Northstar RW 5 Unit 3

Maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned it to anyone. Before I knew it, it was all through the family, and they’d all made their business to challenge me. I wouldn’t tell them my plan, other than to say I was leaving, but that was enough to set them off. Uncle Mike called from Orgeon to say. “Katie, don’t do it,” and I wouldn’t have hung up on him except that he added, “Haven’t you caused enough disappointment?”. That did it. Nine people had already told me no, and Uncle Mike lift the fire under me when he made it ten. Nine-eight-seven-six-five-four-three-two-one. Kaboom.

How would you describe the attitude of the majority of Katie’s family?

• A. They were critical of Katie’s desire to be a dancer.

• B. They encouraged her risk-taking.

• C. They were very supportive of all her plans.

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Mutts and I talked a lot about that. He was a family exception, as I am, and he thought whatever I did was more than fine. He was my brother, and I backed everything he did, too. He plays blues harmonica. He told bad jokes. We did have plans. His name was Ronald, but everyone’s called him Mutts since he was a baby. No one remembers why. He never got his chance to fly, and I figure if I don’t do this now, I may never will. I need to do it for both of us.

Which statement is NOT true of Mutt’s life and death?

• A. He loved playing the blues.

• B. He died before he could realise his dream.

• C. His sister was very upset at his funeral.

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On my way to the bus station, I stopped by the old house. I still had my key, and I knew no one was home. After ducking my head into each room, including my old one, just to be sure I was alone, I went into my brother’s room and set my duffel bag and myself on his bed.

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Anyone passing in the hall outside might’ve heard a soft sound, a gentle sweeping sound, maybe a creak of the floor, but not much more as I danced a very soft shoe in my stocking feet. Arms outstretched but loose and swaying, head laid back and to one side, like falling asleep, eyes very nearly closed in that room like twilight, I danced to the beat of my heart.

Which of the following did Katie do before setting out for the bus depot?

• A. She went straight to her brother’s room after entering the old house.

• B. She danced a soft shoe in her brother’s room to the beat of a jazz album.

• C. She danced with a lot of emotion in her brother’s room knowing full well that no one else was in the house.

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When I reached the area I wanted, it was still early, so I looked for a place to wait. I found a clean diner, with a big front window, where I could read the paper and watch for the lines to form. I told the waitress I wanted a large cup of coffee before ordering. After half an hour or so, she brought another refill and asked if I was ready. She was kind and patient, and I wondered what she was doing in the job. It seems like nothing takes it out of you like a waitress work. She was young and maybe that was it.

Which one of Katie’s ideas must she re-evaluate as a result of her experience?

• A. The pace of a long bus trip allows her time for reflection.

• B. Waiters and waitresses are generally impatient and unkind.

• C. Bus depots are usually dirty and packed with a lot of people.

5. What did Katie observe when she was in the bus?

• A. On his third attempt, the boy succeeded in throwing his hat out the window.

• B. The boy showed his perfect aim when his hat landed on a fence post.

• C. The bus driver responded to the mother with a great deal of compassion.

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When I reached the area I wanted, it was still early, so I looked for a place to wait. I found a clean diner, with a big front window, where I could read the paper and watch for the lines to form. I told the waitress I wanted a large cup of coffee before ordering. After half an hour or so, she brought another refill and asked if I was ready. She was kind and patient, and I wondered what she was doing in the job. It seems like nothing takes it out of you like a waitress work. She was young and maybe that was it.

6. Why did Katie go to the diner?

• A. She needed a quiet place to think more about her brother and what his life meant to her.

• B. She needed to wait for her audience to arriver and to mentally and physically prepare for her performance.

• C. She needed to sit down for a while to take care of a pain in her side that she got from dancing.

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When the lines were forming, I started on over. While I waited, I watched the people. There were some kids on the street, dressed a lot like me in my worn jeans, faded turtleneck, and jersey warm-up jacket. They were working the crowd like their hopes amounted to spare change. The theatre patrons waiting in line were dressed to the nines, as they say. There is something that makes the well-dressed not look at the shabby. Maybe it’s guilt. Maybe it’s embarrassment because, relatively, they’re overdressed. I don’t know. I do know it makes it easy to study them in detail. Probably makes them easy marks for pickpockets, too.

What thoughts did Katie have when she was watching the lines form in front of the theatre?

• A. She considered how differences in dress can cause people to be uncomfortable with each other.

• B. She realized that one should dress up when going to the theatre to show respect to the entertainers.

• C. She thought the street kids would be chased away by the police because they would be begging.

Which of the following is true about Katie’s performance?

• A. The theatergoers liked it so much that they missed the first five minutes of the show they had been waiting in line to see.

• B. Katie was offered a job after she performed her dance so well in the street in front of the theater.

• C. Katie was satisfied with her performance.