Plot & Conflict
How are Josh and JB related, and what sport connects them?
They are twin brothers, and basketball connects them.
Which is a personality trait: athletic shoes, competitive, or twin brother?
Competitive. Athletic shoes are an item, and twin brother is a family relationship.
“I listened for my name over the loudspeaker.”
Identify the POV and one clue.
First person; I or my is a clue.
“The crowd sounded like a roaring ocean.”
Name the device and the comparison clue.
Simile; like is the clue.
It compares the crowd’s sound to an ocean.
What do the letters R and A stand for in RACE?
Restate the question and answer the question.
What change in JB’s life leaves Josh feeling excluded?
JB begins spending more time with his girlfriend, changing how much time and attention he gives Josh.
Josh cares deeply about basketball and wants to succeed. Give one trait this suggests.
Competitive, passionate, determined, Ect...
“You take a deep breath before your final shot.” Identify the POV and one clue.
Second person; you or your is a clue.
“That backpack weighs a million pounds.”
Name the device and explain its meaning.
Hyperbole. The speaker exaggerates to show that the backpack feels very heavy.
What is the difference between citing evidence and explaining evidence?
Citing gives a relevant detail or quotation from the text. Explaining tells how that detail supports the answer.
Classify each conflict as internal or external:
1. Josh struggles with jealousy.
2. Josh clashes with JB.
1. Internal.
2. External.
What can readers infer from Josh choosing to apologize to JB?
He feels remorse, recognizes that he caused harm, or wants to repair their relationship. Accept a reasonable inference linked to the action.
“Josh watched JB. Josh hoped his brother would look back.”
Identify the point of view and whose thoughts are revealed.
Third person; Josh’s thoughts are revealed. Third-person limited is also correct.
Name the sound device in each:
1. “Bouncing balls bumped the bench.”
2. “BUZZ! The timer ended.”
1. Alliteration: repeated beginning /b/ sounds.
2. Onomatopoeia: BUZZ imitates a sound.
Which evidence better supports “Josh wants to repair his relationship with JB”: his apology to JB or his skill at basketball? Why?
His apology, because it directly shows an effort to address the harm in their relationship. Skill alone does not show an effort to repair the bond.
How are Josh’s actions toward JB connected to his suspension?
Josh injures JB by throwing a basketball at him. His suspension from basketball is a consequence of that action.
Dad resists dealing with his health problems. Name a possible trait and explain how the action reveals it.
Sample: Dad is stubborn because he resists changing his behavior or accepting help. Accept a different defensible trait with an explanation.
Name the main narrator of The Crossover. Explain one advantage of hearing the story mainly from him.
Josh Bell. Readers directly experience his thoughts and feelings, which helps them understand his reactions.
Identify both devices:
1. “The trophy was a beacon of hope.”
2. “The empty gym welcomed us.”
1. Metaphor: the trophy is directly compared to a beacon.
2. Personification: the gym receives the human action of welcoming.
Repair this weak explanation: “Josh apologizes to JB. This proves my answer.” Explain how the apology supports the claim that Josh feels remorse.
Sample: Choosing to apologize suggests that Josh recognizes he hurt his brother and wants to make things right.
How does the ending develop a theme about family? Give one supporting event.
Sample: Family bonds can begin to heal after conflict. After Dad’s death, Josh and JB begin reconnecting through basketball.
Explain how Josh begins to change. Support your answer with an early action and a later action.
Sample: He begins taking responsibility. Earlier, he acts on his anger by hurting JB; later, he writes an apology. Require two accurate actions and a connection to the change.
What is one limitation of Josh’s first-person narration? Explain how hearing from JB could add to the story.
We do not directly know all of JB’s thoughts or motives. JB’s narration could reveal how he feels about their changing relationship or the injury.
In “The goodbye was bittersweet,” name the device and explain the feeling it creates.
Oxymoron. Bittersweet combines opposing ideas and suggests happiness and sadness at the same time.
Give a short RACE response: How does Josh’s anger affect his relationship with JB? Use one specific event.
Sample: Josh’s anger damages his relationship with JB. He throws a basketball at JB and injures him. This shows that acting on his anger hurts his brother and creates more distance between them.