Today's Nonfiction Practice

The Cage

Ruth Minsky Sender

1      We make it across the bridge safely.  The guard does not pay any attention to us.  He stands in his booth playing with his rifle.  Moishe’s heavy breathing tells me that his strength is giving out, but he keeps on going, taking only short rests.  He carries me up three flights to the doctor’s office and puts me down on a chair with a triumphant look.  “We made it, see?  See what a meshuggener can do?”

2      The small room is crowded with people, most of whom look more like human skeletons than men and women.  I feel healthy looking at them.  If it were not for the problem with my legs.  .  .  .

3      After a long wait, our turn comes.  The doctor, a man in his fifties, looking worn, examines me carefully, asking very few questions.  I keep my eyes glued to his face, trying to read the verdict in his expression.  Is there hope for me?  But all I see in his face is frustration, helplessness, pity.

4      “What is wrong with her, doctor?”  Moishe can’t stand the suspense any longer.   “Can you help her?  Can you do something for her?”

5      Avoiding my eyes, the doctor looks at Moishe sadly.  “I wish I could.  I wish I could.  I know her problem – malnutrition, vitamin deficiency, loss of calcium in her bones – but the cure I cannot supply.  I wish I could help her, and all the others.  .  .  .”

6      I feel sorry for the helpless doctor.  I feel sorry for Moishe and his wasted effort.  I feel sorry for myself.

1          In paragraph 1, the word triumphant means –

       A    proud

       B    sorrowful

       C    attentive

       D    tired

2          In paragraph 3, the word verdict means –

       F    appearance

       G    problem

       H    conclusion

       J    face

3     In paragraph 4, the word suspense means –

       A    treatment

       B    notice

       C    anticipation

       D    frustration

4     Which of the following statements is an opinion?

       F    Malnutrition and vitamin deficiency have contributed to the narrator’s illness. 

       G    The narrator has a problem with her legs.  

       H    The doctor is unable to cure the narrator.

       J    Moishe should not have attempted to carry the narrator across the bridge.

5     The reader can infer that the doctor is –

       A    indifferent

       B    overworked

       C    uncaring

       D    well paid

6           Which of the following questions is answered in paragraph 1?

       F    What is Moishe’s relationship to the narrator?

       G    Where does Moishe take the narrator?

       H    How long must the guard remain in the booth?

       J    How long is the bridge they travel across?

7          Which of the following is the BEST summary of the passage?

       A    After reaching the doctor’s office, the narrator is still unable to receive help from the doctor.   

       B    Moishe breathes heavily while carrying the narrator over the bridge.

       C    The doctor’s office is hot and crowded, and Mioshe feels that he has wasted the doctor’s time.

       D    The doctor asks many questions while examining the narrator.

8          “Most of whom look more like skeletons than men and women” is an example of –

       F    simile

       G    metaphor

       H    hyperbole

       J    personification

Sentence Structure Review

Sentence Types 2

Directions: Read and analyze each sentence. Circle the predicates and underline the subjects. Draw a line separating the clauses in the sentence. Write the sentence type on the line. 

Simple Sentence: a sentence that has only one clause.  Compound Sentence: a sentence with two or more clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction.  Complex Sentence: two or more clauses joined with a subordinating conjunction.  Compound-Complex: three or more clauses joined by coordinating and subordinating conjunctions.  Example: Mom did the dishes. It is cold in the classroom | but it is hot in the hall  S P (simple sentence) S P S P (Compound sentence)  Coordinating Conjunctions: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so.  Subordinating Conjunctions: as, because, although, since, before, when, once, if, even if, whatever, whenever, during, until, unless, wherever, whether, while, as if, even if, that

1. When I get home from school, I'm going to take a nap.  2. I got in trouble so I can't go to the party, but it would have been fun.  3. Being alone can be scary unless you keep yourself busy.  4. Mr. Morton, the best reading teacher in the world, taught me sentence structure.  5. Keith, Carrie, and Kyle bought donuts and ate them down by the river.  6. I left early so that I could get some work done, but I'll be back soon.  7. Crossing the street is dangerous if you don't look both ways before you cross.  8. If you don't want to study, you should stay home, but you may regret it.  9. Every time I go to mall, I spend all of my money on things that I don't need.  10. Mom said that I can go to the museum with you but I have to be home early.  11. Modern Warfare is a fun game but no game is better than Ms. Pac-Man.  12. Todd and Nick are eating chips and salsa on a park bench before dinner.

________________  Sentence Type  ________________  Sentence Type  ________________  Sentence Type  ________________  Sentence Type  ________________  Sentence Type  ________________  Sentence Type  ________________  Sentence Type  ________________  Sentence Type  ________________  Sentence Type  ________________  Sentence Type  ________________  Sentence Type  ________________

 Joining Clauses at the Circus 

Directions: use subordinating and coordinating clauses to join the clauses into a single sentence. Rewrite the sentences and change words and tenses if necessary, but do not remove information. Coordinating Conjunctions: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so  Subordinating Conjunctions: after, although, as, because, before, even if, if ,now that, once, since, that, though, unless, until, when, whenever, where, wherever, while

1. The circus came to town. Tickets were cheap. I decided to go with my friend. 

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2. The clowns drove up in a little car. There were a bunch of them. I didn’t think they would all fit. 

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3. A guy stuck his head in the lion’s mouth. Bears were dancing in tutus. An elephant rode a bike. 

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4. A man with a whip was beating the animals. The animals were sad. The man fed them a snack. 

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5. I always have fun at the circus. A lady was selling snacks. I bought popcorn and cotton candy. 

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6. A family did tricks on the flying trapeze. I took pictures. I thought one of them was going to fall. 

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7. My belly hurt from eating junk. I had a good time. The circus is always fun. 

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Parts of Speech

The 8 Parts of Speech 

Directions: On the line to the left of the sentence, write the word that is the part of

speech indicated in parenthesis.

Example: ______exploded___(ex) (verb) The Blue Streaks running back exploded

off the line of scrimmage.

1. ____________________(preposition) He walked around the corner.

2. ____________________(pronoun) Paul hopes that she will sing with the choir.

3. ____________________(pronoun) Can Jerry help him with the science project?

4. ____________________(noun) Have you seen the eraser?

5. ____________________(noun) The lock was stuck.

6. ____________________(noun) She purchased the ice cream with him.

7. ____________________(adjective) Older people tire more easily.

8. ____________________(adjective) Steven is honest.

9. ____________________(adjective) Kind people are often rewarded.

10. ____________________(adverb) The officer ran fast.

11. ____________________(adverb) My sister answered the questions intelligently.

12. ____________________(adverb) You really should see this art exhibit, Kenny.

13. ____________________(preposition) Reggie tripped down the stairs.

14. ____________________(preposition) Can you jump over the hurdle?

15. ____________________(preposition) May I sit between you two?

16. ____________________(verb) Ask the question.

17. ____________________(verb) The store overcharged me.

18. ____________________(verb) Jimmy, eat your spaghetti.

19. ____________________(conjunction) I cannot go, for I have too much to do.

20. ____________________(conjunction) I like peanuts and potato chips.

Parts of Speech Online Review

http://www.uottawa.ca/academic/arts/writcent/hypergrammar/rvpartsp.html

Sentence Types Review

Declarative, Interrogative, and Exclamatory Sentences

Directions: Determine if each sentence is declarative, interrogative or exclamatory.

1) Which fair ride do you want to go on first?

2) I think we should go on the Ferris Wheel first.

3) We can see all the different rides from up top.

4) How high up do you think we'll be?

5) I saw a fun house when we were up there.

6) Do you think they'll have silly mirrors?

7) Which way was it?

8) I think it was close to the bumper cars.

9) Lets stop and get some cotton candy first!

10) What flavor do you want?

11) Should we get a drink too?

12) The fun house takes three tickets.

13) How many more tickets do we have?

14) Should we buy some more first?

15) We should come back tomorrow!

www. Common CoreSheets.com

Denotation and Connotation

  Denotation and Connotation 

A word’s denotation is its dictionary definition. A word can also make people feel

or think a certain way. These feelings and ideas are the connotations of a word.

Words with the same meaning can have different “shades of meaning”—that is,

they can be understood differently.

Positive connotation: Being on the track team has made Alan slender and

lean. (attractively thin)

Neutral connotation: Being on the track team has made Alan thin.

Negative connotation: Being on the track team has made Alan skinny and

scrawny. (unattractively thin)

Be sure that the words you use have the right connotation as well as the right

denotation.

A. Identifying Positive and Negative Connotations

Each pair of phrases includes synonyms with different connotations. Put a + sign

next to the one with a positive connotation and a – sign next to the one with a

negative connotation. Use a dictionary or thesaurus if needed.

Lesson

23

1. a powerful stink ________

    a powerful aroma ________

2. a dynamic leader ________

     a pushy leader ________

3. squandered his money ________

    spent his money ________

4. a reckless plan ________

    a daring plan ________

5. energetic children ________

     wild children ________

6. answered with arrogance ________

    answered with confidence ________

7. sloppy clothes ________

    casual clothes ________

8. an aggressive attitude ________

    a hostile attitude ________

9. an easygoing friend ________

     a lazy friend ________

10. a thoughtful response ________

      a calculated response ________

McDougal Littell, Inc.

Reference Sources

Part 1

   

 Reference Sources Activity

Answer choices:

Atlas, Almanac, Thesaurus, Dictionary, Encyclopedia,

Telephone Book, Glossary, Newspaper/Magazine,

1.            Which is the best reference source to use to find a map of Europe?

2.            Which is the best reference source to use to find several different words to express the same idea?

3.            Which is the best reference source to use to find general information on Argentina?

4.            Which is the best reference source you would use to find the address of your friend?

5.            Which is the best reference source you would use to find information about wolves?

6.            Which is the best reference source to use to determine the pronunciation of emphatic?

7.            Which is the best reference source for you to use to find the definition of pollination from Chapter 5 in your science book?

8.            Which is the best reference source to use to find Switzerland’s neighboring countries?

9.            Which is the best reference source you would use to find some words that mean about the same as depart?

10.       If you wanted to find the address of a repairman for your house, which is the best reference source to use?

11.       Which is the best reference source to use to find the meaning of the word pertinent?

12.       Where would you look to find out the definitions of new words in a textbook?

13.       If you wanted to find another word that means the same as power, what is the best reference source to look in?

14.       If you wanted to find a state that touches the Atlantic Ocean, what is the best reference book to look in?

15.       Which is the best reference source to use to find information about your bones?

16.       Which is the best reference source to use to find information about when to plant tomatoes in Virginia?

17.       Which is the best reference source to use to help an author find another word for space?

18.       Which is the best reference source to look in if you want to learn more about yellow fever?

19.       Which is the best reference source to use to find out about a current home decorating trend?

20.       Which is the best reference source to use to find the most current news?

21.       Which is the best reference source you would use to get information about a current celebrity?

22.       If you wanted to find out when the next solar eclipse would be, which is the best reference source to use?

23.       If you wanted a list of florists, which is the best reference source to use?

24.       Which is the best reference source to use to find New York City’s population in 1990?

25.       Which is the best resource to use to find out how many hospitals are in the United States?

26.       What is the best reference source to look in if you wanted to know what evaporation means in your science book?

27.       Which is the best reference source to use to find the landforms in Australia?

28.       What is the best reference source to use to find out when   Virginia had the largest snowfall?

29.       What is the best reference source to use to find a new recipe?

30.       What is the best reference source to use to find the political divisions of Canada?

31.       Which is the best reference source to use to find the longitude and latitude of Paris, France?

32.       Which is the best reference source to use to find information about Theodore Roosevelt?

33.       Which is the best reference source to use to find where the National Parks are in the United States?

34.       Which is the best reference source to use to determine the pronunciation of the word déjà vu?

35.       What is the best reference source to use to find the listing of pet stores in your area?

36.       Which is the best reference source to use to find a word that means the same as correct?

37.       Which is the best reference source to use to find the meaning of Economics in your Social Studies book?

38.       What is the best reference source to use to determine the meaning of personification?

39.       What is the best reference source to use to find out current local happenings?

40.       What is the best reference source to use to find out where the Tropic of Cancer is?

41.       What is the best reference source to use to determine which team has won the Super Bowl the most times?

42.         Which is the best reference source to use to find the location of Patrick’s Hardware Store?

43.       What is the best reference source to use to find information about all the presidents of the United States?

44.       What is the best reference source to use to determine how far India is from Indonesia?

45.       What is the best reference source to use to find out when a favorite television show will be on?

Part 2

REFERENCE SOURCES:

INTERNET ACTIVITY

Go to www.dictionary.com

         -Complete the following questions:

1               What color is the top banner?

2               How many results are found for the word appropriate?

3               How many parts of speech can the word appropriate be?

4               What are the first two antonyms given for the word appropriate?

5               Write the correct pronunciation for appropriate.

Go to www.thesaurus.com

         -Complete the following questions:

6               What color is the top banner?

7               What part of speech is the word happy?

8               What is the first definition given for happy?

9               Give two synonyms from EACH entry (total of 14).

10           Which thesaurus did this website utilize?

Go to www.infoplease.com

         -Complete the following questions:

11           In what century did almanacs first appear?

12           In which ocean is the Caribbean located?

13           What causes beriberi?

14           Who was the first black Supreme Court Justice?

15           Who is Art Rooney?