eng goldfish - litrature Flashcards
Explain Read the first two paragraphs. How does Louise feel going into the
race? How do you know?
Louise feels nervous and anxious. She makes a sarcastic comment
that means the opposite of what it says. She really does feel pressure
and thinks the tryouts are a “big deal.” Also, she says, “I think I’m
sweating inside my ears,” an exaggeration that conveys just how
anxious she is.
Compare Louise’s attitude with her
parents’ attitude about swimming.
Louise thinks swimming is the most important thing. Her parents
think that doing well in school and being well-rounded are more
important than swimming.
How confident is Louise as she begins
the race?
Louise is trying to be confident but notices that she is not unique; all the
other girls are tall, like her, so she has real competition. She jokes to
herself that she will finally have people to borrow clothes from. Louise
tends to make jokes to soothe herself when she is anxious.
Analyze Why does Louise think she swam extra lengths?
Louise cannot at first believe that she came in dead last and is in
shock and denial. If she swam extra lengths, it would be an
embarrassing mistake but would not reflect poorly on her skills, and it
might be something the officials could rectify if she explains it.
Infer After the race, why isn’t anyone looking Louise in the eye?
They are probably embarrassed for her since she had such a poor
showing and came in last.
From what point of view is this story being told? How do you know ?
The first-person point of view. The narrator uses the pronouns I and me.
What is the setting of this story? How do you know ?
A High Performance Training Camp for swimmers in Great Britain. The narrator says she wants to be on Team Great Britain.
What has the narrator “wanted … for as long as I can remember”? What does this tell you about her?
To be on the Olympic swimming team, representing Great Britain.
This is an extremely important goal to her.
Who are the “ninety percent” who are “having the most important day of their lives”? Who are the
other ten percent?
The swimming contestants
The officials, coaches, and others overseeing the races
What evidence supports the idea that the narrator is nervous?
The narrator is so nervous that her hands are shaking
What evidence supports the idea that the narrator is nervous?
The narrator is so nervous that her hands are shaking
What do you learn about Hannah from the narrator?
Hannah is not self-conscious about her big shoulders and simply hides them under T-shirts. People love her because she’s fun. She has curly blonde hair and blue eyes. She is talkative and a natural organizer and planner. She has been the narrator’s best friend since they were six. She is very nervous about making the team
How are Hannah’s parents different from the narrator’s parents? How are the girls’ views of their parents different?
Hannah’s parents are “pushy” and assertive. From this we can infer that they take a strong role in Hannah’s training, wanting her to always succeed.
The narrator’s parents, on the other hand, think that swimming is not as important as succeeding in school or being a “well-rounded human being.”
Hannah does not like her parents’ pushiness and tries to ignore it. The narrator, on the other hand, disagrees with her parents and thinks swimming is more important than anything else
What does the interaction between the girls tell you about their relationship?Why does the narrator say, “ridiculous human
being,” and, “this is why I bring spare caps”?
They know each other so well that they can fool around and have fun. By trying to fit both their heads into one cap they show that they are as close as sisters. She is showing affection for Hannah and her silly behavior.
Hannah has left, how does the narrator feel?
sick and scared
