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LITERARY COMPANIONANSWER KEY

Grade 9Volume A

ALPHA

Literature

Program Chief Editor: Pam CareyProgram Consultant Editor: Julia LeeProgram Editors: Mary Harvey, Susanna Brougham, Cynthia Guidici

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Unit 1 Face to Face Amy Tan Two Kinds from The Joy Luck Club READING SKILL: Make I n fe rences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi VOCABULARY SKILL: S e lec t i on Vocabu la r y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 VOCABULARY STRATEGY: S lang in D ia logue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 LANGUAGE SKILL: P ronoun Agreement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 WRITING SKILL: Wr i te D ia r y En t r i es . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 SPEAKING AND LISTENING: P resen t Your D ia r y En t r i es . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

COMPARING TEXTS Adam Gopnik LOL! Lauren and Victoria Coaxum Parents, Teens, and Technology: Bridging the Generation Gap READING SKILL: Make I n fe rences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 VOCABULARY SKILL: S e lec t i on Vocabu la r y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 VOCABULARY STRATEGY: Deno t a t i on and C onno t a t i on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 LANGUAGE SKILL: C o r rec t ing Vague P ronouns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 WRITING SKILL: Wr i te a Sho r t S to r y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 SPEAKING AND LISTENING: Pe r fo rm Your S to r y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Helen Zughaib Stories My Father Told Me READING SKILL: A na l y ze a Sub jec t in D i f fe ren t Med iums . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 VOCABULARY SKILL: S e lec t i on Vocabu la r y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 VOCABULARY STRATEGY: Eng l i sh Words f rom A rab ic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 LANGUAGE SKILL: Dependen t and I ndependen t C lauses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 WRITING SKILL: Wr i te an A rgument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 SPEAKING AND LISTENING: D i scuss Your A rgument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Elsa Marston In Line READING SKILL: A na l y ze C omp lex Charac te r s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 VOCABULARY SKILL: S e lec t i on Vocabu la r y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 VOCABULARY STRATEGY: Mu l t ip le -Mean ing Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 LANGUAGE SKILL: Res t r i c t i ve and Nonres t r i c t i ve C lauses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 WRITING SKILL: Wr i te a L i te ra r y A na l ys i s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 SPEAKING AND LISTENING: Pa r t i c ipa te in a D iscuss ion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

COMPARING TEXTS Edgar Allan Poe The Cask of Amontillado William Blake A Poison Tree READING SKILL: A na l y ze an Au tho r ’s Cho ices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 VOCABULARY SKILL: S e lec t i on Vocabu la r y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 VOCABULARY STRATEGY: S ynonyms and A n tonyms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 LANGUAGE SKILL: Punc tua t ing D ia logue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 WRITING SKILL: Wr i te a L i te ra r y A na l ys i s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 SPEAKING AND LISTENING: Pe r fo rm a S cene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Performance Task: Write a Fictional Narrative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Contents

Contents iii

Unit 2 The Natural World Annie Dillard Living Like Weasels READING SKILL: A na l y ze F igura t i ve L anguage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 VOCABULARY SKILL: S e lec t i on Vocabu la r y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 VOCABULARY STRATEGY: U se a T hesaurus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 LANGUAGE SKILL: Pa r t i c ip ia l Phrases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 WRITING SKILL: C onduc t Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 SPEAKING AND LISTENING: Sha re Your No tes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

COMPARING TEXTS Cynthia Barnett Origins from Rain: A Natural and Cultural History Kazim Ali Rain READING SKILL: A na l y ze a Sequence o f I deas o r Even t s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 READING SKILL: A na l y ze Tone and C onno t a t i ons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 VOCABULARY SKILL: S e lec t i on Vocabu la r y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 VOCABULARY STRATEGY: Doma in-Spec i f i c Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 LANGUAGE SKILL: Ad jec t i va l and Adverb ia l Phrases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 WRITING SKILL: Wr i te a Poem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 SPEAKING AND LISTENING: Ho ld a G roup D iscuss ion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Jane Goodall First Observations from In the Shadow of Man READING SKILL: A na l y ze Cen t ra l I deas and De t a i l s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 VOCABULARY SKILL: S e lec t i on Vocabu la r y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 VOCABULARY STRATEGY: Roo t s and A f f i xes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 LANGUAGE SKILL: M isp laced and Dang l ing Mod i f i e r s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 WRITING SKILL: Wr i te a Response to L i te ra tu re . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 SPEAKING AND LISTENING: Ho ld a S ocra t i c Semina r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Sy Montgomery Deep Intellect READING SKILL: A na l y ze Au tho r ’s Po in t o f V iew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 READING SKILL: A na l y ze a Sub jec t in Two Med iums . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 VOCABULARY SKILL: S e lec t i on Vocabu la r y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 VOCABULARY STRATEGY: Shades o f Mean ing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 LANGUAGE SKILL: Ve rb Phrases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 WRITING SKILL: Wr i te an A rgument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 SPEAKING AND LISTENING: Read and D iscuss A rgument s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

COMPARING TEXTS Dr . Sally Boysen New Caledonian Crows Hook a Treat from The Smartest Animals on the Planet Aesop The Crow and the Pitcher READING SKILL: De te rmine a T heme o r Cen t ra l I dea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 VOCABULARY SKILL: S e lec t i on Vocabu la r y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 VOCABULARY STRATEGY: Pa t te rns o f Word Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 LANGUAGE SKILL: Ve rb Moods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 WRITING SKILL: Wr i te a Nar ra t i ve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 SPEAKING AND LISTENING: D i scuss I deas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Performance Task: Write an Argument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Contents

iv Contents

Unit 3 Powerful Words Wangari Maathai Nobel Peace Prize Lecture READING SKILL: A na l y ze Cen t ra l I deas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 VOCABULARY SKILL: S e lec t i on Vocabu la r y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 VOCABULARY STRATEGY: E t ymo logy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 LANGUAGE SKILL: E l im ina te Word iness and Redundancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 WRITING SKILL: Wr i te an I n fo rmat i ve Tex t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98 SPEAKING AND LISTENING: D i scuss Your Repor t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

COMPARING TEXTS Latifa al-Zayyat from The Open Door Elizabeth Alexander Praise Song for the Day READING SKILL: A na l y ze t he Deve lopment o f a T heme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 READING SKILL: A na l y ze Cu l t u ra l Pe r spec t i ves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102 VOCABULARY SKILL: S e lec t i on Vocabu la r y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 VOCABULARY STRATEGY: B ase Words and Roo t s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 LANGUAGE SKILL: Ac t i ve and Pass i ve Vo ice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 WRITING SKILL: Wr i te a L i te ra r y A na l ys i s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 SPEAKING AND LISTENING: D i scuss Your L i te ra r y A na l ys i s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

Elif Shafak The Politics of Fiction READING SKILL: Au tho r ’s Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 VOCABULARY SKILL: S e lec t i on Vocabu la r y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 VOCABULARY STRATEGY: S ynonyms and A n tonyms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 LANGUAGE SKILL: Ve rb Moods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 WRITING SKILL: Wr i te a Response to L i te ra tu re . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 SPEAKING AND LISTENING: Eva lua te a Speech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

Elisabetta Intini 10 Reasons We Should Be Exploring Space READING SKILL: A na l y ze an Au tho r ’s C la ims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118 VOCABULARY SKILL: U se Re fe rence S ources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 VOCABULARY STRATEGY: Shades o f Mean ing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 LANGUAGE SKILL: Noun Phrases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 WRITING SKILL: Wr i te a L i te ra r y A na l ys i s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 SPEAKING AND LISTENING: P resen t a Speech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

COMPARING TEXTS Richard Wright from Black Boy Shin Dal-Ja Blank Paper: Part One READING SKILL: A na l y ze Word Cho ice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126 READING SKILL: Ob jec t i ve Summar ies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128 VOCABULARY SKILL: S e lec t i on Vocabu la r y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130 VOCABULARY STRATEGY: I d i oms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 LANGUAGE SKILL: Ve rb Phrases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132 WRITING SKILL: Wr i te a L i te ra r y A na l ys i s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134 SPEAKING AND LISTENING: P resen t a D ramat i c Read ing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

Performance Task: Write an Opinion Essay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136

Contents

Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

Contents v

Reading Skill: Make InferencesSometimes when you read a story, you don’t get all of the information you need to know. Authors expect readers to make inferences, or educated guesses, about what they read. An educated guess is one that you can support with specific evidence from the text.

In this example, the author of “Two Kinds” does not tell you exactly why the narrator’s mother pushes her to become a prodigy. However, you can make an inference about the mother’s motivations by reading closely.

“America was where all my mother’s hopes lay. She had come here in 1949 after losing everything in China . . . There were so many ways for things to get better.”

Example 1

Evidence“America was where all my mother’s hopes lay.”“after losing everything in China”“There were so many ways for things to get better.”

InferenceThe narrator’s mother sees America as a place of new hope. She wants her daughter to succeed and fulfill dreams that were beyond the mother's reach.

Readers can use inferences to learn more about people’s relationships. Notice how the girl’s mother responds to Auntie Lindo in this passage.

“‘She bring home too many trophy,’” lamented Auntie Lindo that Sunday . . . And my mother squared her shoulders and bragged: ‘Our problem worser

than yours. If we ask Jing-mei wash dish, she hear nothing but music. It’s like you can’t stop this natural talent.’”

Example 2

Evidence“Our problem worser than yours.”“she hear nothing but music”“It’s like you can’t stop this natural talent.”

InferenceThe narrator’s mother is proud and boastful. She wants Auntie Lindo to think the narrator has more talent than Waverly.

vi Unit 1: Face to Face

Practice and Apply: Make Inferences1. Read the excerpt from “Two Kinds.” Fill in the chart to make an inference about the

narrator’s feelings. The first piece of evidence is already in place.

“‘Then I wish I weren’t your daughter. I wish you weren’t my mother,’ I shouted. As I said these things I got scared . . . but it also felt good, as if this awful side of me had surfaced, at last.”

2. Near the end of the story, the narrator’s mother gives her the piano. Reread pages 15 and 16. Then, fill in the chart to show how the narrator feels about the piano.

Evidence“I got scared.”

Inference

3. Why is it important to cite evidence from the story when making an inference?

Evidence Inference

“it also felt good”“this awful side of me had surfaced”

“I saw the offer as a sign of forgiveness, a tremendous burden removed.”“It made me feel proud, as if it were a shiny trophy that I had won back.”

Possible answer:

The narrator values the piano highly. It is very special to her.

Possible answer: Evidence helps prove that an inference is correct. Without

evidence, an inference is just a guess.

The narrator feels conflict. She is frightened by her anger, but it feels good to let it out.

Reading Skill 1

Vocabulary Skill: Selection VocabularyTwo Kinds

abundance conspired listlessly reproach

asserting inevitable memorize rhythm

PRACTICE A. Circle the response that best answers each question.

1. Which would you be more likely to memorize? a speech a novel

2. What are you more likely to see in abundance at night? butterflies stars

3. What might a small child be doing if he were asserting himself? crying loudly sleeping quietly

4. In which activity would having good rhythm help you? washing dishes playing piano

5. If your teacher gives you a look of reproach, what might you have done? shouted in class turned in your homework

PRACTICE B. Identify the vocabulary word in the box that is similar to the italicized word or phrase. Explain your answers.

1. Which word is related to unavoidable?

2. Which word is related to sound patterns?

3. Which word is related to lazily?

4. Which word is related to learn?

APPLY Complete the sentence to show you understand the meaning of the boldface word.

1. We had an abundance of vegetables in our garden, so we .

2. Because rain was inevitable, we .

3. My brother and I conspired to surprise our mom by .

shared some with neighbors

canceled the picnic

cooking dinner

Memorize is related to learn because it means to

Inevitable is related to unavoidable because it means “certain to happen.”

Rhythm is related to hearing because it means “a steady pattern of sound.”

Listlessly is related to lazily because it means “without excitement.”

“learn and repeat without mistakes.”

Possible answers:

Possible answers:

2 Unit 1: Face to Face

Vocabulary Strategy: Slang in DialogueDialogue consists of the conversations between characters in a story. One way authors make dialogue sound realistic is to have characters use slang expressions. Slang is very informal language. Some slang is used by a particular group, such as high school students or people living in a certain place. Other slang words are widely understood.

In story dialogue, slang expressions can reveal what characters are like and how they relate to each other. Read these examples from “Two Kinds.” The first one takes place after the narrator’s piano recital.

“‘That was somethin’ else,’ my father said.”

Example 1

The phrase “something else” is slang for a person or event that stands out in some way. By using this slang, the father acknowledges his daughter’s performance without saying anything negative to hurt her feelings. He also avoids making a compliment that would not be true.

“‘What are you picking on her for?’ I said carelessly. ‘She’s pretty good. Maybe she’s not the best, but she’s trying hard.’”

Example 2

Pick on means “criticize unfairly.” In more formal dialogue, a character might say, “Why are you criticizing her?” For a girl talking back to her mother, the slang term “picking on” sounds realistic.

Practice and Apply Think about a musical performance you have seen, on TV or in person. Describe it in two or three sentences, as if you were speaking with your friends. Use slang or other informal language.

Vocabulary Skill/Vocabulary Strategy 3

Language Skill: Pronoun AgreementA pronoun takes the place of a noun in a sentence. A pronoun must agree in person with the noun it replaces. First person refers to the person speaking, second person refers to the person addressed, and third person refers to the person being talked about.

A pronoun must also agree in number with the noun it replaces. Pronouns, like nouns, can be singular or plural.

Personal PronounsPerson Number

Singular PluralFirst Person I, me, my, mine we, us, our, ours

Second Person you, your, yours you, your, yours

Third Person he, him, his, she, her, hers, it, its they, them, their, theirs

A pronoun shift is a mistake that occurs when a pronoun does not agree with the number or person of the noun or nouns it replaces. You can usually correct the mistake by changing the pronoun.

The mother wanted she daughter to be a prodigy.

Example 1

If a noun is plural, the pronoun replacing it must also be plural.

The mother and daughter wanted different things for her lives.

Example 2

their

A pronoun should also match the gender of the person or thing it is replacing.

Old Chong had lost her hearing many years ago.

Example 3

his

her


Practice and Apply: Pronoun Agreement1. Read the sentences. Replace the boldface terms with the correct pronouns.

a. The mother dreams of having a prodigy for a daughter.

b, c. Old Chong cannot hear the girl playing the wrong notes. ,

d. The mother and father are embarrassed by the performance.

e. To sound better, the piano needs tuning.

f. The children’s playing will improve each year.

2. Rewrite the following sentences, correcting any pronoun shifts.

1. The mother lost she family in China.

2. The narrator and him mother watched old movies on they TV.

3. The narrator’s father showed he disappointment in the narrator after she talent show.

4. The girl practiced she piano every day to try and become a prodigy.

5. The mother and daughter never spoke of they argument again.

3. Write a short paragraph about the characters in “Two Kinds.” Use at least five pronouns. Circle the pronouns. Make sure your paragraph is free of pronoun shifts.

She

They

It

Their

The mother lost her family in China.

The narrator and her mother watched old movies on their TV.

The narrator’s father showed his disappointment in the narrator after her

The girl practiced her piano every day to try and become a prodigy.

The mother and daughter never spoke of their argument again.

He her

Possible answer: “Two Kinds” tells the story of a young girl and her mother.

The mother is from China, where she lost everything before moving to

San Francisco. The young girl is the narrator and the story centers on the

mother’s dream of having her daughter be famous and successful. The

daughter doesn’t like being forced to excel at everything she does, and the

mother thinks her daughter is being disrespectful. Eventually, they both

come to understand that the daughter will be who she is, and that is all she

can be.

talent show.

Language Skill 5

Writing Skill: Write Diary Entries

Assignment: Write two diary entries, one for the narrator of “Two Kinds” and one for her mother, each at a different point in the story. What is distinct about each character’s thoughts and feelings? What does one have to say about the other?

PREWRITING: Plan Each EntryIn “Two Kinds,” a daughter and her mother face conflict because of their different perspectives on many issues. Each diary entry you write should focus on one character’s thoughts and feelings about a particular event in the story.

Remember that a diary entry is written from the first-person point of view, using the pronouns I, me, my, and mine.

Think about the mother. Choose a story event that she would find interesting to write about in her diary. Fill out the first chart to gather your ideas for her diary entry. Then repeat the process for the daughter’s diary entry.

Mother’s Diary Entry

Story event

Details about the event(actions, dialogue, description)

Thoughts and feelings about the event

Daughter’s Diary Entry

Story event

Details about the event (actions, dialogue, description)

Thoughts and feelings about the event

Now you are ready to draft the diary entries.


Six Traits + 1: OrganizationA diary entry can be short—two paragraphs may be enough. Still, it should be organized well. Use transition words such as before, then, after, or finally to show when things happen. Have the character explain her reasons for her actions or feelings.

DRAFTING: Think Like the CharacterAs you start writing, keep these things in mind:

• Write in a way that seems natural for the character. Would she use formal or informal language?

• Focus on details important to the character. What might bother her? What would make her happy? What would be hard for her to understand?

• Share the character’s emotions about the event, including any changes in her feelings.

Speaking and Listening: Present Your Diary Entries

Assignment: Read your diary entries aloud to a partner. Then, discuss the ways in which writing the entries helped you better understand the characters in “Two Kinds.”

To prepare, review your diary entries. Think about each character’s way of speaking. Would she sound calm, excited, frustrated, or relieved when discussing the event in the entry? Write your ideas on the chart.

Mother’s Way of Speaking Daughter’s Way of Speaking

As you read aloud, use your voice to convey the mother’s and daughter’s emotions.

When it’s your turn to listen, pay attention to your partner’s words and use of voice. Then, as you discuss the writing experience with your partner, remember to do the following:

• Speak clearly so that your partner can understand you.

• Listen carefully to your partner’s ideas. Avoid interrupting.

• Ask questions to find out more about your partner’s thinking.

Writing Skill/Speaking and Listening 7

Reading Skill: Make InferencesWhen you read, you can use evidence from the text and your own knowledge to help you make inferences. In the following example from “LOL!” you can use your own experience to infer the meaning of what the author says.

Example 1Example 1

“But recently he turned twelve, and in New York City, because everything is a little accelerated, twelve is really thirteen. And when thirteen happens to kids, as you all know, something profound changes.”

The text says . . .“Everything is a little accelerated”“Twelve is really thirteen”

I know . . .When I started to get older, I didn’t want to talk to my parents much anymore. I felt like I was older than I really was.

My InferenceThe author knows that time doesn’t really move faster in New York, but he feels that his son is growing up too fast.

+ =

Readers can use personal experience to better understand articles like “Parents, Teens, and Technology,” too.

Example 2Example 2

“We’re so accustomed to using the Internet that it seems almost natural, and we often forget that it’s not. As a generation, we tend to know a lot more about the Internet than our parents and members of older generations.”

The text says . . .“It seems almost natural”“We tend to know a lot more about the Internet than our parents”

I know . . .I can use apps and social media easily. I grew up using this technology, but my parents didn’t.

My InferenceThe authors think teens can be more active in helping adults understand social media.


ALPHA_LIT_LC_G09_U1_W2.indd 8 09/08/17 9:16 am

Practice and Apply: Make Inferences1. Read the excerpt from “LOL!” Use your own knowledge and experience to make an

inference about the relationship between Luke and his father.

“I said, ‘Yeah. So tell me, what’s your password?’ And he said, ‘It’s, uh, Montreal Puck.’

It wasn’t exactly ‘Dad,’ but it was pretty close; it was something that we had shared, and that secretly he had encoded as his way out into the world.”

The text says . . .“It wasn’t exactly ‘Dad,’ but it was pretty close.”“he had encoded as his way out into the world.”

I know . . . My Inference

2. Read the following sentence from “Parents, Teens, and Technology.” Then make an inference about the relationship between the authors and their father.

“Our dad is still the person we go to if we have computer problems, but he comes to us if he wants to change his profile picture on Facebook.”

3. The authors of “Parents, Teens, and Technology” say that teens are “just the people” to teach the older generation about technology. Do you think the son in “LOL!” would agree? Support your inference with information from both texts.

The text says . . . I know . . . My Inference

I still love my parents, even though I don’t show it all the time. I use things from them to remember them.

I feel like I can ask my parents for help when I need it. I like to help my parents when I can.

“Our dad is still the person we go to” “he comes to us””

Possible answers:

Luke is still close to his father, even if he doesn’t act like it.

The authors and their father feel they can ask each other for help. They have a good relationship.

Possible answer: I think the son would agree. Throughout the story, he was

trying to help his dad use more technology by introducing him to apps, just

like the teens in the article suggest doing.

Possible answers:

Reading Skill 9


Vocabulary Skill: Selection Vocabulary“LOL!”

absorb adolescents mortality

accelerated autonomy prevalence

“Parents, Teens, and Technology”accustomed aspect influential

PRACTICE A. Fill in the blank with the word that best completes each sentence.

1. You have to look at every of a situation to really understand it.

2. The students are so to using computers, it’s easy for them.

3. Because of new medical technology, rates of have dropped.

4. The photographer was because he used technology in new ways.

PRACTICE B. Circle the letter next to the sentence that uses the vocabulary word correctly.

1. accelerated a. The plant’s growth accelerated after we started using fertilizer.

b. The car accelerated when she put on the brakes.

2. prevalence a. The prevalence of cell phones makes it easy to talk to friends.

b. The boy could not find a pencil because of its prevalence.

3. absorb a. The book was so easy to understand, I could not absorb it.

b. Students easily absorb new information about technology.

4. autonomy a. We worked together because we value autonomy.

b. Our teacher wants us to develop autonomy by thinking for ourselves.

APPLY Use each word in a sentence that shows you understand the word’s meaning.

1. adolescents

2. influential

3. absorb

aspect

accustomed

mortality

influential

Young adult novels must have plots, characters, and themes that interest adolescents.

I will write my research report on an influential artist of the twentieth century.

The sponge will absorb water from the sink.

Possible answers:



Vocabulary Strategy: Denotation and ConnotationA word’s denotation is its dictionary definition. A word’s connotation refers to the attitudes and feelings associated with the word. Words can have positive, negative, or neutral connotations.

Type of connotation Example 1 Example 2Positive fragrance guest

Neutral smell visitor

Negative stink intruder

Some words have similar denotations but very different connotations. Read the three sentences below.

1. Sam thinks about his work.2. Sam focuses on his work.3. Sam obsesses about his work.

All of these sentences mean that Sam concentrates on his work. However, each verb has a slightly different connotation. In the first sentence, “thinks” has a neutral connotation. In the second sentence, “focuses” has a positive connotation because it implies that Sam is doing well. In the third sentence, “obsesses” has a negative connotation because it implies that Sam is overly fixated on his work.

Practice and Apply Replace each boldface word with a word or phrase that is similar in meaning and has the connotation given in parentheses. Then write a sentence using the new word or phrase correctly.

1. demanded (positive)

2. looked (negative)

3. mob (neutral)

urgedPossible answers:

glared

crowd

I urged my father to buy me a laptop for school.

He glared at the noisy students.

A large crowd attended the concert.

Vocabulary Skill/Vocabulary Strategy 11


Language Skill: Correcting Vague PronounsA pronoun takes the place of a noun or noun phrase in a sentence. The word that a pronoun replaces is called the antecedent. A pronoun is vague when its antecedent is missing or unclear. Vague pronouns can make a sentence confusing, as in the following example.

The father didn’t understand the meaning of “LOL.” It made him feel embarrassed.

Example 1

It’s not clear what the pronoun It refers to in the second sentence. This problem often arises with the pronouns it, this, which, and that. Adding a noun or a noun phrase can correct the vague pronoun and clarify the sentence’s meaning.

The father didn’t understand the meaning of “LOL.” The misunderstanding made him feel embarrassed.

Example 2

Sometimes a pronoun is vague because it has more than one possible antecedent. Look at the following example.

Example 3Example 3

When Luke messaged his dad, he smiled.

The pronoun he could refer to either Luke or his dad. You can add a noun or noun phrase, or reword the sentence to fix the vague pronoun.

Replace vague pronoun: When Luke messaged his dad, his dad smiled. Or rewrite: Luke’s dad smiled when he received Luke’s message.

Example 4



Practice and Apply: Correcting Vague Pronouns1. Circle the vague pronoun in each sentence. Then, rewrite each sentence to correct the

vague pronoun.

a. It was an amazing experience.

b. When Luke told Dad what “LOL” meant, he was angry.

c. Some of you may have read about him over the years.

d. Luke sent instant messages to his father, which made him happy.

e. Teens use a lot of new technology, which worries teachers.

f. Teens can help educate them about the use of technology.

g. When teens and adults use technology, they have different methods.

2. Write a paragraph describing how you and your friends use technology. Include at least four pronouns. Make sure all the pronouns have clear antecedents. Underline the pronouns and circle their antecedents.

Luke sent instant messages to his father, which made his father happy.

Teens use a lot of new technology, a situation that worries teachers.

Teens can help educate adults about the use of technology.

When teens and adults use technology, adults have different methods than teens.

Speaking at the Digital Family Summit was an amazing experience.

Luke’s dad was angry when he learned what “LOL” meant.

Some of my readers may have read about Luke over the years.

Language Skill 13


Writing Skill: Write a Short Story

Assignment: Write a brief short story in which a teenager and his or her parent (or another older adult) have a “generation gap” experience involving technology. Include ideas from the article and blog post you have read.

PREWRITING: Develop Sequence of EventsPrepare to write your story by filling out the chart below. Decide on the names, ages, and personalities of your characters (at least one parent and one teenager). Decide on a setting and a title characters names and consider their ages.

Then consider what will happen in the story. Imagine a problem related to technology: how the problem begins, how the characters face it, and how it is resolved. Write this sequence of events on the chart. Include interesting details.

STORY TITLE NAMES OF CHARACTERS

SETTING PROBLEM OR CONFLICT

SEQUENCE OF EVENTS

1.

2.

3.

4.

Now you are ready to draft your story.



Six Traits + 1: VoiceYour short story will include at least two characters of different ages: a teenager and an adult. To write realistic dialogue, consider how real teens and adults speak. Would an adult use teenage slang like “Wazzup”? Is a teenager likely to use formal language? Giving each character a distinctive voice adds interest to your story and makes it more believable.

REVISING: Clarify the Sequence of EventsAs you review your draft, make sure the story events are in the correct order. To clarify the sequence, use transition words like first, next, then, and finally. Then ask yourself the following questions. Revise your story as needed.

• Are the story events presented in the correct order?

• Do the characters have a clear problem they can work to solve?

• Are the characters and setting described well?

• Does realistic dialogue give each character a distinctive voice?

Speaking and Listening: Perform Your Story

Assignment: With a partner, perform your short story for the class.

Share your story with a partner, then decide who will play each role. One partner will be the teenager, and the other will play the adult. If there are more than two characters in your story, invite other students to join your group. Plan how you will act out each story. Use dialogue from your story as you act out the story. When you’ve finished, perform your partner’s short story. You may exchange roles if you wish.

As you perform your story, remember to do the following:

• Speak loudly and clearly so your class can hear you.

• Convey the character’s age, personality, and emotions through tone of voice, posture, and gestures.

• Interact with your partner to show how the parent and teenager relate to each other.

• If it fits the story, consider using a sound effect, such as knocking at a door, hand clapping, or yawning. Such effects should not detract from the overall performance, though.

Writing Skill/Speaking and Listening 15


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