CP English 10 The Alchemist
Mrs. Yaworsky Winter 2011
Discussion Questions
Pg. 25 – End of Part I (p. 47)
1. Why does the shepherd decide against retelling the baker what the old man had said about him?
2. What does the boy see when he climbs the stone ramp that led to the top of the castle wall?
3. What is the “principle of favorability” that the old man speaks of?
4. What happens immediately after the old man tells the boy that he “will have to follow the omens” in order to find his treasure?
5. What are Urim and Thummim?
6. According to the “wisest of wise men,” what is the secret of happiness?
7. What causes the shepherd boy to become distracted and, as a result, lose sight of the young man who is holding his money?
8. After helping the candy seller erect his stall in the plaza, to what realization did the shepherd boy come?
9. What does the boy do to earn food to eat?
10. After the owner of the crystal shop tells the boy how expensive it is to get to Egypt, what does the boy say he wants money for?
Vocabulary:
Part I: Using Prior Knowledge and Contextual Clues
Below are the sentences in which the vocabulary words appear in the text. Read the sentence. Use any clues you can find in the sentence combined with your prior knowledge, and write what you think the underlined words mean on the lines provided.
1. He knew that wind: people called it a levanter, because on it the Moors had come from the Levant at the eastern end of the Mediterranean.
2. “In order to find the treasure, you will have to follow the omens.”
3. “The black signifies ‘yes,’ and the white ‘no.’ When you are unable to read the omens, they will help you do so. Always ask an objective question.”
4. He looked to the skies, feeling a bit abashed, and said, “I know it’s the vanity of vanities, as you said, my Lord. But an old king sometimes has to take some pride in himself.”
5. The boy felt ill and terribly alone. The infidels had an evil look about them.
6. The sun began its departure as well. The boy watched it through its trajectory for some time, until it was hidden behind the white houses surrounding the plaza.
7. He was feeling sorry for himself, and lamenting the fact that his life could have changed so suddenly and so drastically.
8. He was learning a lot of new things. Some of them were things he had already experienced, and weren’t really new, but that he had never perceived them before.
9. The merchant laughed. “Even if you cleaned my crystal for an entire year . . . even if you earned a good commission selling every piece, you would still have to borrow money to get to Egypt.”
Part II: Determining the meaning – Match the vocabulary words with their dictionary definitions.
______/ 1. LEVANTER / A. Phenomena supposed to portend good or evil; prophetic signs______/ 2. OMENS / B. Expressing sorrow or regret
______/ 3. OBJECTIVE / C. Unbelievers with respect to a particular religion
______/ 4. ABASHED / D. Became aware of directly through any of the senses
______/ 5. INFIDELS / E. Ashamed or embarrassed; disconcerted
______/ 6. TRAJECTORY / F. Path of a projectile or other moving body through space
______/ 7. LAMENTING / G. Percentage of a sales price allowed to sales representatives for their services
______/ 8. PERCEIVED / H. Not influenced by personal feelings; based on facts; unbiased
______/ 9. COMMISSION / I. Strong easterly wind in the Mediterranean