GR4_U1_USA

Part A What is the author’s perspective on the events described in the passage?

• The author was surprised there were not more whales in the waters of San Pedro.

• The whales behaved in strange ways that amused the author.

• The author’s feelings about whales changed when he saw one up close.

• The whales’ arrival in San Pedro spoiled the author’s stay in the area.

Part B Which two details best support the answer in Part A?

• “For the first few days, we watched them with great interest.” (paragraph 1)

• “He did not seem to like the encounter much himself; for he moved away and spouted at a good distance.” (paragraph 1)

• “All at once, we heard the spout of a whale directly ahead.” (paragraph 2)

• “Then he dived a few yards beyond us, throwing his tail high in the air.” (paragraph 2)

• “He was so near that we had a perfect view of him. We had no desire to see him nearer.” (paragraph 2)

Part A Which sentence states a central idea of the passage?

• There are too many whales in the ocean.

• Whales are not interested in humans.

• Humans threaten the survival of whales.

• Whales are skilled at sneaking up on their prey.

Part B: Which sentence from the passage best supports the answer in Part A?

• “This spring, San Pedro was filled with whales.” (paragraph 1)

• “We once came very near running one down in the gig.” (paragraph 2)

• “All at once, we heard the spout of a whale directly ahead.” (paragraph 2)

• “He took no notice of us, but passed slowly on.” (paragraph 2)

“We were pulling hard on our oars; the little boat going like a swallow.”

How does the phrase going like a swallow add meaning to the scene the author is describing?

• It describes the boat’s speed.

• It describes how the boat sank.

• It describes what the boat sounded like.

• It describes the boat’s shape.

Which sentence from the passage reveals the author’s perspective on whales?

• “He did not seem to like the encounter much himself; for he moved away and spouted at a good distance.” (paragraph 1)

• “All at once, we heard the spout of a whale directly ahead.” (paragraph 2)

• “Turning our heads, we saw a great, rough, hump-backed whale.” (paragraph 2)

• “He was a disgusting creature; with a skin rough, hairy, and of an iron-grey color.” (paragraph 2)

Part A: Read this sentence from paragraph 1.

“I am ten years old, and I am pointing toward my future.”

How does the phrase pointing toward my future add meaning to the passage?

• It shows that the author is able to predict the future.

• It shows how much the experience of seeing the whales affected the author.

• It shows that the author knew that she was going to live near Puget Sound someday.

• It shows that the author made the same journey that the whales described in the passage did.

Part B: Which sentence from the passage best supports the answer to Part A?

• “It’s a picture of me on the deck of a ferry crossing Puget Sound.” (paragraph 1)

• “The ferry continued on, and the whales were soon out of sight.” (paragraph 2)

• “Before long, I discovered the story of the whales I’d seen.” (paragraph 3)

• “That’s why I decided to become a marine scientist.” (paragraph 4)

Which two details could be used to create a summary of the passage?

• The author keeps her favorite photo on her desk.

• Whales can survive only in warm-water environments.

• The author continues to observe and perform research on whales.

• After first seeing whales, the author wanted to learn more about them.

• Pacific gray whales follow different migration patterns from other whales.

Select two phrases from the passage that show the author’s perspective on whales.

• “pointed excitedly” (paragraph 1)

• “the size of my school bus” (paragraph 2)

• “migrates every year” (paragraph 3)

• “ready to live there” (paragraph 3)

• “beautiful creatures” (paragraph 4)