Base your answers 1-10 on the passage “On the Trail.”

Read this sentence from the passage.

Two weeks ago on Saturday, my friend Justin and I were biking along Riverside Trail when all at once Justin shouted, “There’s something sparkling under those bushes.

What does the idiom all at once mean?

Base your answers 1-10 on the passage “On the Trail.”

Read this sentence from the passage.

Justin asked, “Should we throw in the towel?”

I said, “No, we shouldn’t give up.

What does the idiom throw in the towel mean?

Base your answers 1-10 on the passage “On the Trail.”

What evidence from the text explains why Luis spots the wallet?

On the Trail

My name is Luis. Two weeks ago on Saturday, my friend Justin and I were biking along Riverside Trail when all at once Justin shouted, “There’s something sparkling under those bushes. Let’s see what it is!”

We got off our bikes and started poking around under the bushes. I spotted something shining and exclaimed, “Oh my gosh! It’s a wallet with jewels on it.” I picked it up, and we saw that the wallet had sparkling imitation jewels.

“Let’s see if there is identification inside,” I said. “We should try to find the owner.”

We found photos, some money, and a library card for Mary Johnson. Justin said, “We can try to find Mary Johnson’s phone number on the Internet.”

We headed for the computer at Justin’s house and searched for “Johnson” in a directory for our town. We found eight Mary Johnsons and two M. Johnsons. That was too many Mary and M. Johnsons!

Justin asked, “Should we throw in the towel?”

I said, “No, we shouldn’t give up. We could start calling, but what if she lives in another town and only comes here to bike, or what if she has an unlisted number? We should look for other clues first.”

Next, we examined the snapshots. One was very old, and another was of a boy about two years old with “William, 2011” written on the back. The third showed a girl about seven in front of Mount Rushmore, and “Annalee, 2011” was written on the back.

Justin guessed, “William and Annalee might be Mary Johnson’s children. On Monday, we could see if she goes to our school. But that’s a long time for Mary Johnson to wait for her wallet, so let’s look for other clues.”

We went through the wallet again and found, tucked in back, an appointment card for an eye examination at a mall in town. The appointment was for two o’clock—that same day!

I said, “If we want this plan to succeed, we have to get to the mall before two o’clock, and we have no time to lose.”

Justin said, “My mom probably will drive us. I’ll ask her.”

So that is how we got to the mall at exactly three minutes before two. We hurried into the waiting room at the doctor’s office. Almost immediately a worried-looking woman came in. She said, “I have a two o’clock appointment. My name is Mary Johnson.”

When Justin and I introduced ourselves and showed her the wallet, her eyes lit up. She said, “What a relief! I have been beside myself!”

Mrs. Johnson thanked us repeatedly. She was elated to have back her money and the photos of her children and great-grandparents.

After we explained where we found the wallet, she said, “I took the children for a bike ride this morning. William was in a cart that I attach to my bike. He must have found the wallet in my bag and tossed it from the cart.”

She added, “You two deserve a reward” and handed each of us five dollars. It was worth missing the rest of our Saturday bike ride, and it was fun using clues to solve the problem!

Base your answers 1-10 on the passage “On the Trail.”

What is a reason the boys give up the plan to call the owner of the wallet?

On the Trail

My name is Luis. Two weeks ago on Saturday, my friend Justin and I were biking along Riverside Trail when all at once Justin shouted, “There’s something sparkling under those bushes. Let’s see what it is!”

We got off our bikes and started poking around under the bushes. I spotted something shining and exclaimed, “Oh my gosh! It’s a wallet with jewels on it.” I picked it up, and we saw that the wallet had sparkling imitation jewels.

“Let’s see if there is identification inside,” I said. “We should try to find the owner.”

We found photos, some money, and a library card for Mary Johnson. Justin said, “We can try to find Mary Johnson’s phone number on the Internet.”

We headed for the computer at Justin’s house and searched for “Johnson” in a directory for our town. We found eight Mary Johnsons and two M. Johnsons. That was too many Mary and M. Johnsons!

Justin asked, “Should we throw in the towel?”

I said, “No, we shouldn’t give up. We could start calling, but what if she lives in another town and only comes here to bike, or what if she has an unlisted number? We should look for other clues first.”

Next, we examined the snapshots. One was very old, and another was of a boy about two years old with “William, 2011” written on the back. The third showed a girl about seven in front of Mount Rushmore, and “Annalee, 2011” was written on the back.

Justin guessed, “William and Annalee might be Mary Johnson’s children. On Monday, we could see if she goes to our school. But that’s a long time for Mary Johnson to wait for her wallet, so let’s look for other clues.”

We went through the wallet again and found, tucked in back, an appointment card for an eye examination at a mall in town. The appointment was for two o’clock—that same day!

I said, “If we want this plan to succeed, we have to get to the mall before two o’clock, and we have no time to lose.”

Justin said, “My mom probably will drive us. I’ll ask her.”

So that is how we got to the mall at exactly three minutes before two. We hurried into the waiting room at the doctor’s office. Almost immediately a worried-looking woman came in. She said, “I have a two o’clock appointment. My name is Mary Johnson.”

When Justin and I introduced ourselves and showed her the wallet, her eyes lit up. She said, “What a relief! I have been beside myself!”

Mrs. Johnson thanked us repeatedly. She was elated to have back her money and the photos of her children and great-grandparents.

After we explained where we found the wallet, she said, “I took the children for a bike ride this morning. William was in a cart that I attach to my bike. He must have found the wallet in my bag and tossed it from the cart.”

She added, “You two deserve a reward” and handed each of us five dollars. It was worth missing the rest of our Saturday bike ride, and it was fun using clues to solve the problem!

Base your answers 1-10 on the passage “On the Trail.”

How do the boys compare as problem solvers?

On the Trail

My name is Luis. Two weeks ago on Saturday, my friend Justin and I were biking along Riverside Trail when all at once Justin shouted, “There’s something sparkling under those bushes. Let’s see what it is!”

We got off our bikes and started poking around under the bushes. I spotted something shining and exclaimed, “Oh my gosh! It’s a wallet with jewels on it.” I picked it up, and we saw that the wallet had sparkling imitation jewels.

“Let’s see if there is identification inside,” I said. “We should try to find the owner.”

We found photos, some money, and a library card for Mary Johnson. Justin said, “We can try to find Mary Johnson’s phone number on the Internet.”

We headed for the computer at Justin’s house and searched for “Johnson” in a directory for our town. We found eight Mary Johnsons and two M. Johnsons. That was too many Mary and M. Johnsons!

Justin asked, “Should we throw in the towel?”

I said, “No, we shouldn’t give up. We could start calling, but what if she lives in another town and only comes here to bike, or what if she has an unlisted number? We should look for other clues first.”

Next, we examined the snapshots. One was very old, and another was of a boy about two years old with “William, 2011” written on the back. The third showed a girl about seven in front of Mount Rushmore, and “Annalee, 2011” was written on the back.

Justin guessed, “William and Annalee might be Mary Johnson’s children. On Monday, we could see if she goes to our school. But that’s a long time for Mary Johnson to wait for her wallet, so let’s look for other clues.”

We went through the wallet again and found, tucked in back, an appointment card for an eye examination at a mall in town. The appointment was for two o’clock—that same day!

I said, “If we want this plan to succeed, we have to get to the mall before two o’clock, and we have no time to lose.”

Justin said, “My mom probably will drive us. I’ll ask her.”

So that is how we got to the mall at exactly three minutes before two. We hurried into the waiting room at the doctor’s office. Almost immediately a worried-looking woman came in. She said, “I have a two o’clock appointment. My name is Mary Johnson.”

When Justin and I introduced ourselves and showed her the wallet, her eyes lit up. She said, “What a relief! I have been beside myself!”

Mrs. Johnson thanked us repeatedly. She was elated to have back her money and the photos of her children and great-grandparents.

After we explained where we found the wallet, she said, “I took the children for a bike ride this morning. William was in a cart that I attach to my bike. He must have found the wallet in my bag and tossed it from the cart.”

She added, “You two deserve a reward” and handed each of us five dollars. It was worth missing the rest of our Saturday bike ride, and it was fun using clues to solve the problem!

Base your answers 1-10 on the passage “On the Trail.”

Read this sentence from the passage.

I said, “If we want this plan to succeed, we have to get to the mall before two o’clock, and we have no time to lose.”

What does the idiom no time to lose mean?

Base your answers 1-10 on the passage “On the Trail.”

What happened right before Justin asked his mother for a ride to the mall?

On the Trail

My name is Luis. Two weeks ago on Saturday, my friend Justin and I were biking along Riverside Trail when all at once Justin shouted, “There’s something sparkling under those bushes. Let’s see what it is!”

We got off our bikes and started poking around under the bushes. I spotted something shining and exclaimed, “Oh my gosh! It’s a wallet with jewels on it.” I picked it up, and we saw that the wallet had sparkling imitation jewels.

“Let’s see if there is identification inside,” I said. “We should try to find the owner.”

We found photos, some money, and a library card for Mary Johnson. Justin said, “We can try to find Mary Johnson’s phone number on the Internet.”

We headed for the computer at Justin’s house and searched for “Johnson” in a directory for our town. We found eight Mary Johnsons and two M. Johnsons. That was too many Mary and M. Johnsons!

Justin asked, “Should we throw in the towel?”

I said, “No, we shouldn’t give up. We could start calling, but what if she lives in another town and only comes here to bike, or what if she has an unlisted number? We should look for other clues first.”

Next, we examined the snapshots. One was very old, and another was of a boy about two years old with “William, 2011” written on the back. The third showed a girl about seven in front of Mount Rushmore, and “Annalee, 2011” was written on the back.

Justin guessed, “William and Annalee might be Mary Johnson’s children. On Monday, we could see if she goes to our school. But that’s a long time for Mary Johnson to wait for her wallet, so let’s look for other clues.”

We went through the wallet again and found, tucked in back, an appointment card for an eye examination at a mall in town. The appointment was for two o’clock—that same day!

I said, “If we want this plan to succeed, we have to get to the mall before two o’clock, and we have no time to lose.”

Justin said, “My mom probably will drive us. I’ll ask her.”

So that is how we got to the mall at exactly three minutes before two. We hurried into the waiting room at the doctor’s office. Almost immediately a worried-looking woman came in. She said, “I have a two o’clock appointment. My name is Mary Johnson.”

When Justin and I introduced ourselves and showed her the wallet, her eyes lit up. She said, “What a relief! I have been beside myself!”

Mrs. Johnson thanked us repeatedly. She was elated to have back her money and the photos of her children and great-grandparents.

After we explained where we found the wallet, she said, “I took the children for a bike ride this morning. William was in a cart that I attach to my bike. He must have found the wallet in my bag and tossed it from the cart.”

She added, “You two deserve a reward” and handed each of us five dollars. It was worth missing the rest of our Saturday bike ride, and it was fun using clues to solve the problem!

Base your answers 1-10 on the passage “On the Trail.”

Read this sentence from the passage.

She said, “What a relief"! I have been beside myself!"

What does the idiom beside myself mean?

Base your answers 1-10 on the passage “On the Trail.”

Read this sentence from the passage.

She was elated to have back her money and the photos of her children and great-grandparents.

What does elated mean in the sentence above?

Numbers 11 through 20 are based on the passage

“A Saturday Morning Adventure”.

What is the main problem in the passage?

A Saturday Morning Adventure

“These new video games are really cool!” Rasheed exclaims. He and his friend Jami play video games almost every weekend. Without a doubt, their favorites are the ones that take place in outer space. They put on spacesuits and climb into a spaceship. Then they begin a journey in which they fight battles against other spaceships and aliens. The games are very realistic. They are also challenging and require Rasheed and Jami to use their problem-solving skills.

On this particular Saturday, the two kids are playing “Space Attack.” In this game, blazing hot meteors zoom from outer space into Earth’s atmosphere. Attack ships try to collide with the players’ ship. Players try to avoid the meteors and destroy the attack ships. The game requires quick thinking and lightning-fast reflexes. This is one of Jami and Rasheed’s favorite games, as it presents unusual challenges and is never the same game twice.

“Look,” Jami says. “I just reversed course. Maybe if we go the opposite direction, our spaceship won’t get smashed by a meteor or an attack ship. It’s good we have our spacesuits on. If our ship gets hit by a meteor, we can just float through space until a robot rescues us. I think we’re lucky that this is just a game and not real life.”

“To continue playing for an additional minute, please pay 100 more tokens at this time,” says the robot running the game room. “Otherwise, your game will terminate in 10 seconds.”

Rasheed hands the tokens to the robot, which looks almost like a real person. “These new robots can do anything,” he says. They’re so much better than the outdated ones of the last century.”

“You can say that again,” says Jami. “My grandpa told me stories about the robots that people used when he was young. They couldn’t walk as well as they do now. They were jerky, and they talked funny. My grandpa makes me laugh when he imitates them.”

Suddenly, Rasheed screams, “Look out! The attack ship just rotated and turned around. Now it’s headed right toward us! We’d better do something quick!”

Realizing that the ball is in her court, Jami calmly pulls up on her joystick. “This is easy,” she says, laughing. But her laugh is cut off by the gasp she makes when the joystick fails to respond. “This joystick is broken!” she yells. “The attack ship is gaining on us quickly!”

Rasheed rushes over and adjusts the game dials to increase their speed, but the ship still can’t move fast enough to avoid the attack. With a sickening thud, the attack ship hits theirs. Jami is thrown forward and then staggers back into her seat. Suddenly, Rasheed is thrust into the air and finds himself dangling from the ceiling. He holds tightly onto his seat belt, and sways slowly back and forth.

Something has gone wrong in the game. But Jami doesn’t get bent out of shape. She carefully checks to make sure that her spacesuit hasn’t been damaged. Next, she asks Rasheed if he’s hurt and tells him to examine his spacesuit. Then, she calmly takes out her tools. She repairs the joystick and adjusts the dials. “All fixed,” she announces. She calmly steers the ship into the dock.

When the kids climb out of their spaceship, Rasheed makes a suggestion. “Maybe next week we can go laser-bowling instead of playing video games. After all, variety is the spice of life!”

“No way!” Jami says. “Compared to these new video games, laser-bowling is way too boring!”

Numbers 11 through 20 are based on the passage

“A Saturday Morning Adventure”.

Read this sentence from the passage.

Without a doubt, their true favorites are the ones that take place in outer space.

What does the idiom without a doubt mean?

Numbers 11 through 20 are based on the passage

“A Saturday Morning Adventure”.

Read this sentence from the passage.

“They’re so much better than the outdated ones of the last century.”

What does the idiom outdated mean in the sentence above?

Numbers 11 through 20 are based on the passage

“A Saturday Morning Adventure”.

What happens right before Jami's joystick breaks?

A Saturday Morning Adventure

“These new video games are really cool!” Rasheed exclaims. He and his friend Jami play video games almost every weekend. Without a doubt, their favorites are the ones that take place in outer space. They put on spacesuits and climb into a spaceship. Then they begin a journey in which they fight battles against other spaceships and aliens. The games are very realistic. They are also challenging and require Rasheed and Jami to use their problem-solving skills.

On this particular Saturday, the two kids are playing “Space Attack.” In this game, blazing hot meteors zoom from outer space into Earth’s atmosphere. Attack ships try to collide with the players’ ship. Players try to avoid the meteors and destroy the attack ships. The game requires quick thinking and lightning-fast reflexes. This is one of Jami and Rasheed’s favorite games, as it presents unusual challenges and is never the same game twice.

“Look,” Jami says. “I just reversed course. Maybe if we go the opposite direction, our spaceship won’t get smashed by a meteor or an attack ship. It’s good we have our spacesuits on. If our ship gets hit by a meteor, we can just float through space until a robot rescues us. I think we’re lucky that this is just a game and not real life.”

“To continue playing for an additional minute, please pay 100 more tokens at this time,” says the robot running the game room. “Otherwise, your game will terminate in 10 seconds.”

Rasheed hands the tokens to the robot, which looks almost like a real person. “These new robots can do anything,” he says. They’re so much better than the outdated ones of the last century.”

“You can say that again,” says Jami. “My grandpa told me stories about the robots that people used when he was young. They couldn’t walk as well as they do now. They were jerky, and they talked funny. My grandpa makes me laugh when he imitates them.”

Suddenly, Rasheed screams, “Look out! The attack ship just rotated and turned around. Now it’s headed right toward us! We’d better do something quick!”

Realizing that the ball is in her court, Jami calmly pulls up on her joystick. “This is easy,” she says, laughing. But her laugh is cut off by the gasp she makes when the joystick fails to respond. “This joystick is broken!” she yells. “The attack ship is gaining on us quickly!”

Rasheed rushes over and adjusts the game dials to increase their speed, but the ship still can’t move fast enough to avoid the attack. With a sickening thud, the attack ship hits theirs. Jami is thrown forward and then staggers back into her seat. Suddenly, Rasheed is thrust into the air and finds himself dangling from the ceiling. He holds tightly onto his seat belt, and sways slowly back and forth.

Something has gone wrong in the game. But Jami doesn’t get bent out of shape. She carefully checks to make sure that her spacesuit hasn’t been damaged. Next, she asks Rasheed if he’s hurt and tells him to examine his spacesuit. Then, she calmly takes out her tools. She repairs the joystick and adjusts the dials. “All fixed,” she announces. She calmly steers the ship into the dock.

When the kids climb out of their spaceship, Rasheed makes a suggestion. “Maybe next week we can go laser-bowling instead of playing video games. After all, variety is the spice of life!”

“No way!” Jami says. “Compared to these new video games, laser-bowling is way too boring!”

Numbers 11 through 20 are based on the passage

“A Saturday Morning Adventure”.

Read these sentences from the passage.

But Jami doesn’t get bent out of shape. She carefully checks to make sure that her spacesuit hasn’t been damaged.

What does the idiom get bent out of shape mean?

Numbers 11 through 20 are based on the passage

“A Saturday Morning Adventure”.

What text evidence shows how Rasheed feels about the experience of having played this particular game?

A Saturday Morning Adventure

“These new video games are really cool!” Rasheed exclaims. He and his friend Jami play video games almost every weekend. Without a doubt, their favorites are the ones that take place in outer space. They put on spacesuits and climb into a spaceship. Then they begin a journey in which they fight battles against other spaceships and aliens. The games are very realistic. They are also challenging and require Rasheed and Jami to use their problem-solving skills.

On this particular Saturday, the two kids are playing “Space Attack.” In this game, blazing hot meteors zoom from outer space into Earth’s atmosphere. Attack ships try to collide with the players’ ship. Players try to avoid the meteors and destroy the attack ships. The game requires quick thinking and lightning-fast reflexes. This is one of Jami and Rasheed’s favorite games, as it presents unusual challenges and is never the same game twice.

“Look,” Jami says. “I just reversed course. Maybe if we go the opposite direction, our spaceship won’t get smashed by a meteor or an attack ship. It’s good we have our spacesuits on. If our ship gets hit by a meteor, we can just float through space until a robot rescues us. I think we’re lucky that this is just a game and not real life.”

“To continue playing for an additional minute, please pay 100 more tokens at this time,” says the robot running the game room. “Otherwise, your game will terminate in 10 seconds.”

Rasheed hands the tokens to the robot, which looks almost like a real person. “These new robots can do anything,” he says. They’re so much better than the outdated ones of the last century.”

“You can say that again,” says Jami. “My grandpa told me stories about the robots that people used when he was young. They couldn’t walk as well as they do now. They were jerky, and they talked funny. My grandpa makes me laugh when he imitates them.”

Suddenly, Rasheed screams, “Look out! The attack ship just rotated and turned around. Now it’s headed right toward us! We’d better do something quick!”

Realizing that the ball is in her court, Jami calmly pulls up on her joystick. “This is easy,” she says, laughing. But her laugh is cut off by the gasp she makes when the joystick fails to respond. “This joystick is broken!” she yells. “The attack ship is gaining on us quickly!”

Rasheed rushes over and adjusts the game dials to increase their speed, but the ship still can’t move fast enough to avoid the attack. With a sickening thud, the attack ship hits theirs. Jami is thrown forward and then staggers back into her seat. Suddenly, Rasheed is thrust into the air and finds himself dangling from the ceiling. He holds tightly onto his seat belt, and sways slowly back and forth.

Something has gone wrong in the game. But Jami doesn’t get bent out of shape. She carefully checks to make sure that her spacesuit hasn’t been damaged. Next, she asks Rasheed if he’s hurt and tells him to examine his spacesuit. Then, she calmly takes out her tools. She repairs the joystick and adjusts the dials. “All fixed,” she announces. She calmly steers the ship into the dock.

When the kids climb out of their spaceship, Rasheed makes a suggestion. “Maybe next week we can go laser-bowling instead of playing video games. After all, variety is the spice of life!”

“No way!” Jami says. “Compared to these new video games, laser-bowling is way too boring!”

Numbers 11 through 20 are based on the passage

“A Saturday Morning Adventure”.

Read this sentence from the passage.

Realizing that the ball is in her court, Jami calmly pulls up on her joystick.

What does the idiom the ball is in her court mean?

Numbers 11 through 20 are based on the passage

“A Saturday Morning Adventure”.

Read these sentences from the passage.

“Maybe next week we can go laser-bowling instead of playing video games. After all, variety is the spice of life!”

What does the idiom variety in the spice of life mean?

Numbers 11 through 20 are based on the passage

“A Saturday Morning Adventure”.

Which statement best compares how Jami and Rasheed each react to the problem?

A Saturday Morning Adventure

“These new video games are really cool!” Rasheed exclaims. He and his friend Jami play video games almost every weekend. Without a doubt, their favorites are the ones that take place in outer space. They put on spacesuits and climb into a spaceship. Then they begin a journey in which they fight battles against other spaceships and aliens. The games are very realistic. They are also challenging and require Rasheed and Jami to use their problem-solving skills.

On this particular Saturday, the two kids are playing “Space Attack.” In this game, blazing hot meteors zoom from outer space into Earth’s atmosphere. Attack ships try to collide with the players’ ship. Players try to avoid the meteors and destroy the attack ships. The game requires quick thinking and lightning-fast reflexes. This is one of Jami and Rasheed’s favorite games, as it presents unusual challenges and is never the same game twice.

“Look,” Jami says. “I just reversed course. Maybe if we go the opposite direction, our spaceship won’t get smashed by a meteor or an attack ship. It’s good we have our spacesuits on. If our ship gets hit by a meteor, we can just float through space until a robot rescues us. I think we’re lucky that this is just a game and not real life.”

“To continue playing for an additional minute, please pay 100 more tokens at this time,” says the robot running the game room. “Otherwise, your game will terminate in 10 seconds.”

Rasheed hands the tokens to the robot, which looks almost like a real person. “These new robots can do anything,” he says. They’re so much better than the outdated ones of the last century.”

“You can say that again,” says Jami. “My grandpa told me stories about the robots that people used when he was young. They couldn’t walk as well as they do now. They were jerky, and they talked funny. My grandpa makes me laugh when he imitates them.”

Suddenly, Rasheed screams, “Look out! The attack ship just rotated and turned around. Now it’s headed right toward us! We’d better do something quick!”

Realizing that the ball is in her court, Jami calmly pulls up on her joystick. “This is easy,” she says, laughing. But her laugh is cut off by the gasp she makes when the joystick fails to respond. “This joystick is broken!” she yells. “The attack ship is gaining on us quickly!”

Rasheed rushes over and adjusts the game dials to increase their speed, but the ship still can’t move fast enough to avoid the attack. With a sickening thud, the attack ship hits theirs. Jami is thrown forward and then staggers back into her seat. Suddenly, Rasheed is thrust into the air and finds himself dangling from the ceiling. He holds tightly onto his seat belt, and sways slowly back and forth.

Something has gone wrong in the game. But Jami doesn’t get bent out of shape. She carefully checks to make sure that her spacesuit hasn’t been damaged. Next, she asks Rasheed if he’s hurt and tells him to examine his spacesuit. Then, she calmly takes out her tools. She repairs the joystick and adjusts the dials. “All fixed,” she announces. She calmly steers the ship into the dock.

When the kids climb out of their spaceship, Rasheed makes a suggestion. “Maybe next week we can go laser-bowling instead of playing video games. After all, variety is the spice of life!”

“No way!” Jami says. “Compared to these new video games, laser-bowling is way too boring!”

Numbers 11 through 20 are based on the passage

“A Saturday Morning Adventure”.

How is the children’s problem solved?

A Saturday Morning Adventure

“These new video games are really cool!” Rasheed exclaims. He and his friend Jami play video games almost every weekend. Without a doubt, their favorites are the ones that take place in outer space. They put on spacesuits and climb into a spaceship. Then they begin a journey in which they fight battles against other spaceships and aliens. The games are very realistic. They are also challenging and require Rasheed and Jami to use their problem-solving skills.

On this particular Saturday, the two kids are playing “Space Attack.” In this game, blazing hot meteors zoom from outer space into Earth’s atmosphere. Attack ships try to collide with the players’ ship. Players try to avoid the meteors and destroy the attack ships. The game requires quick thinking and lightning-fast reflexes. This is one of Jami and Rasheed’s favorite games, as it presents unusual challenges and is never the same game twice.

“Look,” Jami says. “I just reversed course. Maybe if we go the opposite direction, our spaceship won’t get smashed by a meteor or an attack ship. It’s good we have our spacesuits on. If our ship gets hit by a meteor, we can just float through space until a robot rescues us. I think we’re lucky that this is just a game and not real life.”

“To continue playing for an additional minute, please pay 100 more tokens at this time,” says the robot running the game room. “Otherwise, your game will terminate in 10 seconds.”

Rasheed hands the tokens to the robot, which looks almost like a real person. “These new robots can do anything,” he says. They’re so much better than the outdated ones of the last century.”

“You can say that again,” says Jami. “My grandpa told me stories about the robots that people used when he was young. They couldn’t walk as well as they do now. They were jerky, and they talked funny. My grandpa makes me laugh when he imitates them.”

Suddenly, Rasheed screams, “Look out! The attack ship just rotated and turned around. Now it’s headed right toward us! We’d better do something quick!”

Realizing that the ball is in her court, Jami calmly pulls up on her joystick. “This is easy,” she says, laughing. But her laugh is cut off by the gasp she makes when the joystick fails to respond. “This joystick is broken!” she yells. “The attack ship is gaining on us quickly!”

Rasheed rushes over and adjusts the game dials to increase their speed, but the ship still can’t move fast enough to avoid the attack. With a sickening thud, the attack ship hits theirs. Jami is thrown forward and then staggers back into her seat. Suddenly, Rasheed is thrust into the air and finds himself dangling from the ceiling. He holds tightly onto his seat belt, and sways slowly back and forth.

Something has gone wrong in the game. But Jami doesn’t get bent out of shape. She carefully checks to make sure that her spacesuit hasn’t been damaged. Next, she asks Rasheed if he’s hurt and tells him to examine his spacesuit. Then, she calmly takes out her tools. She repairs the joystick and adjusts the dials. “All fixed,” she announces. She calmly steers the ship into the dock.

When the kids climb out of their spaceship, Rasheed makes a suggestion. “Maybe next week we can go laser-bowling instead of playing video games. After all, variety is the spice of life!”

“No way!” Jami says. “Compared to these new video games, laser-bowling is way too boring!”