The Jumping Tree

What word would you use to describe the mood of "The Jumping Tree"?

• anxious

• joyous

• suspenseful

• satisfied

How does the exposition affect the mood of "The Jumping Tree"?

• Ray wishes he was traveling to Mexico rather than his cousins traveling to the United States.

• Rey had not done much to gain the older kids' respect over the summer.

• Rey does not like when his cousins visit from Mexico.

• Rey finds it hard to entertain his cousins during the winter.

What point of view is "The Jumping Tree" told in?

• 1st person

• 2nd person

• 3rd person

• 3rd person omniscient

Why does the author use the word "mammoth" to describe the tree Rey is jumping from?

• The author wants readers to expand their vocabulary.

• The author didn't want to bore the audience using common words such as huge or big.

• The author wants his audience to learn the importance of synonyms in writing.

• The author wants readers to understand how enormous the mesquite tree is and the potential danger Rey could be in.

Which sentence from the story best supports the idea that the main character feels more nervous about jumping from the mesquite tree than his cousins do?

• "He (Ricky) jumped and it was like he and the branch were one."

• "Ricky explained the rules as we stood under the mammoth mesquite: 'Okay, we're going to climb the tree and start from there.'"

• "My stomach was a better jumper than I because it was already flipping and turning."

• "Jorge screamed 'Aiee!' and jumped. He swung like a trapeze artist at the Circus Vargas."

What is the purpose of the following sentence in "The Jumping Tree"?

"My body like Superman's flying over Metropolis."

• To compare Rey to Superman

• To show that Rey faced his fear

• To help the reader visualize what Rey will look like when he jumps from the tree

• To show the reader that Rey has a sense of humor about the events

How does Rey's fear of the mesquite tree affect the plot?

• Rey is not worried about jumping from the tree; he decides to do a difficult jump.

• Rey is nervous to jump; he is concerned about not impressing the older kids.

• Rey is tired of his cousins making him feel like a kid, so he does whatever they tell him to do.

• Rey is more concerned about what will happen to his cousins than himself.

Read the following sentences. How does Rey's inner voice affect the conflict of the story?

"All this time I'm thinking, Okay, jump, grab, let go, and pray I land standing. No fancy-schmancy stuff for me. Just do the thing."

• Rey decides to outshine his older cousins by doing a jump that is more difficult than the ones they will be able to do.

• Rey lets his nerves keep him from jumping off the mesquite tree.

• Rey decides to do the minimum (an easy jump) to impress his cousins instead of the difficult jumps his cousins were planning to do.

• Rey is trying to convince himself that jumping from the mesquite tree is not a good idea.

How does Rey's character develop by the end of the story?

• He becomes brave enough to jump.

• He does whatever his friends tell him to do.

• He learns that it is okay to say no to his friends.

• He does not change. He wants to gain the older kids' respect in the beginning of the story and the end of the story.

What does Rey mean when he says the result of the jump "was just the break I needed?"

• He wanted to break his wrist.

• He needed a break from feeling nervous.

• He was upset that he had ruined his chance to impress the older kids.

• Breaking his wrist helped him to impress the older kids, and the kids at his school.