HSR-Lesson

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Read the selection and choose the best answer to each question. Then fill
in the answer on your answer document.

Katy read about some newlyweds who created an unusual home for themselves.
She wrote this paper to tell about the couple’s experience. Read Katy’s paper and
think about the revisions she needs to make. Then answer the questions that
follow.

© Ralph Barrera/American-Statesman

Home Sweet Rosie

(1) In today’s world many people live in smaller apartments and houses than

they would like, especially in cities where space is limited and prices are high.

(2) But for some people, living in small quarters isn’t a necessity; it’s a choice.

(3) Mike and Natalie Young, of Austin, are two people who have made that choice.

(4) They have a bus and have named it Rosie.

(5) “For years I have been interested in the mobile lifestyle, tiny houses,

repurposing useful materials, and auto mechanics,” Mike Young wrote in his blog.

(6) So in 2011, when he and his fiancée Natalie began discussing where they would

live after they got married, the idea of a bus came up. (7) They investigated some

low-budget apartment rentals but quickly concluded that living in a school bus

would be even less expensive. (8) The pair first contacted school districts to try to

find a used bus that they could afford. (9) They eventually found the perfect

vehicle on a website specializing in classified ads.

(10) It all started then. (11) Although the former owner had already removed

all the seats inside the bus, there was still a lot of work to do before the space

would be livable. (12) As a resourceful twist on traditional wedding gifts, Mike and

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Natalie decided to create a wedding registry for their project. (13) Friends and

family could then purchase materials such as flooring, kitchen equipment, and an

air conditioner that would help the couple turn their bus into a home. (14) In his

blog Mike referred to their efforts as “an experiment in simplicity.”

© Ralph Barrera/American-Statesman

© Ralph Barrera/American-Statesman

(15) A few months later the bus was ready, and the newlyweds were preparing

to move in. (16) They were pleased that their new home had a living area, a

bedroom, and a small kitchen, complete with running water and a propane stove.

(17) But Mike and Natalie weren’t finished yet. (18) They wanted Rosie to feel like

a home rather than a recreational vehicle. (19) They carefully selected artwork to

display in the foyer, or entrance, of the bus. (20) They added potted plants and

rugs. (21) Wooden furniture was topped with photos, books, and lamps. (22) Mike

explained, “We choose the few things that have the most impact, that mean the

most to us.”

(23) Living in a bus has presented a few questions, especially during the hot

Texas summers. (24) “We’re basically in a metal box,” Natalie explained.

(25) Even with an air conditioner, the midday heat is brutal. (26) But since Mike

works during the day and Natalie is a full-time nursing student, they are usually

able to avoid being home during the hottest hours of the day, at least for now.

(27) The Youngs say they are content living in their small space. (28) And just

as they hoped, Rosie has become a gathering place for family and friends.

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7 Katy wants to create a more effective thesis statement for her paper. Which of the following
could replace sentence 4 and more accurately convey the thesis of this paper?

A Fearing life in the city, they chose a more rural existence in a big yellow school bus.

B This couple didn’t have to, but they decided that a bus is what they wanted to have.

C This young couple lives in a uniquely converted school bus that they have affectionately
named Rosie.

D Instead of a normal dwelling, they have chosen a vehicle—something quite rare,
strange, and out of the norm.

8 Katy’s transition from the second paragraph (sentences 5–9) to the third paragraph
(sentences 10–14) is weak. Which of the following could best replace sentence 10 and
provide a more effective transition between these two paragraphs?

F It was time to begin all the hard work.

G Finding the bus on an Internet site had seemed like a miracle.

H Then the couple faced the task of turning the school bus into a home.

J What a joy it was to begin an eco-friendly project!

9 Katy realizes that she left the following detail out of the fourth paragraph (sentences 15–22).

While the Youngs had fun decorating their
new home, they knew they had to be wise
about what they brought into such a small
space.

Where is the most effective place to insert this sentence?

A At the beginning of the paragraph

B After sentence 21

C After sentence 22

D This sentence is not relevant to the main idea of the paragraph and should not be
inserted.

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10 Katy wants to use a more appropriate word than questions in sentence 23. Which of these
could best replace the word questions?

F challenges

G curiosities

H landmarks

J points

11 Katy would like to add a quotation to the end of her paper to directly support the idea
expressed in sentence 28. Which of the following could best follow and support sentence 28?

A “We both struggle with putting things where they go,” Natalie said. “It’s easy to find
space to dump stuff on. I think every home has that.”

B “We can cook full meals and people migrate between inside the bus, the backyard, and
the campfire,” commented Mike. “We’ve been blessed with this space and the chance to
exercise this experiment.”

C “Unfortunately, I do get attached to vehicles, so I think we do have to figure out what
to do with it for about the next 30 years,” Mike added.

D “And, honestly, between the hours of 11 A.M. and 6 P.M., we weren’t able to live in here
comfortably even with the AC,” Natalie once admitted. “We burned one out, it was so
hot.”