The Marble Champ

Read paragraph 14 of the passage. “Practice, practice, practice.  Squeeze, squeeze, squeeze.  Lupe got better and beat her brother and Alfonso, a neighbor kid who was supposed to be a champ.”   How does this paragraph contribute to the plot of the passage?

• It shows that the other kids are letting Lupe win so she will feel better.
• It suggests that Lupe’s persistence (hardwork) is helping her meet her goal.
• It explains that Lupe is growing tired of her repetitive exercises.
• It shows that Lupe doesn't do anything to get better at marbles. 

Why does Lupe become interested in marbles?

• She thinks marbles is a sport that she might actually be able to master.
• She wants to be like her brother and enter the playground championship.
• She enjoys the idea of a sport that can be played indoors and away from    the rain or mud.
• She believes that marbles are beautiful objects and that a collection is a “rich glass treasure.”

What does the word rummaged suggest about Lupe in the sentence below?

“She hopped out of bed and rummaged through the closet until she found a can full of her brother’s marbles.”

• She did not really care whether or not she found the marbles.
• She and her brother kept the closet neat and well-organized.
• She had to move a lot of things around in order to find the marbles.
• She probably used the marbles often, since she knew where to find them

How does the description of the setting in paragraph 8 contribute to the plot? 
"She looked out the window. The rain was letting up, but the ground was too muddy to play. She sat cross-legged on the bed, rolling her five marbles between her palms. Yes, she thought, I could play marbles, and marbles is a sport..."

• The setting forces Lupe outside to have fun with her friends.
• The setting suggests Lupe is bored and she wishes she could be playing.
• The setting forces Lupe to stay indoors helping her get better at marbles.
• The setting encourages Lupe that marbles are fun.

Why is Alfonso mentioned at the end of the selection?

• He highlights Lupe’s improvement when she wins their match.
• He understands why Lupe’s brother is annoyed with her.
• He makes Lupe feel useful because he needs her help.
• He criticizes Lupe the same way everyone else does.

What is a major contrast that is described about Lupe?

• Lupe's academic ability and her athletic ability.
• Lupe's shy behavior and her classmates' confident actions at school
• Lupe's inexperience at marbles and her brother's accomplishments in athletics.
• Lupe's ability to do many hand exercises and her fatigue after shooting marbles. 

Which sentence from the passage best supports shows the contrast in Lupe?

• "But though Lupe had a razor-sharp mind, she could not make her body, no matter how much she tried, run as fast as the other girls’." (paragraph 2)
• "The truth was that Lupe was no good in sports." (paragraph 3)
• “'I’ll never be good at sports,' she fumed one rainy day as she lay on her bed gazing at the shelf her father had made to hold her awards." (paragraph 5)
• "She was a straight-A student and—not counting kindergarten, when she had been stung by a wasp—never missed one day of elementary school." (paragraph 1)

What theme is best developed in the passage?

• Good things come to those who wait.
• Hard work.
• Being smart is more important than being athletic.
• With practice and persistence, you can do anything.

Which sentence from the passage best supports this theme?

• “'I wish I could win something, anything, even marbles.'” (paragraph 5)
• "She was no good at baseball or basketball either, and even had a hard time making a hula hoop stay on her hips."(paragraph 3)
• "After school the next day she left her homework in her backpack and practiced three hours straight, taking time only to eat a candy bar for energy." (paragraph 12)
• "So Lupe rested that day and listened to her brother, who gave her tips on how to shoot: get low, aim with one eye, and place one knuckle on the ground." (paragraph 10)

“I’ll never be good at sports,” she fumed one rainy day as she lay on her bed gazing at the shelf her   father had made to hold her awards.  

Which phrase gives the best context clues for the meaning of fumed?  

• she lay on her bed 
•  “I’ll never be good at sports,” 
• one rainy day 
• to hold her awards