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MCAP Practice ELA 6 Section 2

Last updated 8 months ago
13 questions
Today you will read the passage “The Pedlar of Swaffham” and the passage “The Wheat on the Chessboard.” Then you will answer questions about the passages and write a response in which you analyze both texts. Read the passage “The Pedlar of Swaffham.” Then answer the questions.

The Pedlar of Swaffham retold by Kendal A. Rautzhan

1 In Norfolk, England, in a village called Swaffham, there once lived a poor pedlar. The pedlar had a cottage, a small yard with a big oak tree, and a loyal dog as his constant companion. Every day he traveled from village to village with his pack on his back.

2 “What do you need?” he would shout. “I have gloves, ribbons, pins, needles, thread, necklaces, and wooden spoons.”

3 Although the townsfolk enjoyed the friendly pedlar’s company, he rarely sold anything. He’d often come home tired and hungry. But as poor as he was, the pedlar always made certain that his dog was well fed and that he had a few coins to give his church every week.

4 One night the pedlar had an unusual dream. He was standing on London Bridge, surrounded by fine shops and homes. On the River Thames below, graceful swans floated among gleaming ships and rowboats. As the pedlar admired the scene, he heard a voice in the distance.

5 “Go to London and stand on the bridge,” the voice urged him. “There you will hear happy news.”

6 When the pedlar awoke the next morning, he paid no attention to the dream or its mysterious message. But that night, he dreamed the same dream again, and the next night, he dreamed it a third time.

7 But London is so far away, the pedlar thought. He sorted through his pack, which still held plenty of goods. Perhaps he could sell some things as he traveled, just enough to pay for food and shelter.

8 The next morning, the pedlar and his dog set off for London. To his dismay, the journey was even longer and harder than he’d expected. He didn’t sell much along the way, so when he finally reached the bridge, his muscles ached from exhaustion.

9 Still, the pedlar was encouraged, for the bridge looked just as it had in his dream. There were elegant shops and houses, and hundreds of people bustled about. The River Thames was just as he had dreamed, too, with swans, ships, and little boats rowed by men wearing red caps.

10 All day the pedlar stayed on the bridge, waiting to hear the happy news. But instead he heard the shouts of men carrying loads who pushed past him. “Out of my way!” they cried. The next day was the same.

11 On the third day, a shopkeeper who had noticed the pedlar standing around approached him.

12 “I can see you’re from the country,” the shopkeeper observed with a haughty smile. “City folks don’t want village goods. You don’t expect to sell your things here, do you?”

13 “No, I suppose not,” replied the pedlar.

14 “Then what exactly are you doing?” the shopkeeper inquired.

15 “Well, sir,” the pedlar began, “I’m waiting. For three nights straight, I dreamed that if I came and stood on London Bridge, I would hear good news.”

16 “You came all this way . . . because of a dream? To hear good news?” the shopkeeper asked in disbelief.

17 “Er— yes,” said the pedlar, feeling embarrassed.

18 The shopkeeper chuckled. “Dreams are nothing but nonsense,” he declared. “Why, just last night I dreamed I was in a village with some ridiculous name— Swaffham— outside some poor pedlar’s cottage. I started digging around a big oak tree, through stones and dirt, until I discovered a heap of gold coins.

19 “Can you imagine if I were to walk all the way to this Swaffham place, just because of some foolish dream? Of course not!” the shopkeeper bellowed. “A man belongs at home, where he can handle his business. My advice? Return to where you came from.”

20 “I believe I will,” said the pedlar, grinning. “Many thanks for your wisdom.”

21 And without a moment’s hesitation, the pedlar and his dog headed back to Swaffham.

22 When they arrived home three days later, the pedlar pulled out his shovel and began to dig around the big oak tree. It wasn’t long before he came upon the treasure: heaps of gold coins, so many that it took him two days to count them all.

23 But the pedlar didn’t forget to share his wealth with his beloved village. His church had been crumbling into ruins for many years, so he paid to have it restored to its proper glory. When the pedlar died at a ripe old age, the people of Swaffham put up a statue of him with his pack on his back and his loyal dog by his side.

Historical Note

Many believe that the legendary pedlar is based on John Chapman, a 15th- century church warden. Swaffham Church records show that Chapman paid to build a new north aisle and repair the church spire in 1462. Today, wood carvings of Chapman and his little dog are displayed at each end of Swaffham Church’s front pew, honoring his generosity. The pair is also featured on the Swaffham town sign.
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Question 1 - What is the meaning of the word haughty as it is used in paragraph 12 of the passage “The Pedlar of Swaffham”?

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Question 2 Part A - How do paragraphs 1 through 3 in “The Pedlar of Swaffham” contribute to the development of the plot of the passage?

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Question 2 Part B - Which detail from the passage best supports the answer to Part A?

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Question 3 - Which two details should be included in a summary of the passage “The Pedlar of Swaffham”? A

Read the passage “The Wheat on the Chessboard.” Then answer the questions.

The Wheat on the Chessboard: An Old Tale from India by Liz Huyck

1 Long ago, a wise Indian mathematician called Sessa invented the game of chess to amuse his friend the king. The king was delighted with the game and told Sessa to name anything he liked as his reward, boasting that the wealth of his kingdom was limitless. But instead of gold, jewels, elephants, or palaces, after much thought Sessa told the king that he wished only a few grains of wheat.

2 “What?!?” exclaimed the king, greatly astonished.

3 “I am a simple man,” replied Sessa, “and my wants are few. But since you enjoy my chessboard so much, give me a single grain of wheat for the first square, two grains for the second, four for the third, and so on. For each square double the last, as each day of play doubles our delight. That will mean more to me than all the riches in the world.”

4 “Very well!” said the king, a little irritated, thinking that Sessa was mocking his wealth. “If that’s all he wants,” he told his treasurer, “give it to him!”

5 The first day, the treasurer presented Sessa with a single grain of wheat, to the huge amusement of the court. The second day, he got two, on a little cushion. The great lords roared with laughter. But Sessa kept his thoughts to himself.

6 On the ninth day, Sessa received 256 grains, enough to make a small handful. But the very next day, he had two handfuls. It took Sessa 16 days to get enough wheat to fill a large bag. But only one more day to get two bags. The day after, he had four bags. The courtiers stopped laughing and started whispering.

7 By the end of the month, wagons filled with grain were rumbling toward Sessa’s house, and the treasurer began to look worried. Quaking in his boots, he went to see the king.

8 “Highness!” he trembled. “Please look over my calculations, but I don’t think they are in error. By his simple doubling, Sessa has now collected nearly all our stores of wheat! What shall we do? If we continue at this rate the treasury will soon be bankrupt, and I doubt there is enough wheat in the entire world to pay him!”

9 The king was amazed by the treasurer’s words, but he checked and double checked the arithmetic, and there was no doubt. In horror he saw that by the last of the 64 squares, he would owe Sessa a total of 18,446,744,073,709,551,615 grains of wheat! He could not even imagine so many grains— they would make a pile of wheat larger than the largest mountain. That much wheat could not be gathered if all of India grew nothing else for the next 2,000 centuries!

10 There was nothing for the king to do but call Sessa before him, confess the foolishness of his rash promise, and take back his boasts about his limitless wealth.

11 “Sire!” Sessa replied. “Let us say no more about the wheat. I am happy with what I have already— I forgive you the second half of the chessboard.”

12 With that the king and Sessa remained the best of friends and enjoyed many games of chess together. And the clever Sessa got the real reward he had wanted all along— a wiser and more mathematical king.

Historical Note

Though no one can say for sure if it really happened, this story has been around for as long as chess, which was probably invented in northern India about 1,500 years ago. It is a fun illustration of how quickly a series of numbers that grows by multiplying can get out of hand, even if it starts out slowly. The amount of wheat for just the first square on the second half of the chessboard is as much as the entire first half!
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Question 4 - What is the meaning of the word bankrupt as it is used in paragraph 8 of “The Wheat on the Chessboard”?

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Question 5 Part A - How does the author develop the point of view of the treasurer and other courtiers in paragraphs 4 through 7 of the passage “The Wheat on the Chessboard”?

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Question 5 Part B - Which two details from the passage best support the answer to Part A?

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Question 6 Part A - How does the king’s attitude change during the passage “The Wheat on the Chessboard”?

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Question 6 Part B - Which two details from the passage best support the answer to Part A?

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Question 7 Part A Which statement best states a theme that is developed in both passages?

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Question 7 Part B - Which statement about both passages best supports the answer to Part A?

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Question 8 - How do the narrators of both “The Pedlar of Swaffham” and “The Wheat on the Chessboard” reveal that the main character shows determination?

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Question 9 - The main characters in “The Pedlar of Swaffham” and “The Wheat on the Chessboard” share similar character traits. Write a response analyzing how their shared traits contribute to the development of the theme of the two stories. Use evidence from both passages to support your ideas.