Comprehension and
Discussion Questions
Chapters One, Two and Three
Answer the following questions in complete sentence form. Give examples from
om the
story to support your response.
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Chapter One
1. Jonas recalled an incident that had frightened him and the other members
embers
bers of his comco
munity. From where did the explanation of thee incident
in
come?
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2. The citizens were ordered
ed to
o leave their bicycles
les where they w
were. Wh
What might be some
of the reasons to preferr thee use of bicy
bicycles instead
nstead
tead of cars in the community?
ommun
mun
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____________
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___
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___
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_
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__
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3. In this
his chapter
chapte we were
ere introduced
ntroduced to thee community’s
mmunity’s cconcept
pt of being rel
released
released.
From what
hat we k
know so far, when w
we
were community
mmunity mem
memb
members released?
eleased?
sed? What m
migh
might it
mean to bee released?
re
d?
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_
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w
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_______
ro
4. Jonas was
wa ap
apprehensive about
out tth
the Ceremony
emony
ny of Twelv
Twelve. G
Guess what might occur at
that ceremo
ceremony. Describe a time w
when you
ou were appre
apprehens
apprehensive.
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______
_______________
_______
B
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5. Think about life in this community as described in this chapter. List all the things
that seem unusual as compared with your own community.
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The Giver
8
© 2010 Hawker Brownlow Education • EIM6972
Vocabulary
Chapters Thirteen, Fourteen and Fifteen
A synonym is a word having a meaning similar to that of another word. An antonym is a
word having a meaning opposite to that of another word.
1.
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Choose the word or phrase in each set that is most unlike the first word in meaning.
ing.
Circle each antonym.
strange
common
ordinary
familiar
ease
wor
worsen
aid
lesso
lesson
natural
twisted
twist
bent
nt
lig
light
hueless:
black
colourf
colourfu
colourful
opaque
paque
lluminous
imploring:
selling
ling
ing
grab
grabbing
entreating
refusing
prolonged
nged
iimmediate
diatee
quic
qu
quick
future
insane
angry
ccal
calculated
ed
sedate
tiny
huge
wide
ide
short
dam
damaged
strangled
healed
aled
un
u
unaltered
d
10. ominous:
d
dangerouss
promi
prom
promising
horrible
scary
cary
cidly:
11. placidly:
calmly
ly
ssimply
y
quickly
erociously
ferociously
12. predictable:
edictable:
expected
xpected
unexpected
xpected
cted
u
us
usual
ordinary
13. sinuous:
uous:
winding
long
ng
eexhausting
sting
g
straight
straigh
14. sparse:
ra
rar
rare
thin
fatt
plentif
p
plentiful
15. vast:
large
ope
open
contained
g
grand
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
alien:
assuage:
contorted:
instantaneous:
irrational:
massive:
mutilated:
w
Choose six vocabulary w
words from the abo
above activity.
ty. Write
rite a synonym
syn
for each.
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ro
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B
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_____________
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The Giver
20
© 2010 Hawker Brownlow Education • EIM6972
Spotlight Literary Skill
Fact and Opinion
A fact is a statement that can be proven. An opinion may be defined as a personal belief.
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du th ca
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Examples:
Fact: Ice-cream is made from cream and sugar.
Opinion: Chocolate ice-cream is the most delicious.
n “F” or an
Read each statement below. Decide if it is a fact or an opinion and placee an
“O” in the space provided.
____ 1.
The Giver was winner of the 1994 Newbery
Newb
ewb
Award.
____ 2.
The Giver is an excellent novel
vel for middle y
years readers.
aders.
rs.
____ 3.
Receiv
Jonas was selected to be the new Rece
Receiver.
____ 4.
de a mistake wh
se Jonas to b
The committee made
when it chose
be the new Receiver.
____ 5.
nas’s
’s community
communit
commun
eived a bicycle a
nine
Children in Jonas’s
received
at age nine.
____ 6.
munity was bett
The community
better off without snow.
____ 7.
lderly in Jonas’s community
c
unity were better off than
an the elderly in o
mmunity.
unity.
The elderly
our community.
____ 8.
Jonas
Jona was
as right to take
ke Ga
Gabriell with h
him.
____ 9..
Twelves
Twelve w
were assigned
igned
d adult rol
roles in the
he community;
mmunity; tthe roles
ess were chosen by
a comm
commi
committee.
____ 10. Asher
Ash was well suited to b
be Recreation
creation
reation Directo
Director
Director.
____ 11. Fiona
a was
as assigned C
Caretaker
ker off the Old.
____ 12. Caretaker
important assignment.
etaker of th
the Old was an impo
imp
gnment.
ment.
w
____ 13. The Chief
Chie E
Elder skipped over Jon
Jonas when
hen handing out
ou as
assignments.
ro
____
Matches had to be monitored
before the
___ 14. Match
monitore for three
ee years befo
th couple could apply for
children.
ch
chil
B
ensure successful marriages.
____ 15. Matching of Spouses is thee bestt way to en
ensur
The Giver
32
© 2010 Hawker Brownlow Education • EIM6972
Cooperative-Learning Activity
The Old
In Jonas’s community, all of the elderly citizens lived together. They were fed, bathed and
cared for by younger citizens. In our society, many options are available for the elderly.
Brainstorm all the possible options for the elderly in our society, both healthy and infirm.
Include such issues as lifestyle, living arrangements, health care and recreation.
Options for the
he
Infirm Elderly
derly
ly
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Options for the
Healthy Elderly
Each memb
member of the group should
l vote on the following:
follow
B
If you were healthy, which option
n would
ould you prefer
pre
prefer? Explain.
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_________
____________
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_
____
If you were infirm, which option would you prefer? Explain.
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Compare your results with those of the other cooperative-learning groups.
© 2010 Hawker Brownlow Education • EIM6972
37
The Giver
More Post-Reading Activities
1. Dystopian literature describes an imaginary place of complete misery and wretchedness. Would you classify The Giver as utopian or dystopian literature? Select a point of
view and write a paragraph explaining that view.
2. Make a chart that enumerates the pros and cons of life in the community in The Giver.
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3. Advanced students might like to read one or more classic works of utopian
opian and
dystopian literature. A few suggestions are Looking Backward, by Edward Bellamy;
amy; Lost
Horizon, by James Hilton; Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury; Animal Farm
m and
d 1984,
1984, by
George Orwell; and Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley.
4. Compare and contrast euthanasia and release.
elease.
se.
5. The children in The Giver all did volunteer
lunteer
teer work.
work Make
M
a poster
ster that depicts
dep
ways in
which you and your classmates might
ght volunteer your
yo time
me and
nd effort to help others.
6. Think about what it would bee like
ike if a committee
comm
decided
ed every person’s
per
pe
career. Would
a? Chart the
th good
d and
d bad aspects
aspec of this procedure.
most people like or dislike thee idea?
7. Read another novel by Lois
suggestions
ois Lowry. Two
T
ggestions are A Summer
er to Die and Number
the Stars, which was also a Newbery Award
d winner.
nner.
8. Write a paragraph
raph describing what you would have liked mostt about living
liv
livin in Jonas’s
as’s
community.
9. Write a paragraph
living
parag
h describing
des
de
g what
hat you would
wou have
vee liked least about
ab
ving in Jonas’s
community.
munity.
unity.
10. If possible,
Find out what
of caree they receive.
ossible, visit
vi a home
omee for the elderly.
eld
wha kind
ki
recei
B
ro
w
11. Euphemism
is the
i
he substitution
substitutio of an agreeable
greeable or inoffensive
ino
in
ive expression for one
o that
may offend orr suggest
offensive.
of
uggest something
some
o ensive.
nsive. The term
m release
lease is an example
ex
euphemism. Make
or disagreeke a chart of
o euphemisms.
emism For
or each
eac
ea term,
m,, tell the offensive
offen
able expression
ssion
n or term being
b
be
replaced.
eplaced.
ced.
The Giver
42
© 2010 Hawker Brownlow Education • EIM6972