《大学思辨写作1》练习答案-Unit 3 Growth and Maturity

Pre-class Exploration

Unit 3 Growth and Maturity

Suggestions for instructors: Start the class with one of the pre-class activities and encourage the

students to brainstorm of the setting described in the activity and the characters that are

appropriate for the specific setting: What would be the key elements in those settings? What

adjectives would the students use to describe a specific setting? What images or associations

would that specific setting evoke? What would be some “typical” characters in thes

e settings?

Transfer to the Skills Section: (45 minutes)

Highlight the key points in setting section and analyze the setting in the activities.

Activity 1

Part I: Learning the Skills

Read the following story and discuss with your partner the techniques used in developing

the character Beaver.

Activity 2

The following two passages are about two best friends, Deanna and Beverly. Read the two

passages carefully and discuss with your partner the techniques the authors use to develop

the characters in each passage. In Passage 2, highlight those sentences that can correspond

to the sentences ([1], [2], [3] and [4]) in Passage 1 and think about the impact of these

differences on readers’ impressions of the two characters.

Activity 3

Read the excerpt from “Beauty and the Beast” by Jeanne

-Marie Leprince de Beaumont

and discuss the following questions with your partner:

1)

1) What happened to the character?

He got lost in a forest and accidentally entered a splendid castle.

2)

How do you feel about the place that the character accidentally entered?

It was like a fairy world.

3)

What is the role of the setting in this story?

The sharp contrast between the snowy forest and the magnificence of the warm and cozy

castle showed the readers a different world

—

a world that magic (or spell) might be working.

4)

What elements should be considered if you want to write a good setting?

Character

Suggestions for instructors

：

The settings of the merchant (Beauty’s father) were in

Reading the first four paragraphs, ask students to underline the words or phrases that indicate the

setting such as “the forest, deep snow, bitter frost, only shelter was the hollow trunk of a great

tree, howling of the wolves, falling snow covered up every path, rough, slippery”

When he started to encounter the magical world:

“a splendid castle, no snow had fallen in the avenue of orange trees, covered with flowers and

fruits, several splendidly furnished rooms, pleasant warmth of the air, nobody in all this vast

and splendid palace, deep silence reigned everywhere, empty rooms and galleries, a room

where a clear fire was burning, a couch was drawn up cozily before it…”

Ask the students to free write for 10 minutes about a setting that they are interested in and

discuss with in groups about their writing before introducing how to craft an effective setting by

offering sensory details.

Activity 4

The following passage is the opening of

Johnny Tremain

by Esther Forbes. The author’s style

is very descriptive and detailed, which helps readers picture the story in their mind and fully

understand what is happening. Read it and discuss the following questions with your partner:

1)

What is the setting?

An early morning in Boston.

2)

What words and phrases describe SOUNDS in this place?

Sound: (gulls) scream and quarrel, (cocks ) cried,(hens) clucking, (horses) whinnied, (bells)

cling- clanged.

3)

What can you TOUCH in this place?

Touch: (gulls) icy (eyes).

4)

What can you SEE in this place?

Sight: Gulls, cocks, cats, horses, cows, the morning sunlight, bells.

5)

What can you TASTE in this place?

Taste: salty air.

6)

What can you SMELL in this place?

Smell: the first dead fish, first bits of garbage, all kinds of animal smells.

Activity 5

The following passages are developed on the basis of the setting “There is an air

of mystery

in the house.” Read and highlight the words and phrases that describe sounds, feelings,

smells and sights, and discuss with your partner how these words and phrases can help

demonstrate the character’s inner world in the setting.

Passage 1

I

shivered

terribly

at

the

sight

of

the

deserted

mansion

that

stood

on

the

hilltop.

With

much

curiosity, I treaded gingerly towards the mansion. Suddenly, I heard a distant howl that pierced

through

the

silent

night

.

At

my

wit’s

end,

I

slowly

walked

towards

mansion.

My

face

turned

ashen and my hair stood on ends when I got a better view of the spooky mansion. The wind sent

chills down my spine as I walked slowly towards the gigantic door.

Passage 2

Behind the dark alley, it stood a deserted house. I stood meekly outside the haunted house with

my jaws hung open. Suddenly, I saw a silhouette of a person in the house. Shivers ran down my

spine as I approached the house cautiously. When I reached the doorstep, I was paralyzed with