READING ASSIGNMENT — B1+ CYCLES

4. What can you CONCLUDE from the texts in pages 84-86?

Name: ______________________________
A Joaquin’s mother cheated on Calixto with Eladio and Calixto didn’t mind.
B Don Eladio had an affair with Joaquin’s mother and Calixto told Sponge Mouth about it.
C Don Eladio had an affair with Joaquin’s mother and Joaquin killed him in revenge.

5. What can you IMPLY from the following lines?

“Suddenly Joaquin’s fury came back like a storm.”

“Something had caught Joaquin’s attention. A huge hound stared at him as his anger subsided.”

A Joaquin’s psychotic. He loses touch with reality, displays mood swings and believes
things that aren't real.

B Joaquin’s got PTSD. He’s involuntarily reliving the traumatic events he experienced
inside the bus in the form of distressing images.

C Joaquin’s simply neurotic. He has little natural buffer against stress and he’s irritated
with Sponge Mouth’s constant teasing.

II. Write a short paragraph (100-150 words) about ONE of the following topics. (5 marks)

1. Submissiveness to violence
Why do you suppose Benjamin Jr. or Doña Carmen do not
lift a finger to save their loved ones? Think what your
reaction would be and conduct some extra research! Say
how Benjamin Jr. is different from other main characters in
war literature or films.

I. Read chapters 4-6 and answer the questions. Circle A, B or C. (5 marks) 2. Mental health
Conduct some research on mental health issues such as psy-
1. In the line “His death was believed to be suicide by cop. Whether it was true or not, chosis, PTSD, neurosis, dissociative disorder or delusions
Joaquin was only 28 when he saw his father being blown to pieces.”
What does the expression “Whether it was true or not” IMPLY? of grandeur and try to diagnose Joaquin. Is the beastly crea-
ture in the woods a supernatural entity? Or a representa-
A Joaquin was oblivious about what happened to his father. tion of Joaquin’s past trauma and built-up anger? Can the
B Joaquin consciously chose to ignore his suspicions on his father’s death. black hound be his father, maybe?
C Joaquin was suspicious of his father’s death but determined to find proof.

2. Which of the following DOES NOT serve to exemplify Benjamin’s family’s saying, 3. The bus shooting
“Nothing’s like it used to be”?
Chapter 5 is loosely based on the La Rochela massacre. In
A The fact Doña Carmen was nervous after finding out she was pregnant. 1989, 12 government officials, who were investigating
B The fact news about deaths were not really new for Santa Rosa’s townspeople. crimes committed in Simacota, Santander, were rounded
C The fact Benjamin Jr. could remember the details of each death that occurred in town.
up inside their vehicles by a group of gunmen and DE-
LIBERATELY killed. Conduct some extra research and
3. Which of these characters triggered the series of events that finished Benjamin Sr.’s life? say how the fictional bus shooting is different from the
real one.
A Sponge Mouth.
B Doña Carmen.
C Himself.