Preview
Copywork
About This Passage
Here Dr. Dorian moves from a humble confession to a quiet reversal. Two of these three sentences begin with 'But,' and the second 'But' turns the whole idea around: the crowd marveled at the words, yet missed the greater wonder sitting right in front of them. Copying it lets a writer feel how a careful sentence can change a reader's mind without raising its voice, and how repeating one small word ('But') can steer a thought.
But for that matter I don't understand how a spider learned to spin a web in the first place. When the words appeared, everyone said they were a miracle. But nobody pointed out that the web itself is ...
Full copywork activity with handwriting lines available in the complete study guide.
Discussion Questions
Narration Prompt
In your own words, tell the story of this chapter. What were the most important moments in the talk between Mrs. Arable and Dr. Dorian, and how do you know they mattered most?
Discussion Questions
- Why does Dr. Dorian shift Mrs. Arable's attention from the words in the web to the web itself? What does that change in the way he wants her to think about the mystery? Use his words about who taught the spider to spin to support your answer.
- Mrs. Arable says, 'I don't like what I can't understand,' but Dr. Dorian says he will not let such things worry him. Why do the doctor and Mrs. Arable react so differently to the same mystery? Use their own words about understanding to explain what you think.
+ 3 more questions in the complete study guide
Vocabulary
Item 1
So wonderful that it seems impossible to explain.
Item 2
So delightful that it seems almost magical.
Item 3
Unusual enough to be worth noticing and talking about.
+ 5 more vocabulary words in the complete study guide
Critical Thinking
+ 5 more questions in the complete study guide
Get the complete study guide — free
Sign up and get your first book with every chapter included. Copywork, discussion questions, vocabulary, and critical thinking.
Sign up free