Day at the Amusement Park

Adv. ESL
Santa Monica College
Eric H. Roth

Conversation questions:
1. Do you spend time with children? Where do you like to go?
2. Have you been to Disneyland? Universal Studios? Six Flags?
3. Are you a collector? What do you like to collect? Why?
4. Have you ever ridden on a roller coaster? Did you like it? Why?
5. Are you a thrill seeker?
6. Do you like doing new and dangerous things? Why?
7. Have you ever heard children shriek? Did you like the sound?
8. Have you ever seen parents treat their children in a strange way?
9. Have you ever seen children fight with their parents in public?
10. What is something that you have accomplished that first scared you?

Reading comprehension questions:
1. Who wrote the article?
2. What does the son collect?
3. How old is the son when the essay begins? Ends?
4. What is the son’s name?
5. What did the son ask three weeks before his birthday?
6. How much extra did the “fast-ride” tickets cost?
7. What happened when Theo first saw the “Villain”?
8. What happened at the ride? Can you describe the situation?
9. What does “cut in front” mean? Manhandle?
10. How did the scene look to people standing in line? Why?
11. What was the ride operator’s reaction?
12. What insight does the author gain?
13. Where did the family go next? Why?
14. What does “we took the plunge” mean?
15. How many times did they go on roller coaster rides that day?
16. When does the author talk to Theo about his experiences?
17. What conclusion does the author reach?

18. How would you describe the tone of this essay?
19. What do you think of the author’s parenting style? Why?

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