UNIT 1 READING 3 “A Game of Light and Shade.”

“A Game of Light and Shade.”

In this short story, a man learns that sometimes things are not what they first appear to be. The man watches a blind man climb up to the top of a tower. He can’t understand why the blind man would want to do this, since he can’t even  enjoy the view from the top. He is curious and follows the man. After talking with the blind man, he is surprised to learn that the blind man finds many pleasures in the climb. The blind man enjoys the warmth on his face when he is in the sun and then the feeling of coolness when he is in the shade. The man is happy because the blind man has taught him how to enjoy the simple pleasure of sunlight.

Literary Words

imagery: the use of vivid language to describe objects, ideas, or actions
setting: the time and place of a story’s action

Academic Words

approached = moved closer to
➡ I approached the scared cat carefully, so it wouldn’t run away.


despite = in spite of; regardless of
 ➡ It is possible to enjoy the sunshine despite the cold weather.


equivalent = something that has the same value or importance 
➡ How many euros is the equivalent of five
American dollars?


visual = relating to seeing or sight 
➡ Enjoying a beautiful view is an example of a visual experience.

Highlighted Words

impenetrable, difficult to understand

compelled, forced

fumbled, felt around for something in an awkward way

lira, the form of money used in Italy before the euro

merlons, solid parts of a fortress wall

crenel, cut-out part of a fortress wall

Antonyms

Some Properties of Antonyms

Antonyms are often defined as pairs of words with opposite meaning. For two
words to be considered antonyms, they need to belong to the same semantic
group. In other words, an antonym of happy can only be found within the category of “emotions.” Hot and cold are often referred to as antonyms. 
 For example, the opposite (antonym)
of tall is not necessarily short. Other words such as average, medium-size, etc. qualify as well. These are called pairs of antonyms: big/small, hot/cold, etc.
Another aspect to point out is that the unmarked member of a set of antonyms is the one used for questions. For example: How tall (not short) is your brother?

How long (not short) is his hair?