1. Apologia
S 黃勤如
S 鄭卉妤

2. Understanding the Writer’s Idea

3. 1. What does Lopez see “a few miles east of the home in Cascades”
1. What does Lopez see “a few miles east of the home in Cascades”? What does he do as a result of what he sees?
raccoons

4. 2. What does he answer the man who asked “why bother?”
Concern
Apology
Respect

5. 3. What happen with a sage sparrow in Idaho?
It hit Lopez’s fender and died.
He warily examine the sparrow.

6. The man’s reaction was different than his expectation.
4. How does a man near the tractor react when he sees the writer slow his automobile down suddenly and made a K-turn? What does Lopez fear the man might do? What does he suspect what he does?
The man’s reaction was different than his expectation.

8. 5. What, in fact, does the man do when he sees the nighthawks in Lopez’s hand?
Take it to her wife.

9. He has hit his head in the process.
6. What happens in Wyoming when Lopez tries to avoid hitting a bird? Why is he “nauseated, light-headed”?
Lopez tries to control the skip of his car in the lip of an embankment, but he fails.
He has hit his head in the process.

10. 7. What does he admire about the dead badger in Nebraska
7. What does he admire about the dead badger in Nebraska? the deer in Southwestern Iowa?
Badger: the long claws the perfect set of its teeth in the broken jaw, the ramulose shading of its fur.
Deer: Lopez describes how breathtaking the deer’s body looks.

11. 8. What does the writer’s friend say to him at the end of the journey
8. What does the writer’s friend say to him at the end of the journey? What does he reply?
“Later than we thought you’d be.”
Lopez says he wishes to make amends instead of the lavabo.

12. Understanding the Writer’s Technique

13. Gives lots of experiences Exculpation Explain his conduct
1. What is Lopez thesis? What does the title Apologia mean, and how does it support the thesis?
Gives lots of experiences
Exculpation
Explain his conduct

14. Porcupine look The dismemberment of deer
2. What descriptive details do you find most original or engaging? Identify two or three of the best images, in your opinion?
Porcupine look
The dismemberment of deer

15. 3. Right from the details in the first sentence ”two raccoons sprawled still atone” the writer provides a number of simile and metaphor to help the reader see the scene more clearly. Identify several of them. Which do you find most vivid and original?
In paragraph 2 metaphor. I do not stop to remove each dark blister on the road.

16. 4.1 The writer uses a number of words that have a religious significance, for example penitent(par.8), cloister(par.12), and supplication (par. 14). What other words with religious significance do you find?
Attrition (par.15 line 5)
Transformation(par.21 line10)
Lavabo (par.25)

17. The religion words can make the whole article more serious.
4.2 Why has Lopez chosen these kinds of words? 3 How do they contribute to the purpose of the essay?
The author may want to use such words to give readers solemn and serious feeling.
The religion words can make the whole article more serious.

18. It expresses the author’s respect for them.
5. Lopez is careful to identify very specifically the places that he drives through when he spots animal carcasses on the road. Why does he name the places so painstakingly? What do they contribute to the description?
It expresses the author’s respect for them.
Through describing the place in details, it can make readers tend to concentrate on these matters.

19. 6. Why does Lopez describe with such precision the animal carcasses that he finds? Why is it important for him to try to identify the kind of gull that he hits with his car? (see par. 13)
Trough describing the animal carcasses with many details, it can make readers imagine reality of the scene easily.
It’s his only way to express respect and understanding for the dead animals.