Assessment of Unit 1, In Pursuit of StudySync
The main idea of this passage is:
PART A: The central idea of the last paragraph is ________________
PART B: Which sentence best supports your answer to Part A?
Egyptians stored food and drink in their tombs, because ________
It was the day I helped dad [1]
clean out the shed, when Sly, Jay Bird
and Rashad darted to our fence
and, still panting, said
they needed a fullback
for our neighborhood league.
Back then, we’d snag any open turf. [2]
Uniforms were street clothes
our parents bought the year before.
It was the Saturday of our fantasy [3]
playoffs, two teams of teens
whose lack of coordination meant
the ball slipped through shaky
hands like our chances of making the school squad.
We dreamed of screaming stadiums, [4]
cheerleaders boogying their beautiful bodies,
fans stomping the stands every time
one of us dove toward the end zone.
We were at that age when bragging rights
shined brighter than Super Bowl rings.
They asked if I could kick up the field with them. [5]
I frizzled when dad said, No, he’s busy.
That was the Saturday Mrs. Brown mulched
her rose bush and Mr. Graham set sprinklers
in a lawn that looked like AstroTurf.
That was the day I heard my boys [6]
laugh two yards over, yelling touch down!
I went back inside the shed to help dad [7]
move a spool of fat cables
before I saw black billows of smoke
over the shed before Mrs. Brown and
Mr. Graham called us out [8]
to see a planted torch
blazing near the two struck matches.
I watched Sly and Jay Bird break [9]
under the sun’s interrogative gaze. I watched
angry fingers aim blame at one another.
I watched, grateful dad said no,
that accusations weren’t huddled over me,
screaming: Why you lying!
You know you set that fire!
I lay in the grass, watching [10]
my friends’ parents whip them.
Rashad cried loud enough to scatter birds
from the lamp posts. That’s
when I ran home.
“What My Father Said” from Point Blank by Alan King. Copyright © 2017. All rights reserved.
An old argument is that to be a poem, the text must have a rhyme scheme. "What My Father Said" does not have a rhyme scheme, so why is it still considered a poem? Explain two reasons being as specific as possible.
The central idea of this poem is that a boy wants to play football with his friends, but is put to work by his dad.
PART A: What can you infer "frizzled" means in line 22?
"I frizzled when dad said, No, he’s busy."
PART B. Which quote from the text best supports the answer to Part A?
What poetic device is used in Lines 19-20?
"We were at that age when bragging rights
shined brighter than Super Bowl rings. "
Which line(s) from the poem is the best example of alliteration?
Stanza [9] is the best example of what two poetic devices?
"I watched Sly and Jay Bird break [9]
under the sun’s interrogative gaze. I watched
angry fingers aim blame at one another.
I watched, grateful dad said no,
that accusations weren’t huddled over me,
screaming: Why you lying!
You know you set that fire!"
R.A.C.E Response! Explain how the speaker's attitude towards not being able to play with his friends changes from the beginning to end of the poem. Use evidence from the text to support your answer.
Infer what happens next:
It had been a beautiful sunny day. Now George saw the clouds begin to roll in. The gentle breeze
of the day started blowing steadily. In the distance the blue sky was now a dark, angry purple. Far
away, but coming closer, George saw something that scared him. He ran to the house to tell his
mother that they needed to get into the storm cellar right away.
PART A: Infer WHERE this passage takes place:
I arrived early for my appointment. The place was busy and smelled of chemicals. I found a place to sit and
wait. The lady next to me had a towel around her head. I heard a blow dryer in the distance. It was loud over
the music that was playing.
PART B: Provide a piece of textual evidence to support your answer to Part A (Questions 14).
Infer WHERE this passage takes place:
As I entered the door, I thought this was a great way to end the day. The chalkboard menu had a list of
specialties, like sundaes and banana splits. I looked at all the flavors. Chocolate is my favorite, but peppermint
sounded good, too.
Prose writing must follow the rules of grammar while poetry does not.
What is the rhyme scheme of this poem excerpt?
Love and harmony combine,
And around our souls intwine.
While thy branches mix with mine,
And our roots together join.
Joys upon our branches sit,
Chirping loud and singing sweet;
Like gentle streams beneach our feet,
Innocence and virtue meet.
Poems are broken into sections, or paragraphs, known as __________________
Underline one piece of evidence that best supports this statement: Radiation is extremely dangerous to be around.
Underline one piece of evidence that best supports this statement: Ghulam Ali believes that God will ultimately decide whether or not they are successful.
