question: CHAPTER VII 

A STRANGE LETTER BOX 

"It won't be long now before we'll have to get back to Putnam Hall," observed Sam, as they drove along. "Dear old school! How I love it!" 

"It's too bad that we are getting too old to go there," said Tom. "But we can't be boys always." 

"I shall be glad to see the other fellows again," came from Dick. 

"Do you know what I think?" declared Tom. "I think the Putnam Hall cadets are the finest lot of boys in the world!" 

"Throwing bouquets at yourself, Tom?" said Sam, with a laugh. 

"Well, don't you agree with me?" 

"I certainly do, Sam, and Captain Putnam is the best teacher in the world. My, but won't we have fun when we get back!" 

"We'll have to have a feast in honor of our return," said Dick, and smiled that quiet smile of his which meant so much. 

The distance to the cave was soon covered, and the boys tied their team to a tree in that vicinity. They went inside and found that everything, even to the empty boxes, had been taken away. The place had been explored by a number of curiosity seekers. 

"It is queer that this cave wasn't discovered before," was Dick's comment, after they had spent half an hour in walking around. 

"Perhaps the opening to the road wasn't so large formerly," suggested Tom. "Dangler may have enlarged it, so he could drive in." 

"That is true. Well, it will be a regular picnic place after this. Its fame will spread for miles around." And Dick was right, and the cave is a well-known spot in that portion of New York state to this day. 
1. What became a well known landmark?
2. What state?
3. What is it thought people will do there?
4. Why wasn't it noticed before?
5. How did it enlarge?
6. What did he do?
7. Why?
8. Was something missing?
9. What?
10. Can you give an example of something missing?
11. Where was the group going initially?
12. Which one?
13. Was it well thought of?
14. What employee of it was mentioned by name?
15. What was claimed about him?
16. What celebration was planned upon their arrival back there?
****
answer: 1. the cave
2. NY
3. picnic
4. the opening to the road wasn't as large
5. Dangler
6. enlarged it
7. to drive in
8. yes
9. everything
10. the empty boxes
11. school
12. Putnam Hall
13. yes
14. Captain Putnam
15. best teacher in the world
16. a feast


question: The term Hispanic ( or ) broadly refers to the people, nations, and cultures that have a historical link to Spain. It commonly applies to countries once owned by the Spanish Empire in the Americas (see Spanish colonization of the Americas) and Asia, particularly the countries of Hispanic America and the Philippines. It could be argued that the term should apply to all Spanish-speaking cultures or countries, as the historical roots of the word specifically pertain to the Iberian region. It is difficult to label a nation or culture with one term, such as "Hispanic", as the ethnicities, customs, traditions, and art forms (music, literature, dress, culture, cuisine, and others) vary greatly by country and region. The Spanish language and Spanish culture are the main distinctions. 

"Hispanic" originally referred to the people of ancient Roman Hispania, which roughly comprised the Iberian Peninsula, including the contemporary states of Spain, Portugal, Andorra, and the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. 

The term "Hispanic" derives from Latin "Hispanicus" ('Spanish'), the adjectival derivation of Latin (and Greek) "Hispania" ('Spain') and "Hispanus"/"Hispanos" ('Spaniard'), ultimately probably of Celtiberian origin. In English the word is attested from the 16th century (and in the late 19th century in American English).
1. What did the word Hispanic refer to, first?
2. What does the word refer to now?
3. Should the word apply to any Spanish speaking country?
4. The roots of the word pertain to what region?
5. Does that one word easily name an entire culture?
6. What are the primary distinctions?
7. Was Andorra part of Roman Hispania?
8. Name another area that was part of that region.
9. When did the word Hispanic enter the English language?
10. The word applies to places once owned by with empire?
11. And where else?
****
answer: 1. the people of Hispania
2. people, nations, and cultures that have a historical link to Spain
3. It could be argued
4. the Iberian Peninsula
5. no
6. the Spanish language and culture
7. yes
8. Portugal
9. the 16th century
10. Spanish
11. Asia


question: John once told me a story about his friend, Michael. Michael happened to be on a train sitting next to a young man who seemed worried. Finally the young man told the friend that he was a convict returning home from a prison far away. What he did had brought shame on his family, and they had neither visited him nor written to him. He hoped, however, that this was only because they were too poor to travel and too busy to write. 

When he was set free he had written to tell them he wanted to go home. To make matters easy for them, however, he had asked them to put up a signal for him when the train passed their little farm. If the family had forgiven him, they were to put up a white ribbon in the big apple tree near the railway. If they didn't want him back, they were to do nothing, and he would stay on the train, and go far away. 

As the train neared his hometown his _ became so great that he was afraid to look out of the window. He asked Michael to watch for the big apple tree. They changed seats. In a minute, Michael put his hand on the young convict's shoulder, "There it is," His eyes was filled with sudden tears. "It's all right. The whole tree is white with ribbons."
1. who was he sitting next to?
2. Did the story have a happy ending?
3. what tree was it?
4. what did it have?
5. why did he think the family didn't visit?
6. who was he?
7. and?
8. how did he bring shame?
9. was the prison near home?
10. what were they to do if they forgave him?
11. how was he traveling?
12. how did he communicate?
13. what was he scared of?
14. and?
15. what was he afraid of?
16. what did he ask michael to do?
17. and what did they both do?
18. what would he do if they didn't forgive?
19. what were they to do if they didn't forgive?
20. where did Michael put his hand?
****
answer:
1. Michael
2. yes
3. anapple tree
4. ribbons
5. he thought they might be ashamed
6. a young man
7. a convict
8. because of what he did
9. no
10. put up a white ribbon in the big apple tree near the railway
11. by train
12. by letter
13. that they didn't want him back
14. unknown
15. to look out of the window
16. to watch for the big apple tree
17. They changed seats
18. he would stay on the train, and go far away.
19. they were to do nothing
20. on the young convict's shoulder