Passage 1

My Family in Oregon

My family moved to Oregon from Kansas when I was 13. My dad got a job helping to build a large dam on a river near town. Most of the students in class were like me, but we also had a lot of Native American students. After a while, my best friend in school became Kawa.

One day at school, I went up to Kawa and asked him if he wanted to play after school. He didn't answer me.

Kawa looked down and then said, "My parents don't want me to be around you anymore."

"Why not?" I asked.

"My family doesn't like how your father is building the new dam in town. That dam will hurt the salmon runs that happen up the river."

"What? You mean your family doesn't want you to see me because of some stupid fish?"

Kawa stood up and shook his head. "Those aren't stupid fish! My people have fished those salmon for centuries!"

That night, I asked my father about the dam. "This town is our home, and the river and dam are important to the town," he continued. "Many people in town have good jobs because of the dam." After my dad told me that, the dam seemed like a good idea to me.

Passage 2

Goodbye, River

I remember when the town voted to build the new dam on the local river in Oregon. Everyone said that it would bring more jobs to our town, but people didn't talk about how it might hurt the river. For me, the river was too important to the town.

My family and people had lived alongside those rivers for thousands of years. We depended on the salmon runs that came each year. Because of this, the river became a part of our identity.

We must not forget the importance of nature. When we build things, like roads and buildings, they create jobs, but they also destroy trees, rivers, and lakes. So when the dam was finally built, it made my wife and me sad. We decided to move away. The town had been my home since I was born, but I couldn't stay there anymore.

My son, Kawa, was very upset when I told him we were moving away, but we found a new town with a good school.

How are passages 1 and 2 different?

Tasha and Crete

Tasha and Crete were good friends. They often played basketball together after school. Toward the end of the semester, Crete stopped playing basketball.

“Why don't you come outside and shoot baskets with me?” Tasha asked Crete over the phone.

“I can’t, Tosh. I have to study for our final exams. Shouldn’t you be studying too?” Crete asked.

“The exams are two weeks away. We have plenty of time to study. I want to enjoy this nice weather,” Tasha said.

“Okay, have fun. I’ll talk to you later,” Crete said.

"I wish I didn't have to play by myself. Oh well, I'll still try to have fun," Tasha said.

Tasha continued to play basketball after school. On the Sunday before final exams, Tasha felt nervous. She asked Crete to help her study for the tests.

“You waited until now to start studying?” Crete asked.

“Yes, I was busy.” Tasha said.

“Busy with what?” Crete asked.

“Important stuff—perfecting my jump shot and playing games. Please help me, Crete,” Tasha begged.

“I will study with you, but I’m finishing the last chapters for this semester. We don’t have time to start from the beginning,” Crete said.

On the Friday after all of the tests, Crete was getting ready to go play basketball. He called Tasha.

“Hey, Tosh. Do you want to go play basketball with Jay and me?” Crete asked.

“I can’t,” Tasha said.

“Why not? It’s going to be a blast!” Crete said.

“I’m grounded because I didn't do well on the exams,” Tasha said.

“I’m sorry to hear that. We will miss you,” Crete said.

“Thanks. I don't want to miss out on any excitement. You'll have to tell me all the details at school on Monday,” Tasha said.

Select ALL the correct answers.

In which two ways are Tasha and Crete different?

Passage 1

Jake walked home from school slowly. It had not been a good day. His science teacher embarrassed him in front of the class just because he couldn't remember the definition of "work." To make it worse, he got his math test back, and he completely failed it. Now he would have to stay after school two days a week for extra help.

A sudden sound made Jake stop in his tracks. What was that? Jake thought to himself. He spun around and saw a scrawny dog with matted fur following him. His big brown eyes seemed to be pleading with Jake. Jake stood still, looking at the dog. Then he decided. He fished in his backpack for his leftover lunch. Holding a scrap out to the dog, he whistled. The dog leapt and snatched the morsel neatly in his teeth.

Jake laughed. He tossed another piece of bread and this time, the dog caught it in mid-air. Jake continued throwing bits of his sandwich towards the dog, who continued to catch them perfectly each time. By the time Jake got home, the sandwich was gone, and the dog's tail was wagging with joy. Jake's mom agreed to let him keep the dog. Jake decided that his day hadn't been so bad after all.

Passage 2

All the children in the neighborhood knew Mr. Jackson. He was the grumpy old man who lived in the house covered with vines. No one ever spoke to him. Not even the friendly mailman could get a hello out of him. He was just plain grumpy.

That all changed the day Snowball came to the neighborhood. Snowball was the cutest little dog ever. Small and white like a cotton ball, he had been abandoned by his owners. Now a stray, he had decided to live on the friendly street. All the kids loved him, and the neighbors took turns feeding him. He was a neighborhood pet. The only person who did not like him was Mr. Jackson. He tried to have the pound out to collect Snowball, but the children convinced the city worker that Snowball belonged in the neighborhood. So there he stayed.

One winter night, the children heard Snowball barking for a long time. He rarely barked at night, preferring to cuddle up on someone's doorstep or in one of the many soft beds the neighborhood provided. But this night was different. Snowball was really barking! After an hour or so of constant barking, the neighbors decided that something must be really wrong. They thought that maybe Snowball was in trouble. They grabbed flashlights and followed the sound. Surprisingly, the barking led them to Mr. Jackson's house. As they drew closer, the neighbors heard another sound. It was Mr. Jackson. He was sprawled awkwardly on his front step, his leg clearly broken. He was calling out for help. Snowball had saved him.

From then on, whenever a stray dog was in the neighborhood, Mr. Jackson was the first to feed it. And he always had a smile and a wave for any child who passed by his house.

How are Jake and Mr. Jackson similar?

Passage 1

Jake walked home from school slowly. It had not been a good day. His science teacher embarrassed him in front of the class just because he couldn't remember the definition of "work." To make it worse, he got his math test back, and he completely failed it. Now he would have to stay after school two days a week for extra help.

A sudden sound made Jake stop in his tracks. What was that? Jake thought to himself. He spun around and saw a scrawny dog with matted fur following him. His big brown eyes seemed to be pleading with Jake. Jake stood still, looking at the dog. Then he decided. He fished in his backpack for his leftover lunch. Holding a scrap out to the dog, he whistled. The dog leapt and snatched the morsel neatly in his teeth.

Jake laughed. He tossed another piece of bread and this time, the dog caught it in mid-air. Jake continued throwing bits of his sandwich towards the dog, who continued to catch them perfectly each time. By the time Jake got home, the sandwich was gone, and the dog's tail was wagging with joy. Jake's mom agreed to let him keep the dog. Jake decided that his day hadn't been so bad after all.

Passage 2

All the children in the neighborhood knew Mr. Jackson. He was the grumpy old man who lived in the house covered with vines. No one ever spoke to him. Not even the friendly mailman could get a hello out of him. He was just plain grumpy.

That all changed the day Snowball came to the neighborhood. Snowball was the cutest little dog ever. Small and white like a cotton ball, he had been abandoned by his owners. Now a stray, he had decided to live on the friendly street. All the kids loved him, and the neighbors took turns feeding him. He was a neighborhood pet. The only person who did not like him was Mr. Jackson. He tried to have the pound out to collect Snowball, but the children convinced the city worker that Snowball belonged in the neighborhood. So there he stayed.

One winter night, the children heard Snowball barking for a long time. He rarely barked at night, preferring to cuddle up on someone's doorstep or in one of the many soft beds the neighborhood provided. But this night was different. Snowball was really barking! After an hour or so of constant barking, the neighbors decided that something must be really wrong. They thought that maybe Snowball was in trouble. They grabbed flashlights and followed the sound. Surprisingly, the barking led them to Mr. Jackson's house. As they drew closer, the neighbors heard another sound. It was Mr. Jackson. He was sprawled awkwardly on his front step, his leg clearly broken. He was calling out for help. Snowball had saved him.

From then on, whenever a stray dog was in the neighborhood, Mr. Jackson was the first to feed it. And he always had a smile and a wave for any child who passed by his house.

How is the first passage similar to the second?

Passage 1

Jake walked home from school slowly. It had not been a good day. His science teacher embarrassed him in front of the class just because he couldn't remember the definition of "work." To make it worse, he got his math test back, and he completely failed it. Now he would have to stay after school two days a week for extra help.

A sudden sound made Jake stop in his tracks. What was that? Jake thought to himself. He spun around and saw a scrawny dog with matted fur following him. His big brown eyes seemed to be pleading with Jake. Jake stood still, looking at the dog. Then he decided. He fished in his backpack for his leftover lunch. Holding a scrap out to the dog, he whistled. The dog leapt and snatched the morsel neatly in his teeth.

Jake laughed. He tossed another piece of bread and this time, the dog caught it in mid-air. Jake continued throwing bits of his sandwich towards the dog, who continued to catch them perfectly each time. By the time Jake got home, the sandwich was gone, and the dog's tail was wagging with joy. Jake's mom agreed to let him keep the dog. Jake decided that his day hadn't been so bad after all.

Passage 2

All the children in the neighborhood knew Mr. Jackson. He was the grumpy old man who lived in the house covered with vines. No one ever spoke to him. Not even the friendly mailman could get a hello out of him. He was just plain grumpy.

That all changed the day Snowball came to the neighborhood. Snowball was the cutest little dog ever. Small and white like a cotton ball, he had been abandoned by his owners. Now a stray, he had decided to live on the friendly street. All the kids loved him, and the neighbors took turns feeding him. He was a neighborhood pet. The only person who did not like him was Mr. Jackson. He tried to have the pound out to collect Snowball, but the children convinced the city worker that Snowball belonged in the neighborhood. So there he stayed.

One winter night, the children heard Snowball barking for a long time. He rarely barked at night, preferring to cuddle up on someone's doorstep or in one of the many soft beds the neighborhood provided. But this night was different. Snowball was really barking! After an hour or so of constant barking, the neighbors decided that something must be really wrong. They thought that maybe Snowball was in trouble. They grabbed flashlights and followed the sound. Surprisingly, the barking led them to Mr. Jackson's house. As they drew closer, the neighbors heard another sound. It was Mr. Jackson. He was sprawled awkwardly on his front step, his leg clearly broken. He was calling out for help. Snowball had saved him.

From then on, whenever a stray dog was in the neighborhood, Mr. Jackson was the first to feed it. And he always had a smile and a wave for any child who passed by his house.

How is Jake in the first story most similar to Snowball in the second?

Passage 1

Mr. Richards glanced at his watch as he tossed his gym bag onto the passenger seat of his car. It was 5:20 p.m., but if he hurried, he could make it on time to the health club to meet Kevin to play tennis. With a sigh of relief, he muttered to himself, "That meeting with the boss went way too long."

He put on his seatbelt and turned on the ignition. He turned on the radio to the oldies station, where the song "My Sharona" was playing. Mr. Richards sang along. Fortunately, he had all green lights, so he was able to make it into the parking lot of the health club with ease at 5:27 p.m.

After he locked his car and jogged into the locker room, he still had the last song from the radio in his head and was humming it as he entered the locker room.

Kevin had just changed into his exercise shorts and smiled at Mr. Richards. "Dad, were you listening to the oldies station again?" Kevin asked him.

Mr. Richards laughed. "Why do you ask that?" he asked. "And I'm sorry I'm running late, son. It was hard to get away from the office today."

Passage 2

Mr. Richards glanced at his watch as he tossed his gym bag onto the passenger seat of his car. It was 5:20 p.m., but if he hurried, he could make it on time to the health club to meet Kevin to play tennis. With a sigh of relief, he muttered to himself, "That meeting with the boss went way too long."

He put on his seatbelt and turned on the ignition. He popped a CD of The Carpenters into his stereo. During the drive, he had a few red lights while cruising, but he enjoyed singing along with the song "We've Only Just Begun."

When he parked his car, he saw that it was 5:34 p.m. He ran to the locker room and almost tripped and fell.

Kevin was completely changed into his exercise clothes and bounced a tennis ball on the floor. "Dad, you're late, and now all the courts are taken," he said with a smile. "But while we wait for a spot to open up, we can practice," he added.

Mr. Richards was still out of breath from running. "I'm sorry, son," he said. "It was hard to get away from the office today."

These two passages are alike because they are both about

Passage 1

One day, Jacob and Sara went outside to explore the field behind their house. A thicket of trees blocked them from the wide open space, so they started through the forest. On the way, they found a small pond. Next to the pond, an old well stood.

"Wow, that could be a hundred years old," said Sara.

"You're right. I think Dad said there used to be an old farm out here," Jacob replied. They started to poke around, hoping to discover some clue about the year it was installed. Jacob found the raised up letters of the manufacturer's name, but no year. Sara kicked at the dirt and hit something hard.

"What's this?" She picked up a small metal box.

"I don't know," said Jacob. "Should we try to open it?"

"Definitely. I can't stand the suspense," Sara cried.

And so, they ran back to the house and went into the garage to find a screwdriver. They pried open the little box and some yellow papers, coins, and old photos spilled out.

"I think it's a time capsule!" yelled Jacob.

"What's that?" asked Sara.

"You know, a box with stuff meant to be discovered in the future."

"Oh. Cool! So, anything interesting?"

They rifled through the contents, stopping to look at the pictures. A boy and girl appeared in clothing from about eighty years ago. Sure enough, the date on the coins was from the 1920s. The papers looked like pages from a diary.

"Boring!" said Jacob. "If you're going to sit here all day and read this junk, I'm going over to Paul's."

"Fine. I don't care. You know, it's not every day you find stuff like this," replied Sara.

"Whatever. I'll see you later." Jacob left.

Sara sat down on the stoop in the garage and continued reading. It was an interesting account of daily life written by someone about her age. Sara couldn't believe how much things had changed in less than a century. She got an idea. Her local museum would probably love to get its hands on this stuff. She showed it to her mom, who was amazed. Together, they called the museum, and a special exhibit was set up. Sara even got to take her classmates to see it during a field trip.

Passage 2

One day, Jacob and Sara went outside to explore the field behind their house. On the way, they found an old well and began to check it out. Sara kicked at the dirt and hit something hard.

"What's this?" She picked up a small metal box.

"I don't know," said Jacob. "Should we try to open it?"

"Definitely. I can't stand the suspense," Sara cried.

And so, they ran back to the house and went into the garage to find a screwdriver. They pried open the little box, and some yellow papers, coins, and old photos spilled out.

"I think it's a time capsule!" yelled Jacob.

"What's that?" asked Sara.

"You know, a box with stuff meant to be discovered in the future."

"Oh. Cool! So, anything interesting?"

They rifled through the contents, stopping to look at the pictures. A boy and girl appeared in clothing from about eighty years ago. Sure enough, the date on the coins was from the 1920s. The papers looked like pages from a diary.

Sara and Jacob sat down on the stoop in the garage and continued reading. It was an interesting account of daily life written by someone about Sara's age. Sara couldn't believe how much things had changed in less than a century. She got an idea. Their local museum would probably love to get its hands on this stuff. She showed it to her mom, who was amazed. Together, they called the museum, and a special exhibit was set up. Sara and Jacob even got to take their classmates to see it during a field trip. The museum was very grateful for the unique donation, and the kids knew their find would be well-preserved this way. Now it seems they both have dreams to become archaeologists. Most days after school, they poke around in the woods hoping to dig up another treasure. Jacob started researching the history of the area and learned that many Native American tribes lived there at one point. Sara was more interested in ancient history and hoped to someday visit Greece, Rome, and Egypt.

About a year after the time capsule find, the siblings decided to bury a time capsule of their own. They went to the store with their dad to pick out a sturdy waterproof box. They filled it with some newspapers, magazines, and photos. Jacob put in his favorite CD, and Sara contributed several written pages about their lives. It was all set! They buried it and tried to forget about it.

Time plays a major part in both stories. How is time different in these two stories?

Passage 1

One day, Jacob and Sara went outside to explore the field behind their house. A thicket of trees blocked them from the wide open space, so they started through the forest. On the way, they found a small pond. Next to the pond, an old well stood.

"Wow, that could be a hundred years old," said Sara.

"You're right. I think Dad said there used to be an old farm out here," Jacob replied. They started to poke around, hoping to discover some clue about the year it was installed. Jacob found the raised up letters of the manufacturer's name, but no year. Sara kicked at the dirt and hit something hard.

"What's this?" She picked up a small metal box.

"I don't know," said Jacob. "Should we try to open it?"

"Definitely. I can't stand the suspense," Sara cried.

And so, they ran back to the house and went into the garage to find a screwdriver. They pried open the little box and some yellow papers, coins, and old photos spilled out.

"I think it's a time capsule!" yelled Jacob.

"What's that?" asked Sara.

"You know, a box with stuff meant to be discovered in the future."

"Oh. Cool! So, anything interesting?"

They rifled through the contents, stopping to look at the pictures. A boy and girl appeared in clothing from about eighty years ago. Sure enough, the date on the coins was from the 1920s. The papers looked like pages from a diary.

"Boring!" said Jacob. "If you're going to sit here all day and read this junk, I'm going over to Paul's."

"Fine. I don't care. You know, it's not every day you find stuff like this," replied Sara.

"Whatever. I'll see you later." Jacob left.

Sara sat down on the stoop in the garage and continued reading. It was an interesting account of daily life written by someone about her age. Sara couldn't believe how much things had changed in less than a century. She got an idea. Her local museum would probably love to get its hands on this stuff. She showed it to her mom, who was amazed. Together, they called the museum, and a special exhibit was set up. Sara even got to take her classmates to see it during a field trip.

Passage 2

One day, Jacob and Sara went outside to explore the field behind their house. On the way, they found an old well and began to check it out. Sara kicked at the dirt and hit something hard.

"What's this?" She picked up a small metal box.

"I don't know," said Jacob. "Should we try to open it?"

"Definitely. I can't stand the suspense," Sara cried.

And so, they ran back to the house and went into the garage to find a screwdriver. They pried open the little box, and some yellow papers, coins, and old photos spilled out.

"I think it's a time capsule!" yelled Jacob.

"What's that?" asked Sara.

"You know, a box with stuff meant to be discovered in the future."

"Oh. Cool! So, anything interesting?"

They rifled through the contents, stopping to look at the pictures. A boy and girl appeared in clothing from about eighty years ago. Sure enough, the date on the coins was from the 1920s. The papers looked like pages from a diary.

Sara and Jacob sat down on the stoop in the garage and continued reading. It was an interesting account of daily life written by someone about Sara's age. Sara couldn't believe how much things had changed in less than a century. She got an idea. Their local museum would probably love to get its hands on this stuff. She showed it to her mom, who was amazed. Together, they called the museum, and a special exhibit was set up. Sara and Jacob even got to take their classmates to see it during a field trip. The museum was very grateful for the unique donation, and the kids knew their find would be well-preserved this way. Now it seems they both have dreams to become archaeologists. Most days after school, they poke around in the woods hoping to dig up another treasure. Jacob started researching the history of the area and learned that many Native American tribes lived there at one point. Sara was more interested in ancient history and hoped to someday visit Greece, Rome, and Egypt.

About a year after the time capsule find, the siblings decided to bury a time capsule of their own. They went to the store with their dad to pick out a sturdy waterproof box. They filled it with some newspapers, magazines, and photos. Jacob put in his favorite CD, and Sara contributed several written pages about their lives. It was all set! They buried it and tried to forget about it.

How is Jacob in passage 1 different from Jacob in passage 2?

Passage 1

One day, Jacob and Sara went outside to explore the field behind their house. A thicket of trees blocked them from the wide open space, so they started through the forest. On the way, they found a small pond. Next to the pond, an old well stood.

"Wow, that could be a hundred years old," said Sara.

"You're right. I think Dad said there used to be an old farm out here," Jacob replied. They started to poke around, hoping to discover some clue about the year it was installed. Jacob found the raised up letters of the manufacturer's name, but no year. Sara kicked at the dirt and hit something hard.

"What's this?" She picked up a small metal box.

"I don't know," said Jacob. "Should we try to open it?"

"Definitely. I can't stand the suspense," Sara cried.

And so, they ran back to the house and went into the garage to find a screwdriver. They pried open the little box and some yellow papers, coins, and old photos spilled out.

"I think it's a time capsule!" yelled Jacob.

"What's that?" asked Sara.

"You know, a box with stuff meant to be discovered in the future."

"Oh. Cool! So, anything interesting?"

They rifled through the contents, stopping to look at the pictures. A boy and girl appeared in clothing from about eighty years ago. Sure enough, the date on the coins was from the 1920s. The papers looked like pages from a diary.

"Boring!" said Jacob. "If you're going to sit here all day and read this junk, I'm going over to Paul's."

"Fine. I don't care. You know, it's not every day you find stuff like this," replied Sara.

"Whatever. I'll see you later." Jacob left.

Sara sat down on the stoop in the garage and continued reading. It was an interesting account of daily life written by someone about her age. Sara couldn't believe how much things had changed in less than a century. She got an idea. Her local museum would probably love to get its hands on this stuff. She showed it to her mom, who was amazed. Together, they called the museum, and a special exhibit was set up. Sara even got to take her classmates to see it during a field trip.

Passage 2

One day, Jacob and Sara went outside to explore the field behind their house. On the way, they found an old well and began to check it out. Sara kicked at the dirt and hit something hard.

"What's this?" She picked up a small metal box.

"I don't know," said Jacob. "Should we try to open it?"

"Definitely. I can't stand the suspense," Sara cried.

And so, they ran back to the house and went into the garage to find a screwdriver. They pried open the little box, and some yellow papers, coins, and old photos spilled out.

"I think it's a time capsule!" yelled Jacob.

"What's that?" asked Sara.

"You know, a box with stuff meant to be discovered in the future."

"Oh. Cool! So, anything interesting?"

They rifled through the contents, stopping to look at the pictures. A boy and girl appeared in clothing from about eighty years ago. Sure enough, the date on the coins was from the 1920s. The papers looked like pages from a diary.

Sara and Jacob sat down on the stoop in the garage and continued reading. It was an interesting account of daily life written by someone about Sara's age. Sara couldn't believe how much things had changed in less than a century. She got an idea. Their local museum would probably love to get its hands on this stuff. She showed it to her mom, who was amazed. Together, they called the museum, and a special exhibit was set up. Sara and Jacob even got to take their classmates to see it during a field trip. The museum was very grateful for the unique donation, and the kids knew their find would be well-preserved this way. Now it seems they both have dreams to become archaeologists. Most days after school, they poke around in the woods hoping to dig up another treasure. Jacob started researching the history of the area and learned that many Native American tribes lived there at one point. Sara was more interested in ancient history and hoped to someday visit Greece, Rome, and Egypt.

About a year after the time capsule find, the siblings decided to bury a time capsule of their own. They went to the store with their dad to pick out a sturdy waterproof box. They filled it with some newspapers, magazines, and photos. Jacob put in his favorite CD, and Sara contributed several written pages about their lives. It was all set! They buried it and tried to forget about it.

Which statement shows a difference between the two stories?

Passage 1

Mrs. Bauer double-checked her shopping list as she stood with her loaded shopping cart in the dairy section. It looked like she had everything.

On her way to the checkout line, she took deep breaths as she slowly pushed her cart. Grocery shopping usually stressed her out, but it was good to get it over with. Having a list usually helped Mrs. Bauer stay within her budget.

As she got in the line at lane five, a woman ahead of her seemed to have trouble checking out.

“Run it through again, please,” the woman said.

“I’m sorry, Ma’am, but your debit card has been declined twice,” the cashier said. “You’ll need to pay with cash,” he added.

The woman sighed and ran her fingers through her red hair. “Okay, I can pay with cash for some of it, but I’m gonna have to leave the rest behind,” she said.

Mrs. Bauer felt sorry for the woman and wished she could help, but she just grinned and nodded her head when the woman looked at her. The woman smiled, looking like she felt a little better.

Passage 2

Mrs. Anderson wondered if getting her hair dyed red was a good idea. The beauty salon was expensive, but there was probably enough money left over to buy groceries. Her husband would be home soon and would be hungry for dinner.

She pushed her shopping cart into lane five and tossed her groceries onto the conveyor belt to check out. Then she swiped her debit card.

“I’m sorry, but it’s denied,” the cashier said.

Stunned, Mrs. Anderson swiped her card again.

“It’s still denied,” the cashier said. “Do you have another card?” he asked.

“Run it through again, please,” she said.

“I’m sorry, Ma’am, but your debit card has been declined twice,” he said. “You’ll need to pay cash.”

Mrs. Anderson sighed and ran her fingers through her red hair. “Okay, I can pay cash for some of it, but I’m gonna have to leave the rest behind,” she said.

A woman had pulled behind her in line. She looked a little bit nervous, but she grinned warmly and nodded, making her gray-and-black hair bounce up and down. I bet she doesn’t have to go to the beauty salon, Mrs. Anderson thought. She smiled at the woman and hoped Mr. Anderson wouldn’t mind eating leftovers for dinner.

These two passages contrast each other because

Passage 1

Mrs. Bauer double-checked her shopping list as she stood with her loaded shopping cart in the dairy section. It looked like she had everything.

On her way to the checkout line, she took deep breaths as she slowly pushed her cart. Grocery shopping usually stressed her out, but it was good to get it over with. Having a list usually helped Mrs. Bauer stay within her budget.

As she got in the line at lane five, a woman ahead of her seemed to have trouble checking out.

“Run it through again, please,” the woman said.

“I’m sorry, Ma’am, but your debit card has been declined twice,” the cashier said. “You’ll need to pay with cash,” he added.

The woman sighed and ran her fingers through her red hair. “Okay, I can pay with cash for some of it, but I’m gonna have to leave the rest behind,” she said.

Mrs. Bauer felt sorry for the woman and wished she could help, but she just grinned and nodded her head when the woman looked at her. The woman smiled, looking like she felt a little better.

Passage 2

Mrs. Anderson wondered if getting her hair dyed red was a good idea. The beauty salon was expensive, but there was probably enough money left over to buy groceries. Her husband would be home soon and would be hungry for dinner.

She pushed her shopping cart into lane five and tossed her groceries onto the conveyor belt to check out. Then she swiped her debit card.

“I’m sorry, but it’s denied,” the cashier said.

Stunned, Mrs. Anderson swiped her card again.

“It’s still denied,” the cashier said. “Do you have another card?” he asked.

“Run it through again, please,” she said.

“I’m sorry, Ma’am, but your debit card has been declined twice,” he said. “You’ll need to pay cash.”

Mrs. Anderson sighed and ran her fingers through her red hair. “Okay, I can pay cash for some of it, but I’m gonna have to leave the rest behind,” she said.

A woman had pulled behind her in line. She looked a little bit nervous, but she grinned warmly and nodded, making her gray-and-black hair bounce up and down. I bet she doesn’t have to go to the beauty salon, Mrs. Anderson thought. She smiled at the woman and hoped Mr. Anderson wouldn’t mind eating leftovers for dinner.

How can these two passages be compared to each other?