A Three-Point Turn

Chapter 1

"You know, hardly anyone ever needs to do a three-point turn anymore," said Justin, trying to help Becky calm down.

"Oh, so it's not a useful skill AND I am probably going to fail the driving test because I can't do it anyway," Becky said, raising her voice for emphasis. "That should make me feel like a million bucks when I flunk."

Justin was riding with Becky so she could take her driving test. He had volunteered for the job because he thought she would be less nervous with him than with their mom, but so far, he wasn't sure he was making any difference.

"Slow down, your turn is coming up here," he said, looking ahead.

"I know, I know," she replied, "I've been here before remember—the last time I flunked."

Justin was pretty sure if he had let her miss the turn, things would only have deteriorated further, but he wasn't sure he was fond of being the scapegoat for Becky's anxiety.

"Listen, you need to take a few deep breaths," he said, hoping he could help her at least relax a bit. "Being nervous won't help you with the three-point turn or anything else you have to do. Hey, did you just take that turn without your turn signal on?" This was going to be harder than he thought.

"Stop yelling at me," Becky replied, clearly frustrated, "I can't concentrate."

"Look, you need to stop and get yourself together here," Justin started. "It is not just about passing the driving test. I don't want to get in an accident, so pull into that parking lot."

Becky drove into the office building's parking lot where Justin was pointing. Justin knew they were less than a mile from the licensing office, and if she continued in this condition, he'd be having this same discussion three months from now when she tried the test again for the third time.

"You need to get a grip," he started after she put the car in park, "because you have studied and practiced driving all year. You know this stuff inside and out, backwards and forwards. What are you so nervous about?"

"I don't know, I don't know," Becky wailed, resting her head on the steering wheel. "I just get so tired of failing."

Listening quietly as Becky sobbed, Justin realized this was about much more than a driving test. He also knew if he didn't find a way to help Becky things would just get worse.

Chapter 2

Justin took a deep breath and collected his thoughts. Becky was an unbelievably consistent straight-A student. It was Justin who got the bad grades in school, and Justin who had to repeat every math class he'd ever taken. It was Justin who wished he could get the grades Becky got. Some things came easier for Justin: He was athletic, handy with tools, and good at making the best of whatever life threw at him. Mom called him her "lemons into lemonade" kid. But for the most part, Becky succeeded easily, whereas Justin had to work and work to just get a passing grade.

Rather than having Becky catalogue all the things she supposedly "failed" at, Justin decided to try an alternative approach, one that wouldn't remind him of all the ways he had failed.

"Okay, Becky, let's assume for a moment you fail this test again. What is the worst thing that could happen?" he asked.

"I would be the oldest kid at school without a license and be humiliated," she replied. Justin thought he heard a bit of panic in her voice but continued with his plan.

"Yes, but won't we still have to drive to school together for at least one more year anyway?" he asked.

"Yes, but..." she started.

"And who will know, if you don't tell anyone except your friends, that you don't have your license? You know Mom can't afford another car just for you, right?"

"Yes," she said quietly.

"So what difference does it make, really," he said. "Another three months to wait in the grand scheme of your life doesn't seem like all that long, right?"

"I suppose not," she said.

Justin could tell she was breathing more slowly now. "Besides," he said, "I would miss all the practice driving with you," and for good measure he reached over and pinched her arm.

"Ow," she said, hitting back at him, "that hurt."

"So let's go do this, okay?

"Okay," she said. Becky cranked up the car, backed slowly out of the parking spot and drove up to the parking lot's exit. Justin noticed, as they waited for the traffic to clear, that she had remembered the turn signal.

Read this line from Chapter 2:

Justin decided to try an alternative approach, one that wouldn't remind him of all the ways he had failed

Why does Justin feel he needs to avoid reminders of how he had failed? Write a short essay explaining why this kind of approach is important for Justin. (5 points)

When should readers refer to a dictionary instead of relying on context clues? select all that apply.when they have timeeach unfamiliar word they findwhen the surrounding words are unfamiliarwhen an unfamiliar word appears frequently

April does not let things interrupt her goals, she just continues on until she gets what she wants. complete, run on or comma splice

Informative presentation student guide assignment summary for this assignment, you will create a multimedia presentation in response to the following prompt: research suggests that laughter improves people’s emotional and physical well-being. create a multimedia presentation to inform the audience about the positive effects of laughter on emotional and physical health. background information you will create your multimedia presentation from the research-based informative essay that you have already prepared. materials  research-based informative essay  presentation software assignment instructions for this project, you are expected to submit: 1. an informative multimedia presentation step 1: prepare for the project. a) read through the guide before you begin so you know the expectations for this project. b) if anything is unclear to you, be sure to ask your teacher. step 2: create your title slide. a) begin by creating the title slide. this page will make sure you receive credit for your work, but it isn’t actually part of your speech. b) include your presentation title, your name, your teacher’s name, and the presentation due date. c) remember to save your work as you go by using the “save” option of the program. step 3: create your introduction slide a) create one introduction slide. b) use the introductory paragraph from your essay to you add text to the introduction slide. text on the slide should be in bullet point format, not complete paragraphs. the slide should engage your audience, introduce your topic, and present your thesis. c) add images and graphics that are relevant to the topic and engaging. ask your teacher for guidance if you need finding appropriate images. d) be sure to size images and graphics so they are easy for the audience to see. add captions as needed. e) remember to save your work as you go by using the “save” option. student guide (continued) step 4: create the body paragraph slides. a) create one slide for each body paragraph from your essay. if necessary, you may create two or more slides per body paragraph. b) use each body paragraph from your essay to you add text to the body paragraph slides. text on the slide should be in bullet point format, not complete paragraphs on your slide. the slide should inform your audience, support your thesis, and include relevant details from your research. c) add images and graphics that are relevant to the topic and engaging. ask your teacher for guidance if you need finding appropriate images. d) be sure to size images and graphics so they are easy for the audience to see. add captions as needed. e) remember to save your work as you go by using the “save” option. step 5: create the conclusion slide. a) create one conclusion slide. b) use the concluding paragraph from your essay to you add text to the conclusion slide. text on the slide should be in bullet point format, not complete paragraphs. the slide should restate your thesis, highlight main ideas, and leave your audience with something to think about. c) add images and graphics that are relevant to the topic and engaging. ask your teacher for guidance if you need finding appropriate images. d) be sure to size images and graphics so they are easy for the audience to see. add captions as needed. e) remember to save your work as you go by using the “save” option. step 6: evaluate your presentation. if you can check each box below, you are ready to submit your presentation.  did you include a title slide with the title of the presentation, your name, your teacher’s name, and the presentation due date?  did you include an introduction slide that is engaging, introduces your topic, and presents your thesis?  do you have a minimum of one slide per body paragraph from your essay?  do your body paragraph slides inform your audience, support your thesis, and include relevant details from your research?  did you include a conclusion slide that restates your thesis, highlights main ideas, and leaves your audience with something to think about?  is your presentation free from errors in spelling, punctuation, and capitalization?  are your images and graphics relevant, engaging, and clear? step 7: prepare for your presentation. a) read through your slides several times. b) create note cards with information that you will add to the presentation. c) practice giving your presentation aloud. d) rehearse in front of another person. student guide (continued) step 8: revise and submit your project. a) if you were unable to check off all of the requirements on the checklist, go back and make sure that your project is complete. save your project before submitting it. b) turn in your presentation to your teacher. be sure that your name is on it. c) submit your presentation through the virtual classroom. d) congratulations! you have completed your project.