Listening exercise
MPR: Rachel's school diary
What's it like for a teen who's been home schooled all of her life to plunge into high school life?
One Duluth girl shares her reactions in a diary of her first months in school.
Listen to the broadcast

Vocabulary:

Duluth (third largest city in
Minnesota, near Lake Superior)
Rachel Adela Roe
Harbor City International School
to look forward to
to socialize with
nerve-wracking
to face
"What planet are you from?"
attitude
nervous
to keep in mind
Bible verse
Isaiah 41:10
"Fear thou not, for I am
with thee. Be not dismayed,
for I am thy God. I will strengthen
thee; yea I will help thee; yea I will
uphold thee with the right hand of
my righteousness."
to keep a promise
pretty much
Over and out
exhausted
odd
crowded hallways
transition
fairly long
lunch period
Psalms
recluse
base camp
kind of cool
commons
quiet zone
the whole social thing
the popular people
to scream at
to bother one
to hang out with
atmosphere
social pressures
acquaintances
grades
rally
"See you at the Pole"
Christian
flag pole
to pray for
awesome
to be focused on
to make it plain that
to blend in
to prefer to
to make a bit more of a stand
definitely
part of one's identity
quote...unquote
religious
"Jesus Freak"
kind of
to be ticked off
at the moment
computer lab
to do research
project
 to tap s.o. on the shoulder
to annoy
to flirt with
to work on
And I was like...
"Give me a break"
to date
to be seriously involved
to clean one's room
to not feel good about oneself
to squeeze pimples
self esteem issues
semi-confident about
photogenic
Spanish class
overall
compared to
mirrors
definitely
technically
normal kid
Tennyson
slightly
romantically attached
standards
attitude toward
whereas
sheltered
in my own little shell
to combine
pilot
missionaries
posts

Questions:
1. What does Rachel use to pluck up her courage at the beginning?
2. What is Rachel's strategy for dealing with the social scene at her new school?
3. What is a charter school?
4. What is the reaction of some of Rachel's Christian classmates towards how "religious" Rachel is?
5. Why do you think Rachel's parents chose to home school her? Why do you think they now gave her the choice to attend a regular high school?
6. Why does Rachel comment on how many mirrors there are in her environment?
7. Why does Rachel say she now prefers high school to home schooling?
8. What does Rachel mean by "What planet are you from?" What are her feelings about how "normal" she is, and why?
9. How do Rachel's views as expressed in her later diary entries differ from her earlier ones, especially as regards having a relationship?
10. What are your feelings about home schooling? What are its advantages? Disadvantages? Would you consider home schooling your future child?

home