Lesson Plan One Family: Three Generations of Fading Loyalty to Castro’s Revolution
II. While Reading Activities
Word Inference
- enigma |iˈniɡmə| noun (pl. enigmas) a person or thing that is mysterious, puzzling, or difficult to understand.
- stage |stāj|verb [ with obj. ]cause (something dramatic or unexpected) to happen: the president’s attempt to stage a comeback | the dollar staged a partial recovery.
- abuse verb |əˈbyo͞oz| treat (a person or an animal) with cruelty or violence, especially regularly or repeatedly: riders who abuse their horses should be prosecuted.
- flurry |ˈflərē| noun (pl. flurries)a number of things arriving or happening during the same period: a flurry of editorials hostile to the administration.
- fief |fēf| noun-historical an estate of land, especially one held on condition of feudal service.
- authoritarian |əˌTHôrəˈterēən| adjective-favoring or enforcing strict obedience to authority, especially that of the government, at the expense of personal freedom: the transition from an authoritarian to a democratic regime.
- patron |ˈpātrən| noun a person who gives financial or other support to a person, organization, cause, or activity: Charles became a patron of Rubens and van Dyck | a celebrated patron of the arts.
- norm |nôrm| noun (the norm) something that is usual, typical, or standard: this system has been the norm in Germany for decades.
- capitalism |ˈkapədlˌizəm| noun-an economic and political system in which a country’s trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by the state.
- chronic |ˈkränik| adjective-(of a problem) long-lasting and difficult to eradicate: the school suffers from chronic overcrowding.
Reading Comprehension
True /False/NA-Statements
- T-According to the article, Mr. Montes, (the father) remained loyal to Mr. Castro.
- F- His son’s views darkened decades ago, during tussles with the Castro government’s restrictions.
- T- His teenage granddaughter, Rocio, has spent most of her youth feeling glum about the conditions in her country.
- F-The Montes family’s story of faith and disillusion is common.
- T-Cuban families have been arguing about Mr. Castro since he came to power.
- NA-Fidel Castro had 5 children.
- T-Castro’s death has again produced an intense clash of emotions for many Cubans.
- F-His relationship to the country was remarkably personal.
- T-Castro was one of the few world leaders referred to by just their first names.
- F-It was the early 1950s,when poor farmers began revolting against wealthy landowners.
Grammar Focus: Prepositions
- But that allegiance slipped from generation to generation in Mr. Montes’s family.
- You have to look at this in a very cool way.
- Because he ruled for decades, Mr. Castro’s impact — and the perception of it — changed over time.
- Cubans born before the revolution saw him as a transformative force for good or ill.