Germs in Sports & Schools

Q. This selection is mainly about
Ans: making an effort to stay healthy

Q. Steve’s first reaction to the red bumps
Ans: mild concern

Q. In this selection, what do TV remote controls
Ans: They are frequently touched but rarely cleaned

Q. What evidence does the author provide to confirm the effectiveness
Ans: The number of student sick days was reduced.

Q. How could Steve’s case of MRSA be viewed as
Ans: New policies were enacted to prevent its spread

Q. What does this excerpt show about Steve’s character in reaction to the MRSA scare?
Ans: He was a thinker and a doer

Q. On what did Coach Carter base his decision to recruit
Ans: physical stature

Q. Put these steps in correct order
Ans:
– Students were educated on the importance of immunizations
– Hand sanitizers were installed in the hallways
– Students were made aware of the danger of sharing school lunches
– Backpacks needed to be washed regularly to rid them of germs

Q. Why does the author close the selection
Ans: to inject a humorous note at the end

Q. MRSA is a serious infection because
Ans: only special antibiotics are capable of treating it

 

Mango Street

Q. This story is mainly about Sandra Cisneros and
Ans: how she found her inner power and achieved success.

Q. What type of people is Cisneros describing in the phrase, “the others who lay their necks on the threshold waiting for the ball and chain”?
Ans: submissive

Q. Esperanza and Cisneros are alike in that they both
Ans: want to be in control of their own lives.

Q. Cisneros is sympathetic to poor Mexican immigrants because
Ans: she experienced the same problems of adjusting to a new culture.

Q. Which of the following probably helped Cisneros to overcome her low self­esteem?
Ans: her mother’s support in helping her follow her dreams

Q. How did Cisneros’ attitude as a writer change after college?
Ans: She embraced the uniqueness of her perspective on everyday life.

Q. Which statement affirms Cisneros’ financial success as a writer?
Ans: One of the largest publishing companies offered her a contract.

Q. Cisneros said, “I needed a room of my own” because she wanted
Ans: to discover her own strengths.

Q. What does the color of this house have to do with the statement in the story that although Cisneros lives alone, “her life is not boring”?
Ans: She created controversy in San Antonio by painting her house a bright purple.

Q. In Cisneros’ novel “Caramelo,” Lala’s woven striped shawl is a metaphor for
Ans: her family’s history.

 

Going For Gold

Q. This selection mainly focuses on
Ans: memorable moments in Olympic figure skating.

Q. Based on what you have read, you can infer that skating at the 1968 Olympics would have been an emotional event for Peggy Fleming. Why?
Ans: Just seven years earlier, the entire U.S. figure skating team had been killed in a plane crash.

Q. Read this excerpt from the selection and one from another source. Which question do these excerpts raise?
Ans: How will competitive figure skaters push the limits when there are no new jumps to master?

Q. What do these two excerpts demonstrate about the sport of figure skating?
Ans: the evolving athleticism and risk-taking in the sport

Q. In 2010, 19-year-old Mao Asada became the first woman to land two triple Axels in one Olympic performance. What was surprising about this?
Ans: Despite making Olympic history, she still lost the gold medal to her rival Yuna Kim.

Q. Select the one sentence in this excerpt that contains a figurative expression.
Ans: “It was a huge, huge loss that cut our sport at the knees,” Fleming said later.

Q. Which skater is credited with giving hope to figure skating when a plane crash killed the entire skating team along with their coaches?
Ans: Peggy Fleming

Q. The author’s purpose in writing this selection was most likely to
Ans: present information about notable stories in the sport of competitive figure skating.

Q. Read this excerpt from the selection. In the context of this excerpt, the closest synonym for “compulsory” is
Ans: mandatory.

Q. Michelle Kwan, considered by many to be the greatest skater in the world,
Ans: has never won a gold medal at the Olympics.

 

Helping the Fight for Rights

Q. This selection is mainly about Eleanor Roosevelt’s
Ans: Childhood and early life

Q. Read the excerpt. According to this excerpt, which of the following sentences best summarizes Franklin Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt?
Ans: They worked together to protect and fight for human rights.

Q. Tone is the attitude of the author or speaker toward a topic. Read this excerpt from the selection. The author’s tone can be best described as
Ans: Discouraging

Q. Choose the sentence from this excerpt that identifies the reason Eleanor’s grandmother sent her to Allenwood school
Ans: By 1989, grandmother hall decided it was time to see her late daughter’s wishes fulfilled–Eleanor should receive part of her schooling in Europe

Q. While attending Allenwood, which two things did Eleanor gain?
Ans: Self-confidence, acceptance

Q. Why did Eleanor go to live with her grandmother?
Ans: Her mother passed away and her father could no longer care for her

Q. In this sentence, the word “mentor” most closely means
Ans: Teacher

Q. Read these two excerpts. How did Eleanor’s time at Uncle Ted’s house compare to life at Grandmother’s house?
Ans: Visits with Uncle Ted were less rigid, whereas Grandmother was quite strict

Q. Once Eleanor returned to the United States, she was
Ans: Confident and independent

Q. Read this part of the selection. What does this part tell you about Eleanor Roosevelt?
Ans: She did not like the nickname her mother gave her

 

An Underground Hideout

Q. This story is mainly about
Ans: a challenging time when residents pulled together to overcome hardships.

Q. In what period is this story set?
Ans: near the end of World War II

Q. As the story opens, the residents are worried that an airplane is going to
Ans: bomb the city.

Q. How did the schoolchildren determine if an aircraft was a friend or foe?
Ans: by the symbol on the plane’s sides

Q. What was the biggest challenge faced by Allied troops in their plan to retake Caen from the Germans?
Ans: how to defeat German troops while minimizing civilian casualties

Q. The residents of Caen had only a short time to prepare for their evacuation. During that time they showed
Ans: courage and determination.

Q. If you flew over this building in Caen right before the residents evacuated the city, what would you see on the roof?
Ans: a sheet with a red cross

Q. Which sentence indicates the extent of the damage done to Caen?
Ans: The task of recovering and rebuilding their city would take the French people more than 20 years.

Q. In this excerpt, the author creates a mood of
Ans: apprehension.

Q. Which words did the author use to create that mood?
Ans: dreaded, huddled, feared

 

A Crime-Busting Career

Q. This story is mainly about
Ans: Achieving a career goal.

Q. What first aroused Tonya’s interest in working for the FBI?
Ans: a crime-solving TV character

Q. While planning for a career in the FBI, Tonya showed good judgment in hoW she conducted herself. Which of the following most supports this statement?
Ans: She avoided drug use without revealing her future plans.

Q. How are FBI agents different from state police officers?
Ans: FBI agents investigate crimes in every state.

Q. The author admires Tonya for her ability to make smart choices. Which of the following supports the truth of this statement?
Ans: Tonya majored in Mandarin and Arabic, which are hugely valued by the Bureau.

Q. What does the word “field” mean in the title of a field agent?
Ans: an active place outside in the community

Q. What job did Tonya get at this headquarters in New York City after graduating from college?
Ans: entry-level translator

Q. Which of the following shows the theme of persistence?
Ans: Her determination to secure a job at the FBI never wavered.

Q. What part does the polygraph test play in this story?
Ans: It confirms Tonya was not lying about her background.

Q. What was the most important factor in Tonya’s success as a counterterrorist expert?
Ans: her knowledge of foreign languages