understanding complex text grade 7

GUNDERSTANDINGCOMPLEXCOMPLEXREADINGREADING

Literature & Informational Textby Theme

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Specific Focus on Reading & Writing

UnderstandingComplex ReadingLiterature & InformationalText by Theme

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READINESS & SUPPORTING TEKSGRADES 3-8

Five Parts for FocusedInstructionPart A: Understanding How toRead Complex Passages withrigorous passages and questions

Part B: How to identify a theme

Part C: Glossary of ComplexReading Terms

Part D: Instruction with complextexts

Part E: Independent Practice:Complex Reading Passages ofmultiple themes with multiple-choice and open-ended questions

UnderstandingPersuasive TextReading & ArgumentativeWriting

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Teaches students how to understandand analyze persuasive texts andhow to write persuasive essays.Students will analyze a range ofpersuasive texts including editorials,letters, speeches, historical texts, andresponses to literature. Studentslearn about the purpose andstructure of persuasive texts, andthen practice the techniques used topersuade readers.

Special Features:• Glossary of important terms

• Independent practice with fivepersuasive texts followed byquestions

• Independent practice with fourwriting prompts

.

UnderstandingPoetryReading to Analyze andInterpret

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Teaches students how to understandand analyze different types of poetry,such as lyrical, free verse, limerick, andmore. Students will learn thestructural elements of poetry such asrhyme,meter, and stanzas.

Special Features:• Glossary of poetic terms• Instruction with individual as well aspaired poems, followed byquestions

• Each poem includes key backgroundinformation to help studentsunderstand the text

• Independent practice with multiple-choice and open-ended questions

UnderstandingDramaReading to Analyze andInterpret

ALIGNED TO THE


Teaches students how tounderstanding and analyze dramaticliterature. Students will learn todraw conclusions and makeinferences about the structure andelements of drama. The book alsoteaches how to interpret interactionsbetween characters, dialogue, andstage directions.

Special Features:• Glossary of terms needed tounderstand dramatic literature

• Each dramatic piece is introducedwith background information tohelp students understand thework.

• Independent practice withmultiple-choice and open-endedquestions

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UnderstandingComplex Reading

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Understanding the Common Core StandardsClass SetClass Set includes 15 of each title (total 60 books)

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Literature & Informational Textby Theme

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Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Understanding How to Read Complex Passages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Information and Guidance on Understanding, Analyzing, and Comparing Complex Passages

How to Identify a Theme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Information and Guidance on Understanding and Identifying Themesin Complex Passages

Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Definitions of the Key Terms Needed to Analyze Complex Passages by Theme

Instruction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

One Single Passage and Two Sets of Passages Connected by a Theme with Background Information and Instruction

Passage 1: On Luxury, Idleness, and Industry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18Passage Set 1: A List for Helen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

The Missing Ticket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30Passage Set 2: In a Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

The Magic of Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

Independent Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

Two Single Passages and Three Sets of Passages Connected by a Themefor Students to Complete on Their Own

Passage 1: The White Snake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50Passage 2: Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58Passage Set 1: King Alfred and the Cakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67

The Substitute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74Passage Set 2: Working My Way Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84

A Moment to Remember . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88Passage Set 3: Changing Times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97

Revolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99

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IntroductionUnderstanding Complex Reading: Literature & Informational Text by Theme teachesstudents how to understand, analyze, and evaluate complex passages whilefocusing on theme. Students will read a range of passages with complex andsophisticated themes, including sets of passages connected by a theme. Studentswill learn how to use close reading to interpret passages and will develop thecritical thinking skills necessary to answer rigorous questions about the passages.

Understanding How to Read Complex PassagesThis section of the book describes the main features of complex passages and givesguidance on how to understand, analyze, and compare complex passages.

How to Identify a ThemeThis section of the book explains what a theme is and teaches students how toidentify themes. It describes a process to use for identifying and analyzing themesin passages, and it shows how close reading based on a passage’s themes can beused to understand and analyze complex passages.

GlossaryThe glossary gives definitions of the terms that students will need to understand toanalyze complex passages by theme. Students can refer to the glossary as theylearn to analyze complex passages.

InstructionThis section contains one single passage and two sets of passages connected by atheme. Each passage or set of passages is introduced with key backgroundinformation that will help students analyze and evaluate the passage, understandthe theme, and make connections between passages. This section of the bookcontains both literature and informational passages, and the passages and questionsets increase in complexity and rigor. Each question set includes multiple-choice,short-response, and extended-response questions.

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Independent PracticeThis section contains two single passages and three sets of passages connected by atheme for students to complete on their own. This section of the book containsboth literature and informational passages, and the passages and question setsincrease in complexity and rigor. Each question set includes multiple-choice, short-response, and extended-response questions.

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Understanding How to Read Complex Passages

Understanding Complex PassagesComplex passages often have longer sentences and challenging vocabulary. The firstkey to understanding complex passages is to understand the language. If a sentencehas difficult words, reread the sentence. The meaning of words can often be workedout just by reading the sentence again and thinking about what meaning of theword makes sense. In other cases, the meanings of difficult words may need to belooked up. If the meaning of a sentence or paragraph is unclear, read it again morecarefully. Difficult sentences can be broken down into their different ideas.Paragraphs can also be read sentence by sentence. This means making sure that eachsentence is fully understood before moving on to the next one. You could also breaka paragraph down by taking notes and listing its main ideas.

Complex passages are usually longer passages. There can be a lot of information,but it is all linked together by a central idea. The central idea that holds a passagetogether is the theme. One way to understand complex passages is to focus onunderstanding the theme. The next section of this book explains how to identifythemes and how to analyze a passage based on its themes.

Analyzing Complex PassagesComplex passages usually require readers to find meaning. Ideas are often notstated directly. Instead, readers draw conclusions and make inferences based ondetails from the passage. This requires reading the passage closely and makingdecisions based on what is read. Details from the passage are used to drawconclusions and to make inferences. The key to analyzing complex passages is tolook closely at the passage and to always base understanding on information anddetails from the passage.

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Comparing Complex PassagesComplex passages can be connected by a common theme. Questions aboutpassages connected by a theme require using information from both passages. To answer these questions, each passage should first be understood on its own.With a good understanding of each passage, connections can then be madebetween them. While connected passages are similar in some ways, they aredifferent in other ways. Answering questions about connected passages involvesthinking about how they are the same and how they are different.

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How to Identify a Theme

Understanding ThemesA theme is the central idea of a passage or the lesson or message that the authorwants to convey. A theme is different from the subject or the topic of a passage. Forexample, a story might describe how a player acts badly after losing a tennis match.The subject of the story is the tennis match, but the theme is about being a goodsport. An article might describe how Thomas Edison invented the light bulb aftertrying many times. The topic of the article is Thomas Edison, but the theme isabout never giving up. When identifying themes, be exact rather than vague. Forexample, it is better to identify that the theme of a poem is how friendships requiretrust than simply identifying that the theme is friendship.

Most passages do not state the theme directly. Instead, passages need to be analyzedto work out what the themes are. Many passages also have more than one theme.When analyzing a passage, there may be two or more central ideas or messages. Insome cases, the themes may be equally important. In other cases, there may be onemajor theme and one or more minor themes.

Identifying and Analyzing ThemesIn literature, themes hold the story, poem, or play together. As you read a passage,think about what the central ideas are. Themes can be communicated in differentways. In some passages, the theme will be a lesson a character learns or a lesson thereader learns from the events. In some passages, a character’s main problem couldreveal the theme. In other passages, the events that take place could reveal the theme.

In informational texts, the theme can be the central topic of the text. For example,an article about how to recycle paper could have the main theme of recycling. Itcould also have themes based on opinions given in the text or messages suggestedby the text. For example, it could have themes about creating too much waste orabout taking care of the environment.

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To identify and analyze themes, follow the three steps below.

Part 1: OverviewBefore looking at a passage closely, look at the passage overall. Here are somequestions that can help guide you.

• What is the title? Does the title suggest a main idea or theme?

• Is there a subtitle? If so, what does the subtitle suggest?

• What genre is the passage? Does this give any clues about what the theme might be or how to identify the theme?

• Is there any art? Does the art give any clues about the theme?

Once you have looked at the passage overall, you will probably have some cluesabout the theme. You will also have some ideas about what to look for to identifythe theme.

Part 2: Reading the PassageNow you can read the passage. As you read the passage, think about what you arereading. Think about the events that are occurring and what the characters aresaying and doing. Think about what information is given and what the authorwants you to know. It can be a good idea to take notes as you read the passage.Here are some things to think about as you read.

• What is the passage mainly about? What is happening in the passage?

• What are the main events? Do these events reveal a theme?

• Who is the main character? What is the main character like?

• Is there a main problem or conflict? How is it solved?

• Is there a turning point? Does something or someone change in some way?

• Does the passage have a main lesson or an important message about life?

• What important ideas are in the passage? What does the author mostwant readers to know?

• What is the overall purpose of the passage?

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• How does the author feel about the topic? How does the author make youfeel about the topic?

• What does the author seem to believe?

By considering these questions, you should have identified one or more themes.

Part 3: Close and Careful ReadingNow that you have identified some themes, you should read the passage closely.This time, focus on the themes you have identified. Read the passage and takenotes on each theme. Identify details from the passage that relate to the theme.Focus on what the passage says about the theme and how the passage givesinformation on the theme. You might record key events, important details, or keysentences from the passage. By close reading, you will analyze the passage toidentify what the themes are and how they are communicated.

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GlossaryAuthor’s PurposeThe author’s purpose is why the author wrote the passage. Authors write passagesto entertain, to inform, to instruct, to explain, and to persuade.

CharacterA character is a person in a story, poem, or play.

CharacterizationCharacterization refers to how an author tells the reader about a character. It canbe by describing a character. It can also be by describing what a character lookslike, how a character feels, or what a character does.

Close ReadingClose reading refers to reading a passage carefully and paying attention to thedetails of the passage. Close reading involves looking closely at what the passagesays, thinking about the details of the passage, and analyzing the passage based onthe details. Close reading is used to identify details to support conclusions,inferences, and predictions, and to identify what the themes are and how they arecommunicated.

ConflictThe conflict is the main problem or struggle that takes place in a passage. Theconflict can reveal the theme of the passage.

DetailsDetails are facts or pieces of information given. Two or more details can be used todraw conclusions or to make inferences. The details in a passage are the evidenceused to support conclusions, inferences, predictions, and decisions made about themain ideas and themes.

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Draw ConclusionsDrawing conclusions refers to making decisions based on facts and details in apassage. For example, a text might describe how it is late at night and how acharacter is yawning. These details could be used to conclude that the character is tired.

FactA fact is a piece of information that can be proven to be true.

GenreGenre refers to the form of a passage. There are many genres, and passages in eachgenre have common features. Knowing the genre of a passage can help youdetermine the passage’s purpose. It can also help you analyze the passage’smeaning and identify the passage’s themes.

Examples:

• Fables have the main purpose of teaching a lesson. The theme of a fable canbe determined by focusing on what lesson the fable is meant to teach.

• Adventure stories are exciting stories that involve some sort of danger. Thetheme could be revealed by how a character overcomes or avoids danger.

• Narrative poems describe a series of events. The meaning is often based onwhy the events are important to the poet or what the poet wants to expressby describing them.

• Odes are poems written to praise something. The theme of an ode is oftenwhat is being praised or what makes the object being praised special.

• Biographies tell about a person’s life. Biographies may include lessons aboutlife or have themes like making a difference or overcoming challenges.

LessonIn literature, a lesson is a truth about life a character learns or a truth about life areader learns from the passage.

Main IdeaThe main idea of a passage is what the whole passage is about. A passage mayinclude several ideas, but the main idea is the most important idea of the wholepassage. A main idea may be stated, or you may have to infer what the main idea is.

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Make InferencesMaking inferences refers to making a guess about something based on facts anddetails from a passage. Inferences are made based on the information in a passage,but can also use what you already know. Inferences can be made about howcharacters feel, why something happens, or what a character learns. Inferences canalso be made about what an author thinks, what an author’s purpose is, and whatthe author’s message is.

Make PredictionsA prediction is a guess made about what will happen in the future. When makingpredictions, details from the text should be used to support the prediction.

MoodMood refers to how a text or part of a text makes the reader feel, or the feelingscreated in the reader.

NarratorThe narrator of a work is the person telling the story.

OpinionAn opinion is a statement that cannot be proven to be true, or a personal view ofsomething.

PlotThe plot is the pattern of events that takes place in a passage.

Point of ViewPoint of view refers to the position of the speaker of a work. The point of view canbe first person, second person, third person limited, or third person omniscient.

PositionThe author’s position refers to how the author feels about a topic, or the author’sviewpoint. The author’s position or viewpoint can reveal the theme.

SettingThe setting of a story, poem, or play refers to where and when the events take place.

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StructureThe structure of a passage is how the passage, or part of the passage, is organized.Common structures include chronological order or sequence of events, cause andeffect, problem and solution, main idea and supporting details, compare andcontrast, question and answer, and order of importance.

StyleThe style of passages refers to how authors express themselves, or how authorswrite.

SubtitleA subtitle is a second part of a title. Subtitles give more information about apassage. They can show the passage’s focus, purpose, main idea, message, or theme.

Examples:

• Seeds: Nature’s WonderThis subtitle suggests that seeds are amazing.

• Storms: How to Stay SafeThis subtitle shows the main purpose of the article.

• The Piano: Practice Makes PerfectThis subtitle states the message of the story.

SummarizeA summary is a short description of a passage that gives the main points. Whensummarizing a passage, only the important events, details, and ideas should be included.

Supporting DetailSupporting details are details included to support a main idea.

SymbolismSymbolism is a literary technique where a word, object, or event is used to standfor something else. For example, white snow might symbolize that something ispure. Symbolism can be used to create meaning and can be used to helpcommunicate a theme.

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ThemeA theme is the central idea of a passage or the lesson or message that the authorwants to convey. In literature, themes hold the story or poem together. Ininformational texts, the theme can be the central topic of the passage or can be a message, thought, or idea communicated by the passage.

TitleA title is what a passage is called. Some titles are straightforward and state the topic of the passage or the main idea of the passage. Other titles are lessstraightforward and need to be analyzed to work out their meaning. Titles can be used as clues to understand passages and their themes.

Examples:

• My First Airplane FlightThis title states the topic of the story.

• Eat Well, Live WellThis title states the main idea of the article.

• Too Little Too LateThis title gives a clue about the theme of the story.

ToneTone is how the author feels about the subject.

TopicThe topic of a passage is what the passage is about or the subject of the passage.

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InstructionEach passage or set of passages is introduced with

key background information that will help studentsanalyze and evaluate the passage, understand thetheme, and make connections between passages

with common themes.

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Passage 1: Single Passage

Introduction: This passage is based on a letter written by Benjamin Franklin in1784. In the letter, Benjamin Franklin makes observations of how people werebehaving at this early time in America’s history and gives his opinions on thetopics of luxury, idleness, and industry. He makes use of examples, anecdotes, and arguments to support his opinions. As you read the letter, think about whatBenjamin Franklin’s opinions are and what he seems to value in people. This focuswill help you identify the main themes in the letter.

/ On Luxury, Idleness, \and Industry

Adapted from a Letter by Benjamin Franklin

1 I have not yet, indeed, thought of a remedy for luxury. I am not sure that in agreat state it is capable of a remedy, nor that the evil is in itself always so greatas it is represented. Suppose we include in the definition of luxury allunnecessary expense, and then let us consider whether laws to prevent suchexpense are possible to be executed in a great country, and whether, if theycould be executed, our people generally would be happier, or even richer. Isnot the hope of being one day able to purchase and enjoy luxuries a great spurto labor and industry? May not luxury, therefore, produce more than itconsumes? Without such a spur people would be, as they are naturally enoughinclined to be, lazy and indolent. To this purpose I remember a circumstance.The skipper of a boat, employed between Cape May and Philadelphia, haddone us some small service, for which he refused to be paid. My wife,understanding that he had a daughter, sent her a new-fashioned cap. Threeyears after, this skipper was at my house with an old farmer of Cape May, hispassenger. He mentioned the cap, and how much his daughter had beenpleased with it. “But,” said he, “it proved a dear cap to our congregation.”“How so?” “When my daughter appeared with it at meeting, it was so muchadmired that all the girls resolved to get such caps from Philadelphia.” Mywife and I computed that the whole could not have cost less than a hundredpounds. “True,” said the farmer, “but you do not tell all the story. I think the

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cap was, nevertheless, an advantage to us, for it was the first thing that putour girls upon knitting mittens for sale at Philadelphia, that they might havethe means to buy caps and ribbons there. And you know that that industryhas continued, and is likely to continue, and increase to a much greater value,and answer better purposes.” Upon the whole, I was more reconciled to thislittle piece of luxury, since not only the girls were made happier by havingfine caps, but the Philadelphians by the supply of warm mittens.

2 In our commercial towns upon the seacoast fortunes will occasionally be made.Some of those who grow rich will be prudent, live within bounds, and preservewhat they have gained for their posterity. Others, fond of showing theirwealth, will be extravagant and ruin themselves. Laws cannot prevent this; andperhaps it is not always an evil to the public. A shilling spent idly by a foolmay be picked up by a wiser person, who knows better what to do with it. It is,therefore, not lost. A vain, silly fellow builds a fine house, furnishes it richly,lives in it expensively, and in a few years ruins himself. But the masons,carpenters, smiths, and other honest tradesmen have been by his employassisted in maintaining and raising their families. The farmer has been paid forhis labor, and encouraged, and the estate is now in better hands. In some cases,indeed, certain modes of luxury may be a public evil, in the same manner as itis a private one. Imagine a nation that exports its beef and linen to pay for theimportation of unnecessary goods, while a great part of its people live uponpotatoes and wear no shirts. Our American commerce is, I confess, a little inthis way. We sell our goods to the Islands for rum and sugar. We sell things thatare necessary for superfluities. But we have plenty, and live well, nevertheless.

3 The vast quantity of forest land we have yet to clear and put in order forcultivation, will for a long time keep the body of our nation laborious andfrugal. Forming an opinion of our people and their manners by what is seenamong the inhabitants of the seaports, is judging from an improper sample.The people of the trading towns may be rich and luxurious, while the countrypossesses all the virtues that tend to promote happiness and public prosperity.Those towns are not much regarded by the country. They are hardlyconsidered as an essential part of the states. The experience of the last war hasshown, that their being in possession of the enemy did not necessarily drawon the subjection of the country, which bravely continued to maintain itsfreedom and independence notwithstanding.

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4 It has been computed by some political arithmetician, that if every man andwoman would work for four hours every day on something useful, that laborwould produce sufficient to procure all the necessaries of life, want and miserywould be banished out of the world, and the rest of the twenty-four hoursmight be leisure and pleasure.

5 What occasions, then, so much want and misery? It is the employment ofmen and women in works that produce neither the necessaries norconveniences of life. These people, along with those who do nothing,consume necessaries raised by the laborious. Let’s explain this.

6 The first elements of wealth are obtained by labor, from the earth and waters. Ihave land and raise corn. With this, if I feed a family that does nothing, mycorn will be consumed, and at the end of the year I shall be no richer than Iwas at the beginning. But if, while I feed them, I employ them, some inspinning, others in making bricks for building, the value of my corn will bearrested and remain with me, and at the end of the year we may all be betterclothed and better lodged. And if, instead of employing a man I feed in makingbricks, I employ him in fiddling for me, the corn he eats is gone, and no partof his manufacture remains to augment the wealth and convenience of thefamily. I shall, therefore, be the poorer for this fiddling man, unless the rest ofmy family work more or eat less, to make up the deficiency he occasions.

7 Look round the world and see the millions employed in doing nothing, or insomething that amounts to nothing, when the necessaries and conveniencesof life are in question. What is the bulk of commerce, for which we fight anddestroy each other? It is the toil of millions for superfluities, to the greathazard and loss of many lives by the constant dangers of the sea. How muchlabor is spent in building and fitting great ships to go to China and Arabia fortea and coffee and to the West Indies for sugar? These things cannot be calledthe necessaries of life, for our ancestors lived very comfortably without them.

8 A question may be asked. Could all these people, now employed in raising,making, or carrying superfluities, be subsisted by raising necessaries? I thinkthey might. The world is large, and a great part of it still uncultivated. Manyhundred millions of acres in Asia, Africa, and America are still in a forest, anda great deal even in Europe. On a hundred acres of this forest a man mightbecome a substantial farmer; and a hundred thousand men, employed in

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clearing each his hundred acres, would hardly brighten a spot big enough tobe visible from the moon, unless with Herschel’s telescope; so vast are theregions still in wood.

9 It is, however, some comfort to reflect, that, upon the whole, the quantity ofindustry and prudence among mankind exceeds the quantity of idleness andfolly. Hence the increase of good buildings, farms cultivated, and populouscities filled with wealth, all over Europe, which a few ages since were only tobe found on the coast of the Mediterranean. And this, notwithstanding themad wars continually raging, by which are often destroyed in one year theworks of many years’ peace. So that we may hope the luxury of a fewmerchants on the coast will not be the ruin of America.

10 One reflection more, and I will end this long, rambling letter. Almost all theparts of our bodies require some expense. The feet demand shoes. The legsdemand stockings, and the rest of the body demands clothing. The bellydemands a good deal of victuals. Our eyes, though exceedingly useful, ask,when reasonable, only the cheap assistance of spectacles, which could notmuch impair our finances. But the eyes of other people are the eyes that ruinus. If all but myself were blind, I should want neither fine clothes, fine houses,nor fine furniture.

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1 What is the main point of the anecdote about the caps in the first paragraph?

A The quest for material things does not bring happiness.

B Most people are too lazy to create the things they need for themselves.

C People tend to want things that they cannot have.

D The desire for luxuries will motivate people to work for them.

2 Based on the information in the passage, which proverb would BenjaminFranklin most likely agree with?

A Money is the root of all evil.

B A good name is better than riches.

C A fool and his money are soon parted.

D The best things in life are free.

3 Which quality does Benjamin Franklin most dislike in the rich people of thecoastal towns?

A They are too greedy.

B They show off too much.

C They are lazy.

D They lack generosity.

4 Which sentence best supports the idea that reckless spending can benefit society?

A Some of those who grow rich will be prudent, live within bounds, and preservewhat they have gained for their posterity.

B Others, fond of showing their wealth, will be extravagant and ruin themselves.

C A shilling spent idly by a fool may be picked up by a wiser person, who knowsbetter what to do with it.

D A vain, silly fellow builds a fine house, furnishes it richly, lives in it expensively,and in a few years ruins himself.

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5 Read this sentence from the end of the passage.

But the eyes of other people are the eyes that ruin us.

Explain what this sentence means. Use details from the passage to supportyour answer.

6 Explain why Benjamin Franklin believes that idleness is a problem for everyonein society. Use at least two details from the passage to support your answer.

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7 The passage describes how money can be earned and how money can bespent. Write an essay supporting the idea that the careful spending of moneyis more important to achieving ongoing wealth than the earning of money.Use details from the passage to support your answer.

In your response, be sure to• explain how money can be spent carefully or wastefully• explain how the careful spending of money is the key to achieving

ongoing wealth• use details from the passage to support your answer

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Passages 2 and 3: Passages Connected by a Theme

Introduction: The next two passages are connected by some commoncharacteristics. They both describe a young person who spends time cleaning.However, the two characters have quite different personalities and spend timecleaning for different reasons. As you read the passages, think about what you cantell about the personality of each main character. Try to determine how eachcharacter feels, what motivates each character, and how each character changes.This will reveal some common ideas about home, growing up, and helping outaround the home.

/ A List for Helen \1 As Helen raced inside after school, the list immediately caught her eye. She

was on her way to the freezer to get her usual afterschool fruit juice pop, butthe list stopped her like it was a red light. There, in the middle of therefrigerator door was a piece of her mother’s notepaper with a strawberry-shaped magnet holding it neatly in place. Helen loved her mother’s specialpink paper. She sometimes saw her mother write letters to friends on that verysame paper, and she wanted to write her own letters on the very same paper.Her mother had always said that the paper was for carefully writing specialletters, and that Helen could write her own letters once she was a bit older andhad neater handwriting. Helen sometimes tried to imitate her mother’swriting. Everything she wrote always looked so grown-up and neat, whileHelen’s writing looked like a really young child had scrawled and scribbledrandom words. Helen wanted more than anything to be more grown-up. Butit wasn’t her mother’s perfectly even handwriting that stood out on the letter— it was the letters of Helen’s name carefully written in capital letters right atthe top. This was a letter that her mother had written for her.

2 Forgetting all about her fruit juice pop, Helen took the paper off therefrigerator door. With her dog, Daisy, following at her feet, Helen ran to thekitchen table. “It’s not dinnertime yet,” she playfully told Daisy as she satdown to read her note.

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HELEN

I am busy working in my office upstairs, but I will be done by the timeyour aunt and uncle arrive for dinner tonight. I could really use your helparound the house this afternoon. Here is a list of things I need you to do:

1. Fold the laundry2. Feed Daisy3. Dust the coffee table4. Frost the cake5. Water the flowers

I will really appreciate your help!

Love,Mom

P.S. You can still have your usual snack before you get started. I boughtsome more fruit juice pops as a special treat — I hope you enjoy yourafterschool snack.

3 Helen laughed as she realized how well her mother knew her. She had guessedthat she would notice the note on her way to the freezer to get a fruit juicepop. Daisy followed closely at her feet again as Helen went to the freezer.“Sorry, Daisy, but fruit juice pops are not for dogs!” Helen said, and thengiggled at how she sounded almost exactly like her mother.

4 Picking up the pink paper, Helen studied the list again. She couldn’t wait to getstarted, and she planned to impress her mother by doing each task perfectly.This was the perfect opportunity to prove how grown-up she could be!

5 Helen quickly finished her fruit juice pop, and then washed and dried her dishand put it away. That task wasn’t on the list, but she knew she should notmake a mess when Aunt Lily and Uncle Jose were coming over. Helen took thefolded list out of her pocket and read the first activity on the list. “Come on,Daisy, we’re off to the laundry room,” Helen called out.

6 Helen quickly ran down the basement steps. Only a few years ago, Helen wouldhave been scared to go to the laundry room alone. When she was little, shesometimes thought she heard noises coming from behind the washingmachine. Helen laughed, thinking of how silly she had been. Helen reachedabove the washing machine and flipped on the light switch. Then she opened

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the clothes dryer door. Inside, different colored towels, jeans, and sweatshirtswere all mixed together. Helen spotted the sleeve of her favorite blue sweatshirtsticking out of the bundles of towels. As she pulled it out, she immediatelynoticed how fresh and clean it smelled. Helen carefully folded it and put it onthe top of the dryer. She pulled out the rest of her items, folded them, andadded them to her pile. Then she folded the items of each member of herfamily, and then finished by making one final pile of neatly folded bath towels.

7 Daisy loved to roll around in the piles of towels and sheets in the laundryroom. Sometimes, she would grab newly cleaned items out of the pile and runaround with them in her mouth. Helen had always thought it was funny tosee Daisy parade around like she had won a prize, but now that she was theone doing the folding it didn’t seem so amusing. She kept a close eye on Daisyand spotted her about to pull a purple towel from her pile. “Oh, no, youdon’t!” Helen yelled playfully. Daisy acted hurt and raced out of the laundryroom. With the clean clothes all neatly folded and organized, Helen pulled thelist out of her pocket. The second task to complete was to feed the dog. Helenjust had to find the dog first.

8 Helen quickly ran up the stairs. “Daisy,” she called out quietly. She did notwant to be too loud and bother her mother upstairs. As Helen whisperedDaisy’s name again, she heard a noise coming from the kitchen. Helen peekedher head around the kitchen door and saw Daisy licking her empty dog bowl.Apparently, Daisy knew that it was dinner time and that Helen was runninglate. Helen filled Daisy’s red bowl with her special food, and Daisy beganchomping away on her seemingly delicious meal.

9 Walking into the family room, Helen leaned against the stair railing. She couldsee the door to the office was closed, but she could still hear the quick clickingsound of her mother typing on the computer keys. Helen hoped she wouldnot finish her work too soon. She wanted to be done with the list by the timeher mother came downstairs.

10 The third task on the list was to dust the coffee table. Helen ran to get thebright blue glass cleaner from under the kitchen sink. Holding the yellowhandle, Helen sprayed the top of the table until it looked like a thin layer ofdew had formed on the clear glass. Then Helen used a paper towel to wipe theglass clean, while being careful to wipe in one smooth motion so she wouldnot leave streak marks.

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11 The next item on the list was Helen’s favorite. Helen’s father made the bestdesserts, and she always looked forward to special days when he would leave achocolate chip cake or an apple pie on the counter. On the kitchen table sat asweet-smelling chocolate cake, with the red-capped frosting can sitting next toit. Helen knew that her father must have made the cake, but not had enoughtime to let it cool completely. She was impressed he had trusted her with theimportant task of adding the frosting. Even though she was sure it would bedelicious anyway, she knew it would not look anywhere near as appetizing ifshe did not frost it properly. Helen carefully used a spoon to spread thefrosting all over the chocolate cake, moving the spoon in large circles to createa lovely swirling pattern all over the cake. She set the cake back in the middleof the table and admired it for a moment.

12 “Only one more thing to do!” Helen said, as she licked some of the frosting offher fingers. She washed her hands and raced outside to the garden where thebeautiful flowers her mother had planted danced in the gentle breeze. Helenwent around to the side of the house and straightened out the garden hose.She turned the bright blue knob on the faucet until it wouldn’t turn anymore,and then she brought the hose around to the garden. She flipped the tinyblack switch at the front of the hose and a spray of water came shooting out.Walking up and down the brick path, Helen made sure that all of the flowersgot a drink, even the yellow ones at the edge of the fence.

13 Helen had now completed all of the jobs on her list, but there was one morething she wanted to do. Helen looked at the rows of beautiful blue, pink, andyellow flowers. She chose several flowers and carefully removed them fromtheir plants. As Helen arranged the flowers on the table, the doorbell rang. “I’llget it,” Helen called out as she ran to the door.

14 Aunt Lily and Uncle Jose stood smiling on the front porch. “Look at howgrown-up you are,” Helen’s aunt said.

15 “She certainly is,” said Helen’s mother from inside the house. “Just wait untilyou see the beautiful flowers Helen picked for our table.”

16 “I guess next time you don’t even need a list,” Helen’s mother said later thatevening. “You have such good ideas of your own.”

17 “Well, I am growing up,” Helen said proudly.

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/ The Missing Ticket \1 In perfect bedrooms, games are put away, books are arranged on shelves, paper

clips are placed in desk drawers, and markers are never left uncapped. Thesedelightful rooms belong to those who put socks in drawers, shoes in closets,and shirts on hangers. Joy Daniels was not one of those people. Joy was a girlwho never ever cleaned her room.

2 Joy first realized that she had a problem on a beautiful and sunny Saturdaymorning. It was the start of spring, which was Joy’s favorite season of the year,and it should have been a perfect day. Every year, Joy’s town held its SpringFestival, a big fair that everyone always looked forward to attending. As soonas tickets went on sale, children in the hallways at school and grown-ups attheir workplaces could be heard excitedly discussing the fair. Joy had boughther ticket a month ahead of time, because she did not want to risk missing outon the fun. Now, with the start of the festival just a couple of hours away, Joyshould have been in great spirits. Instead, she was frantically pacing from oneend of her room to the other.

3 Joy clearly remembered purchasing her ticket, but she had absolutely no ideawhere it was now. She stopped pacing and stood in the doorway of her room,carefully examining everything. She stared at the socks peeking out ofoverflowing drawers, the paintbrushes scattered on the rug, and the piles ofpaper covering her desk. The ticket could be anywhere — and the mess seemedto be everywhere! “It must be here somewhere,” she mumbled to herself, as shebegan to dig through the mess. It was a small rectangular piece of light bluepaper. Joy remembered that the day she bought it, she kept taking it out of herpocket to reread the thrilling words: SPRING FESTIVAL – CELEBRATING THESEASON. Now Joy was afraid she would not get to celebrate at all.

4 Every year, the Spring Festival seemed to get better and better. When she wasyounger, she used to feel like she would soon grow out of it, but she onlyfound new ways to enjoy it. Joy’s favorite part was the arts and crafts boothwhere you could buy things or make your own. Last year, she had decorated abeautiful flowerpot. Joy looked up at her shelf to admire her work, but therewas no flowerpot in sight. Joy suddenly worried that she had lost that too, butshe pushed the thought away to focus only on finding the little blue ticket.

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5 Joy was hoping to make another special craft at this year’s fair. She had heardthere was going to be a table where you could tie-dye your own t-shirt, butwhat she was looking forward to most of all was the concert that was beingheld for the first time this year. Joy loved to listen to music and to dance, butshe had never heard live band music before. Joy and her best friend Anna hadbeen talking about the concert for weeks. They were so excited about seeingsingers and musicians perform right in front of them.

6 Joy had decided days ago that she wanted to wear her favorite green flowereddress to the fair. She looked on her chair where she thought she had laid outthe dress, but she could not see it. She started to go through the clothes, butstopped. “First things first,” Joy reminded herself. She had to concentrate onlocating that small but very important ticket.

7 Joy stepped back and studied her room again. She looked from the crowdedbookshelf to the paper-covered desk to the art supplies on the floor and theclothes that were everywhere. She had not managed to clean her room at all,but had managed to move a pile of mess from one side of the room to theother. She was always so busy she never really stopped to look at the mess shewas making. For the first time in her life, Joy imagined how wonderful herroom would look if it were neat and organized. She could see herself doing artprojects on her desk rather than on the floor. She imagined looking in hercloset and picking out the clothes she would wear that day. And when it wastime to return her library books, she would know exactly where they were.More importantly than that, Joy thought sadly, she would not lose tickets tospecial events. It would certainly be wonderful, but right now there was thiscluttered messy room.

8 Feeling very discouraged, Joy decided there was a good chance that she wouldbe unable to find the ticket. Looking at the phone in the corner of the room,Joy thought about calling Anna to tell her she might have to miss the concert.As she walked over to the phone, being careful not to step on her watercolorsthat were spread out on the floor, Joy saw the corner of a light blue paperpeeking out from underneath her desk. She gasped with excitement and leaptforward to pick it up, but as she pulled on the corner of it she could see it wasnot the ticket at all. It was a butterfly drawing that Joy had entered in herschool’s art contest. The left-hand corner of the drawing had been bent andJoy felt guilty for not looking after it better. She smoothed it out and held it

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up to the wall, thinking how much better it would look hanging over herdesk. She knew that everything would look better if she could clean it all up,but she was overwhelmed by the thought of it.

9 Suddenly, Joy remembered a detective movie she had seen where the maincharacter had a complex “plan of action.” She needed her own plan of actionif she wanted to organize her things. Joy decided to first sort her things intopiles and then put them away. As she cleared a space for the piles in themiddle of her room, Joy began to feel excited that she was finally on her wayto having a neater room. Plus, she now felt more confident she would find theticket. She took a deep breath and began.

10 The butterfly drawing was the first item in a pile of artwork that grew so highthat Joy had to make two piles. Crayons, pencils, pens, and papers were putinto piles, and then organized neatly on her desk. Clothes were sorted intopiles, and then put into drawers or hung on hangers in the closet. While shewas putting some clothes away, Joy found her flowerpot on the closet floor.After gazing around the room, she found a perfect spot for it on her desk.Soon, Joy’s small trashcan was overflowing with crumpled papers that hadbeen part of the mess. Joy was surprised at how much fun she was having, asorder gradually returned to her room. She created a special folder forhomework assignments and labeled old shoeboxes that she then used for hermany art supplies. In fact, Joy got so caught up with the project of creating aneater space for herself that she forgot what had caused her to clean in thefirst place.

11 Just as Joy put the last pair of jeans in her closet, the phone rang. This time,there were no paints or papers or pants to trip over as Joy darted across theroom to answer it. As Joy answered the phone and heard Anna’s voice sayinghello, she realized that she had not found the ticket and there was nowhereelse left to look. She had cleaned her entire room and had even found thegreen dress and the missing flowerpot, but the ticket was nowhere to befound. Joy felt a lump in her throat as she prepared to tell Anna the bad news.

12 “I lost my ticket,” Joy told Anna, holding back her tears. “Tickets have beensold out for weeks now, so you will have to go to the fair without me.”

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13 Anna always knew how to make Joy feel better, but this time there wasnothing she could do.

14 “I cleaned my whole room, Anna, but it’s nowhere to be found,” Joyexplained. “But you go and have a good time.”

15 Joy hung up the phone, and then plopped down on her newly cleared-off bed.She had her face buried in a pillow and did not notice her mother walk intothe room to see if she was ready to leave for the fair.

16 “I lost my ticket,” Joy cried to her mother. “I cleaned my whole room so Icould find it, but it isn’t anywhere!”

17 “You mean this ticket?” Joy’s mother pulled a small rectangular piece of paperout of her back pocket. “I found it in your jeans pocket when I was doing thelaundry.”

18 Joy laughed as she put the ticket on her neat desk and reached for the phoneto call Anna with the good news.

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8 Which task from the list does Helen complete in the most similar way to howJoy cleans her room?

A Folding the laundry

B Feeding Daisy

C Dusting the coffee table

D Watering the flowers

9 Read this sentence from “The Missing Ticket.”

When she was younger, she used to feel like she would soon grow out of it,but she only found new ways to enjoy it.

Which idea in this sentence is also a main idea in “A List for Helen”?

A Things are not always what they seem.

B People change as they grow older.

C There is a time for fun and a time for seriousness.

D Life is fun if you choose to make it fun.

10 How is the list in “A List for Helen” most relevant to the ideas in “The Missing Ticket”?

A It indicates that some tasks are more important than others.

B It warns that it takes effort to keep a home clean.

C It shows that children need to be given guidance.

D It suggests the importance of being organized.

11 A main idea in both passages is how young people need to —

A be responsible

B have a routine

C solve their own problems

D stand up for themselves

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12 Compare the reasons that Helen and Joy clean. Use details from both passagesto support your answer.

13 Based on the information in “A List for Helen,” think about what Helen’sroom would probably be like. Would Helen’s room be most similar to Joy’sroom at the start of “The Missing Ticket” or the end of “The Missing Ticket”?Use details from both passages to support your answer.

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14 In both passages, the main character benefits by cleaning. Describe thebenefits of cleaning to yourself and others. Use details from both passages tosupport your answer.

In your response, be sure to• describe how Helen benefits by cleaning• describe how Joy benefits by cleaning• explain how cleaning benefits both the person cleaning and others• use details from both passages to support your answer

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Introduction: The next two passages are quite different because one is a literarypassage and the other is an informational passage. The first passage is a poemtitled “In a Library.” The second passage is an article titled “The Magic of Books.”The passages share the topics of libraries and books, but they present informationin very different ways. Even though they have different formats, they share somecommon ideas about books and have a similar effect on readers. Now read bothpassages and see if you can work out in what ways they are similar.

/ In a Library \by Emily Dickinson

1 A precious, mouldering pleasure ‘t isTo meet an antique book,In just the dress his century wore;A privilege, I think,

2 His venerable hand to take,And warming in our own,A passage back, or two, to makeTo times when he was young.

3 His quaint opinions to inspect,His knowledge to unfoldOn what concerns our mutual mind,The literature of old;

4 What interested scholars most,What competitions ranWhen Plato1 was a certainty.And Sophocles2 a man;

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5 When Sappho3 was a living girl,And Beatrice4 woreThe gown that Dante5 deified.Facts, centuries before,

6 He traverses familiar,As one should come to townAnd tell you all your dreams were true;He lived where dreams were sown.

7 His presence is enchantment,You beg him not to go;Old volumes shake their vellum headsAnd tantalize, just so.

1Plato was an ancient Greek philosopher and writer who created many works that are still read today.

2Sophocles was an ancient Greek playwright born around the year 495 BC.3Sappho was an ancient Greek poet born around the year 620 BC.4Beatrice was a character in Dante’s epic poem the Divine Comedy.5Dante was a poet born in the year 1265 in Florence, Italy.

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/ The Magic of Books \1 There is a place where anything is possible. You can sit with the Queen of

England, a scary witch, and the President of the United States all at one table.You can visit the Earth’s moon or even the moons of Jupiter and be backhome in time for dinner. You can sail along the Amazon River, visit the GreatSphinx, or travel to the depths of the ocean. You can even take a spacecreature home with you! And your mother won’t mind. She would just behappy that you had visited your local library!

2 Libraries are full of interesting and fun things to learn. There is probably alibrary in your very own school—or maybe it is a short drive away. Whereverit is, the library is a place worth visiting. By going to your library, you canmeet almost anyone in the world and travel to any land you wish—allthrough the magic of books!

Millions of Things to Learn3 Many famous people have written autobiographies describing their lives.

You might never have the chance to sit down and chat with a president, and certainly not one of the many presidents who are no longer with us. But you can sit down and read the autobiography of Thomas Jefferson,Abraham Lincoln, or Benjamin Franklin. You can read what their lives werelike and what their opinions were on many topics, and you can learn fromtheir personal knowledge and experience.

4 You can also read about important events in the history of America. Manybooks have been written about important historical events like the formationof the United States of America and the Civil War. You can go back evenfurther and read about how Christopher Columbus sailed along the Americancoast. You can read about the history of transportation, and howdevelopments in train travel and flight changed the world forever.

5 You can read about the scientists that have made major discoveries and changedhow people understand the world. You can understand how the light bulb wasinvented. A book on the invention of the zipper could give you new insightinto an everyday item that you have probably often failed to appreciate.

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6 The books stored away in libraries give you the ability to understand differentlands and cultures in many ways. You can start by using an atlas tounderstand where countries are, or an encyclopedia to learn basic facts. Booksdo not only offer words, but offer art and photographs as well. A book ofphotographs could allow you to see the beauty of the Greek islands or theamazing architecture of Rome. You can read stories set in different countries togain insight into what it is like to be someone else living in a different culture.You could even experience part of that culture by using the recipes in acookbook to make traditional foods.

Taking a Journey7 Of course, books aren’t all about learning. Most libraries have a fiction section

at least as large as the non-fiction section. The many novels, stories, andpoems waiting for you can take you on grand adventures to a million differentplaces. Even if only for a short while, you can be someone else doingsomething else. Science fiction novels can take you to worlds that do not evenexist, while historical novels can take you far into the past. You can journeywith characters as they overcome struggles, face their fears, or learn newthings about themselves and the world.

Finding Your Way8 There are thousands of libraries in the United States. The largest library in the

country is the Library of Congress. The people who work in the libraries mightask you to whisper, but it’s not because you will disturb the books. They askyou to whisper so the many other people there on their own journeys ofknowledge or adventure can stay on those journeys. They really want you, andeveryone around you, to enjoy the magic of books. It’s a quiet kind of magic,but it is wonderful.

9 The amount of material that libraries have on offer can make themoverwhelming. With its never-ending stacks of books, periodicals, andaudiovisual materials, your local library can be an imposing place. But librariesaren’t all that scary once you know your way around them, and they remainone of the best places to locate information. Once you appreciate how a libraryoperates, there’s no reason to dread this wonderful warehouse of information.

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10 The key to finding what you need in a library is to know how to search for it.But first, it’s a good idea to ask one of the librarians to give you a quick tour ofthe facility. He or she can easily point out the specific sections, which willmake it easier to know where to look. Because not all libraries are organizedthe same, a tour can be extremely useful.

11 The librarian can also demonstrate how to use the library’s catalog, which is avital step in successful library research. Older libraries may still utilize a cardcatalog system to locate materials, but many have employed computerizedcatalogs. These electronic catalogs work much like an Internet search engine,allowing you to hunt for information using the author’s name, book title, andsubject matter.

12 One important thing to remember is that you need to determine the focus ofyour search before you begin searching. Suppose you want to find out aboutMark Twain’s life. If you insert “Mark Twain” into the catalog, you willundoubtedly get hundreds of search results. Because electronic catalogs tend tocross-reference, your search will not only provide materials on Mark Twain’s life,but also the author’s own writings and books that critique his work. You canavoid this predicament by being as precise as possible when using the catalog.

13 Once you limit your search, the catalog will supply you with a more definitelist of results. This will include the locations of materials and authors’ namesand titles. Another important thing to consider is that smaller libraries maynot be able to provide the resources you need. In this case, you may requestthat the librarian arrange a special order, or you can attempt to locate theresource material in another library.

14 If you happen to find what you are looking for, you may be overwhelmed bythe quantity of material on your subject. Do not presume that you mustborrow every single item in the library that pertains to your subject. Take timeto analyze these materials before heading to the checkout and determinewhich ones best suit your needs.

15 Libraries let you bring the books home with you. Before you do this, you willneed to acquire a library card. Only members can remove materials from thelibrary, so you’ll want to obtain one. Luckily, it’s usually quite easy to applyfor one and a librarian will be able to help you with this as well.

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16 Once you have a library card, the possibilities a library offers are endless! Butalways be sure to take care of the books and to return them on time. The greatthing about books is how much they have to offer to everyone. To ensure thatthe books can keep on giving, you should always try to return them in as gooda condition as when you borrowed them. Do not fold back the corners, writein them, or do anything as silly as tearing out pages. You should always besure to return them on time, as well. This will allow other people to read themand stop you from getting fines.

Make Your Own Bookends17 You can even create a special place to keep your library books when you bring

them home. If you clear off a shelf or another flat surface, you are ready tocreate your home library. This is a place where you can store your books sothey do not get damaged or lost. It’s also nice to be able to proudly display thebooks. The books that you have borrowed at any time represent what you arelearning now, so it’s nice to give them a home worthy of all they have to offeryou. You can make your own set of bookends, and then your books can standproudly in your room.

18 To make your bookends you will need:

• 2 half-gallon juice or milk cartons• scissors• construction paper• glue• markers or crayons• 10 to 15 small rocks

19 1. With the help of an adult, cut the two cartons in half and throw the tops away.

20 2. Cover the outside of the carton halves with glue and then put on the paper.

21 3. Decorate the carton halves any way you wish.

22 4. Place rocks inside each bookend.

23 Remember, a bookend’s job is to hold the books in place. The rocks will makethe bookends heavy enough to make sure the books don’t fall over. Now youare ready to put some of your library books in between your special bookends!

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15 The poem “In a Library” and the section “Make Your Own Bookends” bothsuggest that books —

A are fragile

B should be shared

C deserve respect

D look attractive

16 Which sentence from the article best summarizes the main idea of the poem?

A By going to your library, you can meet almost anyone in the world and travel toany land you wish—all through the magic of books!

B You can read about the scientists that have made major discoveries and changedhow people understand the world.

C If you happen to find what you are looking for, you may be overwhelmed by thequantity of material on your subject.

D To ensure that the books can keep on giving, you should always try to returnthem in as good a condition as when you borrowed them.

17 Which line from the poem suggests that the poet’s experience is similar tohow reading an autobiography is described in the article?

A In just the dress his century wore;

B And warming in our own,

C His quaint opinions to inspect,

D And tell you all your dreams were true;

18 How is the information in the article similar to the information in the poem?

A They both describe the pleasures of reading.

B They both give examples of the many different purposes of books.

C They both give advice on how to enjoy books.

D They both show that older books have the most to offer.

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19 The article describes many different uses of books. What does the list ofauthors in the poem suggest the poet mainly reads books for? Use details fromboth the poem and the article to support your answer.

20 Compare and contrast what the titles of the poem and the article reveal abouttheir topics and themes. Use details from both the poem and the article tosupport your answer.

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21 Both the poem and the article are effective at encouraging readers to make useof a library. Compare and contrast how each passage achieves this purpose.Use details from both the poem and the article to support your answer.

In your response, be sure to• describe how the poem encourages readers to make use of a library• describe how the article encourages readers to make use of a library• describe similarities and differences in how the poem and the article

achieve that purpose• use details from both the poem and the article to support your answer

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Independent PracticeThis section contains two individual passages with

questions for students to complete on their own, andthree pairs of passages connected by a theme withquestions for students to complete on their own.

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/ The White Snake \Adapted from a Fairy Tale by the Brothers Grimm

1 A long time ago there lived a king who was famed for his wisdom through allthe land. Nothing was hidden from him, and it seemed as if news of the mostsecret things was brought to him through the air. But he had a strangecustom. Every day after dinner, when the table was cleared, and no one elsewas present, a trusty servant had to bring him one more dish. It was covered,however, and even the servant did not know what was in it, neither didanyone know, for the king never took off the cover to eat of it until he wasquite alone.

2 This had gone on for a long time, when one day the servant was overcomewith such curiosity that he could not help himself. When he had carefullylocked the door, he lifted up the cover, and saw a white snake lying on thedish. But when he saw it he could not deny himself the pleasure of tasting it,so he cut off a little bit and put it into his mouth. No sooner had it touchedhis tongue than he heard a strange whispering of little voices outside hiswindow. He went and listened, and then noticed that it was the sparrows whowere chattering together, and telling one another of all kinds of things whichthey had seen in the fields and woods. Eating the snake had given him powerof understanding the language of animals.

3 Now it so happened that on this very day the queen lost her most beautifulgold ring, and suspicion of having stolen it fell upon this trusty servant, whowas allowed to go everywhere. The king ordered the man to be brought beforehim, and threatened with angry words that unless he could before the morrowpoint out the thief, he himself should be looked upon as guilty and executed.In vain he declared his innocence.

4 In his trouble and fear he went down into the courtyard and thought abouthow to help himself out of his trouble. Now some ducks were sitting togetherquietly by a brook and taking their rest. While they were making their feathers

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smooth with their bills, they were having a confidential conversation together.The servant stood by and listened. They were telling one another of all theplaces where they had been waddling about all the morning, and what goodfood they had found. Then one said in a pitiful tone: “Something lies heavyon my stomach. As I was eating in haste I swallowed a ring which lay underthe queen’s window.” The servant at once seized her by the neck, carried herto the kitchen, and said to the cook: “Here is a fine duck for dinner.” “Yes,”said the cook, and weighed her in his hand. “She has spared no trouble tofatten herself, and has been waiting to be roasted long enough.” So he cut offher head, and as she was being dressed for the spit, the queen’s ring was foundinside her.

5 The servant could now easily prove his innocence. The king, to make amendsfor the wrong, allowed him to ask a favor, and promised him the best place inthe court that he could wish for. The servant refused everything, and onlyasked for a horse and some money, as he had a mind to see the world. Whenhis request was granted he set out on his way, and one day came to a pond,where he saw three fishes caught in the reeds and gasping for water. Now,though it is said that fishes are dumb, he heard them lamenting that theymust perish so miserably, and, as he had a kind heart, he got off his horse andput the three prisoners back into the water. They leapt with delight, put outtheir heads, and cried to him: “We will remember you and repay you forsaving us!”

6 He rode on, and after a while it seemed to him that he heard a voice in thesand at his feet. He listened, and heard an ant-king complain: “Why cannotfolks, with their clumsy beasts, keep off our bodies? That stupid horse, withhis heavy hoofs, has been treading down my people without mercy!” So heturned on to a side path and the ant-king cried out to him: “We willremember you—one good turn deserves another!”

7 The path led him into a wood, and there he saw two old ravens standing bytheir nest, and throwing out their young ones. “Out with you, you idle, good-for-nothing creatures!” cried they. “We cannot find food for you any longer.You are big enough, and can provide for yourselves.” But the poor youngravens lay upon the ground, flapping their wings, and crying: “Oh, whathelpless chicks we are! We must fend for ourselves, and yet we cannot fly!What can we do, but lie here and starve?” So the good young fellow alighted

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and killed his horse with his sword, and gave it to them for food. Then theycame hopping up to it, satisfied their hunger, and cried: “We will rememberyou—one good turn deserves another!”

8 And now he had to use his own legs, and when he had walked a long way, hecame to a large city. There was a great noise and crowd in the streets, and aman rode up on horseback, crying aloud: “The king’s daughter wants ahusband. But whoever seeks her hand must perform a hard task, and if hedoes not succeed he will forfeit his life.” Many had already made the attempt,but in vain. Nevertheless when the youth saw the king’s daughter he was soovercome by her great beauty that he forgot all danger, went before the king,and declared himself a suitor.

9 So he was led out to the sea, and a gold ring was thrown into it. Then the kingordered him to fetch this ring up from the bottom of the sea, and added: “Ifyou come up again without it you will be thrown in again and again until youperish amid the waves.” All the people grieved for the handsome youth. Thenthey went away, leaving him alone by the sea.

10 He stood on the shore and considered what he should do, when suddenly hesaw three fishes come swimming towards him, and they were the very fisheswhose lives he had saved. The one in the middle held a mussel in its mouth,which it laid on the shore at the youth’s feet, and when he had taken it upand opened it, there lay the gold ring in the shell. Full of joy he took it to theking and expected that he would grant him the promised reward.

11 But when the proud princess perceived that he was not her equal in birth, shescorned him, and required him first to perform another task. She went downinto the garden and strewed with her own hands ten sacks full of millet seedon the grass. Then she said: “Tomorrow morning before sunrise these must bepicked up, and not a single grain be wanting.”

12 The youth sat down in the garden and considered how it might be possible toperform this task, but he could think of nothing, and there he sat sorrowfullyawaiting the break of day, when he should be led to death. But as soon as thefirst rays of the sun shone into the garden he saw all the ten sacks standingside by side, quite full, and not a single grain was missing. The ant-king hadcome in the night with thousands and thousands of ants, and the grateful

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creatures had by great industry picked up all the millet seed and gatheredthem into the sacks.

13 Presently the king’s daughter herself came down into the garden, and wasamazed to see that the young man had done the task she had given him. Butshe could not yet conquer her proud heart, and said: “Although he hasperformed both the tasks, he shall not be my husband until he has broughtme an apple from the Tree of Life.” The youth did not know where the Tree ofLife stood, but he set out, and would have gone on forever, as long as his legswould carry him, though he had no hope of finding it. After he had wanderedthrough three kingdoms, he came one evening to a wood, and lay downunder a tree to sleep. But he heard a rustling in the branches, and a goldenapple fell into his hand. At the same time three ravens flew down to him,perched themselves upon his knee, and said: “We are the three young ravenswhom you saved from starving. When we had grown big, and heard that youwere seeking the Golden Apple, we flew over the sea to the end of the world,where the Tree of Life stands, and have brought you the apple.” The youth,full of joy, set out homewards, and took the Golden Apple to the king’sbeautiful daughter, who had now no more excuses left to make. They cut theApple of Life in two and ate it together. Then her heart became full of love forhim, and they lived in undisturbed happiness to a great age.

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1 The treatment of which of these animals shows that the servant is unkind toanimals?

A Fish

B Ants

C Ravens

D Horse

2 What is the most likely reason the servant releases the fish caught in the reeds?

A He knows he will need to call on them for assistance later.

B He wants to make up for how poorly he treated the duck.

C He fears his magic power will fade if he does not use it wisely.

D He feels sorry for them when he sees they are suffering.

3 Which statement best describes the main message of the passage?

A A kindness shown will be repaid.

B You never know who might be listening.

C Curiosity is a dangerous trait to have.

D Any challenge can be overcome with hard work.

4 Read this sentence from the passage.

The youth sat down in the garden and considered how it might be possibleto perform this task, but he could think of nothing, and there he satsorrowfully awaiting the break of day, when he should be led to death.

The author most likely created a sense of dread in this sentence to —

A suggest that the youth should have helped himself

B foreshadow that things will not end well

C emphasize that help comes when it is needed most

D explain why the youth did not notice the ants working

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5 Read this sentence about the king.

Nothing was hidden from him, and it seemed as if news of the most secretthings was brought to him through the air.

Based on the events of the passage, why does the king most likely know somuch? Use details from the passage to support your answer.

6 The first test given to the servant when he attempts to marry the king’sdaughter is to fetch a gold ring. Explain the significance of the item being agold ring and how this relates to the events at the beginning of the passage.Use details from the passage to support your answer.

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7 Describe the three good deeds the servant does. Explain how each good deedaffects later events in the passage and leads to the happy ending. Use detailsfrom the passage to support your answer.

In your response, be sure to• describe the three good deeds the servant does• explain how each good deed affects later events• explain how the good deeds bring about the happy ending• use details from the passage to support your answer

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/ Nobel Prize \Acceptance SpeechAn Excerpt from a Speech by Al Gore

1 Sometimes, without warning, the future knocks on our door with a preciousand painful vision of what might be. One hundred and nineteen years ago, awealthy inventor read his own obituary, mistakenly published years before hisdeath. Wrongly believing the inventor had just died, a newspaper printed aharsh judgment of his life’s work, unfairly labeling him “The Merchant ofDeath” because of his invention — dynamite. Shaken by this condemnation,the inventor made a fateful choice to serve the cause of peace. Seven yearslater, Alfred Nobel created this prize and the others that bear his name.

2 Seven years ago tomorrow, I read my own political obituary in a judgmentthat seemed to me harsh and mistaken — if not premature. But thatunwelcome verdict also brought a precious, if painful, gift: an opportunity tosearch for fresh new ways to serve my purpose. Unexpectedly, that quest hasbrought me here. Even though I fear my words cannot match this moment, Ipray what I am feeling in my heart will be communicated clearly enough thatthose who hear me will say, “We must act.”

3 The distinguished scientists with whom it is the greatest honor of my life toshare this award have laid before us a choice between two different futures —a choice that to my ears echoes the words of an ancient prophet: “Life ordeath, blessings or curses. Therefore, choose life, that both thou and thy seedmay live.”

4 We, the human species, are confronting a planetary emergency — a threat tothe survival of our civilization that is gathering ominous and destructivepotential even as we gather here. But there is hopeful news as well: we havethe ability to solve this crisis and avoid the worst, though not all, of itsconsequences, if we act boldly, decisively, and quickly.

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5 So today, we dumped another 70 million tons of global-warming pollutioninto the thin shell of atmosphere surrounding our planet, as if it were an opensewer. And tomorrow, we will dump a slightly larger amount, with thecumulative concentrations now trapping more and more heat from the sun.

6 As a result, the Earth has a fever. And the fever is rising. The experts have toldus it is not a passing affliction that will heal by itself. We asked for a secondopinion. And a third. And a fourth. And the consistent conclusion, restatedwith increasing distress, is that something basic is wrong.

7 We are what is wrong, and we must make it right.

8 Last September 21, as the Northern Hemisphere tilted away from the sun,scientists reported with unprecedented alarm that the North Polar ice cap is intheir words: “falling off a cliff.” One study estimated that it could becompletely gone during summer in less than 22 years. Another new study, tobe presented by U.S. Navy researchers later this week, warns it could happenin as little as 7 years.

9 Seven years from now.

10 In the last few months, it has been harder and harder to misinterpret the signsthat our world is spinning out of kilter. Major cities in North and SouthAmerica, Asia, and Australia are nearly out of water due to massive droughtsand melting glaciers. Desperate farmers are losing their livelihoods. Peoples inthe frozen Arctic and on low-lying Pacific islands are planning evacuations ofplaces they have long called home. Unprecedented wildfires have forced a halfmillion people from their homes in one country and caused a nationalemergency that almost brought down the government in another. Climaterefugees have migrated into areas already inhabited by people with differentcultures, religions, and traditions, increasing the potential for conflict.Stronger storms in the Atlantic and the Pacific have threatened whole cities.Millions have been displaced by massive flooding in South Asia, Mexico, and18 countries in Africa. As temperature extremes have increased, tens ofthousands have lost their lives. We are recklessly burning and clearing ourforests and driving more and more species into extinction. The very web of lifeon which we depend is being ripped and frayed.

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11 We never intended to cause all this destruction, just as Alfred Nobel neverintended that dynamite be used for waging war. He had hoped his inventionwould promote human progress. We shared that same worthy goal when webegan burning massive quantities of coal, then oil and natural gas.

12 In the years since this prize was first awarded, the entire relationship betweenhumankind and the Earth has been radically transformed. And still, we haveremained largely oblivious to the impact of our cumulative actions. Indeed,without realizing it, we have begun to wage war on the Earth itself. Now, weand the Earth’s climate are locked in a relationship familiar to war planners:“Mutually assured destruction.” More than two decades ago, scientistscalculated that nuclear war could throw so much debris and smoke into theair that it would block life-giving sunlight from our atmosphere, causing a“nuclear winter.” Their eloquent warnings here in Oslo helped galvanize theworld’s resolve to halt the nuclear arms race.

13 Now science is warning us that if we do not quickly reduce the global-warming pollution that is trapping so much of the heat our planet normallyradiates back out of the atmosphere, we are in danger of creating a permanent“carbon summer.” As the American poet Robert Frost wrote, “Some say theworld will end in fire; some say in ice.” Either, he notes, “would suffice.” Butneither need be our fate. It is time to make peace with the planet.

14 We must quickly mobilize our civilization with the urgency and resolve thathas previously been seen only when nations mobilized for war. These priorstruggles for survival were won when leaders found words at the eleventh hourthat released a mighty surge of courage, hope, and readiness to sacrifice for aprotracted and mortal struggle. These were not comforting and misleadingassurances that the threat was not real. No, these were calls to come to thedefense of the common future. They were calls upon the courage, generosity,and strength of entire peoples, citizens of every class and condition who wereready to stand against the threat once asked to do so.

15 Now comes the threat of climate crisis — a threat that is real, rising,imminent, and universal. Once again, it is the eleventh hour. The penalties forignoring this challenge are immense and growing, and at some near pointwould be unsustainable and unrecoverable. For now, we still have the powerto choose our fate, and the remaining question is only this: Have we the will

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to act vigorously and in time, or will we remain imprisoned by a dangerousillusion?

16 Mahatma Gandhi awakened the largest democracy on Earth and forged ashared resolve with what he called “Satyagraha” — or “truth force.” In everyland, the truth, once known, has the power to set us free. Truth also has thepower to unite us and bridge the distance between “me” and “we,” creatingthe basis for common effort and shared responsibility.

17 There is an African proverb that says, “If you want to go quickly, go alone. Ifyou want to go far, go together.” We need to go far, quickly. We must abandonthe conceit that individual, isolated, private actions are the answer. They canand do help. But they will not take us far enough without collective action. Atthe same time, we must ensure that in mobilizing globally, we do not invitethe establishment of ideological conformity and a new lock-step “ism.” Thatmeans adopting principles, values, laws, and treaties that release creativity andinitiative at every level of society in multifold responses originatingconcurrently and spontaneously.

18 This new consciousness requires expanding the possibilities inherent in allhumanity. The innovators who will devise a new way to harness the sun’senergy for pennies or invent an engine that’s carbon negative may live inLagos or Mumbai or Montevideo. We must ensure that entrepreneurs andinventors everywhere on the globe have the chance to change the world.

19 Make no mistake, the next generation will ask us one of two questions. Eitherthey will ask: “What were you thinking; why didn’t you act?” Or they will askinstead: “How did you find the moral courage to rise and successfully resolve acrisis that so many said was impossible to solve?”

20 We have everything we need to get started, save perhaps political will, butpolitical will is a renewable resource. So let us renew it, and let us say together:“We have a purpose. We are many. For this purpose we will rise, and we will act.”

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8 Which sentence from the speech best shows why Al Gore considers himselfsimilar to Alfred Nobel?

A Wrongly believing the inventor had just died, a newspaper printed a harshjudgment of his life’s work, unfairly labeling him “The Merchant of Death”because of his invention—dynamite.

B Shaken by this condemnation, the inventor made a fateful choice to serve thecause of peace.

C Seven years later, Alfred Nobel created this prize and the others that bear his name.

D We never intended to cause all this destruction, just as Alfred Nobel neverintended that dynamite be used for waging war.

9 Read this sentence from the speech.

So today, we dumped another 70 million tons of global-warming pollutioninto the thin shell of atmosphere surrounding our planet, as if it were anopen sewer.

The imagery in this sentence mainly suggests that people are being —

A cruel

B selfish

C reckless

D greedy

10 What is the main purpose of the information in paragraph 10?

A To emphasize how serious the consequences of climate change are

B To show that the benefits of burning fossil fuels are not worth it

C To support the idea that global action is needed to prevent climate change

D To warn that climate change could lead to serious global conflicts

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11 What is the main positive message of paragraphs 14 and 15?

A It will take time for a solution to be found.

B Everyone will have to make sacrifices.

C People must accept that there is a problem.

D It is not too late to take action.

12 In paragraph 6, Al Gore states that “the Earth has a fever.” Describe two waysthe word “fever” is an appropriate description of global warming. Use detailsfrom the passage to support your answer.

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13 What literary techniques does Al Gore use in the speech to create a sense ofurgency? Use at least two details from the passage to support your answer.

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14 Al Gore states that people have “begun to wage war on the Earth itself.”Explain how Al Gore compares the problems of climate change to a war. Inwhat ways is solving climate change similar to fighting a war? Use details fromthe passage to support your answer.

In your response, be sure to• explain how Al Gore compares the problems of climate change to a war• describe how solving climate change is similar to fighting a war• use details from the passage to support your answer

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/ King Alfred and the Cakes \TIME: More than a thousand years agoPLACE: A forest in England

1 [A hut is at one side. The Prince enters from the forest carrying a great spear. He looks about, creeps to the hut and looks in the window, shows satisfaction, and then returns to the forest.]

2 PRINCE (softly): All is well. Enter!

3 [Two English soldiers enter from the forest. They carry large bows and wear quiversholding arrows.]

4 PRINCE: We are safe here, my men. Tell King Alfred that.

5 [The first soldier salutes and enters the forest.]

6 SECOND SOLDIER: Danes may hide in the hut, Prince.

7 PRINCE (shaking head): There’s only an old woman within.

8 [The first soldier enters. He holds the bushes and vines aside. King Alfred enters. He is disguised as a beggar.]

9 PRINCE (bowing): You can rest safely here, King Alfred.

10 KING: Do you think the Danes are still in pursuit?

11 PRINCE: No, your Majesty, I am sure we have escaped them this time.

12 SECOND SOLDIER: Besides, they would not know your Majesty dressed so.

13 KING (anxiously): Gentlemen, disguise yourselves as you have me.

14 PRINCE: That will not do, Sire. It will be safer for you if the Danes do not seeyou dressed as we are.

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15 KING: Aye, but there’s more danger for you dressed so. Come, be beggars with me!

16 FIRST SOLDIER (shaking head): Our first thought is for you, Sire.

17 SECOND SOLDIER: Should you fall into the Danes’ hands now, what willbecome of England?

18 KING: Why, she must fight again!

19 PRINCE (shaking head): Our soldiers ran from the Danes today, and lost thebattle to them!

20 KING: It is because they fear these Danes as they do monsters.

21 SOLDIERS: Aye! Aye!

22 KING: If only I could turn their fear to rage and fierce hot anger! ThenEngland would not flee! She’d fight her foes and conquer!


24 PRINCE: It is for that great work you should save yourself, Sire! For that, you should wear the beggar’s rags now!

25 [Enter English soldiers in great haste.]

26 THIRD SOLDIER: Sire, save yourself! The Danes still follow us!

27 FOURTH SOLDIER: They have crossed the river!

28 THIRD SOLDIER: They pursue your Majesty!

29 PRINCE: Go to the hut there, Sire. Let the Danes find you begging from the woman.

30 KING: But you, my men, where will you hide?

31 FIRST SOLDIER: We’ll scatter, Sire.

32 KING: Then go, go at once! I’ll await you here, if the Danes go on.

33 PRINCE (saluting): Farewell, my King!

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34 SOLDIERS (saluting): Farewell, King Alfred, farewell!

35 [They go. King Alfred crosses to the hut and knocks on the door. Mary opens the door.She holds a wooden bowl and a large flat stone in her hands.]

36 MARY: Another beggar, as I live! Well, what do you want?

37 KING: A bite to eat, good woman.

38 MARY: My cakes are not yet baked.

39 KING: I will wait, then.

40 MARY (indignantly): You will not, sir!

41 KING (alarmed): You will not drive me off, good woman!

42 MARY: And who are you, that you should sit by and wait, while I do all the work! Do you think you are the king, sir?

43 KING: No, no! I—

44 MARY (interrupting): You’ll fry the cakes yourself, sir! Go now and mend thefire, and lay this stone upon it.

45 [King Alfred takes the stone, crosses to the fire, and places it on the burning wood.When the stone is hot, Mary pours the batter from the bowl on the stone.]

46 MARY: Now watch these cakes while I’m within, and watch them well. Ryecakes do burn while one is winking.

47 KING: I’ll watch them carefully, good woman. (Mary enters the hut. King Alfredturns the cakes carefully, and then sits on a log. His thoughts are far away.) I willdrive them out! I will! Tonight I’ll get my men together. We will take them bysurprise at daybreak.

48 [Mary enters. She rushes to the fire.]

49 MARY (looking at cakes): Burnt to cinders! Not one of them fit to eat!

50 KING: I am sorry.

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51 MARY: Oh, you good-for-nothing! I would like to beat you!

52 KING: What can I do to make it right?

53 MARY (taking up a stick): You’ll mix more dough! Do you hear?

54 KING: I’ll be glad to do it, Madam!

55 MARY (flourishing stick): In with you! Now in with you, and get to work!

56 [King Alfred enters the hut. Enter the Danish chief and Danes from the forest. Theycarry spears and shields.]

57 MARY (with fear): The Danes!

58 CHIEF (haughtily): Aye, Danes!

59 MARY: I have no silver! Not a piece, sir!

60 CHIEF: Burn the hut, men!

61 [The Danes start toward the hut. Mary falls on her knees before them.]

62 MARY: I pray you, spare my home!

63 CHIEF: We spare no home to any English.

64 FIRST DANE: We’ll burn every home on English land before we go!

65 SECOND DANE: And drive every Englishman into the seas!

66 MARY (sobbing): I pray you—

67 CHIEF (roughly): Come, get up! Get up and cease your weeping!

68 [Mary rises, trembling with fear.]

69 CHIEF: We will not burn your hut, if you will tell us what we wish to know.

70 MARY: I will tell you what I can.

71 CHIEF: Did King Alfred pass this way in flight?

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72 MARY: What? Our king in flight?

73 CHIEF (angrily): Come, no tears for him! Did he pass this way, I say?

74 MARY: No, my lord.

75 FIRST DANE: Do not believe her, Chief! There’s not an Englishman that wouldnot hide him from us!

76 MARY (forgetting her fear): Aye, and die for him!

77 CHIEF (angrily): Say not such words to me! I am your king that is to be! Gosearch within the hut, Danes!

78 [The Danes enter the hut, and come out immediately bringing King Alfred.]

79 FIRST DANE: We found this man within.

80 SECOND DANE: It is her husband, I think.

81 MARY (indignantly): That beggar is not my husband!

82 CHIEF (showing suspicion): Ah, a beggar —

83 MARY: Yes, my lord, he came just before you.

84 FIRST DANE (whispering): Hear that, my lord, just before us!

85 SECOND DANE (whispering): It may be King Alfred!

86 THIRD DANE (whispering): Disguised as a beggar, sir!

87 FOURTH DANE (whispering): It would be safest to take him prisoner, my lord!

88 CHIEF (nodding): We’ll take him with us to be certain.

89 MARY (hearing this): Yes, take him! It would serve him right! He burnt mycakes just now!

90 CHIEF: What! Burnt your cakes?

91 MARY: Yes, my lord! And I’d have beaten him had not your lordship come.

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92 CHIEF: This cannot be the king.

93 FIRST DANE (shaking head): No king would fry cakes!

94 SECOND DANE (shaking head): He could not be made to fry them!

95 THIRD DANE (shaking head): Nor take a beating from a woman!

96 MARY: He wouldn’t, eh? Well, I sent him to mix fresh dough! And I sent himwith my stick, I did!

97 FOURTH DANE: Would you let a woman threaten you with a stick, my lord?

98 CHIEF (proudly): Never! Besides, King Alfred would be dressed as are his princesand his soldiers. I have thought that from the first. Release the beggar!

99 [The Danes release King Alfred.]

100 CHIEF (to Mary): And when this Alfred’s taken, to me you’ll bend your Englishknees! Now come, my men! To hunt King Alfred!

101 DANES (going): To hunt King Alfred! To hunt King Alfred!

102 [They go. Mary looks after them, listening for a moment.]

103 MARY: May they never see a hair of his head! May heaven protect and saveKing Alfred!

104 KING: You seem to love King Alfred.

105 MARY: I love the ground he treads on!

106 KING: It is English ground!

107 MARY: I love the air he breathes!

108 KING: It is English air.

109 MARY (sharply): No, no! I love the king himself!

110 KING (growling): Out upon King Alfred! Out upon him, I say!

111 MARY (angrily): You are a traitor, sir!

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112 KING: What has he done for England? He has lost every battle to the Danes!He is running from them now!

113 MARY: It is not his fault! If the king’s men were as brave as he, there wouldnot be a Dane on English land today!

114 KING: Well, I’m glad there’s one that thinks so well of him!

115 MARY: You are a traitor and should be punished! (Taking up stick.) I myself will do it!

116 [As she lifts the stick, the Prince and English soldiers enter.]

117 PRINCE (kneeling): Your Majesty is safe!

118 MARY: What! Your Majesty, they say!

119 SOLDIERS (kneeling, joyfully): King Alfred! King Alfred!

120 KING: Rise, my Prince! Rise, my soldiers! Ah, I’m glad they did not find you!

121 MARY (showing fear): It is King Alfred!

122 KING: We’ll fight again, my men! At daybreak we’ll surprise them.


124 KING: Good woman, your king now thanks you.

125 MARY (kneeling): Oh, your Majesty, forgive me!

126 KING (gently): Arise, good woman.

127 MARY (rising): Alas the day I made you fry the cakes! Alas the day I wouldhave beaten you!

128 KING: Nay, good woman, that saved my life. I bless the day you made me frythe cakes! I bless the day you would have beaten me! And you I bless, goodwoman, for your loyalty to England and her king! Soldiers, salute this bravegood woman!

129 [Soldiers form in a double line and hold their bows aloft to make an arch. Marypasses up this lane. King Alfred salutes her.]

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/ The Substitute \1 Tasha sauntered into her fifth-period class and plopped down in her usual

seat. She didn’t look up until she was startled by the sound of an unfamiliarvoice saying, “Hi, everyone, I’m Miss Gosselin, and I’ll be your replacementteacher for the next few weeks.”

2 Tasha stared at Miss Gosselin and thought she seemed very young to beteaching. Her hair was short and dark, with a pink streak near the front, andher clothes looked more like what the students were wearing. Tasha couldn’thelp thinking that perhaps Miss Gosselin wasn’t actually a teacher at all, andprobably wasn’t a good one. She had probably been sent to their small town aspunishment for doing poorly at teaching school or something.

3 “I’d like to give you a project to work on over the weekend,” Miss Gosselinsaid. “I just moved here from Chicago, and I’d like to know a little more aboutRiverton, so I would like you to write an essay describing why you like livingin Riverton.”

4 She stopped and glanced around the room. “I see some eye-rolling, so maybeyou think it’s a lackluster place with not much to recommend it. I suggest youlook at Riverton as if you are visiting here for the very first time.”

5 After class, there was grumbling and moaning in the halls about theassignment and some discussion about Miss Gosselin’s unusual appearance.She didn’t look at all like a teacher or like she belonged in Riverton. Tashawondered why she would exchange an exciting life in Chicago for a dullexistence in Riverton. Tasha longed to leave Riverton, and planned to do so assoon as she was old enough. She found the idea that somebody would chooseto come to Riverton completely baffling.

6 Tasha walked home at a snail’s pace thinking that this assignment was onlygoing to make her life even more boring. Not only did she have to live in thisterrible town where nothing ever happened, but now she had to write about itas well. From her point of view, there simply was nothing good about living inthis tedious little town. There was no movie theater, no mall, and no arcadesor skate parks. If this paper had to be honest, it was going to be difficult towrite even one paragraph!

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7 That evening, Tasha told her parents about the assignment and asked themwhy they had opted to reside in Riverton.

8 “It’s one of the few places where you can walk absolutely everywhere,” Tasha’smother explained. “It’s like a real old-fashioned kind of village.”

9 “When it comes to raising a family, sometimes living in a place where nothinghappens is actually desirable,” her father added.

10 “But what about people with no children?” Tasha asked. “Why would theywant to come here?”

11 “I think you should look around for those answers yourself,” said Tasha’smother. “Take a walk down by the river, or go to the library and look up thetown’s history.”

12 Tasha sighed and nodded.

13 “And by the way, what you’ve told me about Miss Gosselin should havetaught you something else today,” Tasha’s mother added.

14 “Yeah, I know. I shouldn’t judge a book by its cover,” Tasha said.

15 “Or you could try not judging at all and just accept her for who she is. Youdon’t know after one day what she’s really like.”

16 Tasha decided to walk by her friend Grace’s house on her way to the library.

17 “Come on in,” hollered Grace from upstairs. “I’m looking on the Internet forstuff about Riverton. Did you know there was a battle fought here during theCivil War, or that Riverton was part of the Underground Railroad and therewere people here who helped escaped slaves reach Canada?”

18 “Well, that’s cool I suppose,” said Tasha. “But why would it make you want tolive here?”

19 “I don’t know, but Riverton’s more interesting already,” said Grace. “It’s niceto live in a place with a little history!”

20 “Want to walk downtown? I’m going to go see if the library has informationon the town’s history.”

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21 “Sure,” replied Grace. “Maybe we can gather more information about thisUnderground Railway.”

22 Tasha and Grace strolled down to the end of Grace’s street, where it met withthe path that ran along the river. “Mom said to take a walk along the river,”noted Tasha. “I don’t know how it’s supposed to help with the assignment,but we may as well.”

23 The weather was growing warmer each day, and the fragrant aromas of thespring season filled the air. The girls walked along quietly as they took in thesights and sounds. Squirrels jumped from branch to branch, and birds tendedtheir nests. The sun sparkled on the river that meandered between muddybanks, and several children sat on the banks fishing. The two girls glanced ateach other, but remained silent.

24 At the library, the girls discovered that there had been a stop on theUnderground Railroad in Riverton, and that the house that was used stillexisted. The librarian gave them directions to the property. It was about a mileoutside of town, but Grace and Tasha decided to venture out anyway. Nowthat they had gained a little knowledge about it, their curiosity was piqued!They must have passed right by the residence hundreds of times without everrealizing what an interesting place it was.

25 The house was a large decaying brick structure surrounded by acres ofneglected pastureland. They proceeded up the wide front pathway that wasovergrown with weeds, and onto the veranda that encircled the house. Therewas no access to the inside, but they peeked through the windows.

26 “Look at that huge fireplace,” whispered Grace. “The family must havegathered there on winter evenings.”

27 It was exciting to know they were in a place that had acquired so muchhistory, even though they couldn’t be sure just which rooms had been used tohide the people fleeing northward to freedom. After Grace took photographs,they began their walk back home. The girls stepped to the side of the road as atruck approached. When it came to a stop near the girls, they recognized thedriver as Mr. Walsh, who owned the farm stand in town.

28 “Have you girls been visiting the Marston House?” he inquired.

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29 “Yes, we have,” said Tasha.

30 “It’s quite a hike out here,” Mr. Walsh chuckled. “Can I offer you a ride backinto town? I just need to make one quick stop and then I’ll deliver you to your doors.”

31 “That would be great, Mr. Walsh,” said the girls, clambering into the pickup.

32 Mr. Walsh’s quick stop was at the farm stand, where Mrs. Walsh rushed out togreet them. She insisted that they have some homemade cookies and juicebefore they left. Just then, another car pulled up to the stand, and the girlswere surprised to see Miss Gosselin.

33 “What brings you here, Miss Gosselin?” Mrs. Walsh said happily.

34 “I was hoping you had some more of that wonderful homemade orangemarmalade I got a couple of weeks ago. I’ve gone through the whole jar!”

35 “Well, certainly, dear! And since you were here last, I’ve made some of thatwild berry jam you were asking about.”

36 “That’s great,” said Miss Gosselin. “I’ll take a jar of each.”

37 Miss Gosselin turned to Tasha and Grace. “You have no idea how I’ve missedhaving a farm stand so close by. There’s just nothing as good as freshcucumbers and tomatoes, is there?”

38 Tasha nodded her agreement, even though she had never thought that a farmstand was something to be excited about. She imagined that Chicago wouldhave dozens of huge stores with tons of vegetables. But, Tasha conceded as shemulled over the issue, those vegetables probably had not been picked just anhour or two before customers bought them. Tasha began to wonder what elseRiverton might have that made it a unique and desirable place to live.

39 That night after dinner, as Tasha prepared to write her paper, she consideredher day and how pleasant and entertaining it had been. Without going to amall or a movie or even doing anything spectacular, she and Grace hadmanaged to enjoy themselves immensely. They had learned something new,had a little adventure, and talked to some kind and thoughtful people.

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40 Tasha thought about how nice it was that when a car pulled up, the driver wasalmost certainly someone they had known for years. She thought about thethings she took for granted, like the farm stand. That was the kind of thingRiverton had to offer, and it wasn’t so bad after all. In fact, Tasha realized, allthose things were really quite wonderful.

41 Tasha decided that she would try to think of Riverton in a different way — notabout what it didn’t have to offer, but about all the advantages it did have.She decided that she could recommend Riverton to Miss Gosselin after all, and that it was her own fault for not seeing how much it had to offer before.She had spent too much time focused on getting away from Riverton, and not enough on making the most of the great life it offered to all its residents.From now on, she decided, Riverton was going to be what she made it — andshe was going to make it great.

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15 How is Tasha’s initial reaction to Miss Gosselin similar to Mary’s initialreaction to King Alfred?

A They both judge based on appearances.

B They both have an immediate sense of fear.

C They both show admiration.

D They both feel they are being deceived.

16 Read this sentence from the story.

They must have passed right by the residence hundreds of times withoutever realizing what an interesting place it was.

Which main idea of both passages does this sentence refer to?

A Home is something worth fighting for.

B A new place can open your mind to new things.

C The solution to a problem might be found where you least expect it.

D Things are not always what they appear to be.

17 A main lesson that Tasha and King Alfred learn is about —

A being brave enough to face your enemies

B enjoying a simple life

C not running away from your problems

D allowing other people to protect you

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18 Read these lines from the play.

KING: I’ll watch them carefully, good woman. (Mary enters the hut.King Alfred turns the cakes carefully, and then sits on a log. His thoughtsare far away.) I will drive them out! I will! Tonight I’ll get my mentogether. We will take them by surprise at daybreak.

The king’s emotions are most likely similar to Tasha’s at the end of the storybecause he feels —

A enraged

B disappointed

C empowered

D humbled

19 Describe how burning the cakes in the play and the assignment in the storyboth have a surprising outcome. Use details from both the play and the storyto support your answer.

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20 In which passage does misjudging things play the greatest role? Use detailsfrom both the play and the story to support your answer.

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21 In the play and the story, the main characters learn a lesson about takingcontrol of their lives. Describe how the characters feel before and after they takecontrol. Predict whether or not each character’s behavior will change in thefuture. Use details from both the play and the story to support your answer.

In your response, be sure to• describe how King Alfred and Tasha feel before they take control• describe how King Alfred and Tasha feel after they take control• predict whether or not each character’s behavior will change in the future• use details from both the play and the story to support your answer

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Introduction: Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-born businessman who achievedgreat success in America. He was a leader in the steel industry during the late1800s and became one of the richest men in history in the process. This excerptfrom his autobiography describes his early working life.

/ Working My Way Up \An Excerpt from the Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie

1 As I look back upon the early struggles this can be said: there was not aprouder family in the land. A keen sense of honor, independence, self-respect,pervaded the household. Walter Scott said of Burns that he had the mostextraordinary eye he ever saw in a human being. I can say as much for mymother. Anything low, mean, deceitful, shifty, coarse, underhand, or gossipywas foreign to that heroic soul. Tom and I could not help growing uprespectable characters, having such a mother and such a father, for the father,too, was one of nature’s noblemen, beloved by all, a saint.

2 My father entered the cotton factory of Mr. Blackstock, an old Scotsman inAllegheny City, where we lived. In this factory he also obtained for me aposition as bobbin boy, and my first work was done there at one dollar andtwenty cents per week. It was a hard life. In the winter father and I had to riseand breakfast in the darkness, reach the factory before it was daylight, and,with a short interval for lunch, work till after dark. The hours hung heavilyupon me and in the work itself I took no pleasure; but the cloud had a silverlining, as it gave me the feeling that I was doing something for my world —our family. I have made millions since, but none of those millions gave mesuch happiness as my first week’s earnings. I was now a helper of the family, a breadwinner, and no longer a total charge upon my parents.

3 Soon after this Mr. John Hay, a fellow-Scotch manufacturer of bobbins inAllegheny City, needed a boy, and asked whether I would not go into hisservice. I went, and received two dollars per week; but at first the work waseven more irksome than the factory. I had to run a small steam-engine and to

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fire the boiler in the cellar of thebobbin factory. It was too much forme. I found myself night after night,sitting up in bed trying the steamgauges, fearing at one time that thesteam was too low and that theworkers above would complain thatthey had not power enough, and atanother time that the steam was toohigh and that the boiler might burst.

4 But all this it was a matter of honorto conceal from my parents. Theyhad their own troubles and borethem. I must play the man and bearmine. My hopes were high, and Ilooked every day for some change totake place. What it was to be I knew not, but that it would come I felt certainif I kept on. Of one thing I was sure, I ought never to give up.

5 One day the chance came. Mr. Hay had to make out some bills. He had noclerk, and was himself a poor penman. He asked me what kind of hand I couldwrite, and gave me some writing to do. The result pleased him, and he foundit convenient thereafter to let me make out his bills. I was also good at figures;and he soon found it to be to his interest. And besides, I believe he was movedby good feeling toward the white-haired boy, for he had a kind heart and wasScotch and wished to relieve me from the engine — to put me at other things,less objectionable except in one feature.

6 It now became my duty to bathe the newly made spools in vats of oil.Fortunately there was a room reserved for this purpose and I was alone, but not all the resolution I could muster, nor all the indignation I felt at my own weakness, prevented my stomach from behaving in a most perverse way. I never succeeded in overcoming the nausea produced by the smell of the oil. Even Wallace and Bruce proved impotent here. But if I had to losebreakfast, or dinner, I had all the better appetite for supper, and the allottedwork was done.

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7 My service with Mr. Hay was a distinct advance upon the cotton factory, and I also made the acquaintance of an employer who was very kind to me. Mr.Hay kept his books in single entry, and I was able to handle them for him; buthearing that all great firms kept their books in double entry, and after talkingover the matter with my companions, John Phipps, Thomas N. Miller, andWilliam Cowley, we all determined to attend night school during the winterand learn the larger system. So the four of us went to a Mr. Williams inPittsburgh and learned double-entry bookkeeping.

8 One evening, early in 1850, when I returned home from work, I was told thatMr. David Brooks, manager of the telegraph office, had asked my Uncle Hoganif he knew where a good boy could be found to act as messenger. Mr. Brooksand my uncle were enthusiastic draught-players, and it was over a game ofdraughts that this important inquiry was made. Upon such trifles do the mostmomentous consequences hang. A word, a look, an accent, may affect thedestiny not only of individuals, but of nations. He is a bold man who callsanything a trifle. Who was it who, being advised to disregard trifles, said healways would if anyone could tell him what a trifle was? The young shouldremember that upon trifles the best gifts of the gods often hang.

9 My uncle mentioned my name, and said he would see whether I would takethe position. I remember so well the family council that was held. Of course Iwas wild with delight. No bird that ever was confined in a cage longed forfreedom more than I. Mother favored, but father was disposed to deny mywish. It would prove too much for me, he said; I was too young and too small.For the two dollars and a half per week offered it was evident that a muchlarger boy was expected. Late at night I might be required to run out into thecountry with a telegram, and there would be dangers to encounter. Upon thewhole my father said that it was best that I should remain where I was. Hesubsequently withdrew his objection, so far as to give me leave to try, and Ibelieve he went to Mr. Hay and consulted with him. Mr. Hay thought it wouldbe for my advantage, and although, as he said, it would be an inconvenienceto him, still he advised that I should try, and if I failed he was kind enough tosay that my old place would be open for me.

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10 This being decided, I was asked to go over the river to Pittsburgh and call onMr. Brooks. My father wished to go with me, and it was settled that he shouldaccompany me as far as the telegraph office, on the corner of Fourth andWood Streets. It was a bright, sunshiny morning and this augured well. Fatherand I walked over from Allegheny to Pittsburgh, a distance of nearly two milesfrom our house. Arrived at the door I asked father to wait outside. I insistedupon going alone upstairs to the second or operating floor to see the greatman and learn my fate. I was led to this, perhaps, because I had by that timebegun to consider myself something of an American. At first boys used to callme “Scotchie! Scotchie!” and I answered, “Yes, I’m Scotch and I am proud ofthe name.” But in speech and in address the broad Scotch had been worn offto a slight extent, and I imagined that I could make a smarter showing if alonewith Mr. Brooks than if my good old Scotch father were present, perhaps tosmile at my airs.

11 I was dressed in my one white linen shirt, which was usually kept sacred forthe Sabbath day, my blue round-about, and my whole Sunday suit. I had atthat time, and for a few weeks after I entered the telegraph service, but onelinen suit of summer clothing; and every Saturday night, no matter if that wasmy night on duty and I did not return till near midnight, my mother washedthose clothes and ironed them, and I put them on fresh on Sabbath morning.There was nothing that heroine did not do in the struggle we were making forelbow room in the western world. Father’s long factory hours tried hisstrength, but he, too, fought the good fight like a hero and never failed toencourage me.

12 The interview was successful. I took care to explain that I did not knowPittsburgh, that perhaps I would not do, would not be strong enough; but all Iwanted was a trial. He asked me how soon I could come, and I said that Icould stay now if wanted. And, looking back over the circumstance, I thinkthat answer might well be pondered by young men. It is a great mistake not toseize the opportunity. The position was offered to me; something might occur,some other boy might be sent for. Having got myself in I proposed to staythere if I could.

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/ A Moment to Remember \1 All week, Branden had looked forward to, and dreaded, this night when he

would play his final hockey game of the season. As his father eased the vanonto the highway, Branden thought about how the hockey season hadprogressed this year.

2 First, he had been ecstatic to discover that he had been chosen for thetraveling team. He had been playing hockey since he was five years old, but heknew there were many other players who were equally as talented as he was.Hockey was a very popular sport in his town, and most of the kids he grew upwith had been playing right beside him since the beginning. Some of themhad also made the traveling team, but others had not.

3 Branden’s friend Charlie was one who had made it — he was a superior goalie.Branden sometimes wondered how Charlie did it. It would seem to Brandenthat Charlie was skating too far out from the goal, or too far to one side, withthe other team hustling the puck down the ice headed right for the net, andout of nowhere, Charlie would materialize, with his glove outstretched, hiswide stick planted firmly on the ice, stopping that puck cold before it couldhit the net and give the other team a point. It was no wonder Charlie was onthe team; he was a natural talent who played hard every minute of everygame, and his skill and commitment were some of the principal reasons thatthe Terriers, Branden’s team, had done so well this season.

4 Branden was a forward, and he loved moving the puck down the ice, skatingpast and around the other players, reacting to the teams’ constantly shiftingpatterns, and making smooth passes to his teammates. But he had playedmany other positions, including tending goal, and there wasn’t one he didn’t like.

5 “The Falcons are one of your toughest competitors, aren’t they?” Branden’sfather said, interrupting Branden’s train of thought.

6 “Yeah, they are,” said Branden. “They actually beat us by one goal the lasttime we played.”

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7 “Well, don’t dwell on that, Branden. Just get in there and give it all you’ve got.Concentrate on winning this one, not on losing the last one.”

8 “I will, Dad,” said Branden.

9 “We know you’ll do fine, Branden, win or lose,” said his mother.

10 Branden’s parents always said things like that. Branden knew it wasn’t allabout winning, but he would rather win just the same! Branden’s thoughtstraveled back to a game the Terriers had played five months ago, their thirdgame of the season and the first of the season against the Bulldogs. They hadbeen playing on their home ice, and practically everyone Branden knew hadcome to the game. The Bulldogs and the Terriers were evenly matched, so thegame was a close one, with neither team able to score in the first or secondperiod, and then both of them put a goal on the board in the third period.

11 Charlie hadn’t been feeling well all day, and he finally had to leave the iceabout ten minutes into the third period. Coach Harder used Branden as hisbackup goalie, and though Branden had solid skills, he in no way felt that hewas as accomplished as Charlie. He could hold his own, sure, but when itcame to saving the day that was Charlie’s game. Charlie made it look easy, butBranden knew better. Still, he felt up to the task and wasn’t overly nervous ashe put on the protective goal pads and took his place in the net.

12 It had been a relatively quiet game and probably felt like a long game to thespectators, who always appreciated a little more action than they were gettingthat night. Branden scanned the crowd near the place his family usually satand spotted his parents. His father raised his hand, then pointed at the rink asif to say, “Stop looking up here and pay attention to the game!” Brandenturned his attention back to the ice just in time for the referee to drop thepuck into play.

13 The Terriers took the puck and passed it back and forth in front of theBulldogs’ goalie a few times, until the Bulldogs took it away and began tobring it toward Branden. They had gotten only halfway there when theTerriers recaptured the puck and returned to the front of the Bulldogs’ goal.The play continued this way for a little while, and Branden ventured out fromthe goal a bit, feeling a little left out of the action.

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14 Moments later, the Bulldogs captured the puck and headed in his direction.This time, the Terriers did not intercept the puck as they had in the past.Branden felt calm and confident, watching the puck come closer. He expectedthe Bulldogs to bring it down close and then give it a hard push in unless itwas stolen by a Terrier first, but instead, one of the Bulldog skaters movedquickly in front of the others, took the puck, and fired it unexpectedly fromseveral yards out. Before Branden even realized what had happened, the puckhad slammed into the back of the Terrier’s goal and the Bulldogs were ahead.The crowd was on its feet, half of them cheering for the Bulldogs, and theother half despairing over the goal that had been given up with only a fewminutes left to play.

15 The Terriers lost that game, and while Branden knew that anyone could makea mistake, he also knew that he had let his guard down. He knew that he hadbeen thinking that it was going to be an easy game, and he had notmaintained his focus the way he should have. He did not like the feeling oflosing that game, especially since he felt completely responsible for the loss.Thinking about that moment still made his stomach uneasy and made himfeel angry with himself for letting his teammates down.

16 His father pulled into the rink parking lot, and Branden hoisted his heavyhockey duffle onto his shoulder, joined his teammates in the locker room andgot into his equipment and uniform. Finally, it was game time. The first andsecond periods went smoothly, with each team giving up just one goal. TheFalcons were just as tough as they were the first time they had played theTerriers, but Branden’s team was holding strong and had scored another goalat the start of the third and last period, putting them ahead. Now all theTerriers had to do was hold their lead and they would be in place to win theirregional title.

17 Branden was on the bench, watching the defensive team fight back theFalcons, when suddenly there was a commotion by the goal. It looked likeCharlie was injured, and soon it was apparent that the Terriers would need areplacement goalie to finish the game. The coach looked right at Branden.

18 “What do you think, Branden, are you up for this? I’ve seen you in front ofthat goal, and I know you can do the job.”

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19 “Sure thing, Coach!” said Branden, sounding much more confident than hefelt. His whole team and half the crowd were depending on him to hold their lead!

20 Branden tried to stay calm, but had never been so apprehensive in his life. Hecouldn’t help thinking about the other game, and the idea of making amistake again almost made him back out.

21 Then Branden remembered what his father had said. “Concentrate on winningthis one, not on losing the last one.” Branden blocked all negative thoughtsfrom his mind, kept his eyes on the puck, and maintained an intense focus onthe action.

22 Branden began to feel more confident as the puck sailed near the net twice,and he easily knocked it back to one of his teammates. But now, with justseconds left in the game, the Falcons had the puck, and they were moving ittoward him quickly. Branden kept his eye on the puck as it sped closer. TheFalcons were passing the puck with no trouble, and it appeared that theTerriers just couldn’t get a piece of it. His teammates were being left behind on the ice, and Branden was on his own.

23 Then one of the players lifted his stick back and slammed the puck towardBranden. It was coming in fast on his left, but he could see it. He knew howeasy it was for a puck to sneak past the big clumsy gloves, but he wasdetermined to prevent that from happening. He shut out the wall of Falconplayers, the scrape of skates and clacking of sticks right next to him, theshouts of the Falcons, the screaming crowd, and all his doubts. He placed hisglove right where it would meet the puck, and caught the puck neatly in his glove.

24 Branden was suddenly bombarded by smiling and laughing Terriers slappinghim on the back and pounding on his helmet. They hoisted him in the air,and he raised his glove high above his head. Branden knew this was amoment he would never forget.

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22 Which of the following motivates both Andrew Carnegie and Branden?

A Wanting to make millions of dollars

B Not wanting to let people down

C Wanting to be taken more seriously

D Not wanting to let others take the spotlight

23 Which statement from “Working My Way Up” would be the most relevantadvice to give Branden before he takes Charlie’s place as the goalie?

A They had their own troubles and bore them. I must play the man and bear mine.

B A word, a look, an accent, may affect the destiny not only of individuals, but of nations.

C The young should remember that upon trifles the best gifts of the gods often hang.

D It is a great mistake not to seize the opportunity.

24 Read this sentence from “Working My Way Up.”

Mr. Hay thought it would be for my advantage, and although, as he said, itwould be an inconvenience to him, still he advised that I should try, and if Ifailed he was kind enough to say that my old place would be open for me.

What does this sentence reveal about the difference in how the adults treatCarnegie’s hopes from how Branden’s parents treat his hopes?

A It shows that they believe that he may fail.

B It shows that they trust that he will keep trying.

C It shows that they are willing to make sacrifices.

D It shows that they want him to succeed.

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25 “A Moment to Remember” describes how Branden fears making a mistake. In which paragraph of “Working My Way Up” does Andrew Carnegie describe a similar fear?

A Paragraph 3

B Paragraph 4

C Paragraph 5

D Paragraph 6

26 Compare the point of view in each passage and describe how it influences thereader’s understanding of the main character. Use details from both passagesto support your answer.

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27 Read this sentence from “A Moment to Remember.”

He couldn’t help thinking about the other game, and the idea of making amistake again almost made him back out.

Does Andrew Carnegie seem to experience similar feelings of self-doubt? Use details from both passages to support your answer.

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28 Think about how Andrew Carnegie’s struggles related to work are similar toBranden’s struggles related to sport. Describe how achieving in work and insport requires overcoming similar problems. Use details from both passages tosupport your answer.

In your response, be sure to• describe the problems that Andrew Carnegie had to overcome• describe the problems that Branden had to overcome• explain how achieving in work and sport requires overcoming

similar problems• use details from both passages to support your answer

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/ Changing Times \by Catherine Johnson

1 Early on, there is doubt.But I do not see any fears.Not in my brothers, volunteersbefore Daddy even meets the revolutionaries.

2 They gather to demand a resolution. Worriesare for Mama and me. She is loyal to memoriesof England. She does not trust the good fight.Mama asks, “What’s it all for?’’“Principle,” Daddy says.

3 When thirteen states unite, he says,No more unfair tax! No more unjust Acts!I start to hear the meanings of the secret meetings.I begin to know that underus the land does not belong to man,but to country.

4 The talk grows quiet. The calmof people is thin. There is nolonger time for doubt, but decision.I ask, “What’s it all for?’’Daddy says, “To be American.”

5 Still I am young. I am afraidof those first timid votes, seethe promise of independence,freedom, and common sense.Nights in the field are a fair tradefor triumph.

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6 I hope somedaythe doubt will end.We won’t have to be afraid.Americans will know their guide,and we will be rememberedwith sorrow or pride.

—January 1776

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/ Revolution \1 Paul Revere is one of the

most famous people inAmerican history. Hestarted out as a goldsmithand silversmith. Revereoperated a copper rollingmill, which made sheetsof metal. He made copper-bottomed kettles that stillbear his name today.However, probably themost well-known andwidely celebrated event ofhis life is the “midnightride” he took on theevening of April 18, 1775.

2 The years leading up tothat night were aworrisome time for peoplein the American colonies,especially in the city ofBoston, Massachusetts. At the time, Great Britain controlled the colonies. Americans had no say inmany of the laws that the British government made, and they thought thatthis was unfair. More so, they did not like when British soldiers tried to forcethem to obey these unfair laws. They started to talk about gaining theirfreedom from Britain. In fact, several fights broke out between the Americansand the British. One such fight took place on March 5, 1770. During this fight,British soldiers killed five citizens of Boston. News of the event quickly spread,and it became known as the “Boston Massacre.” This led many Americans todislike British rule even more.

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3 In 1773, another event caused quite a stir in Boston. The British governmentpassed new rules about tea shipped to the colonies. The colonists already hadbeen forced to pay taxes on tea, which they thought was unfair. However, thenew rules also made it so that the colonists could only get their tea from onecompany. The company could sell the tea at a lower cost than most storeowners in Boston. This made it more difficult for these store owners to stay inbusiness. To object to these new rules, colonists banded together to fight back.They dressed in disguises and waited for a shipment of tea to arrive in BostonHarbor. When the ships arrived, they marched on board and dumped the teaoverboard. Known as the “Boston Tea Party,” this event was just one more steptoward the Americans’ fight to gain their freedom from the British.

4 The colonists’ dislike of British rule continued to grow. The British governmentbegan to fear that the Americans would rebel, or fight against their control.Several times, British soldiers tried to take the colonists’ weapons. Each time,however, the colonists learned of the soldiers’ plans and hid the weaponsbefore the British arrived. In April of 1775, a leader of the British soldiers madea new plan to go to the towns of Lexington and Concord to take weapons thecolonists had stored there. Once again, the colonists received a tip about theBritish soldiers’ plans. Once again, they made sure they were prepared.

5 The British had two choices for getting to Lexington and Concord fromBoston. They could take the longer land route or the shorter “sea” route,which meant crossing the Charles River in boats. Paul Revere and some othercolonists made up a code to use to warn people of the British soldiers’ plans. If they chose the land route, one lantern would be hung at the top of the OldNorth Church in Boston. If they chose the sea route, two lanterns would behung at the top of the church.

6 On the evening of April 18, 1775, a caretaker climbed to the top of the churchand briefly hung two lanterns. Meanwhile, Revere and two helpers rowedacross the Charles River to Charlestown. There, Revere borrowed a horse froma friend. He rode as fast as lightning to Lexington. His job was to findAmerican leaders Samuel Adams and John Hancock and warn them about theapproaching troops. As he rode through the dark of night, he warned anyonehe passed that the British soldiers were on their way.

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7 At the same time, another horseback rider, William Dawes, set out on the longerroute to Lexington. It had been decided to send two riders just in case theBritish caught Revere before he got there. Both Revere and Dawes safely arrivedto deliver the message. A third rider joined the two, and they decided tocontinue to Concord together. British soldiers stopped them on their way.Dawes and the other rider escaped quickly, but the soldiers held Revere for awhile and asked him many questions. When they finally let him go, Reverewalked back to Lexington on foot. There, he was able to rescue a trunk thatbelonged to Hancock before the British soldiers arrived. At around five o’clockin the morning on April 19, the first few shots rang out on Lexington Green.The American Revolution had begun. In time, the colonists won the war, gainedtheir freedom from Great Britain, and formed the United States of America.

8 If Paul Revere had not made his famous ride, American leaders would not have had any warning to prepare their soldiers for a British attack. The wholecourse of history might have changed. Perhaps that’s why a poet named Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote a poem called “Paul Revere’s Ride.” Thepoem tells the story of Revere’s ride to Lexington. In the poem, Longfelloweven mentions the lantern code that Revere used to warn people about theBritish soldiers’ plans. Today, the Old North Church, where Revere began hisride, still stands in Boston. A sign fixed to the tower of the church honorsRevere for the duty he performed for his country.

Paul Revere’s Rideby Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

9 Listen my children and you shall hearOf the midnight ride of Paul Revere,On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five;Hardly a man is now aliveWho remembers that famous day and year.

10 He said to his friend, “If the British marchBy land or sea from the town to-night,Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry archOf the North Church tower as a signal light, —

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One if by land, and two if by sea;And I on the opposite shore will be,Ready to ride and spread the alarmThrough every Middlesex village and farm,For the country folk to be up and to arm.”

…

11 And lo! as he looks, on the belfry’s height,A glimmer, and then a gleam of light!He springs to the saddle, the bridle he turns,But lingers and gazes, till full on his sightA second lamp in the belfry burns!

12 A hurry of hoofs in a village-street,A shape in the moonlight, a bulk in the dark,And beneath from the pebbles, in passing, a sparkStruck out by a steed that flies fearless and fleet:That was all! And yet, through the gloom and the light,The fate of a nation was riding that night;And the spark struck out by that steed, in his flight,Kindled the land into flame with its heat.

13 It was twelve by the village clockWhen he crossed the bridge into Medford town.He heard the crowing of the cock,And the barking of the farmer’s dog,And felt the damp of the river fog,That rises after the sun goes down.

14 It was one by the village clock,When he galloped into Lexington.He saw the gilded weathercockSwim in the moonlight as he passed,And the meeting-house windows, black and bare,Gaze at him with a spectral glare,As if they already stood aghastAt the bloody work they would look upon.

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15 It was two by the village clock,When he came to the bridge in Concord town.He heard the bleating of the flock,And the twitter of birds among the trees,And felt the breath of the morning breezeBlowing over the meadow brown.And one was safe and asleep in his bedWho at the bridge would be first to fall,Who that day would be lying dead,Pierced by a British musket ball.

16 You know the rest. In the books you have readHow the British Regulars fired and fled, —How the farmers gave them ball for ball,From behind each fence and farmyard wall,Chasing the redcoats down the lane,Then crossing the fields to emerge againUnder the trees at the turn of the road,And only pausing to fire and load.

17 So through the night rode Paul Revere;And so through the night went his cry of alarmTo every Middlesex village and farm, —A cry of defiance, and not of fear,A voice in the darkness, a knock at the door,And a word that shall echo for evermore!For, borne on the night-wind of the Past,Through all our history, to the last,In the hour of darkness and peril and need,The people will waken and listen to hearThe hurrying hoof-beats of that steed,And the midnight message of Paul Revere.

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29 Which line from the poem “Paul Revere’s Ride” describes the same feature ofthe colonists as the first stanza of “Changing Times”?

A And one was safe and asleep in his bed

B And only pausing to fire and load.

C And so through the night went his cry of alarm

D A cry of defiance, and not of fear,

30 The poem “Paul Revere’s Ride” is included in the article “Revolution” mainlyto support the idea that those who fought for freedom —

A were appreciated and remembered

B felt proud of their achievements

C overcame great odds to succeed

D lived to pass on their stories

31 The article “Revolution” and the poem “Changing Times” both show that thesuccess of the colonists was mainly based on their willingness to —

A take risks

B work together

C develop codes

D make sacrifices

32 What is the main reason the poem “Changing Times” has a greater sense ofuncertainty than the article “Revolution”?

A It was written during the American Revolution.

B It was written by a British girl.

C It has a first person point of view.

D It explains why the American Revolution occurred.

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33 Read these lines from the poem “Changing Times.”

I begin to know that underus the land does not belong to man,but to country.

Use details from both the poem and the article to explain what these lines mean.

34 In the poem “Changing Times,” the speaker refers to being remembered “withsorrow or pride.” Based on the information in “Revolution,” explain whetherthe revolutionaries are remembered with sorrow or pride.

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35 The poem “Changing Times” and the article “Revolution” both describe theAmerican Revolution. Write an essay explaining how people felt about theAmerican Revolution at the time, and how people feel looking back at theAmerican Revolution now. Use details from both the poem and the article tosupport your answer.

In your response, be sure to• explain how people felt about the American Revolution at the time• explain how people feel looking back at the American Revolution now• use details from both the poem and the article to support your answer

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Applying the TEKS for the STAAR—Understanding Complex Reading: Literature &Informational Text by Theme teaches students how to understand, analyze, and evaluatecomplex passages while focusing on theme. Students will learn how to use close reading tointerpret passages, and will develop the necessary critical thinking skills to answer rigorousquestions about the passages.

The book is divided into five parts:

Understanding How to Read Complex PassagesInformation and Guidance on Understanding, Analyzing, and Comparing Complex Passages

How to Identify a ThemeInformation and Guidance on Understanding and Identifying Themes in Complex Passages

GlossaryDefinitions of the Key Terms Needed to Analyze Complex Passages by Theme

Instruction One Single Passage and Two Sets of Passages Connected by a Theme with BackgroundInformation and Instruction

Independent PracticeTwo Single Passages and Three Sets of Passages Connected by a Theme for Students toComplete on Their Own

understanding complex text grade 7

Documents

level e

level d

level f

level h

bookslevel reading level

level gradelevel c

text independent practice

glossary of terms