ALAC - Burke Reading Plots/Themes
1. Who is the author of "Saturday at the Canal"?: Gary Soto
2. Where does "Saturday at the Canal" take place?: California
3. What does Soto complain about his time as a student in "Saturday at the Canal"?: How boring the
experience was
4. When and where is Soto happier in "Saturday at the Canal"?: At the canal with his friend on the weekend
talking about San Francisco
5. What does San Francisco symbolize to Soto and his friend in "Saturday at the Canal"?: A new life/a change
from the boring life he lives and is trapped in
6. What does the flowing water in "Saturday at the Canal" symbolize?: Soto's desire to leave his old life behind
and go to San Francisco
7. How does Soto use pathos in "Saturday at the Canal"?: His emotions and desire to leave and go to San
Francisco
8. How does Soto use imagery in "Saturday at the Canal"?: He tells of the San Francisco postcard and the water
flowing out of the canal
9. Who is the author of "A Personal Prologue"?: Jim Burke
10.Where does "A Personal Prologue" take place?: California
11.How does Burke begin "A Personal Prologue"?: With a letter to Burke's parents from his high school
12.What does the letter in the beginning of "A Personal Prologue" say?: Burke is failing English class and is
ineligible to graduate
13.Where was Burke when his mom yelled at him for the letter in "A Personal Prologue"?: By the pool hanging
out with his friend
14.What does Burke become very good at in "A Personal Prologue"?: Tennis; he becomes ranked among the top
teenagers in California
15.What did tennis do for Burke in "A Personal Prologue"?: It earned him respect from others
16.What was the turning point of Burke's education career in "A Personal Prologue"?: Signing up for the
PSAT
17.What happens when Burke takes the PSAT in "A Personal Prologue"?: He gets sick during the test and is
unable to finish. He then goes to his locker, gets a book, and reads it outside under a tree.
18.What happened after Burke "converted" his education career for the first time in "A Personal Prologue"?:
He "relapsed" and began not caring about school anymore
19. What did Burke serve in during "A Personal Prologue" when he would write to his future wife calling
himself "nice and not too bright"?: The Peace Corps
20.When does Burke say "My mind was something like a balloon that was being stretched for the first time" in
"A Personal Prologue"?: After being inspired to enroll in Community College after watching his friends succeed in
college
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, ALAC - Burke Reading Plots/Themes
21.What did Burke do after Community College in "A Personal Prologue"?: He transferred to a four year college
and majored in economics
22.What did Burke end up becoming in "A Personal Prologue"?: An English teacher at his old high school
23.How does Burke end "A Personal Prologue"?: With the statement "I believe in education"
24.What does the story "A Personal Prologue" describe?: Burke's journey of going from a failing student to a
successful teacher
25.How does Burke establish logos in "A Personal Prologue"?: The letter saying he won't be able to graduate
and his GPA of 1.7
26.What is Burke trying to emphasize in "A Personal Prologue"?: The impor- tance and power of education
27.How does Burke use the rhetorical strategy of Cause and Effect in "A Personal Prologue"?: By showing how
his hard work and dedication in college led him to be successful as a teacher
28.Who is the author of "Coming into Language"?: Jimmy Santiago Baca
29.Where does "Coming into Language" take place?: Mexico
30.Where is Baca working at the beginning of "Coming into Language"?: In a hospital
31.At what age did Baca learn to read in "Coming into Language"?: 17 years old
32.When did Baca drop out of school in "Coming into Language"?: 9th grade
33.What does Baca have trouble with in "Coming into Language"?: Expressing himself
34.What is the first book that Baca finds in his boss' office in the hospital in "Coming into Language"?: "450
Years of Chicano History"
35.Why was Baca arrested the first time in "Coming into Language"?: He was suspected of murder
36.Why was Baca suspected of murder in "Coming into Language"?: He had a large cut on his forearm
37.How did writing help Baca in "Coming into Language"?: It allowed him to free his thoughts
38.Why was Baca arrested the second time in "Coming into Language"?: For suspicion of drug possession
39.How did Baca gain access to reading in prison in "Coming into Lan- guage"?: He stole a guard
textbook and had a grammar book smuggled in
40.Why was Baca moved to death row in "Coming into Language"?: He re- fused to work and couldn't speak
after being in solitary confinement for so long
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1. Who is the author of "Saturday at the Canal"?: Gary Soto
2. Where does "Saturday at the Canal" take place?: California
3. What does Soto complain about his time as a student in "Saturday at the Canal"?: How boring the
experience was
4. When and where is Soto happier in "Saturday at the Canal"?: At the canal with his friend on the weekend
talking about San Francisco
5. What does San Francisco symbolize to Soto and his friend in "Saturday at the Canal"?: A new life/a change
from the boring life he lives and is trapped in
6. What does the flowing water in "Saturday at the Canal" symbolize?: Soto's desire to leave his old life behind
and go to San Francisco
7. How does Soto use pathos in "Saturday at the Canal"?: His emotions and desire to leave and go to San
Francisco
8. How does Soto use imagery in "Saturday at the Canal"?: He tells of the San Francisco postcard and the water
flowing out of the canal
9. Who is the author of "A Personal Prologue"?: Jim Burke
10.Where does "A Personal Prologue" take place?: California
11.How does Burke begin "A Personal Prologue"?: With a letter to Burke's parents from his high school
12.What does the letter in the beginning of "A Personal Prologue" say?: Burke is failing English class and is
ineligible to graduate
13.Where was Burke when his mom yelled at him for the letter in "A Personal Prologue"?: By the pool hanging
out with his friend
14.What does Burke become very good at in "A Personal Prologue"?: Tennis; he becomes ranked among the top
teenagers in California
15.What did tennis do for Burke in "A Personal Prologue"?: It earned him respect from others
16.What was the turning point of Burke's education career in "A Personal Prologue"?: Signing up for the
PSAT
17.What happens when Burke takes the PSAT in "A Personal Prologue"?: He gets sick during the test and is
unable to finish. He then goes to his locker, gets a book, and reads it outside under a tree.
18.What happened after Burke "converted" his education career for the first time in "A Personal Prologue"?:
He "relapsed" and began not caring about school anymore
19. What did Burke serve in during "A Personal Prologue" when he would write to his future wife calling
himself "nice and not too bright"?: The Peace Corps
20.When does Burke say "My mind was something like a balloon that was being stretched for the first time" in
"A Personal Prologue"?: After being inspired to enroll in Community College after watching his friends succeed in
college
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, ALAC - Burke Reading Plots/Themes
21.What did Burke do after Community College in "A Personal Prologue"?: He transferred to a four year college
and majored in economics
22.What did Burke end up becoming in "A Personal Prologue"?: An English teacher at his old high school
23.How does Burke end "A Personal Prologue"?: With the statement "I believe in education"
24.What does the story "A Personal Prologue" describe?: Burke's journey of going from a failing student to a
successful teacher
25.How does Burke establish logos in "A Personal Prologue"?: The letter saying he won't be able to graduate
and his GPA of 1.7
26.What is Burke trying to emphasize in "A Personal Prologue"?: The impor- tance and power of education
27.How does Burke use the rhetorical strategy of Cause and Effect in "A Personal Prologue"?: By showing how
his hard work and dedication in college led him to be successful as a teacher
28.Who is the author of "Coming into Language"?: Jimmy Santiago Baca
29.Where does "Coming into Language" take place?: Mexico
30.Where is Baca working at the beginning of "Coming into Language"?: In a hospital
31.At what age did Baca learn to read in "Coming into Language"?: 17 years old
32.When did Baca drop out of school in "Coming into Language"?: 9th grade
33.What does Baca have trouble with in "Coming into Language"?: Expressing himself
34.What is the first book that Baca finds in his boss' office in the hospital in "Coming into Language"?: "450
Years of Chicano History"
35.Why was Baca arrested the first time in "Coming into Language"?: He was suspected of murder
36.Why was Baca suspected of murder in "Coming into Language"?: He had a large cut on his forearm
37.How did writing help Baca in "Coming into Language"?: It allowed him to free his thoughts
38.Why was Baca arrested the second time in "Coming into Language"?: For suspicion of drug possession
39.How did Baca gain access to reading in prison in "Coming into Lan- guage"?: He stole a guard
textbook and had a grammar book smuggled in
40.Why was Baca moved to death row in "Coming into Language"?: He re- fused to work and couldn't speak
after being in solitary confinement for so long
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