A concoction is a mixture of various ingredients or elements. Guess what these words mean based on how they are used in context. Once you have made your guess, look the word up to see if you are correct! 1. The witch combined all kinds of weird ingredients to create a concoction that would make her beautiful. 2. The lead saxophonist in the jazz band is a teen virtuoso who has been playing for only two years. A concoction is a mixture of various ingredients or elements. A virtuoso is a person highly skilled in music or another artistic pursuit. © Presto Plans

Please get out your annotations and Informational Text Breakdown packet to be stamped.

We will now be taking a closer look at the article and answering questions. Answer questions #1-6 on a separate sheet of lined paper in complete sentences. Assignment

By making this phrase into a proper noun, Kingsolver is trying to emphasize the importance we’ve mistakenly given to tradition. If we give a revered weight to the way things have been in the past, we are less likely to look forward to and embrace the future. With the evolution of the modern family, Kingsolver argues that the old way (the traditional family structure) is not the only way, or maybe not even the best way, to build a sense of family. 1. Early in the article, Kingsolver capitalizes the “Way It Has Always Been.” Why does she turn this phrase into a proper noun? What is her point

“Particolored” means consisting of two or more colors. When we think of modern families, there is certainly more blending of families and ethnicities than there ever has been before. In my circle of family and friends, many people have children of a mixed lineage; for example, my cousin is half-Mexican and half-Irish. She is a blend of those two cultures and it is kind of a party (parti?) atmosphere whenever I visit her house. So, yes, this is an appropriate adjective. 2. What does “particolored” mean? (You may use a dictionary.) Is this an appropriate adjective for a discussion about modern family life? Why or why not?

The problem with these fairy tale romances is that they all end at the wedding instead of giving advice about how to build a strong marriage. A wedding is not the end of the story; it’s just the beginning. Unfortunately, too many little girls believe the story of Prince Charming, who will arrive and solve all of her problems. In real life, though, this isn’t how it works. In real life, it takes a lot more to build one’s happily ever after. 3. According to Kingsolver, what’s wrong with fairy tale love stories (i.e. meeting Prince Charming, falling in love, and living happily ever after)?

These are sprinkled throughout the article. Three examples include “family fortune” (p. 1), “slapdash substitute” (p. 1), and “fifties families” (p. 3). 4. Throughout the article, Kingsolver uses several alliterative phrases. Write down two of these phrases.

First, our modern world encourages the idea of marrying for love instead of for practical issues of survival. Today, we think of arranged marriages as something from a third world country or something that a prince would do to unify his nation with another. Love, though, is much more complicated and more difficult to maintain than a simple business contract. Second, women now have careers and far more financial independence than ever before in the history of the world. Therefore, they are less likely to be financially trapped in a bad relationship. Third, people are living longer and some divorces happen as people age and grow apart. The irony is that all three of these things are good for people (freedom of choice to love, financial freedom, and health), but bad for the stability of marriage as institution. 5. In your own words, explain at least three reasons that sociologists have given to explain the increasing dissolution of the traditional family. According to Kingsolver, what’s ironic about this?

Your answers will vary. 6. Choose and write down one sentence from the article that best summarizes Kingsolver’s thesis. Do you agree or disagree with her argument? Explain why.

Please make sure your name is on your papers! Please turn into the Basket: Annotations/Information Text Breakdown packet Answers to questions #1-6 Please make sure your name is on your papers!