Page 21 - SpringBoard_CloseReading_Workshop_Grade7_Flipbook

Close Reading of argumentative nonfiction Texts (continued)
prerequisite: something that is required as a prior condition for something else to happen or exist
resolve: determination; commitment
fortitude: strength; courage
11 Ourmilitarystrengthisaprerequisitetopeace,butletitbeclearwemaintainthisstrength in the hope it will never be used, for the ultimate determinant in the struggle that’s now going on in the world will not be bombs and rockets, but a test of wills and ideas, a trial of spiritual resolve, the values we hold, the beliefs we cherish, the ideals to which we are dedicated.
12 Well, the task I’ve set forth will long outlive our own generation. But together, we too have come through the worst. Let us now begin a major effort to secure the best — a crusade for freedom that will engage the faith and fortitude of the next generation. For the sake of peace and justice, let us move toward a world in which all people are at last free to determine their own destiny.
Second Reading: vocabulary in Context
Now that you have read the passage silently, listen and follow along as your teacher reads the passage aloud. As you read along with your teacher, circle words and/
or phrases (other than the underlined words) that you do not know or that you
feel are important to the meaning of the passage. Diffuse these words/phrases for comprehension.
Check your Understanding
1. Pair with another student and, using context clues and reference resources, try
to determine the meaning of any new words or allusions you will need to fully understand this speech. Then choose six of the underlined vocabulary words and discuss how their definitions help you understand the meaning of the passage.
2. Choose two or three of the words and/or allusions you have examined that you think are significant to understanding the passage. Use the words in sentences as part of a summary explaining the central ideas in the passage as well as how these words contribute to your understanding of the passage.
Third Reading: Text-Dependent Questioning
Now read the passage again, this time with the focus of reading to respond to the Key Ideas and Details interpretive questions in the margin. As your class discusses the text, write your responses to each question and highlight or underline the textual evidence that supports your answer. During discussions, you may also want to annotate the text to record a new or different meaning of the text.
Background Information: American President Ronald Reagan delivered this speech to members of the British Parliament in 1982, when Europe was largely divided by the Cold War. This “war” was a conflict that did not result in actual military action, but involved tension and opposition between countries like the United States (and Great Britain) that had democratic governments and the Soviet Union and its allies, which followed the communist ideals of Karl Marx.
aCademiC VoCabulaRy
allusions: indirect, brief references to a person, place, or event in history or in literature
20 SpringBoard® English Language Arts Grade 7
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