1. Read this excerpt from the short story. Edge Level A Unit 3 Cluster 2 I Go Along Everybody in the class puts up their hands. I mean everybody. Even Marty Crawshaw, who s already married. And Pink Hohenfield, who s in class today for the first time this month. I put up mine. I go along. What does this tell you about Gene? A. his desk is in the back row B. he is curious about poetry C. he is a follower, not a leader D. his teacher is fair and nice The correct answer is C. Options A, B, and D are incorrect because they represent facts, details, or ideas drawn from the text but unrelated to the question being asked. This excerpt is found on page 205. Option A is incorrect because this excerpt does not tell the reader whether Gene sits in the back row. Option B is incorrect because this excerpt does not tell the reader whether Gene is interested in poetry. Option C is correct because this excerpt tells the reader that Gene is a follower everyone else raised a hand, so, as a follower, Gene raised a hand also. Option D is incorrect because this excerpt does not tell the reader whether Gene s teacher is nice or not. 2. What is the central conflict in this short story? F. the mixed message Gene has between his own self image and the fact that a smart, popular girl knows his name, wants to sit with him, and thinks he s smart G. the fact that Gene would face embarrassment from his classmates if he began to actively participate in their English class H. the unequal treatment of students in the period two English class and those in the Advanced English class both taught by the same English teacher I. the struggle Gene has about seeing himself as a student who is able to understand some poetry written and read by a poet who dresses like him The correct answer is F. Options G, H, and I are incorrect because they represent facts, details, or ideas drawn from the text but unrelated to the question being asked. Option F is correct because this question of Who is Gene as a student? is the central conflict of the story. Gene is a member of the second period English class in which only one student Copyright 2010 The Hampton-Brown Company, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of The National Geographic Society, publishing under the imprints National Geographic School Publishing and Hampton-Brown. Teachers are authorized to reproduce this material in limited quantities and solely for use in their own classrooms.
actively participates. Then, on the bus with the Advanced Class, a popular, cute girl, Sharon, calls Gene by name and wants to sit with him on the bus ride and at the poetry reading. As the reader learns on page 213, on the bus ride home, Sharon says, You re as bright as anybody on the bus. Brighter than some. As the reader learns on page 214, as the bus arrives back at school, Gene thinks about being in second period English tomorrow, and frankly it doesn t look that good. Option G is incorrect because this is a new concept to Gene and not the central conflict of the story. Before the bus trip to hear the poet, Gene has never thought of himself as a real student, one who participates in class and cares about getting an education. Option H is incorrect because this is a minor conflict at the beginning of the story. On page 205 the reader learns that Darla, a classmate of Gene s says, Hey, Mrs. Tibbetts, how come they get to go and we don t? Mrs. Tibbetts replies, I hadn t thought. There is unequal treatment, but that is not the central conflict in the story. Option I is incorrect because Gene is surprised that the poet is so like him. He came to the poetry reading thinking he d stay in the bus or tune out what was said by the poet. Instead Gene found he enjoyed himself. The reader learns about the poet by the description on page 210 which includes, In fact, he s dressed like me: Levi s and Levi s jacket.... It s weird, like there could be poets around and you wouldn t realize they were there. As the reader learns on page 211, after hearing the first poem Gene thinks, I could follow it. 3. Read the excerpt from the story. Sharon s more or less in with a group of the top girls around school. They re not even cheerleaders. They re a notch above that. The rest of them are up and down the aisle, but she stays put. We ve got a seat for you back here. Are you coming? But Sharon just says, I ll stay here with Gene. Like it happens every day. What message is given by Sharon s actions? A. Sharon would rather sit with a boy than sit with a group of girls. B. She d rather sit near the front of the bus, if there s an empty seat. C. You don t have to be a cheerleader to be popular in high school. D. You don t always have to follow the crowd you can be independent. The correct answer is D. Options A, B, and C are incorrect because they represent inaccurate interpretations of character, point of view, plot development, setting, conflict, or theme. The excerpt is found on page 208. Option A is incorrect because although this may appear to be her reason, Sharon s actions show that she wanted to sit with Gene because of who he is, not simply the fact that he s a boy. Option B is incorrect because when Gene gets on the bus (page 207) he wonders where he should sit. He finds an empty double and settle(s) by the window Sharon joins him by asking, Okay? The author never indicates whether the double seat was near the front of the bus. Option C is incorrect because Sharon s actions do not relate to her being popular. The fact that others ask her to join them may be considered evidence of her popularity, but her actions indicate her independence, not her popularity. Option D is correct because Sharon showed her independence by opting to sit with someone not in her English class both on the bus and at the poetry reading which seemed to surprise her friends and really surprised Gene. Hampton Brown Edge Level A, Unit 3, Cluster 2 2 of 6
4. By writing I Go Along, Richard Peck showed the reader that many things happen to teens in school that make them feel left out EXCEPT F. wishing you could always participate more in class G. thinking that others are smarter than you H. feeling that others are more popular than you I. recognizing that fellow classmates have different interests LA.910.1.7.3 The correct answer is F. Options G, H, and I are incorrect because they represent correct inferences or conclusions based on details found in the text. Option F is correct because wishing to participate more in class is not a topic in this story. Class participation is mentioned on page 204 when Gene notes, And right away Darla Craig s hand is up. It s up a lot. She doesn t know any more English than the rest of us, but she likes to talk. Option G is incorrect because thinking that others are smarter than you can lead to a teen thinking he/she is left out. On page 208 Gene reflects this feeling when he asks Sharon, How do you know me? Option H is incorrect because thinking that you are not as smart as others is a way in which teens feel left out. On page 208 Gene notices, She s got a notebook on her lap. Everybody seems to except me. Do you have to take notes? I say, because I feel like I m getting into something here. Option I is incorrect because recognizing that classmates have different interests can make a teen feel left out. On page 205 Mrs. Tibbetts says, I m taking some members of the other English class over to the college tonight, for a program. And on page 206, the reader learns that only Gene shows up from his class, Needless to say, I m the only one here from second period. 5. Read the excerpt from the short story. And I seem to be sprinting across the asphalt. I m on the bus, and the door s hissing shut behind me. When I swing past the driver s seat, I don t look at Mrs. Tibbetts, and she doesn t say anything. I wonder where I m supposed to sit. What was the author s purpose in writing this paragraph? A. Gene seems surprised to find he has actually boarded the bus. B. Gene likes to run fast on school property because it is not allowed. C. Gene is way too cool to look at his teacher when she is driving a bus. D. Gene doesn t know if the Advanced class students have assigned seats. LA.910.1.7.2 The correct answer is A. Options B, C, and D are incorrect because they represent facts and details that do not support the author s purpose or represent the author s perspective. The excerpt is found on page 207. Option A is correct because by using the phrase I seem to be sprinting the author is telling the reader that Gene didn t expect to be anxious to get on the bus or worried that he d be left behind. Instead, Gene is surprised to find himself running and Hampton Brown Edge Level A, Unit 3, Cluster 2 3 of 6
jumping on the bus. Dictionary.reference.com defines sprint as to race or move at full speed, esp. for a short distance, as in running, rowing. Option B is incorrect because the reader does not know whether Gene likes to run on school property or whether running on school grounds is prohibited. Option C is incorrect because the reader does not know Gene s motivation behind the fact that he didn t look at his teacher when he got on the bus. Option D is incorrect because although Gene seems to wonder if there are assigned seats, this is not the purpose for the excerpt. This is a detail that sets the stage for the action to follow. 6. Read the lines from the poem. Go home and write a page tonight. And let that page come out of you Then, it will be true. Edge Level A Unit 3 Cluster 2 Theme for English B The author of the poem in Theme for English B gives reasons why he wonders about the difficulty of the assignment EXCEPT F. he was born and schooled in North Carolina G. he walks to college H. he is African-American I. he is only twenty-two LA.910.1.7.3 The correct answer is G. Options F, H, and I are incorrect because they represent plausible but incorrect distractors based on the text. The excerpt is found on page 216. Option F is incorrect because after asking I wonder if it s that simple? Langston Hughes writes of the speaker I born in Winston-Salem/I went to school there, then Durham Both cities mentioned are in North Carolina. Option G is correct because on page 216 in lines 11-14 the author relates the route walked by the speaker to get from the college to the Harlem Branch Y where he lives. But this route is given to provide the setting of the poem; it is not provided as evidence of his questioning the difficulty of the assignment. Option H is incorrect because the speaker says he is colored and, in fact, I am the only colored student in my class. He wonders if the difficulty of the assignment will be different because he is African-American. Option I is incorrect because the speaker wonders if his age will affect the difficulty of the assignment. In line 7, he says I am twenty-two Hampton Brown Edge Level A, Unit 3, Cluster 2 4 of 6
7. What do the poets in I Go Along and Theme for English B NOT have in common? A. they are young in their 20s B. they write about themselves and life around them C. they write poems that do not rhyme D. they write about being a high school student LA.910.1.7.7 The correct answer is D. Options A, B, and C are incorrect because they represent similarities between the poets in the texts. Option A is incorrect because both poets are in their twenties. On page 210, the reader learns about the poet in I Go Along that he s only in his twenties. The poet in Theme for English B writes in line 7 I am twenty-two Option B is incorrect because both poets write about themselves. In I Go Along the poet writes about his wife and his life in high school while the poet in Theme for English B is writing about his life and his feelings about race. Option C is incorrect because the poems quoted (pages 211 and 212 as well as 216-218) show that these two poets write poems that do not rhyme. Option D is correct because only the poet in I Go Along writes about being a high school student as the reader learns on page 212. 8. Which is NOT a theme in the poem Theme for English B? F. People are more alike than they are different. G. A person s ethnicity does not absolutely define his/her interests. H. Students learn from teachers but teachers do not learn from students. I. Race does not totally establish who you are. The correct answer is H. Options F, G, and I are incorrect because they represent accurate interpretations of character, point of view, plot development, setting, conflict, or theme. Option F is incorrect because the poet sees similarities in everyone as he writes on page 217 in lines 25 and 26, I guess being colored doesn t make me not like/the same things other folks like who are other races. Option G is incorrect because lines 25 and 26 also say that a person s ethnicity doesn t define his/her interests. Option H is correct because the poet says that teachers teach students and students teach teachers. On page 217, lines 28-35, he talks about how teachers and students influence each other. His feelings are summed up on page 218 in lines 37 and 38: As I learn from you,/i guess you learn from me Option I is incorrect because on page 217 the poet is writing about race and how people from different races influence each other whether they want to or not. 9. What is the main idea of this poem? A. For non-white Americans, it is sometimes difficult to find and then freely express their identities. B. Most African-Americans college students attending city colleges are taught by white teachers. Hampton Brown Edge Level A, Unit 3, Cluster 2 5 of 6
C. We all learn from each other, regardless of age, gender, or race, as we change and grow as human beings. D. Some people struggle to find out what they want to be as an adult while they are in college. LA.910.1.7.3 The correct answer is C. Options A, B, and D are incorrect because they represent incorrect inferences or conclusions based on details found in the text. Option A is incorrect because this is not the main idea of the poem. The student says on page 216 in lines 16 and 17 that finding his identity may be hard because he is young, It s not easy to know what is true for you or me/at twenty-two, my age. Option B is incorrect because the student mentions that the teacher of English B is white, but he does not mention the race of any other teachers. This is not the main idea of the poem. Option C is correct because the student talks at length about people learning from each other. He refers to the fact that he is from a different part of the country; he is a different race from his teacher; he may not be the same age as his classmates, but he is younger than the teacher; and his living conditions may be different from his classmates and instructor. Option D is incorrect because although this may be true, this is not a topic in the poem or the main idea of the poem. 10. Which statement does NOT support the feeling of isolation and loneliness of the author in the poem? F. He is the only colored student in his class. G. He travels by himself from college to his residence. H. He lives alone up in his room. I. He likes to read and understand life. The correct answer is I. Options F, G, and H are incorrect because they represent inaccurate interpretations of character, point of view, plot development, setting, conflict, or theme. Option F is incorrect because this fact supports a feeling of isolation the poet may have as the reader learns on page 216, line 10, I am the only colored student in my class. Option G is incorrect because he tells the reader on page 216 how he walks from the college to the Harlem Branch Y where he lives alone. This may contribute to a feeling of isolation and loneliness. Option H is incorrect because the reader learns on page 216 in lines 14 and 15 that he lives alone where I take the elevator/up to my room which may contribute to a feeling of isolation and loneliness. Option I is correct because although reading may be a solitary activity, it does not give someone a feeling of isolation and loneliness. This is found on page 217 in line 22, I like to work, read, learn, and understand life. Hampton Brown Edge Level A, Unit 3, Cluster 2 6 of 6