Small Things Like These – Part 2

Chapter 3 (Pages 15-35)

1. General comprehension-answer these questions.

a. Where is Furlong and his family heading to on the “first Sunday of
December”?
To the Townhall to see the lights turning on_______________________________________
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b. What is Eileen glancing at while chatting with friends and
neighbours?

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c. Why does Eileen decide to make her Christmas cake on that same
evening even though she seems to have a lot of chores to do?

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d. What present does Furlong remember getting from Mrs Wilson? Why
was he disappointed with the present? What did he do to himself to
forget about his disappointment?

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e. Why didn’t Furlong never ask Mrs Wilson about whom his father
was?
Because he was scared to do it. Even in the last moment of Mrs Wilson he wasn’t
able to ask it. He so scared like He was not very patient with them .______________
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f. Still remembering “all those Christmases ago”, what did Ned give
Furlong and what does he say about it? In your opinion, why would
that comment be important?

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g. What do Furlong and Eileen do with their daughters’ letters to
Santa?

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h. What news did Eileen hear about the Wilson’s and their place? P.34

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Instructions: Look at the excerpts below and analyze them.

1. Fully analyse the following passage having a close look at the use of
colour:
 “If some complained over Joseph looking overly colourful in his red and
purple robes, the Virgin Mary was met with general approval, kneeling
passively in her usual blue and white”. (page 15)

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2. Interpret the meaning when Furlong remembers his present: “… he’d be
given A Christmas Carol, and old book with a hard, red cover and no
pictures, which smelled of must.”

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3. Take 15 minutes to watch this video about Charles Dickens’ novel “A
Christmas Carol” to understand the miserly main character Scrooge.
Scrooge revisits Christmases past so does Furlong but for different
reasons. What are they and why does the reader get the comparison
between these two characters? https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=HqMfGq3okZY

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4. Sight and scent are two of the 5 senses present on pages 24 and 25.
Identify this sensory language and explain why it is important.

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 5. Religious language is never far in this novel. At the end of chapter 3, Eileen
baptizes her Christmas cake with a “Baby Power”. Analyse its symbolism.
(Powers is an Irish whiskey)

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Small Things Like These – Part 2 Word Families

Instructions: Provide the correct word forms in the same word families as the
following:
1. Page 20: noun of deep _____________________________________
2. Page 21: verb of courage: _____________________________________
3. Page 21: noun of recognised: _____________________________________
4. Page 22: noun of wide: _____________________________________
5. Page 25: adjective of sugar: _____________________________________
6. Page 26: noun of discovered: _____________________________________
7. Page 27: noun of believing: _____________________________________
8. Page 31: adj of thought: _____________________________________
9. Page 35: adj of sleep: _____________________________________

Small Things Like These – Part 2

Synonyms/Antonyms
Instructions: Provide synonyms (=) or antonyms (≠) for the following:
1. Page 17: brave≠_____________________________________
2. Page 18: sooner≠_____________________________________
3. Page 19: reluctantly=_____________________________________
4. Page 20: cry=_____________________________________
5. Page 30 gander=_____________________________________
6. page 34 seldom≠_____________________________________
Optional to give the students to number 3 above

BILL FURLONG EBENEEZER

SCROOGE
Reputation

Personality
Traits

Treatment of
others

Thinking about
Christmas past

Thinking about
Christmas
present (as in
now)

Christmas
Future – What
will it bring?