The 57 Bus

1. What is the main purpose of the section “Monday, November 4, 2013”? (p.233)

• To provide a detailed description of the setting where the events took place

• To introduce the theme that certain sequences of events are unavoidable in life

• To describe important information about the city in which the events took place

• To give an overview of events that will be explained in more detail in later sections

1. Which inference can the reader reasonably make about Sasha based on the information in the section “Tumbling”? (p.234)

• Sasha has mixed feelings about certain things.

• Sasha has a generally pessimistic outlook on life.

• Sasha isn’t concerned about how other people perceive them.

• Sasha struggles to express their opinions about things important to them.

1. Read the sentence from paragraph 78 in the section “Fire.” (p.238)

The two men don’t know each other, but they work in unison, shoving Sasha to the floor.

The prefix uni- comes from a Latin root meaning “one.” What word best describes the meaning of the phrase in unison?

• Quickly

• Regardless

• Together

• Roughly

1. Which statement best explains why the interview is divided into three parts? (p.240-244)

• • Richard continues to change his mind and gives three different accounts of what happened on the bus.

• • Richard is interviewed by the officers three times in order to get all of the information and details they need.

• • The interview is divided into questions about things that took place before, during, and after the event.

• • The types of questions the officers ask and the way Richard responds to them change as the interview progresses.

1. Which excerpt from the section “Book of Faces” best supports the inference that Richard is very conscious of how he appears to other people? (p.235-236)

• • Smiling beside his cousin’s / slit-eyed hilarity. (paragraph 27)

• • At fourteen, in a beanie: / round-faced, bright-eyed. (paragraph 27)

• • At sixteen: jaw slack, brows raised, / expression asking, What? (paragraph 30)

• • Soft-eyed on a sofa, / younger brother cuddled on his chest. (paragraph 31)

1. How do the officers determine who set Sasha’s skirt on fire?

• The bus driver tells them.

• Sasha identifies the attacker.

• They have a video recording.

• Other passengers identify Richard.

1. Who does Sasha call after they were set on fire?

• Karl

• Karen

• Debbie

• Jamal

1. Read the excerpt from paragraph 111 in “The Interview, Part I.” (p.240)

Minutes ticked by. He sat up and rubbed his eyes with two fingers. Leaned back in the chair and stared at the floor. Leaned forward with his chin resting on his arms. Cradled his head in his hand. Sat up and rested his chin on his palms. Ten minutes went by. Then twenty. Thirty. 

The main effect of the short sentences and fragments in this excerpt is to —

• • Establish the setting by describing the interview room.

• • Characterize Richard as an impatient person.

• • Set the mood by reflecting Richard’s restlessness and boredom.

• • Criticize the conditions in which individuals are detained.

1. Sasha was ____ when Jamal, Richard, and Lloyd got on the bus.

• Reading the paper back copy of Anna Karenina.

• Fixing their skirt.

• Sleeping.

• Completing a homework assignment.

1. Read the first two paragraphs of the section “4:52 p.m.” Which two statements best describe the effects of the factual details provided in these paragraphs? (p.236)

• • The reader can visualize the setting.

• • The reader is likely to feel sympathy for Richard and Lloyd.

• • The reader gets a clear understanding of Sasha’s perspective.

• • The reader knows that the events are being described as they really happened.

• • The reader understands the roles of the bus driver and the other bus passengers.