Pax Comprehension

Read this sentence from paragraph 1.

He stretched up from his boy's lap and sniffed at threads of scent leaking in through the window, which told him they were now traveling into woodlands.

The figurative language in this sentence emphasizes that ---

• the scents of the woodlands were separate and easy to distinguish

• the smell of the woods was overpowering

• the fox was immediately reminded of memories of his youth in the woods

• the scents were so faint that only someone with strong senses could detect them

Read the dictionary entry.

sensitive \sĕn'-sĭ-tĭv\ adj

1. easily damaged, injured, or distressed

2. quick to notice the feelings of others

3. quick to detect slight changes or signals

4. kept secret or restricted for security reasons

Which definition best matches the meaning of sensitive as it is used in paragraph 1?

• Definition 1

• Definition 2

• Definition 3

• Definition 4

Which two inferences can be made from the information in paragraph 7?

• The boy and his father will soon be separated.

• The boy’s comfort is very important to the fox.

• The fox’s comfort is very important to the boy.

• The fox does not know the boy very well.

• The boy is leaving home and will be gone for a while.

Read this sentence from paragraph 10.

The car juddered to a full stop and tilted off to the right, a cloud of dust rising beyond the window.

What is another correct way to write this sentence?

• The car juddered to a full stop, tilted off to the right, and a cloud of dust rising beyond the window.

• When the car juddered to a full stop and tilted off to the right, a cloud of dust rose beyond the window.

• The car juddered to a full stop and tilted off to the right. A cloud of dust rising beyond the window.

• The car juddered to a full stop and then it tilted off to the right when a cloud of dust rose beyond the window.

Which two statements can be determined about the fox from his reaction in paragraphs 10 and 11?

• He is very trusting of his boy.

• He is very trusting of his boy’s father.

• He is not easily scared or disturbed.

• He is concerned about what his humans think.

• He is comfortable in the woods.

In paragraph 11, the Latin prefix dis- signifies what in the word displease?

• Reversal of please

• Removal of please

• Opposite of please

• Increase of please

Read this sentence from paragraph 12.

The father set the fox down, and the fox bounded out of his reach.

What is another correct way to write this sentence?

• As the father set the fox down, the fox bounded out of his reach.

• The father set the fox down and the fox bounded, out of his reach.

• Then the father set the fox down, the fox bounded out of his reach.

• When the father set the fox down, and the fox bounded out of his reach.

How does the author’s word choice in paragraph 15 contribute to the story’s mood and voice?

• It demonstrates how helpless and frightened the fox is when alone.

• It demonstrates how the fox still does not trust the boy completely.

• It helps develop a more lighthearted and playful tone for this part of the story.

• It helps develop the fox’s optimistic personality and his loving attitude toward the boy.

In paragraph 20, the author uses a simile to illustrate the connection between —

• the fox and the boy

• the fox and the birds

• the lightning and the fox

• the lightning and the birds

Which detail first indicates to the fox that this car trip will be different from the others?

• The fox sees his boy’s suitcase beside them in the car.

• The fox notices unfamiliar scents from outside the car.

• The fox notices that his boy is crying but is not in pain.

• The fox sees that his boy is not as calm as he usually is.