English I and English II Honors
Summer Reading Assessment Form
AHS English Department
Print and complete this form for each Required Novel.
Name: Jane Student
Grade: 9th
English Teacher: ___________________________________
A Book Club/Literature Circle conversation will take place during the first week of the semester in each honors class. Following this, teachers will use a generic question to obtain a writing
sample from ALL students. The writing sample prompt will require students to use their summer text(s) as reference.
THE ASSIGNMENT BELOW WILL BE COLLECTED ON THE FIRST DAY OF CLASS
AND GRADED. YOU MUST COMPLETE A SEPARATE FORM FOR EACH REQUIRED
NOVEL. In addition to completing this form, all students must take notes to assist in classroom
discussions and/or for use on associated writing assignments. All notes must either be written in
a journal or notebook (typed or printed neatly). “Post It” notes are also acceptable.
DO NOT limit your responses to the space provided on this form. If necessary, use a separate
sheet of paper or an additional print-out of this form for completion of this assignment.
Novel Title/Author:
A Tale of Two Cities/Charles Dickens
Essential Questions—insightful QUESTIONS that you would like to ask your peers during a
literature circle/book club discussion— MUST EXTEND BEYOND PLOT/CHARACTER
IDENTIFICATIONS
1. From “Book the First” when Miss Manette comments to Mr. Lorry that when she was orphaned she was almost certain that it was Mr. Lorry himself who brought her to England. Why
do you think she was brought to England at all?
2. On the night Jerry Cruncher went “fishing” with two other men and fished out a coffin, what do you suppose was in that coffin and what
business did he have fishing it out? (Reminding you that Mr. Cruncher made a comment later on saying that Roger Cly was never buried.)
3. Do you think that Doctor Manette had always remembered the letter he had written in prison, or that he did not remember it until it was read? Why might that distinction be important?
4. If Sidney Carton would have told Mr. Lorry his plans of switching with Charles Darnay before leaving, do you think Mr. Lorry would have let him go through with it?
5. If you were Charles Darnay in the prison and had figured out that Sidney Carton was risking
his life for yours by switching places, would you have let Carton do this?
SEVEN IMPORTANT QUOTES: Reflect theme,
conflict, character, plot, main idea, mood, and tone
QUOTE
PAGE
NUMBER
1. “I see a beautiful city and a brilliant people rising from this
abyss, and, in their struggles to be truly free, in their triumphs and
defeats, through long years to come, I see the evil of this time and of
the previous time of which this is the natural birth, gradually making
expiation for itself and wearing out.
381
2. “They are…, murdering the prisoners. If you are sure of what
you say; if you really have the power you think you have-as I believe
you have-make yourself known to these devils, and get taken to La
Force. It may be too late, I don’t know, but let it not be a minute
later!
267
3. “Even now, when I believe he is more hopeful of himself than
he has ever been, and even speaks of himself with a kind of
confidence the idea that he might need that old employment, and
not find it, gives him a sudden sense of terror, like that which one
may fancy strikes to the heart of a lost child.”
206
4. “Miss Manette, I am a man of business. I have a business
charge to acquit myself of. In your reception of it, don't heed me
anymore than if I was a speaking machine—truly I am not much
else…”
This is important because it is one of the many
examples in the book of conflict. This particular
quote is an example of man vs. himself conflict,
as the Doctor struggles whether to do away
with his old shoemaking bench or not.
269
It sets some of the mood for this book, describing
the end of the bloodshed, yet hinting that the
fights are not going to end, and never will.
277
It really reveals the complete theme of the book—
fighting for Liberty and Equality, ruling by
Fraternity, and sometimes, quite often ending in
Death.
7. “The spare hand does not tremble as he releases it; nothing
worse than a sweet, bright constancy is in the patient face. She
goes next before him—is gone; the knitting-women count TwentyTwo.
It describes some of the plot throughout the
book. This quote reveals sort of the main idea
of the plot throughout the book, talking about all
of the murders of the prisoners happening, and of
the desperate friends trying to save another from
the same fate.
It is revealing one of the characters of the book.
Mr. Lorry. Mr. Lorry is a man of business in
character and tells Lucy so in their beginning
chat.
6. The Republic of Liberty, Equality, Fraternity, or Death,
declared for victory or death against the world in arms.”
This tells of the main idea throughout the book.
All of the struggles, triumphs and defeats of the
citizens, the evil past and rising. It is important
because it really captures the book’s main idea
in the whole.
22
5. “The great grindstone, Earth, had turned when Mr. Lorry
looked out again, and the sun was red on the court-yard. But, the
lesser grindstone stood alone there in the calm morning air, with a
red upon it that the sun had never given, and would never take
away.”
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
380
It shows the tone of the book, which is kind of
eerie and calm, yet tense with anxiety. The
patient face gives the eerie and calm, the spare
hand dropping and the knitting women’s final
count is tense with anxiety.