Of Mice and Men

How do you usually feel about mice and rats?
*I really hate mice and rats. They are dirty, and can spread bad diseases easily. They looks disgusting either. I once saw a dead mouse on the street and it was the most terrible thing that I had seen in my life.*


What about when you were reading the book?
*I think the mice and rats are good animals in the book. They are not the real ones, they are only in the books, and they were good and friendly.*


What would your parents say if you caught a wild mouse and wanted to keep it as a pet?
*It can't be true, because mice and rats are my detesting things that I can't even think to catch one. But if I caught one and keep in as a pet, my mum would surely faint, my dad will say throw it away, and if I put the mouse cage in the living room, my mum will never come out to the living room, I guess.*


Please write from 200-250 about your thoughts about mice and rats.
*I really think they are the most detested animals in the world. They looks terrible, sounds terrible and everything that belong to them is terrible. I can't understand why the squirrels, the same kind of them, is not disgusting. But, rats and mice, I hate to see them even in the TV.
I don't want to see them, and I hope that they will vanish from our lives. I once saw in the book that the mice and rats cause a serious disease. They looks cute when they are babies, but when they grew up, they are disgusting.*


What do you feel when you see a mice or rat in your house?
*I haven't see them yet, but if I see, I will not live in my house. I can't. If I would, I might can't sleep well, eat well, study well, wash well, of everything that I need to do. My mum will probably ask dad for catch. If I find them in the living room, I will lock my room door and will never come out until they are out of my house.*


Would you think of it the same way as if Mrs. Frisby came to visit your home?
*My detesting of mice will never be changed. She is a good mouse, but she still will looks like a mouse. I know that she is a kind mouse, so if she visit me, I will say sorry and lock her in the cage first, then, I think I will feel much better about her. I think I will never like mice and rats.*

Chapter 6: A Favor from Jeremy: What makes a person educated?

1) Why do you think the author, Robert O'Brien, chose an owl to be wise?
*I think the author, Robert O'Brien, chose an owl to be wise because owls are old animals and looks wise. Many people think that old people had long life that they know a lot of things.*

2) In about 200 words, describe a person that you think is educated.
*I think the person who goes to school are educated. People don't have to go to school, but I think that going to school, we can learn more properly and thoroughly.
I think we can concentrate more in school. Also, in school, I think we can study by doing homework even though we don't want to study. By playing with friends and studying with friends, I think we can share ideas and it's better than studying alone.*

Does a person have to be wise? Intelligent? Or clever to be educated?

Does that person have to go to school? Does that person have to be old?

*The person don't have to be wise, intelligent, or clever to be educated because if you try your best and works hard to go for it, I think that person can be educated. That person don't have to go to school and can study alone, in their home. Studying in school is better, but if you work hard, I think you can achieve what you want. Also, that person don't need to be old. Some old people are not clever. Younger ones can be educated even they are not old.*

Choose a person that you know who you think is smart and describe that person.

*I think Warner is a smart boy. At first time, I thought that he's not smart, because he's grades were not good. Ms. Cheng had gave us the multiplication assignment and Warner and Guss didn't know how to write down. I wondered how gonna he'll finish this assignment. I heard the next day that he asked his mum and learned it. I think that he did the right thing. He didn't give up for the hard works, and I think he tries to achieve it, and he did actually. Also, I was surprised that he can do all the maths in his head! I was little jealous that he got more good marks in math tests.*

Complex Machinery

1. Telephone
We can call each other when we want. We can't always visit somebody and talk each other but by using telephone, we can call each other even we're in other countries. We can call each other for emergency rather than just wait for the help.

2. Clock
It's easier to know what the time is rather than looking at the sun. We can know the exact time so that we can go to the place in right time. Not too many, but sometimes, the beautiful clock can be used for decorations too.

3. Keyboard
We can't write something that is long by our hands, or it'll hurt very much and will waste too much time. But using keyboard is easier, faster and cleaner. Even some people who don't know how to use keyboard, they can learn it because it's easy. By using keyboard, we can also do the work that we can't do with a mouse, and also, we can send the mail to each other.

Chapter 2: Mr.Ages

1. Mrs.Frisby can't go to Mr.Ages' home in the brick wall of the open basement by the shortest route because....
*Mrs.Frisby can't go to Mr.Ages' home in the brick wall of the open basement by the shortest route because that path is close to the farmhouse and the barn, and the cats are going around there continuously that it's really dangerous for mouse like Mrs.Frisby.*

2. How is Mr.Ages described?
*His fur was a soft gray white, and so glossy he seemed alomost to glow. He seemed old and wise, but he still can walk nimbly enough.*

3. His diagnosis is that Timothy has ____.
*His diagnosis is that Timothy has pneumonia.*

Chapter 1: The Sickness of Timothy Frisby

1. Where is Mrs.Frisby's winter home and why is it good choice for a family of field mice?
(Mrs.Frisby's winter house is in the cinder block, buried in the ground. This place is a good choice because there is a farm beside and also, the people don't come here in winter.)

2. Mrs.Frisby must leave her home. Explain why, what the danger is, and what she finds in the hollow stump.
(Mrs.Frisby must leave her home to get some foods. The danger is that there are a lot of dangerous animals going around, such as, cats. Mrs.Frisby found the corn shuck in the hollow stump.)

3. Why does she think that the animal that had gathered this treasure had abandoned it suddenly? What happened to the animal?
(She think that the animals that had gathered this treasure had died because, the animals had gathered a lot of delicious foods, but had died and leave the foods. The hunter with a gun shot them, and they had died.)

4. Briefly identify these Frisby children as they are described in Chapter 1.
(Teresa-The oldest of the children.)
(Martin-The biggest of the children and have dark hair and handsome. Also, he's a strong and quick mouse.)
(Cynthia-The youngest of the children and have light hair and really like dancing. She is slim and pretty mouse either.)
(Timothy-The thinnest of the children and have a lot of diseases. But he is, Mrs,Frisby think, that he is the smartest and thoughtful mouse of her children.)

5. Martin thinks that they have ____, maybe ____ weeks until Moving Day.
(Martin thinks that they have corn shuck, maybe 2 weeks until Moving Day.)

6. The author describes Timothy as the frilest of the children and as somewhat of a hypochondriac. What is a hypochondriac?
(A hyochondriac is a person who is always worrying about their health and always saying that they're sick. )

7. Mrs.Frisby discovers that Timothy has a high fever and is delirious. What are some of his symptoms?
(Timothy's symptons are that he can't breathe well and feels cold. When he gets up, he get really dizzy. He's eyes looked strange, and he keep trembled.)

Discussion Questions No.1

1) From looking at the title, what do you think the story is about?
(I think this story is about a mouse called Mrs.Frisby. She was an ordinary mouse. On one day, a rat's son was really sick and almost going to die. She hasitated at first, but she thought that she need to save him, and look after him for many months that he get better. So that she became the hero of the mouse world and rats world, and also became rich.

2) What does the John Newbery Gold Medal on the cover mean?
(The John Newbery Gold Medal is the Medal that had awarded each year for the books that is for the best children's literature and well-written. The name John Newbery had came from a british man called John Newbery. The John Newbery Gold Medal is well-known Medal in America. If a book had awarded that Medal, of course the book became the best-seller.)

3) Find other Newberry Gold Medal books and list five books.
(There are,
*Charlotte's Web - E.B White
*Holes-Louis Sachar
*Island of the Blue Dolphins- Scott O'Dell
*A wrinkle in Time- Madelleine L'Engle
*A Single Shard- Linda Sue Park