Lerninhalte in Englisch
Prüfungsaufgaben (ZP10)
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The Sound of Silence

by Myron Uhlberg
It’s 1938. Myron Uhlberg is living with his deaf parents. In the following excerpt from his book “The Sound of Silence”, he writes about one challenge he had to face as a child to help his dad get along in the hearing world.
1
I switched on the radio. We were early. The speaker commented on the careers of the two boxers Joe Louis,
2
also called the “Bomber”, and Max Schmeling. I had no idea what half of the stuff meant in spoken English,
3
much less how to translate it into sign for my father.
4
I knew nothing about boxing. I had never seen a match. Questions, questions, questions. I had so many of
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them, but I didn’t want to let my father down.
6
He needed me to tell him what happened.
7
By now my father had focused on me like a human microscope. He looked straight at me, examining
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every detail.
9
I heard the bell for the first round. The crowd roared like a herd of wild animals, the sound loud enough
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to wake the dead. My father just sat there, surrounded by silence, eyes focused on my hands, my face,
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and the radio. He was waiting for my hands to transform the radio broadcast he could not hear.
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The fight was on. I tried to sign what was happening, to keep up with what I was hearing. But there was
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just too much noise coming at me, all crowded together. Besides, my signing vocabulary did not include
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signs for boxing.
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How was I supposed to sign, The Bomber lands with an uppercut. Now he’s jabbing Schmeling.
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Jab, jab, jab. Schmeling’s eye is closing. Joe Louis is killing him. Another blow in his stomach.
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Oohh, that one will bring up his lunch.
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My father looked frustrated as he tried to make sense of my incomprehensible signs.
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Also frustrated, I jumped to my feet. As I listened to each detail describing the action in the boxing ring, I
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danced in circles in front of my father. I dropped to the floor. I jumped – imagining what I was hearing.
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I heard the announcer scream, Schmeling can run, but he can’t hide. Louis has Schmeling. HE’S DOWN!
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HE’S DOWN! SCHMELING’S DOWN! He’s on the floor.
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I dropped to the floor and lay there with my arms and legs spread out.
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Louis is standing over Schmeling.
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I jumped up, staring down at the floor.
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Schmeling’s as still as a stone.
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I lay still as a stone.
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The referee waves Louis to a neutral corner.
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I jumped up and followed his command, taking myself to what I decided was the neutral
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corner of the room.
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ONE.
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I signed with emphasis the number one... TWO...two... THREE... three... Schmeling’s trying to get up...
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I fell down. I tried to rise...and continued signing...
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FOUR...four...FIVE...five...Schmeling falls back to the floor... I fell back on the carpet.
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SIX...six...I signed the number from the floor...
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SEVEN...seven...EIGHT...eight...NINE... nine... TEN... I made a fist, held my thumb up, and
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shook my hand furiously...TEN.
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It’s all over! Schmeling’s out! I was signing madly.
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The noise from my radio was deafening. I proudly walked around the room, arms raised in victory.
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The cheering from the radio was music to my ears. My father cheered and stamped his feet on the floor
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in wild, true joy.
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“Great fight!” he signed when he caught his breath. “I understood everything!”
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I stood there in the middle of the ring, on the carpet exhausted but proud.
Aus: Myron Uhlberg: The Sound of Silence: Growing Up Hearing with Deaf Parents (2020)
  • Read the tasks carefully.
  • Make sure to write about all the aspects presented in each task.
1.
Describe the situation Myron is in one day and how he deals with it.
(8 Punkte)
2.
Analyse how Myron's feelings change over the course of the story and how they show in his behaviour and thoughts.
In doing so, look at the way the story is told (narrative technique, use of language)
(12 Punkte)
3.
Here you can choose between three different options. Do only ONE of them!
option a)
Comment on the title of the book "The Sound of Silence".
Include the following aspects:
  • Is it a good title for the book? Why? Why not?
  • What can silence between people mean in different situations?
  • Would you like to read the book? Why? Why not?
(10 Punkte)
OR
option b)
It's the year 1938: Myron's dad writes a letter to his sister, Anne, about how Myron helped him in this challenging situation.
Write the letter to Anne.
Include the following aspects:
  • how he experienced the situation,
  • his thoughts and feelings about his son,
  • his wishes and hopes for the future.
You can start like this:
Dear Anne,
June 23rd, 1938
I hope you are well. You aren't really interested in sports and probably didn't listen to the big event yesterday ... but I did! You probably wonder how I did that. Well, ...
(10 Punkte)
OR
option c)
Later that evening Myron thinks about this special day and his life with his deaf parents. He writes in his dairy.
Write his dairy entry.
Include the following aspects:
  • his thoughts and feelings about this day,
  • happy and difficult moments in his daily life,
  • his wishes for himself and his family.
You can start like this:
Dear Diary,
What a day - it was hard work but lots of fun at the same time. Dad wanted...
(10 Punkte)

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