Questions about the story
Who is this about: "He had a small, frail body. His face was freckled, and he wore spectacles with thick lenses"
Peter Watson
Who are the main characters?
Peter, Raymond, and Ernie
Who is a cygnet?
A cygnet is a young swan
"Then he heard the crack of the rifle and the zip of the bullet as it whistled past his head"
Onomatopoeia ("crack","zip")
What can you say about Raymond?
Raymond is Ernie's best friend. He was tall, slender, and muscular.
Where did the story take place?
In the forest
Synonym for graceful
Elegant
"He was now trussed up like a chicken and completely helpless"
Simile
What was Peter thinking when he was tied to the rails?
Peter watched the blue sky and played a game that his father had taught him. He looked for strange faces in the folds and shadows and billows of a cumulus cloud.
How did the story end?
Peter's mother saw her son fall. She called a doctor and an ambulance. And while she waited, cut the rope that held the two large swan wings in his arms
A bird with a strong beak that hammers into tree trunks to find insects to eat
Woodpecker
"But there's not one person in ten million can learn to do what I do"
Hyperbole
Why did Peter survive under the train?
Because Peter had dug the small hole by his head in the gravel and swung his feet over to one side.
"Mister Watson ‘ere’s got an extra big head" is this direct or indirect characterization?
Direct characterization
Antonym for sensible, reasonable
Ridiculous
"Make yourself useful"
Idiom
Why did Peter decide to jump out of a tree?
For a moment, Peter thought that he could win. The light beckoned to him and jumped.
What were Raymond and Ernie like?
They were qualified hooligans who could do any violent actions, took great pleasure in bullying
Is insulting a positive word?
No, it means rude and offensive
"It was a mallard drake with a curvy spoon-shaped yellow beak and a head of emerald green with a white ring around its neck"
Visual Imagery