"The Conduit Mouse"

Part A

What is the theme of the passage?

• One can outsmart others through creativity and hard work.

• One may learn how to play jokes on people by watching the actions of others.

• People can train animals to do tasks that may seem impossible.

• Training an animal to do a specific job requires the use of special equipment.

Part B

Which quotation from the passage best supports the answer to Part A?

• “‘I was lucky I went when I did—I got the last one,’ said Pete, keeping a straight face himself—yes, he was certainly learning well from the two electricians. ‘He’s from good pulling stock, the pet-shop owner says.’” (paragraph 17)

• “He hooked one end of a cable onto the little leather harness and sent the mouse off down a run of conduit. Then he climbed out into the corridor, knelt by an open outlet box, and began to kiss-call the mouse along the pipe.” (paragraph 19)

• “But then the mouse appeared at the outlet box with the cable still attached to its harness. Pete gave it a piece of chocolate and a juicy raisin and said, ‘I can see why you use these conduit mice!’” (paragraph 22)

• “Yes, the joke was on them. For now there really was a conduit mouse—wearing a little leather harness, pulling in cables along conduits, and all for the reward of a piece of chocolate and a nice juicy, fat raisin.” (paragraph 24)

How did the electricians change from the beginning of the passage to the end?

• At the beginning of the passage, the electricians were unpleasant to Pete, but at the end, they were considerate of his feelings.

• At the beginning of the passage, the electricians were confused and hurt by Pete, but at the end, they were delighted by him.

• At the beginning of the passage, the electricians were playful and teasing with Pete, but at the end, they were surprised by him.

• At the beginning of the passage, the electricians were upset with Pete, but at the end, they were encouraging of his creativity

How does the narrator’s third-person point of view influence how events are described?

• It allows the reader to understand Pete’s words and actions as he responds to the electricians and tries to outsmart them

• It allows the reader to understand Pete’s eagerness to impress others with his creativity in his first week as an electrician.

• It allows the reader to understand Pete’s thoughts and feelings about the difficulties of his job as an electrician.

• It allows the reader to understand Pete’s frustration with how the electricians treat him since he is new to the job.

Which phrase from paragraphs 5-7 helps the reader understand the meaning of the word fetch?

• “‘…in this old run of pipe!’”

• “…he was a trusting soul…”

• “They were well-practiced…”

• “…went to buy the mouse…”

Which quotation supports the inference that Pete was determined to play a joke on the electricians?

• “Pete waited outside the pet shop until it was clear of customers—he wasn’t so sure about the conduit mouse to ask for one around other people.” (paragraph 8)

• “Then he knew, of course, that the electricians were playing a trick on him.” (paragraph 10)

• “So, by the Saturday morning when Pete was supposed to return to the pet shop, the mouse had become quite accomplished at its new task.” (paragraph 13)

• “Then he climbed out into the corridor, knelt by an open outlet box, and began to kiss-call the mouse along the pipe.” (paragraph 19)

What are two ways that paragraphs 1-3 contribute to the overall structure of the passage?

• They describe the setting where the characters meet.

• They provide details about the conflict that the characters face.

• They introduce background information about the characters.

• They describe the lesson that the main character teaches others.

• They explain how the main character resolves the conflict.