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Copywork
About This Passage
This sentence puts the reader right in the speeding boat with a vivid verb (flew) and the long dash that marks the eerie silence between the two boys. Copying it teaches strong action words, the em-dash, and how a writer builds a feeling of dangerous excitement.
We flew along at a great rate—neither of us having said a word since casting loose from the wharf.
Full copywork activity with handwriting lines available in the complete study guide.
Discussion Questions
Narration Prompt
Tell someone what happens in this chapter in order: how Pym and Augustus take the boat Ariel out at night, how Augustus turns out to be drunk, the big ship that runs them down, and how Henderson saves them. Slow down at the scariest part and tell what you think about it.
Discussion Questions
- When Pym jumps up 'in a kind of ecstasy' and says he is 'quite as brave as himself,' what is he trying to show Augustus, and why might he say that at this moment? Which detail in the story helps you decide?
- Augustus seems steady at first, and Pym trusts him to steer. Was Pym wise to stay quiet when he first noticed something was wrong, or should he have spoken up sooner? Explain why. What part of the story helps you decide?
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Vocabulary Builder
Item 1
A feeling of very great fear.
Item 2
A heavy fear of something bad that may be coming.
Item 3
Willing to face danger or fear.
+ 6 more vocabulary words in the complete study guide
Critical Thinking
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