GROUP Date :

Stricter Gun Laws Alone Won’t Stop America’s Urban Violence

READING COMPREHENSION :

Type of document: This is an extract from a novel called : “ The Christian

Science Monitor”

Author: Peggy Rambach

Date : February 21st , 2013

Title : Stricter Gun Laws Alone Won’t Stop America’s Urban Violence

 What kind of narrative is it ? Justify your answer by quoting the text.

 a first-person narrative 

“ When my students” / “ I was surprised “

 What does it tell you about the narrator ?

The narrator is the author herself. She writes about her own experiences as a teacher. / a true
story.

 Where is the action set ? .

The action is set in the USA, near Boston, more precisely in Andover, Massachusetts.

 Who are the people mentioned ? What is their relationship with the narrator ?

The people mentioned are Peggy Rambach’s students and children in suburban schools.

 Pick out information about the narrator (name / nationality / occupation/ subject)

The narrator is Peggy Rambach herself. She is American (an American teacher) from Andover,
Massachusetts. She teaches creative writing in a Boston prison.
  Pick out information about the prison :

Name Location Type of prison

Suffolk County / Boston House of Correction = medium
Suffolk County House
security prison
of Correction

 Give information about the students Peggy Rambach teaches :

Peggy Rambach teaches criminals incarcerated at Suffolk County House of Correction.

 Is she optimistic about her students’ future ? Answer and justify by quoting the text

Peggy Rambach is not optimistic about her students’ future: “Many of them will pick one up
the
minute they’re back on the street.”

 Did her students ever regret resorting to gun violence ? Justify your answer with a quote.

All of them regret having resorted to gun violence ( they wish they had never used a gun to
harm others) as the following quote suggests : ” They all said that they wished they’d never
laid their hands on one”

 What solution is supported by most people and why ?

Most people support gun control not only to protect school children in cities , but also to
reduce gun-related violence / gun-related violence / death rate in urban areas.

 What solution does Peggy believe in ? Explain in your own words and justify your answer by
quoting the text.

Peggy Rambach believes that “addressing the underlying circumstances that lead people such
as my students to gun violence » is a solution . In other words, she thinks that the Authorities
should address (= solve) the causes of violence in inner cities rather than promoting gun
laws.
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