Oxford High School 10th Grade Pre-AP
Summer Reading Assignment
It is a requirement for this class that you read the assigned texts and familiarize yourself with the
provided vocabulary terms prior to the start of school on Wednesday, August 12th, 2015. You should be
prepared to be assessed on the selected works in a variety of formats, including but not limited to
multiple-choice tests, essays, and projects. These assessments will take place during the first month of
school. Failure to complete these assignments will have a significant negative impact on your first
semester grade.
Academic Vocabulary:
You will have a test on the provided terms on the first Friday of school. Since familiarity with these
terms is crucial to success in this class and on standardized tests, scores of less than 80% are not
acceptable. Students who fail to achieve this goal will be assigned 8th period and given supplemental
assignments until the desired score is reached.
https://quizlet.com/45848521/common-core-academic-vocabulary-flash-cards/
Allusion; (noun) an implied or indirect reference especially in literature; also: the use of such references.
Nearly all novels, plays, and poems read in pre-AP and AP classes contain multiple Biblical and
mythological allusions. Authors depend on readers’ knowledge of these references in order to further the
understanding of their messages. In addition, the AP test frequently expects students to find these
allusions in the prose and poetry excerpts provided both on the multiple choice portion of the exam and
within the essay prompts. In studying these allusions over the summer, you will be increasing your own
background knowledge.
A word about the Bible: Because the literature of Western culture draws so commonly on knowledge of the
Bible and because so many Americans in the 21st Century lack that background knowledge, we have added
selections from the Bible to the summer reading. The stories are those frequently alluded to in literature and
should become part of your cultural knowledge since they show up in such diverse literature as Blake’s
“Songs of Innocence and Experience”, Morrison’s Beloved, and Matt Groening’s The Simpsons. Realize that
you should not read these selections in terms of faith but rather in terms of literature.
The following are your required Reading selections.
It is highly recommended that you spread the assignment out over the summer and review your
completed materials the week before returning to school.
Assigned Biblical Allusions:
Directions- Read all passages in the King James Version. Due to its poetic quality, this will be the text
utilized on the test. If you do not have a copy of this version, it is accessible online at the following web
address. To select a different book and chapter, simply click on the “Bible Book List” tab directly to the
right of the Bible Gateway logo.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis,+Chapters+1-4+&version=KJV
Common Literary Devices in the Bible:
https://carm.org/bible-literary-techniques
Old Testament
New Testament
The Creation- Genesis 1
The Nativity- Matthew 1; Luke1:26-38/ Luke
2:1-20
The Fall”- Genesis 3
Fishers of Men/Temptation in the Wilderness- Matthew
4
Jesus is Baptized by John- Matthew 3
John the Baptist/Jesus Feeds the Poor- Matthew, 14:121
Jesus on Wealth and Turning the Other Cheek- Luke,
6:24-end
The Last Supper- Mark 14; John 13
Judas and the Betrayal- Matthew 25-26
The Denial- Matthew 26
The Crucifixion- Matthew 27
The Resurrection- Luke 24; John 20-21
The Good Samaritan- Luke 10:25-37
The Prodigal Son- Luke 15:11-32
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse- Revelation 6
Lazarus- John 11:1-12:11
NA
NA
NA
NA
Cain and Abel- Genesis 4-6
“The Flood”- Genesis 6
Lot’s Wife- Genesis 19
Abraham and Isaac- Genesis 22:1-18
Moses’s Arrival
The Plagues- Exodus 7:14-11:10
The Passover- Exodus 12-13
The Parting of the Red Sea- Exodus, 14: 5-31
The Ten Commandments- Exodus 20:1-17
The Golden calf- Exodus 32
Samson and Delilah- Judges 16
David and Goliath- 1 Samuel 17
David and Bathsheba- 2 Samuel 11-12
Job Chapters 1-2
The Book of Ruth
Daniel- Daniel 5- 6
Biblical Terms to Define:
1. Scapegoat2. Philistine3. Sepulcher4. Manna5. Antediluvian
List and describe the Seven Deadly Sins of the Catholic Church, which are also commonly referenced.
What virtues counter these sins? Explain. You may create your own chart like this.
Sin
1. Pride- The inordinate love of
self; vanity. Sin
of thinking you are the source of your own
success.
Virtue
Humility- Recognizing that a talent is a gift from God.
Summaries of longer sections:
Absalom- http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/oldtestament/section9.rhtml
Jacob- http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/oldtestament/section3.rhtml
Assigned Mythological Allusions:
Terms Derived from Mythology- https://quizlet.com/57814959/mythology-terms-flash-cards/
NOTE: Having read the Percy Jackson series will give you a good foundation for mythology, but it will
not replace reading the assigned texts. Go into this assignment knowing that I have read the entire series
(and the spin-off!) and selected these texts because they would not be redundant.
You need to create a glossary that describes the following characters from mythology
 The Twelve Olympians- Greek AND Roman names
 The Plieades
 The Fates
 The Oracle of Delphi
 The Muses
Stories to Read- You must know the Greek and Roman names.
CHAPTER I. Introduction.
CHAPTER II. Prometheus And Pandora.
CHAPTER III. Apollo And Daphne- Pyramus And Thisbe- Cephalus And Procris.
(only read Apollo and Daphne/Pyramus and Thisbe)
CHAPTER VII. Proserpine- Glaucus And Scylla.
CHAPTER VI. Midas- Baucis And Philemon.
(only read Proserpine)
(only read Midas)
CHAPTER VIII. Pygmalion- Dryope- Venus And Adonis- Apollo And Hyacinthus.
(Skip Dryope)
CHAPTER XI. Cupid And Psyche.
CHAPTER XIII. Nisus And Scylla- Echo And Narcissus- Clytie- Hero And Leander.
(only read Echo and Narcissus)
CHAPTER XIV. Minerva- Niobe.
CHAPTER XV. The Graeae And Gorgons- Perseus- Medusa- Atlas- Andromeda.
CHAPTER XVII. The Golden Fleece- Medea
CHAPTER XVIII. Meleager And Atalanta.
(only read Ataltanta)
CHAPTER XIX. Hercules- Hebe And Ganymede.
CHAPTER XX. Theseus- Daedalus- Castor And Pollux.
CHAPTER XXIV. Orpheus And Eurydice- Aristaeus- Amphion- Linus- Thamyris- MarsyasMelampus- Musaeus.
(only read Orpheus and Eurydice)
CHAPTER XXVII. The Trojan War.
CHAPTER XXVIII. The Fall Of Troy- Return Of The Greeks- Agamemnon, Orestes And
Electra.
Philomela (read through Bk VI:653-674) Bk VI:401-438 The marriage of Procne and Tereus
Sisyphus
http://www.medeaslair.net/hades.html - sisyphus
Tantalus
http://www.medeaslair.net/atreus.html - tantalus
The Minotaur
http://www.medeaslair.net/minotaur.html
Apollo and the Python
http://www.greek-gods.info/greek-gods/apollo/myths/apollo-python/
Achilles’ Heel
http://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/achilles
Athena and Poseidon Vie for Athens
http://www.theoi.com/Olympios/AthenaMyths.html
The Loves of Zeus
www.medeaslair.net/zeus.html
Hercules
http://www.mythencyclopedia.com/Go-Hi/Hercules.html
Hippolyta and the Girdle
http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/Herakles/amazon.html
Clytemnestra’s Revenge on Agamemnon
http://www.greek-gods.info/greek-heroes/agamemnon/stories/agamemnon-clytemnestra/
Mythology and Biblical Allusion Reading Journal- Due on the first day of school.
Please complete this assignment on paper or index cards. No typed versions will be accepted.
Directions: Following the example below, develop an index in which you enter the following
information on a page in your journal for each mythical, biblical, and fairy tale allusion listed here:
 Basic Information- Name of the story and source (biblical, Greek, Roman, etc.)
 Who – List the main characters involved. If needed, jot down unfamiliar
 Summary- A summary of the story that captures the main elements
 Commentary- A 50-word commentary on the sources of conflict (plot) and their significance or
examples of where you might encounter this allusion (literature, geography, art, movies, music,
vocabulary, etc.)
 Human Condition- Does the story EXPLAIN some aspect of the human condition,
EXALT/DISPARAGE some behavior or trait, or ANSWER a common human question/concern?
What’s the point? How can you personally connect with the text?
 Symbols and Devices- Name and explain the purpose/significance of any devices found in the
text. This section may not
Example:
 The Prodigal Son
Biblical Allusion Source:
Luke 15:11-32
 Who Is Involved: Father, Prodigal Son, Good Brother
 Summary: In this story, one of the most well-known parables shared by Jesus, a man has two
sons to whom he has promised an inheritance. One of the sons asks for his inheritance while the
father is still alive. He takes his money and spends it quite foolishly. The money spent, he ends
up so poor that he must work in a pig yard, where he sees that the pigs have even more than he.
He decides to return to his father’s home to beg forgiveness and to ask that his father hire him to
work in the fields. His father is overjoyed to see the son he thought he had lost. In celebration of
his return, the father offers him new robes, an important ring, and orders a fattened calf killed for
celebration. The “good brother” is incensed that the brother who so recklessly squandered his
fortune should be welcomed and forgiven, but the father explains the value of the return of that
which was thought lost.
 Human Condition: Most students can relate to the idea of disappointing a parent, wasting an
opportunity, or even resenting a sibling. The story disparages the son’s negative behavior and
celebrates his realization that his actions were wrong and his hope for forgiveness.
 Commentary: This parable has been explored many times in literature, art, and song, especially
the concept of celebrating the homecoming of someone who has waywardly wandered from the
home or the community. Examples of this would be the motif of the prodigal son in Great
Expectations when Pip returns from London to ask Joe’s forgiveness or the reference to the

“fatted calf” in The Grapes of Wrath when Tom explains that his father would not welcome him
home.
Symbols & Devices: The father’s response to the Good Brother represents Jesus’s attitude
toward sinners who seek redemption.
Happy reading! Get started as soon as possible! If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me.
mboozer.oh@oxford.k12.al.us