Allied with green
What is the theme of “Allied with Green”? Give examples of how the author develops the theme.
The main theme of the story is that green spaces are a necessary part of human life. The author develops this theme through examples of the negative impact of development and descriptions of Lucy’s appreciation for green and growing things.
Summarize in a few sentences what the author means by “flow” in video games.
Flow occurs when a person is completely focused on a video game and the player’s actions come automatically.
When the character does something different from what you would expect, ask yourself why the character is doing that.
Contrasts and Contradictions
a habit upon which a person becomes physically or emotionally dependent.
addiction
•inexorable (adj)
[1] (of an eventuality) unpreventable, unstoppable
[2] (of a person) impossible to persuade
What do you know about Lucy’s father? Why does he matter to the story?
Lucy’s father demonstrated against land urban development when he was in college and plants trees today. The information about him helps readers understand how Lucy came to her opinions about environmentalism.
According to the article, how do micro-rewards affect the player’s experience of the game? How are they related to the achievement of long-term goals?
Micro-rewards keep the player focused on the long-term goal by providing satisfaction along the way.
When an older or wiser character gives the main character advice, ask yourself what the lesson might be or how it will affect the character’s life.
Words of the Wiser
you feel very sorry about something that you have done.
remorseful
infer (v)
to conclude from evidence
How do you think the repetition of loved in paragraph 22-25 is meant to affect the reader?
The repetition emphasizes Lucy’s strong feelings about the effort to make things green.
What are two different types of evidence the writer offers to support his discussion of the concept of flow? Which type of evidence do you think is more effective? Explain.
The author provides (1) evidence based on personal experiences and (2) scientific evidence provided by psychologists. Both are effective because one connects readers to the article and the other proves the points in a more objective way.
When a character suddenly figures something out or understands something, ask yourself how that moment might change things.
Aha! Moment
a dividing area between opposing lanes of traffic on a
highway or road.
median
irresolute (adj)
hesitant; showing a lack of certainty or determination
Why do you think the story ends by focusing on this verb? What idea does it leave readers thinking about?
If you tend something, you take care of it. The author’s choice to focus on that idea at the end of the story helps the reader remember the story’s theme.
In paragraph 3, the author introduces the idea of “flow” in order to —
To explain why some video games are better than others
When something is repeated in a book, ask yourself why the author thought it was important enough to repeat.
Again and Again
a place where many trees are grown for educational or
viewing purposes.
arboretum
obstinate (adj)
stubbornly refusing to change one’s position
What is a theme?
A theme is a message about life or human nature. “Show kindness” and “We might not appreciate what we have until it’s gone” are just two of the many themes that stories might convey.
According to the section called CHALLENGE, why do players of video games often give up?
The game contains too much information that is not really important.
When the action is interrupted and the author tells you about a memory, ask yourself why the memory might be important.
Memory Moment
a public notice of a person’s death.
obituary
obdurate (/ˈɑːbdʊr.ɪt/ )
describes a person who refuses to change their mind