace, Okonkwo’s violent nature erupts. “He walked back to his obi to await Ojiugo’s return. And when she returned he beat her very severely” (Achebe 26).

4. Quote – use correct citation

Example: “Whatever we ain’t got, that’s what you want” (Steinbeck 6).

Example: “The first man was small…” (Steinbeck 8).

5. Analyze the quote – “This means…

Show how the quote proves your thesis statement.

6. Closing sentence

10^th Grade Semester 2 Extra Credit (Max credit: half a letter grade)

Due Date: Tuesday, May 29

1. Read Ray Bradbury’s “A Sound of Thunder,” which can be found on page 72 in our anthology (or you may find it online).
2. On page 82, answer Questions 1 (both the What do You Think? And Comprehension Check sections), 3, and 5.
3. Write a 5-paragraph essay comparing the themes in Bradbury’s “A Sound of Thunder” with those in his novel Fahrenheit 451. What similarities do you see?
1. Write a thesis statement first and show it to me for approval and assistance.
2. Essay should follow the format shown on my website under Writing an Introduction and Writing Body Paragraphs.
3. Include at least two quotes from each story.

There is not much time left in your senior year! You decide: would you rather read one of the great works of literature, which deals further with the philosophical ideals we have studied? Or would you prefer to increase your knowledge about the world you are about to enter?

Choice A

Read Candide  chapters I – XVII  by May 14 /    chapters XIX – end by May 21

Participate in discussions, activities to be announced.

Choice B

1. Every school day, bring a hard copy of a newspaper article about your assigned current event topic. Or, if you bring a laptop to class, just read an article and bookmark it. Jot down a few notes (not to turn in, just for yourself in case your name gets drawn and you have a chance to teach the class about it).

2. Keep a log of the articles you read. Every Friday, I will collect the logs or you will email them to me. You don’t need to write about the article, just write bibliography-type information (author, title, publication) about it or copy and paste a link.

3. Each day, I will draw three names. If your name is drawn, you will teach the class what you learned from your article on the previous day. You can then lead the class in a discussion about it.

RBC Chapters 14-18 Questions

Chapter 14
1. Based on the early conversation between the youth and the loud soldier, what irony does there seem to be in the description ‘loud’ continuing to be applied to the second young soldier?
2. How has the ‘loud’ soldier changed? What has caused this changed?
3. Explain the chapter ending.

Chapter 15
1. Explain the following, found on p.83 “The latter (the youth) felt immensely superior to his friend, but he inclined to condescension. He adopted toward him an air of patronizing good humor…His self-pride was now entirely restored.”
What is the message being delivered by Crane through the youth, and the narrative?

Chapter 16
1. What metaphor is used to begin this chapter?
2. Describe, in your own words, the battle scene the youth is observing.
3. How does the youth’s guilty conscience again catch up with him?
4. What does the general morale of the troops tell you about the tone of this war?
5. Explain the final simile of this chapter.

Chapter 17
1. How is animal imagery used effectively in this chapter? Identify no less than two examples.
2. Is this chapter the climax of this story? If so, why? If not, why not, and where would the climax be?
3. Historically, what is the copyright date of this story? In terms of the contents of this chapter, why is the date an important factor to remember when reading?

Chapter 18
1. What is implied by having a ‘geographical illusion’(p.97)?
2. In what way does the tone/mood of this chapter alter from chapter 17? Give two examples to reflect this change.

Write a two-page (or more) paper, formatted in MLA style (12 font, double spaced).

What meaningful connections can be made between the themes of The Matrix and Sophie’s World?  ***Note: this is not a “compare and contrast” essay. You must go beyond surface similarities (or differences) to comment on the deeper meanings of philosophy and human experience.  ****Another Note: assume that the reader of your essay has seen the movie and read the book. Hence, will not need to give descriptions of them in your intro. However, do give contexts for your quotes (who said it, if not the narrator, and when?).

Requirements:

At least three quotes from the book

Concrete details from the movie (not general statements – specific events)

Use academic conventions – no first or second person, no slang. Use high-level academic language.

Title, genre, and author (director) of each literary work (the film and the novel) in your intro

Here is a very detailed synopsis of The Matrix to help you remember it:

<http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0133093/synopsis>

Greek and Latin Words 16

1.   arium  (place of)

a.    aquarium

b.    terrarium c.    solarium

2.  centi     (hundred)

a.  centimeter

b.  century c.  centigrade

3.  ex     (out)

a.  exit

b.  example c.  executive

4.  omni, pan     (all)

a.  omniscent

b.  pantheon c.  panorama

5.  pro     (forward )

a.  progress

b.  procession

c.  procreate

6.  post     (after )

a.  postpone

b.  posthumous

c.  postnatal

Chapter 9
1. From what does this novel gain its title?
2. What does juxtaposition mean? What juxtaposing thoughts does the youth have about wounded persons?
3. Explain ‘philippic’, found on p.57. Why is this word appropriate for the changing mood of the youth? What has caused this mood to change thus?

Chapter 10
1. Describe the character of the ‘tattered’ soldier, based on the dialogue he has in this chapter. Why is dialogue an effective style device for Crane to use here?

2. What can the reader tell about the personality of the youth, based on this chapter?
Support your observations with at least two examples from the chapter.
3. Explain the statement on p.60: “The simple questions of the tattered man had been knife thrusts to him.”

Chapter 11
1. Define pathos. Find the use of this term in this chapter and explain it.
2. This story is not one of man vs man conflict, although the American Civil War was just that. What is the dominant form of conflict in this story? Find two examples from this chapter to support your choice.
3. What did the youth hope would happen, to save him from his own fear of surviving with his cowardice?
4. What state of mind is Fleming in by the end of this chapter? What is causing this?

Chapter 12
1. In what terms does the youth express the horror he is feeling about battle? Give 3 examples of words and phrases which reflect this horror.
2. Throughout this story, Crane has attempted to appeal the senses of the reader. Give 3 examples, of sight – sound – smell – which reflect this sensory style. Why is this an important element of Crane’s style, based on the fact that: he is depicting a real war;
and, he did not himself participate in that war.
3. The youth has yet another flashback. Of what? And why?
4. What is the importance of the last paragraph of this chapter?

Chapter 13
1.The youth was wounded in chapter 12. How?
What irony is involved with this wound in this chapter?
2. What role does the ‘loud’ soldier play with regard to the youth?
3. As with the ‘tattered’ soldier, what do learn about the ‘loud’ soldier based on the dialogue between him and the youth? What do we learn about the youth in this case?