1a. What factors about climate and sewers make it impossible for alligators to survive for any length of time in New York?
2a. What was the book World Beneath the City about?
3a. Describe the police officers' plan to capture alligators living in the Bronx River.
1b. Despite scientific evidence that shows the unlikelihood of alligators' survival in New York, why do alligator stories persist?
2b. Why do you think so many people believed the book?
3b. What does this plan suggest about the severity of the situation?
4a. Review the text and list all the evidence for alligators living in sewers and all the evidence for alligators not living in sewers.
4b. What do these two lists suggest? Which "facts" are more credible? From the analysis of the two lists, do you agree with the writers' claim that alligators living in New York City sewers is false?
5a. How would you critique the arguments against the existence of alligators in New York?
5b. What other urban legends have you heard of? What makes them believable or unbelievable?
Tone. What do you think is the tone of "Gatored Community"? In other words, what attitude do the writers seem to have toward the subject of urban legends such as the legend of the alligators? What attitude do they have toward you, the reader? Explain, giving examples to support your answer.
Aim. What do you think were the primary aims the authors had in writing this selection? Why do you think they put time and effort into researching alligator stories? Do you think the writers achieved their aim? Why, or why not?
1. Write a news article for The New York Times about an alligator sighting in your town. The sighting may be real or fictional.
2. Use your imagination to write a short story about the police officers' attempt to catch the alligators in the Bronx River with liver and a fishing net. What do you think happened? Did their plan work?
3. Pretend the urban legend about alligators in New York sewers is true. Create a street sign using words and pictures warning pedestrians of alligators in the sewers below.
Prepositions. A preposition is used to show how a noun or a pronoun is related to other words in the sentence. Identify the prepositions in the following sentences.
1. It's long been rumored there are thriving colonies of alligators lurking in New York City's sewer system.
2. I located each story on microfilm.
3. It was later discovered that the alligator had escaped several months ago from a pen on the premises of Dr. F. E. Fowler.
4. Boys shoveling snow into a manhole discovered a 6-foot gator trying to make his escape from the sewer.
5. The New York Times will publish anything about alligators in or around New York.
6. The proper method of catching an alligator alive was the subject of a conference this afternoon between the police chief and his men.
7. A piece of liver would make an alligator literally walk across the water to shore.
8. The boys thought they saw an alligator go through the tunnel.
9. An alligator was spotted under the boat.
10. Two more dead alligators were found within an hour of finding the first one.
Matching. Match the Word for Everyday Use on the left with the word or group of words on the right that most closely defines it.
1. dearth click to select answer a. inadequate supply b. kill quickly c. relevant d. spread e. change direction f. fact g. shameful h. sufficient i. grounds j. tranquil
2. premises click to select answer a. inadequate supply b. kill quickly c. relevant d. spread e. change direction f. fact g. shameful h. sufficient i. grounds j. tranquil
3. cogent click to select answer a. inadequate supply b. kill quickly c. relevant d. spread e. change direction f. fact g. shameful h. sufficient i. grounds j. tranquil
4. inglorious click to select answer a. inadequate supply b. kill quickly c. relevant d. spread e. change direction f. fact g. shameful h. sufficient i. grounds j. tranquil
5. suffice click to select answer a. inadequate supply b. kill quickly c. relevant d. spread e. change direction f. fact g. shameful h. sufficient i. grounds j. tranquil
6. dispatch click to select answer a. inadequate supply b. kill quickly c. relevant d. spread e. change direction f. fact g. shameful h. sufficient i. grounds j. tranquil
7. veritable click to select answer a. inadequate supply b. kill quickly c. relevant d. spread e. change direction f. fact g. shameful h. sufficient i. grounds j. tranquil
8. maneuver click to select answer a. inadequate supply b. kill quickly c. relevant d. spread e. change direction f. fact g. shameful h. sufficient i. grounds j. tranquil
9. serene click to select answer a. inadequate supply b. kill quickly c. relevant d. spread e. change direction f. fact g. shameful h. sufficient i. grounds j. tranquil
10. infestation click to select answer a. inadequate supply b. kill quickly c. relevant d. spread e. change direction f. fact g. shameful h. sufficient i. grounds j. tranquil
Urban Legends on the Internet: Research Log. Use this log to keep track of the sources you use, the information you find, and your bibliography.
Internet sources:
Bibliography:
