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Copywork
About This Passage
George Selden's catalogue of city noise, built from seven specific sound-verbs — rumble, shriek, thrumming, hooting, howling, babble, barking — each matched to its source. The passage teaches young writers how to use strong verbs instead of weak adjectives to paint a scene. The author is building a long list of the familiar so that the one unfamiliar sound at the chapter's end will feel genuinely new.
Now Tucker Mouse had heard almost all the sounds that can be heard in New York City. He had heard the rumble of subway trains and the shriek their iron wheels make when they go around a corner. From a...
Full copywork activity with handwriting lines available in the complete study guide.
Discussion Questions
Narration Prompt
Retell Chapter 1 in your own words, including where Tucker lives, what Mario is doing, how Paul treats Mario, and the strange sound Tucker hears at the end.
Discussion Questions
- Tucker the mouse has watched Mario tending the newsstand every Saturday night 'for almost a year.' What does the story show you about why Tucker keeps coming back to watch this one boy in particular?
- The Bellini family has a cash register with a drawer that got stuck one time, so Papa decided to leave it open forever and made a wooden cover with a lock to protect the money. What does this one detail tell you about how the Bellinis live and how they solve problems?
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Vocabulary Builder
Item 1
A low, deep, continuous sound, like the noise of far-off thunder.
Item 2
A loud, sharp, high sound, often made by metal grinding or by a person crying out.
Item 3
Making a low, steady humming sound, like a running engine or a drum.
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Critical Thinking
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