Paired Selection - "Peace and Quiet" & "Maple Street"

In the story “Peace and Quiet,” when does the resolution of Desha’s conflict begin?

• When James finds Desha sitting on a rock

• When Eliza looks at Desha’s journal

• When James talks to Desha about how family members support one another

• When Desha learns that James used to play the guitar

Read paragraph 8 from the story “Peace and Quiet.”

“Don’t you have a basketball game to watch?” I complained. So much for my perfect hideaway.

Based on the paragraph, what can the reader infer about Desha?

• She is ashamed to admit that she is glad James found her.

• She is impressed that James knew where to find her.

• She is annoyed that James found her.

• She is surprised that anyone was interested in finding her.

Which words from paragraph 12 of the story “Peace and Quiet” help the reader understand what prying means?

• watching the game

• looking through my journal

• to be alone for a change

• went to my room

What does the author’s use of simile in paragraph 17 of the story “Peace and Quiet” suggest about how Desha feels about her big family?

• Desha thinks that there are too many people sharing a space.

• Desha feels a close bond with her sisters because they share a room.

• Desha thinks no one wants to hear her practice the guitar.

• Desha is uncomfortable with others knowing about her personal life.

In the story “Peace and Quiet,” why is it important to the plot that James knows about the clearing in the forest?

• His knowledge leads him to a place that reminds him of Daniel.

• His knowledge makes it possible for him to find Desha and talk to her.

• His knowledge helps him recognize how quickly his sister is growing up.

• His knowledge reminds him of a place he can go when he needs help from a family member.

What is the best summary of the story “Peace and Quiet”?

• Desha is upset because her family decides to watch a basketball game instead of the movie she wants to watch. She leaves the house and goes to an area in the woods. Her brother explains that he used to visit the same spot.

• Desha goes to a secret spot in the woods. Her brother finds her there and helps her learn to play chords on her guitar. They discuss some of the memories and experiences they share with their brothers and sisters.

• Desha is a member of a large family. There is nowhere for her to be alone in the house, so she goes to her hiding place in the woods. While there she plays her guitar and her brother tells her that he used to play the guitar before he began learning to play the drums.

• Desha, a member of a large family, leaves the house when she cannot find anywhere to have time to herself. She goes to a quiet place in the woods to play her guitar. While there she has a conversation with her brother that changes her attitude toward her family.

What is the most likely reason the poet refers to the tree as a “tower” in lines 18 and 29 of the poem “Maple Street”?

• To emphasize the height from which the speaker observes the neighborhood

• To reveal the location of the tree in the speaker’s neighborhood

• To suggest the age of the tree that the speaker climbs

• To highlight what objects the speaker enjoys sketchin

Based on stanza 1 (lines 1–13) of the poem “Maple Street,” the speaker most likely feels —

• thankful to have Jamie Hamlin as a neighbor

• surprised to learn the street is named for Jamie Hamlin’s tree

• uncertain about taking the chocolate Jamie Hamlin shares

• jealous of the store Jamie Hamlin’s family owns

Which lines from the poem “Maple Street” support the idea that the speaker does not wish to be seen looking at others?

• like I said, there’s his tree. (lines 12–13)

• With my sketchbook and colored pencils, (lines 14–15)

• I can see the whole neighborhood. (lines 30–31)

• hidden by these green and paper leaves, (lines 33–34)

Read lines 1 through 3 from the poem “Maple Street.”

There’s no doubt where our street found its name:

These lines suggest that the speaker thinks —

• the maple tree is the most noticeable object on the street

• streets should be named after features found near them

• the street originally had a different name

• people disagree about the meaning of the street’s name