User+Friendly

Make the Connection   Suppose someone you just met said, “My best friend is a computer.” What would that statement tell you about the person? List some **character traits** you’d guess that the person might have.  Literary Focus   Here are some tips that can help you find a story’s theme: 
 * Quickwrite**
 * Discovering Theme**


 * • || Decide what the characters have learned or discovered by the end of the story. Often that discovery can be translated into a statement of the theme. ||
 * • || Think about the **title** and what it might mean. (Not all titles have significance. Some titles just tell you what the main character will be facing in each story. But the title of Jack London’s novel //Call of the Wild// definitely points to a theme in the book.) ||
 * • || Look for key passages in which the writer seems to make important statements about life. They may point to the theme. ||



Reading Skills   In “User Friendly” a chain of events lands Kevin in computer trouble. He sees **effects** (what happens), but he’s blind to **causes** (why the events happen) until it’s too late. A **causal** **chain** is a series of events in which each event causes another one to happen, like dominoes falling in a row. Be careful, though—one event can follow another without having been caused by it. To figure out causes and effects, follow these steps: 
 * Recognizing Causes and Effects: Seeing Why Things Happen**


 * • || Look for what happens first. Then, ask what happens //because// of that. ||
 * • || Look for hidden or multiple causes and results. ||
 * • || Use a graphic organizer, such as a flowchart, to record the chain of events. ||

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As you read, you’ll find open-book signs at certain points in the story. Stop at these points, and answer the questions about cause and effect.

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