The Seven Keys of Balabad (MAAP)

#1 Part A:

Which sentence states the central idea of the passage?

• Bahauddin Shah is lost in a vast underground cave, and he is frightened.

• Bahauddin Shah is the guardian of an important secret that will allow the people of his city to survive after a destructive attack.

• The Salt Caverns are a secret underground hiding place for the citizens of the city, and Bahauddin Shah is the only one who can open the caverns.

• Outsiders who come to conquer Bahauddin Shah's city soon realize they are in very hostile territory.

Tags

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

#1 Part B:

Which detail from the passage best states the central idea?

• " The sound of his footsteps echoed back at him through the gloom, and his heart thumped beneath his loose-fitting shirt." (Paragraph 1)

• "Baladis are survivors. We will rebuild. It just might take some time." (paragraph 14)

• "Balabad's great defense was that it was impossible to hold on to, and any rational outsider eventually came to the same conclusion." (paragraph 16)

• "You would never have seen it had you not known where to look." (paragraph 18)

Tags

CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RI.8.2

#2 Part A:

How does paragraph 1 help to develop the plot of the passage?

• The paragraph creates admiration for Bahauddin Shah by describing his determination.

• The paragraph establishes the conflict by explaining the reason Bahauddin Shah is alone in the dark.

• The paragraph creates suspense by providing sensory details in the scene.

• The paragraph foreshadows later events in the passage by describing the rising action.

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.3

#2 Part B:

Which additional quotation from the passage helps to develop the plot in the same way as paragraph 1?

• "He knew every corner of this underground world, and his old body pulled him toward the exit like a falcon returning to his master's arm." (paragraph 8)

• Bahauddin had just turned into a wet, narrow passage and was examining some black marking on the wall when the thud of cannon fire above him jolted him to the ground." (paragraph 9)

• "...ten thousand feuding tribes in the north, all angry about some long-ago slight, and all willing to drag a foreigner into their squabbles." (paragraph 16)

• "Bahauddin reached the end of the narrow passageway and held his lantern above his head." (paragraph 18)

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.3

#3 Part A:

What aspect of Bahauddin Shah's character is revealed throughout the passage?

• He does not give up when faced with difficult circumstances.

• He takes his position in Balabad seriously.

• He is concerned about the well-being of his fellow citizens of Balabad.

• He has confidence that the city will remain untouched.

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.W.8.9A

#3 Part B:

Which two details from the passage provide evidence to support the answer to #3 Part A?

• "Sometimes Bahauddin came out into vast open rooms that rose up into shapeless voids." (paragraph 5)

• "But Bahauddin would not get lost." (paragraph 8)

• "...his old body pulled him toward the exit like a falcon returning to his master's arm." (paragraph 8)

• "It does not matter,' the old man reassured himself..." (paragraph 14)

• "The outsiders would eventually lose interest, just like all the other outsiders who had come before them, Bahauddin thought."

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.W.8.9A

#4 Part A:

Which inference can the reader make about Bahauddin Shah from the information in paragraph 2?

• Bahauddin Shah was too weak to carry the key chain farther.

• Bahauddin Shah felt a great responsibility to his fellow citizens for keeping the keys safe.

• Bahauddin Shah was worried that the key chain would keep him from accomplishing his task.

• Bahauddin Shah felt that the keys were a symbol of his authority over others.

Tags

CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.8.3

#4 Part B:

Which two sentences from the passage support the answer to #4 Part A?

• "The old man wore a heavy iron key chain around his belt, and it weighed down on him in more ways than one." (paragraph 2)

• "But Bahauddin would not get lost." (paragraph 8)

• "His hand groped for the key chain, and he smiled when his fingers felt the cold iron." (paragraph 10)

• "He was nearly at the surface." (paragraph 12)

• "What would be left of his city, his family, the palace?" (paragraph 13)

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.W.8.9A