Means
| Cocky | you think you are the best, (overly confident) – this is negative thing |
| idiom: to let your guard down | to stop paying attention to a situation, and then things start to go wrong |
| idiom: to pick on | to tease or trick |
| To hover | Hanging above |
| To pluck | Pick, grab |
| Decency | behavior that is good |
| Crucial | Very important |
| Satisfied | Happy, pleased |
| To tack on | to add |
| Firsthand | knowing something because you experienced it |
| idiom: to chew someone out | to yell at someone and blame them for something bad they have done |
| idiom: to be broke | to not have any money |
| idiom: to stiff someone | to not pay someone the money they deserve or are owed |
| Bucks | dollars |
| Gun-shy | shy about doing something in front of others |
| Foyer | front entrance hallway |
| Deeds | kind actions to others; favors; help |
| idiom: Struck it rich | become rich very quickly |
| Stash | a secret, hidden amount of something special |
| Convenience store | small market, indoors, sells drinks, snacks, gas, etc. |
| Dopey | silly, stupid |
| To track down | to find |
| idiom: To tick someone off | to annoy or make them mad |
| To slug | To hit or punch |
| To bug | to annoy |
| Flattered | honored, happy |
| Trousers | pants |
| Bandanna | a small piece of colored cloth folded and worn on the head |
| Thug | a bad man |
| cruel | very mean and awful |
| idiom: to let someone off the hook | to stop forcing someone to do something they don’t want to do, or stop being mean to someone |
| idiom: to set someone off | to make someone angry by doing something mean that you know they don’t like |
| idiom: to get someone to crack | to tell you what you want to know, or do what you want them to do, after a time that they have refused (not done it/said it) |
| idiom: to blow the joke | to destroy or ruin the trick/joke |
| flea | a tiny insect, similar to lice, that live on dogs/animals |
Comprehension Check
Name: Samady
Date: 11/16/2015
- What does it mean to be cruel? Summarize the cruel thing the kids and Greg did to Chirag.
Cruel means to be really bad to something, or be something awful and sometimes it can be very atrocious.
The cruel thing that kids including Greg did to Chirag is: prank him, that Chirag is invisible. About the chocolates chips, at lunch time, Greg pretended that Chirag was invisible, and said: “I wish Chirag was here, oh how he loved chocolate chip cookies.”
- Why does Greg think it is okay for him to tease Chirag?
Greg thinks it is okay for him to tease Chirag because Chirag is one of Greg’s friends. Good, but also because Greg has been bullied and teased before and he doesn’t get many opportunities to tease other kids.
- Who is the weak one in the Chirag joke? Why?
Rowley, because Rowley nearly destroyed the prank when Chirag talked to him.
Chirag: Rowley, do you think I exist?
Rowley: Nope, I can’t even hear you or see you – this means if Rowley didn’t see or hear Chirag how could he look at Chirag and answer the question. Yes!
- Why was it easy for Greg to apologize to the student in the Vice Principal’s office?
It was really easy for Greg to apologize to the student in the Vice Principal’s office because the Vice Principal got a really crucial fact wrong: the victim was not Chirag, it was another student named: Sharif. Yes!
- What does it mean to be “broke”?
To be “broke” means, it doesn’t work anymore. Another thing it means is, last but not least it means to have no money.
- What was Greg’s plan for cleaning up after the dog? Was it a good plan? Why or why not?
His plan was to let the dog do its business, and Greg would clean all the things at once. The plan didn’t work, because the family that lived in that house came to home one day before.
- What is a chore? Give me some examples. What are good deeds? Give me some examples.
Chores are the jobs in a house. Broom and mop the floor, swab the mirror, clean the bathroom: all of these can be called the chores. Good deeds are when your friends or someone is busy with the work, you can help them, and say in the polite way. You gave me a specific example of a good deed, but did not give me a general definition.
Good deeds are doing something that would help others, without them asking you to do it, just like being proactive. Great!
- What does Rodrick do with his Mom bucks? What does Greg do? What would you do?
Rodrick went down to the convenience store and bought a heavy-metal magazine. Greg didn’t care about Rodrick, so he still kept earning his Mom Bucks. He will not waste his money on something without thinking. For me, I would be a prudent person with my money. I should spend it on something that I really want and establish my own ways to keep my money safe. Wow, excellent answer!
- Why does it “tick off” Greg that Rowley also got a diary?
It does “tick off” Greg that Rowley also got a diary because Greg knew that Rowley asked his parents for a diary, so Rowley could be just like Greg too. But Greg doesn’t want anyone to have a diary like him. Just like me, I only want to have something different from others, I don’t want them to have it like me too.
- Tell me about what Greg does to see how much Rowley wants to be like him
Greg rolled up one of his trouser legs and tied a bandana around his ankle and went to school that way. Greg did this because he was sure that Rowley would do like him too, and Rowley does. So in that day, both of them ended up meeting with the Vice Principal of the school. This is what you get, when you follow other people too much. Great!