Exercise 1

Sherman J. Alexie Jr. was born in October 1966. He is a Spokane/Coeur d’Alene Indian and an American writer, poet, and filmmaker. Alexie was born with hydrocephalus, or water on the brain. This condition led doctors to predict that he would likely suffer long-term brain damage and possibly mental retardation. Although Alexie survived with no mental disabilities, he did suffer other serious side effects from his condition that plagued him throughout his childhood. Amazingly, Alexie learned to read by the age of three, and by age five he had read novels such as John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath. Raised on an Indian reservation, Alexie often felt alienated from his peers due to his avid love for reading and also from the long-term effects of his illness, which often kept him from socializing with his peers on the reservation. The reading skills he displayed at such a young age foreshadowed what he would later become. Today Alexie is a prolific and successful writer with several story anthologies to his credit, notably The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven and The Toughest Indian in the World. Most of his fiction is about contemporary Native Americans who are influenced by pop culture and powwows and everything in between. His work is sometimes funny but always thoughtful and full of richness and depth. Alexie also writes poetry, novels, and screenplays. His latest collection of stories is called War Dances, which came out in 2009.

Exercise 2

  1. Do you agree with the underlying principle that ensures copyrights are protected in the digital age?

  2. I like to wear unique clothing from thrift stores that do not have company logos on them.

  3. Marjorie felt like she was being led on a wild goose chase, and she did not like it one bit.

  4. Serina described which house was hers, but now that I am here, they all look the same.

  5. Seeing his friend without a lunch, Miguel gave her a piece of his apple.

  6. Do you think that it is healthy for mother to talk about the past all the time?

  7. Eating healthier foods will lessen the risk of heart disease.

  8. I know it sounds cliché, but my father had the patience of a saint.

  9. Daniela sees possibilities in the bleakest situations, and that is why she is successful.

  10. Everyone goes through hardships in life regardless of who they are.

Exercise 3

Brooklyn is one of the five boroughs that make up New York City. It is located on the eastern shore of Long Island directly across the East River from the island of Manhattan. Its beginnings stretch back to the sixteenth century when it was founded by the Dutch who originally called it “Breuckelen.” Immediately after the Dutch settled Brooklyn, it came under British rule. However, neither the Dutch nor the British were Brooklyn’s first inhabitants. When European settlers first arrived, Brooklyn was largely inhabited by the Lenape, a collective name for several organized bands of Native American people who settled a large area of land that extended from upstate New York through the entire state of New Jersey. They are sometimes referred to as the Delaware Indians. Over time, the Lenape succumbed to European diseases or conflicts between European settlers or other Native American enemies. Finally, they were pushed out of Brooklyn completely by the British.

In 1776, Brooklyn was the site of the first important battle of the American Revolution known as the Battle of Brooklyn. The colonists lost this battle, which was led by George Washington, but over the next two years, they would win the war, kicking the British out of the colonies once and for all.

By the end of the nineteenth century, Brooklyn grew to be a city in its own right. The completion of the Brooklyn Bridge was an occasion for celebration; transportation and commerce between Brooklyn and Manhattan now became much easier. Eventually, in 1898, Brooklyn lost its separate identity as an independent city and became one of five boroughs of New York City. However, in some people’s opinion, the integration into New York City should have never happened; they thought Brooklyn should have remained an independent city.

Exercise 4

Grunge, or the Seattle sound, is a type of rock music that became quite popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It began in Seattle, Washington. Grunge musicians rejected the dramatic and expensive stage productions that were trendy at the time. Their music was stripped down with an emphasis on distorted electric guitars. Grunge musicians did not wear makeup or sport extravagant hairstyles like many of the day’s rock musicians and bands. Many grunge musicians would buy their clothes from secondhand stores. The lyrics to grunge songs were also quite different compared to what was popular at the time. Grunge lyrics are characterized by dark or socially conscious themes. Grunge music is still admired today by music lovers of all ages.

Exercise 5

a. Kevin asked me a serious question and then interrupted me when I attempted to answer.

b. A hot compress will lessen the pain of muscle cramps.

c. Jason was not a graceful loser because he knocked his chair over and stormed off the basketball court.

d. Please consider the effects of not getting enough green vegetables in your diet.

e. Except for Ajay, we all had our tickets to the play.

f. I am through with this magazine, so you can read it if you like.

g. I don’t care who's coming to the party and who's not.

h. Crystal could see the soaring hawk through her binoculars.

i. The principal gave the students a very long lecture about peer pressure.

j. Dr. Frankl nearly lost his patience with one of his patients.


Last modified: Friday, September 8, 2023, 8:15 AM