A Celebration of Grandfathers Comprehension Test

1. Which sentence from the excerpt best shows that the “old ones” felt a sense of connection to one another?

• “This is how I was taught as a child to greet my grandfather, or any grown person.”

• “The daily struggle called for cooperation, and so every person contributed to the social fabric, and each person was respected for his contribution.”

• “All worked with a deep faith which perplexes the modern mind.”

• “Think of the high northern New Mexico villages, or the lonely ranches on the open llano.”

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CCSS.RL.2.6

CCSS.RL.8.3

2. In paragraphs 22 and 26, what does the repetition of the phrase “ten paciencia,” or “have patience,” mostly show about the author and his grandfather?

• The author struggles to show patience when his grandfather’s health declines before realizing his grandfather can get along without him.

• The author first shows patience when teaching his grandfather English and later shows patience when his grandfather needs help walking.

• The author first learns about patience from his grandfather and later comforts his grandfather with the same phrase he learned.

• The author tries to be patient when learning to farm but realizes he will never know what his grandfather knows.

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CCSS.RL.2.6

CCSS.RL.8.3

3. What is the author’s purpose for repeating this text from paragraph 15 in paragraph 24?

“Know where you stand.”

• To emphasize staying safe in an area with few inhabitants

• To emphasize that anthills are commonly found on ranchland

• To emphasize the relevance of location on a person’s character

• To emphasize the importance of knowing one’s role in the world

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CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

4. What does epiphany mean as it is used in the text from the essay?

“I have felt the same power when I hunted with Cruz, high on the Taos Mountain, where it was more than the incredible beauty of the mountain bathed in morning light, more than the shining of the quivering aspen, but a connection with life, as if a shining strand of light connected the particular and the cosmic. That feeling is an epiphany of time, a standing still of time.”

• Perception

• Festival

• Explosion

• Passing

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CCSS.RI.7.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

5. According to information in the essay, how does language mostly function in the author’s understanding of life?

• A focus on English shows that the author has moved away from the traditions of his culture in order to embrace a new culture.

• The shift in speaking Spanish to learning English shows a cultural change occurring between an older generation and a newer generation.

• The focus on Spanish shows that the older generation requires the newer generation to remember the values of its people.

• A shift from speaking English to speaking Spanish shows a younger generation embracing the culture of the older generation.

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CCSS.RI. 9-10.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

6. Which paragraph from the excerpt most strongly supports the answer to Question 5?

• Paragraph 14 [“Bearded and walrus-mustached….”]

• Paragraph 18 [“These are the things I remember…”]

• Paragraph 20 [“I would run to greet…”]

• Paragraph 23 [“‘You have to learn the language of the Americanos…’”]

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CCSS.RL.2.6

CCSS.RL.8.3

7. Which criticism does the author mostly make in the excerpt from his essay?

• The author criticizes his grandfather for wanting to stay in the valley to work rather than move to a more profitable city.

• The author criticizes American culture for holding youth and beauty as more valuable than the wisdom of the elderly.

• The author criticizes elders unwilling to learn new farming practices that allow for quicker harvesting.

• The author criticizes New Mexico for being a place of slow growth and solitude.

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CCSS.RI. 9-10.6

CCSS.RI.7.9

CCSS.RI.8.6

CCSS.RI.8.9

CCSS.RL.8.6

8. What does inanimate mean?

• living being

• full of life

• showing no sign of life; lifeless.

• state of being rude

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CCSS.RI.7.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

9, What does ancianos mean?

• elderly people

• young people

• old buildings

• babies

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CCSS.RI.7.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

10. What does authentic mean?

• fake, imposter

• worth a lot of money

• gossiping

• of undisputed origin; genuine; real

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CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4