A Place for Wild Things

Why is Alejandro's mother hesitant about selling the estancia?

• She wanted to maintain it in the gaucho tradition and keep it in the family.

• She wanted to wait until a more profitable offer came through.

• She wasn't sure which city she and Alejandro should move to.

• She was hoping to sell it to Martin after he saved enough money to buy it.

What is Alejandro's main problem in the story?

• He must convince his mother to move to the city to follow his dreams.

• He must learn the ways of the gaucho before he heads back to school.

• He must come up with a solution to save the estancia from being sold.

• He must learn to get along without his father, who died two years ago.

How does Alejandro's mother, Melissa, feel about the idea of selling the estancia?

• Conflicted

• Supportive

• Neutral

• Excited

Which word best describes Alejandro?

• Destructive

• Funny

• Impulsive

• Caring

What is a gaucho?

• A mammal from South America with a long neck and soft brown fur

• A South American plant with six-petaled flowers

• A cowboy of the South American grassy plains

• A field with grass and other lower plants on which animals gaze

Which of the following is established during the introduction of the story?

• Alejandro saddled horses, herded sheep, fixed fences, and hauled feed.

• Señora Ortega received an offer.

• Mr. Somerset was due to return.

• Martín set an animal free that was caught in a fence.

What would be the benefit of not having fences on the estancia?

• There would be fewer predators trying to get into the estancia.

• There would be wildlife to catch and sell.

• There would be more land for the animals to graze on.

• There would be fewer pumas since the sheep would scare them away.

What conclusion does Alejandro draw after his encounter with the puma?

• They must tear down the fences of the estancia.

• They must buy more sheep to increase their flock.

• They must scare off the pumas so the sheep can roam free.

• They must move to the city and start a new life.

Which of the following is part of the rising action of the story?

• Alejandro races back to the estancia to tell his mother his new idea to save the estancia.

• Martín asks Alejandro to save a sheep that has wandered away outside of the fence.

• Alejandro discovers that his mother has been offered money to sell the estancia.

• Alejandro watches Martín saves a guanaco that has been trapped in the fence.

Which of the following means the process by which land onces was able to produce a lot of vegetation becomes a desert?

• acidification

• oversimplification

• disqualification

• desertification