Activity When reading fiction, you're probably focused on finding out what happens in the story and how it ends. When you read a work of fiction for a literature class, however, you need to go beyond the first surface reading. What is your approach to reading literature for a class? Have you tried a close reading of a fictional text? We haven’t really discussed an approach to close reading yet, so think about what you do now. What reading techniques do you use when you try to go beyond the surface story to really understand the layers of meaning in a work of fiction? Write your response in two to three paragraphs.

Read this excerpt from "birdfoot's grampa.” the old man must have stopped our car two dozen times to climb out and gather into his hands the small toads blinded by our lights and leaping, live drops of rain. which line from the excerpt best reveals the setting? a must have stopped our car b two dozen times to climb out c the small toads blinded d by our lights and leaping,

Match each term to its definition. the ideas that show a speaker's point of view or beliefs about a topic facts, statistics, examples, and expert opinions that support a point of view or belief evidence arrowright claims arrowright

Which two passages in this excerpt from the death of ivan illych does leo tolstoy use to suggest that ivan ilych feels like his life is slipping away from him? "what's the use? it makes no difference," he said to himself, staring with wide-open eyes into the darkness. "death. yes, death. and none of them knows or wishes to know it, and they have no pity for me. now they are playing." (he heard through the door the distant sound of a song and its accompaniment.) "it's all the same to them, but they will die too! fools! i first, and they later, but it will be the same for them. and now they are merry . . the beasts! " anger choked him and he was agonizingly, unbearably miserable. "it is impossible that all men have been doomed to suffer this awful horror! " he raised himself. "something must be wrong. i must calm myself—must think it all over from the beginning." and he again began thinking. "yes, the beginning of my illness: i knocked my side, but i was still quite well that day and the next. it hurt a little, then rather more. i saw the doctors, then followed despondency and anguish, more doctors, and i drew nearer to the abyss. my strength grew less and i kept coming nearer and nearer, and now i have wasted away and there is no light in my eyes.