Caretakers of the Earth

Which statement best describes how Paul Fleischman uses the characters in Seedfolks to deepen readers' understanding of the "working as a community" theme?

• Making his characters somewhat familiar with and interested in gardening allows them to form friendships easily.

• Creating characters who have financial difficulties supports their willingness to cooperate with others.

• Making his characters aware of the dangers in the vacant lot supports their need to depend on each other.

• Creating characters who feel out of place in some way highlights their need to find common ground with their neighbors.

The storm continued for hours. The thunder was so loud that it was deafening. Lightening flashed in the sky, taking the night from completely black to light. The world was coming to an end.

How does the use of figurative language help the reader understand the paragraph’s meaning?

• by helping the reader understand how scary the storm is

• by helping the reader recognize how long the storm lasts

• by helping the reader compare the storm with an object

• by helping the reader remember a similar storm

Unless you're trying to lose weight, nutritionists like to avoid diets.

"We were just laughing about that, like we could sell fairy dust and that's pretty much what a lot of these fad diets are about," said Natalie Castro-Romero, the corporate dietician at Baptist who oversees the company's 15,000 employees.

"One very common thing that happens is people feel overwhelmed and they need a starter to get something going, like a detox, but there's no truth behind that."

What would make the author's argument more effective?

• addressing a counterclaim

• including a quotation from an expert

• adding statistics about dieting

• adding facts about why diets do not work.

When people adopt pets, they often choose a puppy or a kitten. But people should give more serious consideration to adopting an older animal. Older dogs and cats make wonderful, loyal companions. Some people do not want to adopt an older animal, because they think they are too stuck in their ways and may have bad habits. This is often untrue. Older animals usually require much less training than younger ones. My neighbor, Mrs. Hendricks, said, "Older pets are already house trained, they are less likely to destroy items within the home, and many of them know basic commands." So the next time you visit the pet shelter looking for a new member of your family, think seriously about adopting an older animal. It just might be the perfect pet.

What would make the author's argument more effective?

• offering a reason to support her opinion

• providing a quotation from a credible source

• recognizing and refuting a counterclaim

• motivating readers with a call to action

Text A: The doctor who gives much medicine and many medicines, who is continually changing them, and who does not insist with care on knowing all about your habits as to diet, mealtimes, sleep, modes of work, and hours of recreation is, on the whole, one to avoid.

Text B: One of the villagers going out to hunt took a shortcut through the choke cherry bushes. As he pushed them aside he saw the hollow grave, but thought it was a washout made by the rains. But as he assayed to step over it, to his great surprise he stumbled and fell. Made curious by his mishap, he drew back and tried again; but again he fell. When he came back to the village, he told the old men what had happened to him. They remembered then that a long time before there had been buried there a medicine woman or conjurer. Doubtless it was her medicine that made him stumble.

The story of the villager's adventure spread through the camp and made many curious to see the grave. Among others were six little boys who were, however, rather timid, for they were in great awe of the dead medicine woman. But they had a little playmate named Brave, a mischievous little rogue, whose hair was always unkempt and tossed about and who was never quiet for a moment.

Which text is a legend?

• Text A

• Text B

The numbered tips at the end of "Healthy Eating" are

• an effective part of the author's argument, because they motivate people to take action.

• an effective part of the author's argument, because they use facts from a credible source.

• an ineffective part of the author's argument, because they leave the reader with questions.

• an ineffective part of the author's argument, because they make unreasonable claims.

The sidewalk was completely empty. It was Sunday, early in April. An icy wind teetered trash cans and turned my cheeks to marble. In Vietnam we had no weather like that. Here in Cleveland people call it spring. I walked half a block, then crossed the street and reached the vacant lot.

What does the figurative language in the excerpt help the reader understand about the weather?

• It is spring in Cleveland.

• It nearly blows over trash cans.

• It is unlike the weather in Vietnam.

• It is unpleasant and cold.

But just a few easy changes in our diet will make a world of difference in our health. The key is planning and making informed decisions.

"People get stuck with the same five recipes. Or they feel kids are picky," said Erin Corrigan, the nutrition manager at Miami Children's Hospital. "My suggestion is you dedicate half an hour, once a week, to looking over ads at your favorite store, create a meal plan, make a list and go to the store and dedicate only going once a week, unless it's a real emergency."

How could the author strengthen her argument in this part of the article?

• She could provide evidence that clearly shows how planning meals improves health.

• She could include a quotation from a credible expert about how to plan healthy meals.

• She could address the counterclaim that picky eaters make meal planning difficult.

• She could include statistics that tell what percentage of people regularly plan meals.

On her zoo blog, Bindi describes the experience of walking the red carpet with her mum that evening, and the unmatched joy of what happened soon after. “All the categories came up, but then mine did! They said all these top actresses' names then my name! The guy said 'And the winner is . . . ’ . . . My heart stopped . . . ‘Bindi Irwin!’ I could not believe it, I WON! I was amazed, in tears, I could hardly talk! I’ll never forget that great trip!”

What does the hyperbole in the excerpt help the reader understand about Bindi?

• She had a medical problem.

• She was extremely frightened.

• She became very excited.

• She won an important award.

As a narrator in Seedfolks, what is the main thing that reveals Gonzalo's perspective on his father's learning English?

• how the narrator feels about his father’s actions

• how the narrator uses words to describe his father

• what the narrator tells readers about his father through his father's words

• what the narrator tells readers about his father through his father's actions