When Breath Becomes Air
Vocabulary
Skills
Short Stories
100

The book opens with Kalanithi...

looking at his CT scans and seeing the presence of cancerous tumors

100

Meaning to be quiet, gentle, and easily imposed on; submissive.

Meek

100

a figure of speech which exaggerates the meaning of a sentence

hyperbole

100

Who is the narrator of The Book Thief

Death

200

The first sign(s) that Kalanithi had contracted cancer was...

unexplained rapid weight loss, agonizing back pain, and bouts of severe chest pain and persistent cough

200

An irregular heartbeat, either too fast (tachycardia) or too slow (bradycardia), disrupting the normal rhythm of the heart.

Arrhythmia

200

When an author utilizes the five senses to engage the reader it's known as...

Descriptive Writing

200

In Civil Peace, what does the phrase "Happy Survival!" mean to most members of the community?

congratulations on surviving the war

300

Even though his life expectancy is low, Paul and Lucy decide to have a baby. Why?

it added dimensions of meaning to their marriage and lives

300

An artificial device that replaces a missing body part.

Prosthetic

300

made up of several factors including setting/location, background, cultures, beliefs, and community.

Cultural Context

300

How does the narrator of the book thief see things?

First colors then humans. 

400

In Part I, Kalanithi claims that growing up he determined to never be a doctor because...

his father was a doctor

400

a person or thing viewed as a perfect example of a particular quality.

Paragon

400

A phrase which bears no literal meaning to the situation but simply implies the story or facts behind it.

Idiom

400

In Those Winter Sundays, what was the author's attitude towards his father?

He didn't appreciate what his father had done for him at the time. 

500

Why did Kalanithi choose neurosurgery?

because it connected the questions of life, death, and meaning more than other specialties

500

the study of diseases and their causes through the examination of bodily tissues and fluids.

Pathology

500

What are the five stages of story structure?

Exposition, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, Resolution
500

What dies the author of Those Winter Sundays recall his father doing in the story?

Waking up early to heat the house

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