Pre-AP English II: Summer Assignment with Links to Discussion Questions

9/26 Update: At this point all responses need to be made on paper. Please submit your COMPLETE (not partial) responses when all 12 questions have been answered.

Sophomores entering Pre-AP II will be expected to complete the following assignment prior to class beginning at the end of August. Estimated weekly commitment: 1 hour.

Following are six pairs of short stories. You are expected to read at least one of them (feel free to read both), and participate in an online discussion. You need to answer two questions for one of each of the short story pairs.

Week 1 (6/4-8): Irony

• The Lottery, Shirley Jackson
  (Listen to an audiofile of "The Lottery" as you read; right-click audiofile link to save file to your computer.)

Check out the discussion board questions for "The Lottery"


• The Open Window, Saki (H.H. Munro)
  (Click the yellow player link on this website to listen to the story as you read; right-click this link to save file to your computer.)

Check out the discussion board questions for "The Open Window"

Week 3 (6/18-22): Coming of Age

• Araby, James Joyce
  (Listen to an audiofile of "Araby" as you read; right-click audiofile link to save file to your computer.)

Check out the discussion board questions for "Araby"


• A&P, John Updike

Check out the discussion board questions for "A&P"

Week 5 (7/2-6): Horror

• Fall of the House of Usher, Edgar Allan Poe (listen here)

Check out the discussion board questions for "Fall of the House of Usher"


• Tell-Tale Heart, Edgar Allan Poe (listen here)
  > Abridged Graphic Novelization Supplement

Check out the discussion board questions for "Tell-Tale Heart"

Week 7 (7/16-20): Prejudice

• Barn Burning, William Faulkner (listen here)

Check out the discussion board questions for "Barn Burning"


• Cathedral, Raymond Carver

Check out the discussion board questions for "Cathedral"

Week 9 (7/30-8/3): Magic Realism

• Very Old Man with Enormous Wings, Gabriel Garcia Marquez (listen here)

Check out the discussion board questions for "Very Old Man with Enormous Wings


• The Monkey’s Paw, W.W. Jacobs (listen here)
  

Check out the discussion board questions for "Monkey's Paw"

Week 11 (8/13-17): Irony (yes, again!)

• The Bet, Anton Chekhov (listen here)

Check out the discussion board questions for "The Bet"


• The Yellow Pill, Rog Phillips

Check out the discussion board questions for "The Yellow Pill"