novel · Reading Worlds
Carmen: read and explore
In the lonely hills of Andalusia, a scholar meets a notorious outlaw named Don José, who…
About this reading
- Author
- Prosper Mérimée
- Form
- novel
- Catalog year
- 1845
Choose this reading by interest and comfort with the language. This catalog does not assign a school grade. Preview the text before reading with a child; classic works can contain unfamiliar language and historical attitudes.
Read CarmenPreview the language: Chapter 1
I had always suspected the geographical authorities did not know what they were talking about when they located the battlefield of Munda in the county of the Bastuli-Poeni, close to the modern Monda, some two leagues north of Marbella. According to my own surmise, founded on the text of the anonymous author of the _Bellum Hispaniense_, and on certain information culled from the excellent library owned by the Duke of Ossuna, I believed the site of the memorable struggle in …
Choose a phrase from this opening. What does it suggest, and which words support your interpretation? Read on to test your first impression.
A reading activity for Carmen
- Before opening the text, read the title and this catalog description: “In the lonely hills of Andalusia, a scholar meets a notorious outlaw named Don José, who…” Write one question you hope the reading will answer.
- Read a short passage. Choose one sentence that helps you understand what is happening and explain which words support your interpretation.
- Choose one unfamiliar word. Guess its meaning from the surrounding words, then check a dictionary or discuss it with a reading partner.
- Return to your original question. Explain what the passage answered and what you still need to read to find out.
These are suggested discussion tasks, not a scored assessment or a claim that finishing the text establishes mastery.
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Source edition: Project Gutenberg record for Carmen. This link identifies the catalog source; it does not imply endorsement.
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Educators and independent learners
Learning goal: Read Carmen by Prosper Mérimée, then support an interpretation with words from the text.
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Check understanding: Ask for one observation, the evidence that supports it, and a question to investigate next.
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