Winter Break Packet
Grade 8 – English
Name ____________________________________
Due Wednesday, January 4
CLA parents – Please ensure your child answers every question in this packet.
The articles reinforce other content areas and also preview background for our next novel to set
your child up for success. Additionally, the essay question is required writing over break.
Recordallofyouranswersonthispage.
ElieWiesel: 1._________ ToastingMarshmallows:
5._________ 8._________ Complaining: 11._________
14._________
17._________
Earthquakes: 21._________
25._________
TakingHisBestShots:
29._________
33._________
37._________
Snow: :
39._________
42._________
46._________
Name_____________________________________
2._________ 3._________ 4._________
6._________ 7._________ 9._________ 10._________
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13._________
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20._________
22._________
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26._________
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28._________
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31._________
32._________
34._________
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36._________
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45._________
47._________
48._________
Essayquestion:In500wordsorless,shareandincidentwhenyouorsomeoneyouknowwastreatedunfairly
oryoutreatedsomeoneunfairlybasedonrace,socioeconomicstatus,gender,religion,etc.Whywasthis
judgmentwrong?Howdidtheexperienceaffectyou?Whathaveyoudoneandwhatwillyoudotohelpend
intoleranceandcreateamoreinclusivecommunity?
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ElieWiesel,Nobel-winningauthorofHolocaustmemoir"Night,"diesat87
ByWashingtonPost
HolocaustsurvivorElieWiesel,thememorykeeperforvictimsofNazipersecutionandaNobelPrizewinner,
diedJuly2athishomeinNewYork.Hewas87.
BythetimeofWiesel'sdeath,millionsaroundtheworldhadread"Night,"hisaccountoftheconcentration
campswherehewatchedhisfatherdieandwherehismotherandyoungersisterwerekilled.Heusedhis
moralauthoritytoforceattentiononcrueltyaroundtheworld,andpresidentsinvitedhimtotheWhiteHouse
todiscusshumanrightsabusesinBosnia,Iraqandelsewhere.ThechairmanoftheNorwegianNobel
Committeecalledhima"messengertomankind."
AMoralVoiceEmerges
In1945,whenheemerged,gauntandneardeath,fromBuchenwaldconcentrationcamp,therewaslittle
indicationofthemarkhewouldmakeontheworld.FewHolocaustsurvivorsspokeopenlyaboutthewar,and
thosewhodidoftenfeltignored.DecadesbeforeaHolocaustmuseumstoodindowntownWashington,D.C.,
WieselhelpedforcethepublictoconfronttheHolocaust.
Whenthelastsurvivordies,sowillthevoiceofthepersonwhocansay,"Thisismystory;Iwasthere,"said
HolocaustscholarDeborahLipstadt."ButinElieWiesel,wehadthatvoicewithamegaphonethatwasn't
matchedbyanyoneelse."ToforgettheHolocaust,healwayssaid,wouldbetokillthevictimsasecondtime.
"ElieWieselwasoneofthegreatmoralvoicesofourtime,andinmanyways,theconscienceoftheworld,"
saidPresidentBarackObama,whodescribedWieselas"adearfriend."ObamaaccompaniedWieselto
BuchenwaldwheretheywalkedamongthebarbedwireandguardtowersofBuchenwald."Eliespokewords
I'veneverforgotten-'Memoryhasbecomeasacreddutyofallpeopleofgoodwill,'"Obamasaid.
SpeakingOutAgainstEvil
Wieselwasinhis20swhenhefirstwrote"Night,"whichatfirstwasturneddownbypublisherafterpublisher.
ThevolumecapturesallofthemostimportantimagesoftheHolocaust:theteemingghettoswheremany
struggledtobelievethattheworstwasyettocome,thecattlecars,thecrowdedbarrackswheretheprisoners
lived,thesmokestacks.
HesaidduringhisNobelspeechthatJewishissueswereclosetohisheart,butothercauseswerejustas
important,hesaid.HespokeoutonbehalfofSovietJews,CambodiansandtheKurds,amongother
populations.HedeclaredhissupportfortheU.S.invasionofIraqin2003,maintainingthattheUnitedStates
hasanobligationtobecomeinvolvedwhenevilcomestopower.
AYouthCutShort
EliezerWieselwasbornSeptember30,1928,inSighet,atowninmodern-dayRomania.Wieselgrewupina
tight-knit,observantlyJewishfamily,theonlysonofagrocer,Shlomo,andhiswife,Sarah.Sogreatwasthe
boy'sreligiouszeal,instilledinhimbyhisgrandfather,thatheweptinprayeratthesynagogue.Hebecamea
raptstudentoftheJewishmystics,whotaughtthatmeaningcouldbedecipheredfromnumbers.
Wieselwas15yearsoldwhentheNazissenthimtoAuschwitzwherethenumberA-7713wastattooedonhis
leftarm.Hesaidthatwhenheturned18,hewasn'treally18,thecampshavingturnedhimprematurelyinto
anoldman.AfterhisliberationfromBuchenwald,Wieselfoundhimselfonatrainoforphansthatendedupin
France.Histwooldersistershadsurvived,andthesiblingswerereunitedafteroneofthegirls,alsolivingin
France,spottedherbrother'sfaceinanewspaper.
ANewHomeInFrance,ThenAmerica
"Thetime:Afterthewar.Theplace:Paris.Ayoungmanstrugglestoreadjusttolife,"saidWieselinhisNobel
lecture."Onthevergeofdespair.Andyethedoesnotgiveup.Onthecontrary,hestrivestofindaplace
amongtheliving.Heacquiresanewlanguage.Hemakesafewfriendswho,likehimself,believethatthe
memoryofevilwillserveasashieldagainstevil;thatthememoryofdeathwillserveasashieldagainstdeath.
Thishemustbelieveinordertogoon."
In1956,heimmigratedtotheUnitedStates.HebecameanAmericancitizen,andfirstworkedforaJewish
newspaperandthentaughtformorethan30yearsatBostonUniversity.Hewrotemorethan40worksof
literature,includingnovels,plays,memoirsandessays.TheywererootedintheJewishthoughthelearned
firstfromhisgrandfatherandrabbisinSighet.Wieseloftensaidthathefoundhopeintheyoung,inbothhis
studentsandhisownchild.HissonShlomoElishaWieselsurviveshim,asdoeshiswife,theformerMarion
ErsterRose,aHolocaustsurvivorwhomhemarriedin1969.
Inhislectures,heoftenlookedsmallandfragile,andwouldsaythathehopednottolivelongenoughtobe
thelastsurvivorbecausetheburdenwouldbetoogreat."Wisemenrememberbest,"WieselsaidinhisNobel
lecture,"andyetitissurelyhumantoforget,eventowanttoforget."OnlyGodandGodalonecanandmust
remembereverything."
1.WhichstatementwouldbeMOSTimportanttoincludeinasummaryofthearticle?
A.ElieWieselwascalleda"messengertomankind"byaNobelCommitteechairman.
B.ElieWieseldrewattentiontotheHolocaustinhisfamousnovel"Night."
C.ElieWieselwasborninSeptember1928inmodern-dayRomania.
D.ElieWieselimmigratedtotheUnitedStatesin1956andbecameanAmericancitizen.
2.WhichcentralideaisMOSTsupportedbythesection"ANewHomeInFrance,ThenAmerica"?
A.Wieselworkedasanadvocateforpersecutedpopulationsaroundtheworld.
B.Wieselbelieveditispeople'sdutytorememberevilsotheycanpreventitinthefuture.
C.Wieselwasmostfamousforwritinghisnovel"Night"abouthisexperiencesintheHolocaust.
D.WieselstruggledtofindhisfamilyandrecoverfromhisexperiencesintheHolocaust.
3.WhatistheMOSTlikelyreasonwhytheauthorincludedthequotesaboutWieselinthefirsttwosections
ofthearticle?
A.toshowhowfamoushewas
B.toillustratehispopularity
C.toshowthatmanypeoplehadreadhisbook
D.toillustratetheimportanceofhislegacy
4.WhatisthemostimportantreasonwhyElieWieselwillberemembered?
A.forwinningtheNobelPrize
B.forbeingfreedfromBuchenwald
C.forspeakingoutagainstpersecution
D.forfindinghissistersafterthewar
Onewaytomakeadecisionaboutsomethingistodoanexperimenttoseewhatislikelytohappen.Readthe
passagebelowtofindouthowKalvinthoughtaboutimprovingtheoddssothathecanhaveabetterchanceof
eatinghisfavoritecerealeachmorning.
TossingMarshmallows
1Kalvin,aneighthgrader,alwayshascerealforbreakfast.HelikesCocoaBlastcerealsomuchthathewants
toeatiteverymorning.Kalvin’smotherwantshimtoeatHealthNutFlakesatleastsomemorningsbecauseit
ismorenutritiousthanCocoaBlast.Kalvinandhismotherhavecomeupwithafunwaytodeterminewhich
cerealKalvinwillhaveforbreakfast.Eachmorning,Kalvinflipsacoin.Ifthecoincomesupheads,hewillhave
CocoaBlast.Ifthecoincomesuptails,hewillhaveHealthNutFlakes.Kalvindiscoveredthatwithacointhe
resultsarealwaysequal.Thismeantthathehadthesamechanceofgettingaheadonacointossashewould
atail.Kalvincameupwithanewidea.
2Kalvinlookedthroughthekitchencupboardand
foundabagoflargemarshmallowsandabagof
smallmarshmallows.Hethoughtthata
marshmallowmightbeagoodthingtoflipand
wonderedwhichsizewouldbebetter.Since
KalvinwantstoeatCocoaBlastmostofthetime,
heneedstofindmarshmallowthatlandsinone
position-eitheronitssideorononeofitsflat
ends-mostofthetime.Oncehedecideswhich
typeofmarshmallowisbetter,hewillaskhis
motherifhemayusethemarshmallowinsteadof
acoinfordecidinghiscerealeachmorning.When
Kalvindidhisexperiment,hetossedeachsize
marshmallow50times.Hekepttrackofhisdata
carefullybyorganizingitinthetable.
5.KalvinwillhavetoeatHealthNutFlakesinthemorningifthefollowingistrue:
A.Heflipsacoinanditlandsheads-up
B.Heflipsacoinanditlandstail-sideup
C.Heflipsamarshmallowanditlandsonitsside D.Hedoesn’tfinishhishomeworkthenightbefore
6.WhatisthemainreasonforKalvin’sexperiment?
A.Tocompletehishomeworkassignment B.Toseeifmarshmallowsflipthesamewaycoinsdo
C.Topracticehismath
D.Toimprovethechancethathewillgettoeathisfavoritebreakfastcereal
7.AfterlookingatKalvin’sdatatable,whichofthefollowingistrue?
A.Thesmallmarshmallowismorelikelythanthelargeonetolandonitsend
B.ThelargemarshmallowisthebestoneforKalvintoflip
C.Thelargemarshmallowlandsonitssidemostofthetime
D.MarshmallowsarenotasnutritiousasHealthNutFlakes
8.Theauthor’spurposeforincludingthe“DidYouKnow?”textboxis
A.toaddaninterestingfactaboutmarshmallows B.toaddaninterestingfactaboutmath
C.toarguethatmarshmallowsareunhealthytoeat
D.toarguethatmoremathshouldbetaughtinschools
9.Basedontheinformationinthepassage,whichofthefollowingmostlikelyhappensnext?
A.Kalvinasksifhecanflipacoin
B.KalvineatsHealthNutFlakes
C.Kalvinaskshismotherifhecanflipasmallmarshmallow
D.Kalvineatsabagel
10.Thetallymarksinthedatatablerepresent
A.marshmallows
B.flips
C.coins
D.strikes
Read a chapter from Maya Angelou’s autobiography, Wouldn’t Take Nothing For My Journey Now,
which describes events from the author’s childhood. Answer the questions that follow.
Complaining
byMayaAngelou
1Whenmygrandmotherwas
raisingmeinStamps,Arkansas,
shehadaparticularroutinewhen
peoplewhowereknowntobe
whinersenteredherstore.
Whenevershesawaknown
complainercoming,shewouldcall
mefromwhateverIwasdoingandsayconspiratorially,
“Sister,comeinside.Come.”OfcourseIwouldobey.
2Mygrandmotherwouldaskthecustomer,“Howareyou
doingtoday,BrotherThomas?”Andthepersonwouldreply,
“Notsogood.”Therewouldbeadistinctwhineinthevoice.
“Notsogoodtoday,SisterHenderson.Yousee,it’sthis
summer.It’sthissummerheat.Ijusthateit.Oh,Ihateitso
much.Itjustfrazzlesmeupandfrazzlesmedown.Ijusthate
theheat.It’salmostkillingme.”thenmygrandmother
wouldstandstoically,herarmsfolded,andmumble,“Uhhuh,uh-huh.”Andshewouldcuthereyesatmetomake
certainthatIhadheardthelamentation.
Maya Angelou (1928-) is not only a successful
writer but also an important figure in the Civil
Rights Movement.
Her childhood, adolescence, and
early
adulthood were all difficult. She
was abused at
age eight, after which she didn’t speak to
anyone except her brother for four years. In
order to scrape together a living as a young
mother, Angelou
took on a number of odd jobs,
including waitressing, acting, singing, and
dancing, all the while writing lyrics and poems.
In the 1950s, she moved to New York, where
she connected with other black artists and got
involved with the Civil Rights Movement. After
the assassinations of both Malcolm X and
Martin Luther King, both of whom she was
close with, she began writing in earnest.
Her memoir and most famous book,
I Know
Why the Caged Bird Sings, was published in
1970. From there, her fame as a writer grew
enormously. At President Clinton’s request, she
composed a poem for his presidential
inauguration.
3Atanothertimeawhinerwouldmewl,“Ihateplowing.at
packed-downdirtain’tgotnoreasoning,andmulesain’t
gotgoodsense....Sureain’t.It’skillingme.Ican’tnever
seemtogetdone.Myfeetandhandsstaysore,andIgetdirtinmyeyesandupmynose.Ijustcan’tstandit.”
Andmygrandmother,againstoicallywithherarmsfolded,wouldsay,“Uh-huh,uh-huh,”andthenlookatme
andnod.
4Assoonasthecomplainerwasoutofthestore,mygrandmotherwould
callmetostandinfrontofher.And
thenshewouldsaythesamethingshe
hadsaidatleastathousandtimes,itseemedtome.“Sister,didyou
hear
whatBrotherSo-and-SoorSisterMuchtoDocomplainedabout?Youheard
that?”AndIwouldnod.
Mammawouldcontinue,“Sister,therearepeople
whowenttosleepallovertheworldlastnight,poorand
richandwhiteand
black,butneverwakeagain.Sister,thosewhoexpectedtorisedidnot,theirbeds
becametheircoolingboards,andtheirblanketsbecametheirwindingsheets.Andthosedeadfolkswould
giveanything,anythingatallforjust
fiveminutesofthisweatherortenminutesofthatplowingthatperson
was
grumblingabout.Soyouwatchyourselfaboutcomplaining,Sister.Whatyou’resupposedtodowhen
youdon’tlikeathingischangeit.Ifyoucan’tchangeit,changethewayyouthinkaboutit.Don’tcomplain.”
5Itissaidthatpersonshavefewteachablemomentsintheirlives.Mammaseemedtohavecaughtmeat
eachoneIhadbetweentheageofthreeandthirteen.Whiningisnotonlygraceless,butcanbedangerous.It
canalertabrutethatavictimisintheneighborhood.
11.Inparagraph1,theword“conspiratorially”isusedtodescribe
A.theknowncomplainer.
B.thenarrator’sbehavior.
C.thewaythegrandmotherspoke. D.thegrandmother’ssister.
12.Accordingtothepassagewhichofthefollowingisanexampleofa“knowncomplainer”?
A.Mamma
B.BrotherThomas C.kidsaged3-13
D.SisterHenderson
13.Howdidthegrandmothertreatknowncomplainerswhocameintoherstore?
A.Shewouldlistentowhattheyhadtosay.
B.Shewouldignorethem.
C.Shewouldkickthemoutofthestore.
D.Shewouldconfrontthemabouttheircomplaining.
14.What’sthefirstcluethatthegrandmotherwantedthenarratortolearnalessonaboutcomplaining?
A.Shecomparedcomplainingtobeingdead.
B.Shewouldcallherintothestorewhenshesawacomplainercoming.
C.Shesaid“Don’tcomplain.”
D.Shesaidwhiningisgracelessanddangerous.
15.Howdidthenarrator’sgrandmotherfeelaboutpeoplelikeBrotherThomas?
A.disapproving
B.sympathetic
C.stoic
D.puzzled
16.Inparagraph4,thereferencesto“coolingboards”and“windingsheets”arethegrandmother’swayof
sayingthatthepeoplesheistalkingaboutare
A.waiting. B.frazzled. C.sleeping. D.dead.
17.Whatdoesthegrandmotherbelievetheauthorshoulddowhenshedoesn’tlikesomething?
A.complainaboutit
B.changeit
C.findotherswhofeelthesameway
D.talktosomeoneaboutit
18.Thelastparagraphgivesthiswarning:“Whiningisnotonlygraceless,butcanbedangerous.”Whatdoes
theauthormeanbythis?
A.Complainingcancausepeoplewhomightotherwiselikeyoutoavoidyou.
B.Ifyoucomplaintoomuch,youwillnotgetmuchdone.
C.Complainingsuggestsweakness,sopeoplemightmistreatyou.
D.Ifyoucomplaintoomuch,youwillnotliveverylong.
19.Whatistheauthor’sattitudetowardhergrandmotherandthelessonaboutcomplaining?
A.disrespectful
B.appreciative
C.resentful
D.cautionary
20.Whatistheauthor’spurposeinwritingthispassage?
A.toshowhowhergrandmothertaughtheravaluablelesson
B.towarnkidsaboutthedangersofcomplaining
C.toshowhowhergrandmotherdislikedcomplainers
D.todescribewhatitwasliketoworkinhergrandmother’sstore
Whatcausestheearthtoshake,crack,andquake?Thisquestionisoneforwhichphilosophersandscientists
gaveanswersthroughoutthecenturies.Thepassagebelowtraceshowtheanswerto“whatcauses
earthquakes?’”changedfrommythicaltoscientificexplanationsobtainedthroughobservationsand
investigations.
Earthquakes
WhatCausesEarthquakes?
1Ancientpeoplesdidnothavescientificexplanationsforearthquakes.Instead,theycreatedmythsand
legendstoexplainwhattheycouldnotunderstand.Inmanyearlycultures,peoplebelievedthattheearthwas
carriedonthebacksofanimalssuchasoxen,frogs,orsnakes.Forexample,someNativeAmericansbelieved
thatsevenseaturtleshelduptheearth.Whentheymoved,theearthcrackedandquakesfollowed.
2InIndia,peopleoncebelievedthatfourelephantssupportedtheearth.eelephantsstoodonthebackofa
turtle,whiletheturtlebalancedonasnake.Ifanyoftheseanimalsmadeeventhesmallestmovement,the
earthwouldtrembleandcauseaquake.
3TheancientGreeksthoughtthatearthquakesshowedthegods’anger.AgiantnamedAtlashadrebelled
againstthegods.Aspunishment,hehadtoholduptheworldonhisshoulders.WhenAtlasshruggedhis
shoulders,theGreekssaid,anearthquaketookplace.
4Aristotle,theGreekphilosopher,wasoneofthefirsttotrytoexplainearthquakesusinglogicasopposedto
myth.Hebelievedthathotairwascaughtinundergroundcaves.Asthehotwindblewandtriedtoescape,
earthquakesoccurred.WilliamShakespeare,theEnglishwriter,mentionsthisideainoneofhisplays,Henry
IV.
5Earlyscientistsbelievedthatlargemovementsofrockshadsomethingtodowithearthquakes.Butmostof
thosescientiststhoughtthemovementwascausedbyundergroundexplosions.
APuzzlingIssue
6Onethingthatfascinatedearlyscientistswastheshapeofthecontinents.In1620,EnglishscholarSirFrancis
Baconnoticedhowsimilarinshapethecontinentswere.ThecoastofEuropelookedasifitmightmatchup
withtheNorthAmericancoastline.AndthecurveofCentralAmericaappearedtofitthewesternbulgeof
Africa.AFrenchnaturalist,GeorgedeBuffon,noticedthatmanysimilaranimalsandplantslivedinEuropeand
NorthAmerica.Couldtheyhavebrokenapartmillionsofyearsago?Whatpowerfulforcesmighthavecaused
suchbreaks?
7AGermanscientist,AlfredWegener,thoughthehadtheanswerstothesequestions.In1912,Wegener
proposedatheoryofcontinentaldrift.Hesuggestedthatabout200millionyearsago,thecontinentswere
onelandmass.Atsomepoint,thecontinentshadbrokenoff,andwerefloatingordriftingapart.
8Atfirst,scientistscriticizedWegener’sideas.Butthatchangedwhensimilarfossilswerefoundonevery
continent.Sinceprehistoricanimalscouldnothavecrossedtheoceans,scientiststheorizedthattheremust
haveoncebeenonlyasinglelargecontinent.
9Bythe1960’s,scientistshadfoundevidencetosupportWegener’stheory.Whentheybegantoexplorethe
ocean,scientistsdiscoveredagiantmountainrange.Acrackrunsthroughthecenterofmostofit.Partof
whatmakesupthismountainrangeishotliquid,ormagma.Asthehotrockshifts,deepcrevicesarecreated
andthemagmapushesupward,formingnewportionsoftheseafloor.Asthisseafloorgrows,itmoves
thecontinentsapart.Theyseemtobefloatinganddriftingalongthesurfaceoftheearthlikegiantrafts.
istheoryofcontinentaldriftledtoagreaterunderstandingofdifferentreasonswhyearthquakesoccur.
Moderndayscientistscannotonlynowpredictwhereandwhenearthquakesmightoccurbuttheyhavealso
developedtoolstomeasurethesizeandintensityofdifferentearthquakes.
21.Readthesentencefromparagraph1:“...theycreatedmythsandlegendstoexplainwhattheycouldnot
understand.”Basedonthesentence,theword“legend”mostlikelymeans
A.afamouspersoninhistory
B.astorythatispasseddownfromgenerationtogeneration
C.anunusualevent D.akeythataccompaniesamap
22.Accordingtoparagraph6,earlyscientistswerefascinatedby
A.themassivesizeofthecontinents
B.similarplantsandanimalslivingondifferentcontinents
C.thesimilarshapeandcoastlineofthecontinents
D.thedistancebetweenthecontinents
23.Themaindifferencebetweenearlyscientists’andancientpeoples’explanationsofearthquakesis
A.earlyscientiststhoughtthemovementwascausedbyundergroundexplosions
B.earlyscientistsusedlogicinsteadofmyths
C.earlyscientistsusedmythsonly
D.earlyscientistsusedthescientificmethod
24.WhichofthefollowingsentencesbestexplainsWegener’stheoryof“continentaldrift”?
A.Thecontinentswereonceasinglelandmassthatbrokeintopiecesanddriftedapart.
B.ThecoastofEuropelookedasifitmightmatchupwiththeNorthAmericancoastline.
C.Similarfossilsandplantswerefoundondifferentcontinents.
D.Largelandmassescrashedintoeachotherandcausedearthquakes.
25.Inthesubheading“APuzzlingIssue,”theword“puzzling”referstosomethingconfusingandto
A.scienceandmath,whichpuzzledancientpeople
B.Wegener,whosethinkingwasamysterytootherscientists
C.earthquakepredictions,whichscientistsstillcan’tfigureouthowtomake
D.thecontinentsthemselves,whichfittogetherlikepuzzlepieces
26.Inthebeginningofparagraph7,thephrase“thesequestions”refersto
A.questionsthereaderhas B.questionsancientpeoplehad
C.questionsWegenerhad D.questionstheearlyscientistshad
27.Readthesentencefromparagraph8:Scientiststheorizedthattheremusthaveoncebeenonlyasingle
largecontinent.Thenamegiventothissinglelargecontinentwas
A.Paleozoic B.Supercontinent C.Pangaea D.Mesopotamia
28.Whatisthemainpurposeofpicture3inthe“FunFacts”box?
A.Toshowhowsimilarfossilswerepresentondifferentcontinents
B.ToshowthesimilarityinshapebetweenSouthAmericaandAfrica
C.Toexplainthetheoryofcontinentaldrift
D.Toshowdinosaursfighting
Naturephotographycanbeafunandinterestinghobby.Inthisarticle,naturephotographerJohnFielder
describeshisexperiencesandprovidestipsforbeginningphotographers.Readthearticleandanswerthe
questionsthatfollow.
TakingHisBestShots
byClaudiaCangillaMcAdam
1JohnFieldercouldhavedrownedonhiswaytowork.Hisraftbumpedover
rocksandpitchedthroughrapidsontheDoloresRiverinsouthwestern
Colorado.Thespringrunoffofmeltingsnowfromthemountainssentchilly
watercrashingdowntheriver.
2Fielder’srubberraftrushedtoward“Snaggletooth,”thelargestrapidonthis
stretchoftheDolores.Theraftsmackedintoabigrockinthemiddleofthe
100-foot-wideriver.Thousandsofpoundsofwaterpouredovertheedgeof
theboat,securingitagainsttherockanddrenchingFielder.Hewasinbig
trouble.
3Luckily,anothergroupofrafterscameby.Theysetupa“Z-rig,”asystemof
pulleyssecuredbyatreeatthesideoftheriver.Ittooksevenpeopletwo
hourstofreeFieldersothathecouldcontinueontowork.
4Whogoestoworkinarubberraft?Asanaturephotographer,Fielderoften
travelstoworkinunusualways.Inspring,heraftstheriverstoreachhidden
canyons.Insummer,threellamascarryhisequipment,andhelperstrekthe
ruggedlandwithhim.Inwinter,heskisthebackcountry,travelingfiveto
ninemilesadaytogetfromoneremotehutorcabintoanother.
5Duringthepast30years,Fielderhasre-cordedhalfamillionimageswith
hiscamera.Hecalculatesthatbetweenthedriving,hiking,skiing,andrafting
he’sdone,he’sloggedmorethanamillionmilesinColorado.
6AndFielderdoesnottravellightly.“IwanttomakenaturelookasgoodasI
canonlm,”
hesays.Togetgreatshots,helugs65poundsofequipmenton
hisbackashehikesorskis.Ittakeshimasmuchashalfanhourtosetuphis
cameraforeachshot.Fielderphotographswithalarge-for-matcameralike
thoseusedahundredyearsago.Hehastotuckhisheadunderablackcloth
tolookthroughtheviewfinder,whichpresentstheimagetohimupside
down.
7“Naturephotographyisanartform,”Fieldersays.“Thecameraisagreat
toolbecauseitdoesthe‘painting’forus.”
8Fielder’sadventuresinthewildernesshavebeenfunny(chasingdowna
packofrunawayllamas).They’vebeenuncomfortable(gettingsoakedby
summermonsoonsandpeltedbygolf-ball-sizedhailstones).They’vebeen
annoying(mar-mots—animalsinthegroundhogfamily—chewingthroughhis
Eight Tips for Taking Your
Best Shot
1. Scout the area before you
begin. Figure out what will
make a good picture and when
the light will be right.
2. Shoot photos as the sun
comes up and as it goes down,
when shadows are broad and
colors intense.
3. Look for complementary
colors. Photograph trees with
orange leaves against a blue sky
or red flowers in a field of
green.
4. Search for patterns and
shapes, such as a row of tree
trunks or rocks in a riverbed, to
make photos more dramatic.
5. Try shots with your main
subject off to one side or near
the top or bottom of your photo
to create an “off-center”
balance.
6. Make sure the land and sky
don’t always meet in the center
of your pictures. Make the
picture one-third land and twothirds sky, or one-third sky and
two-thirds land.
7. Use lead-in lines. Compose
your photo with a road, trail, or
fence line that starts somewhere out of the frame and runs
right into the picture.
8. Shoot, shoot, shoot. Take lots
of photos. As with any other
skill you learn, the more you
practice, the better you’ll get.
car’sspark-plugwires,strandinghimthreehoursfromanywhere).Andthey’vebeendangerous(inadditionto
theraftingincident,hehasfacedapotentialavalanche,whichcausedhimtohightailitoutofthearea).
“MotherNatureispowerful,”Fieldersayssimply.
9BecausethenaturalworldhasgivenFieldersomuch,heworkstopreservethewildandopenspaces.He
treatsthelandwithrespect.Inreturnheisabletoexperiencethesights,sounds,andsmellsofdifferent
places,andsharethoseencounterswithothersthroughhisphotos.
10Fielderplanseachtripwithgreatcareandlove,andscoutsouteachlocationsothathecanalwaystakehis
bestshots.
29.Fielderwasrescuedbyagroupofrafterswhofreedhimusinga
A.ropeandlifepreserver. B.bigrock. C.systemofpulleys. D.tree.
30.WhichstatementbestsummarizestheinformationaboutJohnFielder’sjobgiveninparagraphs4and5?
A.Hisjobpayshimwell.
B.Hisjobalwaysputshimindanger.
C.Hisjobtakesalotoftimeandtravel.
D.Hisjobislikebeinganartistorpainter.
31.Accordingtothearticle,Fielder’scameraequipmenttypicallyweighs
A.100lbs. B.30lbs.
C.10lbs.
D.65lbs.
32.Fielderviews“MotherNature”as
A.powerful. B.cruel.
C.artistic.
D.dangerous.
33.Basedonthearticle,whichofthefollowingbestshowsthatJohnFielder“treatsthelandwithrespect”?
A.HetravelsthroughColorado.
B.Hewritesfunnystoriesabouthisadventure.
C.Hevolunteersinnationalparks. D.Hetriestoprotectnaturalareas.
34.In“EightTipsforTakingYourBestShot,”whatdotips4,5,and6suggestaboutJohnFielder’sviewson
photographs?
A.Photographsthataredramaticorunusualaremoreinteresting.
B.Itiseasiertotakephotosoflandscapesthanofpeople.
C.Alwaysplacethesubjectatthecenterofaphotograph.
D.Landscapephotographyshouldalwaysshowmorelandthansky.
35.Whydoestheauthorrepeatthewordshootthreetimesinstep8?
A.tohighlighttheimportanceoflotsofpractice
B.toshowhowprofessionalphotographerswork
C.tosuggestthatthethirdpicturewillbethebest
D.toencouragephotographingascenefromthreeangles
36.Readthesentencefromparagraph10:Fielderplanseachtripwithgreatcareandlove,andscoutsout
eachlocationsothathecanalwaystakehisbestshots.Inthissentence,theword“scouts”means
A.anoutdoorevent. B.awayofarrangingsomething.
C.peoplewhogoexploring. D.exploresorobserves.
37.Basedoninformationinthepassage,whichofthefollowingsceneswouldFielderbemostinterestedin
photographing?
A.aRedSoxgameatFenway
B.asunsetinthecity
C.bearcubsinthewilderness
D.peoplechoppingdowntrees
38.Themainpurposeofthispassageisto
A.entertainandinform.
B.explainhowcameraswork.
C.paytributetoJohnFielder.
D.teachalessonaboutnature.
ThisexcerptfromJuliaAlvarez’sautobiographicalnarrativeinvitesreadersintotheworldofeleven-year-old
Yolanda,whosefamilyimmigratedtotheUnitedStatesduringthe1960s.
Spotlight On: Julia Alvarez
Snow
fromthenovelHowtheGarciaGirlsLostTheirAccentsbyJuliaAlvarez
1OurfirstyearinNewYorkwerentedasmallapartmentwithaCatholic
schoolnearby,taughtbytheSistersofCharity,heftywomeninlongblack
gownsandbonnetsthatmadethemlookpeculiar,likedollsinmourning.I
likedthemalot,especiallymygrandmotherlyfourthgradeteacher,Sister
Zoe.Ihadalovelyname,shesaid,andshehadmeteachthewholeclasshow
topronounceit.Yo-lan-da.Astheonlyimmigrantinmyclass,Iwasputina
specialseatinthefirstrowbythewindow,apartfromtheotherchildrenso
thatSisterZoecouldtutormewithoutdisturbingthem.Slowly,she
1
enunciated thenewwordsIwastorepeat:laundromat,cornflakes,subway,
snow.
2
2SoonIpickedupenoughEnglishtounderstandholocaust wasintheair.
SisterZoeexplainedtoawide-eyedclassroomwhatwashappeninginCuba.
Russianmissileswerebeingassembled,trainedsupposedlyonNewYorkCity.
PresidentKennedy,lookingworriedtoo,wasonthetelevisionathome,
explainingwemighthavetogotowaragainsttheCommunists.Atschool,we
hadair-raiddrills:anominousbellwouldgooffandwe’dfileintothehall,fall
tothefloor,coverourheadswithourcoats,andimagineourhairfalling
out,
thebonesinourarmsgoingsoft.Athome,MamiandmysistersandI
3
saidarosary forworldpeace.Iheardnewvocabulary:nuclearbomb,
radioactivefallout,bombshelter.SisterZoeexplainedhowitwouldhappen.
Shedrewapictureofamushroomontheblackboardanddottedaflurryof
4
chalkmarksforthedustyfallout thatwouldkillusall.
Julia Alvarez spent the early
years of her life in the
Dominican Republic until an
unsafe political climate forced
her family to flee to New
York.
While she had heard many
wonderful things about the
United States, she
experienced much
homesickness, prejudice, and
isolation soon after arriving in
the new country. Reading
became her escape: she soon
immersed herself in books
and later began to write.
She went on to become a
famous writer and scholar
who continues to devote her
stories to the challenges
people face when they are
torn between countries and
cultures.
3Themonthsgrewcold,November,December.ItwasdarkwhenIgotupinthemorning,frostywhenI
followedmybreathtoschool.OnemorningasIsatatmydeskdaydreamingoutthewindow,Isawdotsinthe
airliketheonesSisterZoehaddrawn—random5atfirst,thenlotsandlots.Ishrieked,“Bomb!Bomb!”Sister
Zoejerkedaround,herfullblackskirtballooningasshehurriedtomyside.Afewgirlsbegantocry.
4ButthenSisterZoe’sshockedlookfaded.“Why,Yolandadear,that’ssnow!”Shelaughed.“Snow.”
5“Snow,”Irepeated.Ilookedoutthewindowwarily6.AllmylifeIhadheardaboutthewhitecrystalsthatfell
outofAmericanskiesinthewinter.FrommydeskIwatchedthefinepowderdustthesidewalkandparked
carsbelow.Eachflakewasdifferent,SisterZoehadsaid,likeaperson,irreplaceableandbeautiful.
1enunciate:topronounce;articulate
2holocaust:greatdestructionresultingintheextensivelossof
life,especiallybyfire
3rosary:AsetofbeadsusedbyCatholicstoindicateasetofprayers.Eachbeadrepresentsaprayer.
4fallout:theradioactiveparticlesresultingfromanuclearexplosion
5random:havingnospecificpattern,purpose,orobjective
6warily:onguard,watchful,cautious
39.Intheopeningsentence,towhomisthenarratorreferringwhenshesays“Our”?
A.herselfandherclassmates
B.herselfandherteacher
C.herselfandherfamily
D.herselfandtheSistersofCharity
40.Accordingtothepassage,thisscenetakesplacewhenYolandaisin
A.kindergarten.
B.firstgrade.
C.fourthgrade.
D.sixthgrade.
41.Inparagraphs1and2,wordsinitalicsindicate
A.newvocabularyYolandawastryingtolearninEnglish. B.wordsinasongYolandawassinging.
C.wordsintherosary.
D.wordsYolanda’smothercouldn’tpronounce.
42.Duringanair-raiddrill,Yolandaandherclassmatesimagined
A.thattheschoolburneddown.
B.theygotasnowday.
C.thebonesintheirarmsbecamesoft.
D.sayingtherosary.
43.Whichofthefollowinghappenedlast?
A.SisterZoeexplainedthatRussianmissileswereaimedatNewYorkCity
B.PresidentKennedyexplainedthattheU.S.mighthavetogotowarwiththeCommunists
C.Yolandaandherfamilyprayedforworldpeace
D.therewereair-raiddrillsatschool
44.Wordsthatareclosestinmeaningto“ominous”include:
A.fearful,foreboding,threatening
B.loud,disruptive,piercing
C.high-pitched,harmonious,melodic
D.enormous,grandeur,distinction
45.WhatcausesYolandatoscreamsuddenly?
A.seeingwhatshethoughtwasradioactivefallout
B.touchingbitsandpiecesofamushroom
C.hearinganuclearbomb
D.seeingaflurryofchalkmarks
46.Yolandamostlikelycamefromacountry
A.wherethekidsdidnotgotoschool.
B.wheretherehadbeenanuclearwar.
C.wheretheclimatewastropical.
D.whereitsometimessnowed.
47.Attheendofthepassage,SisterZoedescribessnowflakesforYolanda.Whatdeepermessageisshe
tryingtoconveybydescribingsnowinthismanner?
A.thatYolandaneededtogetusedtotheideaoflivinginAmerica
B.thatYolandaisalsobeautifulandirreplaceable
C.thatYolandaismelodramatic
D.thatYolandaisaveryfunnystudent
48.Whatistheauthor’smainpurposeinwritingthispassage?
A.tohelpthereaderappreciatelifefromsomeoneelse’sperspective
B.tocautionthereaderaboutthedangersofnuclearwar
C.toportraylifeintheCatholicschoolsofNewYorkCity
D.toshowthereaderhowharditistolearnanotherlanguage