WESTRIDGE SCHOOL

WESTRIDGE SCHOOL
2015 SUMMER READING ASSIGNMENT
Honors English III (#120)
For Students Entering Grade: 11
Required: In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez
Algonquin edition: ISBN-10: 1565129768/ ISBN-13: 978-1565129764)
Please be strategic in when you choose to read the required book. While waiting
until the last minute and rushing through is not a good idea, reading the book too
early in the summer can make it difficult to participate in the discussion if the book
is not fresh in your mind. Please be reading throughout the summer, but starting
with optional books is probably best. Reading the required book in early to midAugust is recommended.
Suggested: Read one additional book from the list below
Amis, Kingsley
Amis, Martin
Atkinson, Kate
Bainbridge, Beryl
Brookner, Anita
Burgess, Anthony
Carey, Peter
De Botton, Alain
Drabble, Margaret
Dunant, Sarah
Fellowes, Julian
Ford, Maddox Ford
Haddon, Mark
Huxley, Aldous
Ishiguro, Kazuo
Lodge, David
McEwan, Ian
O’Brien, Edna
Rhys, Jean
Rushdie, Salman
Shaw, George Bernard
Smith, Zadie
Stoppard, Tom
Unsworth, Barry
Winterson, Jeanette
Lucky Jim
Time’s Arrow
Behind the Scenes at the Museum
According to Queeney; Every Man for Himself
Hotel du Lac
A Clockwork Orange
The History of the Kelly Gang
Kiss & Tell
The Millstone
The Birth of Venus
Snobs
A Good Soldier
the curious incident of the dog in the night-time
Brave New World
The Remains of the Day; Never Let Me Go
Changing Places
Atonement; Saturday
The Country Girls
After Leaving Mr. Mackenzie; Wide Sargasso Sea
The Ground Beneath Her Feet; Midnight’s Children
Mrs. Warren’s Profession, Major Barbara
White Teeth
Arcadia; The Real Thing
Morality Play; The Songs of the Kings
Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit
Assignment:
Make copious annotations while you read as you will be expected to discuss and
write about In the Time of the Butterflies during the first week of classes.
AP Environmental Science (#457)
For Students Entering Grade: 11 & 12
Summer Reading to be emailed to you by instructor.
AP Chemistry (#432)
For Students Entering Grades: 11 & 12
Students will be sent a packet of summer information containing a list of
polyatomic ions, solubility rules, strong acids, and reaction classifications.
Students must memorize these items by the first day of school. There will
be a quiz covering this material the first day of class.
In addition, the summer packet will contain problems due the first day of
class. Topics will include stoichiometry, naming compounds, and atomic
structure.
AP Biology (#435)
For Students Entering Grades: 11 & 12
1. Send a letter of introduction to me via email by August 20.
2. Obtain a bag of plain M&Ms from another state (do not eat it and
please save the receipt!).
3. Obtain a packet (or packets) of seeds and six pots for planting from
me before the school year ends. Design and conduct an original
experiment over the summer that addresses a question about the
biology of plants. You will present your results in the fall after we
discuss guidelines in class. Note that it will take about 8 weeks to get
results from your experiment. This means you will have to begin your
experiment early and find ways to keep your plants alive for the entire
summer.
When designing your experiment, consider how organisms evolve, grow,
reproduce, transmit genetic information, interact with their environments,
interact with other organisms, and function as systems. Consider that the
basis of human civilization is the ability to understand how to care for and
grow plants for use as food. Agricultural questions regarding improved plant
yield and growth can be investigated using scientific inquiry. Think critically
about experimental design, what measurements to record, how you will
record them, and the underlying truth of nature you will try to uncover.
Honors United States History (#220)
For Students Entering Grade: 11
Read When Everything Changed: The Amazing Journey of American Women
from 1960 to the Present by Gail Collins, 2009
On the first day of school bring a typed, double-spaced essay response to
the following question:
What led to—or precipitated—that moment in time "when everything
changed"? Was there a single event or an accumulation of events? Where
does Collins see feminism's inability to achieve change?
AP United States History (#221)
For Students Entering Grade: 11
Winesburg Ohio, by Sherwood Anderson
The blurb on the back cover of this novel says “it endures as a classic
portrait of American life.” What conclusions can you draw about Americans
and American lives based on this book and your own knowledge of American
history?
2 pages (or 1 page single-spaced). Due on the first day of class.
AP European History (#216)
For Students Entering Grade: 10, 11, & 12
To give you a little more feel for the times and places we’ll be covering in
the Advanced Placement course, you are asked to choose two of the
following books to read and report on, one from the earlier period and one
from the latter. Each book should be written about in terms of your own
response to it (you may even use the first person in talking about your
reaction!). DUE DATE: the first day of class). IF you wish to read more and
do an extra report as an extra credit piece, you may.
From the Renaissance to the French Revolutionary Eras:
Girl with a Pearl Earring, by Tracy Chevalier (W)
This short best-seller takes its inspiration from the Vermeer painting of the
same title.
Assignment: In a one to two page paper, discuss an episode from the novel
that reveals something that strikes you as significant about gender roles,
family issues, religion or social class in 17th century Netherlands.
The Passion of Artemesia, by Susan Vreeland (W)
A well-researched historical novel based on the life of Artemesia Gentileschi,
a 17th century woman who overcame rape, torture, neglect, and ridicule to
become a successful artist.
Assignment: In one to two pages: How does this biographical account reveal
both the difficulties and possibilities of life for an unusually placed and gifted
woman? Which of these were specific to her being a woman?
From the Industrial Revolution to the present:
A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, by Alexander Solzhenitsyn (w)
During the days when Josef Stalin led the communist U.S.S.R., prison
camps dotted Russia and Siberia. This short novel, based on the author’s
own experience as a writer imprisoned there, encapsulates the absurdity,
pathos, and raw humanity evidenced in just one day’s experience.
Assignment: This novel was included in the war theme because it in fact
suggests the ways people cope with “war against their human dignity,
freedom, basic humanity”. What examples do you notice about the “best”
and the “worst” of how people survived and coped in this battle?
All Quiet on the Western Front, by Erich Maria Remarque (w)
This is widely regarded as one of the most powerful novels about ordinary
soldiers caught in modern warfare. It is narrated by Paul Baumer, a young
German soldier who signs up with his classmates for “the Great War” (the
First World War) fully expecting victory and safe return in a matter of
months. His story, utterly gripping and terrible, reveals the heart of humanity
in the midst of madness.
Assignment: As you read, consider the way the narrator conveys the ways
war is changing him. Write a 1-2 page essay on one of those moments of
change and what factors seem to have led to it.
AP Art History (#246)
For Students Entering Grade: 11, 12
One marvelous aspect of studying the history of art is that it offers a kind of
cultural “time travel” through different epochs in a very visual way. To help
you get more of a feel for different times, I ask that you read TWO of the
following books, one from each of the time periods listed below, and to write
your own personal response to them in a page or two.
Before the 1700’s:
The Birth of Venus, by Sarah Dunant
A fictional, sensuous novel revolving around the fate of a young woman in
the Florentine Renaissance. Both very engrossing reading and a great
introduction to the paradoxical nature of that society—humanistic, subject to
religious extremism, family-oriented and brutal even as it was producing
some of the most memorable artists and art of all time.
Brunelleschi’s Dome, by Ross King
This non-fictional recreation goes into all the intricacies of the Florentine
Cathedral’s dome construction—the competition, the building process, the
raging controversies, and the pride it engendered-- and the amazing abilities
of Brunelleschi himself, often called “the father of the Italian Renaissance”.
Highly recommended.
Michelangelo and the Pope’s Ceiling, by Ross King
Like King’s Brunelleschi’s Dome, this non-fictional account is researched in
amazing detail, revealing not only the titanic personality of Michelangelo
himself, but the people and circumstances with which he had to deal in
creating the Sistine Chapel ceiling. Truly revealing.
The Passion of Artemesia, by Susan Vreeland
Artemesia Gentileschi was the daughter of a 17th century painter willing to
let her apprentice in his workshop—a highly unusual opportunity that allowed
her the chance to become one of the five or six best known women artists in
Europe before the modern era. Her tempestuous life and astonishing success
makes for great reading.
Modern European History (post- French Revolution):
The Judgment of Paris, the Revolutionary Decade That Gave the World
Impressionism, by Ross King
Once again, Ross King’s detailed research brings an epoch alive with the
personalities and interactions that defined it. This time he has focused on
one of the most fruitful and revolutionary moments in modern art— mid19th century Paris.
Letters to Theo, by Vincent Van Gogh (any published version is fine)
Van Gogh’s letters to his brother Theo reveal a lot about his burning desire
to give expression to what he saw and felt about the people and natural
world around him. They express not only his intensity but his knowledge and
discipline. An extraordinary opportunity to look into the mind of one of the
most influential and beloved artists of the modern world.
Luncheon of the Boating Party, by Susan Vreeland
Renoir’s painting of a fun-loving group of middle-class Parisians is a kind of
monument of Impressionist painting. Here Vreeland penetrates the surface
and unwinds the texture of artist and subject, his era and intentions to give a
real feel for the times.
Jackson Pollack, by Ellen G. Landau
Pollack’s painting and life are a kind of microcosm of the post- World War II
New York School. Here biography and art history are skillfully interwoven
and balanced. The book is also heavily illustrated with Pollack’s highly
energized nonobjective action paintings, giving the reader a wonderful view
of one of the most revolutionary artists of the late 20th century.
Comparative Religions (#255)
For Students Entering Grade: 11, 12
The Life of Pi by Yann Martel
Assignment: In a brief paper (1-2 pages, typed) answer one of the following
study group questions at the back of the novel: 3, 7, or 11. If your edition
has no such questions, then answer this: what statement does Pi’s life make
about the nature of religious truth?
This will be due on the first day of class.
The Modern Middle East (#257)
For Students Entering Grade: 11, 12
The Lemon Tree: An Arab, A Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East
by Sandy Tolan
Chose specific examples from the book that show 1) how Sandy Tolan is
asking us to empathize with the characters of Bashir and Dalia, and 2) how
Bashir and Dalia work to empathize with each other. Analyze your examples
in a two-paged paper.
Your paper is due on the first day of class.
Honors Spanish IV (#575)
For Students Entering Grades: 10, 11, & 12
I. Una carta a Dios, por Gregorio López y Fuentes
A. Escuche el cuento en
http://college.cengage.com/languages/spanish/burgy/album/3e/students/audi
o/1/track01.mp3
… y responda:
1. ¿Qué significa la tierra para la familia de Lencho?
2. ¿Cuáles fueron los resultados de la lluvia?
3. ¿Cómo reacciona la familia y cómo reacciona Lencho?
4. ¿Qué pide Lencho?
5. ¿Cómo reaccionan los empleados y cómo reacciona el jefe de la oficina de
correos? ¿Por qué cree usted que el jefe actúa así?
B. Lea el cuento en
http://www.ciudadseva.com/textos/cuentos/esp/lopez_y_fuentes/una_carta_a
_dios.htm
… y responda:
6. ¿Por qué se pone furioso Lencho cuando recibe la respuesta de “Dios”?
7. ¿Es cómico o triste el final del cuento? ¿Por qué?
8. ¿Es la naturaleza una fuerza positiva o negativa en la vida de los
campesinos?
9. Compare este cuento con uno similar que haya leído en inglés. Establezca
similitudes y diferencias.
C. Busque información en Internet sobre el autor del cuento, Gregorio López
y Fuentes.
II. Tiempos y modos verbales. Llene la Tabla de conjugaciones con un verbo
conjugado en el tiempo y modo que se indica. Explique cuándo usamos ese
tiempo, escriba una oración de ejemplo y su traducción al inglés. La parte del
presente del subjuntivo está llena como modelo (con “comer”). Puede añadir
toda la información que quiera en cada cuadro. Puede usar otro verbo si
prefiere. Si el modelo no está claro para usted, busque su propia forma de
explicar los usos y encuentre ejemplos con los que usted pueda relacionarse.
Este resumen será una referencia para usted durante todo el año escolar. Los
espacios con una “X” indican que ese tiempo y modo no existen, o no los
estudiamos. Usted recibirá la tabla de conjugaciones en su correo electrónico
en mayo del 2014, antes de terminar el curso.
AP Spanish V (#578)
For Students Entering Grade: 11 & 12
- Book: En la ardiente oscuridad / Un soñador para un pueblo,
Antonio Buero Vallejo.
(ISBN-10: 8423915107 / ISBN-13: 978-8423915101, Espasa-Calpe, 3rd
ed.;1977)
- Assignment:
• Please read one act (total of three) at a time, and answer the
corresponding questions to check comprehension. You don’t need to write
formal answers, just notes that will help you with class discussion.
EN LA ARDIENTE OSCURIDAD
Antonio Buero Vallejo
Acto I
1. ¿Quiénes son los personajes que aparecen aquí?¿Qué característica física
tiene la mayoría de los personajes en común?
2. ¿Dónde están?
3. Describe a Ignacio. ¿Por qué se resiste Ignacio a abandonar el bastón?
4. ¿Qué opina Ignacio del centro de estudios y de los estudiantes en él?
Acto II
1. ¿Cuál es la preocupación de Carlos y Juana?
2. ¿Cómo ha cambiado Ignacio en su vestimenta desde el primer acto?
3. ¿Qué hace Ignacio para probarle a Carlos que él (Carlos) también tiene
miedo y vacila al andar, para mostrar su inseguridad?
4. Después de la discusión con Carlos, Ignacio se queda solo y escucha la
conversación de Elisa y Juana. ¿Por qué odia Elisa a Ignacio?
Acto III
1. ¿Por qué sufre Carlos? ¿Por qué esconde su sufrimiento?
2. ¿A quién busca Juana cuando entra en la sala?
3. ¿De qué quiere hablar Carlos con Ignacio? ¿Qué actitud tiene Ignacio
durante la conversación?
4. Ignacio dice: “Me duele como una mutilación vuestra propia ceguera;…”
¿A qué ceguera se refiere?
5. ¿Por qué cree Ignacio que Carlos tiene tanto interés en que se vaya?
6. ¿Adónde se va Ignacio, casado de la conversación? ¿Va Carlos con él?
7. ¿Cuál es la actitud de Carlos cuando habla con don Pablo y doña Pepita?
8. ¿Adónde va Carlos cuando se despide de doña Pepita?
9. ¿Qué ve doña Pepita por la ventana cuando se quedó sola? ¿Cuál fue su
reacción?
10. ¿Qué tres posibilidades se mencionan sobre la causa de la muerte de
Ignacio?
Latin IV: Advanced Placement Aeneid (#554)
For Students Entering Grades: 11, 12
Books:
Aeneid by Virgil, translated by Robert Fagles ISBN: 0143105132 (paperback)
or 0670038032 (hardcover)
AND
Caesar: The Conquest of Gaul, translated by S.A. Handford (Penguin
Classics) ISBN 0140444335.
Assignment:
Incoming Latin IV students must read Books 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12 of the Aeneid
and Books 1, 6, and 7 of Caesar’s Gallic War commentaries in ENGLISH
before school starts. Please make a rough outline of events and characters in
each book.
AP Mandarin Chinese V (#593)
For Students Entering Grade: 11, 12
• Package with three stories and Chinese AP exam overview, to be emailed
to you by the teacher.
• Assignment: Follow the Reading Guideline as you read through each story.
Answer the questions at the end of each reading packet and write a short
paragraph (your thoughts) in response to the reading in Chinese. Keep your
reading packets and notes for class discussion.
Advanced Art Studio & Seminar (#667)
For Students Entering Grade: 11, 12
"Ways of Seeing” by John Berger