Amelia Cothran English

1. Review for Test“Blues Ain’t No Mockin Bird”“The Interlopers”“The Garden of Stubborn Cats”Grammar Warm-Ups Amelia Cothran English

2. “Blues Ain’t No Mockin Bird” • Author: • Toni Cade Bambara • Setting: • A farm in the rural South during the 1940’s or 1950’s. • Main Characters: • Narrator-a young girl living with her grandparents • Cathy-a distant cousin who also lives with the family • Tyrone and Terry-twins who live next door • Granny-a woman who doesn’t like her privacy invaded • Smilin and Camera-two men who are filming around the property • Granddaddy Cain-Granny’s husband; a tall, quiet man who is “like a king”

3. “Blues Ain’t No Mockin Bird” • Questions: • Why are the men making a film? • It is part of the food stamp campaign for the county. • Why does Granny tell them to get off her property? • She values her privacy . • What does Granddaddy Cain have on his shoulder when he comes home? • A bloody chicken hawk. • What happens that scares the camera men? • The chicken hawk’s mate comes screeching and trying to land

4. “Blues Ain’t No Mockin Bird” • What happens to the chicken hawk? • Granddaddy kills it with a hammer. • What does Granny tell Granddaddy to do? • Get the men out of her flower bed • How does Granddaddy get the men to leave? • He crushes their camera. • What do Granny and Granddaddy fight for in this story? • Privacy and respect

5. “The Interlopers” • Author: • Saki • Setting: • Winter night in a forest in the Carpathian Mountains in southeastern Europe • Characters: • Ulrich Von Gradwitz-the head of a family who had legally received a piece of land that was part of a bitter feud • Georg Znaeym-the head of the other family involved in the feud; considered to be a poacher on the land

6. “The Interlopers” • Questions: • Why had the two families in the story been involved in a feud for many years? • Both families felt they were entitled to a piece of land which was the subject of a lawsuit. • How long had the feud existed? • For over three generations • Why was Ulrich in the woods? • He was trying to catch Georg poaching animals on his land. • What was Ulrich’s wish? • He wanted to encounter Georg alone and murder him with no witnesses.

7. “The Interlopers” • What happened when the two men met in the forest? • They glared at each other for a moment, and a giant tree crashed down upon them both. • What happened while the men were pinned under the tree? • Their hatred for each other began to die, and they realized that they needed to bury the quarrel between the two families because it was a thing of the past. • What did the men wait for while pinned under the tree? • They waited for their men to rescue them. • How did the story end? • The men grew excited because they saw shapes they believed to be their men coming toward them. However, they soon realized the shapes were wolves.

8. “The Garden of Stubborn Cats” • Author: • Italo Calvino • Setting: • A large industrial city with lots of buildings, factories, and traffic. • Characters: • Marcovaldo-a factory worker who spends part of his lunch break following a cat • Marchesa-an old Italian noblewoman whose villa sits in a run-down garden in the center of the city

9. “The Garden of Stubborn Cats” • Questions: • What was the first place the cat led Marcovaldo? • The Biarritz Restaurant • What was unique about this restaurant? • Customers could choose their fish from an aquarium and have it cooked by the chef. • What did Marcovaldo decide to do when he saw the aquarium? • He got a fishing line and hook, and he caught a trout. • What happened when Marcovaldo pulled the trout through the restaurant window? • The cat grabbed the fish and ran away. • How did Marcovaldo keep track of the cat as it ran through the city? • He followed the fishing line that trailed behind the cat.

10. “The Garden of Stubborn Cats” • Where did the cat take the fish? • To the Marchesa’s garden • What did Marcovaldo find in the garden? • Lots of cats of all kinds; dried leaves; dirty pond with frogs; birds • When Marcovaldo tried to get the fish, what happened? • He saw hands with a frying pan and scissors reach out, cut the line, and catch the fish in the pan. • Why did food rain over the garden fence? • Cat lovers were throwing scraps to feed the cats. • Who told Marcovaldo about the Marchesa? • The neighbors • What was the disagreement between the onlookers around the garden? • Some believed the Marchesa was a hero for preserving her garden from construction, while others thought she was greedy.

11. “The Garden of Stubborn Cats” • Whatdid the Marchesa give as her reason for not selling her garden to developers? • She said the cats wouldn’t let her because they tripped her and kept her inside. • What happened after Marchesa died? • Her land was sold and construction began. • What happened when construction began? • Cats knocked over bricks, walked on beams, and jumped on the workers’ backs. The birds built nests everywhere and frogs jumped in all the buckets.

12. Grammar Warm-Ups • Direct Objects • A noun or pronoun that receives the action of the verb • Used with an action verb • Answers the question What? Or Whom? • Examples- Jason hit a grand slam. Nadia watched her brother play. • Indirect Objects • Follows an action verb • Comes between the verb and the direct object • Answers the question to whom or for whom? To what or for what? • Examples- Mom brought me my lunch. Rashid gave his teacher a gift.

13. Grammar Warm-Ups • Predicate Nominative • A noun or pronoun that completes the linking verb. • It identifies, explains, or renames the subject of the sentence. • Examples- • Mrs. O’Connor is my favorite teacher. • Emily is a fabulous dancer. • Predicate Adjective • An adjective that follows a linking verb • Describes the subject • Examples- • The dog was afraid of its own shadow. • That dog is old and tired.