Last Dance and The Tree

What does the word reminisce mean in paragraph 11 of the story

“Last Dance”?

• To remember past events

• To have doubts

• To judge someone’s actions

• To resolve an issue

Answer explanation

The narrator is remembering (to reminisce) the past that she shared with her friends.

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What can the reader infer about the narrator based on paragraph 7

of the story “Last Dance”?

• She is angry that Becca has spent the last month busy with

  friends.

• She wonders if her relationship with Becca will change after the

  move.

• She thinks that Becca is happy about leaving home to go to

  college.

• She fears that the nightly tradition is no longer important to

  Becca.

Answer explanation

Now that she is older, the narrator feels that Becca finds different things important other than dancing with her sister.

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• To suggest that the girls appreciate their dad’s suggestion

• To show that the girls have forgotten about their argument

• To highlight the bond the girls have with each other

• To emphasize the girls’ willingness to work together

Answer explanation

Personification: Giving human traits to non-human objects.

Anger cannot move or be 'crept out'.

The author wrote this to show the sister's were not angry at each other anymore.

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CCSS.RL.9-10.4

Which sentence from the story “Last Dance” best conveys the

theme?

• We took turns each night picking which song to dance to, and no

  matter what had gone on that day or how mad we would be at

  each other, we would dance. (paragraph 1)

• A few minutes in time-out had not been enough for us to stop

  being angry at each other, so before bedtime our dad took us to

  the living room and turned on his favorite song. (paragraph 2)

• Some hours passed, and I began to get ready for bed, giving up

  on the notion that a last dance party would be happening.

  (paragraph 12)

• I basked in the bittersweet, realizing that these were the

  moments to cherish. (paragraph 20)

Answer explanation

Theme is the lesson of the story.

The lesson or theme of Last Dance is to cherish the moments you have with loved ones while they are with you.

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What is a message in the poem “The Tree”?

• Some things in life are not fully appreciated until they are gone.

• The world is sometimes beyond our own understanding.

• Home is where people feel most comfortable to be themselves.

• It is difficult to predict the actions of our neighbors.

Answer explanation

The message of the poem is similar to the short story: cherish your loved ones while you have them. Appreciate those memories while they're happening.

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Which line from the poem “The Tree” best helps the reader

understand that the speaker is experiencing regret?

• Each evening for a full five minutes, (line 1)

• upon my neighbor’s house. (line 4)

• That evening the tree was gone, (line 12)

• an emptiness, along the street: (line 15)

Answer explanation

The line shows how the narrator regrets not appreciating the tree before it was cut down.

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How does the author’s use of language in lines 14 through 16

contribute to the mood of the poem “The Tree”?

• By explaining that the speaker is surprised by feelings of

  disappointment

• By highlighting how the speaker is frustrated with the current situation

• By suggesting that the speaker is uncertain about what will

  happen next

• By showing that the speaker is experiencing a sense of abandonment

Answer explanation

Mood is the feeling readers get while reading a story.

The mood is depressing. These lines show the depression since the speaker is missing the tree that was there.

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Based on lines 10 and 11 of the poem “The Tree,” what can the

reader infer about the speaker?

• The speaker pays little attention to the nearby environment.

• The speaker has suddenly become mindful of the tree.

• The speaker prefers to sleep when it is completely silent.

• The speaker fears the tree has accidentally been cut down.

Answer explanation

The speaker always knew the tree was there but never cared about it. Once the tree is gone, the speaker notices.

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Which idea do BOTH the story “Last Dance” and the poem

“The Tree” emphasize?

• A need for help

• A fascination with time

• A noticeable loss

• A longing for something new

Answer explanation

Both lost something they care about such as dancing with their sister and a tree being cut down.

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In what way is the narrator in the story “Last Dance” UNLIKE the

speaker of the poem “The Tree”?

• The narrator spends most of her time alone, but the speaker is surrounded by others.

• The narrator has a lot of time to sit and think, but the speaker is too busy to take time for reflection.

• The narrator knows her sister has not permanently left home

  yet, but the speaker sees that the tree is already gone.

• The narrator has spent her whole life with her sister, but the

  speaker has only lived by the tree for a short amount of time.

Answer explanation

The narrator's sister will come back from college. The speaker's tree is cut down and gone forever.

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