SENIOR COLLEGE PREP JCA SUMMER READING PROGRAM

SENIOR COLLEGE PREPJCA SUMMER READING PROGRAMTUESDAYS WITH MORRIE by Mitch AlbomAlthough aging and dying are natural parts of the life cycle, we often try to put thought about suchsubjects out of our minds. Shakespeare’s poem, The Seven Ages of Man, makes it clear why mosttheir own mortality. The poem traces a gloomy pathway through life. Growing old gracefully doesnot seem to enter into the equation. With such a hopeless view of the end of the road, who wouldwant to be reminded of aging and death?Sometimes, certain events – a birthday we do not wish to acknowledge or the death of a friend orrelative – make aging and dying harder to ignore. When Detroit sportswriter Mitch Albom read aninterview that revealed a favorite professor was dying. Albom made the difficult decision to visit hisformer teacher, Morrie. Teacher and student quickly rekindled their friendship, despite years ofseparation. In the remaining weeks of his life, Morrie again assumed the role of teacher. Thesubject was savoring life and old age, even in the face of death.The Seven Ages of Man510152025All the world’s a stage,And all the men and women merely players1;They have their exits and their entrances,And one man in his time plays many parts,His acts being seven ages2. At first the infant,Mewling3 and puking in the nurse’s arms;And then the whining schoolboy, with his satchelAnd shining morning face, creeping like snailUnwillingly to school. And then the lover,Sighing like furnace, with a woeful balladMade to his mistress’ eyebrow. Then a soldier,Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard4,Jealous in honor5, sudden and quick in quarrel,Seeking the bubble reputationEven in the cannon’s mouth. And then the justice6,In fair round belly with good capon7 lined,With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,Full of wise saws and modern instances8;And so he plays his part. The sixth age shiftsInto the lean and slippered pantaloon9,With spectacles on nose and pouch on side;His youthful hose10, well saved, a world too wideFor his shrunk shank11; and his big manly voice,Turning again toward childish treble, pipesAnd whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,That ends this strange eventful history,Is second childishness and mere oblivion,Sans12 teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.10.11.woeful full of sorrowtreble high pitched voicePlayers actorsAges periods of lifeMewling whimpering; crying weaklyPard leopard or pantherJealous in honor very concerned about his honorJustice judgeCapon chickenWise saws and modern instances wise sayings and modern examples that show the truth of the sayingsPantaloons thin, foolish old man-originally a character in old comediesHose stockingsShank leg

12. Sans without; lacking1. How might you apply Morrie’s advice on growing older to your own life? State at leastthree examples from the memoir and comment on how these ideas correspond to yourown experience.2. How might the author’s perspective have changed after hearing Morrie’s views on agingand death? Discuss at least three possibilities in a detailed response.3. Compare and contrast the different views on aging presented by The Seven Ages of Manand by Morrie. Support your insights using specific lines from both texts. Use a minimumof three citations per work. With which work do agree more? Why?

SENIOR UPPER COLLEGE PREPJCA SUMMER READING PROGRAMYour summer reading this year carries the extra weight of being source work for your requiredresearch paper in senior year English. Complete these guides carefully so that you will enter yourclass with some foundations in place for that very important paper.LORD OF THE FLIES by William GoldingSome of you may be familiar with movie versions of this work. While these films may bevisualizations of the text, they do not take the place of your close reading of the novel for testingand writing purposes.Chapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5Chapter 6Chapter 7Chapter 8Chapter 9Chapter 10

TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE by Mitch Albom Although aging and dying are natural parts of the life cycle, we often try to put thought about such subjects out of our minds. Shakespeare’s poem, The Seven Ages of Man, makes it clear why most their own mortality. The poem traces a gloomy pathway through life. Growing old gracefully does