Q&A

Why do Greg and Maura go to talk to Mr Z after Maura shows Greg the book club flyer?

Because they don’t understand why it’s ok for kids to buy books from the book club, but it’s not ok for them to sell their mini comic books.

What do Greg and Maura do to show that their book deserves an equal chance?

They show him Maura’s new comic book.

What does Mr Z think after looking at Maura’s comic book?

He also agrees that there’s less violence in this comic book than there is in many classic fairy tales. He also thinks the drawings are exceptional.

According to Mr Z, what do Greg and Maura have to do if they also want to sell books at school?

He says that the school committee has a meeting once a month, and they will meet this Thursday night, but he says it’s going to be complicated for them to get the approval from the committee.

Why will it be complicated?

Well, first, book clubs are big companies, second, they give free copies to teachers, so this way, they are also helping the teachers. Third, book clubs help kids learn, get them excited about reading. Compared to book clubs, Greg and Maura are just kids who want to sell some little comic books and make some money.

What do Greg and Maura say to counter the argument?

Greg says they can also give away free copies of their comics to teachers. And they will even give some profits to the school library fund. And they ask if Mr Z can help them present their case to the committee.

Does Mr Z agree?

Yes, reluctantly, but yes.

Why does Mr Z feel reluctant?

Because mr Z spends most of his life avoiding disagreements and disputes. He knows if he agrees to help Greg and Maura, Mrs Davenport will be upset.

Why does he decide to help?

Because he honestly sees nothing wrong with the comic books.

Why does Mrs Davenport come and have a talk with Mr Z?

Because she knows Mr Z is going to help Maura and Greg present their comic book case in the committee.

How does Mr Z explain his reason for supporting Greg and Maura?

He doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with comic books and he thinks Greg and Maura are very creative.

What do Greg and Maura say at the meeting to convince the members?

He says that he thinks kids at school will like their comic books because they are fun to read.

How prepared are Greg and Maura for the meeting?

They are very well prepared. They even make a sample order form for their comic book club. They tell the members the order process will be similar to that of the book club. And they will donate some profits to the library fund. Moreover, to make sure that their comic books will not contain violent content, everything sold by them will be approved in advance by teachers.

What does Mr Z say at the meeting to convince the members to say yes to Greg and Maura’s proposal?

He says that Greg and Maura are both creative and responsible. He also believes as teachers, they try to prepare kids for life after they leave school, so he thinks Greg and Maura are learning how to be self reliant, and that’s good.

What does Mr Z do to show the members that reading comic books does not have negative influences on kids?

He asks those who read comic books to raise their hands, and most adults there do, and this proves that they didn’t become terrible people just because they read comic books when they were young.

Why does Mrs Davenport oppose to selling comic books?

She says comic books were forbidden at her home when she was growing up because her mom felt comic books were cheap and trashy. And she agrees with this perspective. But the main reason why she doesn’t want Greg and Maura to sell comic books is she doesn’t want their school to turn into a flea market. If they agree to let Greg and Maura sell their comic books, other kids will want to sell other things.

How does Mr Z defend Greg and Maura’s idea?

He says school are supposed to prepare kids for a happy successful life, and there’s nothing wrong with having kids learn about money and economics at school.

What’s the committee’s final decision?

They agree to let Maura and Greg sell their books.

Your help is much appreciated, Sophie.

My pleasure

重點單字

flyer: 傳單

thumb through: 快速閱覽過

can’t help but: 不得不

exceptional: 非凡的

school committee: 學校委員會

present one’s case: 提案

complicated: 複雜的

profit: 利潤

feel trapped: 感覺被困住

avoid: 避開

disagreement: 不合

dispute: 爭議

get on the wrong side of: 讓某人不開心

agenda: 議程

greedy: 貪心的

selfish: 自私的

question: 質疑

welfare: 福利

coherently: 有條有理地

approve of: 贊同

show of hands: 舉手表決

apparently: 明顯的

anonymous: 匿名的

flea market: 跳蚤市場

graduate: 畢業生

propose: 提議

act as: 當成

permission: 許可

be granted: 授予



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