By Janeth Wynter-Bell, Teacher
Woodlands High School, NY

TEACHER BACKGROUND
At my school, as in many others, we use Steven Stem's Preparing for the English Comprehensive Exam in English (Amsco Publishers, 2000) with our seniors. Here is a sample of a lesson plan I created this term for my English Regents Prep class. I substituted the first passage on page 316 for an article by Chinese female author, Ding Ling. It worked very well and generated a healthy discussion on China and women's issues. If you do not use this book, any article that compares or contrasts a town or city would work equally well.

Glick here for the text of the READING

Revised Regents Comprehensive Examination in English
Template for Part III

Directions: Read the passages on the following pages (a novel excerpt and a memoir). Answer the multiple choice questions on the sheet provided for you. Then write the essay in your essay booklet as described in your task. You may use the margins to take notes as you read and scrap paper provided to plan your response.

Your Task: After you have read the passages and answered the multiple choice questions, write a unified essay about differing views of cities and their people,
as revealed in the passages. In your essay, use ideas from both passages to establish a
controlling idea about differing views of cities and their people.
Using evidence from each passage, develop your controlling idea and show how the
author uses specific literary elements or techniques to convey ideas.

Guidelines:

Be sure to

• Use ideas from both passages to develop a controlling idea about differing views of cities and their people as revealed in the passages.
• Use specific and relevant evidence from each passage to develop your controlling idea.
• Show how each author uses specific literary elements (for example: theme, characterization, structure, point of view) or techniques (for example: symbolism, irony, figurative language) to convey ideas.
• Organize your ideas in a logical and coherent manner.
• Use language that communicates ideas effectively.
• Follow the conventions of standard written English.

Multiple Choice Questions

Directions: Answer the following questions. They may help you with ideas for our essay.

Passage I

1. The mood of the passage is one of
a. suspense
b. gloom
c. fear
d. playfulness

1. The author uses which literary technique in lines 21 22?
a, alliteration b. assonance c. repetition d. personification

1. The author suggests that the lives of the people in the town are
a. hopeless
b. stimulating
c. exhilarating
d. tribal

1. The author's use of description of the townspeople is to:
a. compare one town to the next
b. allow the reader to compare himself to them
c. show much their lives are controlled by the menial jobs they do
d. separate Caucasian and Asian capitalists

1. The author contrasts the life of the early morning factory worker with Ysai's:
a. to point out the monotony of her life
b. to show her love for nature
c. because Ysai is a Chinese goddess
d. since she is a retired factory worker.

Passage 2 by Ben Hecht, on page 317, is a perfect contrast to this selection