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DThe Friendship
DThe Friendship 2
DThe Friendship 3

DThe Friendship 4
DThe Friendship 5
DPablo 1

DPablo 2
DPablo 3
DPablo 4
DAdvertisement

Use "The Friendship" (pp.4-8) to answer questions 1-14.

1  Which word from paragraph 53 helps the reader understand the meaning of the word avail?

A   toward
B   triumph
C   use
D   vengeance

2  Paragraph 21 is mainly about Robert’s -

F   fear of crossing the street alone
G  inability to understand Sergeant Masters’s words
H  delight at receiving attention from Sergeant Masters
J   size in comparison to Sergeant Masters’s size

3  It is a family tradition that Robert -

A   can have all the apples that fall on the ground
B   must eat all his vegetables at dinner without being urged
C   always walks home from school by himself
D   must give any extra apples to the neighborhood children

4  Read the following dictionary entry.

DDefinition

Which definition best matches the meaning of the word tough as it is used in paragraph 43 of the story?

F   Definition 1
G  Definition 2
H  Definition 3
J   Definition 4

5  Paragraphs 44 through 48 are mostly about -

A   whether Sergeant Masters is acquainted with Robert’s mother
B   Robert’s fantasy that his father may have dangerous enemies
C   whether Sergeant Masters is a good and trustworthy policeman
D   Robert’s attempts to discover whether his parents pay Sergeant Masters

6  Robert’s internal conflict stems from his -

F   fear that Sergeant Masters will punish him
G  anger when Sergeant Masters drops the apples
H  knowledge that Sergeant Masters is disappointed in him
J   embarrassment about walking home with Sergeant Masters

7  Robert’s character is best revealed through -

A   what others say about him
B   his actions toward others
C   dialogue with his parents
D   the way the policeman describes him

8  In paragraph 50, the author uses a simile to -

F   show the softness of the grass
G   illustrate the beauty of the garden
H   convey the attraction of the snow apples
J   describe the pleasure of gathering fallen apples

9  In this story, the snow-apple tree symbolizes the fact that true friends -

A   share special gifts only with other friends
B   enjoy spending quality time working together
C   give of themselves while expecting nothing in return
D   take gifts even when they do not want them

10  The theme of friendship in the story is best revealed through -

F   Robert’s relationship with his parents
G  Sergeant Masters’s actions toward Robert
H  Robert’s actions toward the neighbor children
J   Sergeant Masters’s relationship with Robert’s father

11  Which line from the story best reveals Sergeant Masters’s disappointment in Robert?

A   It's a very large tree, Robert,” he said, “but perhaps you’d better just keep all the apples for yourself.
B   Your father is well known in the area where you would presumably stray
C   A cloud drifted across the sun and the autumn air was chill.
D  The only flaw in everything was that his protector had been unimpressed by his not crying when his knees did hurt so intensely.

12  Robert’s major conflict begins when he -

F   falls and skins his knees
G  brags to the children at school about his friendship with Sergeant Masters
H  insists that Sergeant Masters arrest the Thomases
J   is late getting to class after his accident

13  Robert eats all his vegetables at dinner because -

A   his mother urges him to do so
B   he is in a hurry to leave the table
C   his father is displeased with him
D   he enjoys being treated like a grown-up

14  Why doesn’t Robert cry when he falls down?

F   He thinks that the older boys will tease him.
G  He is afraid of what his father will say.
H  He wants to impress Sergeant Masters.
J   He is embarrassed by his clumsiness.

Use "'Magic Pablo" (pp.9-12) to answer questions 15-27.

15  This article is mainly about -

A   two friends who helped each other improve their basketball-playing ability
B   the friendship that grew between a Peace Corps volunteer and one of his students
C   a young man’s experiences with the citizens of Santa Cruz Verapez, Guatemala
D   why some people aspire to play basketball as well as NBA professionals do

16  Which of these is an antonym for the word obscure in paragraph 13?

F   Famous
G  Talented
H  Friendly
J   Simple

17  The author was sent to Guatemala to -

A   coach basketball
B   write sports stories
C   teach English
D   take photographs

18  Read the following dictionary entry.

DDefinition 2

Which definition best matches the meaning of the word beat as it is used in paragraph 13 of the article?

F   Definition 1
G  Definition 2
H  Definition 3
J   Definition 4

19  Paragraphs 8 through 11 represent a -

A   foreshadowing of the author’s experience in Guatemala
B   flashback to the author’s first encounter with Pablo
C   change in the article’s point of view
D   description of the author’s life before the Peace Corps

20  The theme of friendship is best demonstrated through -

F   the author’s commitment to the Peace Corpsn
G   an imaginary meeting between Pablo and Michael Jordan
H   the author and Pablo’s shared interest in basketball
J   the relationship between the author and his students

21  Which sentence from the article best helps the reader understand the author’s feelings about the setting?

A   I was prepared to be alone during my entire two-year service.
B   In some remote villages, children wear "Ninja Turtles" tee-shirts.
C   El Grafico, the only daily newspaper from the capital sold in our town, rarely had stories about American basketball
D   On a table in my dining room, he saw a copy of Sports Illustrated that my stepfather had sent from home.

22  In paragraph 59, the author uses a simile to -

F   describe how a rocket looks at liftoff
G  show that Pablo is a good soccer player
H  explain how to pass the ball in soccer
J   emphasize the power of Pablo’s jump

23  The reader can tell from the article that Peace Corps volunteers -

A   spend months in training
B   work in foreign countries
C   teach people about farming
D   often become professional sportswriters

24  Which sentence from the article best summarizes the author’s initial expectations about his life as a Peace Corps volunteer?

F   I was twenty-five when I arrived as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Santa Cruz Verapez, a town of 4,000 people.
G  I figured this was the way my life was supposed to be: silent sacrifice.
H  In Santa Cruz, the town basketball court is painted with a Coca-Cola motif, right down to the backboards.
J   Pablo, it turned out, knew as much about basketball and the NBA as I did, and I was a former sportswriter.

25  The author develops the article by -

A   explaining how he formed a friendship with a Guatemalan student
B   comparing the skills needed for playing basketball and soccer
C   describing the influence of U.S. popular culture on Guatemalan students
D   analyzing differences between young people in Guatemala and in the United States

26  In trying to achieve his goal of dunking a basketball, Pablo could best be described as -

F   unfocused
G  restrained
H  disciplined
J   casual

27  It is reasonable to predict that -

A   Pablo and the author stayed in touch with each other
B   the author will return to Guatemala for another two years
C   Pablo became a well-known professional soccer player
D   the author and Pablo got to play a game with Michael Jordan

Use "The Friendship" and "'Magic' Pablo" (pp.4-12) to answer questions 28-30.

28  Unlike Pablo, Robert -

F   shares ideas with an older friend
G  disappoints his older friend
H  attends school regularly
J   meets an older friend after school

29  The personalities of Sergeant Masters and Mark Brazaitis are best revealed -

A   by what others in the selections say about them
B   through the thoughts of the narrator
C   by the way they are described in the selection
D   through their interactions with a younger person

30  Based on the selections, both Sergeant Masters and Mark Brazaitis can be described as -

F   sentimental
G  nurturing
H  imposing
J   outgoing

Use the visual representation on page 13 to answer questions 31-33.

31  The photographs were probably chosen to -

A   show popular individuals in the photographer’s community
B   appeal mainly to volunteers who like to work with large groups
C   emphasize the many kinds of people who can be friends
D   provide examples of specific people who need to be helped

32  The advertisement implies that an individual can be a friend by -

F   learning about many different kinds of people
G  becoming a Friendship League volunteer
H  visiting communities all around the country
J   spending time talking on the telephone

33  The reader can conclude that a primary purpose of the Friendship League is to -

A   bridge the gap across generations
B   bring people together from different countries
C   tutor children in specific subjects
D   prepare teens for future jobs

DIRECTIONS
Answer the following questions in the space provided on the answer document.

34  In "The Friendship," what does Robert learn from his experience with Sergeant Masters? Support your answer with evidence from the story.

35  Why do you think the author and Pablo decided to leave their last basketball game in a tie in "Magic' Pablo"? Support your answer with evidence from the selection.

36  How is the idea of friendship important in both "The Friendship" and "'Magic’ Pablo"? Support your answer with evidence from both selections.

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