A Sound of Thunder
r.A Sound of Thunder
by Ray Bradbury
Imagine being able to travel back in time. Many writers have explored this idea in science fiction stories and movies. You are about to read one of the most popular_and thought-provoking_stories about time travel ever written.
LITERARY FOCUS: STYLE AND MOOD
A writer’s diction, or word choice, greatly defines a work’s style. Style is also determined by sentence length and complexity. A story that is written in brief simple sentences, for example, is different in style from a story written in long complex sentences. See below: Style: Simple The sun rose. The air was warm, my coffee was hot. Nothing stirred. Nothing breathed except for the lizard. That lizard could outstare a rock. Style: More Complex “It was Miss Murdstone who was arrived, and a gloomy-looking lady she was: dark, like her brother, whom she greatly resembled in face and voice . . .” (from David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)
Literary Skills Understand elements of style, including figurative language and mood. Reading Skills Understand cause-and-effect relationships. Vocabulary Skills Understand Greek and Latin prefixes and word roots.
READING SKILLS: CAUSE AND EFFECT
The events in a story are connected by a chain of causes and effects. One event causes another, which causes another, and so on. A cause is the reason something happens. An effect is the result. Certain words_like because, consequently, for, so, since, and therefore_can alert you to causeand-effect relationships. As you read “A Sound of Thunder,” look for causes and effects. There are plenty to find. In fact, the whole story is about how one event causes another_and another, and another, and . . .
220
Part 1
Collection 8: Evaluating Style
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.
The use (or non-use) of imagery and figurative language also has an effect on style. In the story you’re about to read, Ray Bradbury uses vivid imagery and figurative
by Ray Bradbury
Imagine being able to travel back in time. Many writers have explored this idea in science fiction stories and movies. You are about to read one of the most popular_and thought-provoking_stories about time travel ever written.
LITERARY FOCUS: STYLE AND MOOD
A writer’s diction, or word choice, greatly defines a work’s style. Style is also determined by sentence length and complexity. A story that is written in brief simple sentences, for example, is different in style from a story written in long complex sentences. See below: Style: Simple The sun rose. The air was warm, my coffee was hot. Nothing stirred. Nothing breathed except for the lizard. That lizard could outstare a rock. Style: More Complex “It was Miss Murdstone who was arrived, and a gloomy-looking lady she was: dark, like her brother, whom she greatly resembled in face and voice . . .” (from David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)
Literary Skills Understand elements of style, including figurative language and mood. Reading Skills Understand cause-and-effect relationships. Vocabulary Skills Understand Greek and Latin prefixes and word roots.
READING SKILLS: CAUSE AND EFFECT
The events in a story are connected by a chain of causes and effects. One event causes another, which causes another, and so on. A cause is the reason something happens. An effect is the result. Certain words_like because, consequently, for, so, since, and therefore_can alert you to causeand-effect relationships. As you read “A Sound of Thunder,” look for causes and effects. There are plenty to find. In fact, the whole story is about how one event causes another_and another, and another, and . . .
220
Part 1
Collection 8: Evaluating Style
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.
The use (or non-use) of imagery and figurative language also has an effect on style. In the story you’re about to read, Ray Bradbury uses vivid imagery and figurative