AP ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND COMPOSITION
Norte Vista High School
Summer Work for Aspiring AP English Students 2019
Dr. Ali [Link]@[Link]
Mrs. O’Rafferty [Link]@[Link]
Mrs. Jeannette Vasquez [Link]@[Link]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome to the Advanced Placement English and Composition course. We commend you
for taking up the challenge of a college-level class. The purpose of this summer reading
assignment is to motivate you to begin thinking about style and argument, which will be
crucial aspects of AP English. In order to prepare for these requirements, you will
complete three assignments this summer. If you have any questions about the course or the
assignments before school ends see Dr. Ali in Room 918, Mrs. O’Rafferty in Room 612 or
Mrs. Vasquez in Room 917.
PART ONE: Thank you for Arguing
Assignments:
Closely read Chapters 1-13 of Thank you for Arguing by Jay Heinrichs. You can either
purchase the book, locate a used copy, or read it
[Link]
Thank_You_For_Arguing.pdf
As you read Chapters 1 – 13:
1. Closely read and annotate- you should quickly mark pages (e.g. with post-its) that give
you surprising or “aha!” moments, for example - a technique you have observed in your
reading elsewhere (such as in your periodical reading, below), or one that you would like
to try out yourself. These moments will provide a foundation for our discussions and
work at the beginning of the year.
2. While reading pay careful attention to the “TRY THIS” sidebars (the first one, on page 3,
begins, “TRY THIS IN A MEETING,”) Choose 3 of these from the book and try what
they say with friends or family. Then write a 150-word paragraph about each one that (a)
gives the page number of the TRY THIS and explains (b) what you did (c) what you
learned.
PART TWO: Controversial Issue Poster
As a means of keeping abreast of public discourse issues, you are required to select a
controversial issue from the list provided and find two articles for the topic, preferably at least
one that presents arguments for and one that presents arguments against the issue. You will also
create a poster which illustrates the differing viewpoints and your position about the issue.
Remember to address the counter argument. The articles must be least 500 words each from
reputable publications such as The Washington Post, Atlantic Monthly, The Economist, the New
York Times, or [Link]. Some newspapers charge for articles that are more than a few days past
the original publication, so do not wait until the last minute to do this assignment. Please note
that for this assignment, you may not use entertainment or sports stories.
1. Choose ONE Controversial Issue from the list below:
o Immigration (i.e. family separation, detention, etc.)
o Justice System (i.e. death penalty, juvenile justice, DNA evidence, etc.)
o Technology (i.e. social media, texting, self-driving cars, tech advances)
o Environment (i.e. global warming, organic food, emissions, plastics, etc.)
o International affairs (i.e. Chinese trade restrictions, relations with North Korea, Iran, UK etc.)
o Health (i.e. universal healthcare, vaccinations, obesity, sleep, etc.)
o Science (i.e. genetic engineering, space exploration, cloning, AI, etc.)
o Gender/LGBTQ/Women's rights issues (i.e. equal pay for women, #MeToo, hate crimes, etc.)
o Racial Equality issues (i.e. #Black Lives Matter, white supremacism, etc.)
o Gun Control (i.e. mass shootings, proposed laws on restrictions, arming teachers, etc.)
o College and Education (i.e. admissions fairness, college bribe scandal, efficacy of standardized
testing, etc.)
o Psychology (i.e. mental health issues, effects of video games, pursuit of happiness, etc.)
o Family (i.e. paid leave for family care, universal preschool)
o Economy (i.e. current immigration rate beneficial or detrimental to economy, job market, has the
state of US economy improved or not due to new government policy changes, etc.)
[Link] Reading and Annotation (underlining important ideas, claims, and making notes about
what you underline in the margins) Says/Does
-Each article must be annotated for the following:
• Speaker's tone and possible tone shifts
• Rhetorical strategies (figurative language, allusions, expert testimony, sentence structure, irony,
satire, sarcasm etc.)
• Rhetorical appeals (Is the writer appealing to pathos, ethos and/or logos?)
-Mark places in the text that evoke a reaction from you, be it laughter, anger, or confusion.
[Link] a One-Paragraph Precis for each article
Writing a Précis/Response
Directions: A précis reveals your understanding of the arguments and points authors make in a
specific piece. When writing your response, you will be objectively (accurately) summarizing the
article in your own words. You should only have four sentences for this part.
Rhetorical Precis format and an example is available at the following website:
[Link]
Note: Before you begin writing your précis, read the column more than once to make sure you
completely understand the author's rhetorical situation.
II. Be prepared to present your controversial issue to the class in the first week of school.
DIRECTIONS FOR CREATING A POSTER:
1. Map the argument (see graphic)
2. Include pictures, symbols and color
3. Work on neatness and attractiveness.
Posters should be 22”x26”
PART THREE: Rhetorical Terms Poster
Select 5 Rhetorical terms and make a creative poster with a definition and two examples
for each of them. Make sure to include pictures that relate to your term. (See Attached list
of AP Glossary Terms)
Assignments to be submitted to your teacher on the first day of class in a report folder
1. Three Paragraphs about real life experiences utilizing Heinrichs’ techniques from Thank
you for Arguing
2. Rhetorical Precis for each of the two articles and a large size Poster 22”x26”
3. Rhetorical Terms on a large size Poster 22”x 26”
If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to email at the addresses above. Do not
expect an immediate reply but we will get in touch with you as soon as possible.
Enjoy your summer and happy reading!
Dr. Ali, Mrs. O’Rafferty and Mrs. Vasquez
A.P. Glossary of Rhetorical Terms
Select five from this list for the Summer assignment.
Try to memorize them over the year in your AP Lang class. Look for instances of their use in the
writing you encounter. Learn to use them expertly in your own rhetorical endeavors. Become so
familiar with them that they become second nature in your vocabulary in this class because they WILL
show up on the A.P. exam!!!
1. ad hominem argument—This term comes from the Latin phrase meaning “to the man.” It
refers to an argument that attacks the opposing speaker or another person rather than addressing
the issues at hand. (Example: It's easy for him to oppose the tax cut -- a millionaire with no children.
What does he know about a need for cash?)
2. allegory—An allegory is a fictional work in which the characters represent ideas or concepts. In
Paul Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress for example, the characters named Faithful, Mercy, and Mr.
Worldly Wiseman are clearly meant to represent types of people rather than to be characters in
their own rights.
3. alliteration--The repetition of consonant sounds, usually at the beginning of words: the repeated
“t” and “c” sounds in the sentence, “The tall tamarack trees shaded the cozy cabin,” are examples of
alliteration.
4. allusion--A reference, usually oblique or faint, to another thing, idea, or person. For example, in
the sentence, “She faced the challenge with Homeric courage,” “Homeric” is an allusion to Homer’s
works The Iliad and The Odyssey.
5. ambiguity, ambiguous--When something is ambiguous, it is uncertain or indefinite; it is subject
to more than one interpretation. For example, you might say, “The poet’s use of the word ‘love’ is
ambiguous”, to begin to discuss the multiple meanings suggested by the use of the word and to
indicate that there is an uncertainty of interpretation.
6. analogy--Analogy asks a reader to think about the correspondence or resemblance between two
things that are essentially different. For example, if you say, “The pond was as smooth as a mirror,”
you ask your audience to understand two different things--“pond” and “mirror”—as being similar in
some fashion.
7. antecedent--Every pronoun refers back to a previous noun or pronoun—the antecedent;
antecedent is the grammatical term for the noun of or pronoun from which another pronoun
derives its meaning. For example: “The car he wanted to buy was a green one,” the pronoun “one”
derives its meaning from the antecedent “car.”
8. antithesis--An opposition or contrast of ideas that is often expressed in balanced phrases or
clauses. For example, “Whereas he was boisterous, I was reserved” is a sentence that balances two
antithetical observations.
9. apostrophe--A figure of speech in which an absent person or personified object is addressed by a
speaker. For example, “love” is personified and addressed as though present in the sentence, “Oh
love, where have you gone?”
[Link]--A word or phrase that follows a noun or pronoun for emphasis or clarity. Appositives
are usually set off by commas. For example, in the sentence, “The luxury train, The Orient Express,
crosses Europe from Paris to Istanbul in just twenty-six hours,” the name “The Orient Express” is the
appositive for “train.”
[Link]--A type of internal rhyming in which vowel sounds are repeated. For instance, listen to
the assonance caused by the repeated short "o" sounds in the phrase, "the pot's rocky, pocked
surface."
[Link]--Asyndeton occurs when the conjunctions (such as and or but) that would normally
connect a string of words, phrases, or clauses are omitted from a sentence. For example, the
sentence "I came, I saw, I conquered" employs asyndeton.
[Link]--Bathos is false or forced emotion that is often humorous. Whereas pathos draws upon
deep emotion, bathos takes this emotion to such an extreme that the reader finds it humorous
rather than touching.
[Link]--Writers often use contrasts, or oppositions, to elaborate ideas. Contrasts help writers to
expand on their ideas by allowing them to show both what a thing is and what it is not. Take, for
instance, images of light and darkness: a reader may better appreciate what it means to have light
by considering its absence--darkness.
[Link]--Diction refers to an author's choice of words. For instance, in the sentence, "That guy was
really mad!" the author uses informal diction ("guy," "mad"), whereas in the sentence, "The
gentleman was considerably irritated," the author uses more elevated diction ("gentleman,"
"irritated"). A writer's diction contributes to the tone of a text.
[Link]--Ethos is the characteristic spirit or ideal that informs a work. In The Country of the Pointed
Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett, for instance, the ethos of the work is derived from the qualities of the
inhabitants, who are described as both noble and caring. Ethos also refers more generally to ethics,
or values. In rhetorical writing, authors often attempt to persuade readers by appealing to their
sense of ethos, or ethical principles.
[Link]--A euphemism is a mild or pleasant sounding expression that substitutes for a harsh,
indelicate, or simply less pleasant idea. Euphemisms are often used to soften the impact of what is
being discussed. For example, the word "departed" is a euphemism for the word "dead," just as the
phrase "in the family way" is a euphemism for the word "pregnant."
[Link] language--Figurative language is an umbrella term for all uses of language that imply
an imaginative comparison. For example, "you've earned your wings" is a figurative way to say,
"you've succeeded;" it implies a comparison with a bird who has just learned to fly. Similes,
metaphors, and symbols are all examples of figurative language.
[Link]--Foreshadowing is a purposeful hint placed in a work of literature to suggest
what may occur later in the narrative. For instance, a seemingly unrelated scene in a mystery story
that focuses on a special interest of the detective may actually foreshadow the detective's use of
that expertise in solving the mystery.
[Link]--Hyperbole is a figure of speech in which exaggeration is used to achieve emphasis.
The expressions, "my feet are as cold as an iceberg" and "I'll die if I don't see you soon," are
examples of hyperbole. The emphasis is on exaggeration rather than literal representation.
Hyperbole is the opposite of understatement.
[Link], imagery--An image is a mental picture that is conjured by specific words and
associations, but there can be auditory and sensory components to imagery as well. Nearly all
writing depends on imagery to be effective and interesting. Metaphors, similes, symbols, and
personification all use imagery.
[Link], ironic--Irony occurs when a situation produces an outcome that is the opposite of what is
expected. In Robert Frost's poem "Mending Fences," for instance, it is ironic that the presence of a
barrier--a fence--keeps a friendship alive; Frost's observation that "Good fences make good
neighbors" is both true and ironic. Similarly, when an author uses words or phrases that are in
opposition to each other to describe a person or an idea, an ironic tone results. For example, in The
Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, when the speaker says that "I am glad my case is not
serious!" the reader--who is also aware just how "serious" her case is and aware of the irony of the
statement.
[Link]--When two contrasting things--ideas, words, or sentence elements--are placed
next to each other for comparison, a juxtaposition occurs. For instance, a writer may choose to
juxtapose the coldness of one room with the warmth of another, or one person's honesty with
another's duplicity. Juxtaposition sheds light on both elements in the comparison.
[Link]--The word "logos" refers to the use of reason as a controlling principle in an argument. In
rhetorical writing, authors often attempt to persuade readers by appealing to their sense of logos, or
reason.
[Link]--A metaphor is a figure of speech in which two unlike things are compared directly,
usually for emphasis or dramatic effect. For instance, the observation that "she lived a thorny life"
relies on an understanding of how dangerous and prickly thorns can be. In an extended metaphor,
the properties of a single comparison are used throughout a poem or prose work. For example, if
you call government "the ship of state," you could extend the metaphor by calling industry and
business the "engines" of this ship, and by calling the citizens of the state "passengers" of the ship.
[Link]--Metonymy is a figure of speech in which something is referred to by using the name
of something that is associated with it. For example, a crown is associated with royalty, and is often
used as a metonym for royal authority ("The edict issued today by the Crown forbids grazing in the
commons.").
[Link]--Mood is the prevailing or dominant feeling of a work, scene, or event. The opening scene of
Macbeth in which three witches are center stage, for instance, sets a mood of doom and tragedy for
the first act of the play. Mood is similar to atmosphere.
[Link]--Onomatopoeia is an effect created by words that have sounds that reinforce
their meaning. For example, in the sentence, "The tires screeched as the car zoomed around the
corner," the words "screeched" and "zoomed" are onomatopoetic because the sounds they make
when spoken are similar to the sounds the car makes when performing these actions.
[Link]--An oxymoron combines two contradictory words in one expression. The results of this
combination are often unusual or thought provoking. For instance, if you praise a child for her "wild
docility," in essence you change the separate meanings of the words "wild" and "docility" and create
a new, hybrid image.
[Link]--A paradox is a seeming contradiction that in fact reveals some truth. For example, the
paradoxical expression, "he lifted himself up by his bootstraps," suggests a physical impossibility,
and thus communicates a truth about the enormity of the person's achievement.
[Link]--Parallelism is a literary technique that relies on the use of the same syntactical
structures, (phrases, clauses, sentences) in a series in order to develop an argument or emphasize
an idea. For example, in the declaration, "At sea, on land, in the air, we will be loyal to the very end,"
the parallel phrases at the beginning of the sentence emphasize the loyalty and determination of a
group of people.
[Link]--Parody is an effort to ridicule or make fun of a literary work or an author by writing an
imitation of the work or of the author's style.
[Link]--Pathos is a sympathetic feeling of pity or compassion evoked by an artistic work. In
rhetorical writing, authors often attempt to persuade readers by appealing to their sense of pathos,
or their emotions.
[Link]--Personification is a figure of speech in which ideas or objects are described as
having human qualities or personalities. For example, in the sentence, "The saddened birch trees
were bent to the ground, laden with ice; they groaned and shivered in the cold winds," the trees are
personified, or represented as capable of human emotion.
[Link] of view--The particular perspective from which a story is told is called the point of view.
Stories may be told from the point of view of specific characters or a narrator. The narrator, in turn,
may be a subjective narrator (who may or may not be involved in the story), or an all-knowing
(omniscient) narrator. (An omniscient narrator can tell you everything about the characters--even
their inner feelings and thoughts.) Examining the person of the pronouns used can further describe
point of view. Some literary works blend different point of view for emphasis and experimentation.
[Link]--A pun is a play on words. A pun is created by using a word that has two different meanings, or
using two different words with similar meanings, for a playful effect. Shakespeare uses puns
extensively in his plays; in Hamlet, for instance, Hamlet says he is "too much in the sun," making use
of the meaning of the word "sun" and stressing his role as a "son" simultaneously.
[Link]--Repetition is the reiteration of a word or phrase for emphasis.
38. rhetoric, rhetorical purpose--Rhetoric is the art and logic of a written or spoken argument.
Rhetorical writing is purposeful; examples of rhetorical purposes include to persuade, to analyze, or
to expose. The lines between purposes, strategies, and devices are blurry. To accomplish a
rhetorical purpose, a writer develops a rhetorical strategy, and then uses rhetorical devices to
accomplish the goal. Consider shelter as an example. If your purpose in constructing a shelter is to
protect you from inclement weather, one strategy for doing this might be to build a house (other
strategies might involve a tent or a cave, for instance). Devices would be the choices that you make
as you build the house, such as whether to use wood or bricks, the number and location of doors
and windows, and so on.
In the same way, to achieve a purpose in writing you need a strategy and devices. To use a
more literary example, when arguing to persuade the world that Americans deserved to be
independent from England (rhetorical purpose), the writers of the Declaration of Independence
refused to recognize Great Britain's legislative authority (rhetorical strategy). To achieve this in their
prose, the writers used syntax (rhetorical device) that presented all Americans as adhering to one
idea ("We the People ... ") and diction (rhetorical device) that affirmed their right to be independent
("self-evident" and "endowed by their Creator").
[Link] question--A rhetorical question is a question that is asked for the sake of argument.
No direct answer is provided to a rhetorical question; however, the probable answer to such a
question is usually implied in the argument.
40. satire--To satirize is to ridicule or mock ideas, persons, events, or doctrines, or to make fun of
human foibles or weaknesses. "A Modest Proposal" and Gulliver's Travels, both by Jonathan Swift,
are satires of particular people and events of his time.
41. selection of detail--The specific words, incidents, images, or events the author uses to create a
scene or narrative are referred to as the selection of detail.
[Link]--A simile is a commonly used figure of speech that compares one thing with another using
the words "like" or "as." For example, the sentence, "He drank like a camel, he was so thirsty,"
contains the simile "like a camel."
[Link]--The speaker is the narrator of a story, poem, or drama. The speaker should not be
confused with the author, who creates the voice of the speaker; the speaker is a fictional persona.
[Link]--A syllogism is a form of deductive reasoning in which pieces of evidence are used to
create a new conclusion. For instance, the sentence, "All children are imaginative; Sam is a child;
therefore Sam is imaginative," employs deductive reasoning and is a syllogism.
[Link]--A symbol is something that stands for something else. The American flag, for instance, is a
symbol of the United States. Literary symbols often refer to or stand for a complex set of ideas; the
moors in Wuthering Heights, for instance, symbolize the wild and complex relationship of Catherine
and Heathcliff.
46. syntax--Syntax refers to the way words are arranged in a sentence. For example, the following
two sentences share a similar meaning, but have different syntax, or word order: "The big blue sky
beckoned her" essentially says the same thing as "She was beckoned by the big blue sky."
47. tone--Tone, which can also be called attitude, is the way the author presents a subject. An author's
tone can be serious, scholarly, humorous, mournful, or ironic, just to name a few examples. A
correct perception of the author's tone is essential to understanding a particular literary work;
misreading an ironic tone as a serious one, for instance, could lead you to miss the humor in a
description or situation.
[Link]--When an author assigns less significance to an event or thing than it deserves,
the result is an understatement. For example, if a writer refers to a very destructive monsoon as "a
bit of wind," the power of the event is being deliberately understated.
49. voice--How the speaker of a literary work presents himself or herself to the reader determines
that speaker's unique voice. For example, the speaker's voice can be loud or soft, personal or cold,
strident or gentle, authoritative or hesitant, or can have any manner or combination of
characteristics. Voice is also a grammatical term. A sentence can be written in either active or
passive voice. A simple way to tell the difference is to remember that when the subject performs the
action in the sentence, the voice is active (for example, "I sent the letter"); when the subject is acted
upon, the voice is passive (for example, "The letter was sent by me.").
[Link]--The term "zeugma" refers to a particular breech of sense in a sentence. It occurs when a
word is used with two adjacent words in the same construction, but only makes literal sense with
one of them. For example, in the sentence, "She carried an old tapestry bag and a walk that revealed
a long history of injury," the word "carried" makes sense with the word "bag," but not with the word
"walk," and so is an instance of zeugma.