The Last Meow - Activity 9

Activity 9

• Reread the first paragraph of Part 1. What words does Bilger use to
compare Lady to a movie star? Why does he make this comparison?

"and ravishing, like a queen of silent film with one last swoon left in her."
To add to the dramatic effect.


• Now read the second paragraph. What words does Bilger use to
describe Shawn Levering? What point is Bilger making about
Shawn?

"His face was freckled and ruddy, his forearms thickly cabled."
The person you least suspect can be something totally different.

• Now read the third paragraph. Identify the medical terminology in
this paragraph. Why does Bilger use it?
chronic renal failure, dialysis, transplant, biopsy.

• What do Lady, Shawn Levering, and Cathy Langston represent?
What problem or issue do the first three paragraphs suggest that
“The Last Meow” is going to explore?

That Lady is going to die if nothing is done and how much her owners care about her.

• Look at the first paragraph of Part 2. Each sentence is quite long
except the last. What is the effect of ending the paragraph with,
“The ferrets are called Larry, Mo, and Curly”?

Suggests that they will be spoken about later.

• What is the purpose of the parentheses in the third sentence?

inserts info without making it run-on

• Why does Bilger give us a long list of examples of animals treated
in the exotics unit?

give info

• How are the paragraphs in this article different from paragraphs
in a newspaper article?

newspaper? more info-y than inserting emotion.