Gisela's Dream Dance

What does the word banished mean as it is used in this sentence?

• removed

• invited

• suggested

• required

Which word best describes how Gisela’s family feels about her dream of becoming a great ballerina?

• concerned

• surprised

• supportive

• curious

Select two details from the passage that best support the correct answer to Part A.

• ‘She was thinking about this when her mother walked in. ‘Ready for the big day?’” (paragraph 4)

• ‘You’ve practiced a lot. You dance beautifully. Let’s get you dressed.’” (paragraph 6)

• “They’d never missed a ballet performance.” (paragraph 9)

• “Abuela didn’t need any begging.” (paragraph 12)

• “As she twirled during her solo, Gisela could hear Mami and Abuela cheering.” (paragraph 17)

Which three details from the passage show that Gisela is worried about how she compares to other ballerinas?

• ‘Gisela couldn’t bring herself to tell Mami what really troubled her heart.’ (paragraph 7)

• ‘But when she looked in the mirror, she found her body too round, too short, too different from the pencil-thin ballerinas she had seen at the Miami City Ballet.’ (paragraph 3)

• ‘Then her eye began to twitch, the way it always did when she got jittery.’ (paragraph 2)

• ‘Almost perfect, she thought when she looked in the mirror.’ (paragraph 7)

• ‘Ay, Mami, I’m nervous,’ she confessed. (paragraph 5)

Which statement describes one way that Gisela and the new girl in Abuela’s story are alike?

• They are both famous dancers.

• They both dance with soul.

• They both feel nervous before performing.

• They are both envied by other dancers.

Gisela feels confident once she begins to dance because

• she knows her parents are in the audience.

• she practiced the dance many times.

• Abuela’s story keeps running through her mind.

• the other dancers calm her down.

Based on the passage, the new dancer in Abuela’s story

• feels as worried as Gisela about how she looked.

• prefers to dance for smaller crowds on Thursdays.

• wants to become as famous as the prima ballerina.

• is much more popular than the prima ballerina.

Which sentence from the passage best supports the correct answer to Part A?

• ‘She was the only star— until one day there came a new dancer.’ (paragraph 12)

• ‘There was something different about the new girl.’ (paragraph 12)

• ‘But people came even on Thursdays, even when it was raining.’ (paragraph 13)

• “‘The girl had a beautiful soul and everyone could see that.’” (paragraph 13)

What is one theme of the passage?

• Pay attention to others.

• Grandparents have wisdom to share.

• Meeting other people’s expectations is hard.

• Learn to love who you are.

Select two details that best support the correct answer to Part A.

• ‘The girl had a beautiful soul and everyone could see that.’ (paragraph 13)

• “Being Gisela felt good.” (paragraph 20)

• ‘Gisela knew her routine.’ (paragraph 17)

• ‘When the curtain came down, she could hear Papi’s voice above the others. . . . ’ (paragraph 19)

• ‘Gisela danced with all her soul.’ (paragraph 18)