ELA Unit 8 G8

Go to thinkcentral.com FACTS?
for the interactive
version of this unit. You don't go a single day without needing to gather some facts.
With message boards, magazines, books, and directories all offering
you information, where do you turn when you need an answer you
can count on? lt depends on what kind of facts you're looking for,
and what you need to know.

ACTIVITY Work with a partner to analyze where you get your
information.

. Make a list of f ive or six facts that you might look for in a

typical day.

. Next to each fact, write one or more sources in which you

might find it.

. Share your list with others. Do you get most of your facts from

printed material, from the lnternet, or from somewhere else?

. Discuss which of these sources are most trustworthy and

which are easiest to use.

a:
,.:

COMMON
CORE

i

Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development
over the course ofthe text
i

textAnalyze the structure of a l
f

Determine an author's point of view or purpose inla text

Distinguish between fact and opinion

Provide an objective summary of a text

. Use text features to comprehend and locate inforination

Read and comprehend technical directions

lnterpret and evaluate graphic aids

WRITIlS6 AhIF Write proceduraltext
tAruGUAGE Use gerunds and infinitives correctly
Use commas correctly after adverbial clauses
'-ie ilii:1i i;. i Fiflr #i f',E lt"i
Liii? il r't ili': {.i Present and respond to an instructional speech i

VOCABUTARY Use affixes, root words, and context clues to determine the

ACADEMIC meanings of words
VOCABULARY ]

MEDIA AND Use word origins to help understand how other ianguages
VIEWING have influenced English word meaning

challenge . design
method . communicate

Analyze the purpose of information presented i1n diverse media

Compare how different media cover the same eivent

Reading I nformationa I Text

You are living in an age of information. ln a matter of minutes, you can find
magazine articles, Web sites, and blogs on just about any topic, from global
warming to cell-phone technology. But how can you be sure you're getting the
most out of what you're reading? What's the best way to wade through all those
facts and figures? Learning a few strategies can help you navigate through a sea
of information, find answers to your questions, and remember what you've learned.

I COMMONCORE Part 1: Text Features

lncluded in this workshop: Time is money in the fast-paced, modern world. So, it's important to be able to
Rl 2 Determine a central idea ofa find information quickly when you're searching through Web sites, books, and
text and analyze its development magazines. One way to locate useful information at a glance is to notice the
over the course ofthe text, including text features writers use. Text features include titles, subheadings, captions,
its relationship to supporting ideas; sidebars, boldfaced words, bulleted lists, and links. These elements allow you to
provide an objective summary of the see the most important ideas without having to read every word.
text. Rl 3 Analyze howa text makes
connections among and distinctions Consider the following article from the back of a "Fun Facts" pamphlet.
between ideas (e.g., through By scanning the text features, you can anticipate what information the article
categories). Rl 5 Analyze in detail includes before deciding to read further.
the structure ofa specific paragraph
in a text, including the role of
particular sentences in developing
and refining a key concept.

The title reveals the offim ffiilmfu'my G# An-American Dogs
topic of the article-
the history of hot dogs. mryEil'trffire il;i::!il,i:l':ffill,t-{{:l;,

o 5ubheadings Hot Dogs in Europe O sausages, and provided customers with
highlight what each white gloves for easier eating. After the
section of the article There are several different theories about the gloves were not returned, he consulted
is about. origin of the hot dog. Traditionally, Frankfurt- a baker, who designed
am-Main, Germany, is credited with originating the "hot dog bun" to
@ A sidebar provides the frankfurter. protect eaters' fingers.

more information. Hot Dog Specialties@ One of the more credible stories
comes from Bany Popick, a prominent
@ A bulleted list o ln the South, people like their hot hot dog historian at Roosevelt University,
He claims the term began appearing in
presents information @ dogs "dragged through the garden" college magazines in the 1890s. Yale
in an easy-to-read students kept referring to wagons selling
format. with a cole-slaw type topping. hot sausages in buns outside their

. New Yorkers like their hot dogs dorms as "dog wagons."
It didn't take long for the
served with steamed onions and
pale yellow mustard. Tr."1 use of the word dogto

o Folks in Kansas City enjoy hot dogs F4 become "hot dog."
with sauerkraut and Swiss cheese.

884 uNrt 8: FACTS AND TNFoRMATToN

MODEL: TEXT FEATURES

Skim the text features in this Web article. What information do you think the
article will provide? Now read the full article and answer the questions.

fil .i j.iilii,iiiitl:i,:rjr!i,:;. :t;,i::,:;i i
. : rlrrE' li:i4r:,j i i:i';i : -

j:,fffinjr::,,,.c.:-:il:r! !:: iliEi'+rij ti4 1;r ,::

,.,
: .:'iF{f.dE !'i;!-i,iaf xfu@t!::,iir,i:r :

:, ;:,.=:f:it::,t.-:;.:a:.,i:.; .

DANG ER from the Sky Close Read
1. lf you were doing a
That's not Swiss cheese up there. The clAlgfs that report on meteorites,
cover much of the Moon's surface were caused would this article be
by collisions with space objects billions of years useful to you? Explain
ago. ln 1953 an astronomer even caught on film which text feature helped
the bright flash of an object hitting the Moon. you find the answer.
With so much evidence of objects hitting our
nearest neighbor, scientists wonder when another Summarize the
large object from space will strike our planet. information that
appears under the
Impacts on Earth subheading "lmpacts on
Earth." Write another
t0 Earth's atflosphe_re protects us from collisions with small objects, which burn up subheading that the
in the air. However, when a large object strikes Earth, the atmosphere can spread author could have used.
the effects of the impact far beyond the crater. A large collision may throw dust
high into the air, where it can be carried around the globe. The dust can block What additional
sunlight for months and sharply lower global temperatures. information does the
sidebar provide?
About 65 million years ago, a large space object struck Earth. At about the same
time, most species of organisms died out, including the dinosaurs. Many scientists TExr ANALYSIs woRKsHop 885
think that the results of this collision caused the global devasfatlon,

tisk of * MeieorEte CollEsiolE TRACKING ASTEROIDS
Although Earth is unlikelyto
When will the next space object hit Earth? have a major collision with a
space object anytime soon,
A collision is probably occurring as you read this scientists feel the danger is
sentence. Tiny particles hit Earth's atmosphere too great to ignore. They
all the time. Some of these particles have enough are using telescopes to find
large, rocky space objects
mass to make it through the atmosphere. called astelq!ds. After
Objects that reach Earth's surface are called locating an asteroid, they
use computer models to
qgteqriteg. Most meteorites splash harmlessly predict its path.
into the ocean 0r hit unpopulated areas. However,
every few years a meteorite damages a home or

other property.

-by Miguel Lopez

# .t.
i

Part 2: Main ldea and Supporting Details

After you preview a text, you're ready to examine it more closely. To do this well,
you need to know how to identify main ideas and evaluate texts.

IDENTIFYING MAIN IDEAS

The topic of a piece of nonfiction is what the text is about. A topic can usually
be stated in a word or two, such as pets or dog training. The main idea, or
central idea, is the most important idea that a writer wants to share about a
topic. A main idea can usuarlly be stated in a sentence, such as "The keyto good
dog training is consistency."

Often, the main idea of a paragraph or section of an article is directly stated in
a topic sentence, which is usually the first or the last sentence in that paragraph
or section. Sometimes, however, the main idea is implied, which means that it
is not actually stated outri$ht; readers must infer the main idea from supporting
details. Supporting details are facts, examples, and other kinds of information
that reinforce or elaborate lrpon the main idea.

As you read, be on the lgokout for the main ideas of paragraphs and
sections of text. Then, add up those ideas to identify the text's larger main

idea or message.

EVATUATI NG TEXTS
The next important step in reading informational text is evaluating it. After all,
just because the text is about real people, places, and events does not mean
that it is true or even well written. To evaluate a text, ask yourself the following

questions.

. ls this information accurate, reliable, and trustworthy? lf you're not sure,you

can learn how to determine credibility on pages rc71-1o74.

. Does the text have unity? ln other words, do all the details in each paragraph

support its main idea? Do all the paragraphs support a larger main idea?

, ls the writing coherent? Specifically, do the

sentences connect smroothly and logically? Do
text features and the text's structure make it easy
to navigate?

, Does the writing have internal consistency?

lnternally consistent text has a clear structural
pattern. lt also uses transitions that make
sense together, such asfirst, later, and ofterwards
(as opposed tofirst,later, and primarily).

, ls the writing logical, br can you spot logical
.
fallacies? lf you're not sure,learn more about
logical fallacies on page Rz4.

886 uNrr 8: FACTs AND TNFoRMATToN

MODEL 1: MAIN IDEA AND DETAILS

Read this article about a lifelike robot created by a Korean scientist.l

i

Female Android Dehuts

Article bl- Victoria Gilman

These school-age tots seem to be Close Read

making friends n'ith EveR-1, a female 1. The main idea of the
"Meet EveR-r" section
android that rnade her debut in islboxeE ldentifythe
details that support it.
South Korea. The robot *-as built br
2. What is the main idea
Baeg Moon-hong, a senior researcher of the section with the
subheading "Not Alone"?
x,ith the Division for Applied Robot Children check out Korean andlpid EveR-r.
3. ls there an internal
lbchnologv at the Korea Institute of feet, 3 inches tall-if she bould stand. consistency to this
Industrial Technologv in Ansan- iust article? Explain your

south of Seoul. EveR-1 can mor,-e her arru-s and hands, answer.

10 Meet EveR-l zo but her lorn.er half is imuiobile.
to resemble a Korean female in
Not Alone Researchers at Osaka

Fifteen motors underneath Universitv in Japan un 'eiled their ou.,n

silicon skin allox'her to express a life-size female androidj Repliee Q1.

lirnited range of emotions, and a 400- That robot could "speakf' and gesture

15 u,ord vocabularv enables her to hold zs and even appeared to jbreathe but,

a simple convelsation. The android like EveR-1. was onlv mobile from the

u,eighs 110 pounds and s.ould stand 5 waist up.

MODEL 2: MAI N I DEA AN D DETAI LS

This article is about deadly poisons. Skim the title and the subheading,
and answer the first Close Read question. Then read the article more
closely to help you answer the second question.

Night falls in an lsraeli dbsert. Close Read

A cockroach skitters acr0ss the 1. Based on the title and the
sand. Suddenly, a scorpibn grabs subheading, what do you
the cockroach in its pinders. lt think the main idea of the
article will be?
5 injects searing venom intq its victim
2. ldentifv the main idea
through its stinger. The rienom that thel boxedlsentences
causes paralysis. The cdckroach
cannot move. lt can do (othing to are supporting.

fend off the scorpion's 4ttack. 3. Does this article exhibit
unity and coherence?
ro Toxic Treatments i
Explain your answer.
It's hard to believe, but the deadly venom that paralyzed the codkroach can

be used to heal rather than harm. Scientists are experimentinrg with the

lsraeli scorpion's venom. Some of them believe it has the powbr to shrink

brain tumors. For hundreds of years, scientists have been expprimenti

with poisons extracted from animals and They have fopnd that

the same toxins that can injure or kill can also be used to tredt health

problems.
l

TExr ANALYSTs riroRKsHop 887

TAKING NOTES

Have you ever read an article on a fascinating subject-life-saving poisons, for
example-and later realized that you couldn't recall a single thing about it?
Taking notes as you read can help you prevent that. You can use any number of
formats for notes-outline, bulleted list, even a Y-chart. Just use a format that
will help you quickly recognize what's most important when you glance back
over your notes later. Here are two ways of recording the same information
from an article you just read. Notice that the Y-chart emphasizes similarities and
differences while the outline captures all the supporting details of each subject.

GRAPH'C ORCANIZER

I, EveR-t reseubles a Korean feuale in her ?-As. EveR-l \ / RcpliezQt

A,Made in South Korea ', . uade in \ / ' uade in JaPan

her arus :
C.Can onlq uove the top ha.lf of her body

A.Maae in Japan : bo+h
b, Can talk, uove her arns, arld looks like
. . {euale a.ndroid
she's breathtng . ca-n talk
l . ,t/10ve5 her arus
C. Can onlq move the top half o{ her bodt1 . onlr4 top half uoves

SUMMAR!ZING

Summarizing is the art of briefly retelling in your own words the main ideas and
most important details of something you read, heard, or saw. lt is a useful way
to share your knowledge on a test, in a research report, and in a conversation.

To summarize a text, begin by taking clear and thorough notes-preferably
in your own words. Then, restate the main ideas and most important details in
two or three complete sentences. Keep in mind that a good summary is always
shorter than the text it is summarizing- Here's an example:

The South Korean EveR-t and the Japa-nese
Repliee Ql are both lrfesize female ahdrolds

that can ta/k and uove ther'r arns as well as
the top half o{ their bodies, but onh1 the EveR-l

shows euotions and onh4 the Repliee Ql looks as

if shds breathing.

888 uNrr 8: FACTS AND INFoRMATIoN

Part 3: Analyze the Text Close Read

Preview this article and answer the first Close Read question. Then read the l. Preview the title and
article more closely, using the other questions to help you take notes; Then use
subheadings. What
your notes to summarize the article. information do you think
l this article will provide?

Magazine article 2. Describethe main idea

that theiboxedjdetails
support. Copy the main
idea and details into your
notebook. Add letters as

necessary.

ECIPE FOR DISASTER Chicago in r87r was already a big city, bustling I.

th more than 334,ooo residents. lts streets, sidewalks, and most A,
b.
of its and straw were inside everv barn.

To situation worse, people

Fires had been common that year because of Thg Chicago

n putting out a fire that On Saturday,iOctober 7 3. The main idea of the
out four city blocks. lt took second section is listed
here. Copy it into your
them 16 hours. By Sunday evening the men were exhausted. Theq around notebook, along with the
supporting details.
8:{! p.M., a fire began in the barn of Patrick and Catherine O'Leary. i

10 .EVERYTHING \TENT WRONG" OUT OF CONTROL Il, Hruan error uade a bad
Human error then made a bad situation As the fire blazed, there rrord, deafening sftuatlon even worse.
roar-wood crackling as flanies devoured
worse. One firefighter later said, "From

the beginning ofthat fatal fire, everything Jo it, cries for help, explosions from oil and A,

went wrong!" A watchman atop the gas tanks, the crash of falling buildings. b.

t5 courthouse saw smoke rising from the The fire department could do nothing to

itO'Leary barn, but he assumed was stop the fire. Around 4 r.rrn. the next day, 4. ldentifythe main idea

coming from the previous fire. When he the fire destroyed the city's waterworks, and details in the third

finally realized a new fire was blazing, ts shutting off water to the fire hydrants. and fourth sections. Add

he misjudged its location. His assistant Firefighters had to drag wafer in buckets the information to your

sent a message to the fire stations, but from Lake Michigan and the Chicago outline.
Il
he mistakenly directed horse-drawn fire River. City officials made a pesperate call

wagons to a location about a mile from the for help to other cities, brlt their forces il..

burning barn. When the fire department 40 anived too late. The fire kppt burning- l A.

finally reached the barn, its equipment totally out of control. ! b. The fire destroqed
] l the chfs waterworks.
i
was no match for the blaze. The new fire THEAFTERMATH ]
ii

raged on. The Great Fire burned until Octoberto,

when rain finally fell. f housands of M,
4t buildings had been destrolied. About 3oo
A, ?04 people died.
people had dled in the blaze, and more b,

than roo,ooo were left horlneless.

TExr ANALYSrs liroRKsHop 889

The Spider Man Behind SPider-Man

Feature Article by Bijal P. Trivedi

o

rHINK KEYWORD: HML8-890
aentral

Whe& &s &rffiffitr

DREAM JOB?

I COMMONCORE Ever since you were little, people have probably asked you what
you want to be when you Erow up' Now that you're older and know
Rl 2 Provide an objective yourself better, your dream job might be coming into focus. ls it a
summary of the text.
Rl 5 Analyze in detailthe job that would take you outdoors? Onto a movie set? lnto a sports
structure of a text.
arena? Your ideal career probably reflects your individual talents,
interests, and personality. ln the following article, you'll read about
a man who turned his passion into a dream job'

SURVEY Interview several ?:*r:! ; Wlnf
classmates to find out what their
dream jobs would be. Ask these IVeterlnarian Llkes taklng care of
students why they chose the jobs
they did. How do their dream aniuals
careers compare to Your own?
z. Osts good grades ln
sueilce

?. En1'or1s learning about

iiir, { d- 1;i

a'\ i , i,',
-\ 'i

rt\

'l\
890

o TEXT ANALYSIS: TEXT FEATURES ijal P. Trivedi

Nonfiction articles often utilize text features, design elements 1970
that highlight the structural patterns of the text and help you
identify key ideas. Common text features include Love of Science
jal Trivedi (bYj'el tre-va'de) became
. headings-the title of the article scinated with dinosaurs at the age of
. subheadings-headings that signal the beginning of a new ine. Soon after, she transferred her interest
the space shuttle and astronomy. From
topic or section within a written piece an early age, it was clear that Trivedi's dream
job would involve science.
. sidebars-additional information set in a box alongside,
Exciting Places and Discoveries
below, or within an article Trivedi studied science in college and
earned master's degrees in both biology
. bulleted lists-lists of items of equal value or importance. and science journalism. Because Trivedi
didn't want to work in a lab, she became a
This list of text features is an example of a bulleted list. science writer. She has written for magazines
such as Nationol Geographic, Popular
As you read "The Spider Man Behind Spider-Mon," notice Science, andWired. She says,"Being a science
how the text features help you locate information on writer is a bit like being lndiana Jones-you
particular topics.
get to travel with lots of smart scientists to
t READING STRATEGY: SUMMARIZE exciting places and then write stories about
their discoveries." Trivedi has won several
Have you ever told a friend about a movie you just saw? lf so,
you probably gave your friend a summary. When you summarize awards for her journalism.
a piece of writing, you briefly retell the main ideas or key
points in the order in which they appear in the originaltext. BACKGROUND TO THE ARTICLE
Summarizing is a way to check your understanding, and it can
help you remember information. You can also use a summary The Amazing Spider-Man
to clarify relationships among ideas in a text. As you read "The ln 1962, writer Stan Lee and artist Steve
Spider Man Behind Spider-Man," use a chart to take notes on the Ditko created the character of Peter Parker,
key points. Later, you'll use these notes to summarize the article. a teenager who gains spider-like powers
through the bite of a radioactive spider
What Stevea bHiasT*ragarinwq nadtd His Spide*tnu and becomes Spider-Man. Spider-Man first
Kvtchct Doe.s appeared in an issue of Amazing Fantosy
Expuieace by Marvel Comics and then gained a comic
book series all his own. The Amazing Spider-
A vocaeuLARY tN coNTExr Man comics have been popular ever since.
ln the movies about the superhero, CCl, or
The boldfaced words help the author describe one man's computer-generated imagery, made it appear
interesting career. Try using context clues to figure out what that Peter Parker could swing from one tall
each word means. building to another, stick to walls,
and do other incredible feats
1. He has the perseverance necessary to finish thejob. that only a Spider-Man
2. Bill is an engaging person whom everyone likes. could do.
3. Maria has the potential to become a first-rate scientist.
4. Ashley's watercolor rendition of her dream earned praise

from her art teacher.

/' .B

(# Complete the activities in your Reader/Writer Notebook.

Bijal P. Trivedi

!E ntomologist Steven Kutcher is the spider man behind Spider-Man "He's
the guy to call in Holly"wood when you need insects-he is the ultimate

insect trainer," says Robin Miller, property master for the movie Spider-Man.
"I know how to get a cockroach to run across the floor and flip onto its

6 SUMMARIZE back. I can get cockroaches, beedes, and spiders to crawl to a quarter four
What are some of
Kutcher's unique skills? feet away on cue. I can make bees swarm indoors and I can repair butterfly
Record them in your
cha rt. wings," says Kutcher. He has even made a live wasp fly into an actort

o TEXT FEATURES mouth. "I study insect behavior, and learn what they do and then adapt
On the basis of this
subheading and what the behavior to what the director wants," says Kutcher. [t
you've read so far, what
information do you I0 Passion for Bugs 6r
expect to find in this
section? Kutcher's love of insects began as a toddler when he collected fireflies in
New York. But he was also influenced by very "positive early childhood
experiences in nature" when his family would spend summers in the

Catskills.l "Something about seeing fish, catching butterflies, lit a fire
within me," says Kutcher.

Kutcher followed his passion for bugs and studied entomology in
college, receiving his B.S. from the Universiry of California, Davis, and

later an M.A. in biology-with an emphasis on entomology,2 insect

behavior, and ecology3 from the California State University in Long Beach.
He had planned to pursue a Ph.D.,a but when he wasnt accepted at the
graduate school of his choice he decided to reevaluate his career options.

1. Catskills{k5t'skYlz'):theCatskillMountainregioninNewYorkstate. ltisapopularvacationarea,

2. entomology (5n'te-mdl'e-1e): the study of insects.

3. ecology (i-k6l'e-ie): the study of relationships among living things and their environment.
4. B.S.; M.A.; Ph.D.: Bachelor of Science, an undergraduate degree; Master of Arts, a graduate

degree; Doctor of Philosophy, a graduate degree that is usually more time-consuming and
difficult to earn than a master's degree.

892 uNIr 8: FACTS AND TNFoRMATToN

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I ta.
Illtlt:

1

t l,: '6"S1Ii3,"
Based on this Photo
ofSteven Kutcher,
what can You infer
about his interests and

personalitY?

TI{E SPIDER MAN BEHIND SPIDER-MAN 893

:-) One he received a call from his former academic advisor asking him
,/
3,000 locusts that were to be used for the movie Exorcist 2'
/
-(= Kutcher ad to place the locusts wherever they were needed, including on

potential (pe-tEn'shel) the stars Burton and Linda Blair. That was his first job, and it has
n. the ability to grow or
develop been H creepy crawlies ever since.

engaging (6n-gdt'ing) After ing a long survey of movies Kutcher found that about one third of
a dj. char ming; I i kea ble
all movi had an insect in it. "I saw immediate job lle(e![ial," Kutcher says.
Alm 25 years after his first job Kutcher now holds an impressive list

ao of movie television, music video, and commercial credits that include his

biggest ie, Arachnophobia, the comedy-thriller in which a California

town ls n with deadly spiders. He also supervised the bug and

spider s nts in Alien, Contact, Jurassic Park, Pacific Heights, and Wild

Vr'ildWe

"He i avety observant and eng€ing guy," says Lucinda Strub, a special

effects n who worked with Kutcher on Arachnophobia, "One of his

maln is to educate the public about how fascinating and interesting

lnsects . He is really out to teach people about bugs," says Strub, who

then . ified that "of course spiders are not bugs, they are arachnids."

PerSeverance
(p0r'se-vir'ens) n. steady

persistence in sticking to
a course of action

894 uNrt 8: FACTS AND TNFoRMATToN

Even with his busy filmmaking schedule, Kutcher still finds B SUMMARIZE
teach once a week at a local community college. He also started the
Insect Fair at the Los Angeles Arboretum. @ Reread lines zz-42.
What are two of the
The Perfect Match most important pieces
of information you get
Kutcher's most recent challenge has been finding the perfect spider the from these paragraphs?
Add them toyour chart.
movie Spider-Man . . . The concepr designer for the movie prod a
rendition (rEn-dYsh'an) n.
computer rendition that combined traits of up to four arachnids cfeate a pictorial representation;
an interpretation
an image of the mutant spider that bites Peter Parker (a.k.a. Spic Man)
o TEXT FEATURES
and endows him with spider powers. @ Reread the subheading
"I was given this drawing of a spider that didnt exist and told find and first sentence ofthis
section. What "perfect
a real spider that matched it," says Miller, whose responsibilities i ude match" does the
subheading refer to?
assembling all the props in the entire film. The spider resembled black

widow, which wasnt an option because its bite is too dangerous.

Miller contacted Steven Kutcher and showed him the picture.

then arranged a "spider Olympics" for Spider-Maa director Sam

Kutcher brought in different types of spiders to showcase the ts of

each, says Miller. "He literally had the spiders doing tricks." O spider

o TEXT FEATURES
What does this bulleted
list helpyou better
understand?

o TEXT FEATURES

What does the
information presented
in the blue sidebar add
to your understanding
ofSteven Kutcher and
his career?

THE SPIDER MAN BEHIND SPIDER-MAN 895

€F ffiHrqelteeA,ffi len could jump, another was able to
f;*I*Tf;H"T
spin webs very quickly, and yet
Notice in lines 57-59
the author uses the another was able to produce a $
infinitive forms of the
verbs spin and produce eo drag line and essentially swing
to clarify what each
spider was able to do. An out of the way-all activities
infinitive is a verb form
that usually begins with that Spider-Man can do.
the word fo and acts as The spider that Raimi
a noun, an adjective, or
an adverb. selected was Steatoda grossd, a

Language Coach brown spider with a smooth,
swollen body and thin twiggy
ldiom An idiom is
a phrase that has a legs. The problem was that the
meaning different from color was wrong, "we needed
its individual words. The
idiom "down to the wire" a spider that had metallic blue
in line 76 means "right
up to the deadline." zo and a radioactive8 red-orange
How does this idiom
help explain why color to it," says Miller.
Kutcher used body paint The answer was spider make-
on the spider?
up. Originally Kutcher wanted
g SUMMARTZE to make an entire costume for

What crucialjobs did the spider, but the timing came
Kutcher perform in down to the wire and he finally
the making of Spider- settled on body paint. "I had to
Man? Add these to the find a non-toxice paint, design a
appropriate section of little harness to hold the spider
your chart. 80 as he was painted, and supervise The Steatoda grossa spider

the artist painting Steatuda."

"I need the spider to go from A to B to C and Steve can train it to do
that," says Miller, who has worked with Kutcher on several movies.
"He is very creative; he can figure out how to get the creature to do what

he wants while being very delicate," says Strub.
\X&y, in this age of computer-generated special effects, did the director

simply not animate the spider? "The real thing always looks best, especially
when it fills the whole movie screen," says Miller. And computer-generated
graphics are yery expensive, although the scene where the mutant spider

lo bites Peter Parker is computer-generated.
"People find me, and I'm offon these adventures," says Kutcher,

'problem solving, and exploring, and teaching, and educating people about
insects." But Steven Kutchert hat best describes his life, his love, and his
philosophy: "Bugs are my business." @

8. radioactive (ra'de-o-5k'tiv): exhibiting radiation emissions that possibly result from a nuclear

explosion.

9. non-toxic: not poisonous or otherwise life-threatening.

896 uNrt 8: FACTs AND TNFoRMATToN

After Reading

Comprehension i COMMONCORE
l. Recall What was Steven Kutcher's first experience on a movie set?
Rl 2 Provide an objective
2. Recall Why did the makers of the movie Spider-Man want to use a real spider summary of the text.
instead of a computer-generated spider for most of the spider scenes? Rl 5 Analyze in detail the
structure of a text.
Clarify Why was it so hard to find the perfect spider for Spider-Man?

Text Analysis

J 4. fxamine Text Features Which text features help you find the following pieces

of information? Note your answers in a chart like the one shown.

lnforuatioa Text FutureThat HelpsYou Fiad lt

broad focus of the article
Kutcher's ihterest in bugs
Tqpba/ tasks perforned bq entouo/ogists

ls. Compare Summaries Using the chart you made as you read, write a summary

of the entire article. Next, trade summaries with a classmate. Compare the
summary you received with the article to see if the summary accurately captures
the main ideas, important details, and underlying meaning of the article. Share
your findings with your classmate, and then revise your summary as needed.

6. Draw Conclusions Reread lines tt-t5 and 35-42.Why do you think Kutcher
wants other people to have a better understanding of insects?

Evaluate Text Now think about the text critically. Does it have unity and
coherence? ls its structure easy to identify and follow? Explain why or why
not. lf you need help recalling what unity and coherence are, see page 886.

Extension and Challenge

8. Creative Project: Music Alone or in a small group, create a song or rap from

the point of view of an insect who "works" for Steven Kutcher. Look back at
the article to help you recall some of the things these creatures have been
trained to do and Kutcher's attitude toward what some people call"creepy
crawlies." Share your song or rap with the class.

Hlhat is your DREAM JOB?

What was your answer to the big question on page 89o7 Using books or the
lnternet, find out what skills or education you might need for this career.
Present this information in a format similar to the sidebar on pages 8g+-BgS.

THE SPIDER MAN B!,HIND SPIDER.MAN 897

Vocabulary in Context engagmg
A vocaeuLARY PRAcrrcE perseverance

Decide whether the words in each pair are synonyms (words with similar Potential
meanings) or antonyms (words with opposite meanings). rendition

l. perseverance/laziness i COMMONCORE

2. rend ition/i nterpretation L4a Use context (e.g.,the
3. engaging/disagreeable overall meaning of a sentence
4. potential/promise or paragraph) as a clue to the

ACADEMIC VOCABUTARY IN WRITING meaning of a word.

. challenge . communicate . design . job . method Go to thinkcentral.com.
KEYWORD: HML8-898
lmagine that you are applying for a job as Steven Kutcher's assistant. What
makes you a good candidate? Using at least two Academic Vocabulary words,
write a paragraph telling Kutcher why he should hire you.

VOCABU IARY STRATEGY: CONTEXT CLUES
Sometimes the context of a word provides clues to its meaning. Context clues
are words and phrases that surround an unfamiliar, novel, or ambiguous word.
For example, a clue to the meaning of potentialin line z8 of this article comes in
the previous sentence, which explains that according to Kutcher's research, "one
third of all movies had an insect in it." From this clue, we can figure out that'Job
potential" is the abilityfor a career to develop.

PRACTTCE Use context clues to determine the definition of each boldfaced word.
Then write its definition.

1. lf you do not understand an idea, ask your teacher for clarification.
2. President Lincoln spoke to a small assemblage in the auditorium.
3. My classification system is based on size, shape, and color.

4. Hundreds of workers lost their jobs due to the factory closing. Mayor Diaz is
concerned that the town's unemployment rate will rise dramatically.

5. What adaptations help desert plants cope with their environment?

898 uNrt 8: FACTs AND TNFoRMATToN

Language i coi,lMoNcoRE

* CnnrqfflAR !H CoNTEXT: Use Gerunds and tnfinitives L la Explain the function of

Review the Grammar in Context note on page 896. A verbal is a word hat is verbals (gerunds, infinitives) in
formed from a verb and can act as a noun, an adjective, or an adverb. verbal general and their function in
phrase consists of a verbal along with its modifiers and com particular sentences.

A gerund is a verbal that ends in ing and acts as a noun. Gerunds can a sense
of motion or action to a sentence.

Example: Spider-Man had to perform such tricks as swinging
buildings.

An infinitive is a verbal that usually begins with the word to and as a noun,
an adjective, or an adverb. However, sometimes to is omitted.

Exomples: Originally, Kutcher wanted to make an entire for the
spider. He helped [to] supervise the artist painting spider.

PRACTICE ldentify the boldfaced words in each of the following se nces as a
gerund or an infinitive form of the verb.

1. Kutcher's first job in the movie industry was to baby-sit 3,ooo
2. Until then, he had not realized that training insects could be a
3. Kutcher still makes time to teach at a local community college.
4. His job is really about solving problems.
5. He figures out how to make bugs do what he wants.

For more help with verbols and verbal phroses, see page R& in Grammar
Handbook.

READ!FI6.lAfRITI NG CONN ECTION

YOUR Explore Steven Kutcher's career further by responding this prompt.
Then use the revising tip to improve your writing.
@

TURl{

Extended Constructed Response: Job Review

Advertisement Check

lmagine that you are a movie director looking to hire to make that you

someone to train insects for your next film. What have verbal phrases
where
or #type of person do you want to hire? Write a two- EErnfxt

three-paragraph advertisement giving the education, make r writing more

skills, and interests needed for this career. Include a lively a descriptive.

subheading for each section. I G-ortto*t"h-inrk,cre-ntttra*l.com. I
I
l

THE SPIDER MAN BEHIND SPIDER.MAN 899

Before Reading tr{j.f*r* Video link at
th i n kcentra l.com
Over the Top: The True
Adventures of a Volcano

Chaser

Magazine Article by Renee Skelton

WhW dm ff@@ffiRrc ffiffi@M

DANGER?

i COMMONCORE Most people avoid da nger. They buckle their seat belts when they fly
on a plane. They take care not to anger mean dogs, not to swim where
Rl 1 Cite the textual evidence there are sharks, not to walk on thin ice. But then there are other
that supports an analysis of people-the ones who dream of skydiving and who soar through half-
what the text says explicitly. pipes on their skateboards. The man featured in the article you're about
Rl 7 Evaluate the advantages and to read belongs to this group. He's willing to risk his life to photograph
disadvantages of using different
mediums to present a particular mysteries of the earth.
topicor idea. SL2 Analyzethe
purpose of information presented WEB lT What dangerous activities aarre
in diverse media and formats
(e.g., visually).

,-_ )also popular pastimes? What is it arbbout \gro not oPen

these activities that makes people willing to
tr,tiirj

risk their safety? Use a web to explocre the \

reasons why these activities can be vr iewed a SkUdiving

both fun and dangerous. _,,

'1o!cotrivgi"tireosi,\

)(

\.r\ \----
__-------l

--./

O rexr ANArYsrS! cRAPHlc AtDs nee Skelton

Magazine articles often contain graphic aids, which are visual Well-Versed Writer
representations of information. Writers use graphic aids to nce writer Renee Skelton has written
highlight or summarize important concepts and to explain and articles on topics rangingfrom
things in fewer words. Common graphic aids include can history to climate change. She lives
photographs, maps, diagrams, graphs, and timelines.
in NewJersey and is a frequent contributor
As you read "Over the Top," use a chart like the one shown to National Ceographic Kids.

take notes on the article's graphic aids. fo
BACKGROUND TO THE ARTICTE
Tqpe of Oraphic Aid What l+ Expldns
l
Review: Text Features
,Sharing Science
I Reaorruc STRATEGY: ADJUST READING RATE
.NationavLlG99leoqrg,,,Lr'aphic, 1};
TO PURPOSE
lfirst published in r888,
Effective readers change the speed at which they read to suit is one of the world's
their purpose. Try this as you read the following article. best-known magazines.
It's especially known
When your purpose is to Adjust your rate like this for its colorful, detailed
Get an overview of photographs of
the article Skim beforeyou begin. This involves geographic regions
quickly reading the title, subheadings, and the people who
Find key words or and any graphic aids. livethere. The photos
particular information are taken by some
Scan the text. This involves moving of the world's best
Cain a full understanding your eyes quickly over the text, looking photojourna lists,
of something , or clarify for the words or information you need. people who present a news story primarily
information through photographs. These men and
Read the material at a slower pace, women travel the globe with their cameras,
and reread if necessary. seeking out fascinating and sometimes

To use the best strategy for your purPose, stay mindful of why dangerous locations.
you're reading and whether you need to adjust your rate.
Exploring the Unknown
A vocABUIARY tN coNTExr ln the article you are about to read,
photojournalist Carsten Peter visits an active
The following vocabulary words help Renee Skelton tell about a volcano and chambers beneath glacial ice.
man with a dangerous job. To see how manyyou know, match No stranger to dangerous situations, Peter
has captured stunning images of glaciers,
each word with its numbered synonym. caves, and tornadoes for the pages of
NationalGeogrophic. Why is he so attracted
wORD cavernous pinnacle searing to the dangerous natural wonders he
Lt Sf scale straddle photographs? "l'm most interested in the
labyrinth unknown," he says.

1. climb 3. top 5. maze 901
2. vast 4. span 5. hot

"/% Complete the activities in your Reader/Writer Notebook.

r;L=p.

g ADJUST READING

RATE

What can you expect to
learn from this article?
Take a minute to skim
the selection and make
some predictions about
what you'll be reading.

uNtr 8: FACTS AND INFoRMATToN

o GRAPHTC ArDS
What does this
photograph suggest
about what the article
willfocus on?

oVER THE ToP: THE TRUE ADVENTURES oF A VOLCANO CHASER 903

But for Peter it was

10 all in a day's work. The
daredevil photographer

scale (skal) v. to climb up roams the,world, scaling

Or OVer; aSCend mountains and dropping

o GRAPHIC AIDS into erupting volcanoes
Look carefully at the
map and its caption. to photograph these fiery
What facts does it offer
that you don't get from mountains at their most
the text?
frightening-and most

beautiful. Does he get Peter's adventures keep him globe-trotting. The map
scared? "SLlre," Peter shows a few ofthe places he has explored volcanoes. @
20 says. "You wouldn't be

normal if you didn't get

scared." But volcanoes are a window into Earth's scorching center. And for

Peter, peering through that window with his camera is worth the risk.

HsaS* m ffim*E$saffi E"gC'

Ambrym is a tiny South Pacific island that consists of a flat-topped volcano.
The volcano erupted violently about 2,000 years ago. The explosion left the

.fi,erx:g ,#.9.r* 3..anel t?3: -3'.it+::l*

Mount Vesuvius'sl The r883 explosion Mauna Kea, in
eruption in a.o.79 of Krakatoa, a Hawaii, is the
buried two Roman volcano in lndonesia,2 world's tallest
cities, killing t6,ooo was heard 3,ooo volcano. lt is
people. miles away. jo,ooo feet high.

"ES.ite59 F*Y*3.*.r,guga &s"x;+S

Most volcanoes ln mere seconds,
are concentrated whole forests
around the edge of oftrees around
the Pacific Ocean, Mount 5t. Helens,l
in the "Ring of Fire." Washington, were
flattened in t98o.
o ADJUST READTNG ft#rc* -E Ea+*"e* Trees t65 feet tall
RATE were blown down
What is the tallest The biggest
volcano on Earth? Scan volcano in our solar like toothpicks by
these captions to find system is Olympus the force ofthe
the answer. Mons on Mars. lt is volcano's eruption.

17 miles high. @

1. MountVesuvius (vY-s6-o've-es): a volcano located in southern ltaly. . t8r rr
2. lndonesia (Yn-do-ne'zhe)r an island nation located in Southeast Asia'
3. Mount 5t. Helens: volcano located in southern Washington state.

904 uNr:r 8: FACTS AND INFoRMATIoN

ln

I |Ft;;

i l:;
Ilqi
seven-and-one-half-mile-wide caldera, or wide crater, that now forms its top.f Peter
tl;!r
hoped to use one of the vent openings in Ambrym's caldera as a porthole intp the Iranguage Coach

volcano's fiery center. tIi{6 Personification The
I$
30 When Peter arrived at Ambrym, the volcano was rumbling, its craters belcliing
1r !i: word belchinq in line

,*
tilj 3o is an example of
steam, gas, and ash. He and his group set out right away, hacking through dense rfl
t&i
jungle and climbing 4,000 feet up the side of the volcano. They emerged trotn tne ,s personification, givi ng

jungle onto the caldera's rim-a moonscape of boulders and gray-black ash,r g*i' human qualities to

l,r: something that is not
ii,:

After several days of exploring the caldera's surface, Peter decided to descend /t human. What human

: g{i'l

into Marum, one of Ambrym's pitlike craters. Wearing protective gear, he attached quality does the author

one end of a climbing rope to an anchor hammered into the ground and thef other $ use to describe what

end to his descent device, Peter then disappeared over the edge of Maruqn's x is happening in the

clifflike rim, camera equipment mounted on his helmet and tethered to his pack r volcano?

and waist. Peter descended 1,000 feet down the face of the crater's steepiwalls, &,

+o as heat rising from the searing lava lake blasted him. Pockets of gas and vlater searing (sir'Yng) adj. hot

trapped in the lava expanded and exploded, sending out booms that echoedjand I

shook the crater walls. "The Earth was trembling all around me," Peter says. enough to burn, char, or

"And I felt the vibrations all through my body." @ *'If[] scorch
Peter had to be careful. A sharp rock could have cut his rope, dropping hiim into
B ADJUST READING
the cavernous pit. Tremors4 could have pried boulders from the cliff above, sending
RATE1"1
them crashing down on an arm or leg. Peter paused partway down, clutching the rope
tc: What steps did Peter
as volcanic ash stung his eyes and intense heat and sound from the blastin$ lava rose
i take to safely descend
around him. "lf the volcano had exploded then, it would have been the last bruption I
into the crater? Reread
ever saw," he says. He drew as close as possible to the spitting, belching la,va lake at lines 34-4o and note
Peter's process.
50 the bottom. Glowing lava bombs were bursting like fireworks from its surfade as Peter
night.snapped photos all cavernous ( kEv'er-n es)
I adj. as deep or vast as a
i cavern, or a large cave

4. tremors (trEm'erz): shaklng or vibrating of the earth.

Peter captures images of the zooz eruption of Mount Etna in Sicily.

flrffffi il3r.Jlriws)e*selqry!6q,*{e€ryEPrywt€liiqffi (44qerrprelnrerr'!rror"*rrysis'lw

ovER THE Top: THE TRUE ADVENTURES oF A voLCANo cHASER 905

o TEXT FEATURES The next morning, #:i;,r-::.s T'J:ue"t "H*'*+
Based on this exhausted, Peter attached #iccEdt.*" EEu+-co,' !' *
subheading, what can his rope and pulled
you predict about the himself up to safety on 1. ln and around a
content of this section? Marum's rim. lt was time
to leave Ambrym for new volcano, the frequency
o GRAPHIC AlDS adventures. and intensity of
earthquakes increase.
What does this F.E.s:* Ea*hqt Hdj?s: O
diagram add to your 2. The ground at the
u ndersta ndi ng of the oo Half a world away in
danger Peter faces lceland,5 the challenge eruption site deforms
while photographing or bulges.
Ambrym?
3. The amount ofgas
straddle (str5d'l) v. to be released bythe
on both sides of
volcano increases.

was more ice than @

fire. Because of lceland's

location, many volcanoes
are hidden below its thick glacial ice. lceland straddles the mid-Atlantic ridge,
where two of the plates thatform Earth's crust are pulling apart. The results are
frequent tremors and volcanic eruptions. When volcanoes under lceland's glaciers

erupt, they burn through ice atthe glacier's base. Escaping heat carves out

spectacular formations under the ice.

5. lceland: an island nation located in the North Atlantic ocean near the Arctic circle

H
,d-*

o GRAPHTC ArDS @ lntense heat from a volcano created this ice cave inside a glacier in lceland.
What do these photos
and captions add to your
u ndersta nding of Peter's

ca reer?

iii]ll.1,]&*|1]1]1rs]arys4d,i{a1*!5|1@y}&{s*l',&li1?g**w..

906 uNit 8: FACTS AND INFoRMATIoN

70 Peter's goal was to photograph these underground wonders. After a jolting jeep pinnacle (pYn'e-kel) n.
a peak; a pointed top
ride over part of the glacier, Peter continued on foot-leaping crevasses, sloshing
through icy rivers of meltwater, and scrambling over jagged ice pinnacles. "The heat labyrinth (l5b'e-rYnth')
created chambers inside the ice we were passing over," says Peter. "We had to be n. a mazei an
very careful." Peter found that out the hard way. Crossing an area of ice that looked intricate structure of
solid, Peter stepped on a thin section and crashed through into a hidden river of icy interconnected passages
water. He struggled to keep his head and cameras above water. The cameras didn't
make it. Luckily Peter did, thanks to two friends who pulled him out of the frigid water. o ADJUST READING
RATE
Exploring the surface ice, Peter discovered a collapsed ice chamber that led to What three things
a labyrinth of ice caves and tunnels inside the glacier. "lt was beautiful, but we posed a danger to Peter
80 were in potential danger because the chamber could have collapsed at any time," as he explored the ice
Peter says. "Also, we were in a region where earthquakes and floods are common chamber? Scan lines
occurrences." But using carbide6 lights to illuminate the dark tunnels, Peter took 78-82 to find the answer.

Iincredible photos of the formations in the glacier's frozen heart.

As you read this, Peter is probably perched 0n the rim of another volcano,
camera in hand. He's withstanding heat from 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit lava flows
and dodging deadly clouds of gas to get close to nature at its most extreme. Earth's
geology continues to fascrnate him. "Volcanoes are very powerful," he says. "When
you feel these eruptions, it's the greatest experience you can have."

6. carbide (kar'bid'): a very hard material made partly of carbon.

Peter lowers himself through a heat vent in lceland's Crimsvotn volcano.

OVER THE TOT: THE TRUE ADVENTURES OF A VOLCANO CHASER 907

Comprehension i COMMONCORE

Recall What could have killed or injured Carsten Peter as he photographed Rl 1 Cite thetextual evidence that
inside the Ambrym volcano? supports an analysis ofwhat the
text says explicitly. Rl 7 Evaluate
2. Recall What did Peter go to lceland to photograph? the advantages and disadvantages
of using different mediums to
3. Represent Using the information provided by the captions on page go4, present a particular topic or idea.
draw a simple timeline that shows the order in which three famous SL 2 Analyze the purpose of
volcanoes erupted. information presented in diverse
media and formats (e.g., visually).

Text Analysis
! +. analyze Reading Rate What part of the article did you read most quickly?

When did you have to change your reading rate? Explain which strategy you
found most useful as you read.

5. Draw Conclusions Why do you think Carsten Peter feels it is important to
photograph volcanoes in spite of the danger involved?

5. Compare and Contrast ln what ways are the

careers of Steven Kutcher ("The Spider Man Behind
Spider-Man," page 892) and Carsten Peter alike? ln
what ways are they different? Complete a Y-chart like the
one shown to compare and contrast the two men and their
careers. Record the differences in the top part of the Y, and the
similarities in the bottom.

! Z. fvaluate Graphic Aids Look back at the chart you made as you read. What

information do you get from the graphic aids? Would this information have
been more or less clear if it had been included with the main text but without
any visuals? Explain.

Extension and Challenge

8. Readers'Circle Carsten Peter obviously believes that the risks he takes are
worth the results. lmagine that he is a member of your family, such as your
brother, uncle, or father. Would you support his choices, or would you urge
him to find a safer career? Discuss youir ideas.

A9. sclENcE coNNEcTIoN How are ivolcanoes formed? What causes them
\4- to erupt? Research these questions about volcanoes, and ask one

additional question of your own. Present your findings to the class in the form
of a "slide show," either on paper or the computer.

I

\IIhy do people seek D.H,NGER?

I

Now that you have read the selection, ]what would you add to the Web you
created about dangerous activities?

908 uNrt 8: FACTs AND TNFoRMATToN

Vocabulary in Context

A vocaeurARY PRAcncE i

l cav€rnous

For each item, choose the word that differs most in meaning from thd i

other words. Refer to a dictionary if you need help. lablrinth
pinnacle
1. (a) searing, (b) scorching, (c)frigid,(d) sweltering
2. (a) descend, (b) scale, (c) climb, (d) ascend scale
3. (a) slant, (b) tilt, (c) straddle, (d) lean searing '

4. (a) maze, (b) labyrinth, (c) network, (d) beeline straddle
5. (a) gaping, (b) shallow (c) deep, (d) cavernous
5. (a) pinnacle, (b) bottom, (c) base, (d)foot i COMMONCORE

ACADEMIC VOCABUTARY IN WRITING L4c Consult general reference
materials (e.g., dictionaries) to
. challenge . communicate . design . job . method determine [a word's] precise
meaning.
Write a paragraph about the challenges of a daring sport or exciting hobby
*thhra* t iinn*taerarec*scts yrrnorur . UI lcsae a11t lloerar*st o^nnae oaff t4hhae AAcrtaAdamemir ic V\/no-rcha,,blr'u.r.l^arr^y1', wolrds in
your response.

VOCABULARY STRATEGY: WORD ORIGINS

Many common words in the English language have interesting hi$tories.
For example, the vocabulary word scale comesfrom the Latin worfi scoloe,
meaning "ladder." lt makes sense, then, that to scale something r]reans to

climb it.
i
You can find a word's etymology, or the history of the word, in]most

dictionaries. Understanding etymologies can help you connect tfie
word's meaning to something you already know. Here is an examile of
an etymology:

l

expand (Yk-sp5nd') z. to become greater in size, quantiry, volume, orlscope

![Middle English expanden, to spread out, from Latin expandere: ex- pandere,

to spreadl

Go to thinkcentral.com.

KEYWORD: HMLS-909

ovER THE ror,: ruf, TRUE ADvENTURES oF A voLCANo cHAsER 9O9
j

News Reports

TV Newscast Clip/Magazine Article on MediaSSmaFt oro-*ot

whffi%1ffi %tum SOURCH?

i COMMONCORE Recall a time you watched a TV news report in which someone was
making statements to a reporter. What was the circumstance?
Rl 7 Evaluate the advantages and Did the statements appear to be ones you could trust? ln news
reporting, it's not just the events that matter but what people have
disadvantages of using different to say about them. ln this lesson,you'll see how quotes can help you
mediums (e.g., print or video) to fully understand a news event.
present a particular topic or idea.
5L 2 Analyze the purpose of Backgrou nd
information presented in diverse
media and formats (e.g., visually, Fireworks in Space )uly 4,2oo5, was a day of celebration at
orally) and evaluate the motives the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
behind its presentation.
As part of a major mission called "Deep lmpact," NASA launched
:!it.,t
a space probe that hit a comet so hard, it burrowed through

its surface-then exploded. Scientists and engineers cheered

as the probe's nearby mother ship transmitted images of the

spectacular event. NASA realized it had gathered a wealth

of scientific data about the comet that would help in future

resea rch.

To explore how news reporters gather and support their

facts,you'llwatch a TV newscast and read a magazine article

D

E that cover this remarkable event.

L
,Tl

A

Media Literacy: Sources in the News

A source is a person who provides information for a news report. A reporter
usually uses sources while creating a news report. ln printed news,the reporter
includes quotations, words spoken by the sources to the reporter. ln a TV or
radio newscast, these statements are called sound bites, which are edited from
interviews with the sources. Here are the types of sources usually quoted in
the news.

A GflAIID SIXlJl

In a winning more, NASA probe burom into a comet
e R@ Cow

Witnesses and Officials Experts
Witnesses are present at the time of an event or are Often experts are quoted after an event occurs. They're
qualified to share their knowledge about what happened.
directly affected by it. Officials are people who represent
the government, a business, and so on. Sources as Counterpoints
One source may give one side of an event or an issue.
Visual Sources ln the same report, another source may have a very
Photographs orvideotape can also be sources. News different view.
photographers take still photographs and video footage
that are included in news articles and broadcasts.

STRATEGIES FOR EVALUATING SOURCES

. ldentify a source by name and determine his or her role.
. Question why a source is included in a news report. Ask yourself: What is

this source helping me to understand about the event?

. Be aware that what you hear or see is not the entire interview. Think about

how the sound bites, quotations, or images support certain facts.

. ln reports that include countering or opposing sources, check to see that

the two sides are balanced or are represented equally. It's important that
a news report be neutral and fair to all sides.

MEDIA STUDY 91I

Media$Smart DvD-Roi^

. News Format t: "Deep lmpact"
. Reporter: Bill Whitaker
. Gente: TV newscast
. RunningTime: 2.5 minutes
r News Format z:'A Crand Slam"
. Reporter: Ron Cowen
. Genle: Magazine article

Fl RST Vl EWIAIG Comprehension

1. Clarify NASA had created an animated model, or simulation, of the
comet explosion. According to the TV newscast, what makes the
simulation remarkable?

2. Recall Which one of the sources is an investigatorfrom Brown

U n iversity?

CLOSE VIEWING Media Literacy

3. Analyze Print Sources The sources who are quoted in the magazine
article are quoted directly or are paraphrased. This means the reporter
has restated what he was told in his own words. ln a science-related
article, why might he have chosen to paraphrase?

4. lnterpret TV Sources The "Deep lmpact" report combines sound bites
of experts with footage of Mission Control technicians celebrating. Why
do you think both of these sources were included?

Compare News Sources Use a chart like this to identify and compare
the types of sources of both news reports.

Sourc*

"Dezp )upad
"A Arad Slati'

Write or Discuss i COMMONCORE

Evaluate Sources You encountered a number of sources in the TV newscast and Rl 7 Evaluate the advantages and
in the magazine article. Now choose one of the news reports and make your disadvantages of using different
own statement. ln a short paragraph, tell how effectively you think the sources mediums (e.g., print or video) to
are used. Consider:
present a particular topic or idea.
. what types of individuals and visuals are used as sources
. your basic impressions of these sources 5L la Come to discussions
. what the sources helped you to understand in the news report
prepared; explicitly draw on
Produce Your Own Media that preparation by referring to
evidence on the topic, text, or
Create an lnterview Plan ln small groups, brainstorm at least three possible issue. SL 2 Analyzethe purpose
news stories to cover in your school or neighborhood. Once these are of information presented in
determined, imagine you're a team of reporters preparing to interview different diverse media and formats (e.g.,
sources for the news reports. Use your ideas to help you create an interview visually, orally) and evaluate the
plan. This plan will help you to determine the most likely people to contact for motives behind its presentation.
an interview. lt can also help you prepare interview questions.
Go to thinkcentral.com.
HERE'S HOW To help you devise your interview plan, use these tips.
KEYWORD: HML8-913
. For this planning stage, list the possible sources. Jot down a detail that
Tech Tip
describes that person's connection to the news story. lf available, record your
interview plans as electronic
. For each source, jot down questions that you think would clearly relate to the
files.
news story.

. Try to create questions that are open-ended. The best sound bites start with

questions like these. Avoid questions that lead to a simple "yes" or "no"

response.

STUDENT MODEI

?ossible Nuts Storics'

. the openiru of a school's tiue capsule frou P9A

the new neiahborhood aarden oroiect

Sourust
Mr. Caua.cho--He orlanaJlu lmtalled the tlue caDsule.

t*. €v ats-S chool prl4eipa)

Tata Sebrina aud Jaual Huuphreu-Thalve asseubled a new capsule.

Possible Auestiow

Whu now lor ooenina the caosule?

Will there be sone sort of cereuonu to uark the openlnq?

. What does the new ca.psule coftain?

MEDrA sruDY 913

lnterview wBth a Songcate her

interview by Brian Handwerk

MUSICW'tum,fu dmww

ffiffiw mfumeffifu EGtrF

ffi

i COMMONCORE Imagine someone you've never met, who knows nothing about you

Rl 4 Determine the meaning of but your three favorite songs. What could she guess about you based
on this information? Could she tell what you think is important? what
words as they are used in a text, makes you happy? what makes you sad? ln the following interview,
including connotative meanings. journalist Brian Handwerk talks to a woman who has made a career of
learning about other people through their music.
Rl 9 ldentify matters of fact or

interpretation. Rl10 Read and
comprehend literary nonfiction.

CHART tT Copythis Artiapatioa Guide
chart in a notebook.
Then decide whether you before After
agree or disagree with
each statement. After Reading Reading
you read "lnterview with
a Songcatcher," you'll People with aifferent tastes in
revisit this chart. uusic probablq doil't have uuch

else ia conMott,

The words of a solg are tot as
iuportant as the melodtl,

Politics and social coadrtions have

little impact on a culturds music.

o rrxr ANALYSTS: TNTERVtEW Brian Handwerk

lf you've ever read an entertainment magazine, you have born r97o
probably read an interview. An interview is a conversation
between two people in which one person asks questions Writing That Travels the Globe
and the other responds. An interview Freelance writers like Brian Handwerk
don't work for one particular newspaper
. often includes both the reporter's questions and the or magazine. They get to write for a
variety of publications on a range of
i nterviewee's responses topics. For example, Handwerk has
written articles on the environment,
. typically provides long, uninterrupted quotations that politics, and scientific discoveries. His
articles have been printed in publications
give readers a sense of the person speaking around the globe. He says,"One of the
best parts of the job is being able to
As you read "lnterview with a Songcatcher," notice how the interview amazing people like Henrietta
format of the interview helps you follow who is speaking. Yurchenco . , . l'm lucky to be able
to meet people like her through
I nraorruc sKr[L: DtsnNGUtsH FAcr AND optNloN mywriting."

A fact is a statement that can be proved true from personal BACKGROUND TO THE INTERVIEW
observations, by consulting a reliable source such as an
encyclopedia, or even by conducting an experiment. Ethnomusicology
An opinion is a statement that cannot be proved because Each culture has a unique way of
it expresses a person's feelings, thoughts, or beliefs. expressing itself through music. The
study of ethnomusicology (Eth'no-
Facl: The Chicago White Sox won the zoo5 World Series. myo;o'zY-k6l'e-je) is ded icated to
preserving the music of all the world's
Opinion: The Chicago White Sox are a greot team. cultu res. Eth nom usicologists-also
ca Iled son gcatchers-travel to remote
When you read nonfiction, it's important to distinguish between areas to record music from different
facts that you can rely on and opinions about which people could groups. ln addition to studying songs
disagree. To practice telling the difference, use a chart to note at and instruments, songcatchers a lso
least four facts and four opinions as you read this interview. study the ideas and methods that lead
to the creation of music. For example,
Stateaert Frct ar Opircn? Henrietta Yurchenco (hEn+e-6t'e y0r-
chEn'ko), the songcatcher featured in
A vocaeuLARY tN coNTExr this interview, spent two years studying
and recording music in isolated areas of
The words in column A help one woman tell how she's learned Mexico and Guatemala. Today, a number
about people's music. Match each word with the word in of universities and colleges offer courses
column B that you think is closest in meaning. in ethnomusicology.

Column A Column B

1. circumstance a. undeveloped

2. composer b. innermost

3. informant c. situation
4. intimate d. distant

5. primitive e. songwriter
5. remote
f. speaker

@ Complete the activities in your Reader/Writer Notebook.

6 INTERVTEW Vou've had suclr an incredible career, how did it all be{in? @
Who is asking this
question? Tell how To tellyou the truth, I think that most of the things that happened to me
you know. in life happened with absolutely no plan whatsoever-just a set of funny
circumstances.
circumstance
(s0r'kem-st5ns') n. When I was working at WNYC [radio station] I was introduced to music
a condition that affects from around the world, because everyone came to WNYC. I played artists
or relates to an event or like Woody Cuthrie, Leadbelly, Pete Seeger,' and I also played music from
series of events all around the world. I was curious, you know, just plain curiosity.

One of our friends, the great Mexican painter Rufino Tamayo, called
10 my husband and I and said "We're driving to Mexico, do you want to go?"

We did. We drove from New York to Mexico and it changed my life.

l. Woody Guthrie; Leadbelly; Pete Seeger: American folksingers and composers.

!:i::=t' j.::=:ii--:::i.li:..'ri,rr
iaall!, ar:.llriri ! rliiiili

916 uNrr 8: FACTS AND TNFoRMATToN

n So\qllslYua'u.{-s

What do the details
in this photograph
suggest about Henrietta
Yurchenco's interests
and personalityT

s FACT AN* CIplFli#N
Yurchenco states that
the Library of Congress
offered money and
equipment to the
lnter-American lndian
lnstitute to record tribes
in Mexico. ls this a fact
or an opinion? Explain.
remote lr'i-mor't adj.
located far away

TNTERVTE\r vITH A soNGCATCHEa 917

o TNTERV|EW

Reread lines 33-35. What
do they reveal about
Yu rchenco's persona Iity?

tr FACT AND CPINION

Reread lines 36-37.

What might you do to
verify these statements

as facts?
primitive (prYm'Y-tYv)
adj. of or relating to a
nonindustrial, often
tribal, culture

918 uNrt- 8: FACTS AND TNFoRMATToN

music and dance at that time among t4 different tribes. After some of informant (Yn-f6r' ment)
the recordings these people died and the younger people did not really n. one who gives
learn the stuff. . . . information

People in the field have to be very careful because they're told things but FACT AND OPINION
shouldn't believe them. You have to look behind the words. lnformants What two opinions does
might tellyou what you want to hear, or not tell you something that the
i0 community won't want you to hear. 5o you have to be very careful, and Yu rchenco express a bout
reallyobserve.... the Yaquis? Tell what
words led you to this
How are you able to do that as afi outsfder with a lat conclusion.

of recording equipment?

First of all it was easy because, as yolr've no doubt noticed, l'm a woman.
So l'm not threatening and they did not regard a woman as threatening.
Secondly,l never asked direct questions. Anthropologists5 go into the
field with questions. I didn't, ljust went with hugs and kisses and asked
"Willyou please sing for me?" When you ask about music it means,"She's
interested, she likes me, she respects me." And l've never met a people
(,0 who didn't respond to that.

The Yaquis,6 for example, who were known as a very warlike tribe,
were absolutely marvelous. They were poets; their stuff was gorgeous.
I said to the chieftain, "l want to get the words for all these songs"; he
said, "We'll come together before you leave and we'll write it all down
so you get it right." Well, the entire tribe came to this little community
center, babies, women, grandparents, everyone. We sweltered in there,
it was too degrees, but we got it all down. @

You had to be a good listener. I've sat on many, many a porch with
women of all kinds and colors and just asked "So what happened after that?"

rc Was the lack of a cammon lan$ua$e a problem?

I never found that there was a distance between them and me because I
didn't understand their language. To this day I travel to one area of Mexico
that has a rich musical heritage. l've been going there sincetg4z,and the

anthropologists (5n'thre-p6 'e-jists): scientists who study the origin, behavior, and cultural
development of humans.
Yaquis (yii'kes): a native people of Sonora, Mexico, who settled mainly along the Yaqui River.

TNTERVTEw wTTH A SoNGCATCHEn 919

s ,: t+llr ii irll rrt ::.:-..iLl l,,t,.!,,,1

al; *

-: .::i: tt- i:'..::

composer (kem-po'zer) wife of the main lndia n composer there doesn't speak Spanish. Every time
n. one who creates she sees me we just hug, and she kisses me and cries. They know whether
musical pieces you respect them and you don't need words. @

o INTERVIEW It's better to use music than bombs to win friendships. When we
What does this response were in MoroccoT the last time most of the Jews had left for other
to the question reveal countries. We were sitting in Tangier8 in a cafe, and a little ensemble
about Yurchenco's 80 was playing Arabic music. lwent up to them and I said,"We are
approach to her work? musicians from New York." They got up, gave us hugs and kisses, and
said, "Please sit down and we'll play for you." lt's a wonderful bond.
i COMMONCORE Rr e There's nothing more emotionalthan the arts and music. @
E FACT AND
Ihere's a vaice to be heard through that emation as wetl?
OPINION
Statements of opinion The song to me is the basic human expression. lt tells you things, or
often contain signal avoids telling you things, or disguises things, but you have to look at
words that suggest a what it means.
personaljudgment,
There's so much study of folk music and typically there's not much
such as good, bad, best, study of the words. lt's like going to the opera for many people, and they
or worst. Reread the qo don't have the ghost of an idea what it's about. They just hear the music.
But if that's what the composer had meant he would have just written,
first sentence in this you know, "BIah, blah, blah." Music itself tells you things but so do the
paragraph, a nd identify words. You have to look at the meaning. . . .
whether it expresses
a fact or an opinion. Yau've always been attuned to the politieal aspect
Explain your answer. of music as well.

Language Coach l'm concerned with more than music. l'm concerned with the society,
with the people morethan anything. When lhear popular music lhave
lnformal Language to consider the social and political things that are going on in order to
Most interviews understand it. lt's the same with any music around the world, but that
contain informal roo fact is very often neglected.
language because they
capture the subject's l'm not a romantic; l'm political. These romantics say"We must
conversational style. preserve the precious culture." But at the cost of poverty and ignorance?
Which words or phrases ls that what you want? That's what it means. Life changes, and with
in lines 84-roo are modern communications, roads, and infrastructure a lot of things will
examples of informal
la nguage? 7. Morocco (me rdk'o): a country in northwest Africa. lt has coastlines on the Mediterranean
Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.

Tangier (tEn-jir'): a northern Moroccan city.

92O uNr,r 8: FACTs AND TNFoRMATToN

B tC".' ,'-*, @l r!..#

disappear, of course. But maybe people's lives will be better-l don't just intimate (in'to-mIt) adJ.
relating to one's deePest
talk about music as if it were surrounded by a moate or something'
n atu re
Why is the work of field recardinss impottant, and why is it
importantfopreserveanddistributetheseyoicesofthepast G FACT p,ND OplE\,ll*ru
Find one fact and
LOO-odd Years? one opinion in this
paragraPh. How were
Lro lt,s our history. we have a written history. There are books for political you able to identifY each?
history,the formation of nations, political and social struggles. But music
isoneofthemostintimateexpressions.Throughmusicyoubecome . rl?lIfii,"
knowledgeable of the intimate aspects of life that aren't told in books'
lt,s important because the people themselves tellyou;it,s not someone,s What can you infer from
interpretation. History books are written by the victors, but songs are this photo about the
the people's own words and melodies. That's what makes music a very way Yurchenco relates to
powerful tool to understand people' ffi the people she meets?

9. moat (mot): a water-filled ditch that surrounds and protects a castle' fortress' or town'

:

mml

$;

TNTERVIEv \qITH A soNGCATCHEn 921

Comprehension i COMMONCORE
l. Recatl How did Henrietta Yurchenco begin recording tribal music?
Rl 4 Determine the meaning of
2. Clarify Why does Yurchenco think music can tell more about a culture than
words as they are used in a text,
history books? including connotative meanings.

3. Summarize Reread lines 7o-83. How is Yurchenco able to communicate with Rl 9 ldentify matters offact or
people who don't speak her language?
interpretation. Rl 1O Read and
comprehend literary nonfiction.

Text Analysis

4. Describe a Songcatcher What type of person is Henrietta Yurchenco? Using

a chart like the one shown, write three adjectives that describe Yurchenco's
personality. Expand your chart using one statement from the interview that
su pports each adjective.

o5. Analyze an Interview Reread Handwerk's questions to Yurchenco.

What do these questions tell you about hls interest in or prior knowledge
of songcatching?

te. ldentify Fact and Opinion Look back at the facts and opinions you recorded as

you read, Then exchange your list with a partner. Does he or she agree with
you about which statements are facts and which are opinions?

Oz. Evaluate an lnterview Look again at the questions Handwerk asked

Yurchenco. Were they good choices? Why or why not? lf you were to
continue the interview, what are another two questions you would ask?

Extension and Challenge

8. Creative Project: Music lmagine that Henrrietta Yurchenco came to your
class. What music wou ld you play for her to let her know what it's like to be a
student your age in the United States today? With a group, come up with a list
of five songs. They can be songs written by recording artists, or songs written

by one or all of you. Next to each song, explain why you chose it.

ltlhat d,oes MUSIC say about us?

Co back to the anticipation guide you started before reading. Now, fill in
the 'After Reading" column. Have any of y'our opinions about music
changed after reading this interview? Explain.

922 uNrr 8: FACTS AND TNFoRMATToN

Vocabulary in Context i COMMONCORE
A vocaeuLARY PRAcrrcE
L 5c Distinguish among the
Show that you understand the boldfaced vocabulary words by telling connotations of words with
whether each statement is true or false. similar denotations.

1. A remote village is far away from other communities. Go to thinkcentral.com.
2. A composer is someone who writes plays.
3. Most European cultures are primitive. KEYWORD: HMLS-923
4. An informant is the same as a liar.
5. Most people share intimate details about their lives with no one but

family members and friends.
6. A circumstance is a person who bosses others around.

ACADEMIC VOCABUTARY IN WRITING

. challenge . communicate . design . job . method

How did Henrietta Yurchenco go about recording the music of ethnic
groups in remote places? Write a paragraph about her methods. Try to
use at least one of the Academic Vocabulary words in your resPonse.

VOCAB U IARY STRATEGV: DE NOTATIO N AN D CO N N OTATI ON
A word's denotation is the basic definition found in a dictionary. lts
connotation is a feeling or attitude linked with that word. Connotations
can influence the meaning a word conveys. For example, the vocabulary
word primitive means "of or relating to a nonindustrial, often tribal,
culture." But the word has also come to mean "unsophisticatedl'or
"crude." Recognizing connotations can help you understand the opinions
of the peopleyou read about. lf you are unsure of a word's connotation,
look for context clues in the surrounding words and sentences, or consult

a dictionary.

PRACTICE Replace each boldfaced word with another word with a similar
meaning, but a negative connotation.

l. Marcus's dog is overweight because the family feeds it too much.

2. Even after she left the room, Lia's perfume left an odd scent in the air.
3. The elderly woman moved slowly as she crossed the street.
4. Michael is so clever. He always gets his way.
5. I can't be friends with Cynthia. Her attitude is unpleasant.

INTERvTEv'\TITH A SoNccATCHEn 923

Before Reading

Kabul's Singing Sensation

Magazine Article by Tim McCirk

wrcffi sry wry SING?

i COMMONCORE Think about the last time you sang. Was it at a birthd ay party? during
choir practice? on the street with a group of friends? Whether it's to
Rl 2 Determineacentral celebrate, lift someone's spirits, or express joy, almost everyone belts out
idea of a text and analyze its a tune at some point or another. ln the article you're about to read, you'll
meet a boy whose singing helps relieve the suffering of his country.
development over the course
of the text, including its WEB lT People sing for a variety of reasson5. lountu,+o,) {*r,iQ
relationship to supporting ideas; Fill in a web like the one shown with pllaces
provide an objective summary of /n"oron, fit
and events where people sing or hear
the text. Rl 5 Analyze in detail singing. What do you think is the most -Q'"i)-Singiag _,
the role of particular sentences common reason to sing?
in developing and refining a key ?-,,D
concept. Rl 5 Determine an
author's point of view or purpose
in a text.

lf,o ru"rrah
.-_ stuara

t:,:.'.Y

!.....'.'...j$

f.i\

."'..'.)6*

O rexr ANALYsIs: AUTHoR's punPosr Tim McGirk

An author's purpose is what the writer hopes to achieve in a born r95z
particular work. For example, the title of Tim McGirk's article
suggests that he wants to inform you about a human interest Danger and Determination
story. ln addition to providing information, writers may seek to Reporters who travel to dangerous areas
persuade, to express ideas or feelings, or to entertain. Often a often have to make difficult decisions.
piece of writing will have more than one purpose. How bold or how careful should they be
in order to get information? Tim McGirk,
As you read "Kabul's Singing Sensation," look for clues about a reporterfor Time magazine, has had to
the author's purpose in the tone of his writing and in his choice answer this question himself. ln 2oo1,
of words and details. McCirk had to decide whether to visit
an island in the Philippines where rebels
! ReaolruG SKItt: IDENTIFY MAIN IDEAS AND DETAItS held kidnapped tourists and journalists
and sometimes killed them. Because
Nonfiction writers usually organize their writing around main ofthe dangers involved, he chose not
ideas, or central ideas, which are the most important ideas to go. However, since t976, McGirk has
they want to share about a topic. Sometimes these main covered his share of difficult assignments,
ideas are stated directly, often at the beginning of a section including reporting on the people and
or paragraph. Other times they may merely be implied, or situations in Latin America and in war-
suggested. Supporting details, such as facts or examples, torn areas of the Middle East.
help to illustrate main ideas.
BACKGROUND TO THE ARTICTE
The article you are about to read contains several main ideas
supported by details. Use an outline like the one shown to Turbulent Times
record supporting details for each main idea. The late zoth century sawyears ofcivil
unrest in Afghanistan, a landlocked
). Mirwais Najra.bi ls a talented qoung Afghan singer country in southern Asia. The Taliban,
a violent Muslim extremist group,
A.
captured control ofthe country in
b. : the r99os. The group imposed strict

)). Mirwais and his fauilq have suffered hardshrp. rules on the Afghan people, based on
its extreme interpretation of lslam.
A, i. Under the Taliban's rule, Afghan girls
t:. lost their right to an education, art and
sports were outlawed, and even music
b ,l was banned. Those who violated the
ll Taliban's rules were often brutally
punished. The Taliban fell out of power
..,.,4.,,.,...,.., r.'t ] after a zoot invasion by the United States
and its allies. A new government was
A vocaeuIARY rN coNTExr created,and people in certain parts of

Tim McCirk uses the following words to describe the challenges the country again enjoyed some ofthe
faced by a young musician. How many words do you know?
Make a chart like the one shown, putting each vocabulary word freedoms they had missed for years.
in the appropriate column.

WORD edict immaculate transcendent
Ll ST exile puritanical virtuoso

ln your Reader/Writer Notebook, write a sentence for each of
the vocabulary words. Use a dictionary or the definitions in the
following selection pages to help you.

ft.
(;p Complete the activities in your Reader/Writer Notebook.

o"$|li3r",

This photograph shows
Mirwais Najrabi singing
at a wedding in Kabul,
Afghanistan. How
would you describe the
expression on his face?

926 urvr:r 8: FACTS AND TNFoRMATToN

}INgIae ltubwtbt

TIM MCGIRK

ffi t s midnight, long past bedtime for most children. But in a poor, transcendent
ffi *ar-rarraged neighborhood of Kabul,r more than 300 men are gathered (tr5n-s6n'denI\ adj. being
above the material world
at a weddingparry to listen to the singing of Mirwais Najrabi, a pale,
o AUTHOR's
chestnut-haired 13-year-old. He performs in an open courtyard, under PURPOSE
Reread lines r-8. What
the night sky, to an audience that has endured so much suffering and words and phrases
suggest that one ofthe
grief over years of oppression, war, and mayhem. Yet for this brief, author's purposes is to
transcendent moment, their burden is lifted by the exquisite purity express sympathy for
the people of Kabul?
of the boyt voice. @

\7ith his jaunty, Bolllwood-style2 haircut and white embroidered

tunic, Mirwais looks as though he would warble like a pretty songbird,
but his singing is forceful and worldly, as if he has already seen it all.

And he has. Tonight, he croons folksongs of impossible love, betrayal, and
heroism that flow from the depths ofAfghanistan's tragic history. . . . Tho
men leap up to dance, circling each other like angry cobras. They turn
aggressive and are pulled apart. . . . tW4ren performances get wild, says

Mirwais, he tells himselfl "I must not be scared, never."

1. Kabul {kd' bo-ol ) : Afgha n ista n's ca pita I city.

2. Bollywood (b6l'6-wo-od'): the lndian film industry. The name combines the names Hollywood

(center of the U.S. f ilm industry) and Bombay (lhe former name for Mu m bai, a large lndia n city).

irsie.g*ri]r3*:*!{i..!, ,,*,jjr*i*.rri*:5s,!J+a+r{:?e..{r.49,at ,rr{rrl}@a1aaryr3-lst9r.8tria&d@s}tr!

r.rsur's sINGING sENSATIoN 927

\ uzBExrsTAil

\t.

r,.. rlfill051All

exile (6k'sil') n. enforced Note that Afghanistan is a mountainous country.
removal from one's
native country The soulful melancholy in Mirwais's voice is the product of hard times.
He may be only 13, but he has already suffered greatly, and this, he says,
o MA|N IDEAS may have helped him capture the anguish that many Afghans have endured
What details help
you understand the zo in the Last25 years of scorching bamle and exile. "l sing what I feel," he
difficultles Mirwais has
faced? Add these details says with a child's simplicity. His father was a famous musician who died
to your outline. when Mirwais was only five years old. The family had the misfortune of
living in the Char-Deh neighborhood of Kabul on the front line between
puritanical fwo warring commanders; as mortars and rockets exploded around them,
( pyo'o r-Y-tE n'i -kel) a dj. Mirwais and his brothers risked their lives every day just to draw water
strictly observant of
religious practices; from a communal well.6
sternly moral
Boy vocalists, long a part of Afghan tradition, were once silenced
edict (5'dYkt') n. completely by the puritanical Thliban regime, which regarded song
a command from those as un-Islamic and had many musicians arrested and beaten. \X/hen
in power ao the Thliban seized power, one of their first edicts was to ban music.
They ransacked the Afghan Radio and Television station, decorating
nearby trees and rosebushes with streamers of ripped-out audiotape.
(Brave technicians, however, sealed thousands of Afghan records and
tapes behind a false wall at the studio, which the Thliban never found.)

"\7e were afraid that the tliban would kill us," recalls Mirwais's older

928 uNIr 8: FACTs AND TNFoRMATToN

fl

brother Nur-ul-Haq, a tabla3 player who says dozens of artists were Fl

l,l
lit

beaten in public byTaliban zealots. So the family buried their musical

instruments under a chicken coop in the garden. Another brother left

to sell flowers in Iran, while Nur-ul-Haq hawked carpets in Pakistan. i. il

ao Mirwais, who was just five years old when the Taliban took over, stayed

in Kabul with his mother. @ E MArN |DEAS
As a toddler, Mirwais showed no interest in music. It wasnt until he How did the Taliban
enforce the ban on
was six, a year after his fathert death, that anyone even heard him sing. music? Note the details
According to Nur-ul-Haq, Mirwais had never hummed or whistled until that helped you answer
the day when he climbed a pomegranate tree in the garden and sang to this question.
his mother. His voice was a revelation. She immediately apprenticed him

to a music teacher, Ustaad Amin JanMazari, who listened to him and
took him on for free. In the South Asian radition of gurus and disciples,a
Mirwais lived with his teacher "like a son," recalls Mazari. He did

ro household chores and spent hours each day practicing the broad range

of vocal scales found in classical Afghan music. Mirwais came to revere

his master. Today, when they meet, the boyt face glows, and he bows to

touch his teachert feet. "He has good talent," says Mazari, "and, by the

kindness of Allah, when Mirwais is 40 years old or so, with practice, he virtuoso (v0r'choo-o'so) n.
a musician with excellent
will become great." abilities, techniques, and/
or an attractive personal
. . . After the tliban were defeated, singers began wandering back style

from exile in Europe and the U.S. to a tumultuous welcome, and
Kabul's virtuosos unearthed the instruments they buried in their

gardens. Songs now blast from Kabul shops, and more than a dozen

eo radio stations flourish around the country. Mirwais, one of the first to o MAIN |DEAS
Reread lines 56-65.
sing in public after theTaliban's ouster,5 is at the front of this revival. How did Kabul change
with the Taliban out
Despite his youth, he recognizes the enormity of the change. In the
old days, he says, "If the Thliban caught me, they would have shaved of power? Add these
details to your outline.
my head. And only Allah knows what other punishments I would

have faced." g

Remaining a singer until adulthood may be a challenge. Already,

Mirwais works punishing hours, often singing until 3:00 e.r'l. and then

rising late to ride his bicycle-whose handlebars have sprouted a bouquet

of artificial flowers-to a dirt-floor schoolhouse that has no doors or

zo windows to ward off the icy winter winds. Mirwais sits there with other
drably uniformed boys, a bright kid with a sad smile. The schoolyard is

full of toughs, and he knows better than to show off his one luxury, a new o AUTHOR'S
cell phone in which het stored dozens of jangling tunes. @ PURPOSE

Which details in this

3. tabla ltd'bla): a small hand drum of northern lndia. paragraph inform you
about what schools are
4. gurus and disciples (go-o-ro-62', dj-si'pels): spiritual or religious teachers and their students, like in Kabul?
who respect them very much.

ouster (ous'ter): the state of being ejected or forced out.

KABI]L-S SINGING SENSATION

4"t *rydr$st:$,itl+H lid Young artists like Mirwais have several advantages over their older rivals.
The . . . clariry of their voices blends harmoniously with the Afghan rabab,
ii_:."j t.iEi-: p; an ancient, 19-stringed instrument that is a cross between a sitar and a
mandolin.6 And because he is still a boy, Mirwais is allowed at weddings to
Notice that in line 77 the sing for both men and women, whose parties are strictly segregated. This
adverbial clause'And will last until Mirwais turns 15 and is considered a man, no longer to be
because he is still aboy" so trusted around unveiled women.T@
is separated by a comma
from the independent Among the boy singers, Mirwais is tops, though he has a l4-year-old
clause that follows it. rival, tVali Fateh AIi Khan, a favorite of former l{tngZahir Shah. But among
the common folk, Mirwais is considered the best. He and his three-piece
immaculate (Y-mEk'ye- band-a tabla drummer and rabab and harmonium8 players-were booked
l\tl adj. spotless; very every night during the three-month wedding season prior to the holy month
clean of Ramadan, when the parrying stops. His crowning achievement came last
September, when he won a famous singing contest at Kabult Park Cinema.
o AUTHOR',S That day, Mirwais appeared in an immaculate white suit, handling the
PURPOSE audience with the casual manner of a mite-sized Sinatra.e His performance
What feelings does the qo blew the other contestants off the stage. @
author express in lines
8r-9o? 6. sitar (sitdr'); mandolin (mEn'de-lin'): two guitarlike string instruments.
7. unveiled women: Some Muslims (followers of lslam) believe that women should wear veils

to hide themselves from all men except close family members.

8. harmonium (har-mo'ne-em): an organlike keyboard instrument.
9. Sinatra (se-nd'tre): Frank Sinatra (r915-r998). American singer and actor known for his

beautiful voice.

Mirwais practices with his music teacher. iJstaad Mazari (center)
930 uurr 8: FACTS AND TNFoRMATToN