Dust

Read this sentence from paragraph 3.

"Yet the wall of flying soil that stuck on April 14 was particularly awesome in its size and intensity."

What does wall of flying soil mean as it is used in Passage 1?

• a barrier built to protect the farms from wind

• a layer of dirt that prevented rain from reaching crops

• a great eruption of sand that lifted animals into the air

• a powerful storm of dust that arrived all at once

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.4

CCSS.RI.7.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

Select two sentences that belong in a summary of Passage 2.

• The dust storm threatens the family's farm.

• The daughter is in bed when the storm arrives.

• The dust storm causes the air temperature to drop.

• The mother and daughter try to block the windows.

• The daughter watches the dust cover everything.

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.7

CCSS.RI.7.7

CCSS.RI.8.7

CCSS.RL.7.7

CCSS.RL.8.7

This question has two parts. First, answer Part A. Then, answer Part B.

​

Part A. ​How are the people in the two passages portrayed similarly?

• They are fearful of the difficulties they may encounter.

• They make a plan to solve the dust crisis.

• They are thankful for small miracles.

• They remain strong in the face of challenges.

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.7

CCSS.RI.7.7

CCSS.RI.8.7

CCSS.RL.7.7

CCSS.RL.8.7

This question has two parts. You have answered Part A. Now, answer Part B.

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Part B. ​Select two quotations, one from each passage, that illustrate the answer in Part A.

• "...farmers began to use more effective machinery to carve out even greater fields" (Passage 1, paragraph 5).

• "Yet people kept a sense of humor" (Passage 1, paragraph 9).

• "The situation we reversed largely due to government actions" (Passage 1, paragraph 10).

• "but he didn't cry. / And neither did Ma" (Passage 2, lines 68-69).

• "until the temperature dropped so low, / it brought snow" (Passage 2, lines 49-50).

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.7

CCSS.RI.7.7

CCSS.RL.7.7

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.8.7

Read these lines from Passage 2.

""It wasn't until the dust turned toward the house,

like a fired locomotive,

and I fled" (lines 25-27)

What does the phrase like a fired locomotive mean as used in these lines?

• The wind was at full speed and dangerous.

• The house was in danger of being knocked down.

• The wind was loud and hot.

• The trains in the area were causing the storms.

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.7

CCSS.RL.6.9

CCSS.RL.7.7

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.8.7

Read this sentence from Passage 1.

"From 1932 through 1940, powerful storms of dust ravaged the farming and grazing lands throughout the area of the Great Plains known as the dust bowl" (paragraph 4).

How does Passage 2 further develop this idea?

• It shows that the storms were not as damaging as people believed.

• It illustrates how difficult life was for families who chose to brave the storms.

• It suggests an alternate but more accurate view of the storm.

• It focuses on the way the storms brought families together.

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.7

CCSS.RI.8.7

CCSS.RL.6.9

CCSS.RL.7.7

CCSS.RL.8.5

Read this stanza from Passage 2.

"I sense it before it knew it was coming.

I heard it,

(10) smelled it,

tasted it.

Dust."

How does the structure of this stanza reflect its meaning?

• The short lines illustrate the sense of suspense.

• The short stanza reflects the amount of dust that will arrive.

• The long line followed by short ones slows the pace of the poem.

• The commas show the speaker's uncertainty.

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.7

CCSS.RI.8.7

CCSS.RL.7.7

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.8.7