Setting

Sailing Southward

The old maps used to call it "Terra Australis Incognita," the Unknown Southern Land, but Antarctica was the land of dreams for Terry Dennis. She would have done anything to get there. She'd written the best essay of her life to enter the contest. Now that she could see the landscape out of the ship's portholes, she had to choke back tears of happiness. Why did those spectacular blue-green icebergs fill her with such joy? Every other girl she knew had collected stuffed cats or dogs. But even when she was little, she had insisted that only penguins would do.

Her friend Evan liked to say that if you had to ask why, you'd probably never understand.

Terry pulled the covers up and straightened her bed. She knew that breakfast would be served in 10 minutes. Then they would be making a landing ashore. These would be her first steps onto the continent—and she couldn't wait!

She walked out on the deck of the international research ship that was her home for the next week. From where she stood, she could see a colony of gentoo penguins off in the distance. The sun was reflecting off a nearby iceberg. It turned it so vividly bright she had to pull on a pair of sunglasses. It was December, and here at the bottom of the world it was the height of summer. There were 23 hours of daylight every day. She raised her binoculars and watched as the penguins gathered pebbles and small rocks to build their nests. This was the breeding season in Antarctica, and the window of opportunity was brief—only a few weeks to raise their young before the harsh winds signaled that the short Antarctic summer would soon end.

Question:

Which sentence from the story best shows the setting of this story?

• She'd written the best essay of her life to enter the contest.

• The sun was reflecting so brightly off a nearby iceberg.

• She knew that breakfast would be served in 10 minutes.

• Every other girl she knew had collected stuffed cats or dogs.

Danielle shuddered as she ducked her head to enter the attic room. The light was dim, but she could see broken chairs piled up in a corner and a child's collapsed playpen nearby. The ceiling was pitched, slanting upward to a point. But she couldn't stand up all the way except in the very center. She felt a bead of sweat slip down her cheek and wondered why it was so hot in the shadowy room. She wanted to run away, slam the door behind her, and never return to the place where so many memories lay covered with dust—but she couldn't. She had to find her mother's photograph album, the one from the summer before Jimmy left home forever.

Question:

What is the importance of the setting in this passage?

• The setting explains how the family uses the attic to store belongings.

• The setting influences the mixed emotions that Danielle experiences.

• The setting shows why Danielle needs to find the photograph album.

• The setting suggests the difficult time after Jimmy left home forever.

Stasis's Journey Home

Stasis was stuck behind the border of the rival company. The terrain was dead. The trees looked like skeletons. The earth was black. Hardened pillow lava crusted over much of the landscape. Even now, the landscape looked as if it was steaming.

Stasis held his spot firmly and looked to his homing beacon. A beeping on his screen showed that his copilot was close, just beyond the hedge of dead trees and burnt brush.

It was an amazing sight to see. On Stasis's island, Falidad, there were wild palms and lush vegetation. The land was thick with life and sun. But here, on Humbroto, the death and decay had to be brushed away from the face. The moon was always present. The smoke stayed in the clothes, in the hair. Stasis was unfamiliar with the land, but he knew he was in Humbroto territory.

The Humbro were a vile and vicious people. They hunted Stasis's people for sport. Stasis knew he only had a few minutes before his copilot Biggs showed up on the Humbro satellites. And then it would be over for both of them. He knew he would never see his family or anyone from Falidad again if he didn't get over that hedge to Biggs and then get out of Humbro. Stasis began to sweat at the difficulty of his task. The heat and the pressure caused a drop to fall from his eyebrow. It hit the pillow lava structure with a sizzle and hiss. But the hiss continued until Stasis realized it was the Humbro. They had sent a team out to find him, and their hisses were growing louder and louder!

adapted from "Stasis's Journey Home" by c.safos

Question:

How would the story have been different if it had taken place on Falidad?

• Stasis would have been lost instead of Biggs.

• Stasis would have known the land better.

• Stasis would have been hunted by Biggs.

• The story would not have been different.

The Trap Door

At the age of nine, I was uprooted from the home I'd grown to know and love. My parents promised that the new home would be just as wonderful as our old place, once I got used to it. But all I could think about were the things we were leaving behind: the basement with its colorful shag carpet; the backyard with its grove of pines like a private cathedral; the attic with its endless mysteries and cobwebs.

The new house smelled funny. Actually, it wasn't "new" at all: the house had been built in the 1920's. The floors creaked underfoot, and there were cracks in the ceiling. Meanwhile, there wasn't a backyard at all, just an alleyway. My parents said the place had character. I didn't know what this meant, but it sounded fishy.

I spent the first day sulking in an empty bedroom, looking out the window at an unfamiliar neighborhood. I didn't notice the door at first. It was on the opposite wall from the window, positioned about four feet above the floor. It had been painted the same off-white color as the

walls. Eventually, though, it caught my eye.

I walked over to examine it. It was a strange door, about the size of a small window. At the base of it was a little knob. I had to stand on a chair to reach it. Despite its small size, it was heavy, and I strained to hold it open as I peered inside.

At first, all I could see was darkness. Then, as my eyes adjusted to the light, I realized that I was looking into a spacious room. Wooden beams ran across the low ceiling, and I could make out names carved into the beams. Against the far wall was a little shelf made of bricks and plywood,

and upon the shelf sat a row of old, dusty books. It looked like the perfect meeting place for a secret club. I couldn't help but wonder about the things that had gone on inside such a strange room.

I heard the sound of my parents downstairs, moving boxes from one room to another. I quickly shut the trap door. I wanted to keep this secret room to myself.

I went downstairs and announced to my parents that I'd figured out which bedroom I wanted. "Well, David," my father said. "It sounds as if you're warming up to the new house after all, eh?"

A stubborn child, I shook my head. "I just like one room so far. That's it."

Question:

What impact does the location have on the narrator?

• It makes him jealous.

• It makes him curious.

• It makes him hungry.

• It makes him tired.

"The future emperor shall bear five black moles under each foot," the monk Atami read reverently from the sacred ancient scriptures. He would look up at the innocent boy that Luka still was and continue. "This rare emperor descends upon our holy land only once every five hundred years."

"What does that mean?" Luka would ask.

"It means that you are destined to be the next Holy Emperor and the living god of all the Chinese people. Even among all the emperors before or after, you will stand out like a giant and bring the greatest blessings to this Central Kingdom called China." There was more to that passage but Atami didn't mention it, at least not yet. Then, the monk would always bow and pray and offer a short admonishment. "Don't ever let others know who you are."

"Why?" Luka would ask.

"Because the Mogoes are afraid of you."

"Because I'm so big?" Luka stood up and pushed out his chest.

"No." Atami smiled. "Because when you are enthroned, all the Chinese will rise up against the Mogo invaders, who have taken our land. These mountains, these rivers, our people, our cattle, our grain, those maddeningly beautiful flowers . . . all await your coming." Tears would roll down the monk's cheeks as Luka listened quietly.

For as long as Luka could remember, Atami had carried him on his back while they traveled from one tribe to another, carefully avoiding any sign of the Mogo forces and pretending they were just two of the many wandering beggars. Atami never explained why they were avoiding the Mogoes. He would only say they were "dangerous." The first few steps Luka had taken had been on the rocky face of the Liao-Shan Mountains, balancing like a mountain goat. He learned from the mountains which ledges were the sharpest and how much weight they could hold. The first few words he uttered had been "Please spare some food," Atami's usual opening line. They had journeyed a thousand miles and had crossed a hundred rivers. It had made them tired, but it had also made Luka strong, like charcoal being pressured into a diamond.

They lived like father and son and loved each other so, but when they were alone, it was always "Your Holiness" this and "Your Holiness" that. Atami carried China's sacred treasure on his back and did not intend to dent it in any way.

At the age of three, Luka one day called Atami Baba. Father.

"I am not your baba," Atami corrected him, disturbed. "I am your servant. You are the Chosen One, Your Holiness."

"But I don't want to be the Chosen. I want you to be my father. Why aren't you my father?"

"Your Holiness, one day I will tell you who your baba is. But for now we have to go on begging so that we can live."

They would have food one day and go hungry for three, roaming the lonely mountain roads and deserted windy tribes. They ate frozen bugs, tree bark, and snakes. They fought for prey with wild animals, and were often chased by the vultures themselves.

adapted from Wandering Warrior by Da Chen

Question:

Which statement best describes the setting in the passage?

• crowded

• relaxing

• lush

• dangerous

The Stadium in my Backyard

by Dave McCaul

As a kid, I was determined to become a professional baseball player. I lived in Minneapolis, so the weather was less than ideal for baseball. But with the coming of summer, I spent practically every waking hour in my backyard.

It was a big backyard, rectangular in shape. Standing with my back to the house, I would look out over the outfield. A picket fence separated our place from the back alley. That was the homerun fence. On one side of the yard was a row of tall hedges with tangled branches that reached out to the sky like thin arms. Those hedges represented the crowd. On the other side was a doghouse, which was like the dugout where my team waited on the bench. At night, the lights in the back alley lit up my backyard so that we could play night games.

My neighbor and I would take turns pitching balls to each other. My neighbor had an impressive fastball that was tough to hit. I could just see the digital scoreboard reporting the speed of his pitches. 90 mph. 95 mph. 100 mph! But with my team rooting for me from the bench and the crowd watching my every swing, I refused to strike out.

Every now and again, I would hit the ball over the homerun fence. Running around the bases, I would close my eyes and imagine the fireworks exploding in the stadium. I would hear the breeze tossing the leaves of our Elm tree, which was like the sound of the crowd cheering me on. And I would wave to my adoring fans and know exactly how it felt to be a professional baseball player.

Question:

What does the setting say about the boy's character?

• He feels lazy in the summer.

• He does not like routine.

• He has a big imagination

• He has a short span of attention

The Nepali Coast

by Moll Flowers

From the moment our plane landed in Kauai, we heard people whispering about the Nepali Coast. A girl about my age said it had the most colorful flowers in the world. A middle-aged man who talked like a college professor said the coast was one of the few places in the world that displayed no trace of humanity. Elderly folks said the coast was too dangerous. Meanwhile, all the locals were offering to take us there—for a price.

We didn't have the money for an expensive tour of the Nepali Coast. What we needed was a shortcut. Jed and I studied the map for a few hours in our hotel. Then we struck out on foot. With a compass, a sack lunch, and a day's worth of water, we figured we could make it to the Nepali Coast all by ourselves.

I'll admit that I had mixed feelings about the plan. There was no clear trail in the woods, and we immediately found ourselves knee-deep in scrub brush. About a mile in, clouds moved in and blotted out the sun overhead. We could hear the angry squawks of strange birds, warning us to turn back. And then, a cold breeze started to blow. Leaves and small twigs rained down on our heads from the tree canopy.

After several hours of this, Jed turned to me with a grim look on his face. "I think we might be lost," he said.

Immediately, I started to panic. I took the compass from him and checked the map. Just then, there was a crack of thunder. The first heavy drops of rain fell with a splattering sound on the pages of the map.

I was terrified, but I kept thinking of everything people had said about the Nepali Coast. Even though there was a voice in my head telling me to turn back, I told Jed that I wasn't ready to give up. And so, we pressed on in the wind and rain.

It was another hour before we heard a crashing sound and realized that it was the sound of the waves hitting the coast. We'd made it! We saw the blue waters just past the tree line and cheered. We would be safe!

It might be hard to believe, but I swear, as soon as we set foot on the Nepali Coast, the wind picked up and the clouds parted. Through the break in the clouds, the sun appeared. It shone directly on us, drying our damp clothes. And it added a sparkle to the colorful flowers and jagged mountain cliffs of the Nepali Coast.

Question:

How is the setting similar to the main characters?

• The flowers are colorful like the main characters.

• The coast is hidden like the main characters' feelings.

• The weather matches the main characters' moods.

• The setting is a common topic of conversation.

"The future emperor shall bear five black moles under each foot," the monk Atami read reverently from the sacred ancient scriptures. He would look up at the innocent boy that Luka still was and continue. "This rare emperor descends upon our holy land only once every five hundred years."

"What does that mean?" Luka would ask.

"It means that you are destined to be the next Holy Emperor and the living god of all the Chinese people. Even among all the emperors before or after, you will stand out like a giant and bring the greatest blessings to this Central Kingdom called China." There was more to that passage but Atami didn't mention it, at least not yet. Then, the monk would always bow and pray and offer a short admonishment. "Don't ever let others know who you are."

"Why?" Luka would ask.

"Because the Mogoes are afraid of you."

"Because I'm so big?" Luka stood up and pushed out his chest.

"No." Atami smiled. "Because when you are enthroned, all the Chinese will rise up against the Mogo invaders, who have taken our land. These mountains, these rivers, our people, our cattle, our grain, those maddeningly beautiful flowers . . . all await your coming." Tears would roll down the monk's cheeks as Luka listened quietly.

For as long as Luka could remember, Atami had carried him on his back while they traveled from one tribe to another, carefully avoiding any sign of the Mogo forces and pretending they were just two of the many wandering beggars. Atami never explained why they were avoiding the Mogoes. He would only say they were "dangerous." The first few steps Luka had taken had been on the rocky face of the Liao-Shan Mountains, balancing like a mountain goat. He learned from the mountains which ledges were the sharpest and how much weight they could hold. The first few words he uttered had been "Please spare some food," Atami's usual opening line. They had journeyed a thousand miles and had crossed a hundred rivers. It had made them tired, but it had also made Luka strong, like charcoal being pressured into a diamond.

They lived like father and son and loved each other so, but when they were alone, it was always "Your Holiness" this and "Your Holiness" that. Atami carried China's sacred treasure on his back and did not intend to dent it in any way.

At the age of three, Luka one day called Atami Baba. Father.

"I am not your baba," Atami corrected him, disturbed. "I am your servant. You are the Chosen One, Your Holiness."

"But I don't want to be the Chosen. I want you to be my father. Why aren't you my father?"

"Your Holiness, one day I will tell you who your baba is. But for now we have to go on begging so that we can live."

They would have food one day and go hungry for three, roaming the lonely mountain roads and deserted windy tribes. They ate frozen bugs, tree bark, and snakes. They fought for prey with wild animals, and were often chased by the vultures themselves.

adapted from Wandering Warrior by Da Chen

Question:

Based on the setting, the reader can tell that Atami and Luka do not eat well because

• the Mogoes have killed off all the animals in the forest.

• neither Atami nor Luka knows how to cook what they catch.

• they are lost in the forest and cannot find a place to eat.

• the land does not provide them with much food to eat.

Nick stepped off the bus and walked into the bus station. He had never seen a building so enormous, with so many buses arriving and departing from dozens of gates. Everywhere he looked there were lines of people and piles of luggage, and he wondered what the weird smells could be. He had to get out of here fast, or he thought he might be sick to his stomach.

Nick spotted an escalator across the floor and hurried over, climbing on carefully as he looked up toward the next floor. There were even more people walking fast through the terminal, and more smells competing with each other—donuts, he thought, and buttered popcorn, and maybe pizza, too. He had to get out of here fast, but it was all so confusing and crowded.

At last, Nick spotted a sign that said EXIT. He adjusted his backpack and wove through the crowd to get to the last staircase. Nick clambered up the stairs and blinked as he finally emerged into the bright sunlight. Was it possible the sun was actually brighter here in New York City than at home in his small Pennsylvania town, or was it just the light bouncing off the skyscrapers that made it seem so intense?

Question:

How does the setting affect the plot of the story?

• It makes Nick wants to meet new people as soon as possible.

• It makes Nick want to leave the station as quickly as he can.

• It makes Nick desire to take the next bus home to his town.

• It makes Nick wish he hadn't packed so much stuff in his bag.

Adventure in the Banyan Tree

by Ruskin Bond

Though the house and grounds belonged to my grandparents, the magnificent old banyan tree was mine—chiefly because Grandfather, at sixty-five, could no longer climb it.

Its spreading branches, which hung to the ground and took root, forming a number of twisting passages, gave me endless pleasure. Among the branches were birds, squirrels, snails, and butterflies. The tree was older than the house, older than Grandfather, as old as the city of Dehra Dun.

My first friend was a small gray squirrel. Arching his back and sniffing the air, he seemed at first to resent my invasion of his privacy. But when he found that I did not arm myself with catapult or air gun, he became friendly, and when I started bringing him pieces of cake and biscuit, he grew quite bold and was soon taking morsels from my hand.

In the spring, when the banyan tree was full of small red figs, birds of all kinds would flock into its branches: the red-bottomed bulbul, cheerful and greedy; gossipy rosy-pastors; parrots, mynas, and crows squabbling with one another. During the fig season, the banyan tree was the noisiest place in the garden.

Halfway up the tree I had built a crude platform, where I spent the afternoons when it was not too hot. I would read there, propping myself up against the bole of the tree with a cushion from the living room. Treasure Island, Huckleberry Finn, and The Story of Dr. Dolittle were some of the books that made up my banyan tree library.

When I did not feel like reading, I could look down through the leaves at the world below. And on one afternoon I had a grandstand view of that classic of the Indian wilds, a fight between a mongoose and a cobra!

In a clearing beneath the banyan tree, in bright sunshine, they came face to face. The cobra knew only too well that the gray mongoose, three feet long, was a superb fighter, clever and aggressive. But the cobra, too, was a skillful and experienced fighter. He could move swiftly and strike with lightning speed, and the sacs behind his long, sharp fangs were full of deadly poison.

At the moment that the cobra struck, a crow and a myna hurtled themselves at the snake, only to collide heavily in midair. Shrieking insults at each other, they returned to a cactus.

A few drops of blood glistened on the cobra’s back.

The cobra struck again and missed. Again the mongoose sprang aside, jumped in, and bit. Again the birds dived at the snake, bumped into each other instead, and returned shrieking to the safety of the cactus.

The third round followed the same course as the first but with one dramatic difference. The crow and the myna, still determined to take part in the proceedings, dived at the cobra, but this time they missed each other as well as the mark. The myna flew on and reached its perch, but the crow tried to pull up in midair and turn back. In the second that it took the bird to do this, the cobra whipped his head back and struck with great force, his snout thudding against the crow’s body.

Copyright (c) 2000 by Highlights for Children, Inc., Columbus, Ohio.

Question:

Why does it seem appropriate that the story takes place in the tree?

• It allows the boy to watch the mongoose and cobra fight safely.

• It keeps the boy from making friends with neighborhood boys.

• The boy's grandfather is going to cut down the tree soon.

• The boy's favorite time of day is when he can be in his tree.