Lesson 27 Question Set

1. What does Billie Jo mean when she writes that her father is "more like the sod"?

• Just like the grass holds onto the earth with its roots, her father remained reliable and strong after her mother's death.
• Just like the grass blows different directions in the wind, her father could not decide what to do after her mother's death.
• Just like the grass dries up without water, her father pulled away and stopped speaking after her mother's death.
• Just like the grass does not stop growing until it is cut, her father couldn't speak about the accident until Billie Jo brought up her mother's death.

2. This item has two parts. Answer PART A; then answer PART B. Read the following definitions of reserves. reserves (noun): Something kept for a particular purpose Now read the third stanza. PART A: What do Billie Jo's father's reserves represent in this context?

• his anger
• his strength
• his memories
• his fears

PART B: What does the word reserves suggest about Billie Jo's father?

• He does not like to remember Billie Jo's mother.
• He has a difficult time opening up to Billie Jo.
• He is strong enough to support both of them.
• He has been scared that something will happen to Billie Jo next.

3. This item has two parts. Answer PART A; then answer PART B. PART A: Which statement describes Billie Jo's response after talking to the man on the train?

• She realizes she has more in common with her mother than her father.
• She realizes her father is proud of her when she acts independently.
• She realizes people are not meant to live in one place all their lives.
• She realizes she has made decisions that will cause her father pain.

PART B: Which TWO pieces of evidence BEST support your answer to part A?

• "And now I'd gone and left him."
• "he had kept a home until I broke it."
• "as the miles showed nothing but empty space"
• "I thought it might be my birthday"
• "Ma had been a tumbleweed too"