Unit 1 Week 4 Skills Test*

​1 I never planned on becoming a landscaper. Then I met Mr. Simmons.

2 My brother had started a lawn care service company as a summer job for some of the elderly residents living in our neighborhood. At one point, my brother left for camp and asked me to run his business while he was away. Let’s get one thing straight before I continue—at the time, the only thing I knew about lawn care service was how to mow the lawn. I could never keep the lines straight, so I was pretty lousy at it.

3 When Mr. Simmons asked me to make a flower bed in a small corner of his spacious backyard, my heart dropped. I didn’t know anything about flower beds! However, Mr. Simmons was patient with me. He showed me how to plan out the flower bed. I still remember that he said, “Jackson, it’s easy as pie, as long as you don’t mind getting dirty.” He taught me how to use a spade or shovel to remove all the weeds and grass. He even stood over me to make sure that I dig the weeds out by the roots. Finally, he taught me how to roll out some landscaping fabric around the edges and then put on a layer of mulch.

4 Something changed that day. It was hard work, especially working in the middle of the summer heat. By the end of the day I was covered with sweat and dirt, but I had done it. Mr. Simmons loved the finished flower bed. And I had to admit, I loved it, too.

​5 In fact, I enjoyed landscaping so much that I took over my brother’s business when he went back to school. One of the first things that I did was try to grow the business. I started off by making colorful flyers about my business that listed the services I offered and the prices. Next, I used some of the money I had already earned to buy additional tools. I needed a place to store the tools, so I built a simple shed in the backyard. Finally, I stuck the flyers in my neighbors’ mailboxes on the way to school. I even took different routes to make sure I reached all the houses in my neighborhood.
6 To say that the landscaping business was a success is an understatement. Every day after school for those first couple weeks, I was mowing lawns, weeding, raking leaves—you name it! The business was so successful that I had to hire a few classmates to help shoulder the load. I even had to buy more tools because there was so much work to do!
7 On that first day of working for Mr. Simmons, I discovered that if you have a positive outlook and are willing to learn, even someone like me can figure out how to prepare flower beds. That experience taught me the importance of trying new things. As I’ve grown my business over the past twenty years, I’ve learned a whole lot more. Early in my career, I learned many tricks of the trade, such as how to apply natural pesticides safely. I learned the importance of showing up on time and working hard. I also learned that when you run a business, your employees rely on you, so you must be responsible. Only in the past ten years did I begin to understand the value of delegating tasks to my employees—because I can’t do everything on my own.
8 I never planned on becoming a landscaper. But working with Mr. Simmons that day changed everything.

• I read the text

• I didn't read the text

Read this sentence from the passage.

 

“When Mr. Simmons asked me to make a flower bed in a small corner of his spacious backyard, my heart dropped.” (paragraph 3)

 

What is the meaning of spacious as it is used in this sentence?

• large

• likeable

• local

• lovely

“When Mr. Simmons asked me to make a flower bed in a small corner of his spacious backyard, my heart dropped.”

Which clue in the sentence helps you know what the meaning of spacious is?

• “When Mr. Simmons asked”

• “to make a flower bed”

• “in a small corner”

• “my heart dropped”

Put the choices in the order showing the events that lead to the narrator running his own landscaping business.

• He hires friends to help mow lawns.

• He creates Mr. Simmons flower bed.

• He puts flyers in mailboxes.

• His brother goes to camp.

What are two ways in which the narrator uses chronology in his personal narrative? Choose TWO

• He describes the long process of learning how to properly prepare a flower bed.

• He begins with an anecdote from his childhood to show how it shaped his career as an adult.

• He explains how it took him twenty years to understand the importance of having a positive outlook.

• He shares lessons he learned at three points in his life: on his first day working with Mr. Simmons, early in his career, and later in his career.

• He explains how his experience working with Mr. Simmons was more valuable than what he learned running his own business for twenty years.

Read this sentence from the passage.

 

“Only in the past ten years did I begin to understand the value of delegating tasks to my employees—because I can’t do everything on my own.” (paragraph 7)

 

What is the meaning of delegating as it is used in the sentence?

• assigning

• creating

• rewarding

• teaching