Key Ideas & Details
Which statement best expresses the central idea of Passage 2?
A. Community gardens provide food, but their main value is teaching children.
B. Community gardens strengthen neighborhoods when people maintain them together.
C. Community gardens are most useful where fresh produce is unavailable.
D. Community gardens require so much work that their benefits are limited
B. Community gardens strengthen neighborhoods when people maintain them together.
What can the reader infer about Maya at the beginning of Passage 1?
A. She doubts whether the garden will benefit students.
B. She prefers to let others make important decisions.
C. She fears the attention that comes with sharing her ideas.
D. She feels unprepared to explain the purpose of the project.
D. She dislikes speaking to Elena.
C. She fears the attention that comes with sharing her ideas.
Which action best reveals Maya's commitment to the garden project?
A. She prefers to sit in the back.
B. She spends weeks preparing a speech.
C. She notices the empty chair.
D. She laughs after the meeting.
B. She spends weeks preparing a speech.
What is the effect of the sentence “The room fell silent”?
A. It confirms that the audience disagrees with Maya.
B. It shows that Maya has lost the audience's attention.
C. It delays the audience's response and builds suspense.
D. It signals that the meeting has officially ended.
C. It delays the audience's response and builds suspense.
Which statement best expresses a theme of Passage 1?
A. Courage can involve acting while fear is still present.
B. People become confident only after others praise them.
C. Public speaking is necessary for personal success.
D. Helping others requires setting aside personal goals.
A. Courage can involve acting while fear is still present.
Which detail most directly supports the idea that gardens can strengthen social connections?
A. Children learn why healthy soil matters.
B. Volunteers continue working during hot weather.
C. Gardens provide produce close to people's homes.
D. Neighbors who rarely speak begin sharing tools and advice.
D. Neighbors who rarely speak begin sharing tools and advice.
Which detail best supports the inference that Maya's fear has lessened?
A. She returns to the auditorium and sits in the same front-row chair.
B. She explains to the audience why the garden could help students.
C. She admits to Elena that she felt terrified during her speech.
D. She notices that the front row is empty the next morning.
A. She returns to the auditorium and sits in the same front-row chair.
What does Maya's statement “I was terrified” reveal about her?
A. She regrets helping the community.
B. She can act courageously while feeling afraid.
C. She was pretending to care about the garden.
D. She wants Elena to give the speech next time.
B. She can act courageously while still feeling afraid.
How does the phrase “her voice grew stronger” contribute to the characterization of Maya?
A. It reflects a shift from hesitation toward greater confidence.
B. It suggests that Maya is becoming frustrated with the audience.
C. It shows that Maya is trying to imitate Elena's personality.
D. It emphasizes that Maya has memorized every part of her speech.
A. It reflects a shift from hesitation toward greater confidence.
Which event most directly develops the theme of courage?
A. Maya notices that one seat remains empty.
B. Elena describes her own comfort with attention.
C. Maya delivers her speech despite her physical signs of fear.
D. Maya returns to the auditorium to retrieve her notes.
C. Maya delivers her speech despite her physical signs of fear.
Which detail most directly supports the idea that gardens can strengthen social connections?
A. Children learn why healthy soil matters.
B. Volunteers continue working during hot weather.
C. Gardens provide produce close to people's homes.
D. Neighbors who rarely speak begin sharing tools and advice.
D. Neighbors who rarely speak begin sharing tools and advice.
What can the reader infer about Elena's role in Maya's experience?
A. She helps Maya by taking responsibility for the garden project.
B. She challenges Maya to focus on the audience rather than the project.
C. She encourages Maya because she wants her own ideas to be accepted.
D. She supports Maya in facing a challenge that matters to her.
D. She supports Maya in facing a challenge that matters to her.
How does Elena function as a foil to Maya?
A. Elena's comfort with attention highlights Maya's fear of being noticed.
B. Elena has the same fears and motivations as Maya.
C. Elena prevents Maya from giving her speech.
D. Elena is unaware of Maya's project.
A. Elena's comfort with attention highlights Maya's fear of being noticed.
How does the author develop the purpose of Passage 2?
A. By telling a volunteer's story from beginning to end
B. By comparing two gardens with different results
C. By listing instructions for starting a garden
D. By explaining benefits while acknowledging challenges
D. By explaining benefits while acknowledging challenges
How does the final scene develop the story's theme?
A. It suggests Maya's fear was caused only by the audience.
B. It shows that Maya's experience has changed how she views a former source of fear.
C. It reveals that Maya values praise more than the project.
D. It shows that Maya's confidence depends on Elena's presence.
B. It shows that Maya's experience has changed how she views a former source of fear.
Which summary best captures the development of Passage 1?
A. Maya prepares a garden proposal, but Elena's confidence causes her to question whether she should present it.
B. Maya fears public attention, speaks about a project she believes in, and becomes less intimidated by the front row.
C. Maya hopes to improve the school, receives praise from the audience, and decides that public speaking is easy.
D. Maya struggles to prepare her speech, learns that gardening requires teamwork, and lets Elena lead the project.
B. Maya fears public attention, speaks about a project she believes in, and becomes less intimidated by the front row.
What can the reader infer from the volunteers' description of the garden as a “beautiful burden”?
A. They believe the garden's appearance matters more than its purpose.
B. They recognize that meaningful community work can be demanding.
C. They regret accepting responsibility for the garden.
D. They believe the garden's benefits will eventually disappear.
B. They recognize that meaningful community work can be demanding.
What does Elena's statement “You can be both” reveal about her understanding of Maya?
A. Elena believes Maya should hide her feelings from others.
B. Elena thinks Maya's fear means her speech was unsuccessful.
C. Elena believes confidence is a permanent personality trait that you are born with.
D. Elena recognizes that confidence and fear can exist at the same time.
D. Elena recognizes that confidence and fear can exist at the same time.
How does the oxymoron “beautiful burden” communicate the volunteers' view of the garden?
A. It suggests that the garden's appearance hides its lack of value.
B. It combines positive and negative associations to show that the work is difficult but worthwhile.
C. It implies that the volunteers feel trapped by their responsibility.
D. It emphasizes that the garden's beauty makes the work unnecessary.
B. It combines positive and negative associations to show that the work is difficult but worthwhile.
Which statement best expresses a central idea of Passage 2?
A. The main purpose of community gardens is to provide inexpensive food.
B. Community gardens work best when children are responsible for them.
C. Community gardens can solve local problems when enough people participate.
D. Community gardens offer several benefits, but their success requires sustained effort.
D. Community gardens offer several benefits, but their success requires sustained effort.
Why does the author include the possibility that a garden could become “an abandoned patch of weeds”?
A. To suggest that gardens are less useful than other community projects.
B. To show that volunteers should focus on appearance rather than food.
C. To qualify the benefits by showing what can happen without continued care.
D. To argue that community gardens are unlikely to succeed.
C. To qualify the benefits by showing what can happen without continued care.
Which inference is best supported by both passages?
A. People are most effective when they avoid risks and uncertainty.
B. Community projects depend more on confidence than cooperation.
C. Meaningful change can begin with action, even when challenges remain.
D. Small projects are successful only when they receive public approval.
C. Meaningful change can begin with action, even when challenges remain.
Which feature makes Maya a complex and believable character?
A. She changes her beliefs after hearing Elena's opinion.
B. She experiences conflicting emotions but acts on what she values.
C. She becomes completely confident after one successful speech.
D. She avoids risk until she knows others will support her.
B. She experiences conflicting emotions but acts on what she values.
Which statement best explains the contrast between Maya's feelings and Elena's observation?
A. Maya feels confident, but Elena believes she is nervous.
B. Maya feels disappointed, but Elena believes she is excited.
C. Maya feels terrified, while Elena sees her as confident.
D. Maya feels indifferent, while Elena believes she is committed.
C. Maya feels terrified, while Elena sees her as confident.
How does the sequence of events develop the theme of Passage 1?
A. Maya's preparation, speech, and return to the seat reveal gradual growth through facing fear.
B. Maya's conversation with Elena shows that confidence is more important than preparation.
C. The audience's reaction proves that public approval removes a person's fears.
D. Maya's forgotten notes shift the story's focus from the garden to school responsibilities.
A. Maya's preparation, speech, and return to the seat reveal gradual growth through facing fear.