User Friendly
by T. Ernesto Bethancourt
Feature Menu
Introducing the Selection
Literary Focus: Discovering Theme
Reading Skills: Recognizing Causes
and Effects
User Friendly
by T. Ernesto Bethancourt
User Friendly
by T. Ernesto Bethancourt
Friends come in all shapes and sizes.
In this story, Kevin turns to an unusual friend to
help him with a problem. His friend is Louis, his
computer!
User Friendly
by T. Ernesto Bethancourt
When are you going to get me my voice module,
Kevin?
Repeat last message.
I mean, are you going to get me a voice box?
[End of Section]
User Friendly
Literary Focus: Discovering Theme
As you read “User Friendly,” you will be asked to
find the story’s theme—a truth about life that
the story demonstrates.
This story shows me
that life requires
change.
You discover theme by thinking not just about what
happens in the story, but what the story means.
User Friendly
Literary Focus: Discovering Theme
One way to find a story’s theme is to analyze the
characters. As you read, ask yourself these
questions:
• What important comments
do the characters make?
• What situations do they face?
• What do they learn by the
end of the story?
User Friendly
Literary Focus: Discovering Theme
Another way to find a story’s theme is to think
about the title and what it might mean.
To analyze the title, ask yourself questions like
“What is the literal meaning of the title?” and
“What related subjects come to mind?”
User Friendly
Literary Focus: Discovering Theme
Here’s one more tip to help you discover a story’s
theme: Look for key passages that seem to make
important statements about life.
Ambition
often has a
price.
Friendships
have their ups
and downs.
Accepting
responsibilit
y is difficult.
[End of Section]
User Friendly
Reading Skills: Recognizing Causes and Effects
In a cause-and-effect relationship, one event causes
another event to happen. The effect is what
happens, and the cause is why the event happens.
Look at these pictures of two related events. Which
is the cause? Which is the effect?
User Friendly
Reading Skills: Recognizing Causes and Effects
In “User Friendly,” Kevin accidentally starts a chain
of events that leads to trouble.
Cause
Effect/Cause
Effect
A causal chain is a series of events in which each
event causes another one to happen.
User Friendly
Reading Skills: Recognizing Causes and Effects
A graphic organizer like this flowchart can help you
record the chain of events as you read.
Cause
Effect/Cause
Effect
[End of Section]
User Friendly
Reading Skills: Recognizing Causes and Effects
To help you figure out causes and effects, follow
these steps:
• Identify what happens first.
• Ask, “What happens because of that?”
• Look for hidden or multiple causes and results.
In your textbook, there are questions that will help
you recognize causes and effects in the story.
When you see the
symbol, stop and answer
the question next to the open-book sign.
[End of Section]
User Friendly
by T. Ernesto Bethancourt
The End