Ben was eager to show me some of the gifts he received for the holidays and excitedly demonstrated two keyboards he made - highlighting their distinguishing features and capabilities. He said he was happy to return to school, however, because he grew bored being home for so long and welcomed returning to school. Next, we picked up where we left off prior to the break reading George Orwell's '1984' dystopian novel. We discussed the narrator's description of the main character's apartment where there was the distinct and usual smell of boiled cabbage, which has been common to the whole building. Ben will address the significance of this smell for his homework assignment. We examined different examples of Orwell's effective use of adjectives and descriptive language to paint a picture of gloom and despair which he intended to convey of the atmosphere and miserable conditions resulting from enforced repression and total government control.