Responding to a Descriptive Text

1. What is the boys' initial reaction to the fish going blind?

• A. They treat it as a serious environmental disaster.

• B. They are frightened and avoid the lake.

• C. They see it as an interesting part of their game.

• D. They inform the authorities about the pollution.

2. The description of the fish's "milky-blue eyes" is compared to the eyes of:

• A. Their angry mothers.

• B. Old, hungry soldiers.

• C. The blind villagers.

• D. The murky lake water.

3. In paragraph 3, what is the first detail that hints at the fish's deformity?

• A. Its panicky gasps.

• B. Its slick and silver-brown skin.

• C. Its fat gray lips and both eyes on one side of its head.

• D. The bloody thunk it makes when thrown.

4. The phrase "a forest of boys swaying in the twilight" is an example of:

• A. A simile comparing the boys to trees.

• B. Personification giving the forest human qualities.

• C. A metaphor suggesting the boys are a natural part of the landscape.

• D. Alliteration to create a rhythmic sound.

5. The word "Once" at the start of paragraph 3 signals that the writer is:

• A. Zooming in on a specific, memorable event.

• B. Changing the setting to a different location.

• C. Introducing a new group of characters.

• D. Explaining a series of recurring actions.

1. The boys would spit lake water into the air from their (a)   lips.

1. Even though the fish were blind, they could flick away from the boys' hands as fast as (a)   .

The boys roasted the fish over a small fire and plucked the hot (a)   from the sticks.

After eating, the boys climbed the limbs of the old (a)   trees.

Their mothers scrubbed them in water so hot it turned their soft skin (a)   .