The Open Window assignment

[Mitzi100]

Hi Everyone,
For this assignment, you will follow one of the links below and finish reading the story, "The Open Window". Assuming that in class you managed to fill in the first two lines of the prediction worksheet, just read the story to the end and fill in the third line of each section of the worksheet.

1. http://btflatt.tripod.com/stories/saki2.htm
2. http://www.readbookonline.net/readOnLine/366/
3. http://42opus.com/v7n1/theopenwindow

If you didn't manage to read to line 38 in class and fill in the second line of the worksheet, stop reading after this line - "It is quite warm for the time of the year," said Framton; "but has that window got anything to do with the tragedy?" , and then fill in the second line of each section of the worksheet, before you finish reading the story. After you finish reading the story, complete the worksheet. Bring the worksheet to class on Sunday.
If you missed the lesson, print out the worksheet I will post after I write this assignment, and start from the beginning of the task. If you have any questions about what to do, write to me before you begin.
After you finish the worksheet, follow one of these links and listen to the story.
1. http://content.loudlit.org/audio/window/pages/01_01_window.htm
2. http://www.mediafly.com/MediaPlayer/Episode/Sometimes_2_The_Open_Window_by_Saki ( There are about 2 and a half minutes of nonsense before the reader gets to the story. Ignore all of that, and just comment on the reading of the story.)


After you listen to one of the versions of reading the story, write a note to the forum and write a few sentences answering the following questions:
1. Does listening to the dramatic reading of the story help you understand the story better? Why or why not?
2. Does hearing the story cause you to enjoy the story more or less? Why?
3. Do you like the way the reader read the story? What did you like (or not like)
about it?
Finally, wait until a few other people have written notes to the form, and send one more message reacting to someone else's comments.

You must complete this assignment by Thursday night, so that I can check forum comments on Friday morning. Remember: If you have any questions about what to do after reading the instructions carefully, send me a question before you begin the task!
Enjoy the story!
Mitzi

[Slava]

1. Does listening to the dramatic reading of the story help you understand the story better? Why or why not?
2. Does hearing the story cause you to enjoy the story more or less? Why?
3. Do you like the way the reader read the story? What did you like (or not like)
about it?

1. Not really, I prefer to read on my own pace and get the general picture myself, with the words in front of me.

2. I enjoy the story more when I read it myself, because then I can focus on the words and understand better.

3. I didn't like it because I think he shouldn't read it exactly as it was written but make a few changes, there isn't an actual need to say every time "X said" when you read in different voices and it was just disorienting. Also, the vioces were a bit strange..

Edit: I listened to the sometimes 2 narration

[Anton I]

1. Does listening to the dramatic reading of the story help you understand the story better? Why or why not?
2. Does hearing the story cause you to enjoy the story more or less? Why?
3. Do you like the way the reader read the story? What did you like (or not like)
about it?

Answers:
1. Yes it does, the dramatic reading (I listened to the reader in the first link) makes me focus better in some parts and understanding the story much better then on my own.
2. Yes, hearing of the story from another person (especially in a dramatic way) is enjoyable more then reading it myself.
3. Actually no, I didn't like the way he was reading it. In my opinion the reader was reading without any emotional part in it (like acting the part where the niece was telling the story about the bodies in a proper tone) and he wasn't really trying too hard on making the story interesting to me (causing in some points for me to want to stop hearing it).

[Mitzi100]

Hi Everyone,
When you comment on the dramatic reading, please say which one you listened to.
Mitzi

[Eran]

1. Does listening to the dramatic reading of the story help you understand the story better? Why or why not?
2. Does hearing the story cause you to enjoy the story more or less? Why?
3. Do you like the way the reader read the story? What did you like (or not like)

1. No. Actually the British accent of the narrator made some of the words to sound unclear to me, and it was easier to me to understand the story through reading.
2. Yes because it's nice to listen to dramatic reading and it helps to picture the story.
3. I liked the dramatic way in which he read the story because it made me to picture the story better in my mind, but I didn't like his accent that made some of the words to sound unclear to me.

[Anton ch]

1. Does listening to the dramatic reading of the story help you understand the story better ? Why or why not?
2. Does hearing the story cause you to enjoy the story more or less? Why?
3. Do you like the way the reader read the story? What did you like (or not like)

Answers:
1.Yes of course, the dramatic reading of the story help me to understand the story better. Because I can focus more attentivly on the details of the story and "paint" easier the situations in my own eyes.
2.Yes of course, hearing of the story in a dramatic way increases the enjoy of the story more then reading it by myself.
3. I loved the way the reader had read the story. His reading is impressive and lets me to understand the story clearly.

[Julia Klepfish]

1. Does listening to the dramatic reading of the story help you understand the story better ? Why or why not?
2. Does hearing the story cause you to enjoy the story more or less? Why?
3. Do you like the way the reader read the story? What did you like (or not like)


1.Not really,I prefer to read on my own and see the text in front of me.
2.Yes,hearing the story caused me to enjoy the story more because he reads it in a dramatic way.
3.I liked the fact that he read it dramaticly but I didn't really liked the voices that he made,they were quite strange.

I listened to the second link.

I agree whith Slava,it is better to read the story when you can see a printed text.

[Eran]

I agree With Anton I: listening to somebody who reads the story dramatically is more enjoyable then reading it on your own, but thats in condition you have the text in front of your eyes when you listening to the reader, so you can understand everything that he says.

[Michael]

1. The dramatic reading of the story helps me to imaginate the images of the situation's in my mind as they're described in the story, although the narrator could've done better with the voices of the characters, he should put more emotions into his reading.(I sensed a lack of drama in his reading ><).
2. The hearing of the story causes the story to be more amusing for me, because I've always thought the British accent is hilarious and amusing,at least for me.
3.In overall I liked his British accent(the reason mentioned above) which made the story more amusing, though I didn't like the lack of emotions in the character's voices.

I listened to the first narration.

I agree with Julia, the voices the narrator made for the characters were indeed strange which was caused by the lack of emotion in his voice.

[JennyI]

1. Does listening to the dramatic reading of the story help you understand the story better? Why or why not?
2. Does hearing the story cause you to enjoy the story more or less? Why?
3. Do you like the way the reader read the story? What did you like (or not like)
about it?

1. The dramatic reading of the story did not help me to understand the story better. For me , the man thet read the story used the same tone of voice for each characters , so I could not know what they felt when they talked. (scared, happy, tierd, sad...).
2. After the first 10 sec. of hearing the story I wanted to stop the reading. I did not like the voice of the reader, the tone. Maybe if each characters had a different voice (like, woman's voice for the niece).
3. I did not like the way the reader read the story. His tone of voice made the characters sound snobs, and when I read the story it was not the way I saw them.
P.S. I listened to the first link.

RE: I agree with Michael that the lack of emotions in the reader's voice was one of the main reasens why the reading was not enjoyable.

[liorap]

1)In my opinion I understand better the story when I read him alone.
I can't conect to the story when someone tell him like in the listening.
2)I don't like the story so muchand because of this it's not imporant to me hearung or listening the story.
3)Ithink the reader need to read the story in better way like more dramaticly.


I think like yulia.

[yula k]

1. Does listening to the dramatic reading of the story help you understand the story better? Why or why not?
2. Does hearing the story cause you to enjoy the story more or less? Why?
3. Do you like the way the reader read the story? What did you like (or not like)
about it?


answers
1.I all ready anderstud the story ,but if it was the first time ehat i read it with this it would help me a lot.
2.it cause me to enjoy the story more because it more intresting and easy to understand the story like this.
3.i liked how he read the story but he could read it more slower,and dramatically.

and i agerr with Eran

[ilan.p.]

1. Does listening to the dramatic reading of the story help you understand the story better? Why or why not?
2. Does hearing the story cause you to enjoy the story more or less? Why?
3. Do you like the way the reader read the story? What did you like (or not like)
about it?
1. As for me, the dramatic reading didn't really help me to undestand the story better, because in my opinion the person talked to fastly and unclearly.Besides, I prefer to read all the stories by myself, it makes me more concentrated.
2. I didn't like his way of hearing. He reads to fast and after a few seconds I wanted to stop listening.In my opinion, the story wasn't so interesting and exciting , but I admit that I learned some new words. The level of writing was quite high.
3. I did not like the way the reader read the story. When I read the story, the characters looked to me more gentle and calm. The reader made them look like snobs(I agree with Genia). It seems the reader tried to make the story more dramatic, more exciting, but it didn't impressed me at all. I really prefer to read by myself.

[Slava]

1. The dramatic reading of the story did not help me to understand the story better. For me , the man thet read the story used the same tone of voice for each characters , so I could not know what they felt when they talked. (scared, happy, tierd, sad...).
2. After the first 10 sec. of hearing the story I wanted to stop the reading. I did not like the voice of the reader, the tone. Maybe if each characters had a different voice (like, woman's voice for the niece).
3. I did not like the way the reader read the story. His tone of voice made the characters sound snobs, and when I read the story it was not the way I saw them.
P.S. I listened to the first link.

RE: I agree with Michael that the lack of emotions in the reader's voice was one of the main reasens why the reading was not enjoyable.

I agree, the reading tone was one of the things that ruined the enjoyment that could be obtained through this reading.

[Anton ch]

Eran I apree with your opinion but,sometimes you can understand everything very well:!: even without seeing the written text