Page 112 - SpringBoard_ELA_Grade8_Flipbook

aCTIvITy 1.15
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1. The following sample paragraph is based on a folklore story from China about a girl, Mulan, who chooses to go to war in place of her ill father. Mark the draft to indicate where transitions could be added.
Using the chart on the previous page, determine what kinds of transitions are appropriate to this expository paragraph. Then, revise the writer’s organization by adding or substituting transitional words and phrases to create coherence.
Mulan is courageous because she has the ability to disregard fear for a greater good. Mulan takes her father’s place in the Chinese army because she knows that he is hurt.
It is a crime punishable by death to impersonate a man and a soldier. Mulan has the strength and the nerve to stand up for her father and protect him. She gathers all of
her courage and leaves before anyone can stop her, which is what courage is all about. Her pluck allows her to face the impossible and not think about the outcome, the fear or the danger, until she is far enough to be ready for it. The heroes that we look up to are everyday heroes, ordinary, average people who have conquered huge challenges
by finding the strength and the courage within themselves to continue on. “A hero
is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles” (Christopher Reeve). Mulan is an ordinary girl who finds courage and strength to continue training and fighting in battles, even though she may be frightened. It is impossible to endure and overcome fearful obstacles when you have fear of them. Courage is what gives heroes the drive to move forward. The heroes that have the courage and the will to move on are the heroes that we all know and admire, the ones that we strive to be like.
Word CoNNeCTIoNS
Roots and Affixes
Coherence contains the Latin root -her-, meaning “to stick” and the prefix co- meaning “together.” The root also appears in cohere, coherent, adhere, and inherent.
my Notes
Unit 1 • The Challenge of Heroism 85
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