Reading and All That Jazz: Tuning Up Your Reading, Thinking, and Study Skills, 2/e

Peter Mather, Glendale Community College
Rita McCarthy, Glendale Community College

Bias

Journal

Bias

Reading Selection:

The Defendant's Characteristics, by David G. Meyers


1		Do you know of other occasions when appearance affects aspects of life that shouldn't have anything to do with how a person looks? What are they, and what can people do to avoid this?

Reading Selection:

How Do I Fire Thee? Let Me Count the Ways, by William Lutz


2		If you were let go from a job, would you prefer to be told you were fired, or another one of the terms mentioned in the article?

Reading Selection:

A Birthday Party, by Katharine Brush

In Your Own Words


3		Why is the wife who is "fadingly pretty" wearing a "big hat" in a "little, narrow restaurant"?



4		Why does the narrator note that they "looked unmistakably married"? Should the wife have been aware of the type of surprise her husband would have enjoyed?



5		What does it say about the husband that he waits until the "general attention had shifted" before he says "some punishing thing" to her "under his breath"?



6		The narrator states that he/she waited "quite a long time," and yet the woman continued "crying quietly and heartbrokenly and hopelessly". Is there another more appropriate action that the wife could have taken? What is her crying in a public place likely to do?



7		Do you think the "one pink candle" suggests for whom the wife really planned the surprise? Which of the two is more likely to enjoy this type of attention?



8		The author revealed her point of view by the words she chose to use to tell the story. What is the author's point of view about the birthday party? Is she sympathetic toward the husband or the wife? Or both?

Reading Selection:

A Hanging, by George Orwell

In Your Own Words


9		Considering Orwell's emphasis on details, why doesn't he tell us more about the prisoner?



10		What is ironic about the dog's reaction to the prisoner? How does the dog's behavior serve as a contrast to the behavior of the human beings in the story?

In Your Own Words


11		Do you agree with President Bush that it made sense to execute Timothy McVeigh? Why or why not?



12		What are some of the reasons that President Bush gave for the execution of Timothy McVeigh? Do you think these are good reasons? Can you think of any other reasons?



13		President Bush states that the McVeigh execution does not "balance the scales." Do you agree with this statement? Is there anything that could be done that would balance the scale?



14		President Bush talks about "the good that overcomes evil." What are some of the good acts that President Bush is referring to? Do you think that President Bush is also referring to McVeigh's execution in this regard?



15		President Bush states that McVeigh's execution was not an act of vengeance but of justice. Do you agree with this statement?



16		Do you think George Orwell would have approved of Timothy McVeigh's execution? Why or why not?

Written Assignment


17		Do you personally know of someone (a family member or friend) who was murdered? Or have you heard about a murder in the news media that shocked you? Write an essay telling what you know about it. Tell as much as you know about what happened---the circumstances of the murder, the police investigation, what happened in court, the sentence imposed. What are your personal reactions to those events?

2003 McGraw-Hill Higher Education
Any use is subject to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
McGraw-Hill Higher Education is one of the many fine businesses of The McGraw-Hill Companies.