2. User Friendly by T. Ernesto Bethancourt Introducing the Selection Literary Focus: Discovering Theme Reading Skills: Recognizing Causes and Effects Feature Menu

3. User Friendly by T. Ernesto Bethancourt

4. Friends come in all shapes and sizes. In this story, Kevin turns to an unusual friend to help him with a problem. His friend is Louis, his computer! User Friendly by T. Ernesto Bethancourt

5. [End of Section] When are you going to get me my voice module, Kevin? Repeat last message. I mean, are you going to get me a voice box? User Friendly by T. Ernesto Bethancourt

6. User Friendly Literary Focus: Discovering Theme As you read “User Friendly,” you will be asked to find the story’s theme—a truth about life that the story demonstrates. You discover theme by thinking not just about what happens in the story, but what the story means. This story shows me that life requires change.

7. User Friendly Literary Focus: Discovering Theme One way to find a story’s theme is to analyze the characters. As you read, ask yourself these questions: What important comments do the characters make? What situations do they face? What do they learn by the end of the story?

8. User Friendly Literary Focus: Discovering Theme Another way to find a story’s theme is to think about the title and what it might mean. To analyze the title, ask yourself questions like “What is the literal meaning of the title?” and “What related subjects come to mind?”

9. User Friendly Literary Focus: Discovering Theme Here’s one more tip to help you discover a story’s theme: Look for key passages that seem to make important statements about life. Ambition often has a price. Friendships have their ups and downs. Accepting responsibilit y is difficult. [End of Section]