© Pearson Education, Inc., or its affiliates. All rights reserved.UNIT
3INTRODUCTION
Launch Activity
Select and Support Which of the following stages of life do you believe is
most critical in shaping a person’s character? Select and mark your choice.
childhood adolescence adulthood
• Form a group with like-minded students. Discuss with each other the
reasons that guided your choice. Try to develop one solid example
that supports your point of view. Write a one-sentence statement that
captures your position—for example, “I believe that childhood is most
critical in shaping character, because _______.”• As your teacher calls “Childhood,” “Adolescence,” or “Adulthood,”
take turns presenting your statements.• After everyone has had a chance to present, discuss any examples
that you found especially strong or that convinced you to change your
original choice.Summary
Write a summary of “Better Never to Have Met at All.” Remember that a
summary is a concise, complete, and accurate overview of a text. It should
contain neither opinion nor analysis.242 UNIT 3 • FACING THE FUTURE, CONFRONTING THE PASTLIT17_SE12_U03_LT.indd 242 20/03/16 12:19 AMINTRODUCTION
Possible response:
The author of the Launch Text, “Better Not to Have Met at All,” argues that
so many people were hurt by Romeo and Juliet’s love that it would have been
better had the two youths never met. The author offers numerous details
to support this claim, including the deaths of Mercutio and Tybalt and later
those of Paris, Romeo, and Juliet, as well as the heartbreak of their friends and
families. The author believes that it is difficult “to argue that anything other
than death and misery came out of Romeo and Juliet’s relationship.” Although
the lovers’ relationship eventually ends the strife between the Montagues and
Capulets, the author believes that most of the characters involved would have
disagreed with the idea that the reconciliation between the two families was
worth all the pain and suffering.Summary
Have students read the introductory paragraph.
Then ask students to suggest tips for writing a
summary of a text. These should include:
• Start with the title of the text and the
author’s name.
• Use the present tense.
• Keep it short; a summary should be shorter
than the text it addresses.
• Accurately reflect the author’s point of view.
• Do not inject your own opinions, ideas, or
interpretations.
• If you must include some of the original text,
put it in quotation marks.
You may choose to refer students to the Tool Kit
for help in understanding the elements of a good
summary.
See possible summary on Student page.Launch Activity
Tell students that they will have many
opportunities to discuss facing the future,
confronting the past as they work their way
through this unit. Explain to students that there
is no right or wrong position, but they should
be able to support their position with their
own personal experience and/or hypothetical
examples. While there may be research and
studies in this area, they do not need that
information for this activity.242 UNIT 3 • FACING THE FUTURE, CONFRONTING THE PAST
LIT17_TE12_U03_LT.indd 242 4/9/16 8:38 AM