1a. What reasons does the author give for his daughter Al's giving up riding a year after his accident?
2a. What memories cause Reeve to feel "like a visitor at a spectacular outdoor museum"?
3a. Does Reeve "accept" paralysis? Is he "at peace" with it?
1b. What might be a deeper, more personal reason Al gave up riding?
2b. Why do you think Reeve lets himself have these memories?
3b. Do his answers make sense to you? Why do you think he answers these questions as he does?
4a. Identify Reeve's thoughts, words, and actions that show how he feels about his family and close friends. Is he bitter or protective? withdrawn or available? angry or thoughtful?
4b. Discuss what his thoughts, words, and actions reveal about Reeve's personal character.
5a. How effective are Reeve's strategies for coping with his situation? What kinds of things has he learned, and what adjustments has he made?
5b. What strategies have you seen people use to deal with serious losses?
Point of View. Now that you have determined whether the point of view in Still Me is first- or third-person, what do you think are some advantages of using this person's point of view for a story of this type?
Autobiography. Since this story is only a part of Reeve's entire autobiography, there are probably time periods on the chart that are less filled in. Which of these periods would you like to know more about? How could you find out about them?
1. Write the front and inside copy for a greeting card of encouragement that you could send to Christopher Reeve.
2. Design and write information for a poster to advertise to the public a fundraising dinner for research that would benefit quadriplegics.
3. What is your definition of a hero? Write a statement of belief about what a hero is, and read it to one or two of your classmates.
Reporting on Scientific Research: Scientists have made some important advances in the past few years on the way to finding a cure for victims of paralysis. Using library materials and the Internet, research and write a report on what some of these advances are. Be sure to include any statistics and facts about paralysis that you come across as well. Two Internet sites that might help you get started are: The Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation at http://www.APACURE.com, and Cure Paralysis Now at http://www.cureparalysis.org. Research Log. Use this log to keep track of the sources you use, the information you find, and your reactions to what you learn.
Internet sources:
Books and print sources:
Notes:
Sentence Completion. Following is a list of words used in the selection from Still Me. Choose the word that best completes each of the following sentences and write it in the blank.
1. Even though she would be bed-ridden for three years, the teenager refused to become negative and fall into _____________.
2. The front row of seats was _____________ off for the relatives of the bride and groom.
3. He wondered how long he could carry the _____________ of caring for his younger brothers and sisters.
4. Although we couldn't afford a vacation, I had a _____________ need to visit the ocean.
5. The excited fans quickly _____________ when the umpire called the hit a foul ball.
6. Because of needing to follow a standard set of questions in a limited time, the interview lacked _____________.
7. While starting to cross the mall, the grandmother suddenly froze, realizing her _____________ three-year-old granddaughter was nowhere to be seen.
8. Her quick answer seemed too _____________ given the seriousness of the situation.
9. How were they ever going to mend the _____________ vase?
10. He much preferred a set routine, so he was frustrated by the _____________ of his new schedule.
11. The skate-boarder crashed into the wall and _____________ a broken shoulder.
12. _____________ by the scorching heat, the woman could only drag herself slowly along the road.
Finding Simple Subjects and Simple Predicates. Review 3.18, "Finding the Simple Subject and Simple Predicate in a Sentence" in the Language Arts Survey. Then identify the simple subject simple predicate in the following sentences.
Example I worked for hours on my homework.
1. Sarah ate way too much popcorn during the movie.
2. My dog is very well-trained.
3. The evening went better than we expected.
4. Darnel leapt to keep the ball in-bounds.
5. Even during the thunderstorm, Anna slept soundly.
6. Did Karin ask Noah out for Friday night?
7. Does the bank close at five or six?
8. The doctor carefully removed the broken glass from Haley's arm.
9. I certainly kept better track of Marie after she got lost in the store.
10. I like to meditate for half an hour before going to bed.
