Untitled Flashcards Set
1. cuisine - (n) a style or method of cooking, especially of a particular country (5)
2. spasms - (n) a sudden involuntary muscular contraction or convulsive movement (9)
3. gaunt - (adj) thin and boney (12)
4. averted - (v) turned away (12)
5. confidential - (adj) intended to be kept secret (14)
6. vigil - (n) a time of staying awake to keep watch (16)
7. industrialist - (n) the owner of a large-scale business, particularly one that manufactures a product (18)
8. beneficiary - (n) a person who inherits something of value (21)
9. legacy - (n) an amount of money or property left to someone in a will (21)
Comprehension Questions - Answer the following questions on a separate piece of paper in complete sentences using the RACE format. (Restate-Answer-Cite-Explain)
Chapter 1
1. The delivery “boy” delivered 6 letters all signed Barney Northrup. What is odd about Barney Northrup?
What is odd about Barney Northrup is that there is no such person. p. 1
2. How is Sunset Towers described? Provide several details.
Sunset Towers is described as facing east, it has no towers, it is glittery and glassy, 5 stories high on the Lake Michigan shore. There is 3 inch thick carpet, crystal chandeliers, mirrored walls, and picture windows. p. 1
3. Grace Wexler thinks to herself, “The third bedroom was a trifle small, but it would do just fine for Turtle.”
What does that imply about her feelings toward Turtle?
Grace Wexler’s comment about the small bedroom implies that she does not care much about Turtle. p. 3
4. Why is Sydell Pulaski disappointed with apartment 3C?
Sydelle Pulaski is disappointed with apartment 3C because it does not have a lake view. p. 4
5. What mistake did Barney Northrup make?
Barney Northrup’s mistake was that he rented one of the apartments to the wrong person. p. 5
Chapter 2
1. Who is Otis Amber? What information does he share about Mr. Westing?
Otis Amber is a small, wiry 62 year old delivery “boy.” He shares that Mr. Westing is supposed to be on a private island in the South Seas, but most people think he is dead in his mansion. p. 6-7
2. Why does the doorman, Sandy McSouthers, dislike Mr. Westing?
Sandy McSouthers dislikes Mr. Westing because Sandy worked in the Westing paper mill for 20 years and was fired. p. 7
3. What do Doug Hoo and Theo Theodorakis have in common?
Doug Hoo and Theo Theodorakis are both slim, trim, teen age high school seniors who live in Sunset Towers. p. 6 Their parents both own restaurants in the building. P. 5
4. What was Turtle’s reaction to hearing the story about the boys from Westingtown?
Turtle’s reaction to hearing the story about the boys from Westingtown was to say that she would go into the Westing mansion and stay there for two dollars per minute. p. 8
5. How can we tell that Theo’s brother, Chris, is handicapped? Do you think he and Theo have a good
relationship? Why or why not?
Chris Theodorakis is handicapped because the story says, “His head jerked, his body coiled, lashed by violent spasms.” Chris also uses a wheelchair. He and Theo have a good relationship because he was thinking that in 2 hours Theo would bring his dinner up to him and he would tell Theo about the limper. While he is having spasms, he tries to relax by thinking that Theo will come soon. p. 8-9
Chapter 3
1. How is Angela Wexler described?
Angela Wexler is described as “blank-faced, pretty as a store-window dummy.” She has pale blue eyes. Grace said Angela has very delicate skin. p. 9 Angela is also described as being golden-haired and angel-faced. p. 10
2. How are Grace Wexler’s feelings about Angela different
from her feelings about Turtle?
Explain your answer with examples from the story.
Grace Wexler’s feelings about Angela are different from
her feelings about Turtle because she said, “What an angel,” when talking about Angela, and she tells Turtle that Mrs. Baumbach is busy with Angela’s wedding dress and cannot work on Turtle’s costume. Grace says, “Oh, it’s you,” when Turtle walks in, she tells Turtle that she makes herself ugly in her costume and came close to striking Turtle when Turtle insulted Dr. Deere. p. 10-11
3. Using only one adjective for each person, how would you describe Mrs. Crow, Mr. Hoo, and Doug Hoo?
Explain why you chose those adjectives. (your opinion)
Mrs. Crow - stern
She is described as looking severe and rigid and she says,
“We are sinners, all.”p. 11-12
Mr. Hoo - angry
Mr. Hoo slammed the reservation book shut and said to himself, “Well, Westing won’t get off so easy this time, not on his life.” p. 13
Doug Hoo - athletic
On p. 7 it said, “The track star began to jog in place,” and when his father told him to “go study” he repeated,
“go study” while doing 20 sit-ups. p. 12
4. How do we know that Judge J. J. Ford knows Mr. Westing?
We know that Judge J. J. Ford knows Mr. Westing because she starts thinking of ways to pay him back in cash. p. 14
5. What does Sydelle Pulaski think about herself?
How do we know that she plans to change that impression?
Sydelle Pulaski thinks no one ever notices her, nobody listens to her, and nobody cares. We know she plans to change that impression because she says, “No one ever notices Sydelle Pulaski, but now they will. Now they will.” p. 16 (foreshadowing)
Chapter 4
1. What did Turtle plan to do on Halloween night? Why?
On Halloween night, Turtle planned to go into the Westing mansion, and for each minute that she stayed in there Doug, Theo, Otis, and Sandy would give her $2.
2. What was the headline on the November 1 newspaper? List 3 things that you learned about Sam Westing.
The headline on the November 1 newspaper said, “Sam Westing Found Dead.” The article said:
• Mr. Westing was 65 years old.
• He was an only child.
• He became an orphan at 12.
• He worked hard to create the Westing Paper Products Corporation and found the town of Westingtown.
• His estate is worth over $200 million dollars.
• He loved hosting 4th of July celebrations with spectacular fireworks shows.
• His only daughter, Violet, drowned the day before her wedding.
• His wife left him.
• He divorced and never remarried.
• He was sued by an inventor over the paper diaper.
• He was in a serious car accident with his friend, Dr. Sykes.
• He disappeared after that.
3. Why does Turtle think that Doug, Theo, Otis, and Sandy owe her $24?
Turtle thinks Doug, Theo, Otis, and Sandy owe her $24 dollars because she stayed in the Westing mansion for 12 minutes, and the bet was for $2 per minute. 12x2 = 24
4. What does Otis Amber deliver from E. J. Plum?
Otis delivers 16 letters from E. J. Plum inviting the beneficiaries (heirs) of Sam Westing’s will to come to the mansion tomorrow at 4 p.m. for the reading of the will.
5. Who is your favorite character so far in the story? Why?
Your opinion with reasons given
Summary: (3 sentences)
Plot Summaries & Clues
Write the 3 most important things that happened in Chapters 1-4.
1. Barney Northrup rented all the apartments in Sunset
Towers to the people whose names were already on the
mailboxes.
2. Turtle finds Sam Westing dead in his bed and the
newspaper reports his death the next day.
3. Otis Amber delivers 16 letters to the beneficiaries of
Sam Westing’s will.
Foreshadowing: Write any examples of foreshadowing in Chapters 1-4.
1. “The big problems were yet to come.” Ch. 2
2. “No one ever notices Sydelle Pulaski, but now they will.”
Ch. 3
Predictions for the next chapters: What do you think might happen next?
Your opinion -
Chapters 1-4
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