Allameh Helli 3 English Academy Nov 2014 National Organization for Development of Exceptional Talents

SKILLS

Session 2 variety in reading

genre: fiction or nonfiction? 1

The difference between fiction and reality? Fiction has to make sense. T OM C LANCY (1947– ) A MERICAN WRITER OF POLITICAL THRILLER

writer’s purpose 2

1. inform readers Every president except George Washington has lived in the White House. However, Washington did help design the building.

2. teach readers how to do something To do a waltz jump, take off from the outside edge of one skate, make a half turn, and land on the outside edge of the other blade.

3. entertain or amuse readers The cat leaped just as Pam came in with a bowl of milk. Pam went down and the milk went up... and then down, on her head!

4. persuade readers to do something Good citizens donate old clothes to charity. It may be hard to give up a favorite outgrown sweater, but we have needy people in our community. Why not let your old sweater keep another kid warm this winter instead of hanging it in the back of your closet?

Sometimes an author has more than one purpose, such as wanting to inform readers but be entertaining at the same time!

To identify an author’s purpose, ask yourself questions like: Did I find out something new? Did I learn how to do something? How did this make me feel happy, sad, scared, or excited? Did the author try to get me to do something or think a certain way?

tone and style 3

Tone, just like someone’s tone of voice, will convey a feeling of suspense, excitement, happiness, sadness, anger, mystery, humor, or annoyance.

Style is the way of connecting ideas: the length choices of words informal or formal fanciful or scientific comical or dramatic playful or serious.

The author’s tone and style create an overall mood, the feeling you get when you read the selection.

text features 4

graphics 5

—FRED R. BARNARD (1920S) AMERICAN ADVERTISING MANAGER

Black sock never get dirty, The longer you wear them, The cleaner they get. Sometimes, I think I should wash them, But then a voice says to me, Don’t do it yet.

/ Black sock / never get dirty / / The longer you wear them / / The cleaner they get / / Sometimes / I think I should wash them / / But then a voice says to me / Don’t do it yet /

Session 3 elements of literature (1)

character and setting 1

In Persia, there lived two brothers: Casmir and Ali Baba. Brothers they were, but as different as day and night. Casmir, the older brother, married a rich woman, though she was often mean to him and others. He became a wealthy merchant. But Ali Baba married a sweet girl who was very, very poor. Love he had, but he had to work hard cutting wood and selling it in the marketplace. ______________________ Each character, like those in Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves and other stories in this book, has special traits, or qualities. One character may be tall, angry, and dishonest. Another may be gentle, thoughtful, and heroic. Having a variety of characters in a story makes it more interesting.

The setting of a story is where and when it takes place. In Ali Baba, it was Persia. Most stories have more than one setting. Each is important to what happens in the story.

Example On Saturday morning, the family packed the car and left for a camping trip on Mount Vista. Later that day, Mr. Maxim and the two boys left their campsite and headed up the mountain. A sudden snowstorm swept through the area that night. And Monday morning a distressed Mrs. Maxim walked to the nearest state police post to report that her husband and boys were missing.

plot: conflict and resolution 2

A PLOT is the sequence of events in a story.

The beginning, or exposition, explains a character’s conflict, or problem. The main part tells how the character tries to solve the problem with rising action that leads to a climax, or turning point. That’s when someone usually realizes how to solve the problem. Then there’s falling action that leads to the resolution, or end. It tells how the problem is finally solved, or occasionally, it not solved. Some people might call that an unhappy ending!

Session 3 end of