Ms. Barnes & Ms. Taylor
AP Language & Composition 2017-2018
AP English Language and Composition
Summer Reading Assignments 2017
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Welcome to AP Language and Composition. In preparation for next year’s study, several assignments should be completed over the summer. These assignments serve several purposes. First, they keep you reading and mentally engaged. Second, they allow the teacher to begin assessing your ability levels and your needs before you even walk through the door. Third, they give us the advantage of being able to start discussion and revision activities immediately upon return.
You can borrow these books from local libraries during the summer. You may also purchase inexpensive used copies on amazon.com or half.com. You must purchase your own copy of the Princeton Review Cracking the AP Language & Composition Exam 2018 edition. Electronic copies are not allowed, as we will frequently be using it in class. Try to arrange study groups during summer with fellow classmates to share and discuss books. If you have any questions about the books or the assignments, email:
Mrs. Barnes at-
Ms. Taylor at-
Assignment 1: AP Language Terms
Memorize the 40 assigned words and be prepared to take several quizzes on both spelling and meaning of each word. The quizzes will begin the first week of school. Make flashcards and include mnemonics/pictures to help you remember/learn each. YouTube has many videos explaining the words, too.
Assignment 2: Read Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
Synopsis: Freakonomics is the study of economics based on the principle of incentives. The book takes a novel approach to studying economics, sharing its most interesting research.
You will be tested the first week of school on the arguments as well as the rhetorical devices in Levitt and Dubner’s book. As you read: keep a double entry journal, identify key ideas, and analyze the rhetoric used by the authors.
Assignment: 3 Read The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Synopsis: Protagonist Santiago meets an Englishman who wants to learn the secret of alchemy, or turning any metal into gold, from a famous alchemist who lives at an oasis on the way to the pyramids. While traveling, Santiago begins listening to the desert and discovering the Soul of the World.
What does it take to follow our dreams and goals in life? Why do so many not follow through on their aspirations? How does fear of failure play into achieving or not achieving our dreams? What role does community play in our successes? You will reflect on your own mindsets, talents, choices, ambitions, and “personal legend” as you investigate what Coelho believes are the keys to pursuing one’s dreams.
Read actively by taking notes in the margins or on your won paper (with reference to the book’s page numbers) so that you will be able to recall and discuss what you have read when you return to school. Your reactions and notes will contribute to graded class discussions at the beginning of the school year.
Here are some ideas to prompt your annotation of the book:
1 / Connect / How can you personally connect to an example or argument in a particular passage?2 / Predict / Think ahead. What are implications of the anecdote or example in a particular passage or chapter?
3 / Visualize and Respond / What images does the author conjure in your mind? Why does he choose that image?
4 / Question and Clarify / What confuses you or does not seem to make sense? Can you clarify later?
5 / Summarize / What are the main ideas in each chapter and the book as a whole?
6 / Analyze / How does the author construct his argument? What key details and stylistic features comprise the argument?
7 / Evaluate / What is your opinion of the author’s perspective? Is it thoroughly logical? Is it realistic?
First Week of School Reminders
o Multiple Choice and Short Answer Response Test – Freakonomics
o Socratic Seminar- The Alchemist
o Writing Prompt- The Alchemist
o Vocabulary and Spelling Quizzes- 40 AP Language Terms
o Double Entry Journals DUE
o Purchase Princeton Review Cracking the AP Language & Composition Exam 2018 Edition