1102 homework

ENC 1102 Homework Questions

NOTE: the same questions will apply to every chapter assignment from the textbook. In other words, you will read the assigned reading for the chapter (ALL READING SELECTIONS ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE—Google them), then answer the following ten questions IN COMPLETE SENTENCES.

EXTRA CREDIT: Quote from the selection to support your answer

You do not have to re-type the questions. Just number your paper 1-10 and answer IN COMPLETE SENTENCES. Your effort will result in a higher or lower grade. It depends on you.

Due dates are clearly marked on the syllabus

1. What do you know about the author? (What I am looking for is autobiographical information about the author that explains his choice of subject matter or his potential bias. What I do NOT want is random details about his personal life. Google him/her for more information).

2. Do you trust the author? Why or why not? (This question is based on the assumption that even non-fiction can be colored by opinion and bias. How fair and even handed do you think the author is about his/her subject matter? Be sure to answer the second part—point to evidence in the text where you can see the bias or where you can discern the fairness—QUOTE).

3. Who is the intended audience? (You might be able to figure this out by finding out in which magazine the article was first published; depending on the readership, you will have some idea who the author is addressing. For example, if an article was originally published in a feminist magazine, the intended audience was feminists).

4. What is the subject of the selection? (Here, I want a brief 3-4 sentence summary of what are the main points of the selection. Also, list the thesis, or main argument the author is making).

5. What is the author’s relationship to the subject matter? (Most selections are autobiographical, so what in the author’s life is being reflected in the selection? Why does he personally care about the subject matter and how others see it?)

6. Where does the selection take place? (I want a physical location like a city).

7. When does the selection take place (I want a specific year or decade. One clue is the ORIGINAL date of publication, NOT the date the textbook was published).

8. How is this selection a good example of the type of writing it represents? (Every selection falls under a genre of writing. Look at you Study Guide and pick one or two details that are typical of that type of writing and quote and/or summarize from the text to show that this selection follows the guidelines for that type of writing).

9. Why did the author write this selection? (How is the way we think about the subject supposed to be affected? How is the way we act in our day-to-day lives supposed to change?)

10. What is the reader supposed to learn about human nature and the way humans react or interact? (This refers to the “theme” or “lesson” of the reading; an example might be “human beings have complicated relationships and even the apparently most harmonious marriages involve secrets”).

Your answer will be marked correct as long as you:

1. Do NOT leave the question unanswered or answer “I don’t know” or “the text doesn’t say.” Use your reasoning skills as well as context clues or publication details to make an educated guess. You will not be punished if I don’t agree with your answer. Just show me the factual basis for your answer.

2. Answer each question with a complete sentence. The easiest way to do this is to restate the question followed by the answer. For example, “The intended audience of this selection is feminists because it was originally published in a feminist magazine.”

3. Answer every part of the question

4. Explain the facts/story details on which you have based your answer. You can do this by summarizing details from the selection, quoting from it directly, or both.