Salmon Boy, a Hadia Story

Which statement belongs in a summary of the passage?

• The mother gives her late husband’s copper necklace to the boy.

• The boy uses the opportunity to listen and learn from the Salmon People.

• The Salmon People live in a village that resembles the boy’s village.

• The boy and his mother live on mussels, seaweed, and salmon.

PART A:

Which represents a theme of the passage?

• It is important to plan for the future.

• Children should help their parents in times of need.

• Never put oneself in dangerous situations.

• It is important to respect nature as a provider.

PART B

Which quotation from the passage supports the theme chosen in Part A?

• “The boy was always hungry, complaining, ‘Mother, I am starving.’ But he never helped

  gather food.” (paragraph 3)

• “One year, the salmon catch was small.... Soon there was nothing to eat but dried salmon

  from earlier catches.” (paragraph 4)

• “When he realized his danger, he tried to swim back, but he was too weak to fight the

  current.” (paragraph 5)

• “Each spring, he called the salmon in such numbers that none of his people went hungry

  again. But he insisted they respectfully return the bones to the water.” (paragraph 13)

What can be inferred from paragraph 4?

• The Haida were overfishing and following poor fishing practices.

• The Haida believed their actions had real-life consequences.

• The Haida did not worry when they encountered gaps in food sources.

• The Haida did not know how to conserve their food properly.

Which two phrases provide context for the meaning of the word offended as it is used

in paragraph 4?

• “...always hungry, complaining...” (paragraph 3)

• “...did not honor the spirits of the fish...” (paragraph 3)

• “...flesh to fill his belly.” (paragraph 3)

• “The boy’s family worried...” (paragraph 4)

• “...the waste of food was an insult...” (paragraph 4)

Which quotation reveals the mother’s devotion to her son?

• “They lived on the mussels and seaweed she gathered and on the salmon she caught in the

  warm season.” (paragraph 1)

• “They were poor, and their sleeping mats were in the worst place in the cedar-plank

  longhouse where they lived with uncles, aunts, and cousins.” (paragraph 2)

• “She kept the fish in a shallow pool, watching over it day and night.” (paragraph 11)

• “Joyfully, mother and son embraced.” (paragraph 13)

How does the small salmon crop propel the action of the passage?

• It gives the boy a reason to return home in the body of a salmon.

• It causes the boy to become weak, which leads him down to the Salmon People.

• It encourages the village to return to the old traditions and customs of their ancestors.

• It motivates the boy’s mother to begin fishing, which leads to her catching her son.

What does the figurative language reveal about the Haida?

• They honor the sacrifices of their ancestors who have passed.

• They understand that life is often filled with disappointment.

• They believe that life is limited but death is forever.

• They find value in both life and death.

Because of the difference in perspectives, which is an example of dramatic irony in

the passage?

• The reader knows the boy has been caught in salmon form, but his mother does not know

  she has found her son.

• The reader knows the Salmon People have been disrespected by the boy, but the Salmon

  People are unaware of his actions.

• The reader knows the salmon will be reborn once the bones are returned to the water, but

  the Haida do not understand.

• The reader knows the boy will become a healer in the village, but the boy does not know he

  will return home.

Which word could replace chastise in the sentence?

• believe

• instruct

• keep

• punish