Verb Moods
What verb mood is shown in the following statement?
He was running for the bus in the rain.
Indicative Mood
In paragraph 1, the word sunblasted is used to describe the land. How does this word help you understand what it is like for Old Musoni to farm his land?
The word sunblasted helps me understand that it is difficult for Old Musoni to farm his land because the soil is very dry and probably does not support a good harvest.
In paragraph 15, the author writes, "What do you know of the false honey bird that leads you the whole day through the forest to a snake's nest?" This shows what Nhamo's father is thinking. What does this figurative language actually mean?
There are people out there that may lie and try to cheat you. They may lead you right to destruction without you even realizing it. People in this world can be ungracious and cruel.
Think about the meaning of the italicized word or phrase, and then answer the question:
Your friend tries explaining how a TV words like you were a three-year-old. Would this make you feel patronized? Explain.
Yes, it would make me feel patronized because my friend would be treating me like I was less than or acting like I wasn't able to understand as easily as he/she could.
From which point of view of "The Setting Sun and the Rolling World" is the story told? How do you know?
"The Setting Sun and the Rolling World" is told from the third-person omniscient point of view. Throughout, the narrator refers to "he" and "they" when speaking about the characters and what they feel and think. Both characters' thoughts and feelings are shown in the text.
Rewrite the following sentence so it is in the Imperative Verb Mood.
I suggest that she play the guitar.
Play the guitar.
In the opening paragraph, what can you infer about the identity of the "white speck whose sound had disturbed" Old Musoni's work? AND What does your inference suggest about Old Musoni?
The white speck is an airplane. My inferences suggests that Old Musoni is not comfortable with the modern world and its technologies.
When describing the father and son's discussion, at the end of paragraph 26 the author writes "Mere thoughts. Mere words. And what are words? Trying to grow a fruit tree in the wilderness."
What figurative language is used in this example?
What 2 things are being compared?
What does this mean?
The figurative language used here is a metaphor. Words are being compared to someone trying to grow a fruit tree in a wilderness.
A wilderness is a rough, uninhabited or neglected region. It's a barren or empty area. A fruit tree needs full sun to thrive along with fertile soil and water. In a wilderness, a fruit tree would struggle to survive. The author is trying to explain that words sometimes go nowhere, just like a fruit tree wouldn't thrive in the wilderness.
Think about the meaning of the italicized word or phrase, and then answer the question:
Malcolm had to leave the play before it ended because of family obligations at home. Do you think Malcolm is leaving because he was bored and wanted to do something else?
No, Malcolm is not leaving because he is bored. He is leaving because he has responsibilities or prior engagements elsewhere, which he must live up to.
If the story had been written from a different point of view, which character would have been the narrator and how would that have changed the story?
If the story had been written in the first-person point of view through the voice of Old Musoni, the reader would have only heard one side of his perspective that his son will fail. The story would have been biased.
What verb mood is shown in the following statement?
If she were a dog, she would be a spaniel.
Subjunctive Mood
Think about the dialogue in the text. What decision by the son does the dialogue make clear? What does this dialogue reveal about the son's personality?
Throughout the story, the dialogue makes clear that the son has decided to leave the farm and cannot be made to change his mind. This dialogue reveals that he is someone who relies on his own judgment and has confidence in his abilities. It also shows that, despite his differences with his father, he treats him with respect.
What does Old Musoni mean when he says to his son, "...where do you think you are going, a mere beardless kid with the milk not yet dry on your baby nose?"
Old Musoni is expressing that he thinks his son is too young (practically a baby still needing his mother to feed him) and inexperienced to go out into the world on his own. Old Musoni is trying to convince his son to stay.
Think about the meaning of the italicized word or phrase, and then answer the question:
If an athlete has nothing wrong with her physically but cannot perform up to her standards, would her problems be psychological?
Yes, it could be true that she has a psychological issue to work through. An athlete's mental health can have dramatic effects on his or her ability to perform physically.
What effect does the point of view have on the overall story?
The third-person point of view allows readers to "hear" and understand the point of view of both Old Musoni and Nhamo. It allows readers to make their own decision as to what will be Nhamo's fate.
What verb mood is shown in the following statement?
If you don't brush your teeth, you will get cavities.
Conditional Mood
How does the video we watched about the Zimbabwean Woman help you understand more about life in a rural village like the one where Nhamo lived?
The woman featured in the video lives a very hard life without the comforts of western countries. She breaks rocks for a living and is paid very little. She can't afford to send her children to school. Nhamo, the young man in the story, wants to leave his father in a rural area and make a life for himself. This video shows that his life could become vastly different from what he knows.
Explain the meaning of the figurative language in the title "The Setting Sun and the Rolling World."
The setting sun is a figurative way of talking about Old Musoni and the poor future for farmers due to bad soil and drought in that area. The rolling world refers to the busy economy of the outside world that draws his son away.
Select the correct word to complete each of the following 4 sentences.
1.) I feel a sense of purpose listening to others' problems and helping them figure out what's going on; I think I may study (psychology/physics).
2.) I went to see a (psychotherapist/ parapsychologist) to help me cope with my grandmother's death.
3.) I would love to learn how humans process language! Maybe I'll be a (psycholinguist/pathologist).
4.) I had to call a (paramedic/parapsychologist) to help deal with the ghost in the house.
1.) psychology
2.) psychotherapist
3.) psycholinguist
4.) parapsychologist
How does the narrator develop the points of view of the two characters throughout the story?
The narrator develops the two characters' points of view through dialogue. The dialogue shows how the characters are living in the same place but are from two different generations with different traditions and emotions.