CONTENTS
UNIT TWELVE
RESOURCE
EMCParadigm Publishing Saint Paul, Minnesota
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Cover Credits
Cover Designer: C. Vern Johnson
The Human Condition, 1934. Rene Magritte.
The Farm, 1921–1922. Joan Miró.
The Persistence of Memory, 1931. Salvador Dali.
ISBN 0-8219-2159-2
© 2001 EMC Corporation
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be adapted, reproduced, stored in
a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise without permission from the publisher.
Published by EMC/Paradigm Publishing
875 Montreal Way
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800-328-1452
www.emcp.com
E-mail: [email protected]
Printed in the United States of America.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 XXX 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09
CONTENTS
Contents
Selection Worksheet 12.1: “House Taken Over” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Selection Check Test 4.12.1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Selection Test 4.12.2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Selection Worksheet 12.2: “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Selection Check Test 4.12.3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Selection Test 4.12.4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Selection Worksheet 12.3: “The Adventure of the Speckled Band” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Selection Check Test 4.12.5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Selection Test 4.12.6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Selection Worksheet 12.4: “The Pedestrian” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Selection Check Test 4.12.7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Selection Test 4.12.8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Selection Worksheet 12.5: “By the Waters of Babylon” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Selection Check Test 4.12.9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Selection Test 4.12.10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Selection Worksheet 12.6: The Hitchhiker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Selection Check Test 4.12.11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Selection Test 4.12.12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Unit 12 Review/Study Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Unit 12 Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Answer Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
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Name________________________________________ Class_____________________ Date ____________________
Selection Worksheet 12.1
“House Taken Over,” page 917
READER RESPONSE ACTIVITIES
Graphic Organizer, page 917
On the cluster chart below, list facts that contribute to the mood of the story. One example has been
done for you.
Irene turned down
suitors for no
particular reason
Mood
Reader’s Journal, page 917
What is your favorite room in your house?
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Guided Reading Questions
PAGE 918
Who lived in the house before the narrator and his sister Irene?
What was it that kept both the narrator and his sister from getting married?
What plans do the narrator and his sister have for the house?
How does Irene spend most of her days?
PAGE 919
How do they earn their living?
PAGE 920
What part of the house do they live in?
What does the narrator hear in the other part of the house?
What does he do in response to the sound?
PAGE 921
Why is it difficult to be restricted to one part of the house?
What is good about being restricted to one part of the house?
What do they gradually stop doing as they live in their part of the house?
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PAGE 922
In what part of the house do they remain silent?
What happens to Irene’s knitting?
What does the narrator do after he locks the front door?
Respond to the Selection, page 922
What or who do you think took over the house?
INVESTIGATE, INQUIRE,
AND IMAGINE, PAGE
924
Recall
Interpret
1a. What does the narrator do after he hears the
first sounds in the house?
1b. Why do you think he reacts this way? What is
he afraid of?
2a. Exactly how does Cortázar describe the sounds
that the narrator hears?
2b. Why do you think Cortázar uses these particular details to describe the sounds? What meaning is he trying to get at here?
3a. What is Irene doing throughout most of the
story?
3b. What is the significance of her knitting an
entire bureau full of clothes, which is obviously
far more than she and her brother can use?
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Analyze
Synthesize
4a. What evidence do you see in the story that the
brother and sister are satisfied with the way
things are in their lives? Cite evidence from the
story to support your answer.
Evaluate
4b. Why is the house being taken over? What
warning is the author giving us about our own
lives?
Extend
5a. Do you think the narrator’s ancestors would
approve of the life he is leading in this house?
Explain your answer.
UNDERSTANDING LITERATURE,
PAGE
5b. Read the poem “House” by Pablo Neruda. In
what ways is the house in the poem like the
house in “House Taken Over”? Use details from
both the story and poem to support your
answer.
924
SETTING. How does the setting reflect the meaning of “House Taken Over”?
MOOD. Review the cluster chart you completed for the Graphic Organizer. What is the mood of the story?
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WRITER’S JOURNAL,
PAGE
925
1. Imagine that you are the narrator and you have just received a letter from a friend asking how you
are and what you are up to. Write a letter answering your friend’s questions.
2. Imagine you are Irene. Write the journal entry that you might have written following the first sign
of the house being taken over.
3. Write a description of a location, paying attention to describing the mood you want to convey.
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INTEGRATING
THE
LANGUAGE ARTS,
PAGE
925
Language, Grammar, and Style
LINKING VERBS. Read the Language Arts Survey 3.10, “Linking Verbs.” Then identify the linking verb in
each of the following sentences.
1. At the beginning of the story, the narrator and his sister are ready to move into the house.
2. They appear complacent about life.
3. They remain isolated in one wing of the house when the other section of the house is taken over.
4. At first they seem unaffected by the new occupants.
5. Do they leave the house because they grow afraid of the occupants?
Study and Research & Media Literacy
RESEARCHING SURREALISM. Using the library or the Internet, research the artistic movement of Surrealism.
Who began the movement? What were its basic ideas, and where did they come from? How is it possible to recognize a surreal literary or artistic work? Who were the movement’s most famous artists? What
aspects of “House Taken Over” are surreal? Use the research log below to record your findings and to
note the sources you consulted. Then, on your own paper, write a report to present to the class.
Research Log
Research Findings on Surrealism:
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Sources Used:
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Vocabulary
CONNOTATION AND DENOTATION. The denotation of a word is its dictionary definition, while its
connotation is all the associations it has in addition to its literal meaning. The mood of a piece of literature is determined in part by the connotations of the vocabulary chosen.
Pretend you have been asked to help Paul Blackburn translate “House Taken Over” from the original
Spanish. Your job is to reflect on the underlined Words for Everyday Use in the passages below, and suggest two synonyms with different connotations for each vocabulary word.
EXAMPLE
It was pleasant to take lunch and commune with the great hollow, silent house, and it was enough for
us just to keep it clean.
commune: subsist, communicate
1. We were easing into our forties with the unvoiced concept that the quiet, simple marriage of sister
and brother was the indispensable end to a line established in this house by our grandparents.
indispensable:
2. But Irene was only interested in the knitting and showed a wonderful dexterity, and for me the
hours slipped away watching her, her hands like silver sea-urchins, needles flashing . . .
dexterity:
3. I hurled myself against the door before it was too late and shut it, leaned on it with the weight of
my body; luckily, the key was on our side; moreover, I ran the great bolt into place, just to be safe.
hurl:
4. Irene said that in my sleep I flailed about enormously and shook the blankets off.
flail:
5. Irene noticed how brusquely I had paused, and came up beside me without a word.
brusquely:
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Selection Check Test 4.12.1
“House Taken Over”
CHECKING YOUR READING
Short Answer
1. Who lives with the narrator in the huge, old house, and what do the two of them intend to do with
the house eventually?
2. What do the two inhabitants of the house do all day? What does the narrator say they eventually live
without doing?
3. How do the two earn their money?
4. Why does the narrator have to close off the back part of the house?
5. What finally happens to the house at the end of the story? What do the narrator and Irene do?
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VOCABULARY
IN
CONTEXT
Sentence Completion
Fill in each blank with the most appropriate word from the following Words for Everyday Use from
“House Taken Over.” You may not use every word, and you may have to change the tense of some
words.
dexterity
indispensable
nocturnal
flail
commune
1. Kayla’s dad hung up the phone so
for Kayla.
2. People feel a special bond with dogs; they feel they can
other animal.
3. The protesters were arrested when they
4. A typical kindergartener does not yet have the
5. Cats are
hurl
brusquely
that I had no chance to leave a message
with them as with no
rocks at the police.
needed to write in cursive.
creatures; that is why you often see them napping during the day.
LITERARY TOOLS
Short Answer
1. What is the setting of a literary work?
2. What is mood?
3. What is another word for the mood of a literary work?
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Selection Test 4.12.2
“House Taken Over”
INSIGHTFUL READING
Multiple Choice
Circle the letter of the correct answer.
1. What might the narrator do to prevent his cousins from inheriting the house?
a. sell it
b. donate it to charity
c. get married
d. tear it down
2. Irene knits _____.
a. more things than she or the narrator can use
b. because they cannot afford to buy new clothes
c. things she can donate to the local orphanage
d. only in the morning
3. When the narrator hears noises in the back of the house, _____.
a. neither he nor Irene ever goes back there again
b. he is afraid to call the police because they are corrupt
c. he is afraid to call the police because he and Irene live there illegally
d. he makes plans to have it torn down
4. The narrator and Irene have a difficult time _____.
a. slaughtering the animals for food
b. keeping the house warm
c. sleeping
d. explaining their lives to the neighbors
5. Irene’s and the narrator’s activities seem designed to _____.
a. enable them to survive despite their poverty
b. antagonize the government
c. contribute to worthy causes
d. use up time
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Short Answer
1. Describe the relationship between Irene and the narrator.
2. How do the two interact with other people? Why?
3. What activity do Irene and the narrator spend all morning doing? What does this suggest about their
situation?
4. Do the characters in this story have the power to change their lives? Why are they content?
5. Why does the house evict the narrator and Irene? How do you think they will react to this change?
Why?
VOCABULARY
IN
CONTEXT
Sentence Completion
Fill in each blank below with the most appropriate word from the following Words for Everyday Use from
“House Taken Over.” You may not use every word, and you may have to change the tense of some
words.
nocturnal
skein
brusquely
flail
indispensable
1. We keep a basket for the mail on a table in the
2. Many desert animals are
, sleeping all day and moving about at night.
with the stars in the night sky.
her arms, the lifeguard spotted her and dove in after her.
5. In the last decade, computers have become
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recessed
nook by the front door.
3. Martha likes to lie on the roof and
4. Just as the child
commune
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UNDERSTANDING LITERARY CONCEPTS
True or False
1. This story takes place in twentieth-century Argentina.
2. The primary setting of this work is an old house.
3. Another term for mood is atmosphere.
4. All of the action of this story takes place in or near the house.
5. The details in this story create a romantic mood.
Short Answer
1. What does Irene’s knitting suggest about her character?
2. Why does the narrator say, “We were fine, and little by little we stopped thinking. You can live without thinking”? What does this suggest about him?
3. Irony is the difference between appearance and reality. Explain one thing that is ironic about the narrator’s lifestyle.
4. Some critics claim that the house itself is the strongest “character” in this story. Why do you think
they make this claim?
5. Explain the mood of this story.
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CRITICAL WRITING
Essay
Choose one of the following prompts and write an essay. Complete both the Prepare to Write and Write
sections of the prompt you choose. Use your own paper as necessary.
1. Fantasy and Reality
PREPARE TO WRITE. What elements of this story appear real? What elements seem like fantasy? Why? How
do the fantastic and realistic elements interact to support the story’s theme? How do they interact to create the story’s mood? What overall effect is achieved from this weaving of fantasy and reality?
WRITE. In your essay, explicate the use of fantasy and reality in this story, and show how the author
weaves them together to achieve an effect.
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2. What Will They Do?
PREPARE TO WRITE. At the end of this story, the narrator and Irene are leaving the house. Why? How are
they reacting to this event? What do you think they will do next? How will they react?
WRITE. Write a one- to two-page conclusion to the story, showing what the narrator and Irene do once
they leave the house. The conclusion must maintain the style of the story.
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Selection Worksheet 12.2
“A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings,” page 926
READER RESPONSE ACTIVITIES
Graphic Organizer, page 926
Complete the cluster chart below listing the examples of Magical Realism in the story. One example has
been done for you.
Man with
wings falls into the
village
Magical
Realism
Reader’s Journal, page 926
How would you treat a stranger who came to your door in search of help?
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Guided Reading Questions
PAGE 929
What do the villagers throw at the angel?
What human aspects does the angel demonstrate?
PAGE 930
How does the angel react when it is branded?
PAGE 931
What do Pelayo and Elisenda do with their newly acquired wealth?
PAGE 932
What does the angel sing?
Respond to the Selection, page 934
If you were the angel, how would you assess your stay with Pelayo and Elisenda?
INVESTIGATE, INQUIRE,
AND IMAGINE, PAGE
Recall
934
Interpret
1a. What does Pelayo find in his courtyard?
1b. Why do Pelayo and Elisenda think the angel is
a “lonely castaway from some foreign ship
wrecked by the storm”?
2a. Who comes to see the angel?
2b. Why does the priest doubt the good intentions
of the angel?
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3a. What happens to make the onlookers lose
interest in the angel?
Analyze
3b. What lesson does the spider woman teach
children?
Synthesize
4a. Analyze Pelayo and Elisenda’s motivations for
treating the angel as they do.
Evaluate
4b. Why does the angel stay with Pelayo and
Elisenda if he is not treated well?
Extend
5a. Evaluate the potency of the angel’s powers.
5b. Read the Related Reading, “East Song.” What
does the “invisible angel” represent in an individual’s life? How is the angel of the poem different from the one in the short story?
UNDERSTANDING LITERATURE,
PAGE 934
POINT OF VIEW. How would the story be different if it were told from the angel’s point of view? What
things might we learn about the angel?
OXYMORON. What does Elisenda say when the angel comes to live in the house? What makes this an
oxymoron?
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MAGICAL REALISM. Review the cluster chart you completed in Graphic Organizer. What elements of
Magical Realism does García Márquez incorporate in his story?
WRITER’S JOURNAL,
PAGE
935
1. Imagine you work in the traveling circus. Write an advertisement for the local village newspaper
advertising the attraction of the spider woman so that people will want to pay to see her.
2. Imagine you are the angel. Write a journal entry about your incarceration in the chicken coop.
What do you think of Pelayo, Elisenda, and the villagers? What do you think they think of you?
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3. Imagine you are the village priest. Write a letter to the pope asking for direction on what to do
about the angel. What are your concerns?
INTEGRATING
THE
LANGUAGE ARTS,
PAGE
935
Language, Grammar, and Style
THERE SENTENCES. Read the Language Arts Survey, “Working with There Sentences.” Then identify the subject and verb for each of the following sentences.
1. After Pelayo returned from the beach, there was a man with enormous wings in his courtyard.
2. Has there ever been a more surprising sight than an angel in a chicken coop?
3. There was a circus that came to town.
4. Many curiosity seekers came, and there were now more people interested in the spider woman.
5. There was an incidence of chicken pox.
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Study and Research & Collaborative Learning
RESEARCHING ANGELS. With several classmates, research how angels are portrayed in religion, literature,
and the media. What human characteristics do they possess? What spiritual characteristics do they possess? Use the research log below to record your findings and to note the sources you consulted. Then
report your findings to the class.
Research Log
Research Findings on Angels:
Sources Used:
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Vocabulary
EXPLORING WORD ORIGINS AND WORD FAMILIES. Just as types of literature such as Magical Realism reflect the
cultural views from which they come, words also develop and evolve to help meet the needs for cultural
expression.
EXERCISE
Determine how each of the following words was formed by using a dictionary to look up its etymology
and definition.
EXAMPLE
cataclysm
1. catechism
etymology
definition
Greek kataklyzein—to inundate
flood, deluge; a violent geologic change of the
earth’s surface; a momentous and violent
event marked by overwhelming upheaval and
demolition
etymology:
definition:
2. hermetic
etymology:
definition:
3. iridescent
etymology:
definition:
4. supernatural etymology:
definition:
5. terrestrial
etymology:
definition:
6. grandeur
etymology:
definition:
7. decrepitude etymology:
definition:
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8. robust
etymology:
definition:
9. deign
etymology:
definition:
10. haughty
etymology:
definition:
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Selection Check Test 4.12.3
“A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings”
CHECKING YOUR READING
Short Answer
1. What strange person does Pelayo find in his courtyard?
2. What is Father Gonzaga’s opinion of the man? What evidence does he have for feeling this way?
3. How do the people in the village react to the winged man? What do they want from him?
4. What new attraction comes to town?
5. What finally happens to the winged man?
VOCABULARY
IN
CONTEXT
Sentence Completion
Fill in each blank with the most appropriate word from the following Words for Everyday Use from “A
Very Old Man with Enormous Wings.” You may not use every word, and you may have to change the
tense of some words.
infamy
iridescent
penitent
celestial
haughty
proliferate
ingenuous
magnanimous
1. The oil splotches on the pavement were
2. Years later, Raul felt
her when they were kids.
3. The
“mommy.”
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in the sunlight.
and apologized to his younger sister for having picked on
child was shocked to learn that her grandmother was her father’s
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4. In the summertime, ants
5. The
with a sneer of disgust.
in our backyard.
actor carried himself with an air of superiority, and waved away his fans
LITERARY TOOLS
Short Answer
1. From whose point of view is “The Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” told?
2. Give an example of an oxymoron.
3. What is Magical Realism?
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Name________________________________________ Class_____________________ Date ____________________
Selection Test 4.12.4
“A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings”
INSIGHTFUL READING
Multiple Choice
Circle the letter of the correct answer.
1. What connection does the old woman make between the old man and the newborn?
a. she thinks the old man caused the child’s illness
b. she thinks the old man cured the child
c. she thinks the old man was coming to take the child away
d. she thinks the old man suffers the same illness as the child
2. What best sums up the people’s attitude toward the old man?
a. suspicious curiosity
b. desperate fear
c. violent anger
d. kind generosity
3. What happened to the people who came to the old man looking for miracles?
a. the old man helped them
b. the old man ignored them
c. they got strange results
d. the priest chased them away
4. Who comes closest to befriending the old man?
a. Elisenda
b. the old woman
c. the child
d. the priest
5. Throughout the story, the old man is compared to _____.
a. a doctor
b. a sailor
c. a shepherd
d. a priest
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Short Answer
1. How do Pelayo and Elisenda react when they first encounter the old man?
2. How does the old man react to the people?
3. How is the old man’s presence a mixed blessing for Pelayo and Elisenda?
4. Why does the spider woman draw attention away from the old man?
5. After the old man moves into the house, he loses his feathers and seems near death. What signs are
there then that he is recovering?
VOCABULARY
IN
CONTEXT
Sentence Completion
Fill in each blank below with the most appropriate word from the following Words for Everyday Use from
“A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings.” You may not use every word, and you may have to change the
tense of some words.
magnanimous
robust
hermetic
grandeur
1. We were amazed by the
cataclysm
penitent
of the homes in New Orleans’ garden district.
2. Gladys spent hours puzzling over the
texts before finding the answer.
3. Wang is an excellent sailor, and he always uses
4. Nadia gasped when she saw the aftermath of the
when the weather is bad.
.
5. Although he had been sickly as a child, Marcello grew into a(n)
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UNDERSTANDING LITERARY CONCEPTS
Multiple Choice
Circle the letter of the correct answer.
1. This story is told from whose point of view?
a. first person
b. second person
c. third-person limited
d. third-person omniscient
2. Whose perspective is shared the least?
a. Pelayo’s
b. Elisenda’s
c. the priest’s
d. the old man’s
3. Which of the following is an example of an oxymoron?
a. “I was so embarrassed I could have died!”
b. “The character’s fate was poetic justice.”
c. “After the curtain fell, a deafening silence filled the auditorium.”
d. “Are you working hard, or hardly working?”
4. Magical Realism most closely expresses the worldview of _____.
a. Europeans
b. Americans
c. Latin Americans
d. Asians
5. Which character best reflects Magical Realism?
a. the priest
b. the old woman
c. the circus woman
d. the child
Short Answer
1. As the story opens, how does García Márquez create a sense of discomfort and strangeness?
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2. Why do you think García Márquez sets his story in a small rural village?
3. Give an example of an oxymoron from the story.
4. What makes the priest ironic?
5. What is a primary conflict in this story?
CRITICAL WRITING
Essay
Choose one of the following prompts and write an essay. Complete both the Prepare to Write and Write
sections of the prompt you choose. Use your own paper as necessary.
1. Magical Realism
PREPARE TO WRITE. How do Pelayo and Elisenda, the priest, the old woman, and the others react to the
old man? What does and does not concern them? What other evidence is there that the villagers are
willing to believe in the supernatural? What does this suggest about their culture, especially their religion
and their beliefs? What statement do you think García Márquez may have been making about human
nature?
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WRITE. In an essay, examine the role of the supernatural in this story, and the statement you think García
Márquez is making about human nature.
2. An Ancient Story
PREPARE TO WRITE. This story concludes with Elisenda watching the old man fly away “because then he
was no longer an annoyance in her life but an imaginary dot on the horizon of the sea.” Why does she
feel more kindly toward him now that he is gone? In what ways does the old man conform to people’s
expectations of an angel? How does he not live up to these expectations? How do they react when he
doesn’t live up to expectations? What statement do you think this story makes about expectations?
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WRITE. In an essay, examine the story’s point about expectations. Consider especially people’s treatment
of the old man when he does and does not meet expectations.
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Selection Worksheet 12.3
“The Adventure of the Speckled Band,” page 936
READER RESPONSE ACTIVITIES
Graphic Organizer, page 936
A plot is a series of events related to a central conflict, or struggle. A plot includes the introduction of a
conflict, its development, and its resolution. Review the elements of plot in the Handbook of Literary
Terms. Then identify the inciting incident, climax, and resolution of this story and fill them in on the plot
pyramid below.
Climax
on
cti
A
ing
Ris
Fa
llin
gA
cti
on
Dénouement
Exposition
Inciting Incident
Resolution
Reader’s Journal, page 936
Think about someone you highly respect. He or she may be a mentor, teacher, or friend. What draws
you to that person?
Guided Reading Questions
PAGE 937
Why does Holmes work?
PAGE 938
What does Watson admire about Holmes?
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PAGE 939
Why do the young woman’s fears and suspicions seem silly to other people to whom she turns for advice?
PAGE 940
What change occurred in Miss Stoner’s stepfather? What happens as a result of this change?
PAGE 941
Who are Dr. Roylott’s friends?
Why does Holmes want her to be precise about the details of her story?
What does Julia ask Helen?
PAGE 942
What does Miss Stoner hear after the scream?
What were Helen’s sister’s last words?
PAGE 943
What conclusion does Holmes draw? On what basis?
Where is Miss Stoner sleeping? What is significant about the noise she hears? In what way is her situation similar to that of her sister just before her death?
PAGE 944
Why do you think Holmes doesn’t want the stepfather to know about his examining the rooms?
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What theory might Holmes have at this point about the cause of the sister’s death?
PAGE 945
Why does Dr. Roylott bend the steel poker?
PAGE 946
What motivation does Dr. Roylott have for committing murder?
PAGE 947
What does Holmes mean when he says, “that is suggestive”?
PAGE 949
What unusual details does Holmes observe in the room?
PAGE 950
What does Holmes find odd about the dog lash? What might he infer from this clue?
Holmes seems at this point to have solved the mystery. Based on the details presented so far in the story, what
do you think the solution to the mystery is?
PAGE 951
What might be small enough to pass through the ventilator?
What detail led Holmes to infer the existence of the ventilator?
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What had Holmes noticed about the bed? What explanation does he give Watson?
PAGE 952
What items has Holmes brought in preparation for their vigil? Why do you think he brought these things?
PAGE 953
What sound do Holmes and Watson hear? What is Holmes’s reaction? What second sound do they hear?
What do you think has happened?
PAGE 954
Why is it dangerous to draw conclusions upon insufficient data?
What observation caused Holmes to reject his first theory about the murder?
PAGE 955
What clues did Holmes use to confirm his theory?
Respond to the Selection, page 955
From Miss Stoner’s narrative, what guesses did you make about the cause of her death? What do you
think of Holmes’s reasoning? Do you detect any flaws in explanation?
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INVESTIGATE, INQUIRE,
AND IMAGINE, PAGE
956
Recall
Interpret
1a. What two sounds does Miss Stoner hear on the
night of Julia’s death?
1b. What three events cause Miss Stoner to fear for
her life and prompt her urgent visit to Holmes?
2a. What is unusual about the bell-rope?
2b. What facts about the furnishings in Miss
Stoner’s bedroom suggest a horrible crime to
Holmes?
3a. What is “the speckled band”?
3b. What “erroneous conclusion” reminds Holmes
of the dangers of reasoning from “insufficient
data”?
Analyze
Synthesize
4a. What kind of man is Dr. Grimesby Roylott?
What motivates him to commit such horrible
crimes?
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4b. Holmes says, “Ah me! it’s a wicked world, and
when a clever man turns his brains to crime, it
is the worst of all.” In what ways does this
quote apply to Dr. Roylott?
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Perspective
Empathy
5a. Pretend Holmes went to trial for the murder of
Dr. Roylott. Imagine you are the judge. Would
you find him guilty or innocent of the murder?
Why, or why not?
5b. Imagine you are Holmes. Would you feel guilty
for being indirectly responsible for Dr. Roylott’s
death? Why, or why not?
UNDERSTANDING LITERATURE,
PAGE 956
NARRATOR. A narrator is one who tells a story. Who is the narrator of this story? What is that narrator’s
relationship to the main character? What special circumstances give this narrator access to the details
related in the story?
PLOT AND CONFLICT. Review the pyramid you completed for the Graphic Organizer. In this story, what is
the struggle that the main character undertakes? What techniques does the main character use to
resolve the conflict?
WRITER’S JOURNAL,
PAGE
957
1. Create three possible headlines used for a newspaper article that might be written about the night’s
events that took place at the Stoke Moran Manor House.
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2. Imagine you are a coroner. Write a death report describing the cause of Dr. Roylott’s death.
3. Pretend you are Helen Stoner. Write a thank-you letter to both Holmes and Watson for destroying
your fears and saving your life.
INTEGRATING
THE
LANGUAGE ARTS,
PAGE
957
Language, Grammar, and Style
USING QUOTATION MARKS. Review the Language Arts Survey 3.92, “Quotation Marks.” Then copy the
sentences below, adding quotation marks where needed.
1. I’m very sorry to wake you, said Holmes, but we need to get started with the investigation.
2. Watson said, I am willing to help you in any way you need.
3. My name is Helen Stoner, said the woman with fear on her face.
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4. My dear fellow, Watson said in earnest, I would not miss it for the world.
5. It is a swamp adder! cried Holmes; the most poisonous snake in India!
Study and Research
FAN CLUB. As a class, research the Baker Street Irregulars and the Sherlock Holmes Society of London and
find the names and addresses of other clubs devoted to Sherlock Holmes. Use the research log below to
record your findings and to note the sources you consulted. Then form small groups, assigning one club
to each group, and write a letter to the club president. In your letter, explain your group’s interest in the
club and request information about the club’s history, activities, and membership.
Research Log
Research Findings on Sherlock Holmes Clubs:
Sources Used:
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Vocabulary
UNDERSTANDING MEANING THROUGH WRITING. Use the words Sir Arthur Conan Doyle used in “The
Adventure of the Speckled Band” to write your own intriguing descriptions.
EXERCISE
Choose one of the prompts from Writer’s Journal on page 957 of your textbook. Use and underline at
least ten vocabulary words in the Words for Everyday Use feature. Then exchange papers with a partner
and see if you used the words correctly.
EXAMPLES
1. Headlines
“Coroner Deduces Imprudence in Poisoning Death of Pet Owner”
2. Death report
Coroner’s Report
Dr. Roylott of Stoke Moran; deceased
Skin covering the head, face, and neck was minutely examined to disclose two successive puncture
wounds surrounding the left carotid artery. Massive coronary immediately followed the introduction of
venom into the bloodstream . . .
3. Thank-you letter
My dear Mr. Holmes and Mr. Watson,
Words cannot express my gratitude for the invaluable service you have rendered me by averting the
impending disaster about to befall . . .
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“The Adventure of the Speckled Band”
CHECKING YOUR READING
Short Answer
1. Whose death does Miss Stoner wish Sherlock Holmes to investigate, and where did this person die?
2. What noise did the victim hear in the dead of night? What were her last words before she died?
What noises did Miss Stoner hear on the night the victim died?
3. Who stands to benefit from the deaths of Miss Stoner and her sister? Explain.
4. What three strange details does Sherlock Holmes notice when inspecting Miss Stoner’s bedroom?
5. What was the speckled band? Who was guilty of the murder, and how did he accomplish it?
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VOCABULARY
IN
CONTEXT
Sentence Completion
Fill in each blank with the most appropriate word from the following Words for Everyday Use from “The
Adventure of the Speckled Band.” You may not use every word, and you may have to change the tense
of some words.
averse
dissolute
sear
deduction
manifold
aperture
tangible
impending
1. The
in the wall of the fort enabled soldiers to shoot at the enemy while being
shielded from counterattack.
2. The detective believed the suspect was guilty, but was unable to prove it without having found
evidence, such as a dropped item or fingerprints, at the scene of the crime.
3. Stan was
to hard work, and would avoid it whenever possible.
4. Benjamin Franklin’s legacy to American society was
cisms and philosophy, discoveries, inventions, and theories.
5. The details of the accident were
her to forget.
: he passed down witti-
in the driver’s memory—it was impossible for
LITERARY TOOLS
Sentence Completion
Fill in the blanks using the following terms.
resolution
42
plot
conflict
narrator
climax
inciting incident
1. A(n)
is a series of events related to a central conflict, or struggle.
2. The
of this story is Dr. Watson, Sherlock Holmes’s sidekick.
3. The
of a story is the high point of interest or suspense in the plot.
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Selection Test 4.12.6
“The Adventure of the Speckled Band”
INSIGHTFUL READING
Multiple Choice
Circle the letter of the correct answer.
1. Holmes startles Helen when he first meets her because he _____.
a. admits that he knew her sister
b. announces that she came by train and cart
c. reveals that he knows her stepfather
d. scolds her for awakening him so early
2. Dr. Roylott has a particular interest in things from _____.
a. England
b. France
c. Japan
d. India
3. When Helen visits Holmes, whom does he accuse her of protecting?
a. her stepfather
b. her mother
c. her sister
d. her fiancé
4. Why has Helen come to Holmes in such a rush?
a. she heard a sound that reminded her of her sister’s death
b. her stepfather’s increasing violence has scared her
c. gypsies attacked her stepfather during the night
d. she feels she must solve the mystery before she gets married
5. Holmes’s first, incorrect conclusion of how Julia died was _____.
a. he thought she had died of fright
b. he thought the baboon had killed her
c. he thought the gypsies harmed her
d. he thought she had fallen
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Short Answer
1. What is the speckled band?
2. Why would Roylott benefit by Helen’s death?
3. Explain what the two sounds Helen hears turn out to be. How do they figure into the plot of this
mystery?
4. What role does Watson play in this mystery?
5. Identify three clues that lead Holmes to the solution.
VOCABULARY
IN
CONTEXT
Sentence Completion
Fill in each blank with the most appropriate word from the following Words for Everyday Use from “The
Adventure of the Speckled Band.” You may not use every word, and you may have to change the tense
of some words.
haggard
1. William
dissolute
vigil
manifold
loathing
sear
recoil
when he saw the spider, but Lula quickly killed it.
2. The chef marinated the fish for an hour, then quickly
it and served it up.
3. Unable to leave his ship to attend the birth of his child, the young sailor maintained a tense
by the telephone.
4. “This degree will benefit you in
ways,” the college recruiter assured us.
5. Over the years, Marshall grew weary of constantly bailing out his
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UNDERSTANDING LITERARY CONCEPTS
True or False
1. The inciting incident in this story is Helen Stoner’s visit to Sherlock Holmes.
2. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is credited with inventing the detective-story genre.
3. The narrator is Sherlock Holmes’s client.
4. In the dénouement, we learn that Holmes is unconcerned that he caused Dr. Roylott’s death.
5. The primary conflict revolves around Holmes’s struggle to solve the mystery.
Short Answer
1. What is the climax of this story?
2. How is suspense created in this story?
3. Describe Dr. Roylott. Why did his neighbors at Stoke Moran grow afraid of him?
4. Describe the narrator. Does he play a large or a small role in the plot? Explain.
5. What details contribute to the sense of strangeness that surrounds Stoke Moran?
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CRITICAL WRITING
Essay
Choose one of the following prompts and write an essay. Complete both the Prepare to Write and Write
sections of the prompt you choose. Use your own paper as necessary.
1. Detective Stories
PREPARE TO WRITE. Write a critique of “The Adventure of the Speckled Band” as detective fiction. First,
draw a list of five criteria a story should meet to be considered successful detective fiction. Then, explain
how well “The Adventure of the Speckled Band” does or does not meet each criterion. Finally, give your
overall evaluation of the story.
WRITE. Follow the above procedure to write a critique of “The Adventure of the Speckled Band” as detective fiction.
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2. Police Report
PREPARE TO WRITE. If you were the police officer charged with reporting the death of Dr. Roylott, what
details would you include? In order to remove suspicion from Holmes, you’d have to be sure to prove
that he was protecting Helen’s life. Make a list of notes for such a report.
WRITE. Write a police report on Roylott’s death. Be sure to include details about Roylott’s plot against his
stepdaughters, about the characters of Roylott and Holmes, and Holmes’s solution to the crime of Julia’s
death.
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Selection Worksheet 12.4
“The Pedestrian,” page 958
READER RESPONSE ACTIVITIES
Graphic Organizer, page 958
As you read the story, record in the chart below the various details that give you a better sense of the
particular time and place of the setting and the mood evoked. One example is done for you.
Sight
“. . . it was not unequal to walking through a graveyard where only the faintest glimmers
of firefly light appeared in flickers behind the windows.”
Hearing
Touch/Feeling
Taste
Smell
Reader’s Journal, page 958
What do you think an automated world might be like?
Guided Reading Questions
PAGE 959
Who else is in Leonard’s world? What might the phrase “as good as alone” indicate?
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PAGE 960
To what does Leonard compare walking through the dark city?
Where does Leonard imagine himself to be?
What has Leonard noticed that is strange about his walks?
How does Leonard react to seeing the police car?
PAGE 961
Why does Leonard walk?
PAGE 962
What does he notice as he approaches the car?
What is different about Leonard’s house?
Respond to the Selection, page 962
What do you find most disturbing about the world in which Mr. Mead lives?
INVESTIGATE, INQUIRE,
AND IMAGINE, PAGE
963
Recall
Interpret
1a. What does Leonard Mead like to do at night?
What does he learn to do to be less noticeable?
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1b. Why does Leonard want to avoid drawing
attention to himself? Why are the streets
deserted?
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2a. What is Leonard Mead’s profession? What two
reasons does Leonard give for walking?
2b. Why does the police car say he has no profession? Why does the police car find Leonard’s
reasons unbelievable? What might have helped
him?
3a. What does the police car do after questioning
Leonard? Where does it take him?
3b. How is Leonard’s house different from those
around it? Why is Leonard seen as possessing
“regressive tendencies”?
Analyze
Synthesize
4a. Why is crime ebbing in this large city?
Evaluate
Extend
5a. What comment might Bradbury be making
about society?
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does Leonard have that they do not?
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5b. Now that we have entered the twenty-first
century, do you think Bradbury is accurate with
some of his predictions and warnings? In what
ways are his predictions true? In what ways
have his predictions not yet come to pass?
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UNDERSTANDING LITERATURE,
PAGE
963
MOOD. To what does the author compare the city in the second paragraph? What kind of mood does
this create?
SETTING. Review the chart you completed for this Graphic Organizer. Where and when is this story set?
What is strange about this place?
WRITER’S JOURNAL,
PAGE
964
1. Write a police report to describe the interaction between Mr. Leonard Mead and the automated
police car. Include a description of Mr. Mead’s “unusual” behavior, the answers he gave to the questions asked, and the reasons for transporting him to the Psychiatric Center for Research on
Regressive Tendencies.
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2. Write a prediction of what you think life will be like in 2053. Will things have changed very much?
What role will technological and scientific advances play in the near future? Explain why you think
your predictions will come true.
3. Imagine a day, a week, or longer during which you avoided any contact with electronic media—no
TV, no videos, no e-mail, no phone conversations, no web-browsing, and so forth. Do you think the
experience would be an ordeal? an inconvenience? a freeing experience? Write a poem describing
your imagined mood at the end of the time period.
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INTEGRATING
THE
LANGUAGE ARTS,
PAGE
964
Media Literacy & Speaking and Listening
MEDIA SEARCH. Use the Internet or library to find electronic or print articles about recent scientific discoveries or emerging technologies. Imagine ways that these developments could affect life as we know it.
Use the research log below to record your findings and to note the sources you consulted. Then share
some of your findings with the class.
Research Log
Research Findings on Science and Technology:
Sources Used:
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Applied English
ESSAY WRITING. Participate in a TV-free week where you do other activities instead of watching TV. Keep a
log on the activities you enjoyed, such as reading, being with friends, sports, and so on. At the end of
the week, write an essay on the pros and cons of life without television.
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Selection Check Test 4.12.7
“The Pedestrian”
CHECKING YOUR READING
Short Answer
1. What does Leonard Mead like to do at night?
2. What do the other people in his city do at night?
3. What does Leonard say to explain to the police car why he is out walking at night? Why doesn’t the
car believe him?
4. What does Leonard notice about the police car when he approaches it?
5. Where does the police car take Leonard?
VOCABULARY
IN
CONTEXT
Sentence Completion
Fill in each blank with the most appropriate word from the following Words for Everyday Use from “The
Pedestrian.” You may not use every word, and you may have to change the tense of some words.
illumination
jockey
alibi
riveted
1. The huge neon sign cast a red
revue
into the windows across the street.
2. The reporters shoved each other, and
to photograph the celebrity.
for the best vantage point from which
3. When my parents asked who had left the mess in the kitchen, I pointed out that I had a(n)
: I had been at the softball tournament all day.
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LITERARY TOOLS
Short Answer
1. What is mood?
2. How does a writer create mood?
3 What is setting? What is the setting of “The Pedestrian”?
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Selection Test 4.12.8
“The Pedestrian”
INSIGHTFUL READING
Multiple Choice
Circle the letter of the correct answer.
1. To regress is to _____.
a. break the law
b. rebel against authority
c. revert to old ways
d. perform a dangerous act
2. Although Mead walks every night, his walking is considered odd because _____.
a. he never leaves the house except when he walks
b. he walks for several hours
c. no one else walks
d. he walks instead of working at a job
3. What, apparently, do few people in Mead’s society do?
a. work
b. talk
c. break the law
d. go to college
4. The police car decides that Mead is _____.
a. harmless
b. mentally disturbed
c. a criminal
d. a hero
5. How is Mead’s house different from the others?
a. the other houses are dark
b. Mead has no air conditioner
c. Mead’s house is isolated
d. the other houses are fully automated
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Short Answer
1. What do you think will happen to Mead after this story concludes?
2. Why does the police car react as it does when Mead says he is not married?
3. Why might this society fear people’s “regressive tendencies”?
4. What does Mead say and do as he walks along the street each night? Why does he behave this way?
5. What does Mead value that the other people in this society do not value?
VOCABULARY
IN
CONTEXT
Sentence Completion
Fill in each blank below with the most appropriate word from the following Words for Everyday Use from
“The Pedestrian.” You may not use every word, and you may have to change the tense of some words.
revue
illumination
jockey
1. The bright
alibi
riveted
highlighted the façade of the building all night long.
2. At the yellow get-ready light, kids
3. Millions of Americans were
show’s series finale.
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their go-carts in anticipation of the green.
to their televisions on the night of the popular
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UNDERSTANDING LITERARY CONCEPTS
True or False
1. This story is set in the future.
2. The only characters in this story are Mead and his neighbor.
3. This story takes place on a dark, gloomy night.
4. It is unclear exactly where this story takes place.
5. The primary conflict in this story is between Mead and his neighbor.
Short Answer
1. Describe the setting of this story.
2. Why is this setting strange?
3. How does the character of Mead seem different from the rest of his society?
4. What is the mood of this story?
5. What details create this mood?
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CRITICAL WRITING
Essay
Choose one of the following prompts and write an essay. Complete both the Prepare to Write and Write
sections of the prompt you choose. Use your own paper as necessary.
1. Law and Order
PREPARE TO WRITE. Describe the lifestyle of the people in the society portrayed in this story. Why might
this lifestyle reduce the need for police? What are the police in charge of doing? Why does the police car
target Mead? Why is it important that there is no one inside the police car?
WRITE. In an essay, first describe the police as represented by the police car Mead encounters. Using this
as evidence, explain the role the police force might play in this society, what that suggests about the
society, and why Mead would be a target.
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2. Human Contact
PREPARE TO WRITE. In this society, what sorts of experiences are encouraged? What is missing from people’s lives? How does society encourage this lifestyle? Why? Why does Bradbury describe the city as “a
graveyard” and the buildings as “tomb-like”? What warning is Bradbury making? How does Mead help
Bradbury make this warning?
WRITE. In an essay, describe the society Bradbury creates and the warning this description carries. In what
ways is modern American society approaching the society created in this story?
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Selection Worksheet 12.5
“By the Waters of Babylon,” page 965
READER RESPONSE ACTIVITIES
Graphic Organizer, page 965
As you read, complete the chart below listing the objects and places the narrator describes, and see if
you can determine what it is he is depicting. One example is done for you.
NARRATOR’S DESCRIPTION
god-roads
OUR TERMINOLOGY
highway
Reader’s Journal, page 965
Have you ever come to an important discovery or realization? If so, describe the experience.
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Guided Reading Questions
PAGE 967
What is most strictly forbidden?
How does the narrator’s father know the narrator will be a priest?
PAGE 968
How does the narrator feel about his knowledge?
What does the narrator see in his dream?
PAGE 969
What sign convinces the narrator that he is meant to go east?
What does the narrator see that no man of his tribe has seen before?
PAGE 970
Why is the narrator afraid to continue his journey? Why does he continue?
What does the narrator describe?
Who teaches the narrator how to cross the river?
PAGE 971
In what way is the Place of the Gods different from the stories about it?
What possible explanations does the narrator have for the large number of pigeons he finds?
PAGE 972
What stops the narrator from further exploration?
Why can’t the narrator open the bronze door? What do you think the bronze door is?
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PAGE 973
What are the things the narrator finds in the god’s house?
In what way is the magic of the place still there?
What does the narrator find magical about his vision?
PAGE 974
How does the narrator sum up the nature of the gods?
How was the Place of the Gods destroyed?
PAGE 975
What does the narrator realize about the gods?
What advice does the narrator’s father give him? How does the narrator respond to this advice?
Respond to the Selection, page 975
What can you learn by studying the past?
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INVESTIGATE, INQUIRE,
AND IMAGINE, PAGE
976
Recall
Interpret
1a. In which direction is it forbidden to travel?
What can be taken from the Dead Places? Who
is allowed to do this?
1b. Why does the narrator go to the forbidden
place? What are his ideas about this place
when he sets out?
2a. What signs does the narrator receive that make
him believe that his journey was meant to be?
What does he do after seeing the Place of the
Gods from across the river? How does he prepare to go there?
2b. Why is the narrator frightened to continue his
journey? Why does he do so anyway?
3a. What startling thing does the narrator find in
the dead house in the morning after his vision?
3b. What realization does the narrator come to
about the gods? What decision does the narrator come to because of this realization?
Analyze
Synthesize
4a. What causes the narrator’s fascination with the
Place of the Gods?
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4b. How is the title related to the story? In what
way is the historical background related to the
story?
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Evaluate
Extend
5a. Why do you think the Hill People forbade their
tribe members from journeying to the east,
crossing the river, and going to the Place of the
Gods?
5b. The narrator believed that he would die when
he set foot in the Place of the Gods, but he felt
compelled to go there anyway. Otherwise he
would never be at peace with his spirit. How
would you compare the narrator’s feelings with
the imagined feelings of the dead man whom
the narrator found looking out the window of
the house?
UNDERSTANDING LITERATURE,
PAGE 976
SIMILE. What simile does the narrator use to describe his feelings about crossing the river into the Place of
the Gods? Why might the narrator use images from nature with which to compare himself? How do
these similes describe his physical condition? his mental state?
APHORISM. The narrator’s father tells him, “Truth is a hard deer to hunt.” What does he mean by this?
What might make it difficult for people to accept the truths the narrator wishes to share?
DIALECT. Review the chart you completed in the Graphic Organizer. How does the author’s use of dialect
give the story a more realistic flavor?
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WRITER’S JOURNAL,
PAGE
977
1. Write a simile to help describe some modern technological innovation to a person who has no
understanding of modern technology.
2. Write a descriptive paragraph depicting how your house, local park, school, or town center might
look if it were abandoned for fifty or a hundred years.
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3. At the end of the story the narrator says, “We must build again.” Write a speech the narrator might
give to his people to rally their support and excite them about building again. As a prewriting suggestion, make a list of reasons for building again. Think of ways life might be improved for the narrator’s people. Imagine the world of the “gods” as the narrator saw it. In your speech show why this
world is so wonderful. Think of the structural things that need to be rebuilt, but consider the societal
changes that will occur as well.
INTEGRATING
THE
LANGUAGE ARTS,
PAGE
977
Media Literacy & Speaking and Listening
SCIENCE FICTION ON SCREEN. Watch a science fiction movie or television show and review it for your class.
Give a brief plot summary and explain why the movie or show is classified as science fiction.
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Study and Research
A STUDY OF BABYLON. Research the ancient city of Babylon and the excavation efforts of the twentieth
century. Use the research log below to record your findings and to note the sources you consulted.
Then, on your own paper, write a report on your findings.
Research Log
Research Findings on Babylon:
Sources Used:
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Selection Check Test 4.12.9
“By the Waters of Babylon”
CHECKING YOUR READING
Short Answer
1. To what forbidden place does the narrator travel?
2. What signs assure the narrator that his journey is meant to be?
3. What does the narrator do before crossing the river?
4. What does the narrator see while he sleeps in the dead house?
5. What does the narrator realize about the gods?
VOCABULARY
IN
CONTEXT
Sentence Completion
Fill in each blank with the most appropriate word from the following Words for Everyday Use from “By
the Waters of Babylon.” You may not use every word, and you may have to change the tense of some
words.
chamber
1. Julian was
summon
perplexed
enchantment
when I put his king in check; he had no idea what move to make.
2. During our class field trip to the governor’s mansion, we were kindly ushered into the governor’s
while we waited to shake hands with him.
3. Everything in the garden was peaceful and still, as if under some
frozen all movement.
4. The coach
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that had
the quarterback to his office after practice.
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LITERARY TOOLS
Short Answer
1. What is an aphorism?
2. Give one example of an aphorism.
3. What is dialect?
4. What is a simile?
5. Give one example of a simile.
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Selection Test 4.12.10
“By the Waters of Babylon”
INSIGHTFUL READING
Multiple Choice
Circle the letter of the correct answer.
1. Priests in this society may do all of the following except ____.
a. treat wounds
b. read
c. interpret dreams
d. eat the food of the gods
2. Why does the narrator decide he must go east?
a. he must defy his father if he is to become a man
b. he sees signs that support his yearning for knowledge
c. he realizes that the only food available is east
d. he must find his way to the river
3. In the great house, the narrator decides that lamps and faucets do not work because ____.
a. the gods have willed them not to
b. the house knows he was not meant to be there
c. they were destroyed in the Great Burning
d. they have lost their magic
4. The narrator’s awareness of what the Place of the Gods once looked like comes ____.
a. from a dream
b. from paintings he finds in the house
c. from the old man’s description
d. from the books he finds in the library
5. What place does the narrator discover?
a. New York
b. Chicago
c. Washington
d. Los Angeles
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Short Answer
1. Why does the narrator sing his death song as he pushes his raft into the river? What does his death
song suggest about him?
2. The narrator believes that the events of this story were preordained. What evidence does the story
give to suggest that he is right?
3. What does the narrator realize when he grasps the piece of metal and does not die? What was probably the real reason people died from touching metal?
4. How does the narrator deal with his discovery in the Place of the Gods? Why do you think he reacts
as he does?
5. What role does magic play in this story? What does this suggest about the culture of the Hill People?
VOCABULARY
IN
CONTEXT
Sentence Completion
Fill in each blank below with the most appropriate word from the following Words for Everyday Use for
“By the Waters of Babylon.” You may not use every word, and you may have to change the tense of
some words.
perplexed
summon
chamber
enchantment
1. We stood in awe inside the mammoth cave while the guide took small groups into the inner
.
2. Twinkling lights, soft candlelight, and quiet music created an air of
dance.
3. Jacques waited impatiently to be
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for the
in to discuss his raise.
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UNDERSTANDING LITERARY CONCEPTS
Multiple Choice
Circle the letter of the correct answer.
1. What process does the narrator describe as feeling “as a fish is drawn on a line”?
a. he feels his destiny drawn along behind him
b. he feels his dreams spilling into the god-house
c. he feels his spirit dragged from his body
d. he feels the gods pulling his raft down the river
2. The narrator’s description in question 1 gives an example of ____.
a. simile
b. dialect
c. aphorism
d. myth
3. In the narrator’s jargon, a Dead Place is probably ____.
a. a grave
b. a church
c. a house
d. a temple
4. The Atlantic Ocean is known as “Bitter Water” because ____.
a. it is large
b. it is salty
c. it is the site from which the warships arrived
d. it is where the Hill People went to mourn their dead
5. The narrator discovers the city of _____.
a. New York
b. London
c. Athens
d. Moscow
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Short Answer
1. What decision does the narrator refer to when he says, “It is better to lose one’s life than one’s
spirit”? Why does the narrator recall these words when he finds the dead man?
2. Describe the great house in which the narrator takes refuge from the dog pack.
3. How do the speech patterns in this story, particularly the narrator’s heavy use of simile, reflect the
primitive society it depicts?
4. What is the central conflict in this story?
5. What is ironic about the Hill People’s beliefs about the gods?
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CRITICAL WRITING
Essay
Choose one of the following prompts and write an essay. Complete both the Prepare to Write and Write
sections of the prompt you choose. Use your own paper as necessary.
1. The Quest
PREPARE TO WRITE. In a quest myth, the hero undertakes a real, physical journey that leads him to greater
understanding. Where does the hero go, and what understanding does he acquire, of others and of himself? As he learns about the gods, what aspects of their lives seem familiar to him, and what aspects do
not? To what does the narrator attribute things he does not understand about the gods? What happens
when he realizes who the gods really were? How do you think the narrator’s new understanding will
affect the society he will one day lead?
WRITE. In your essay, trace the narrator’s journey toward understanding, as he comes to rely less on his
society’s teachings and more on what he feels and discovers for himself. Suggest the implications of this
for the future of his society.
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2. Ancient Babylon
PREPARE TO WRITE. The ancient city of Babylon was lively, crowded, and the most famous city in the
world. Today, the term “Babylon” is used to refer to a place known for luxury, self-indulgence, pleasure,
and corruption. How do you think Benét used this information in composing this story and choosing a
title? To what modern city does this story refer? What warning might Benét be making in this story?
WRITE. In your essay, explain Benét’s allusion to ancient Babylon in this story. What theme does the allusion help Benét convey?
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Selection Worksheet 12.6
The Hitchhiker, page 978
READER RESOURCE ACTIVITIES
Reader’s Journal, page 978
Do you enjoy ghost stories and thrillers? Why do you think such stories are so popular?
Guided Reading Questions
PAGE 980
How will this ghost story differ from others?
How does the writer communicate the setting and build suspense and mystery at the beginning of the play?
PAGE 981
What does Adams’s mother fear?
How do the sound effects help to communicate the action?
What is unusual about the hitchhiker’s voice?
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PAGE 982
Why is Adams asking about the rain?
How do the mechanic’s comments add to the mystery?
PAGE 983
Why does Henry react in this way? What is peculiar about the way in which Adams is behaving?
PAGE 986
Why does the girl run away?
PAGE 987
What does this passage confirm or deny about Adams’s previous theory that the hitchhiker was getting fast
rides and so staying ahead of him?
Why does Adams make the telephone call?
PAGE 988
What inexplicable information does Adams receive from Mrs. Whitney?
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Respond to the Selection, page 988
Did you guess the ending before you finished reading? Discuss with other students in your class what
you thought would happen.
INVESTIGATE, INQUIRE,
AND IMAGINE, PAGE
992
Recall
80
Interpret
1a. What does Adams tell his mother just before he
leaves Brooklyn? What happens as Adams is
crossing the Brooklyn Bridge in the rain?
1b. What is Adams’s mother worried about at the
beginning of the play? Given the later events of
the play, were her fears justified? What does
Adams think happened on the bridge?
2a. Whom does Adams pick up while driving?
What does he tell this person? What crazy act
does Adams perform?
2b. Why does the person whom Adams picks up
run away? Does this person have reason to fear
Adams? Why, or why not?
3a. Whom does Adams telephone near the end of
the play? What reason does he give for making
this call? What does he learn from Mrs.
Whitney?
3b. What do you think happened to Adams when
he swerved on the Brooklyn Bridge?
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Analyze
Synthesize
4a. What makes the figure beside the road so
frightening?
Evaluate
4b. What question does Adams raise at the end of
the play? How would you answer the question?
Extend
5a. Do you agree with the narrator that this is a
spine-tingling tale? Why, or why not?
5b. Compare the play The Hitchhiker with the
urban legends from The Vanishing Hitchhiker.
Do you think the idea for the play could have
come from urban legends about mysterious
hitchhikers? Why, or why not? What similarities
and differences are there between the legends
and the radio play?
UNDERSTANDING LITERATURE,
PAGE 992
NARRATOR AND SOUND EFFECTS. Who is the narrator of this play? What information does the narrator provide about the play to come? What does the narrator say to capture the attention of the audience and
keep them tuned in? What are some of the sound effects used in this play? Why are such effects especially important in a radio play?
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FORESHADOWING AND SUSPENSE. How does the conversation between Adams and his mother at the beginning of the play foreshadow later events? What aspects of the hitchhiker raise questions in the minds of
Adams and the audience for this play? What question does Adams repeat about the hitchhiker at the
end of the play? What question does he have about himself at the end of the play? What do you think
the answers to these questions might be? What other questions do you have that were never answered
in the play?
WRITER’S JOURNAL,
PAGE
993
1. Imagine you wanted to tell this story around a campfire. Create a prose retelling of the play, being
sure to include all of the chilling details.
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2. Imagine that the hitchhiker appeared again at the end of the play and delivered his lines in the form
of a poem. Write the poem he would recite to Adams, explaining to his listener what has happened
to him and where he must now go.
3. Think of a ghost story you know—perhaps one that you heard when you were a child. Now rewrite
it in the form of a short radio play, using The Hitchhiker as a model.
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INTEGRATING
THE
LANGUAGE ARTS,
PAGE
993
Language, Grammar, and Style
PARTS OF SPEECH. Identify the part of speech for each underlined word or phrase in the sentences below.
1. Orson Welles, a famous actor, writer, and director, read the part of the narrator in The Hitchhiker.
2. In this radio play, Ronald Adams, the main character, experiences a nightmarish drive from Brooklyn
to New Mexico.
3. Radio plays were very popular in the years before television was invented.
4. Say, have you ever heard of Lucille Fletcher’s other well-known work, Sorry, Wrong Number?
5. It was made into a movie, but I haven’t seen it yet. Would you like to rent it?
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Study and Research & Media Literacy
RESEARCHING URBAN LEGENDS. On the Internet, find an urban legend on the Urban Legends Reference
Pages at http://www.snopes.com, a site run by Barbara and David P. Mikkelson. Use the research log
below to record your findings and to note the sources you consulted. Then prepare an oral report about
one of the legends. You may wish to create visuals to go along with your presentation.
Research Log
Research Findings on an Urban Legend:
Sources Used:
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Selection Check Test 4.12.11
The Hitchhiker
CHECKING YOUR READING
Short Answer
1. On what bridge did Adams swerve to avoid hitting a hitchhiker?
2. Who keeps appearing to Adams as he is traveling?
3. What happens just before the female hitchhiker leaves Adams?
4. To whom does Adams wish to speak when he calls home?
5. What does Adams learn about himself when he calls home?
VOCABULARY
IN
CONTEXT
Sentence Completion
Fill in each blank with the most appropriate word from the following Words for Everyday Use from “The
Hitchhiker.” You may not use every word, and you may have to change the tense of some words.
phosphorescent
1. The
nondescript
ominous
outset
mushrooms glowed in the pitch-black cave.
2. At the
of their journey, the Donner party was optimistic, but once they had
traveled many miles, they began to despair.
3. The house was
neighborhood.
; it looked like most of the other houses in the suburban
4. Rain had been predicted and the sky indeed looked
pone the picnic.
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, so we decided to post-
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LITERARY TOOLS
Sentence Completion
Fill in the blanks using the following terms. You may use some terms more than once.
sound effects
foreshadowing
1. Playwrights sometimes call for
realistic.
narrator
suspense
to make the action in a play seem more
2. A feeling of anxiousness or curiosity in the mind of the reader, viewer, or listener is called
.
3. The
of a play introduces the work and piques interest in it.
4.
is the act of presenting materials that hint at events to occur later.
5. The writer keeps the audience interested in a story by raising questions that produce
.
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Selection Test 4.12.12
The Hitchhiker
INSIGHTFUL READING
Multiple Choice
Circle the letter of the correct answer.
1. Adams’s mother’s behavior as she bids him goodbye suggests that she is ____.
a. happy
b. envious
c. worried
d. angry
2. What startles Adams when he sees the hitchhiker in Oklahoma?
a. the hitchhiker looks menacing
b. the hitchhiker shouts at him
c. the hitchhiker’s coat is wet
d. the hitchhiker is riding in another car
3. Why does Adams disobey his mother’s instructions?
a. he thinks they are silly and old-fashioned
b. he thinks he knows a better way to California
c. he becomes frightened of driving alone
d. he is tired of her trying to control him
4. Why does the girl’s fear of Adams seem justified?
a. he gets furious when she doesn’t believe him
b. he tries to kill her
c. he does not drive safely
d. he claims he is a ghost
5. Why does Adams call home?
a. he is worried about his mother
b. he wants to know if his mother has seen the hitchhiker
c. he needs more money
d. he wants to hear a familiar voice
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Short Answer
1. What prophetic warning does his mother give Adams as he leaves?
2. What incident makes Adams begin to suspect that the hitchhiker is luring him to his death?
3. What does Adams tell the girl?
4. What happens to Adams’s sightings of the man as he drives further across the country?
5. At the end of the play, what is Adams’s assessment of his situation?
VOCABULARY
IN
CONTEXT
Sentence Completion
Fill in each blank below with the most appropriate word from the following Words for Everyday Use from
The Hitchhiker. You may not use every word, and you may have to change the tense of some words.
outset
ominous
phosphorescent
nondescript
1. The teacher warned us that from the
work in order to stay current in the class.
2. The restaurant looks
, we would have to complete our home-
from the street, but inside it is cleverly decorated.
3. Fire trucks and police cars rushing by us gave
warning of what lay ahead.
UNDERSTANDING LITERARY CONCEPTS
Multiple Choice
Circle the letter of the correct answer.
1. As Adams drives across the Brooklyn Bridge, what sound foreshadows the ending of the play?
a. a scream
b. screeching tires
c. a foghorn
d. the radio
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2. Which of the following sound effects is not part of this play?
a. coins clinking
b. train whistle
c. cattle mooing
d. drawbridge raising
3. What question is raised but not answered in this story?
a. What happened to Adams?
b. What happened to Adams’s mother?
c. Where is Adams going?
d. What condition is Adams in now?
4. Where is Adams as he tells his story?
a. in his mother’s house
b. in the hospital
c. in California
d. beside the road
5. As they listened to this play on the radio, the suspense would have increased for contemporary audiences because ____.
a. many hitchhikers were killed in those days
b. cross-country automobile travel was novel
c. it was during the Depression
d. radios were new
Short Answer
1. What does Orson Welles assure the audience as this play opens?
2. How does Ronald Adams’s opening speech foreshadow the rest of the play?
3. Describe the hitchhiker. What impression does the hitchhiker make on Adams?
4. Why are sound effects particularly important to this play?
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5. What details create suspense in this play?
CRITICAL WRITING
Essay
Choose one of the following prompts and write an essay. Complete both the Prepare to Write and Write
sections of the prompt you choose. Use your own paper as necessary.
1. What Happened?
PREPARE TO WRITE. What do you think has happened to Adams? How do you explain the strange occurrences along the road? Who—or what—is the hitchhiker, exactly? What do you predict will happen
when Adams finally comes in contact with the hitchhiker? Do you think Adams’s questions will be
answered? What will the answers be?
WRITE. Write a persuasive essay arguing for your interpretation of what has happened to Adams and
what will happen next. Use evidence from the play to support your points.
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2. In This Day and Age . . .
PREPARE TO WRITE. This play is fiction, but it does offer legitimate warning. What warning does it make?
Why would audiences in the 1940s be interested in this warning? Is it still relevant today? Why, or why
not? How else does this play reflect the 1940s society in which it was written? Has society changed so
much since the forties that this play is obsolete? Why, or why not?
WRITE. In your essay, examine the warning the play makes and tell whether this and other details are or
are not relevant to today’s audiences.
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Unit 12 Review/Study Guide
VOCABULARY WORKSHEET
Spelling
Circle the letter of the word that is spelled incorrectly. Then spell the word correctly on the blank provided.
1.
a. skain
b. reverie
c. folio
d. parapet
2.
a. impassable
b. scaffolding
c. commune
d. apperture
3.
a. prudence
b. infamy
c. tangible
d. penitant
4.
a. hermetic
b. grandeur
c. haughty
d. vestabule
5.
a. eroneous
b. wretched
c. phosphorescent
d. frivolity
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Synonyms
Circle the letter of the word that comes closest to meaning the same as the underlined word.
1. The narrator and Irene liked to spend their evenings blandly pursuing their tasks.
a. repetitively
b. loudly
c. mildly
d. excitedly
2. The old woman deduced that the old man was an angel.
a. insisted
b. reasoned
c. forgot
d. prayed
3. Watson recoiled in fright when Holmes suddenly leaped up, struck a match, and began wildly swinging his cane.
a. withdrew
b. screamed
c. ran
d. fainted
4. Mead had never met another person in over ten years of nocturnal strolls.
a. strange
b. long
c. nighttime
d. lonely
5. After Adams confided his plan, the girl screamed and ran from the car.
a. whispered
b. ignored
c. disclosed
d. changed
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Antonyms
Circle the letter of the word that comes closest to meaning the opposite of the underlined word.
1. The narrator and Irene reacted quickly to the ominous sounds in the house.
a. loud
b. quiet
c. common
d. innocent
2. The old man could not stand up because of his massive wings.
a. beautiful
b. small
c. still
d. colorless
3. Helen was a beautiful woman, but she looked haggard the day she visited Holmes.
a. sad
b. lively
c. calm
d. unattractive
4. Because of his uncommon nighttime activity, the police decided Mead was dissolute.
a. harmless
b. normal
c. honorable
d. sympathetic
5. The young man chose not to act in compliance with his society’s laws.
a. acceptance
b. suspicion
c. defiance
d. respect
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Sentence Completion
Fill in each blank below with the most appropriate word from the following Words for Everyday Use from
Unit 12. You may not use every word, and you may have to change the tense of some words.
successive
prolong
providential
cataclysm
1. The brother and sister did not
flail
robust
outset
their stay after they heard the strange noises.
2. After a long winter, the old man became more
and his wings began to grow.
3. Watson jumped up when Holmes
wildly.
4. The young man knew at the
that he might be punished for his actions.
5. Adams grew more agitated with each
sighting of the hitchhiker.
LITERARY TOOLS
Sentence Completion
Fill in the blanks using the following terms.
mood
setting
Magical Realism
1.
simile
plot
sound effects
oxymoron
aphorism
point of view
dialect
foreshadowing
narrator
are especially important to radio plays, where there are no visual aids.
2. “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” is an example of
.
3. “Truth is a hard deer to hunt” is an example of
4. A story’s
.
may be part of the action or removed from it.
5. Details that hint of future occurrences in a story are known as
.
6. The
of “The Pedestrian” is in the future in a nondescript American town.
7. The
of The Hitchhiker is eerie and grows more ominous as the play unfolds.
8. “House Taken Over” is told from the
of one of the two main characters.
9. The
of “The Adventure of the Speckled Band” revolves around Holmes’s efforts
to solve a frightening mystery.
10. “By the Waters of Babylon” is written in the simple
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REVIEW: WORDS
FOR
EVERYDAY USE
Choose ten words from the list of Words for Everyday Use on page 1003 that you would like to incorporate into your own daily language. For each word, write a short sentence that includes the word in
context.
1. Word:
Word in context:
2. Word:
Word in context:
3. Word:
Word in context:
4. Word:
Word in context:
5. Word:
Word in context:
6. Word:
Word in context:
7. Word:
Word in context:
8. Word:
Word in context:
9. Word:
Word in context:
10. Word:
Word in context:
REVIEW: LITERARY TOOLS
Define the following terms, giving concrete examples of how they are used in this unit. To review a
term, refer to the page number indicated or to the Handbook of Literary Terms.
aphorism, 965
conflict, 936
dialect, 965
foreshadowing, 978
Magical Realism, 926
mood, 917, 958
narrator, 936, 978
oxymoron, 926
plot, 936
point of view, 926
setting, 917, 958
simile, 965
sound effects, 978
suspense, 978
• aphorism
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• conflict
• dialect
• foreshadowing
• Magical Realism
• mood
• narrator
• oxymoron
• plot
• point of view
• setting
• simile
• sound effects
• suspense
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REFLECTING
ON
YOUR READING
Genre Studies
1. SURREALISM AND MAGICAL REALISM. Discuss the surreal qualities and supernatural elements in the stories
“House Taken Over” and “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings.” Which elements in the stories are
realistic, and which are not? Define Magical Realism. What characteristics of Magical Realism are
present in “A Very Old Man . . .”? Do you think “House Taken Over” can be considered a Magical
Realist story? Why, or why not?
2. MYSTERY AND DETECTIVE FICTION. What are some other names for the genre of detective fiction?
Name some elements you associate with detective fiction. Which of these are present in “The
Adventure of the Speckled Band”? Which elements in “The Adventure of the Speckled Band” make it
exciting and suspenseful to read? Why do you think the genre of detective fiction has been so popular over the years?
3. SCIENCE FICTION. Define science fiction and discuss the elements of science fiction that can be found
in the stories “The Pedestrian” and “By the Waters of Babylon.”
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4. URBAN LEGENDS AND POPULAR CULTURE. Compare the Related Reading from The Vanishing Hitchhiker to
the radio play The Hitchhiker. How does the mysterious hitchhiker figure into the urban legends
retold in the Related Reading, and how does he appear in the radio play? Do you think it is possible
that the author of the play, Lucille Fletcher, drew inspiration from urban legends about hitchhikers?
Why do you think the idea of an eerie hitchhiker appears in so many legends and in stories in our
popular culture? What is it about that type of story that appeals to people today?
5. ROLE OF THE NARRATOR IN FICTION. Compare the roles of the narrators in the detective story “The
Adventure of the Speckled Band,” “By the Waters of Babylon,” and The Hitchhiker. What is the purpose of each narrator? Which narrators are omniscient, or all-knowing, and which are not? Which
narrator best reflects the point of view of the reader, and why?
Thematic Studies
6. INVASION OF THE SUPERNATURAL. Compare the relationship of the real to the supernatural in “House
Taken Over,” “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings,” “East Song,” and The Hitchhiker. How do the
characters in each story regard the supernatural elements? Are they perplexed or frightened, or do
they take these happenings at face value? Is the reader supposed to take these unreal elements at
face value or is there some hidden meaning or trick the reader must figure out?
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7. VISIONS OF THE FUTURE. Compare the vision of the future depicted in “The Pedestrian” with that
depicted in “By the Waters of Babylon.” What does each author forsee might happen in the future?
Which aspects of each story reflect events that have actually happened in the real world? What evils
in human nature or in today’s society could actually lead to such a nightmarish future as that
depicted in each story?
QUESTIONS
FOR
WRITING, DISCUSSION,
AND
RESEARCH
1. With a small group, read and discuss Herman Melville’s short story, “Bartleby the Scrivener.” Why do
you think Bartleby acts as he does? Would you consider him apathetic? Why, or why not? Compare
Bartleby with the characters in “House Taken Over.” Why, in both stories, are the characters’ fates
essentially taken from their own control?
2. Consider Holmes in “The Adventure of the Speckled Band,” Mead in “The Pedestrian,” the narrator
in “By the Waters of Babylon,” and the old man in “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings.” How
are each of these characters different from the people around them? What do they do differently?
How do they think differently? How do they and their societies interact with one another? In a
group, discuss what each of these situations might suggest about people who are different from the
rest of society.
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3. Create a radio play from one of the other selections in this unit. In groups of two or three, first
examine The Hitchhiker and note how sound effects support the narrative. Then, choose a section of
another selection and decide what sound effects would help develop it if it were a radio play. Finally,
use recording equipment to record the section as a radio play. Play the recording for the rest of the
class.
FOR YOUR READING LIST
Independent Reading Activity
PREDICTING THE FUTURE. Make a list of some of the predictions about the future that have come true, some
of the most outrageous ones that have not come true, and some of the things you see in our world now
that no one predicted. Write a short report on your comparisons.
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Unit 12 Test
INSIGHTFUL READING
Multiple Choice
1. In “House Taken Over,” when the narrator hears noises in the back of the house _____.
a. he is afraid to call the police because they are corrupt
b. he makes plans to have it torn down
c. he is afraid to call the police because he and Irene live there illegally
d. he never goes back there again
2. In “House Taken Over,” what do the narrator and his sister try to protect above everything else?
a. their house
b. their routine
c. their stamp collection
d. their books
3. In “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings,” the angel is often compared to _____.
a. a baby
b. a sailor
c. a bird
d. a ghost
4. At the end of “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings,” the angel _____.
a. dies
b. rewards Pelayo and Elisenda for their kindness
c. recovers
d. becomes human
5. In “The Adventure of the Speckled Band,” Holmes’s first, incorrect conclusion of how Julia died is ____.
a. he thinks she died of fright
b. he thinks the baboon killed her
c. he thinks the gypsies harmed her
d. he thinks she fell
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6. In “The Adventure of the Speckled Band,” what clues help Holmes solve the mystery?
a. a low whistle and a metallic clang
b. descriptions of the baboon, the cheetah, and the gypsies
c. the mud splattered on Helen’s dress
d. Dr. Roylott’s behavior when he visits Holmes’s office
7. In “The Pedestrian,” though Mead walks every night, his walking seems odd because _____.
a. he never leaves the house except when he walks
b. he walks for several hours
c. no one else walks
d. he walks instead of working at a job
8. In “The Pedestrian,” the police car says Mead has no profession because ____.
a. he is walking when everyone else is working
b. he refuses to answer their questions
c. his work generates products that no one ever uses anymore
d. he did not go to school
9. In “By the Waters of Babylon,” when the narrator explores the great house, he decides that lamps and
faucets do not work because ____.
a. they were destroyed in the Great Burning
b. they have lost their magic
c. the house knows he was not meant to be there
d. the gods have willed them not to
10. In The Hitchhiker, Adams insists that he _____.
a. did not harm his mother
b. is not dead
c. is sane
d. did not pick up a hitchhiker
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VOCABULARY
IN
CONTEXT
Sentence Completion
Fill in each blank below with the most appropriate word from the following Words for Everyday Use from
Unit 12. You may not use every word, and you may have to change the tense of some words.
haggard
providential
ingenuous
massive
prudence
brusquely
successive
1. Bartok was nervous during her first month in the city, but as she became less
her confidence grew.
2. We attended lessons for seven
samba.
3. Gabriella looked
exams.
weeks before feeling comfortable doing the
but proud when she told us she’d passed her medical board
4. Mr. Pritchard answered so
that we were sure something had upset him.
5. The lifeguard praised our
when we stayed close to shore for our swim.
UNDERSTANDING LITERARY CONCEPTS
Short Answer
1. What does the house symbolize in “House Taken Over”? Explain.
2. What is the setting for “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings”? Why is setting particularly important to that story?
3. How might “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” have been different if told from the old man’s
point of view?
4. What is the primary conflict in “The Adventure of the Speckled Band”?
5. In “The Pedestrian,” Bradbury describes the city as “a graveyard” and buildings as “tomb-like.” What
point do these comparisons help make about the setting of this story?
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6. Explain the allusion in the title of “By the Waters of Babylon.”
7. How do sound effects help set the mood of The Hitchhiker? Why are sound effects particularly important in this play?
CRITICAL WRITING
Short Answer
1. What warning does Cortázar give readers in “House Taken Over”?
2. In “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings,” what does the priest warn the people of, and why?
What is odd about this?
3. In “The Adventure of the Speckled Band,” what three features of Julia Stoner’s bedroom strike
Holmes as odd?
4. In “The Pedestrian,” what kind of life does Mead lead, and how does it differ from the lives of his fellow citizens?
5. In “By the Waters of Babylon,” what plan does the narrator hold for his society’s future? Why?
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Paragraph
Choose one of the following prompts and write a paragraph. Complete both the Prepare to Write and
Write sections of the prompt you choose.
1. Magical Realism
PREPARE TO WRITE. What is Magical Realism? Where did it originate, and what does it suggest about the
culture that created it? Which selection or selections in this unit could be considered examples of
Magical Realism? Why?
WRITE. Describe Magical Realism and tell what it suggests about the culture that created it. Then identify
one or two selections as Magical Realism, and tell why you selected them.
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2. Mysteries
PREPARE TO WRITE. What makes a good mystery story? What elements must be present? Which selection
or selections in this unit could be considered good mysteries? Why?
WRITE. Explain what qualities define a good mystery story. Then identify one or two selections as good
mysteries, and tell why you selected them.
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Essay
Choose one of the following prompts and write an essay. Complete both the Prepare to Write and Write
sections of the prompt you choose. Use your own paper as necessary.
1. Cautionary Tales
PREPARE TO WRITE. A cautionary tale is a story that gives a warning. It can be in any form, but generally
the lesson is quite clear. A cautionary tale could give a warning about behavior, or suggest readers open
their minds and expand their worldviews. Which stories in this unit can be considered cautionary tales?
What do these tales caution us about? How do the characters, mood, setting, and so on contribute to
the message of the cautionary tale?
WRITE. Choose one selection from this unit that you read as a cautionary tale. Then write a literary analysis of it, explaining its message and showing how the elements of the story contribute to its warning.
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2. Other Worlds
PREPARE TO WRITE. This unit is titled “Other Worlds.” What other worlds do the characters in each selection in this unit encounter? What do they learn about themselves and about others in these worlds? In
which selections do characters coexist with these “other worlds,” and in which do they learn that these
worlds exist in other places or at other times? How do these other worlds inform, shape, teach, or otherwise affect the characters who encounter them? Does each character affect the “other world”?
WRITE. Choose one selection from this unit and analyze the interaction between the main character and
the “other world” he or she encounters. Use the questions in the prewriting section as a guide for your
analysis.
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Answer Key
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Answer Key
(See the Annotated Teacher’s Edition for answers to specific Selection Worksheet activities. Answers to
some Vocabulary exercises are provided in this Answer Key.)
SELECTION WORKSHEET 12.1
“House Taken Over”
INTEGRATING THE LANGUAGE ARTS
Vocabulary
CONNOTATION AND DENOTATION. Responses will vary. Students may suggest synonyms similar to the following
words.
1. indispensable: vital, necessary
2. dexterity: skill, aptitude
3. hurl: throw, send
4. flail: flutter, beat
5. brusquely: tensely, offhandedly
SELECTION CHECK TEST 4.12.1
“House Taken Over”
CHECKING YOUR READING
Short Answer
1. The narrator’s sister Irene lives with him. The two of them intend to die in the house and let the house
be inherited by distant cousins who will knock it down; or, they may knock down the house themselves.
2. Irene knits constantly, making things that no one needs. The narrator goes down to buy wool and
watches her knit; rearranges his father’s stamp collection; and does little else. The two eventually live
without thinking.
3. They do not need to work because they earn money from the farms owned by their family.
VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT
Sentence Completion
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
brusquely
commune
hurled
dexterity
nocturnal
LITERARY TOOLS
Short Answer
1. The setting is the time and place in which the work occurs, together with all the details used to create a
sense of that particular time and place.
2. Mood is the emotion created in the reader by part or all of a literary work.
3. Another word for mood is atmosphere.
4. The narrator and his sister hear noises and voices coming from the back part of the house and conclude
that “they”—perhaps some mysterious people or ghosts—have taken over that part.
5. The house gets completely taken over. The narrator and Irene are forced to flee the house. They throw
the key down the sewer so that no one can get inside it again.
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SELECTION TEST 4.12.2
“House Taken Over”
INSIGHTFUL READING
Multiple Choice
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
d. tear it down
a. more things than she or the narrator can use
a. neither he nor Irene ever goes back there again
c. sleeping
d. use up time
Short Answer
1. Responses will vary. They are brother and sister, middle aged, and neither has married. They spend all
of their time together and have no apparent contact with others except for the narrator’s shopping.
2. Responses may vary, but they are most protective of their routine and their quiet comforts. This
suggests that they are complacent and unwilling to face change.
3. They spend all morning cleaning the house. This suggests that they have a large house, and that they
have little else to do.
4. They are content because they prefer lives filled with mindless routine. They do have the power to
change their lives, but do not.
5. They leave because they hear noises and decide the house has been taken over. They will be forced to
find a new place to live and to face change; this is likely to be very difficult for them.
VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT
Sentence Completion
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
recessed
nocturnal
commune
flailed
indispensable
UNDERSTANDING LITERARY CONCEPTS
True or False
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
True
True
True
True
False
Short Answer
1. Her knitting suggests that she does not have enough to do, that her life has little purpose, and that she
is content to live this way.
2. This suggests that he is content to just exist without reflection.
3. Responses will vary, but could suggest that the two live like servants although they are obviously
wealthy; they seem content to “not think” and yet fill their time with nervously mindless tasks; they
protect their routine above all else, including their house.
4. Responses will vary. The house is the most “active” element in the story, saving itself by chucking the
narrator and Irene out.
5. Responses will vary. The mood is unworried and ironic; something may be wrong with the narrator and
his sister.
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CRITICAL WRITING
Essay
Students should write an essay based on one of the prompts.
1. Fantasy and Reality
Responses will vary. The weaving of fantasy and reality in the story create a mood of uneasiness. The supernatural elements of the story are not explained, leaving the reader with a feeling of uncertainty.
2. What Will They Do?
Responses will vary.
SELECTION WORKSHEET 12.2
“A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings”
INTEGRATING THE LANGUAGE ARTS
Vocabulary
EXPLORING WORD ORIGINS AND WORD FAMILIES. Responses will vary slightly, depending on the dictionary used.
1. catechism
Greek katechein—to teach
oral instruction; a manual for catechizing; a
summary of religious doctrine often in the form of
questions and answers; a set of formal questions
put as a test
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2. hermetic
Greek Hermes Trismegistus (person)
of or relating to the Gnostic writings or teachings
arising in the first three centuries A.D. and
attributed to Hermes Trismegistus; relating to or
characterized by occultism or abstruseness; airtight
(from the belief that Hermes Trisnegustys invented
a magic seal to keep vessels airtight
3. iridescent
Latin irid–, iris—rainbow
a play of colors producing rainbow effects (as in a
soap bubble); a display or effect suggestive of
iridescence (as in brilliance): glitter
4. supernatural
Latin super + natura—nature
of or relating to an order of existence beyond the
visible observable universe; of or relating to God or
a god, demigod, spirit, or devil; departing from
what is usual or normal esp. so as to appear to
transcend the laws of nature; attributed to an
invisible agent (as a ghost or spirit)
5. terrestrial
Latin terra—earth
of or relating to the earth or its inhabitants;
mundane in scope or character: prosaic; of or
relating to land as distinct from air or water; of or
relating to terrestrial organisms; belonging to the
class of planets that are like the earth
6. grandeur
Middle French grand—large
the quality or state of being grand: magnificence;
an instance or example of grandeur
7. decrepitude
Latin de + crepitare—to crackle
the quality or state of being wasted or weak by or
as if by the infirmities of old age; impaired by use
or wear: worn-out; fallen into ruin or disrepair;
dilapidated, run down
8. robust
Latin robustus—oaken, strong
having or exhibiting strength or vigorous health:
vigorous; firm in purpose or outlook; strongly
formed or constructed: sturdy; rough, rude; full
bodied
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9. deign
10. haughty
Latin dignus—worthy
to condescend reluctantly and with a strong sense
of the affront to one’s superiority that is involved
Middle French haut—high
blatantly and disdainfully proud
SELECTION CHECK TEST 4.12.3
“A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings”
CHECKING YOUR READING
Short Answer
1. Pelayo finds an old man with wings lying face down in the courtyard.
2. The priest believes that the man is not a true angel, since he does not understand Latin or know how to
greet a priest, and in addition, he smells and has parasites.
3. The villagers mob the winged man. They want him to help cure their ailments.
4. A woman who had been changed into a spider comes.
5. He flies away to sea.
VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT
Sentence Completion
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
iridescent
penitent
ingenuous
proliferate
haughty
LITERARY TOOLS
Short Answer
1. This story is told from the third-person point of view.
2. Students may give examples such as “freezer burn,” “act naturally,” and “genuine imitation.”
3. Magical Realism is a kind of fiction that is for the most part realistic but that contains elements of
fantasy.
SELECTION TEST 4.12.4
“A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings”
INSIGHTFUL READING
Multiple Choice
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
c. she thinks the old man was coming to take the child away
a. suspicious curiosity
c. they got strange results
c. the child
b. a sailor
Short Answer
1. They decide he is a sailor, and when they learn he is an angel, they are at first wary and then quickly
grow accustomed to him.
2. He is indifferent.
3. They make money from him and live in grand style, but he is an annoyance and their house constantly
smells.
4. She appears more credible to the people, and her lesson is more specific. They are angry that the old
man’s miracles have not succeeded.
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5. He begins to sing, grow new feathers, and eventually flies away. His ability to move around the house
so quickly also suggests that he is regaining supernatural powers.
VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT
Sentence Completion
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
grandeur
hermetic
prudence
cataclysm
robust
UNDERSTANDING LITERARY CONCEPTS
Multiple Choice
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
c. third-person limited
d. the old man’s
c. “After the curtain fell, a deafening silence filled the auditorium.”
c. Latin Americans
c. the circus woman
Short Answer
1. The baby is ill, the house stinks with dying crabs, and it has rained for several days.
2. Responses may vary, but he creates a setting separated from the outside world, in which people rely on
folklore and superstition to understand their world.
3. The best example is Elisenda’s cry that she cannot live in a “hell full of angels.”
4. He is ironic because he places himself above the angel, declaring that the angel cannot be real because
he doesn’t understand Latin or greet the priest properly. He also warns against being “ingenuous,” and
makes a silly argument as to why the old man can’t be an angel. This is ironic because it does not
address the very real existence of a man with real wings.
5. Responses will vary.
CRITICAL WRITING
Essay
Students should write an essay based on one of the prompts.
1. Magical Realism
Responses will vary. The people accept the old man’s presence, treat him like an oddity, and are only concerned when he doesn’t act like an angel. The church seems equally unconcerned, symbolized by the slow
responses to the priest’s letters. The people are equally willing to accept the spider woman. This suggests
that their culture is amenable to the surreal. García Márquez may be suggesting that human nature is suspicious and requires even angels to win our reverence, symbolized by people switching their loyalty away
from the angel who cannot perform miracles to the spider woman, whose lesson is more concrete.
2. An Ancient Story
Responses will vary. The old man has wings and speaks in a peculiar dialect, but otherwise does not meet
their expectations. He looks and smells too human, is ill and weak, and does not adequately perform miracles. They treat him poorly when he does not conform. They attribute the baby’s illness and recovery to
him, and attribute events that are probably coincidence (the paralytic who almost won the lottery, and so
forth) to skewed miracles. These events suggest how strong their expectations of angels are.
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SELECTION WORKSHEET 12.3
“The Adventure of the Speckled Band”
INTEGRATING THE LANGUAGE ARTS
Vocabulary
Responses will vary.
SELECTION CHECK TEST 4.12.5
“The Adventure of the Speckled Band”
CHECKING YOUR READING
Short Answer
1. She wishes him to investigate the death of her sister, Julia, who died in her bedroom at the family’s
estate, Stoke Moran.
2. The victim, Julia, heard a whistle in the dead of the night. Her last words were, “It was the band! the
speckled band!” Miss Stoner heard the whistle and a metallic clanging sound.
3. Miss Stoner’s stepfather, Dr. Roylott, stands to benefit from the deaths of his two stepdaughters,
because if they die they will not collect their inheritance, leaving more money for him.
4. He notices a ventilator that leads to the next room rather than outside; a bell pull that is not connected
to any bell; and he notices that the bed is bolted to the floor.
5. The speckled band was actually a deadly snake from India. Dr. Roylott was guilty of the murder. He sent
the snake through the ventilator, from whence it crept down the false bell-rope and bit Julia.
VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT
Sentence Completion
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
aperture
tangible
averse
manifold
seared
LITERARY TOOLS
Sentence Completion
1. plot
2. narrator
3. climax
SELECTION TEST 4.12.6
“The Adventure of the Speckled Band”
INSIGHTFUL READING
Multiple Choice
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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b. announces that she came by train and cart
d. India
a. her stepfather
a. she heard a sound that reminded her of her sister’s death
c. he thought the gypsies harmed her
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Short Answer
1. The speckled band is a swamp adder.
2. He would get the money she is set to inherit when she marries.
3. She hears a low whistle, which turns out to be Roylott calling the snake, and a clang, which is his safe
shutting behind the snake.
4. Watson is Holmes’s companion, who tells the story but doesn’t really help Holmes solve the mystery.
5. Responses will vary.
VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT
Sentence Completion
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
recoiled
seared
vigil
manifold
dissolute
UNDERSTANDING LITERARY CONCEPTS
True or False
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
True
False
False
True
True
Short Answer
1. The climax occurs in Helen’s room, when Holmes suddenly strikes at the bell pull with his cane.
2. Responses will vary. Suspense is created in several ways: Dr. Roylott’s storming into Holmes’s office and
threatening him, Helen’s fearful tale of her sister’s death and her own encounter with the strange
sound, details about Stoke Moran, with its gypsies and animals, Watson’s and Holmes’s vigil in the inn
across the road and in Helen’s room, and so on.
3. Dr. Roylott was a large man with a violent temper and fiendish ways. He kept vicious animals and
strange friends at Stoke Moran, and he often brawled.
4. Watson is the narrator. He does not play a large role in the plot in the sense that without him, Holmes
probably would have still solved the crime. He is, however, present for the entire story.
5. Responses will vary. The old manor is all but abandoned; the family lives only in one part of it; gypsies
and animals roam its grounds, including a cheetah no one encounters; and so forth.
CRITICAL WRITING
Essay
Students should write an essay based on one of the prompts.
1. Detective Stories
Responses will vary. Criteria could include an intricate plot, suspense, detailed characters, a crime that
requires solving, a winsome heroine in distress, etc.
2. Police Report
Responses will vary, but should include accurate details about Roylott, Holmes, and about Roylott’s plot
against Julia and Helen.
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SELECTION CHECK TEST 4.12.7
“The Pedestrian”
CHECKING YOUR READING
Short Answer
1. He likes to go for walks.
2. They stay inside and watch television.
3. Leonard says that he goes out for air and to see things. The police car doesn’t believe him because it
thinks he should have enough air from his air conditioner and should be able to see anything he wants
on his “viewing screen,” or television.
4. He notices there is nobody inside the police car.
5. It takes him to the “Psychiatric Center for Research on Regressive Tendencies.”
VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT
Sentence Completion
1. illumination
2. jockeyed
3. alibi
LITERARY TOOLS
Short Answer
1. Mood, or atmosphere, is the emotion created in the reader by part or all of a literary work.
2. A writer can create mood through descriptive language and sensory details.
3. The setting of a literary work is the time and place in which it occurs, together with all the details used
to create a sense of a particular time and place. The setting of “The Pedestrian” is outside in a city at
night, in the year A.D. 2053.
SELECTION TEST 4.12.8
“The Pedestrian”
INSIGHTFUL READING
Multiple Choice
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
c. revert to old ways
c. no one else walks
c. break the law
b. mentally disturbed
a. the other houses are dark
Short Answer
1. Responses will vary. He will probably be studied/treated/locked up for “regressive” tendencies.
2. It says he does not have an alibi because he has no wife to provide it.
3. Responses will vary, but there is the suggestion that this society has created uniformity among the
citizens and that any deviation is dangerous.
4. He walks quietly, looking at houses and “whispering” to the people. He liked to imagine being alone on
a vast American plain, but there is also the suggestion that his whispering is an attempt to connect with
others.
5. Responses will vary. He seems to value reading, books, ideas, nature, and experiences.
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VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT
Sentence Completion
1. illumination
2. jockeyed
3. riveted
UNDERSTANDING LITERARY CONCEPTS
True or False
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
True
False
True
True
False
Short Answer
1. It takes place on a chilly November night in 2053 on the streets of an anonymous American city.
2. There is no one on the streets of this city, and Mead says he’s never encountered anyone in all his years
of walking. There are no cars on the roadways and all the people are watching television.
3. He likes to walk at night, he is a writer, and he doesn’t own a television.
4. Responses will vary, but the mood is somber, eerie, and quiet, with a threatening undertone.
5. Descriptions of the chill, windblown, dark city; the comparison to a graveyard; no people on the streets;
the menacing police car.
CRITICAL WRITING
Essay
Students should write an essay based on one of the prompts.
1. Law and Order
Responses will vary. The police car is menacing, getting orders over a computer; the fact that there is no
one in the car suggests cold bureaucratic control. The police are apparently in charge of maintaining uniformity among citizens, and their nightly attention to television helps maintain this. No one has real experiences, only virtual ones. The police target Mead because he is different.
2. Human Contact
Responses will vary. The society is barren and encourages virtual, rather than real, experiences by encouraging the watching of television. The graveyard imagery suggests a society of people who are dead inside;
Mead’s bright house suggests he is open to ideas while the dark houses around him are closed to them.
Bradbury warns us of the dangers of too much technology (primarily television). Students may also note
that Mead is a writer in a society that doesn’t read, which may suggest the danger writers tend to face in
oppressive societies.
SELECTION CHECK TEST 4.12.9
“By the Waters of Babylon”
CHECKING YOUR READING
Short Answer
1. The narrator travels to the Place of the Gods.
2. He sees an eagle flying east and three deer going east with a white fawn, and he kills a panther with
one arrow before it can kill the fawn.
3. He says the sayings of the dead, he paints himself for death, and he sings a death song.
4. He sees the city as it had been and how it was destroyed.
5. He realizes that they were just people like himself.
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VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT
Sentence Completion
1.
2.
3.
4.
perplexed
chamber
enchantment
summoned
LITERARY TOOLS
Short Answer
1. An aphorism is a short saying or pointed statement.
2. Responses will vary. Students should be able to think of at least one example, such as “You can lead a
horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.”
3. A dialect is a version of a language spoken by the people of a particular time, place, or social group.
4. A simile is a comparison using like or as.
5. Responses will vary.
SELECTION TEST 4.12.10
“By the Waters of Babylon”
INSIGHTFUL READING
Multiple Choice
1.
2.
3
4.
5.
d. eat the food of the gods
b. he sees signs that support his yearning for knowledge
d. they have lost their magic
a. from a dream
a. New York
Short Answer
1. He sings the death song because he expects to be killed for his transgression. His death song suggests
that he is trying to be brave, that he is respectful of the laws and beliefs of his people although he feels
compelled to break them; that he is proud of his behavior and accepts the consequences.
2. Responses will vary. His vision is the primary evidence, and his father’s acceptance of the son’s story and
plans. Students may note that the laws forbidding travel to the east may have originated in fear of the
radiation, and because the narrator does not die the radiation must have receded, so his journey is
timely.
3. The narrator realizes that he is meant to be a priest. The real reason people died was most likely due to
the radiation held in metal.
4. He accepts the knowledge that the gods were only men, and plans to focus on rebuilding civilization.
The story suggests that a burning desire for knowledge led him on his quest, so he was ready for
answers.
5. Responses will vary. The Hill People believe strongly in magic, and use it to explain things they do not
know (such as “hot” and “cold” faucets, and who is destined to become a priest). This suggests a
primitive theology and an attempt to understand the cataclysmic events in their history.
VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT
Sentence Completion
1. chamber
2. enchantment
3. summoned
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UNDERSTANDING LITERARY CONCEPTS
Multiple Choice
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
c. he feels his spirit dragged from his body
a. simile
c. a house
b. it is salty
a. New York
Short Answer
1. He refers to his decision to cross the river. He recalls the words when he finds the dead man because he
thinks that man lost his life but not his spirit when he chose to sit and watch his city perish.
2. Responses will vary.
3. The patterns are simple, direct, and repetitive. The narrator uses similes to identify places and objects
for which he has no vocabulary words.
4. The central conflict is the narrator’s decision to undergo the journey.
5. This is ironic because the gods were simply people like themselves.
CRITICAL WRITING
Essay
Students should write an essay based on one of the prompts.
1. The Quest
Responses will vary, but should note changing relationship between the narrator and his culture’s beliefs.
Particularly evident in his death-song, the narrator maintains respect for these beliefs but chooses to defy
them, demonstrating his maturity in his acceptance of possible consequences. When he realizes that the
gods were men, he accepts this and alters his plans for the future of his civilization based upon this new
knowledge.
2. Ancient Babylon
Responses will vary. Benét drew comparisons between Babylon and New York City and, perhaps ironically,
cast New York City as the “Place of the Gods.” He may have been issuing a warning of the dangers of such
a society literally or figuratively burning out.
SELECTION CHECK TEST 4.12.11
The Hitchhiker
CHECKING YOUR READING
Short Answer
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
He swerved on the Brooklyn Bridge.
A male hitchhiker keeps appearing to Adams.
Adams drives off the road and through a fence.
He wishes to speak to this mother.
He learns that he died in an accident on the Brooklyn Bridge.
VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT
Sentence Completion
1.
2.
3.
4.
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phosphorescent
outset
nondescript
ominous
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LITERARY TOOLS
Sentence Completion
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
sound effects
suspense
narrator
foreshadowing
suspense
SELECTION TEST 4.12.12
The Hitchhiker
INSIGHTFUL READING
Multiple Choice
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
c. worried
c. the hitchhiker’s coat is wet
c. he becomes frightened of driving alone
c. he does not drive safely
d. he wants to hear a familiar voice
Short Answer
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
She tells him not to drive fast or pick up hitchhikers.
He suspects this after the hitchhiker beckons him across a railroad track in front of a train.
He tells her that he sees a man who isn’t there and that he plans to run him down.
The sightings become more and more frequent.
He thinks he is sane, but barely, and that he may soon lose his hold on life but that he will then know
who the hitchhiker is.
VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT
Sentence Completion
1. outset
2. nondescript
3. ominous
UNDERSTANDING LITERARY CONCEPTS
Multiple Choice
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
b. screeching tires
d. drawbridge raising
d. What condition is Adams in now?
d. beside the road
b. cross-country automobile travel was novel
Short Answer
1. He assures them that it will be a spine-tingler, but that no blood will be shed or other ghost-story
stereotypes exploited.
2. He says he is in a rest area by the highway, and he doesn’t know if he is going mad but something has
gone horribly wrong.
3. He looks gray, thin, and is carrying a suitcase. He doesn’t appear threatening.
4. They are important because this is a radio play, and they help convey action and mood.
5. Responses will vary, but could include Adams’s increasing discomfort, the escalating sightings of the
hitchhiker, the eerie details of the hitchhiker’s appearance, and finally the story of his mother.
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CRITICAL WRITING
Essay
Students should write an essay based on one of the prompts.
1. What Happened?
Responses will vary. Students should use evidence from the play to support their interpretation.
2. In This Day and Age . . .
Responses will vary, but should note that one warning is against picking up hitchhikers, and this warning is
as relevant today as it was then.
UNIT 12 REVIEW/STUDY GUIDE
VOCABULARY WORKSHEET
Spelling
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
a. skain/skein
d. apperture/aperture
d. penitant/penitent
d. vestabule/vestibule
a. eroneous/erroneous
Synonyms
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
c. mildly
b. reasoned
a. withdrew
c. nighttime
c. disclosed
Antonyms
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
d. innocent
b. small
b. lively
c. honorable
c. defiance
Sentence Completion
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
prolong
robust
flailed
outset
successive
LITERARY TOOLS
Sentence Completion
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
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sound effects
Magical Realism
aphorism
narrator
foreshadowing
setting
mood
point of view
plot
dialect
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REVIEW: WORDS
FOR
EVERYDAY USE
Responses will vary.
REVIEW: LITERARY TOOLS
Responses will vary.
REFLECTING ON YOUR READING
Genre Studies
Responses will vary.
Thematic Studies
Responses will vary.
QUESTIONS
FOR
WRITING, DISCUSSION,
AND
RESEARCH
1. Responses will vary.
2. Responses will vary.
3. Responses will vary.
FOR YOUR READING LIST
Independent Reading Activity
Responses will vary.
UNIT 12 TEST
INSIGHTFUL READING
Multiple Choice
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
d. he never goes back there again
b. their routine
b. a sailor
c. recovers
c. he thinks the gypsies harmed her
a. a low whistle and a metallic clang
c. no one else walks
c. his work generates products that no one ever uses anymore
b. they have lost their magic
c. is sane
VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT
Sentence Completion
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
ingenuous
successive
haggard
brusquely
prudence
UNDERSTANDING LITERARY CONCEPTS
Short Answer
1. Responses will vary. It could symbolize forces that will shape our lives if we do not assert our own
willpower; it could symbolize a political force; it could symbolize fate; and so on.
2. The setting is a village in Latin America. The setting is particularly important because it is isolated, and
the people rely on folklore and superstition to understand their world.
3. Responses will vary, but we may have learned more about who he was and his plight, as well as his
interpretation of his treatment.
4. The primary conflict is Sherlock Holmes’s struggle to solve the mystery in time to save Helen.
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5. These comparisons help make Bradbury’s point that the society is now dead inside and is without “life,”
having traded real experiences for virtual ones.
6. The allusion refers to the comparison the author makes between New York City, the ruined city the
narrator discovers, and Babylon, a bustling and glamorous city in ancient times that is now in ruins.
7. The automobile sounds communicate the increasing speed and desperation with which Adams drives;
the weird music sets the eerie mood. These effects are particularly important to a radio play because
there are no visuals to communicate the same effects.
CRITICAL WRITING
Short Answer
1. He warns readers not to be too complacent or purposeless, lest outside forces take over our lives (as
symbolized in the house’s ejection of the narrator and Irene).
2. The priest warns the people not to be naïve, that the old man could be the devil and that the wings do
not assure that the man is an angel. This is odd because it accepts the wings as natural, and because he
does nothing else to ward off the evil he purports to see in the old man.
3. He thinks it is odd that the ventilator goes to the next room instead of outside; the bell pull is a dummy;
and the bed is clamped to the floor.
4. Mead is a writer in a society that does not read; he likes to walk but has never, in ten years of walking,
met another person walking; he has no wife or television; his house is brightly lit when everyone else’s is
dark.
5. He plans to rebuild the ancient civilization because he has discovered that the gods were merely men,
probably his society’s ancestors.
Paragraph
Students should write a paragraph based on one of the prompts.
1. Magical Realism
Responses will vary. Magical Realism originated in Latin America, and was intended to illustrate that Latinos
accept what Europeans would call “fantastical occurrences” as part of everyday life. The selections in this
unit that contain elements of Magical Realism are “House Taken Over,” “A Very Old Man with Enormous
Wings,” and “The Hitchhiker.”
2. Mysteries
Responses will vary. The true mystery story is one specifically involved with a riddle of some kind. A distinguishing feature is that the reader be confronted with a number of mysterious facts and situations, explanation of which is reserved until the end of the story. The best example of a true mystery story in this unit is
“The Adventure of the Speckled Band,” although all of the stories in this unit contain elements of mystery.
Essay
Students should write an essay based on one of the prompts.
1. Cautionary Tales
Responses will vary. Several of the selections in this unit can be considered cautionary tales. Students
should support their choices with evidence from the stories.
2. Other Worlds
Responses will vary.
© EMC
U N D E R S TA N D I N G L I T E R AT U R E
UNIT
12 RESOURCE
129