HCVS ELA 11.05

Read this stanza of the poem Toby at the Bat and look at the illustration.

"Do not fear, Casey," Toby said, then softly grinned.

"I'll pinch hit for you, friend, and drive those two runs in."

Casey, relieved and happy, strode back towards the stands.

Toby thought of all of his stories, of all those distant lands.

Toby thought of Iroquois legends, of the great Niagara Falls,

Of harvesting with ancient tools, of ancient castle walls.

He knew that driving in those last two runs would surely save the day.

That one good swat at the hurtling leather would put the game away.

Select words or phrases from the text that support the mood of the illustration.

• drive those two runs in

• "Do not fear, Casey,"

• harvesting with ancient tools

• the hurtling leather

Read the description and look at the illustration.

Toby's father just told him to step up to the plate and help clean up. He is in the kitchen.

Using clues from the description and the image, choose the word that best describes how the character feels.

• angry

• confused

• excited

• gloomy

Read the text and look at the illustration.

I was the giant great and still

That sits upon the pillow-hill,

And sees before him, dale and plain,

The pleasant land of counterpane.

Select the word or phrase that describes the setting that is emphasized by the illustration.

• plain

• counterpane

• great

• pillow

Read the poem The Land of Counterpane.

The Land of Counterpane

When I was sick and lay a-bed,

I had two pillows at my head,

And all my toys beside me lay

To keep me happy all the day.

And sometimes for an hour or so

I watched my leaden soldiers go,

With different uniforms and drills,

Among the bed-clothes, through the hills;

And sometimes sent my ships in fleets

All up and down among the sheets;

Or brought my trees and houses out,

And planted cities all about.

I was the giant great and still

That sits upon the pillow-hill,

And sees before him, dale and plain,

The pleasant land of counterpane.

What would happen to the reader's understanding if stanza four had not been included?

• The reader wouldn't know that the child was playing with toy soldiers.

• The reader wouldn't know that the child was sick.

• The reader wouldn't know that the child felt like a giant.

Read the poem The Land of Counterpane.

The Land of Counterpane

When I was sick and lay a-bed,

I had two pillows at my head,

And all my toys beside me lay

To keep me happy all the day.

And sometimes for an hour or so

I watched my leaden soldiers go,

With different uniforms and drills,

Among the bed-clothes, through the hills;

And sometimes sent my ships in fleets

All up and down among the sheets;

Or brought my trees and houses out,

And planted cities all about.

I was the giant great and still

That sits upon the pillow-hill,

And sees before him, dale and plain,

The pleasant land of counterpane.

How does stanza three of the poem build on stanza two?

• Stanza two describes what the boy imagines, and stanza three describes what is real.

• Stanza two introduces the boy's problem, and stanza three presents the solution to it.

• Stanza three contrasts the descriptions of the main characters given in stanza two.

• Stanza three adds to the details from stanza two to paint a complete picture of the setting.

Read the poem The Land of Counterpane

The Land of Counterpane

When I was sick and lay a-bed,

I had two pillows at my head,

And all my toys beside me lay

To keep me happy all the day.

And sometimes for an hour or so

I watched my leaden soldiers go,

With different uniforms and drills,

Among the bed-clothes, through the hills;

And sometimes sent my ships in fleets

All up and down among the sheets;

Or brought my trees and houses out,

And planted cities all about.

I was the giant great and still

That sits upon the pillow-hill,

And sees before him, dale and plain,

The pleasant land of counterpane.

How do the first three stanzas build up to the child pretending to be a giant in stanza four?

• Stanzas one to three explain how he grows constantly.

• Stanzas one to three explain how he heals from his illness.

• Stanzas one to three explain how he sets up a tiny town.

• Stanzas one to three explain how his toys shrink unexpectedly.

Read the passage.

Sarah loved reading. She liked to hear the rustle of the pages when she turned them, even though it took her some time to read a whole book. When her classmates teased her, her dad stepped in and reminded them that it wasn't about how fast you read a book, but how much you enjoy what's in the book. Sarah's dad was always willing to go to bat for her.

What does the phrase "go to bat" mean in the passage?

• Sarah's dad is a very well-known baseball player.

• Sarah's dad would always help and support her.

• Sarah's dad would go to a store called The Bat.

Billy was having trouble making a sandwich after he broke his arm. His mom came in and said she would pinch hit for him, so Billy sat down while his mom made him the sandwich.

What is the meaning of the phrase "pinch hit"?

• Billy is in a pinch and can't get out of it without help.

• Billy's mom helped Billy because he needed it.

• Billy will use some karate moves to make his sandwich.

• Billy's mom helps Billy by pinching and hitting.

Choose the best transition word to complete the sentence.

________ missing the bus this morning, Chelsea had an impromptu run to school.

• As a result of

• Consequently

• Overall

• Therefore

Choose the best transition word to complete the sentence.

________ when she couldn't find her shoes or backpack as she was getting ready for school. Then, she noticed there wasn't any milk for her cereal. It was going to be a long day.

• Finally

• It all began

• Later on

• On the whole