Those Old Piano Blues
Use “Those Old Piano Blues” to answer the following question. What is the purpose of the information in the excerpt from the article “Those Old Piano Blues”?
A To explain why traditional pianos have greatly declined in value
Use “The Piano Shop on the Left Bank” to answer the following question. In paragraph 8 of the excerpt from The Piano Shop on the Left Bank, Luc suggests that the narrator —
B reflect on the commitment of buying a piano
Use “Those Old Piano Blues” to answer the following question. Read this quotation from paragraph 2 of the excerpt from the article “Those Old Piano Blues.” Then a slow, downward sales arpeggio started. What does the author’s use of musical terminology convey in the quotation?
A How the popularity of the piano has shifted like notes in a song
Use “The Piano Shop on the Left Bank” to answer the following question. Read this quotation from paragraph 1 of the excerpt from The Piano Shop on the Left Bank. I was nervous, almost spellbound; suddenly this great impractical hulk was the gateway to a territory from which I had been absent for too long. Something said “Yes!” before I even touched the keyboard. What is the narrator’s purpose for including this description?
D To reveal the strength of his desire to play the piano again
Use “The Piano Shop on the Left Bank” and “Those Old Piano Blues” to answer the following question. In the excerpt from The Piano Shop on the Left Bank and the excerpt from the article “Those Old Piano Blues,” with which statement would both authors most likely agree?
A Old pianos offer a great deal of emotional value to their owners.
1. What do the repeated italicized words “bang-bang-bang-bang-bang” in both paragraphs 1 and 5 emphasize?
A. Kevin’s constant desire to improve
Use “Those Old Piano Blues” to answer the following question. In the excerpt from the article “Those Old Piano Blues,” what is the primary purpose of paragraph 7?
A. To explain why letting go of pianos is acceptable at times
Use “The Piano Shop on the Left Bank” to answer the following question. Read this quotation from paragraph 16 of the excerpt from The Piano Shop on the Left Bank. “Think of it as an investment in personal expression.” What can the reader infer about the narrator’s wife based on her words?
D The wife sees music as a necessary outlet for her husband’s creativity.
Use “The Piano Shop on the Left Bank” and “Those Old Piano Blues” to answer the following question.
While the narrator of the excerpt from The Piano Shop on the Left Bank finds an old Stingl valuable enough for him to spend a lot of money on it, the author of the excerpt from the article “Those Old Piano Blues” —
C gives an old Steinway to someone who wants it
Why does the author include the extended flashback in paragraph 1?
B To give an early example of Kevin’s determination
Use “Those Old Piano Blues” to answer the following question. Which is the best summary of the excerpt from the article “Those Old Piano Blues”?
B
Use “The Piano Shop on the Left Bank” to answer the following question. In paragraph 17 of the excerpt from The Piano Shop on the Left Bank, how does the narrator feel about playing the Stingl piano in the piano shop?
C He feels oddly comfortable playing in front of Luc.
Use “The Piano Shop on the Left Bank” and “Those Old Piano Blues” to answer the following question. What is one notable difference between the two excerpts?
D. The selection from The Piano Shop on the Left Bank describes evaluating and buying an old piano, while the selection from the article “Those Old Piano Blues” describes an abundance of unwanted old pianos.
Which quotation best suggests that Kevin probably feels increasing pressure from external expectations?
D. Kevin knows what it takes; everyone’s been telling him ever since he first stood on a pair of skates. (paragraph 5)
7 Read this quotation from paragraph 7. He’s a Beartown man, his dad’s a Beartown man, and that may not mean a thing anywhere else, but it means something here.
Based on the quotation, the reader can infer that Kevin feels —
C. loyal
Use “Those Old Piano Blues” to answer the following question. In the excerpt from the article “Those Old Piano Blues,” how does the author mainly organize his ideas?
He discusses trends in piano ownership by describing his experience trying to get rid of an old piano.
Use “The Piano Shop on the Left Bank” to answer the following question.
Read this quotation from paragraph 17 of the excerpt from The Piano Shop on the Left Bank. I thought, this is a kind of love; and, as in love, my senses amplified and enhanced the love object, all with an insouciance and willing enthusiasm. Why does the narrator use a metaphor to describe his response to playing the piano?
D To reveal the depth of his feelings towards the piano
Use “The Piano Shop on the Left Bank” and “Those Old Piano Blues” to answer the following question.
What feeling is conveyed by both the excerpt from The Piano Shop on the Left Bank and the excerpt from the article “Those Old Piano Blues”?
C Attachment
Use “Those Old Piano Blues” to answer the following question. Which quotation best shows that the author of the excerpt from the article “Those Old Piano Blues” is relieved someone wants his old piano?
C But like many a blues song, this piano riff ends with hope. (paragraph 6)
How are paragraphs 8 through 10 important to the development of the plot?
D They explain how Kevin’s abilities may help the entire community.