Page 22 - Point 5 Literature Program Option 1 Teachers Guide (2) (1)

to lie for you.’ george has had time to think about enjoying respect and feeling shame and
embarrassment, he has done some reading in the ‘book of life’, and we may assume that it is all
of this that finally sends him running to the library.
The family names of the hero and antagonist give us literal information and are also each
a symbol. These names tell us that these are immigrant families who probably arrived with
nothing – no financial or educational advantage to ensure their success. in addition, the name
Cattanzara (from the Italian) has the connotation of ‘chained’, suggesting that he is already
trapped – tied to his life, which cannot now be improved. stoyonovich (from the Polish),
on the other hand, has the connotation of ‘standing still’. in other words, george’s life is not
progressing right now – but he is only standing still, he is not chained and can make the choice
to move forward.
Another obvious symbol in this story is Mr. Cattanzara’s job. He is a change maker at a train
station. He gives people coins when they want to buy a ticket for the train. But for george he
really is a ‘maker of change’. He is the one who gets george to voice an intention to read, who
shows his support by telling the neighborhood, by confronting george at the right time and
further supporting him by telling people he has finished reading the books. it is the apparently
uneducated ‘change maker’ who enables george to make positive changes in his life.

Working Through the Unit

Pre-Reading Activity
many students are reluctant readers, especially in a foreign language, and this activity is designed
to trigger their interest in exploring the world of books, which is a main theme of A Summer’s
Reading. For students who are already keen readers, the quiz also introduces the concepts of plot,
character and conflict as essential elements in any story. By taking the quiz, students may gain
an understanding of these concepts in a memorable way and also be able to use the interests they
discover to broaden their reading.

Basic Understanding
For convenience the text has been divided into four parts, and the activities are presented accordingly.

Key Vocabulary
students may refer to the Key Vocabulary lists when they do the Vocabulary Practice exercises.

Part I
Vocabulary Practice
Answers:

1. a. sidewalks b. dissatisfied c. ashamed d. on an impulse … quitting
2. a. respect b. wandered c. worthwhile d. registered e. resembled

Questions
Answers might include:
1. George was a high school dropout. His father was a poor widower. His sister Sophie was a tall bony girl of
twenty-three. (Answers will vary, as the story offers more than three facts.)

2. To avoid being bored, George drank coffee. He mopped floors and tidied the family apartment.
In the afternoons he listened to the ball game on the radio. He read old copies of the World Almanac, movie and
sport picture magazines, and newspapers his sister brought home. He went for walks in the evenings.

22 A summer’s reAding