My Deparnent Store Nightmare 1 will never forget the first time I got lost in New York City. I was traveling with my parents during summer vacation. We were in an incredibly large department store, and I was so excited. to see such a huge place. Suddenly I turned around to ask my mom something, but she was gone! I began crying and screaming at the top of my lungs. A salesclerk came up o me and asked if 1 was OK. She got on the public address system and notified the customers that alittle boy with blue jeans and a red cap was lost. Two minutes later, my mom and dad came running toward me. ‘We all cried and hugged each other. This story took place over twenty years ago, but every time that I see a department store, lam reminded of that terrified little boy. atthe top of my lungs: very loudly notify: to give information 180 UNIT 10 » Narrative Paragraphs1, What is the topic sentence of this paragraph? 2, Where does the story take place? ‘3. How old do you think the boy was at the time of the story? 4. What is the beginning of the story? (Circle one.) a. He was in a large New York department store. _b. He got separated from his parents. 5. Whatis the middle of the story? (Circle one.) a. He screamed and cried. b, He got separated from his parents, 6. What is the end of the story? (Circle one.) a. His parents found him. b. The size of the store excited him. 7. What is the writer's purpose for writing this paragraph? Narrative Paragraph 2 ‘The following paragraph deals with an embarrassing moment in the writer’ lif. Before you read the paragraph, discuss these questions with your classmates, 1. ‘Think of an embarrassing moment in your life. What happened? What was the result? 2, Imagine that you are a waiter or waitress in a restaurant. What do you think is the most embarrassing thing that could happen to you in this job? Now read the paragraph. What Is a Narrative Paragraph? 181Friday Night Disaster My most embarrassing moment happened when I was working in a Mexican restaurant. I was a hostess working on a busy Friday night. As usual, I was wearing a blouse and a long Mexican skirt, While I was taking some menus to a table, one of the waiters accidentally stepped on the hem of my skirt. This made my skirt come off. However, I did not feel it fall off, and T walked through the whole dining room in my slip. Almost every customer in the restaurant saw me without my skirt on! I was so embarrassed by the event that I had a hard time showing my face there the next day. a disaster: complete failure slips a loose undergarment hat functions 2s ‘hostess: the person who takes youto your table in Ting fora skirt or dress, ‘restaurant show (my, your, etc.) face: to be seen by someone, accidentally: not intentionally or on purpose ‘to show up in public ‘ahem: the sewn edge of clothing 1. What is the topic sentence? 2. Why was the writer embarrassed? __ 3. What is the beginning of the story? (Circle one.) a. She was embarrassed. b. She was working in a restaurant. 4. What is the middle of the story? (Circle one.) a. Her skirt fell off. b. She was working in a restaurant. 5. What is the end of the story? (Circle one.) a, She was embarrassed because the customers _b. She quit her job. saw her without a skirt. 6. What is the writer’s purpose for writing this story? 182: UNIT 10 » Narrative ParagraphsNarrative Paragraph 3 ‘This example narrative paragraph tells about a time in a boy's life when he wes unhappy. He learned an important lesson from his unhappiness. Before you read the paragraph, discuss these questions with your classmates. 1. Think of your best friend. How long have you been best friends? 2, What are the most important qualities in a friend? 3. Have you ever moved away and had to make new friends? Describe the situation. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome this situation? ‘Now read the paragraph. A Lesson in Friendship earned the hard way how to make friends in a new school, At my old school in Toronto, was on the football and track teams, so I was very popular and had lots of friends. Everything changed when I was sixteen years old because my parents decided to move to Florida. Going toa new school was not easy for me, The first few days in my new school were extremely difficult. “The class schedule was different, and the teachers were more informal than in my old school. All the students dressed casually in shorts and T-shirts instead of a school uniform. Some kids tried to be nice to me, but I did not want to talk to them. To me, they looked and acted funny! ‘casually: informally fanny: strange What Is a Narrative Paragraph? 1831, What is the general topic of this paragraph? 2, What is the topic sentence? 3. In your own words, what is the beginning of the story? 4, In your own words, what is the middle of the story? 5. In your own words, what is the end of the story? 184 UNIT 10 © Narrative Paragraphs