The Battle of the Bass. Week 1 Comprehension.

1. Which event took place first?

• 𝖠 Tracy began playing in a band.

• 𝖡 Tracy began playing the violin.

• 𝖢 Tracy saved her money for a bass.

• 𝖣 Tracy was asked to play on the radio.

2. Which theme best fits this passage?

• 𝖠 Honesty is the best policy.

• 𝖡 Music has the power to change people.

• 𝖢 People should be allowed to follow their dreams.

• 𝖣 Parents and children cannot understand one another.

3. “Tracy was so enthralled by the instrument that she made him play song after song.”

What does the word enthralled mean in this sentence?

• 𝖠 fascinated

• 𝖡 scared

• 𝖢 confused

• 𝖣 strengthened

4. “Tracy’s parents now happily let her go out to practice on weekdays, and she brought her violin to band rehearsal feeling guilty.” Why did Tracy feel guilty?

• 𝖠 She had not practiced the violin enough.

• 𝖡 She lied to her parents about what she was doing.

• 𝖢 She did not tell her friends about her problem.

• 𝖣 She was not supposed to leave the house with her violin

5. What can you conclude from the way the story ends?

• 𝖠 Tracy’s parents will support her participation in the rock band.

• 𝖡 Tracy will become a famous musician.

• 𝖢 Tracy’s fall ruined her band’s chance to become popular.

• 𝖣 Tracy’s parents will no longer let her play in orchestra.

6. Which word best describes Tracy?

• 𝖠 selfish

• 𝖡 clumsy

• 𝖢 dishonest

• 𝖣 determined

7. Why did Tracy invite her parents to the Battle of the Bands?

• 𝖠 She needed a ride to the high school.

• 𝖡 She wanted to prove to her parents that she was playing in

  the orchestra.

• 𝖢 She wanted her parents to appreciate her music.

• 𝖣 She felt that they owed her a favor.

At the end of the passage, Tracy’s mother says, “I guess this must

be the start of something new. At least now I’ll have a new story to tell!”

Explain what she means by this statement. Use details from the story to support your answer. (2 points)

• “No way,” said her father. “You’re a talented musician, and you’ll go

  far with the instruments you play. If you waste your time on a rock band,

  how will you have time to practice for the orchestra?”

  “Rock bands are not a waste of time!” Tracy had countered.

• Tracy’s mother was referring to the time Tracy fell off

  the piano bench, which was the start of her musical path. When she fell

  off the stage, her mother thought that this was the start of a new path, and

  she could tell this story instead of the piano bench story.

• The day that Tracy brought home her bass and amplifier, she spent all

  evening in her room learning the basics. She found that her knowledge of the violin helped her to master scales and simple bass lines quickly. Then she began listening to her favorite CDs and picking out the bass parts.

• Tracy was indignant. The Battle of the Bands, one of the most

  important annual events in the city, was coming up in just about a month.

  The first-place band would get to record at a professional studio, and the recording would be played live on the local radio station.