Group 2: Questions "The Journey" and "The Arrival"

Questions

1 what was going through your mind when you read this?

2 how did you feel when you read "TODAY IS EDDIE'S BIRTHDAY"?

3 predict something about the next section of the book.

4 when you read "THE JOURNEY", how did you evaluate Eddie?

5 after reading "THE ARRIVAL", what you think about about heaven.

 

Discussion Question Homework

Group# 1

Discussion Question

 Meshari Ameen

8- Who do you think Eddie will meet in heaven? Why?

Dominguez, Marguerite, Nicky, Amy or Annie, and Willie.

While I was reading chapter one, I was underlining some characters’ names just because I thought that those who Eddie met in his last moment life, he will meet them in heaven later. Eddie’s death was strange for me, for he just gone without any preliminaries. So I think the author will continue the story after Eddie goes to heaven and meet those people who he met in his last moment life. Furthermore, I think because Eddie has a different story with every person who I mentioned before, so these stories will complete in heaven. For example, Eddie has a romantic story with Marguerite and we don’t know much about it, so the author will talk about them next chapters. 

Discussion Question Homework Lei Zhang

1 at the start of THE FIVE PEOPLE YOU MEET IN HEAVEN, Albom says that "all endings are also beginnings." In general, what does this mean? How does it relate to this story in particular?

2 Share something in your life that has begun as another thing ended, and the evens that followed?

In the beginning of Eddie's story, Albom said that "all endings are also beginnings". I think that means our life is likely a cycle. Sometimes we thought we finished one thing, but after we finished the first thing, we need to do the second thing which relate to the first thing.

Albom uses flashback to write Eddie's story. Because Eddie was killed to save a girl, he go to heaven. And in heaven, he meet five important people in his life. When we read a story, we are very interesting in the end of the story, but in this book, Albom tell us the the end first. Perhaps, reader will feel more excited about the content of story. 

For example, maybe it is sound like a joke, but it is a really story. Chinese high school is like a purgatory. Students need get up very early, and sleep very late. Perhaps, students need to study 10 hours per day. As we all know, most of Chinese students are good at math. However, good math mark is not because students have interest in math, but because Chinese students in high school are asked to do a lot of practice. In high school, I really hate math class. After I graduated from high school, I thought how nice a day I do not need to learn math every day in university. The dream is beautiful but the reality is cruel. In university, I really do not need to learn high school math, but I need to learn advanced mathematics. I am mad.

Group1:The Journey& The Arrival ( Vocabulary)

The Journey:
PH1      fiberglass                a light material made from small glass threads pressed together, used for making                         racing cars, small boats etc.
PH4      turquoise                a greenish-blue color.
PH6      lunge                      to make a sudden forceful movement toward someone or something.
PH17    ache                       a continuous pain that is not sharp.
PH17    endure                    to suffer pain or deal with a very bad situation for a long time.
PH17    agony                     a very sad or emotionally difficult situation.
PH17    consciousness         the condition of being awake and able to understand what is happening around you
PH17    swirl                       to turn around quickly in a twisting circular movement or make something do this
PH17    sapphire                 a transparent bright blue jewel
Today is Eddie's Birthday:
PH1      push-up                 an exercise in with you lie on the floor on your chest an push yourself up with your arms
PH1      feign                       to pretend have a particular feeling or to be sick, asleep
PH1      clap                        you hit your hands together loudly and repeatedly to show that you have enjoyed something.
PH2      holster                    a leather object in which a gun is carried, that is worn on a belt.
PH15    wobble                   to move in an unsteady way from one side to side.
The Arrival:
PH8      promenade             a wide road next to the beach where people can walk for pleasure.
PH13    maintenance            the repairs, painting etc. that a necessary to keep something in good condition.
PH27    ballyhoo                  a situation in which people publicly express a lot more excitement, anger etc.about something than is necessary or appropriate.

Discussion Questions

6.      Who do you think Eddie will meet in heaven? Why?

            I think Eddie will meet Marguerite in heaven. Marguerite was Eddie's true-love when he was young. The memory about Marguerite was sweet and warm. They met at night after a thunderstorm, Marguerite looked beautiful. Eddie was so nervous and didn't say much with her. Eddie remembered Marguerite all the time and even want to marry with her. If a person have something in mind, he or she will has a dream in a someday night. I believe that Eddie had many dreams about Marguerite, and he has a strong desire to meet Marguerite again. Because of this, I think Eddie will meet Marguerite in heaven, and they will have some stories and experiences together. It will let us know the exactly story about Eddie and Marguerite. The author use a small part mentioned Marguerite in order to tell background about Eddie's life and give reader's some imagination for the rest of book. Also, I think Eddie will meet  other people who once gave him help or the lesson. Because everyone has friends, but the friend who help you to overcome difficulties and let you know the truth you will never forget.

 

The Five People You Meet in Heaven, Travel Tracer ( Group 2 )

Where the action begins:

The fierst chapter called "The End"! It's all about Eddie's lat few minuets, how it gose, what he was thinking about, and how he died. Also the author maintained some important people in Eddie's life but he didn't give us any details about it.

Where the key events happened:

The key events happened when the author starts counting Eddie's last 14 minutes, and he mentioned the most important action and people in his last 14 minutes.

Where the event ended ?

The event ended when Eddie's died, the author explained it in a very emotional words and he ended it by saying " and then, Nothing "

Vocabulary "Group 1"

CHAPTER 1

P2-PH1   Squat-v              Occupy or sit in the ground
P2-PH1   Barrel-n             Having a large rounded chest
P2-PH1   Whisker-n          Hair of the beard
P2-PH1   Craggy-adj         Rough- Rugged
P2-PH1   Protruded-v        To jut from the surrounding content
P2-PH2   Stutter-v             To speak with involving disruption
P3-PH3   Grinning-v          Smile "big"
P4-PH1   Tumbled-v          To fall
P4-PH2    Squealed-v         To make a shrill cry or noise
P4-PH3    Imminent-adj      Ready to take place- Pending
P5-PH1    Solvent-adj         Can dissolve
P5-PH2    Sawdust-n          Fine particles made by a saw in cutting "wood"
P5-PH2    Cramped-adj      Tight- Narrow
P5-PH2     Pegboard-n       Board that used to hang material or hummer, drill etc..

vocabulary

P2 squat      be close to the earth or be disproportionately wide.
P2 chest      the part of the human torso between the neck and diaphragm.
P3 shingles  eruptions along a nerve path often accompanied by severe neuralgia.
P3 attraction the force by which one object attracts another.
P4 pier        a support for two adjacent bridge spans.
P4 imminent close in time.
P5 drills       bores
P5 acceptance the state of being acceptable and accepted.
P6 cotton    soft silky fibers from cotton plants in their raw state.
P7 optimistic expecting the best.
P8 rail         short for railway.
P9 spongy   easily squashed.
P11 summon call in on official matter.
P15 upper   the higher of two berths.
  
   

Summarizer (Group 3)

                                      The first chapter is about the end of the life of man named Eddie.

That day was especial day because it was Eddie birthday 83rd and the last day in his life. 

The story began the last moments of his life and his sacrifice himself to save a child from death.





 

Discussion qustions(GROUP 3).

1. What are individual characteristics of the characters in the section?

2. Why did the author mention that "All endings are also beginnings"?

3. In the section, how do you think about the author's story flow method?

4. How do you feel when you read both a part that the Eddie talk Dominguez about   Eddie's Birthday on THIRTY MINUTES LEFT and the last part, "Today is Eddie's Birthday"

5. Predict something about the next section of the book.

Group Question

1. Where is Eddie's last hour spent? where he would be killed?
( At Ruby Pier, an anmusement park y great gray ocean 1st par)


2. How old is Eddie? Can he lift carousel horse when he is young? how about right now?
(83 years old, yes, no.  can page3, 2nd paragraph)

3. What happend when Eddie was a boy? why Joe doesen't talk to Eddie?

(page 4, 3rd par, he got in an alley fight, because Joe was ashamed)

4 Who is Dom? how is the shop that Dom work in look like?

( page5, 1st par, one of the sop worker, and from " the shop smelled like sawdust...)


5 Who is Eddie's true love? How does she looks like?

page9, Margerite, 4th par is her looks like)

Group 3 Story Mapper

Where the action begins?

Eddie's job was maintaining the rides. On one day afternoon, at the Ruby Pier, he worked the park and checked each attraction, such as broken boards, loose bolts, worn-out steel an so on. After checking all attractions, Eddie found some problems. A little girl was thrumming of the equipment.

Where the key events happened?

Before one hour the accident happen, Eddie walked along the Ruby pier. That day was Eddie's birthday, his 83 years old. Eddie communicated with a old couple in the amusement park and remind something when he was young. Nearly twenty left, Eddie talked and played with some children. During the progress of playing with children ar the car poles.  he still checked the attraction of the rides. The other twenty minutes left, something happened, A woman found a small crowd gathered around a small girl. Eddie tried his best to save the little girl, but it was too late. The carts were dropping, and then......

Where the events ended?

After carts falling at Ruby Pier, about his final feeling, he feel two small hands in his--and then nothing.

Group 2: Questions for "The End"

1. Why the story start from the end?
2. What was going through your mind when you read the Chapter 1?
3. What do you think author use time as a start for every part? (For example, "WITH 50 MINUTES left on earth...")
4. Why mentioned Marguerite-- true love of Eddie?
5. How did you feel when you read the final moments for Eddie? (Last paragraph of Chapter 1, before the part of "Today Is Eddie's Birthday")

Welcome to ESL Reading Spot!

In class, all students have been assigned to a reading discussion group for the semester. Discussion groups will meet outside of class each week to review the weekly reading assignment and share ideas about the text. Students will take turns preparing one of the following assignments for the weekly group discussion:

• summary
• discussion questions
• new vocabulary
• story map
• ey quotes
• real life connections

Students will post these assignments to ESL Reading Spot for an evaluation of comprehension and participation. From time to time there will be in-class discussions that follow up on these blog posts.

 

NOTE: You are also able to upload photos or PDF documents directly to the blog page!