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Unit 2 Test

Total questions: 3

Worksheet time: 3hrs 33mins

Name
Class
Date
1-3.

Partner

People push past me,

People collect in front of me,

People call out from behind.

The clamor is all around me.

5 Girls hugging, guys fist bumping,

Welcoming each other back

To the first day of school.

I move through the commotion

Like a light breeze,

10 Disrupting nothing,

Barely being noticed.

I’m like the turtle

In the race with the rabbit.

Slowly moving forward.

15 Not looking in either direction.

Just proceeding quietly

Until the end of the day.

Going to classes, doing my work.

Not getting involved.

20 I spot Liam up ahead.

Last year, we were assigned

A science project together.

We got an A.

I keep walking.

25 “Hey partner!”

The phrase cuts through the din.

Did everyone hear it?

I stop. I smile. “Hi,” I respond.

Now we’re walking and talking,

30 Side by side down the hall.

We’re headed to our class.

Liam is animated and looking ahead.

He’s talking rockets and propulsion and height and speed,

He’s thinking science fair and he’s thinking winning,

35 He’s asking if I would be on his team!

We go into the room and sit.

“So, what do you think?” he asks.

“Sure,” I say. “Sounds great.”

Liam holds up his hand for a high five.

40 “Partner!” he says happily.

I high five him.

My last year of middle school just may be my best.

1.

There are two answers. The word turtle and rabbit suggests that:

a)

The turtle represents the speaker moved slowly.

b)

The turtle represents the speaker speaks slowly.

c)

The word rabbit suggests that the others in the school is fast and clumspy.

d)

The word rabbit suggests that others in the school move very fast.

e)

The turtle represents the speaker moves slow and the rabbit represents others move fast along with clumpsy.

2.

In line 4, which word could the poet replace

clamor with and keep the same meaning?

a)

hum

b)

noise

c)

talking

d)

roar

3.

What effect is created by the difference in the

reader’s point of view of the speaker and the

speaker’s point of view of himself?

a)

confusion

b)

sympathy

c)

suspense

d)

regret

4-7.

Lavash

Bread of the People

Bread is consumed the world over. However, some breads are more than just something to hold your

favorite sandwich together. Lavash is one such bread. This flatbread is found throughout Armenia,

Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkey. But it does more than provide sustenance. Lavash

brings together the people who eat it. It lets them continue their traditions and celebrate their culture.

Lavash was created out of ingenuity and necessity. It is a paper-thin, long, flatbread made from flour, water, and salt. The discovery of breadcrumbs at an archaeological site in Jordan dating back 14,000 years shows that bread was baked even before early humans formed settlements. The first breads were probably baked directly on top of hot embers, until people started using flat stones. These early breads would have had to be very thin to prevent them from burning. Hence, lavash was born.

Lavash has not changed much over its long history, and its simplicity is what has made it survive. As societies became more developed, the only change was that lavash was baked in underground earthen or stone ovens called tonirs, and it is often still baked that way today. Archaeologists have found tonirs that date back to the first millennium BCE, some even with pieces of lavash, proving the ancient beginnings of this humble food.

Baking this special bread has traditionally been a collective activity for female family and friends. The baking starts at sunrise, each woman responsible for one of the steps. The flour and water are kneaded together into balls of dough. Each ball is rolled into a sheet that is several feet long and then further stretched and manipulated by an experienced baker. The sheet is placed on top of a long cushion-like object. The cushion is used to “slap” the dough onto the very hot wall of a tonir, where it will stick. The thin dough bubbles and browns immediately, after which it is quickly removed with an iron rod.

In addition to baking the bread, there are other traditions in which lavash plays a role. In some cultures, a piece is placed on a bride’s shoulders or crumbled over her head to bring her luck. The same is sometimes done to newborns. Because it is such an expression of the culture of Armenia, in 2014, lavash was registered on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) list of Intangible Cultural Heritage for that country. A couple years later, it was added to the UNESCO lists for Azerbaijan, Turkey, Iran, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.

The joy of lavash comes not just from eating it, but from the story it tells of the people who have so lovingly baked it over centuries.

4.

Why did the author share information about an archaeological site in Jordan that is 14,000 years old?

a)

to tell the location where lavash bread was first

baked

b)

to highlight the importance of bread to

archaeologists

c)

to give scientific proof that supports the origin of

bread

d)

to offer a contrast to how lavash bread is baked

today

5.

Which TWO choices tell what the phrase “collective activity” means in paragraph 4?

a)

Baking lavash is done with a group.

b)

Baking lavash involves hard work.

c)

Baking lavash involves many steps.

d)

Baking lavash is something that requires

cooperation.

e)

Baking lavash involve gathering together many

things.

6.

Which BEST describes the structure of paragraph 4?

a)

It compares the traditional way of baking lavash

with how it is done today.

b)

It describes the responsibilities of women who

bake the lavash.

c)

It highlights the solutions that overcome the

difficulties in baking lavash.

d)

It explains the process for baking lavash in

sequential order.

7.

Which TWO choices tell how the structure of

paragraph 5 supports the author’s purpose?

a)

It compares the traditions in some countries with

those in others.

b)

It tells how lavash came to be part of certain

ceremonies.

c)

It explains traditions in which lavash plays a role.

d)

It lists the countries where lavash is popular.

e)

It provides support for the cultural significance of

lavash.

8-10.

Halloween Hijinks

The shadows grew darker as the group ventured deeper into the forest. With each step, the friends followed more closely behind Leo. He claimed to have previously traveled this shortcut, but the forest was also dense, untamed, and bustling with many varieties of wildlife.

“Are you sure you know where you’re going?” Rachel whispered to Leo, but he pretended he didn’t hear her.

Several moments later, he announced, “This path should take us out of the forest and right into . . .”

“. . . a clearing surrounded by more deep, dark forest,” finished Emmitt, to the sound of a loud, collective groan.

“Are you lying, Leo?” Maya demanded, her patience wearing thin, but he appeared startled and asked what he would possibly be lying about.

“Maybe about knowing your way through these woods,” Emmitt clarified, only to be reassured by Leo that he most definitely knew the way.

“It just looks different in the dark,” said Leo with a nervous laugh, “so I need a minute!”

It all began innocently enough as a typical Halloween night with four eighth-grade friends, four costumes, and a stellar plan to knock on doors until each bag held ten pounds of candy.

Leo was dressed in a wizard costume, Maya as pilot adventurer Bessie Coleman, and Rachel as Little Red Riding Hood. Emmitt was dressed as—well, Emmitt marches to the beat of his own drum: he sported a shirt that said Pretend I’m a Spider.

The friends were collecting candy when they spotted several high school kids. Rumor had it, they were on the prowl to terrify eighth graders, and the friends had no interest in becoming their targets. So, Leo convinced everyone they could slip away unnoticed if they took a shortcut (that he knew “really well”) through the woods.

As they rested in the clearing, Leo observed his friends’ reactions to his master plan. Emmitt reclined comfortably on a fallen log, Maya tried to calculate their location using constellations, and Rachel paced around the clearing muttering to herself.

“Well, at least there’s candy to survive on,” said Emmitt, tearing open another chocolate bar wrapper and taking a bite, “and maybe I can fashion twigs into drumsticks so I can still create music.”

As they rested in the clearing, Leo observed his friends’ reactions to his master plan. Emmitt reclined comfortably on a fallen log, Maya tried to calculate their location using constellations, and Rachel paced around the clearing muttering to herself.

“Well, at least there’s candy to survive on,” said Emmitt, tearing open another chocolate bar wrapper and taking a bite, “and maybe I can fashion twigs into drumsticks so I can still create music.”

“Music!” Emmitt suddenly repeated loudly, looking at his friends with a mischievous grin. “Do you hear what I hear?” he sang, as he proceeded directly into the dark thicket again.

The friends exchanged confused glances but immediately followed Emmitt, who walked as if he were being led by the Pied Piper, and soon they, too, started hearing the music that had enchanted him. Before long, they emerged from the brush on a familiar street near Leo's house, where someone was hosting a noisy party. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

As the group strode home laughing, Leo reveled in the notion that his clever scheme had brought his friends even closer together.

An Airport Adventure

We just touched down in San Diego;

Palm trees, sun, and away we go.

My first plane ride checked with ease;

Now let’s taste a Pacific breeze!

5 The airport’s confusing, loud, and busy.

“To the shuttle!” says Dad; Now I’m dizzy.

The shuttle is patient for us to come near,

But I’m finding it hard to control all my gear.

10 My headphones suddenly crash to the floor;

I grab them before I go through the door—

No way I could live a day without those—

But I look up and see the shuttle door close!

My mom’s face is panic; my dad looks alarmed.

15 My little bro waves as if nothing is wrong.

As I watch the shuttle lights fade ‘til they’re gone.

That’s the end, I suppose;

I’m completely alone.

How I longed for more time,

20 But now I’m on my own.

I suppose I’ll find a nice hotel

And work to earn my keep.

I’ll write my family lonesome notes

Each night before I sleep.

25 Or maybe I can find my way—

A proper vagabond—

I’ll ride in empty boxcar trains

And whistle travelin’ songs.

With a little luck, maybe some grace—

30 But wait! Is that my brother’s face?

Oh hey, the shuttle comes back to this place!

The door opens; my mom bursts through.

She hugs me before I know what to do.

I remind her, “We don’t do this anymore!”

35 Truth is, her hug makes me feel quite secure.

Mom asks, “Was it horrible? Full of strife?”

I reply, “Nah, I had the time of my life.”

Then Dad says, “Hurry through the door,

Or we’ll have the same problem we did before!”

40 Together again after one slight delay—

My brother even holds my hand that day.

It was quite the start to our family holiday!

8.

How do the story and the poem differ in the way the events are presented?

a)

The poem presents events in chronological

order, but the story’s events are not in order

because it includes a flashback.

b)

The poem presents events intermixed with

explanations of those events, but the story

allows the events to speak for themselves with

little or no explanation.

c)

The poem presents events from the point of view

of a character not involved in the narrative, while

the story is told from the character Leo’s point of

view.

d)

The poem presents events in the order of most

important to least important for understanding

the situation, while the story uses the traditional

time order of events.

9.

What are THREE ways the structure of the poem

is different from that of the story?

a)

The poem presents a single lost character who

gets saved, while the story presents multiple lost

characters who save themselves.

b)

The story uses dialogue to help move the action

forward, while the poem presents straight

narrative.

c)

The poem focuses on a character who more

calmly faces being lost than the characters in

the story.

d)

The story uses the order of events to create

some suspense, while the poem relies more on

humor and lightheartedness.

e)

The poem covers events that span a shorter

period of time than the events in the story.

10.

Which statement BEST explains how the

structure of each text impacts its meaning?

a)

Both the poem and the story present events out

of time order so the reader has a sense of the

characters’ confusion.

b)

Both the poem and the story use settings that

add a sense of magic and mystery to the

narrative events.

c)

The story’s use of description creates a more

vivid image of the characters and setting, while

the poem’s lack of description creates an eerie,

desolate mood.

d)

The poem’s focus on one character creates a

more internal examination of the theme,

whereas the multiple characters in the story

allow for more interaction to develop the theme.