It's Raining Pistachios!

Read the sentence from the passage. "The raw nut tasted like fresh air and sun-warmed earth." What is the meaning of the simile used in the sentence?

• The nut did not taste right.

• The nut needed to be roasted.

• The nut had an enjoyable taste.

• The nut was different than expected.

According to information in the passage, why did the author have to wait to try the pistachios?

• A. Pistachio trees can be found only in Turkey.

• B. Pistachio trees are difficult to grow to full size.

• C. Pistachio trees produce a heavy crop every year.

• D. Pistachio trees take seven to ten years to produce nuts.

How do the headings support the passage?

• They provide the main topic of each section.

• They explain the arguments in each section.

• They ask a question that is answered in each section.

• They summarize the author’s opinion in each section.

Why does the author at first use a mallet to gather pistachios?

• The pistachio trees were too young for a machine.

• Using a machine meant the pistachios would not be organic.

• The farm could not afford to buy a machine.

• Using a machine to gather pistachios was not the traditional method.

Part One: Which point does the author make about organic farming?

• A. New methods need to be explored.

• B. More equipment needs to be bought.

• C. New trees need to be planted.

• D. More land needs to be used.

Part Two: Which evidence from the passage best supports the answer in Part One? Choose one answer.

• A. "Later, we dug a pond and installed a water-saving sprinkler system."

• B. "Instead, we whacked the trunks with rubber-tipped harvesting mallets that looked like giant cotton swabs."

• C. "We add a ground-up fish solution to the sprinkler system, and we mix shovelfuls of composted chicken feathers or manure into the soil."

• D. "Now that our trees are mature, we can collect the pistachios with a mechanical shaker."

“So we frighten them away with scarecrows and with screeching sounds made by noise machines . The screeches mimic the calls of hawks, which prey on crows.”

What does the word mimic mean as used in the sentence?

• alter

• copy

• invite

• organize