English II - Week 4-5 · You might as well say, “In the days when the grass was pink.” Stars, rainbows, and all other such heavenly sideshows had been permanently withdrawn, and

Lily wore yellow on her wedding day. In the eighties people put a lot of faith in omens and believed that if a bride’s dress was yellow her married life would be blessed with a bit of sunshine.

It was years since the bombs had been banned, but still the cloud never lifted. Whitish gray, day after day, sometimes darkening to a weeping slate color or, at the end of an evening, turning to smoky copper, the sky endlessly, secretively brooded.

Old people began their stories with the classic, fairy-tale opening: “Long, long ago, when I was a liddle un, in the days when the sky was blue …” and children, listening, chuckled among themselves at the absurd thought, because, blue, imagine it! How could the sky ever have been blue? You might as well say, “In the days when the grass was pink.”

Stars, rainbows, and all other such heavenly sideshows had been permanently withdrawn, and if the radio announced that there was a blink of sunshine in such and such a place, where the cloud belt had thinned for half an hour, cars and buses would pour in that direction for days in an unavailing search for warmth and light. a

After the wedding, when all the relations were standing on the church porch, with Lily shivering prettily in her buttercup nylon, her father prodded the dour and withered grass on a grave—although it was August, the leaves were hardly out yet—and said, “Well, Tom, what are you aiming to do now, eh?”

“Going to find a bit of sun and have our honeymoon in it,” said Tom. There was a general laugh from the wedding party.

“Don’t get sunburned,” shrilled Aunt Nancy.“Better start off Bournemouth1 way. Paper said they had a half-hour of sun

last Wednesday week,” Uncle Arthur weighed in heavily.

1. Bournemouth (bôrnPmEth): a British seaside resort.

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Old Willow Lane 2, Mary Iverson. Oil on canvas, 11˝ × 8˝. © Mary Iverson/Corbis.

How would you describe the mood of this painting? What qualities contribute to the mood?

unavailing (OnQE-vAPlGng) adj. useless, ineffective

a MONITORReread lines 8–17. How have the sky and climate changed, and why?

66 unit 1: plot, setting, and mood

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English II - Week 4-5

“We’ll come back brown as—as this grass,” said Tom, and ignoring the good-natured teasing from their respective families, the two young people mounted on their scooter, which stood ready at the churchyard wall, and chugged away in a shower of golden confetti. When they were out of sight, and the yellow paper had subsided on the gray and gritty road, the Whitemores and the Hoskinses strolled off, sighing, to eat wedding cake and drink currant2 wine, and old Mrs. Hoskins spoiled everyone’s pleasure by bursting into tears as she thought of her own wedding day when everything was so different.

Meanwhile Tom and Lily buzzed on hopefully across the gray countryside, with Lily’s veil like a gilt banner floating behind. It was chilly going for her in her wedding things, but the sight of a bride was supposed to bring good luck, and so she stuck it out, although her fingers were blue to the knuckles. Every now and then they switched on their portable radio and listened to the forecast. Inverness had seen the sun for ten minutes yesterday, and Southend3 for five minutes this morning, but that was all. b

“Both those places are a long way from here,” said Tom cheerfully. “All the more reason we’d find a nice bit of sunshine in these parts somewhere. We’ll keep on going south. Keep your eyes peeled, Lil, and tell me if you see a blink of sun on those hills ahead.”

But they came to the hills and passed them, and a new range shouldered up ahead and then slid away behind, and still there was no flicker or patch of sunshine to be seen anywhere in the gray, winter-ridden landscape. Lily began to get discouraged, so they stopped for a cup of tea at a drive-in.

“Seen the sun lately, mate?” Tom asked the proprietor.He laughed shortly. “Notice any buses or trucks around here? Last time I

saw the sun was two years ago September; came out just in time for the wife’s birthday.” c

“It’s stars I’d like to see,” Lily said, looking wistfully at her dust-colored tea. “Ever so pretty they must be.”

“Well, better be getting on I suppose,” said Tom, but he had lost some of his bounce and confidence. Every place they passed through looked nastier than the last, partly on account of the dismal light, partly because people had given up bothering to take a pride in their boroughs.4 And then, just as they were entering a village called Molesworth, the dimmest, drabbest, most insignificant huddle of houses they had come to yet, the engine coughed and died on them. d

“Can’t see what’s wrong,” said Tom, after a prolonged and gloomy survey.“Oh, Tom!” Lily was almost crying. “What’ll we do?”“Have to stop here for the night, s’pose.” Tom was short-tempered with

frustration. “Look, there’s a garage just up the road. We can push the bike there, and they’ll tell us if there’s a pub5 where we can stay. It’s nearly six anyway.”

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2. currant: a berry used to make jams, jellies, and wines. 3. Inverness . . . Southend: resort towns in the north and south of the British Isles. 4. boroughs: towns or districts. 5. pub: a British term for a tavern. Pubs in small towns sometimes serve meals and

rent rooms to travelers.

b

SETTING AND MOODReread lines 28–42. Note how the countryside looks and feels. What mood is created by this description?

c

MONITORWhy are buses and trucks a sign that sunshine has been spotted in the area?

d

SETTING AND MOODReread lines 58–62. Picture what Molesworth looks like. What feeling do you get from that image?



They had taken the bike to the garage, and the man there was just telling them that the only pub in the village was the Rising Sun, where Mr. Noakes might be able to give them a bed, when a bus pulled up in front of the petrol6 pumps.

“Look,” the garage owner said, “there’s Mr. Noakes just getting out of the bus now. Sid!” he called.

But Mr. Noakes was not able to come to them at once. Two old people were climbing slowly out of the bus ahead of him: a blind man with a white stick, and a withered, frail old lady in a black satin dress and hat. “Careful now, George,” she was saying, “mind ee be careful with my son William.”

“I’m being careful, Mrs. Hatching,” the conductor said patiently, as he almost lifted the unsteady old pair off the bus platform. The driver had stopped his engine, and everyone on the bus was taking a mild and sympathetic interest, except for Mr. Noakes just behind who was cursing irritably at the delay. When the two old people were on the narrow pavement, the conductor saw that they were going to have trouble with a bicycle that was propped against the curb just ahead of them; he picked it up and stood holding it until they had passed the line of petrol pumps and were going slowly off along a path across the fields. Then, grinning, he put it back, jumped hurriedly into the bus, and rang his bell.

“Old nuisances,” Mr. Noakes said furiously. “Wasting public time. Every week that palaver7 goes on, taking the old man to Midwick Hospital Outpatients and back again. I know what I’d do with ’em. Put to sleep, that sort ought to be.” e

Mr. Noakes was a repulsive-looking individual, but when he heard that Tom and Lily wanted a room for the night, he changed completely and gave them a leer that was full of false goodwill. He was a big, red-faced man with wet, full lips, bulging pale-gray bloodshot eyes, and a crop of stiff greasy black hair. He wore tennis shoes.

“Honeymooners, eh?” he said, looking sentimentally at Lily’s pale prettiness. “Want a bed for the night, eh?” and he laughed a disgusting laugh that sounded like thick oil coming out of a bottle, heh-heh-heh-heh, and gave Lily a tremendous pinch on her arm. Disengaging herself as politely as she could, she stooped and picked up something from the pavement. They followed Mr. Noakes glumly up the street to the Rising Sun.

While they were eating their baked beans, Mr. Noakes stood over their table grimacing at them. Lily unwisely confided to him that they were looking for a bit of sunshine. Mr. Noakes’s laughter nearly shook down the ramshackle building.

“Sunshine! Oh my gawd! That’s a good ’un! Hear that, Mother?” he bawled to his wife. “They’re looking for a bit of sunshine. Heh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh!

6. petrol: a British term for gasoline. 7. palaver (pE-lBvPEr): useless chatter.

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CONFLICTHow does Mr. Noakes’s response to the Hatchings differ from everyone else’s?

disengage (dGsQDn-gAjP) v. to detach or remove oneself

Language CoachInformal Language Aiken’s characters speak informally, in a regional dialect—the vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation of their setting. For example, they use “mind ee” (line 77) and “good ’un!” (line 107). What other examples of informal language can you find?

searching for summer 69

RL 4


Why,” he said, banging on the table till the baked beans leaped about, “if I could find a bit of sunshine near here, permanent bit that is, dja know what I’d do?”

The young people looked at him inquiringly across the bread and margarine.

“Lido,8 trailer site, country club, holiday camp—you wouldn’t know the place. Land around here is dirt cheap; I’d buy up the lot. Nothing but woods. I’d advertise—I’d have people flocking to this little dump from all over the country. But what a hope, what a hope, eh? Well, feeling better? Enjoyed your tea? Ready for bed? Heh-heh-heh-heh, bed’s ready for you.” f

Avoiding one another’s eyes, Tom and Lily stood up.“I—I’d like to go for a bit of a walk first, Tom,” Lily said in a small voice.

“Look, I picked up that old lady’s bag on the pavement; I didn’t notice it till we’d done talking to Mr. Noakes, and by then she was out of sight. Should we take it back to her?”

“Good idea,” said Tom, pouncing on the suggestion with relief. “Do you know where she lives, Mr. Noakes?”

“Who, old Ma Hatching? Sure I know. She lives in the wood. But you don’t want to go taking her bag back, not this time o’ the evening you don’t. Let her worry. She’ll come asking for it in the morning.”

“She walked so slowly,” said Lily, holding the bag gently in her hands. It was very old, made of black velvet on two ring handles, and embroidered with beaded roses. “I think we ought to take it to her, don’t you, Tom?”

8. lido (lFPdI): a British term for a public outdoor swimming pool.

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Entrance to Erchless (1900s), Victoria Crowe. Oil on canvas, 96.5 cm × 111.7 cm. The Fleming-Wyfold Art Foundation. Photo © The Bridgeman Art Library.

f

GRAMMAR AND STYLEReread lines 107–118. Notice how Aiken incorporates sentence fragments, contractions, and interjections into her dialogue to make it sound realistic.



“Oh, very well, very well, have it your own way,” Mr. Noakes said, winking at Tom. “Take that path by the garage; you can’t go wrong. I’ve never been there meself, but they live somewhere in that wood back o’ the village; you’ll find it soon enough.”

They found the path soon enough, but not the cottage. Under the lowering sky they walked forward endlessly among trees that carried only tiny and rudimentary leaves, wizened and poverty-stricken. Lily was still wearing her wedding sandals, which had begun to blister her. She held onto Tom’s arm, biting her lip with the pain, and he looked down miserably at her bent brown head; everything had turned out so differently from what he had planned. g

By the time they reached the cottage Lily could hardly bear to put her left foot to the ground, and Tom was gentling her along: “It can’t be much farther now, and they’ll be sure to have a bandage. I’ll tie it up, and you can have a sit-down. Maybe they’ll give us a cup of tea. We could borrow an old pair of socks or something. . . .” Hardly noticing the cottage garden, beyond a vague impression of rows of runner beans, they made for the clematis-grown9 porch and knocked. There was a brass lion’s head on the door, carefully polished.

“Eh, me dear!” It was the old lady, old Mrs. Hatching, who opened the door, and her exclamation was a long-drawn gasp of pleasure and astonishment. “Eh, me dear! ’Tis the pretty bride. See’d ye s’arternoon when we was coming home from hospital.”

“Who be?” shouted a voice from inside.“Come in, come in, me dears. My son William’ll be glad to hear company;

he can’t see, poor soul, nor has this thirty year, ah, and a pretty sight he’s losing this minute—”

“We brought back your bag,” Tom said, putting it in her hands, “and we wondered if you’d have a bit of plaster10 you could kindly let us have. My wife’s hurt her foot—”

My wife. Even in the midst of Mrs. Hatching’s voluble welcome the strangeness of these words struck the two young people, and they fell quiet, each of them, pondering, while Mrs. Hatching thanked and commiserated, all in a breath, and asked them to take a seat on the sofa and fetched a basin of water from the scullery,11 and William from his seat in the chimney corner demanded to know what it was all about.

“Wot be doing? Wot be doing, Mother?”“ ’Tis a bride, all in’s finery,” she shrilled back at him, “an’s blistered her

foot, poor heart.” Keeping up a running commentary for William’s benefit she bound up the foot, every now and then exclaiming to herself in wonder over the fineness of Lily’s wedding dress, which lay in yellow nylon swathes around the chair. “There, me dear. Now us’ll have a cup of tea, eh? Proper thirsty you’m fare to be, walking all the way to here this hot day.”

Hot day? Tom and Lily stared at each other and then around the room.

9. clematis-grown: covered with clematis, a flowering vine. 10. plaster: a British term for an adhesive bandage. 11. scullery: a small room in which dishwashing and other kitchen chores are done.

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rudimentary (rLQdE-mDnPtE-rC) adj. very basic, in the beginning stages

wizened (wFzPEnd)adj. withered and dry

g

SETTING AND MOODReread lines 136–141. What mood does the sensory language used to describe the woods convey to you?

voluble (vJlPyE-bEl) adj. especially talkative, fluent with words

commiserate (kE-mGzPE-rAtQ) v. to express sorrow or pity for another’s troubles



Then it was true, it was not their imagination, that a great dusty golden square of sunshine lay on the fireplace wall, where the brass pendulum of the clock at every swing blinked into sudden brilliance? That the blazing geraniums on the windowsill housed a drove of murmuring bees? That, through the window, the gleam of linen hung in the sun to whiten suddenly dazzled their eyes?

“The sun? Is it really the sun?” Tom said, almost doubtfully.“And why not?” Mrs. Hatching demanded. “How else’ll beans set, tell me

that? Fine thing if sun were to stop shining.” Chuckling to herself she set out a Crown Derby tea set, gorgeously colored in red and gold, and a baking of saffron12 buns. Then she sat down and, drinking her own tea, began to question the two of them about where they had come from, where they were going. The tea was tawny and hot and sweet; the clock’s tick was like a bird chirping; every now and then a log settled in the grate; Lily looked sleepily around the little room, so rich and peaceful, and thought, I wish we were staying here. I wish we needn’t go back to that horrible pub. . . . She leaned against Tom’s comforting arm.

“Look at the sky,” she whispered to him. “Out there between the geraniums. Blue!” h

“And ee’ll come up and see my spare bedroom, won’t ee now?” Mrs. Hatching said, breaking off the thread of her questions—which indeed was not a thread, but merely a savoring of her pleasure and astonishment at this unlooked-for visit—“Bide here, why don’t ee? Mid as well. The lil un’s fair wore out. Us’ll do for ee better ’n rangy old Noakes; proper old scoundrel ’e be. Won’t us, William?” i

“Ah,” William said appreciatively. “I’ll sing ee some o’ my songs.”A sight of the spare room settled any doubts. The great white bed, huge as

a prairie, built up with layer upon solid layer of mattress, blanket, and quilt, almost filled the little shadowy room in which it stood. Brass rails shone in the green dimness. “Isn’t it quiet,” Lily whispered. Mrs. Hatching, silent for the moment, stood looking at them proudly, her bright eyes slowly moving from face to face. Once her hand fondled, as if it might have been a baby’s downy head, the yellow brass knob.

And so, almost without any words, the matter was decided.Three days later they remembered that they must go to the village and

collect the scooter which must, surely, be mended by now.They had been helping old William pick a basketful of beans. Tom had

taken his shirt off, and the sun gleamed on his brown back; Lily was wearing an old cotton print which Mrs. Hatching, with much chuckling, had shortened to fit her.

It was amazing how deftly, in spite of his blindness, William moved among the beans, feeling through the rough, rustling leaves for the stiffness of concealed pods. He found twice as many as Tom and Lily, but then they, even on the third day, were still stopping every other minute to exclaim

12. saffron: a cooking spice that imparts an orange-yellow color to foods.

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h

SETTING AND MOODReread lines 174–191. Notice that the new setting conveys a different mood. How would you describe that mood?

savoring (sAPvEr-Gng) n. a full appreciation and enjoyment savor v.

i

MONITORReread lines 192–197. What is Mrs. Hatching saying? Try to clarify by reading her words aloud and then putting her statements in your own words.



over the blueness of the sky. At night they sat on the back doorstep while Mrs. Hatching clucked inside as she dished the supper, “Starstruck ee’ll be! Come along in, do-ee, before soup’s cold; stars niver run away yet as I do know.”

“Can we get anything for you in the village?” Lily asked, but Mrs. Hatching shook her head.

“Baker’s bread and suchlike’s no use but to cripple thee’s innardses wi’ colic.13 I been living here these eighty year wi’out troubling doctors, and I’m not faring to begin now.” She waved to them and stood watching as they walked into the wood, thin and frail beyond belief, but wiry, indomitable, her

13. cripple . . . colic (kJlPGk): give yourself a bad case of indigestion.

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How does the use of color affect the mood of this painting? Contrast the mood wih that of the painting on page 67.

indomitable (Gn-dJmPG-tE-bEl) adj. not easily discouraged or defeated

Yellow Dress (2003), Jeffrey T. Larson. Oil on linen, 12˝ × 16˝. © Daylight Fine Art.



black eyes full of zest. Then she turned to scream menacingly at a couple of pullets14 who had strayed and were scratching among the potatoes.

Almost at once they noticed, as they followed the path, that the sky was clouded over.

“It is only there on that one spot,” Lily said in wonder. “All the time. And they’ve never even noticed that the sun doesn’t shine in other places.”

“That’s how it must have been all over the world, once,” Tom said.At the garage they found their scooter ready and waiting. They were about

to start back when they ran into Mr. Noakes.“Well, well, well, well, well!” he shouted, glaring at them with ferocious

good humor. “How many wells make a river, eh? And where did you slip off to? Here’s me and the missus was just going to tell the police to have the rivers dragged. But hullo, hullo, what’s this? Brown, eh? Suntan? Scrumptious,” he said, looking meltingly at Lily and giving her another tremendous pinch. “Where’d you get it, eh? That wasn’t all got in half an hour, I know. Come on, this means money to you and me; tell us the big secret. Remember what I said; land around these parts is dirt cheap.”

Tom and Lily looked at each other in horror. They thought of the cottage, the bees humming among the runner beans, the sunlight glinting in the red-and-gold teacups. At night, when they had lain in the huge sagging bed, stars had shone through the window, and the whole wood was as quiet as the inside of a shell. j

“Oh, we’ve been miles from here,” Tom lied hurriedly. “We ran into a friend, and he took us right away beyond Brinsley.” And as Mr. Noakes still looked suspicious and unsatisfied, he did the only thing possible. “We’re going back there now,” he said. “The sunbathing’s grand.” And opening the throttle, he let the scooter go. They waved at Mr. Noakes and chugged off toward the gray hills that lay to the north. k

“My wedding dress,” Lily said sadly. “It’s on our bed.”They wondered how long Mrs. Hatching would keep tea hot for them, who

would eat all the pasties.15

“Never mind, you won’t need it again,” Tom comforted her.At least, he thought, they had left the golden place undisturbed. Mr. Noakes

never went into the wood. And they had done what they intended; they had found the sun. Now they, too, would be able to tell their grandchildren, when beginning a story, “Long, long ago, when we were young, in the days when the sky was blue . . .” �

14. pullets: young hens. 15. pasties (pBsPtCz): a British term for meat pies.

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CONFLICTWhy do Mr. Noakes’s statements fill Tom and Lily with horror?

k

MONITORWhat do Tom and Lily decide to do?

Language CoachConnotation Many words have positive or negative connotations (emotional associations). Reread lines 236-237. Do the words glaring and ferocious have positive or negative connotations?


RL 4


word listcommiseratedisengageindomitablerudimentarysavoringunavailingvolublewizened

Vocabulary in Context vocabulary practice

Identify the word that is not related in meaning to the other words in the set.

1. indomitable, unconquerable, feeble, powerful 2. disengage, detach, remove, connect 3. withered, blooming, shrunken, wizened 4. sympathize, commiserate, pity, accuse 5. complex, rudimentary, basic, preliminary 6. voluble, talkative, fluent, silent 7. distaste, savoring, relishing, enjoyment 8. unavailing, useless, effective, futile

vocabulary strategy: the prefix dis-The vocabulary word disengage contains the Latin prefix dis-, which means “in different directions.” This prefix is found in a number of English words. To understand the meaning of words with dis-, use your knowledge of the base word as well as your knowledge of the prefix.

PRACTICE Write the word from the word web that best completes each sentence. Use context clues to help you. If necessary, consult a dictionary or glossary.

1. The crab tried to ________ itself from the fisherman’s net. 2. After their argument, she decided to ________ her friend to the party. 3. There’s a ________ vehicle on the road that needs to be removed. 4. The music group will ________ this month. 5. The store has _________ this brand of clothing.

dis-

discontinued

disableddisengage

disbanddisinvite


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SEARCHING FOR SUMMER

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Unit 1Grade 10

Final Pass PDF

Vocabulary Practice

A. Directions: For each phrase, find a vocabulary word in the box to complete the equivalent phrase and give it an equivalent meaning.

1. the talkative type = the ________________ variety

2. a hardy hero = an ________________ idol

3. pointless job = ________________ task

4. sincerely console = earnestly ________________

5. relishing a roast = ________________ a steak

6. a simple idea = a ________________ concept

7. release from a bad situation = ________________ from a dilemma

8. shriveled plant = ________________ flower

B. Directions: An antonym is a word with an opposite meaning. Circle the word that is the antonym of the boldfaced word.

9. unavailing

futile pointless without results useful

10. voluble

laconic glib talkative loquacious

11. commiserate

condone censure console compassionate

12. indomitable

unyielding stubborn docile obstinate

commiserate

disengage

indomitable

rudimentary

savoring

unavailing

voluble

wizened

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Name: _______________________________ Date: ____________ Period: _________

“Searching for Summer”

Answer the following questions.

1. Why was it important for Lily to wear yellow to the wedding?

2. What happened because of the bombs?

3. How did old people begin their stories?

4. What did the children think was absurd?

5. What does Tom say he and Lily will do on their honeymoon?

6. What is the reaction of other people at the wedding to what Tom says?

7. Why does Mrs. Hoskins start crying?

8. Why did Lily stay in her wedding clothes even when it was uncomfortable because of the

cold?

9. After Lily started to get discouraged, what did she and Tom do?

10. What does Lily say she would like to see that she has never seen?

11. When was the last time the proprietor, or owner of the restaurant, saw the sun?

12. Why were they forced to stop in Molesworth?

13. What was the name of the pub that Mr. Noakes ran?

14. How is Mr. Noakes described?

15. What does Mr. Noakes say he would do if he had some permanent sun?

16. What does Lily find on the pavement?

17. Why could Lily hardly bear to walk with her left foot?

18. What do Tom and Lily finally find at Mrs. Hatching’s house?

19. How long did they stay at the Hatching’s house and what things did they do there?

20. Why did they go back to the town?

21. What did Mr. Noakes want to know?

22. Why do Tom and Lily decide not to go back and get the wedding dress?

Critical Thinking

23. Do you agree with Mr. Noakes’ plan? Would you do the same thing? Why or why not?

24. Suppose Mr. Noakes found out about the sunlight at the Hatchings’ house. How would you

have tried to stop him? Explain.

25. Do you think it was nice to leave the Hatchings wondering what happened to Tom and Lily?

How would you let them know that you were ok without having to go back?

26. If you were to want to go back to the Hatchings’ house, how would you do it without Mr.

Noakes finding out?

27. If you were Tom or Lily, what would be the most important parts of this story to tell your

children and your grandchildren?

English II - Week 6 - 7

Name: _________________________________

“A Celebration of Grandfathers”

1. How did Anaya greet his grandfather, and why?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

2. Who sometimes said, “Ten paciencia,” and what does this reveal about that person?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

3. Young Anaya thought of his grandfather as “a tower of strength.” What does he mean

by this? Do you think Anaya saw his grandfather the same way in his final years? Why?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

4. Does Anaya think that his grandfather’s life was easy or hard? Give two reasons.

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

5. How can we tell that Anaya will continue some of the same traditions his grandfather

had?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

A CELEBRATION OF GRAN

DFATHERS

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A CELEBRATION OF GRANDFATHERS

Diagnostic and Selection TestsGrade 10

Assessment File

Final Pass PDF

Comprehension Read each of the following questions. Then choose the letter of the best answer. (6 points each)

1. Which of the following best describes where the author’s grandfather lived?

A. a small, rural community

B. the mountains outside of town

C. a farm in the tropics

D. a big-city apartment

2. The phrase “final transformation” refers to

A. illness

B. death

C. burial

D. grief

3. Which of the following does the author appear to value most?

A. great wealth

B. hard work

C. simple truths

D. innovation

4. Which of the following does this description reveal about the author’s grandfather? “One click of his tongue and the horses obeyed, stopped or turned as he wished. He never raised his whip.”

A. His voice is stronger than his body.

B. He likes to drive a wagon.

C. He is an expert horse trainer.

D. He trains children as he trains horses.

5. His grandfather encouraged the author to learn

A. baseball

B. construction

C. manners

D. English

6. The author believes that the greatest threat to old values is that young people will

A. lose ties with the elderly

B. leave farms for the cities

C. celebrate old age

D. seek a better life

7. The author remembers his grandfather most for his

A. humor

B. silence

C. size

D. fairness

8. The author feels that “the pain of transformation into old age” is

A. minor

B. happy

C. honorable

D. necessary

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Part A

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72 Diagnostic and Selection TestsGrade 10

Final Pass PDF

9. The author’s tone reveals that his attitude toward his grandfather is

A. respectful

B. resentful

C. critical

D. accepting

10. At the end of the essay, the author returns to his grandfather’s community to

A. attend his grandfather’s funeral

B. celebrate the founding of a church

C. show his family the farm he spent time on

D. deliver a speech about his grandfather


A CELEBRATION OF GRAN

DFATHERS

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A CELEBRATION OF GRANDFATHERS

Diagnostic and Selection TestsGrade 10

Assessment File

Final Pass PDF

Comprehension Read the following questions. Then choose the letter of the best answer. (6 points each)

1. When Anaya’s grandfather says, “Know where you stand,” which of the following is his underlying message?

A. Use as few words as possible.

B. Stick to the point of the discussion.

C. Be aware of what is going on around you.

D. It is important to learn English quickly.

2. Anaya’s grandfather showed the influence of living in rural New Mexico by

A. speaking in short phrases

B. accepting the natural life cycles

C. refusing to learn English

D. working his way out of poverty

3. What inference can you make from these sentences about Anaya’s grandfather? “One click of his tongue and the horses obeyed, stopped or turned as he wished. He never raised his whip. How unlike today, when so much teaching is done with loud words and threatening hands.”

A. He was better at teaching horses than he was at teaching his grandson.

B. Children took advantage of him because of his easy-going ways.

C. He could teach without raising his hand or his voice.

D. His love of tradition made him resist all change

4. According to the essay, which lesson did Anaya learn from his grandfather?

A. Respect others and share what you have.

B. Humor can ease a difficult situation.

C. Don’t put your trust in strangers.

D. Save for a rainy day.

5. From the perspective of a professional writer years later, Anaya explains that he better understands his grandfather’s value of

A. economizing

B. nurturing

C. praying

D. educating

6. Why does Anaya title his essay “A Celebration of Grandfathers” instead of “A Celebration of My Grandfather”?

A. His grandfather had many other grandchildren besides Anaya.

B. His grandfather is the main subject of this essay.

C. His uncles as well as his cousins were also grandfathers.

D. He values respect for older people in general.

7. With which of these activities would Anaya most likely be involved?

A. reading to residents of a nursing home

B. teaching children how to speak English

C. raising money for school sports

D. building an addition on to a church


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74 Diagnostic and Selection TestsGrade 10

Final Pass PDF

8. Which does this description about the life of Anaya’s grandfather reveal about Anaya’s perspective? “He helped the neighbors; they helped him. He married, raised children. Small legends, the kind that make up every man’s life.”

A. He enjoys telling stories about his grandfather.

B. He exaggerates when he talks about his grandfather.

C. He is proud of his grandfather’s extraordinary accomplishments.

D. For him, his grandfather represents all of humanity.

9. Anaya’s grandfather changed toward the end of his life because he

A. became very sick

B. turned belligerent

C. lost interest in his family

D. became a recluse

10. With which statement would the author most likely agree?

A. Extended families should live in the same community.

B. Children should spend a summer on a farm.

C. Young people should spend time with seniors.

D. Seniors should spend their final days at home.


Name: ______________________________________ “A Celebration of Grandfathers” by Rudolfo Anaya

Hispanic Celebrations

Rudolfo Anaya often writes about Hispanic culture and traditions that are valued in the Hispanic community. Some

celebrations include La Quinceañera, Día de los Muertos, Cinco de Mayo, Nochebuena, and Semana Santa. Think about

one of these traditions and describe it below. You can include things such as the purpose for the celebration, the history

of such tradition (if known), the activities involved, how people dress, or the food that is eaten.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

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__________________________________________________________________________________________________

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__________________________________________________________________________________________________

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__________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

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__________________________________________________________________________________________________

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__________________________________________________________________________________________________

In a forest of mixed growth somewhere on the eastern spurs of

the Carpathians,1 a man stood one winter night watching and

listening, as though he waited for some beast of the woods to

come within the range of his vision and, later, of his rifle. But

the game for whose presence he kept so keen an outlook was

none that figured in the sportsman’s calendar as lawful and

proper for the chase; Ulrich von Gradwitz patrolled the dark

forest in quest of a human enemy.

The forest lands of Gradwitz were of wide extent and well

stocked with game; the narrow strip of precipitous woodland

that lay on its outskirt was not remarkable for the game it har-

bored or the shooting it afforded, but it was the most jealously

guarded of all its owner’s territorial possessions. A famous law-

suit, in the days of his grandfather, had wrested it from the ille-

gal possession of a neighboring family of petty landowners; the

dispossessed party had never acquiesced in the judgment of the

courts, and a long series of poaching affrays2 and similar scan-

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The InterlopersSaki

Michael Busselle/Getty Images.

1. Carpathians (kär·p†√‚≤·¥nz): mountain range that starts in Slovakiaand extends through Poland, Ukraine, and Romania.

2. poaching affrays (¥·fr†z√): noisy quarrels or brawls about poaching,which means “fishing or hunting illegally on private property.”

precipitous (pr≤·sip√¥·t¥s)adj.: very steep.

acquiesced (ak≈w≤·est√) v.(used with in): accepted;agreed; consented.

Acquiesce has the same Latinorigin as quiet. Someonewho acquiesces agreesquietly and withoutexcitement.

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English II - Week 8 - 9

dals had embittered the relationships between the families for

three generations. The neighbor feud had grown into a personal

one since Ulrich had come to be head of his family; if there was

a man in the world whom he detested and wished ill to, it was

Georg Znaeym, the inheritor of the quarrel and the tireless game

snatcher and raider of the disputed border forest. The feud

might, perhaps, have died down or been compromised if the

personal ill will of the two men had not stood in the way; as

boys they had thirsted for one another’s blood, as men each

prayed that misfortune might fall on the other, and this wind-

scourged winter night Ulrich had banded together his foresters

to watch the dark forest, not in quest of four-footed quarry, but

to keep a lookout for the prowling thieves whom he suspected of

being afoot from across the land boundary. The roebuck,3 which

usually kept in the sheltered hollows during a storm wind, were

running like driven things tonight, and there was movement and

unrest among the creatures that were wont to sleep through the

dark hours. Assuredly there was a disturbing element in the for-

est, and Ulrich could guess the quarter from whence it came.

He strayed away by himself from the watchers whom he had

placed in ambush on the crest of the hill and wandered far down

the steep slopes amid the wild tangle of undergrowth, peering

through the tree trunks and listening through the whistling and

skirling4 of the wind and the restless beating of the branches for

sight or sound of the marauders. If only on this wild night, in

this dark, lone spot, he might come across Georg Znaeym, man

to man, with none to witness—that was the wish that was upper-

most in his thoughts. And as he stepped round the trunk of a

huge beech he came face to face with the man he sought.

The two enemies stood glaring at one another for a long

silent moment. Each had a rifle in his hand, each had hate in his

heart and murder uppermost in his mind. The chance had come

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3. roebuck (r£√buk≈) n.: male (or males) of the roe deer, small deer thatlive in Europe and Asia.

4. skirling (sk∞rl√i«) v. used as n.: shrill, piercing sound.

marauders (m¥·rôd√·¥rz) n.:people who roam around insearch of loot, or goods tosteal.

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to give full play to the passions of a lifetime. But a man who has

been brought up under the code of a restraining civilization

cannot easily nerve himself to shoot down his neighbor in cold

blood and without a word spoken, except for an offense against

his hearth and honor. And before the moment of hesitation had

given way to action, a deed of Nature’s own violence over-

whelmed them both. A fierce shriek of the storm had been

answered by a splitting crash over their heads, and ere they

could leap aside, a mass of falling beech tree had thundered

down on them. Ulrich von Gradwitz found himself stretched on

the ground, one arm numb beneath him and the other held

almost as helplessly in a tight tangle of forked branches, while

both legs were pinned beneath the fallen mass. His heavy shoot-

ing boots had saved his feet from being crushed to pieces, but if

his fractures were not as serious as they might have been, at least

it was evident that he could not move from his present position

till someone came to release him. The descending twigs had

slashed the skin of his face, and he had to wink away some drops

of blood from his eyelashes before he could take in a general

view of the disaster. At his side, so near that under ordinary cir-

cumstances he could almost have touched him, lay Georg

Znaeym, alive and struggling, but obviously as helplessly pin-

ioned5 down as himself. All round them lay a thick-strewn

wreckage of splintered branches and broken twigs.

Relief at being alive and exasperation at his captive plight

brought a strange medley of pious thank offerings and sharp

curses to Ulrich’s lips. Georg, who was nearly blinded with the

blood which trickled across his eyes, stopped his struggling for a

moment to listen, and then gave a short, snarling laugh.

“So you’re not killed, as you ought to be, but you’re caught,

anyway,” he cried, “caught fast. Ho, what a jest, Ulrich von

Gradwitz snared in his stolen forest. There’s real justice for you!”

And he laughed again, mockingly and savagely.

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5. pinioned (pin√y¥nd) v. used as adj.: pinned, as if chained or tied up.

exasperation(eg·zas≈p¥r·†√◊¥n) n.: greatannoyance.

pious (p¢√¥s) adj.: showingreligious devotion.


“I’m caught in my own forest land,” retorted Ulrich.

“When my men come to release us, you will wish, perhaps, that

you were in a better plight than caught poaching on a neighbor’s

land, shame on you.”

Georg was silent for a moment; then he answered quietly:

“Are you sure that your men will find much to release? I

have men, too, in the forest tonight, close behind me, and they

will be here first and do the releasing. When they drag me out

from under these branches, it won’t need much clumsiness on

their part to roll this mass of trunk right over on the top of you.

Your men will find you dead under a fallen beech tree. For

form’s sake I shall send my condolences to your family.”

“It is a useful hint,” said Ulrich fiercely. “My men had

orders to follow in ten minutes’ time, seven of which must have

gone by already, and when they get me out—I will remember

the hint. Only as you will have met your death poaching on my

lands, I don’t think I can decently send any message of condo-

lence to your family.”

“Good,” snarled Georg, “good. We fight this quarrel out to

the death, you and I and our foresters, with no cursed inter-

lopers to come between us. Death and damnation to you, Ulrich

von Gradwitz.”

“The same to you, Georg Znaeym, forest thief, game

snatcher.”

Both men spoke with the bitterness of possible defeat

before them, for each knew that it might be long before his men

would seek him out or find him; it was a bare matter of chance

which party would arrive first on the scene.

Both had now given up the useless struggle to free them-

selves from the mass of wood that held them down; Ulrich lim-

ited his endeavors to an effort to bring his one partially free arm

near enough to his outer coat pocket to draw out his wine flask.

Even when he had accomplished that operation, it was long

before he could manage the unscrewing of the stopper or get

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The Interlopers 85

retorted (ri·tôr√tid) v.: repliedin a sharp or witty way.

condolences (k¥n·d£√l¥ns·iz)n.: expressions of sympathy. Condolence comes from twoLatin words: com-, a prefixmeaning “with,” and dolere,meaning “to grieve.”

In line 113, circle the wordthat restates the meaning ofendeavors.


any of the liquid down his throat. But what a heaven-sent draft6

it seemed! It was an open winter7, and little snow had fallen as

yet, hence the captives suffered less from the cold than might

have been the case at that season of the year; nevertheless, the

wine was warming and reviving to the wounded man, and he

looked across with something like a throb of pity to where his

enemy lay, just keeping the groans of pain and weariness from

crossing his lips.

“Could you reach this flask if I threw it over to you?” asked

Ulrich suddenly. “There is good wine in it, and one may as well

be as comfortable as one can. Let us drink, even if tonight one of

us dies.”

“No, I can scarcely see anything; there is so much blood

caked round my eyes,” said Georg; “and in any case I don’t drink

wine with an enemy.”

Ulrich was silent for a few minutes and lay listening to the

weary screeching of the wind. An idea was slowly forming and

growing in his brain, an idea that gained strength every time that

he looked across at the man who was fighting so grimly against

pain and exhaustion. In the pain and languor that Ulrich himself

was feeling, the old fierce hatred seemed to be dying down.

“Neighbor,” he said presently, “do as you please if your men

come first. It was a fair compact. But as for me, I’ve changed my

mind. If my men are the first to come, you shall be the first to be

helped, as though you were my guest. We have quarreled like

devils all our lives over this stupid strip of forest, where the trees

can’t even stand upright in a breath of wind. Lying here tonight,

thinking, I’ve come to think we’ve been rather fools; there are

better things in life than getting the better of a boundary dis-

pute. Neighbor, if you will help me to bury the old quarrel, I—I

will ask you to be my friend.”

Georg Znaeym was silent for so long that Ulrich thought

perhaps he had fainted with the pain of his injuries. Then he

spoke slowly and in jerks.

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6. draft n.: drink. 7. open winter: mild winter.

languor (la«√g¥r) n.: weak-ness; weariness.


“How the whole region would stare and gabble if we rode

into the market square together. No one living can remember

seeing a Znaeym and a von Gradwitz talking to one another in

friendship. And what peace there would be among the forester

folk if we ended our feud tonight. And if we choose to make

peace among our people, there is none other to interfere, no

interlopers from outside. . . . You would come and keep the

Sylvester night8 beneath my roof, and I would come and feast on

some high day at your castle. . . . I would never fire a shot on

your land, save when you invited me as a guest; and you should

come and shoot with me down in the marshes where the wild-

fowl are. In all the countryside there are none that could hinder

if we willed to make peace. I never thought to have wanted to do

other than hate you all my life, but I think I have changed my

mind about things too, this last half-hour. And you offered me

your wine flask. . . . Ulrich von Gradwitz, I will be your friend.”

For a space both men were silent, turning over in their

minds the wonderful changes that this dramatic reconciliation

would bring about. In the cold, gloomy forest, with the wind

tearing in fitful gusts through the naked branches and whistling

round the tree trunks, they lay and waited for the help that

would now bring release and succor to both parties. And each

prayed a private prayer that his men might be the first to arrive,

so that he might be the first to show honorable attention to the

enemy that had become a friend.

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8. Sylvester night: feast day honoring Saint Sylvester (Pope Sylvester I,d. 335), observed on December 31.

reconciliation(rek≈¥n·sil≈≤·†√◊¥n) n.: friendlyend to a quarrel.

succor (suk√¥r) n.: help givento someone in distress; relief.

Dudley Dana/Nonstock.

NotesNotes


Presently, as the wind dropped for a moment, Ulrich broke

the silence.

“Let’s shout for help,” he said; “in this lull our voices may

carry a little way.”

“They won’t carry far through the trees and undergrowth,”

said Georg, “but we can try. Together, then.”

The two raised their voices in a prolonged hunting call.

“Together again,” said Ulrich a few minutes later, after lis-

tening in vain for an answering halloo.

“I heard something that time, I think,” said Ulrich.

“I heard nothing but the pestilential9 wind,” said Georg

hoarsely.

There was silence again for some minutes, and then Ulrich

gave a joyful cry.

“I can see figures coming through the wood. They are fol-

lowing in the way I came down the hillside.”

Both men raised their voices in as loud a shout as they

could muster.

“They hear us! They’ve stopped. Now they see us. They’re

running down the hill toward us,” cried Ulrich.

“How many of them are there?” asked Georg.

“I can’t see distinctly,” said Ulrich; “nine or ten.”

“Then they are yours,” said Georg; “I had only seven out

with me.”

“They are making all the speed they can, brave lads,” said

Ulrich gladly.

“Are they your men?” asked Georg. “Are they your men?” he

repeated impatiently, as Ulrich did not answer.

“No,” said Ulrich with a laugh, the idiotic chattering laugh

of a man unstrung with hideous fear.

“Who are they?” asked Georg quickly, straining his eyes to

see what the other would gladly not have seen.

“Wolves.”

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9. pestilential (pes≈t¥·len√◊¥l) adj.: Strictly speaking, pestilential means“deadly; causing disease; harmful.” Here, Georg uses the word tomean “cursed.”


The Interlopers 91

1. The hunter examined his quarry

after it had been shot.

A rifle C enemy

B land D hunted animal

2. No one could stop the bitter feud

between the two neighbors.

F ongoing argument

G broken fence

H agreement

J flooded lands

3. They heard the loud sound when

the tree thundered down on them.

A fell from the sky

B was split by lightning

C fell with a roaring noise

D yelled

4. He felt no pain in his right arm,

which was now numb.

F bandaged H painful

G without J foolish

feeling

Context Clues

DIRECTIONS: Read the passage, using context clues to identify the meaning

of the boldface word. Then, circle the letter of the definition of that word.

The Interlopers

Vocabulary in Context

DIRECTIONS: Complete the paragraph below by writing the correct word

from the box in each blank. Not all words from the box will be used.

precipitous

acquiesced

marauders

exasperation

pious

retorted

condolences

languor

reconciliation

succor

Word BoxWord Box The two enemies stared at each other. The gray-haired one

laughed. “What are you laughing at?” the brown-haired one asked in

(1) . “I am laughing at two helpless men caught in

a trap,” the other (2) in anger. “Shall we become

friends? No, (3) is not in my plans. I will never

make up with you. And don’t give me any (4)

words about what religion has taught us. We will always be enemies. Our

widows can send each other (5) if they wish.”

VocabularySkillsAnalyze contextclues to identifyword meaning.Use words incontext.


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Resource Manager

Final Pass PDF

THE INTERLOPERS COPY MASTER

Vocabulary Practice

acquiesce

condolence

draft

interloper

languor

marauder

pestilential

pinioned

precipitous

succor

A. Directions: Write the word from the box that correctly completes each sentence.

1. Nurses and doctors offer ________________ and help to people who are ill.

2. The ________________ hill was so steep that it was impassable in the icy weather.

3. During the wrestling match, the weaker fighter was ________________ to the mat.

4. The ________________ rats spread a disease called the plague in the Middle Ages.

5. The company president wrote a letter of ________________ , offering her sympathy.

6. The annoying ________________ crashed the conversation and listened into what everyone was saying.

7. On a hot day, a ________________ of ice water tastes very refreshing.

8. The ________________ looted the tomb of the ancient Egyptian ruler, stealing the gold inside it.

9. Lucy would whine until her parents would ________________ to her demands for a toy and buy it for her.

10. Mike had aches and ________________ for weeks as a result of the flu.

B. Writing Option Imagine how you might resolve an argument. Write a paragraph using at least two words from the box.

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Name: ___________________________________

“The Interlopers”

1. What season of the year does the story take place?

2. What was Ulrich von Gradwitz hunting for in the night?

3. Why was there a feud (fighting) going on between the two families?

4. Which family had legally won in court?

5. For how many generations has the fighting been going on?

6. Why did the two men stare at each other instead of shooting each

other?

7. What accident did the wind from a sudden storm cause?

8. Why couldn’t Georg see anything?

9. According to both men, who are the ones that are coming to help

them?

10. What did Ulrich take out of his coat pocket to drink?

11. Why did Ulrich start feeling pity towards Georg?

Name: ___________________________________

12. Why did Georg refuse the drink from Ulrich?

13. What did Ulrich finally say he would have his men do once they found them?

14. Did Georg Znaeym accept the peace offering from Ulrich? What did

they become?

15. Why did each man pray that his men would be the first to arrive

towards the end of the story?

16. What did they start doing in hopes that they would be saved faster?

17. How many shadows were coming down the hill towards them?

18. Who did the men think the shadows belong to?

19. What was really coming towards them?

20. What do you think happened to the two men in the end?

Name: ___________________________________

Critical Thinking questions:

21. What can you assume happened to the two new friends at the end?

22. Do you think anyone will find out that Ulrich and Georg had become

friends? Why?

23. If Ulrich and Georg each had a wife and children, do you think they

will continue the fighting where the husbands left off? Explain why?

24. What do you think would happen if both groups of friends were to

find Ulrich and Georg dead at the same time? Explain.

25. Which of the two main characters was an interloper in the story?

What other interlopers appear throughout the story that are not human? (Name two more)

Name: ___________________________________

Definition: Grudge – a feeling of resentment, bitterness, rancor or hatred

towards another person

26. Which of the two characters do think has the right in holding a

grudge? Why?

27. Explain how the setting of the story helped the men overcome the

hatred towards each other.

28. Do you think it’s good to hold a grudge against someone? Explain.

29. What can you do to overcome a grudge? Explain.

Documents

English II - Week 4-5 · You might as well say, “In the days when the grass was pink.” Stars, rainbows, and all other such heavenly sideshows had been permanently withdrawn, and