http://www.worldhum.com/features/travel-stories/test_day/
Directions: This assignment has two parts.
The first part should be a summary of the assigned text(s).
The second part should be your response to the texts. A response can include reflections, opinions, comparisons, and personal experiences. Each seminar should be 1.5-2 pages in length, depending on the length and complexity of the original text you are writing about. Be sure to include your name, class, date and assignment in the top left-hand quarter.
Example: Summary
Summary of “Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time”
Elizabeth Caruthers, author of “It Seemed like a Good Idea at the Time,” tells the story of her experience, as a young girl, of trying to develop a close relationship with her dad. She describes her father as a mysterious man, a doctor, who is “unforthcoming” about his profession. He is also discrete about his life away from home. So the author decides to enroll in a class that her dad plans to teach about the function of the heart. The class is provided by their local church. It turns out that there are only two students in the class: Elizabeth and her best friend, Ruthie. As her father asks questions and provides answers about the heart, Ruthie sits quietly in the class while Elizabeth dominates the discussion. She “pumps her arm” to get her dad’s attention and behaves very enthusiastically. Afterwards, she feels as though she had a great class with her dad. She feels they bonded well during the experience. However, later her mother says to her the importance of being a “quiet person,” which is when Elizabeth realizes that she had offended the sensibilities of her father, who thinks that young girls should be quiet. From the experience, Elizabeth learns to embrace her loud, enthusiastic personality. She even learns how to play the trumpet, an instrument she describes as “vulgar” and “loud.”
Personal Response example:
I thought the story Seemed like a Good Idea at the Time, by Elizabeth Caruthers, was important for anyone who has ever had an awkward relationship with their parents. Details such as how Elizabeth pumped her arms to get her dads attention reminded me of how I used to try to show off for my mom when I was learning how to swim. Growing up can be an uncomfortable, even embarrassing period. One time when I was at swimming lessons, I tried to dive backwards into the pool while waving at my mother in the bleachers. I landed oddly in the water and had to be rescued by the lifeguard (this is a sample which can go to up to 1.5 pages to 2 pages).
