Selection: K-30

K-30

Grade level: 11

Word count: 2160 words

Author: Mark Twain

Synopsis: American humorist Mark Twain reflects on a specific experience as an editor.

Excerpt: "I wish to read aloud what must've triggered that instinct -- it was this editorial. Listen, and confirm it was you who authored it: 'Turnips should never be pulled, it injures them. It is much better to send a boy up and let him shake the tree.' Now, what do you think of that -- for I suppose you wrote it?"

"Think of it? Why, I think it's good; it makes sense. I have no doubt that every year millions upon millions of bushels of turnips are spoiled in this township alone by being pulled in a half-ripe condition, when, if they had sent a boy up to shake the tree --"

"Shake your grandmother!" the elderly gentleman exclaimed. "Turnips don't grow on trees!"

"Oh, they don't, don't they?" I replied "Well, who said they did? The language was intended to be figurative, wholly figurative; anybody who knows anything will presume I meant the boy should shake the vine."

The elderly gentleman got up, tore his paper into small shreds and stomped on them, and broke several things with his cane, and exclaimed I didn't know as much as a cow, and then went out and banged the door after him, and, in short, acted in such an absurd fashion that I reckoned he was displeased about something. But not knowing what the trouble was, I couldn't help him.

Question: Dramatic irony happens when the audience understands a situation but the character involved does not. Twain often used this device to convey humor. In this excerpt, the sentence, "But not knowing what the trouble was, I couldn't help him" is humorous because

1. the elderly gentleman was clearly frustrated that Twain knew nothing about agriculture.
2. the elderly gentleman was trying to disguise the fact that he envied Twain's position.
3. Twain was widely regarded as a profitable and knowledgable farmer.
4. Twain was quickly becoming bored by the elderly gentleman's complaints.

Selection: K-13

K-13

Grade level: 11

Word count: 2110 words

Author: Katherine Menard

Synopsis: A growing segment of the population is becoming more knowledgeable about food sources and purchasing produce directly from local farmers.

Excerpt: One of the most significant elements of CSAs is the concept of shared risk. This is most obvious in the way a CSA operation is financed. Shareholders' up-front payments, like all investments, are based on potential, not actuality. Nobody can predict with certainty how much the farm will produce in a given year.

Question: When a consumer joins a CSA, the process can be compared to

1. buying a stock whose profitability is determined by future conditions.
2. joining a club that requires members to spend a certain amount on food.
3. taking a part-time job that helps people in your community.
4. coaching a sports team to get the best results during the season.

Selection: K-39

K-39

Grade level: 11

Word count: 1650 words

Author: Christopher Morley

Synopsis: If you have ever been asked to write a certain number of words on a topic, you'll certainly understand the frustration expressed by the newspaper reporter who penned this essay.

Excerpt: (We ask you to observe our self-restraint. We might have said "drenching downpour of silver Long Island rain," or something of that sort, and thus got several words nearer our necessary total of 1100. But we scorn, even when writing against time, to take petty advantages. Let us be brief, crisp, packed with thought. Let it stand as drench, while you admire our proud conscience.)

Question: Irony occurs when words are used to convey a meaning that is the opposite their usual meaning. What is ironic about this part of the essay?

1. Morley says he is writing succinctly, yet he rambles on for a paragraph about doing so.
2. Morley describes a drenching downpour, yet there is no proof it has rained.
3. Although he meets his own deadlines, Morley encourages others to take more time to write.
4. While he has a talent for writing, Morley has decided to seek work that does not require any writing.

Selection: K-39

K-39

Grade level: 11

Word count: 1650 words

Author: Christopher Morley

Synopsis: If you have ever been asked to write a certain number of words on a topic, you'll certainly understand the frustration expressed by the newspaper reporter who penned this essay.

Excerpt: We thought of some books we had seen up on East Fifty-ninth Street, in that admirable row of old bookshops, particularly Mowry Saben's volume of essays, "The Spirit of Life," which we are going back to buy one of these days, so please let it alone. We then got out a small notebook in which we keep memoranda of books we intend to read and pored over it zealously. Just for fun, we will tell you three of the titles we have noted there: "The Voyage of the Hoppergrass," by E.L. Pearson, "People and Problems," by Fabian Franklin, and "Broken Stowage," by David W. Bone.

Question: Why does Morley list the names of the books he purchased on Fifty-ninth Street in this essay?

1. Listing the books adds words to the essay and brings him closer to meeting his word count.
2. He wanted to make sure the books received some publicity.
3. Listing the books allows him to demonstrate he is a well-read person.
4. He was friendly with the authors of the books he mentions.