Touching Spirit Bear1Section 2

English 9

Student Name: ______

Section 2: Chapter 7-13

Pre-reading Vocabulary:

Instructions: Use the context clues in each sentence in the first column, determine the meaning of the underlined word and match it to the proper definition in the second column.

  1. _____ Thegluttonous kitten ate all of the food in its bowl.
  2. _____ Tyler’s binder was in such a haphazard state, his teacher demanded he put it in order.
  3. _____ As the steam-powered locomotive pulled away, chuffs of smoke came from the engine.
  4. _____ After seeing what he thought was a ghost, James went into a state of delirium.
  5. _____ After the fire, the charred remains of the house was all that was left.
  6. _____ Torrents of lava came from the volcano when it erupted.
  7. _____ The sand on the bottom of the aquarium roiled when the eel dove into it.
  8. _____ The butterfly was flitting around the picnic table because of the gusting wind.
  9. _____ Absolutely exhausted after the ball game, Joey stumbled home in a stuporous daze.
  10. _____ While at home sick with the flu, a bitter bile taste came into Tianna’s mouth.
  11. _____ Rivulets ran down the window during the rainstorm.
  12. _____ We were going hunting, with ducks to be our quarry.
/ a)Puffing
b)Stirred up or disturbed
c)Burned or scorched
d)Small streams
e)Excessive greed
f)Body fluid that helps absorb fats
g)Seemingly without any order
h)Dulled sensibility
i)Rushing flow of liquid
j)Moving quickly and unevenly
k)An animal taken in hunting
l)Very confused thinking

Chapter 7 Comprehension Questions: pp 58-64

  1. As chapter seven begins, Cole finds himself needing to “clear the anger and pressure from his mind.” (p59) Does this bode well for Cole’s healing process? Why or why not?

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  1. What weapon does Cole create and how does he make it? (p59) What does he intend to use it for?

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  1. Cole plans on escaping the island, yet still attempts to kill Spirit Bear. What does this say about Cole, and his respect for life?

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  1. As Cole inches towards Spirit Bear, he stops, looks around, and becomes aware that nobody is watching and he could easily back away. (p64)What compels him to keep approaching Spirit Bear?

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  1. Describe the Spirit Bear’s characteristics. (p63-64)

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  1. What do you think will happen when Cole gets close enough to kill Spirit Bear?

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Chapter 8 Comprehension Questions: pp 65-73

  1. Describe Spirit Bear’s attack on Cole. (65-66)

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  1. As Cole lay bleeding, he thinks to himself “What luck… [t]o end up on an island with a stupid bear that didn’t have brains enough to run away.” (68-69)Has Cole realized his responsibility for what has happened?

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  1. Cole states he would rather be in a prison cell than on the island. (71) What are his reasons?

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  1. What does Cole’s crushing of the caterpillar (71/72) indicate about his personality, even in his beaten state?

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  1. Look back to Peter’s comments at the Circle on page 50. What parallels are there between what Peter wanted for Cole and what has happened to him?

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  1. Do you feel bad for what has happened to Cole? Why or why not?

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Chapter 9 Comprehension Questions: pp 74 - 79

  1. Cole comments on page 74 that “Nobody else cared about him, so why should he care about himself?” Is it true that nobody else cares about him? Even if nobody cares about Cole, why should he care about himself?

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  1. What happens to the tree with the sparrow’s nest during the electrical storm?

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  1. Why do you suppose Cole feels the way he does about the baby birds and their mother? Do you think he really feels this way, deep down?

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  1. Why do you think Cole calls out to see if the baby sparrows are okay?(79)

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  1. “Please, no more! No more! No more!” Cole begs to the night, the bear and the storm. (78) Do you, the reader, feel sorry for him? Why or why not?

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Chapter 10 Comprehension Questions: pp 80-87

  1. Cole notices that the baby sparrows tried to do something before their death. What was it? (81/82)How does Cole relate this to his experience growing up?

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  1. Cole begins to think about the circle of life. What is this circle, according to Cole, and how does he feel about his role in it? (83)

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  1. Cole thinks “The power to choose was the real power, not the fake power of making others afraid.” (83) Explain this statement.

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  1. What does Cole catch to eat at the end of this chapter?

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  1. What were Cole’s reasons for choosing to live? Do you think otherteenagers feel powerless or angry like Cole? How do teenagers cope?

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Chapter 11 Comprehension Questions: pp 88-92

  1. In this chapter, what are some of the things Cole does to survive?

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  1. Spirit Bear appears near Cole at the end of this chapter. What do you think will happen to Cole?

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Chapter 12 Comprehension Questions: pp 93-102

  1. When Spirit Bear comes back, why do you think Cole chooses not to spit on him, but instead touch him?

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  1. How does Cole feel about death? (97)

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  1. What was the buzzing sound Cole heard? (97)

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  1. Was it really the seagulls grabbing at Cole and trying to lift him up? What was it?

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  1. What do Edwin and Garvey do with Cole? (98-100)

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  1. When Cole says that he’s okay, what does he mean by this?

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Chapter 13 Comprehension Questions: pp 103-112

  1. When Rosey asks for a blanket, (103) Garvey wants to hand him the at.óow. Why is it significant that Cole reaches out and grabs it?

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  1. Why is it significant that Cole whispers “My fault!” when Garvey apologizes for getting Cole into this situation? (105)

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  1. Garvey tells Cole that he will still be facing jail time when he recovers. (110)Considering what he went through, do you think this is fair?

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  1. Why does Cole throw out the hair he pulled from Spirit Bear? Would you have done the same? (111-112)

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  1. Edwin says that Cole will be okay if he ever finds a reason to live. (105) Do you think Cole has found his reason to live? Explain.

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Section 2 Questions

The middle part of a plot is called the rising action—the part when “the plotthickens.” In the rising action, the writer increases the tension caused by theconflict (or conflicts). When this is done successfully, you, as a reader, becomecaught up in the suspense. You find yourself unwilling to stop reading, and youconstantly ask yourself, “What will happen next?”

An important difference between a novel and a short story is that in many novels, especially adventure novels, there are a series of crises, each of which is solved in turn. But overall, there should be a sense of rising tension, like a line graph with a series of peaks and valleys but which goes in a generally upward direction. Of course, not all novels follow this pattern; there are no hard-and-fast rules about these things.

  1. In this novel we have already seen a mini-climax as Cole survives the bear attack. Draw a simple story plot diagram in the space below, and use it to diagram this section of the novel. Have between 2-4 points in each section.
  1. What is the main conflict of the part of the novel diagramed above?
  2. Man vs Man
  3. Man vs Nature
  4. Man vs Self
  1. There is another conflict that runs through the whole novel. Which conflict is this/ do you think this will be?
  2. Man vs Man
  3. Man vs Nature
  4. Man vs Self
  1. Have you noticed any examples of foreshadowing, where the author has hintedabout later events?

Of course, you might not be able to pick up on these until those later events occur, but if you’ve noticed any examples—or if you suspect anything you’ve read to hint at things to come—explain what they are.

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Character development is also important in the middle of a novel. By this time,you may feel that you know the main character as well as you know some of yourfriends. The author may also have introduced new characters.

  1. List all of the characters in your novel. Be sure that you spell their names correctly. Beside each, give information about the
  • Age
  • Appearance
  • personality of that character.

(In many novels, the exact age of each character isn’t given, but you can estimate the age from various clues in the story.) Be sure to put the page number beside any information that you copy from the novel.

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  1. Do you find the characters and events in your novel believable? Use examples from the book to illustrate your response.

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In some novels, the writer changes the point of view. For example, some authorswrite part of the novel in the first person and part in the third person. Other novelsfocus on one character for awhile and then focus on another character’s thoughts,feelings, and actions.

  1. Is the point of view in Touching Spirit Bear consistent, or does it change? If you think the point of view changes, explain how. Give examples.

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  1. Think about how the novel would be different if the book was from a different character’s point of view or, if we could hear their thoughts and feelings. Other than Cole, which character’s point of view do you think would we benefit from? Why?

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