Writing: What the Author Says and Does

Based on her letter how has the author's Hispanic heritage influenced her message? 

• She wants to encourage people to write about what makes their culture unique.
• She wants to communicate the idea that a person from any culture can become a writer.
• She wants to celebrate the accomplishments of Hispanic authors.
• She wants to emphasize the importance of storytelling in Hispanic culture.

How does the author organize paragraphs 8 through 10?

• By listing common practices used by writers
• By comparing strategies writers use to develop their ideas
• By stating reasons writers avoid trying different techniques 
• By identifying problems writers encounter while revising their work

The author uses the questions in paragraph 4 to-

• suggest that her opinions were not accepted by others
• prove that maturity has enhanced her ability to write
• show that there are benefits to being able to speak two languages
• explain how false assumptions kept her from pursuing her interest in writing 

Which sentence from the letter best supports the author's claim that reading helps writers develop their skills?

• Without practice, you will never learn to hear and sing your own unique song.
• Revising is now one of my favorite parts of being a writer, though I didn't always feel that way.
• We're curious to see what others are doing with words, but--what is more important--we like what happens to us when we open a book, how we journey into the pages.
• In the last twenty years, I've spent more and more time writing my own books for children and adults.

In paragraph 1, the word intimidating means-

• encouraging 
• confident
• fearless
• frightening

Which lines from the poem reflect a lesson that the speaker learns?

• "In lush gardens,/the words will bloom up all around you,"
• Quickly marching words,/all in a line,
• "Start with any scribble,/ and soon the ideas will form."
• Hello, words./Hello, victory!

In the poem, the speaker's mood changes from-

• uncertain to discouraged
• frustrated to joyous
• lonely to peaceful
• relaxed to excited

In stanza 2, the poet's use of a metaphor suggests that

• words helps writers generate ideas
• ideas can overwhelm writers
• exercise helps writers develop thier thoughts 
• writers depend on others to complete their work

"Here it is again,
that ghostly blank page
staring me down,
glaring at me in defiance.
"Here," the page says, "place your words here."
These lines highlight the speaker's discomfort because they show that-

• the page does not provide the speaker with useful ideas
• the speaker does not feel like writing at that particular moment
• the page appears to be taunting the speaker
• the speaker is unsure where to write his thoughts

Based on the last stanza, the reader can conclude that the speaker-

• wants to write about winning a race
• hopes to finish writing soon
• has begun expressing ideas freely
• hopes to learn organizational skills