Semester 1 Study Guide RL Standards v Assessment ID: dna.205075 ib.

3220547
Directions: Read the passage below and answer the question(s) that follow.

The Necklace
The Necklace
Mariella fingered the necklace around her neck. Today was a big day, and she needed to be prepared as she
would be presenting her Science Fair Project—a way to take potential energy and turn it into kinetic energy. She
designed a battery charger to power a cell phone that gained power as the person holding it walked around. Her
solution could help all of her friends, and maybe she could refine her product and place it on the market.
The judges would be important people from the community, such as engineers and business owners. Had she
packed everything for the presentation? Once again, she fingered the necklace that her grandmother had given
her for good luck. She felt confident and ready.
“Breakfast!” her mom called as Mariella took one last look around the room, touched her necklace, and walked
into her family’s kitchen.
“Are you ready?” her mom asked her as Mariella dipped her spoon into her big bowl of oatmeal.
“I’ve done everything that I need to do, and I have Grandmother’s necklace for good luck,” she replied, trying to
project more confidence than she actually felt.
“You’ve worked hard for this, and I know that you believe in your project. You can do this,” her mother replied. “Just
make certain that you believe in yourself more than you believe in good luck.”
Mariella turned to her mother and responded, “I have worked hard, but Grandmother’s necklace gives me some
extra confidence because it’s my good luck charm!”
The summer before middle school, Mariella had worried about the difficulty of the next year. Middle school was an
unknown with all sorts of new requirements, so her grandmother had given her a necklace with just one word—
BELIEVE. Mariella knew that it meant to believe in herself and her ability, but it also served as a warm cloak of
protection against all problems. Whenever she was worried about a test or a project, she fingered her necklace to
remind her that she could do what she needed to do, and it gave her that extra edge.
“The necklace only reminds you of what you can do, so it is there only as a sign of our belief in you. You are the
one who makes it possible, and you are the one we believe in,” Mariella’s mother replied. “YOU make all things
possible, and today will be a wonderful day.” Mariella didn’t agree with her mother’s dismissal of the importance of
her good luck charm.
Mariella pushed away from the table, her bowl of oatmeal only half-eaten. She didn’t want to argue with her
mother, so she walked to her bedroom to get ready to catch the bus. She grabbed her backpack and threw it
across her shoulders, but there was a tug at her neck. The one problem with the necklace was that it frequently
became entangled in whatever she placed around her shoulders. Mariella straightened her bag and headed out of
her home for the bus with an “I love you, Mom” thrown over her shoulder in the general direction of the kitchen.
The bus ride to school was uneventful, as was homeroom. Mariella pushed her worry about the upcoming
presentation out of her mind with chatter and laughter about the events of the weekend, but the time to present
eventually came. She retrieved her project board from her science teacher’s classroom, shouldered her backpack
once again, and headed to the cafeteria to set up her display. After preparing her presentation, Mariella took a
deep breath and reached for her good luck charm, but there was nothing around her neck. Where was it? What
had happened to it? Just then, the first set of judges began to file into the room. She wished for the reassurance
of her necklace, but it was too late as the competition was beginning.
“I can’t do this because I don’t have my necklace! They’ll think my project is stupid. They won’t believe that this
solution works,” Mariella told herself. Her thoughts swirled in her brain as the first judge appeared in front of her.
She presented her cell phone charger in a meek and halting voice.
“I like your ideas, and I think that they have merit, but your presentation needs some work,” replied the judge
before moving on. Mariella was crushed.

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Semester 1 Study Guide RL Standards v Assessment ID: dna.205075 ib.3220547
Directions: Answer the following question(s) relating to the passage titled "The Necklace".

She took a deep breath and thought, “Just believe in yourself. That’s what I have to do, remember the meaning of
BELIEVE. I just need to use the word to remind me of what is possible.” Methodically and steadily, Mariella
worked to present her product to each new judge with faith in herself.
As a result, the presentation to the next four judges went much better as Mariella was able to present her project
with assurance, and they all liked what she had to say. At the end of the judging, she had earned a ribbon and the
possibility of production.
The students packed up at the end of the fair, congratulating each of the ribbon winners. Mariella headed to the
car riders’ lane to meet her mother.
As she climbed into the car, her mother said, “How did it go?”
Mariella just said, “Fine,” and showed her the ribbon.
After a pause, her mom replied, “I found this on the floor of the hall. I guess you don’t need your good luck charm
to be successful.” She handed Mariella her necklace with a knowing smile and a wink. The clasp was broken, but
Mariella knew that the message was now a part of her being as she finally understood what BELIEVE meant.

1 What evidence does the author give that Mariella 2 Which BEST provides an objective summary of the
is often unsure of herself? passage?

A. She frequently touches her necklace.
B. She feels crushed after her presentation.
C. She repeatedly asks her mom for advice about
schoolwork.
D. She needs her science teacher to approve of
her display board.
A. Mariella has a presentation to make at the
Science Fair. She is convinced she has the most
original concept of all the competitors. But when
she arrives at school, she realizes she has left
part of her project at home. Luckily, she can still
use her project board to make her presentation.
B. Mariella has a presentation to make at the
Science Fair. She is dreading the part where
she has to talk to the judges. She has a good
luck charm, though, to give her the help she
needs. She believes in its special magical
properties and knows she can win the fair as
long as she uses the magic wisely.
C. Mariella has a presentation to make at the
Science Fair. She feels ready but still relies on
her necklace for reassurance to believe in her
abilities. As the fair begins, she realizes her
necklace is missing. She starts to doubt herself
but then reminds herself to be confident. In the
end, she is pleased with the outcome and with
herself.
D. Mariella has a presentation to make at the
Science Fair. She cannot wait to show everyone
her new invention especially because her
grandmother's gift inspired her idea. She knew
she could convince everyone that a cell phone
charger that doubled as a necklace was a
winning product. At first, she struggled to
express herself, but later, she knew she was
success.

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Semester 1 Study Guide RL Standards v Assessment ID: dna.205075 ib.3220547
Directions: Answer the following question(s) relating to the passage titled "The Necklace".

3 How did Mariella's thought process change after

she realized she was not wearing her necklace?
A. She was apathetic at first, but then realized she
would not be able to present without it.
B. She was disappointed at first, but then
she assured herself that she would find it
eventually.
C. She was scared of getting in trouble at first, but
then remembered that her mom would support
her.
D. She was filled with self-doubt at first, but
then she convinced herself that she could
believe in her abilities.

4 Which of the following sentences from "The

Necklace" reveals Mariella's character?
A. Her solution could help all of her friends, and
maybe she could refine the product and place it
on the market.
B. The one problem with the necklace was that it
frequently became entangled in whatever she
placed around her shoulders.
C. Methodically and steadily Mariella worked to
present her product to each new judge with faith
in herself.
D. As a result, the presentation to the next four
judges went much better as Mariella was able to
present her project with assurance, and they all
liked what she had to say.

5 Which excerpt from "The Necklace" BEST

develops the story's theme?
A. "Are you ready?" her mom asked her as Mariella
dipped her spoon into her big bowl of oatmeal.
B. Mariella pushed away from the table, her bowl of
oatmeal only half-eaten.
C. The bus ride to school was uneventful, as was
homeroom.
D. She took a deep breath and thought, "Just
believe in yourself. That's what I have to do,
remember the meaning of BELIEVE."

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Semester 1 Study Guide RL Standards v Assessment ID: dna.205075 ib.3220547
Directions: Read the passage below and answer the question(s) that follow.

Shooting the Hooch

Shooting the Hooch

“Ally, you need to hurry. We’re leaving here in ten minutes, and you still haven’t had breakfast. We don’t want to
hold everyone else up.”

“I’m almost done. Just looking for my pool shoes,” Allison called down to her mother. The neighborhood had
decided to celebrate the beginning of summer by driving up to Helen and tubing on the Chattahoochee. They had
spent weeks making the plans, Allison’s mom and their neighbors had booked with a rafting company, and the last
week of school’s bus rides had been spent in excited chatter about the trip, but Allison hadn’t felt the same
enthusiasm as the other kids on the block. Half-heartedly she retrieved her last pool shoe, threw it into her bag,
and with determination, headed towards the kitchen.

“We have to meet over at the Johnson’s in eight minutes. Try to eat as quickly as possible. I know everyone can’t
wait to get on the road,” Allison’s mom urged as she put a few last minute snacks into their cooler.

Allison looked down at her cereal bowl and shoveled some of the slightly sweet rings into her mouth. Sure,
everyone was excited…except for Allison.

“Mom, I’ve heard that the water is really cold this time of year. Won’t we be in the water for a long time?”

“Ally, honey, it’s going to be a very warm day today, even in the mountains. Once you get used to it, you’ll enjoy
the chill,” her mom promised. “I know you don’t much care for water, but tubing is so relaxing and fun. It’s not like
you’ll be swimming down the river—you’ll be laying back and taking in the sights. Did you know that at one point
you actually float past the restaurants in Helen and people wave as they’re eating?”

“Do people ever fall off the tube?” Allison asked, without looking from her bowl of cereal.

“I promise you that it is safe. If you get caught in shallows or on a rock, I’ll be right there to launch your tube
forward. It’s time to get back in the water. Come on—wash up that bowl. It’s time to go,” was her mom’s response.

Last summer, the neighborhood had celebrated the beginning of vacation with a pool party. Allison had been a
strong swimmer, but she had taken a bad jump off the diving board. The pain in her shoulder as she plunged into
the water had taken her breath away and disoriented her. She had struggled to regain the surface in her panic,
and Allison had wanted nothing to do with water or pools after her shoulder had healed. She had spent the rest of
the summer inside. Allison’s mom had done everything that she could to convince her to return to the pool, but
Allison had developed a mild case of aquaphobia, or the fear of water. Allison suspected that her mother had
arranged for this trip just to help her accept that water sports were still fun, especially after her mother had
carefully placed the tubing brochure next to her dinner plate. It read:

Looking for fun, excitement, and the beauty of the Hooch?

Come tube with us and enjoy nature’s own thrill ride.

We promise that you will get more than you ever expected.

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Semester 1 Study Guide RL Standards v Assessment ID: dna.205075 ib.3220547
Directions: Read the passage below and answer the question(s) that follow.

The neighbors caravanned up to Helen, the town where they would rent the tubes. There was a lot of laughing,
singing, and teasing as the Atlanta skyscrapers gave way to rolling hills and then to mountain peaks. The
neighbors finally saw the sign announcing that Helen, and their great adventure, were only five miles away. Traffic
came to a crawl with other visiting tourists, but the neighbors finally found their way to the tubing company’s home
base. Allison had forgotten the tiny twinges of fear about their journey down the river because of the laughter and
chatter on the trip up, but once they parked and crossed the parking lot toward the bus that would take them up
the mountain, a knot formed in her stomach. Allison’s mom gave her hand a squeeze.

Despite the warmth of the sun, the water was cold. Allison plunged into the frigid water holding her tube, trying to
find a spot that would allow her to find her balance, hopefully above the water line. The neighbors finally set off
giggling and calling to each other as they began their journey down the “Hooch.”

Occasionally, the lazy river swirled around rocks in its path, but Allison continued to check the depth of the river in
order to convince herself that she could stand up immediately if the tube overturned. Her next-door neighbor
became stuck on a rock and was rescued with splashing and laughing, but Allison began to notice that the water’s
pace was picking up, and the water seemed deeper as they journeyed closer to Helen. Sometimes as the water
swirled, it foamed and bumped the tubes together. Allison’s stomach tightened with the familiar fear of “what-ifs.”
The tubes began to separate as some picked up speed, while others stayed in the slower current. Allison
suddenly realized that her mother was several feet behind her.

Suddenly, it happened. Allison hit a small stretch of rough rapid, and her tube overturned. She was drenched in
the chilling water and momentarily panicked, but she found her footing and pushed out of the water before her
tube floated downstream without her. Blowing water from her nose and shaking her wet head, Allison began to
laugh. She’d forgotten how much fun it was to play in the water, and once she regained her balance on her tube,
she started purposefully heading toward the rapids and splashing each neighbor who tried to overtake her.

Before long, the group had made it back to the original pick-up site, ready for lunch and some good stories to
share. Allison’s mom squeezed her hand and whispered, “Sorry that I wasn’t closer when you went in.”

“It’s okay. It was fun—I’d forgotten how much I enjoy swimming. I vote that we shoot the Hooch every summer,”
Allison whispered back, and with that being said, they dug into their lunch.

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Semester 1 Study Guide RL Standards v Assessment ID: dna.205075 ib.3220547
Directions: Answer the following question(s) relating to the passage titled "Shooting the Hooch".

6 Which of the following might be added to the

portion of “Shooting the Hooch” in which Allison
falls into the water so that the dialogue shows
Allison’s understanding of her skills in the water?
A. “I did it!” she called to no one in particular. She
had found her courage to fight her foe, the river.
B. Allison screamed to herself, “Oh no! It has
happened again. Who will save me this time?
Help me, help me!” she silently pleaded.
C. “I can’t do this. The water is too deep! Where is
my mother? She promised to be by my side. I
want her to come help me,” screamed the voice
in Allison’s head.
D. “I’m done,” Allison thought in her head. “I can’t
reach bottom, and this time I will drown in the
water. Why did my mother plan this trip and then
let me drift off? I can’t do this.”

7 Which BEST summarizes the evidence from the

passage of what the author is implying about our
fears?
A. What we fear most can end up happening if we
think about it enough.
B. Aquaphobia is a real fear that affects people
in their daily lives.
C. We have to face our fears in order to deal with
them.
D. Living in fear makes us unable to enjoy life.

8 Which of the following BEST explains the

meaning of rough rapid as it is used in “Shooting
the Hooch”?

Allison hit a small stretch of rough rapid, and her

tube overturned.

A. happening quickly
B. characterized by speed
C. acting or working with haste
D. flowing water that runs very swiftly

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