Raffie could manipulate Mom into doing whatever he wanted. Sometimes Mom would cancel the rare plans she had with Cindy just to be with him. Vocabulary in Context 2. In the excerpt, what does the word manipulate mean? 

If you drop out at your age, you’ll end up like me, in your thirties waitin’ tables at some grease pit for next to nothing. This ain’t the kinda life you wanna have, girl. Believe me on that.” Supporting Details 3. These words were said byContext 2. In the excerpt, what does the word manipulate mean? a. discourage b. ignore c. praise d. control

4. These words were said by “I never noticed before that you got the prettiest hazel-brown eyes, Cindy.”
Supporting Details

5. Cindy moved to the window and watched Jamee . . . join the stream of kids heading for Bluford. Part of her wanted to join the crowd and head to school, but another part of her did not want to move. Unlike Jamee and her classmates, Cindy felt foreign and out of place at school. Her teachers often said she was “quiet” and “shy,” but Cindy knew she was just different. 
Main Ideas
The main idea of the excerpt is that

Maybe I’ll go to school tomorrow . . . she thought. Probably not, but if she felt like it in the morning, she might go. Mom would write a note explaining that she had been sick.
Mom never seemed to care what excuses Cindy used to skip school. Cindy practically dictated them, always remembering to vary the made-up ailments. She used headaches until a nosy teacher started pushing her to see a doctor. Then she added cramps and fevers to her list of illnesses.
Main Ideas 6. The main idea of the excerpt is that

Cindy was disappointed. She had hoped her mother might stay home for dinner, and then they could watch TV or rent a movie. . . . It had been so long since they had spent time together. Since Mom and Raffie started dating, Cindy often spent evenings alone in the apartment. Nights were the worst. Theo and Cleo were there, but what she longed to hear most was another voice. Main Ideas 7. The main idea of the excerpt is that

Cindy felt like the aliens on the show, different from everyone around her. She had felt this way for years. When she was a young child, Cindy spent very little time with her mother. Years later, she learned Mom had been a drug addict. All Cindy remembered was that her mother would often stay locked in her bedroom for days. Whenever that happened, Aunt Shirley, Mom’s older sister, would come over to take care of Cindy. She looked forward to Aunt Shirley’s visits, even though it meant her mother would be unavailable for a while. Main Ideas 8. The main idea of the excerpt is that

“Cindy! Girl, get it together!” Jamee said, stepping into the apartment. “You need to throw on some clothes and come to school. Keep this up, you gonna be so far behind that you can’t do nothin’ but fail. . . . Remember in middle school, Mr. Schuman said you were such a good artist you could be a famous cartoonist for Disney or something? How you gonna be famous if you don’t go to school?” Conclusions 9. From the excerpt, you can conclude that

Friends of her mother had always been kind, but even they noticed how different Cindy was. “Oh, I can’t see a resemblance,” they would politely begin. “You must take after your father.” Cindy knew exactly what they were trying to say, but she appreciated their attempt to spare her feelings. Conclusions 10. From the excerpt, you can conclude that Cindy