MLS Preparatory Two

Text analysis: Plot structure

Reading Skills: Making Inferences

Essential Question: What’s Worth the Effort?

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Vocabulary
MLS Preparatory Two

Word\part of Definition Word in context

speech
prodigy a young person with He is a Russian
(noun) exceptional qualities pianist who was a
or abilities. child prodigy in
his day.
sidekick a person's assistant Sherlock Holmes'
(noun) or close associate, bumbling sidekick
especially one who is Watson"
has less authority
than that person.
crouch (verb) adopt a position We crouched
where the knees are down in the field.
bent and the upper
body is brought
forward and down,
typically in order to
avoid detection or to
defend oneself.

Exercises:
Directions (1) Complete with a word from the box in its correct
form.

crouch –sidekick- prodigy

1.The high school boy was considered a__________ when he won the
national chess championship.

2. He ________________ down, trying to get a closer look at the spider.

3.My younger brother thinks he is my ___ and follows me around the

house.

Directions (2) Choose the correct word :

1. Is a slang expression for a close companion or colleague who is, or is

generally regarded as, subordinate to whom they accompany.
a) crouch b) sidekick c) prodigy
2. A young person with exceptional qualities or abilities.
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MLS Preparatory Two
a) crouch b) sidekick c) prodigy
3. To bend your knees and lower yourself so that you are close to the
ground and leaning forward slightly.

a) crouch b) sidekick c) prodigy

Directions (3) Choose the correct answer

1.A child of unusual or remarkable talent is a ___________

a)scholar b)freak c)diligent d)prodigy

2. My younger brother thinks he is my ___and follows me around the

house.

a)enemy b)boss c)sidekick d)prodigy

3. I had to _______ low to enter the cave.

a)faces b)crouches c)below d)meets

Directions (4) Replace the underlined word with a suitable

word:

1. She was a child with exceptional qualities and abilities and gave
public performances on the violin by the time she was ten years old .

a) prodigy b)prodigiously c)no change d) prodigal

2. She saw him coming so she bent down behind a bush.

a) crouch b)crouched c)no change d)crouching

3. Tom and his close associate Larry sauntered into the bar, plainly
looking for a fight.

a)side kicking b) sidekicker c)no change

d)sidekickers

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MLS Preparatory Two
Raymond’s Run

Directions (1) Look and study the Plot Chart below to answer
the questions below.

Climax: The most exciting part of the

story; when we learn the outcomes.

Falling Action:
events leading to the
Where the main end of the story
character(s)
face(s)a series Rising Action
of conflicts. or
Complications

Resolution: end of the

story.

Exposition: beginning of
the story where the
characters, setting and the
conflict are introduced.

Directions(2): Read the summary of the short story ”The

Canterville Ghost”.

A) Horace B.Otis, a wealthy American, purchases Canterville Chase,an

ancient English manor- house, despite warnings that the house is
known to be haunted.He moved into the house accompanied by his
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MLS Preparatory Two
wife, his eldest son Washington, his daughter Virginia, and his two
younger twin sons. Immediately upon arrival,the family is confronted by
a bloodstain in a sittingroom.The housekeeper, Mrs.Umney, explains
that the stain has been there since 1575 and is the result of Lady
Eleanore de Canterville having been brutally murdered by her husband,
Sir Simon de Canterville.
B) The Otis family scrubs the stain away;they repeat the process when
the stain continues to reappear everymorning.The reappearance of the
stain, as well as other strange occurrences around the house, leads
them to consider that the rumour of the ghost may not be totally
unfounded( unproven). These ideas were confirmed when one night, the
sounds of the chains wakes Mr.Otis from his sleep. He gets out of bed
and confronts a terrifying ghost but responds only by recommending
that the ghost oil his chains so that he does not cause so much noise
when he is walking around at night.
C) Mr.Otis is not the only family member who is not afraid of the ghost;
the young twins enjoy tormenting the ghost with pranks.The ghost is
very proud of terrifying visitors for hundreds of years, and he is
determined to strike fear into the American family.However, the more
and more terrifying he tries to be, the more they either make fun of or
ignore him. The ghost accepts that he has lost his power and status. He
begins to be depressed.
D) Meanwhile, Virginia’s beauty has attracted the attention of the
young Duke of Chesire, who comes to stay at canterville Chase. While
he is visiting, Virginia unexpectedly comes across the secret hiding
place of the ghost. The ghost explains his suffering, telling her that he
longs for the peaceful experience of death. He also tells her that
because of her purity and innocence, she can help him to achieve this
peace. Even though she is frightened, Virginia agrees to help; the two of
them pass through a secret opening in the wall and vanish.
E) When Virginia cannot be found, her family and the duke become
upset.A few hours later, Virginia appears in the dark at the top of the
stairs.Her only explanation of her disappearance is that she has
assisted in finally bringing eternal rest to the canterville ghost.as a
token of his thanks, Sir Simon has given her a box filled with jewels.Four
days later, Sir Simon’s body is finally laid to rest with a proper burial.
F) Virginia finally marries the duke. Although she never tells anyone
what she experienced when she vanished with the ghost, she always
reflects on him and his memory.
Directions(3): Place the different paragraphs in the correct section
of the plot chart.

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MLS Preparatory Two

1.Exposition

2.Rising action

3.Climax

4.Falling Action

5.Resolution

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MLS Preparatory Two

Activity time:

Story Structure – Parts of a Story

Directions: Take a story that you have read or a movie that you
have seen and identify the parts of the story. You
may use the story that you read last night or any
other.

Title of Work: __________________________________________________________

1. Exposition:
Characters and the setting

2. Inciting Incident:
__________________________________________________________
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 MLS Preparatory Two
What initiates the conflict?
__________________________________________________________

3-Rising Action: List some events that occur before the climax.

A. ________________________________________________________

B. ________________________________________________________

5-Falling Action: List some events that occur after the climax.

A. ________________________________________________________

B. ________________________________________________________

6. Moment of Final Suspense:

________________________________________________________

7-Is the character tested a final time? How?

__________________________________________________________

8. Resolution:
How the story ends.

9. What does the main character learn or how does the main character
change during the climax?
__________________________________________________________

4. Climax:
The turning point

Reading Skills:

Making Inferences:

All good readers are able to draw conclusions about a text, even
when the text does not state something explicitly (clearly,
outright, and completely).
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MLS Preparatory Two

Infer: to conclude based on evidence

Example: The man carried the cake and its candles into the dining
room.
Inference: It is someone’s birthday.
Evidence: the candles on the cake indicate it could be a birthday cake.

*Remember- your inference can be incorrect, which means you can

always change your thinking or what you have inferred later while
reading a text!

Exercises: (1)
1. Katherine held the wash cloth tightly, pressing it into her hand. She told
the children not to walk barefoot through the kitchen.
What just happened?
Evidence from text

__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

2. The man came into the house and went straight to the kitchen sink,
where he got a large glass of water for himself. His t-shirts had dark
stains on it. He took off his ear buds after he finished the drink of water.
What had the man been doing?
Evidence from text

__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

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MLS Preparatory Two

3. Linda picked up the sandwich and ran after the boy whose backpack
was unzipped.
What had just happened?
Evidence from text:
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________
Directions: Read the following passage and then answer the
questions. Each question will ask you to make a
logical inference based on textual details. Explain
your answer by referring to the text.

"William, don't forget your towel!" Mom shouted as she applied

sunblock on the baby. William threw the folding chairs in the back of the
minivan and shouted through the garage door, "OK Mom!" He then ran
up and grabbed his towel. "Georgie!" William shouted. There was no
response. Mom packed the baby up into the car seat. "William, can you
help me with his umbrella?" William ran down the stairs, almost tripping
over a chew toy, and then he helped his mother load the large umbrella
in the minivan. "Mom, I can't find Georgie," William said. His mother
shrugged and replied, "That's OK, William. He probably shouldn't come
with us anyway."

1. Where are Mom and William going?

____________________________________________________

How do you know this?

2. Who is Georgie?
__________________________________________________________

B) Directions: Read the selections and answer the questions that

follow.

The Invaders
by Jack Ritchie

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MLS Preparatory Two
1 None of them left the ship on the first day of its arrival, but I knew
that they would be watching carefully for signs of human life.
2 The skies were dark with scudding clouds, and the cold wind moved
high in the trees. Thin snow drifted slowly to the ground.
3 From the cover of the forest, I now watched as a small, heavily armed
group of them left the large craft. When they reached the edge of the
woods, they hesitated for a few moments and then moved cautiously
forward.
4 I had seen them before and I knew that in appearance, at least, they
were not monsters. They looked very much like us. There were some
differences, of course, but all in all, we were really quite similar to them.
5 I met them first when I was almost a boy and I had been without
caution.
I approached them and they seemed friendly, but then suddenly they
seized me and carried me off in their strange ship.
6 It was a long journey to their land and when our ship made a landing,
I was shown about and exhibited as though I were some kind of animal.
7 I saw their cities, and I was shown plants and animals completely
strange to me. I learned to wear their clothing and even to eat their
food.
8 They taught me to communicate in their strange and difficult tongue
until I could, at times, even think in their language.
9 I had almost given up the hope of ever seeing my home again, but
they one day put me back on one of their ships and told me that they
were returning me because they wished to establish friendly relations
with my people. But by now, I knew enough of them to know that this
was not true. However, I nodded and smiled and watched for my
opportunity to escape.
10 When the ship landed, I went out with the first search party. It was
near evening and as the darkness gathered, I edged away from them
and finally
I fled into the blackness and safety of the forest.
11 They came after me, of course, but I was hidden deep in the woods
where they could not find me.
12 Finally they gave up and I watched their ship become smaller and
finally disappear, and I hoped fervently that they would never return.
13 But now they were back again.

14 I felt a coldness inside of me as I watched them moving slowly through

the trees. They seemed somehow different from the others who had
been here before. It was not so much in their appearance as in the air
about them—the way they walked, the way they looked about with
speculating eyes.
15 Slowly and instinctively, I realized that this time they were not here on
just another raid for a captive or two.
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MLS Preparatory Two
16 This time they had come to stay.
17 What could we do now? Could we lure them deeper into the forest and
kill
them? Could we take their weapons and learn how to use them?
18 No, I thought despairingly. There were so many more of the invaders on
the ship. And more weapons. They would come out and hunt us down
like
animals. They would hunt us down and kill us all.
19 I sighed. We must find out what it was that they wanted this time and
whatever it might be, we must learn to adjust and to hope for the best.
20 But I still retreated silently before them, afraid to approach. I watched
them search the ground ahead of them and knew they were looking for
footprints, for some signs of life. But there was not yet enough snow on
the ground to track us down.
21 Their strangely colored eyes glanced about warily. They were cautious,
yes.
22 They could be a cruel race, I knew. I had seen with my own eyes how
they treated their animals and even their own kind.
23 I sighed again. Yes, we could be cruel, too. In this respect we could
not claim to be superior to the invaders.
24 They paused now in a clearing, their eyes gleaming beneath their
helmets.
25 It was time for me to approach them.
26 I took a deep breath and stepped into the open.
27 Their weapons quickly pointed at me.
28 “Welcome,” I said.
29 They stared at me, and then one of them turned to their bearded
leader. “It appears that this savage can speak some English, Captain
Standish.”
30 “Welcome,” I said again. But I wondered what they would do to my
land
and my people now

Directions: Use “The Invaders” to choose a,b,c or d :

1. What event happens first in the story?
a)The invaders look at the ground for footprints.
b) The invaders leave the ship and enter the woods.
c) The narrator thinks about attacking the invaders.
d) The narrator steps into view and greets the invaders.

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MLS Preparatory Two
2. In the exposition of the story, you learn that
a) the narrator speaks English
b) the invaders are cruel people
c) Captain Standish is a leader
d) the weather is cold and snowy

3. The conflict the narrator struggles with is

a) choosing whether to return with the invaders to their country
b) deciding which response to the invaders will be best for his
people
c) sharing food with the invaders or hiding it from them
d) betraying his people by helping the invaders find what they
wan

4. The conflict not resolved at the end of the story is

a) what will happen between the invaders and the narrator’s
people
b) how the narrator will decide to communicate with the invaders
c) whether the invaders can make their way off the ship and into
the forest
d) if the narrator will choose to stay hidden from the invaders

5. The rising action begins when the narrator says

a) They looked very much like us (paragraph 4)
b) I learned to wear their clothing and even to eat their food
(paragraph7)
c) But now they were back again (paragraph 13)
d) Yes, we could be cruel, too (paragraph 23)

6. In paragraph 18 the narrator is losing hope because

a) he fears his people are outnumbered and will be killed.
b) his hiding places in the snowy forest are too visible.
c) he thinks that the invaders are looking for another captive.
d) his footprints might lead the invaders to his people.

7. The climax of the story occurs when the narrator

a) steps out and speaks to the invaders.
b) hides from the invaders in the woods.
c) returns home after being held captive.
d) hears the invaders talk to their leader.

8. The narrator hides from the new invaders because

a) he distrusts the invaders and is trying to decide what to do
b) other people are coming to help him

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MLS Preparatory Two
c) he wants to surprise the invaders from a well-protected
location
d) a search party is looking for him

9. Which phrase from the story helps you figure out when an event
occurs?
a) There were some differences . . .
b) It was a long journey . . .
c) I could at times . . .
d) They paused now.

10. The narrator rejects the idea of attacking the invaders because
a) the strangers have enough people and weapons to harm the
local people
b) the strangers are peaceful and hope to do good deeds
c) neither the strangers nor the local people want to have a fight
d) the narrator can speak the strangers’ language

11. During the falling action, you discover that the invaders
a) arrive on a large ship
b) have strangely colored eyes
c) are led by an English captain
d) mistreat their animals and each other.

Short Response
Directions: Write two or three sentences to answer the
following question.

1. In the flashback, what steps does the narrator take to escape the
invaders?

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________
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MLS Preparatory Two
_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

________________________

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