UNIT2 - READING 3 "Later, Gator"

"Later, Gator": This story is about Teddy and his younger brother, Bobby. Everybody likes Bobby, which makes Teddy mad. Every time Teddy gives his younger brother a birthday or Christmas present, he gives him something he thinks Bobby won’t like. To Teddy’s surprise, Bobby has liked every gift. This makes Teddy even more annoyed with his younger brother. Bobby’s birthday is coming again, and Teddy’s mother wants him to give Bobby a better present this time. Bobby likes animals, so she tells Teddy to buy his brother a turtle. Teddy has another idea. He thinks a baby alligator is a better gift.

Literary Words

plot: the action that happens in the story

point of view: the position from which the story is told

narrator: the person who tells the story. The narrator can be one of the characters in the story or someone outside the story.

Academic Words

affect = do something that produces a change in someone or something; influence 
➡ Jealousy can affect the way people act. Sometimes, it can change how two people feel  about each another.

author = someone who writes a book, story, article, or play
 ➡ Laurence Yep is the author of Later, Gator. He is the writer of this novel.
 
effect = a result, or a reaction to something or someone
 ➡ Owning a pet can have a good effect on a person. It gives people a sense of responsibility and companionship.
 

perspective = a way of thinking about something that is influenced by the type of person you are or what you do 
➡ From my perspective, dogs are better pets than cats because they are more friendly and loyal. However, my sister has the opposite point of view.

Linguistic Note

False Relatives

Many animal verbs directly derive from the animal noun itself. Point out that the animal noun probably existed first, and over time the nouns were being used as verbs to describe animal-like behavior. For example, a person who squirrels things away is someone who provides for later, just like a squirrel hides food for winter. Point out that there are a few verbs that have the same spelling and pronunciation as an animal noun, yet their meaning is very different. Yak, means talk endlessly, but the animal yak is not that talkative. Batting in baseball is not related to the animal bat. These verbs have a different origin from the seemingly related animal noun. Mention other examples of unrelated verb/noun pairs: tick, sow, seal, and whale. Then contrast them with a few related verb/noun pairs: duck, monkey, worm, and horse.