Cold-Read Task

Read “Susan Butcher” from Louisiana EAGLE. Then answer the questions.

Susan Butcher, Renowned Musher

The year is 1984. She is on the frozen Norton Sound of Alaska, alternately pushing
her sled and riding behind her team, when she feels waves of motion beneath her.
Suddenly, the ice rises and then breaks, dropping her into frigid waters! No human is
nearby. She has no chance of saving herself. She must put her faith in the sled dogs...

How did a girl from Massachusetts end up in this mess?

Susan Butcher loved animals and the outdoors from the time she was a young girl. At 15 she
received a Siberian husky as a pet and became interested in dogsled racing. At 17 she was given
another dog. Eventually she moved from New England to
Colorado, where she took veterinary classes and learned
to train sled dogs. One day, she read an article about a
race called the Iditarod.

The Iditarod takes place every year in March. Mushers

race from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska, to commemorate
an event that took place in 1925. In January of that year,
two children died of diphtheria in Nome. Diphtheria is a
highly contagious disease, and the local physician knew
that without antitoxin serum to inoculate the population,
thousands of lives might be lost. His supply of serum was running low, so the only hope was to
get more from Anchorage, over 1,100 miles away. Winter storms and high winds through the
mountain passes made the trip impossible for airplanes. Only dogsleds could travel from
Anchorage to Nome in winter. So twenty teams moved the antitoxin through blinding storms
and treacherous mountain passes and over heaving sea ice, warming the precious package by
fire at each outpost, to help prevent the serum from freezing and becoming useless. Motivated
by the lives at stake, mushers made it to Nome in under six days, and a widespread epidemic
was prevented.

The modern Iditarod was introduced in 1967 as part of a 100th anniversary celebration of the
purchase of Alaska from Russia. The race is named for a gold rush town that was halfway
between Anchorage and Nome on the original route.

Grade 8: Call of the Wild

Susan learned that to compete in the Iditarod you have to push hard and work with the dogs,
not just ride along behind them. That kind of strenuous physical exertion in the outdoors
sounded exactly right for Susan.

She moved to Alaska. Her veterinary experience landed her a job helping to save the
endangered musk ox. In the summer, she also worked in a salmon factory. She used her
earnings from both jobs to buy and train sled dogs. Then Susan moved to a mountain
wilderness area, where she lived rustically, hunting moose, caribou, and small game. Largely
isolated from the rest of humanity, she relied on her dogs for companionship, gradually
becoming intimately acquainted with the unique personality of each animal as she and they
trained to compete in the celebrated race. Susan pushed herself and the dogs to build
endurance. It seemed as if the dogs were as eager as she was to take on the challenge. Susan
had to learn to watch carefully for signs of injury, fatigue, or dehydration. The dogs learned
commands like hike (go), gee (right), and haw (left). But the skill they exhibited involved much
more than their ability to obey commands. In fact, as Susan later recalled, her trusted lead dog,
Tekla, seemed to have "a sixth sense that saved our lives."

One day, as Susan and her dogs traversed a mountain pass overlooking the water, she
commanded Tekla to follow the trail to the left. The dog refused. Again, Susan gave the
command, "Haw!" Tekla hesitated, but then led the team to the right! As the team pulled Susan
off the trail, the path to the left suddenly slid into icy waters below. If Tekla had followed her
command, they all might have drowned.

Despite such close calls and other mishaps, not to mention the extremely hard physical work,
Susan remained determined, and by 1978 she was ready to race. She paid a $1,000 entrance
fee and bought supplies, food, and gear. Racers cannot possibly carry enough to last the 1,100
miles, so Susan and her friends stuffed food and supplies into bags to be dropped ahead of time
at various checkpoints along the way. It was a tough race, but Susan had prepared well. She
came in 19th, which was a good showing for a rookie; she was the first woman ever to place in
the top 20. But Susan was just getting started.

In 1979, Susan Butcher finished in the top ten, and in 1980 she came in fifth. The next few years
saw varying degrees of success along with a number of mishaps. In 1983, she followed the
wrong trail and lost nearly a whole day. In 1984, she fell through the ice.

She is wearing heavy gear. She will not last long. One by one, the dogs just in front
of her have broken through. About six of the lead dogs are still above water. Will they be
strong enough? Slowly, they pull. They strain to hold their ground. Somehow, they sense
the importance of their responsibility. They keep pulling, harder . . . Inch by inch, the

Grade 8: Call of the Wild

 team struggles out to solid ground.
Susan's fur parka is a ring of icicles. It is 30 degrees below zero. She has nothing with
which to build a fire. All she can do is alternately ride and run to keep her body from
freezing, while protecting her lungs from too much cold air.

Despite her near-death ordeal, Susan Butcher came in second in the 1984 Iditarod. She had
high hopes for 1985. She was experienced, she knew the trail, she and her dogs were in top
form. She felt sure that this would be the year a woman would finally win the Iditarod!

Ironically, she was right. But that woman would not be Susan Butcher.

As night fell, the team came over a hill to confront a starving moose. Susan immediately cleared
her sled off the trail to let the animal pass. Instead, the moose attacked. Susan said she thought
it would "just run through me." For about twenty minutes, Susan shouted and waved her ax,
trying to fight off the enraged moose. When it was all over, 13 of her 17 dogs were dead or
injured. Susan had to withdraw from the race. A woman named Libby Riddles won that year.

Susan nursed her injured dogs back to health and rebuilt her team. In the 1986 race, they got
off to a strong start. Then two dogs fell through the top layer of ice to a thin layer below. Susan
carefully used her ax to break them out, all the while soothing the rest of the team to prevent
them from moving toward her and their trapped teammates. She freed the two dogs at last and
pushed on, sleeping only a few hours each day. When she crossed the finish line after 11 days,
15 hours, and 6 minutes, not only had she won the Iditarod—she had set a new time record!

Susan went on to win the race an unprecedented four times in five years and gained
recognition as one of the world's best sled dog racers. She married and had children, and
operated a kennel. She continued living her Alaskan dream until she died of leukemia in 2006.
Her legacy lives on in every little girl or boy who loves animals, physical challenge, and
adventure in the great outdoors.

The year is 2007 and, once again, Susan Butcher is part of the Iditarod. Every year, an
honorary musher is chosen, sometimes posthumously, as the ceremonial first racer. This
year, Susan's daughter, Tekla, drives her mother's team and wears her mother's red race
suit. Tekla also loves dogs and the outdoors. Though only 11, she says, “Mushing seems
really easy . . . .”
Naturally.

Grade 8: Call of the Wild

1. ​Part A

What is the meaning of the word ​renowned​ as it is used in title of the article, “Susan Butcher, ​Renowned​ Musher”?

A. achieving success in many fields

B. having a small circle of friends

C. known or talked about by many people

D. knowledgeable about many subjects

Part B

​What evidence from the article ​best​ helps in understanding the meaning of ​renowned​?

A. “She moved from New England to Colorado, where she took veterinary classes and learned to train sled
dogs.” (paragraph 3)

B. “Her veterinary experience landed her a job helping to save the endangered musk ox.” (paragraph 7)

C. “Largely isolated from the rest of humanity, she relied on her dogs for companionship.” (paragraph 7)

D. “Susan went on to win the race an unprecedented four times in five years and gained recognition as one of
the world’s best sled dog racers.” (paragraph 17)

2. Read this sentence from paragraph 4:

Motivated by the lives at stake, mushers made it to Nome in under six days, and a widespread
epidemic​ was prevented.

Part A

What is the meaning of the word ​epidemic​ as it is used in this sentence?

A. something no longer good after a certain time

B. something that affects many people

C. something difficult to move

D. something that happens only once in awhile

Part B

What evidence from paragraph 4 ​best​ helps in understanding the meaning of ​epidemic​?

Grade 8: Call of the Wild

 A. “thousands of lives might be lost”

B. “supply of serum was running low”

C. “made the trip impossible for airplanes”

D. “becoming useless”

3. ​Part A

What are the ​two main ​ways the author develops information about Susan Butcher in the article?

A. with an extended explanation of experiences Butcher had

B. with detailed descriptions of Butcher’s most dangerous experiences

C. with descriptions of Butcher’s racing experiences interspersed in the main text

D. with an explanation of the history of the Iditarod​ ​as it relates to Butcher becoming a musher

E. with biographical information about Butcher from childhood to her death

F. with specific facts about all the races Butcher participated in

Part B

Which ​two​ details from the article ​best​ support the answers to part A?

A. “Susan Butcher loved animals and the outdoors from the time she was a young girl.” (paragraph 3)

B. “Motivated by the lives at stake, mushers made it to Nome in under six days, and a widespread epidemic
was prevented.” (paragraph 4)

C. “But the skill they exhibited involved much more than their ability to obey commands.” (paragraph 7)

D. “It is 30 degrees below zero. She has nothing with which to build a fire.” (paragraph 12)

E. “Susan immediately cleared her sled off the trail to let the animals pass. Instead, the moose attacked.”
(paragraph 15)

F. “When she crossed the finish line after 11 days, 15 hours, and 6 minutes, not only had she won the
Iditarod—she had set a new time record!” (paragraph 17)

Grade 8: Call of the Wild

4. ​Part A

How do the italicized sections contribute to the overall development of ideas in the article?

A. They fill in the record by narrating what took place after Susan Butcher triumphed in her last race.

B. They narrate in Susan Butcher’s own words details of specific races she competed in.

C. They enhance the information in the article by dramatizing specific events in Susan Butcher’s life.

D. They provide step-by-step details of the Susan Butcher’s concerns, skills, and methods of dealing with
unforeseen events.

Part B

Which of the italicized excerpts​ best ​supports the answer to part A

A. “​She is on the frozen Norton Sound of Alaska.​” (paragraph 1)

B. “​Suddenly, the ice rises and then breaks, dropping her into frigid waters!” (​ paragraph 1)

C. “​She is wearing heavy gear.​” (paragraph 11)

D. “​The year is 2007 and, once again, Susan Butcher is part of the Iditarod.” (paragraph 18)

5. ​Part A

Which sentence ​best​ states the author’s view of Susan Butcher?

A. Although she was a woman competing in a man’s sport, Butcher became a skilled musher.

B. Butcher deserves to be admired for her determination and perseverance.

C. Although Butcher did not win every race, she took special care of all her animals.

D. More than anything else, Butcher liked to enjoy and preserve all kinds of animals.

Part B

Which detail from the article ​best ​supports the answer to part A?

A. “Susan had to learn to watch carefully for signs of injury, fatigue, or dehydration.” (paragraph 7)

B. “In 1979, Susan Butcher finished in the top ten, and in 1980 she came in fifth.” (paragraph 10)

C. “She nursed her injured dogs back to health and rebuilt her team.” (paragraph 16)

Grade 8: Call of the Wild

 D. “Her legacy lives on in every little girl or boy who loves animals, physical challenge, and adventure in the
great outdoors.” (paragraph 17)

6. Read this excerpt from paragraph 7 of the article:

But the skill they exhibited involved much more than their ability to obey commands. In fact,
as Susan later recalled, her trusted lead dog, Tekla, seemed to have “a sixth sense that saved our
lives.”

Part A

What is the role of this excerpt in refining the idea of the dangers of racing in the Iditarod?

A. It marks a turning point in Butcher’s attitude toward her sled dogs.

B. It introduces the need for thorough training for mushers and dogs.

C. It builds suspense and foreshadows danger described in the next paragraph.

D. It distinguishes between Butcher’s life before and after becoming a musher.

Part B

What evidence from the article ​best ​supports the answer to Part A?

A. “Susan learned that to compete in the Iditarod you have to push hard and work with the dogs, not just ride
along behind them.” (paragraph 6)

B. “In the summer, she also worked in a salmon factory.” (paragraph 7)

C. “Susan pushed herself and the dogs to build endurance.” (paragraph 7)

D. “They all might have drowned.” (paragraph 8)

7. What are ​two ​main ideas the writer develops in the article?

A. It is best to find something to be passionate about early in life.

B. Success can come to those who accept challenges and continue to work hard.

C. Surviving dangerous accidents can cause a person to work harder at reaching a goal.

D. The most important thing in life is to leave a legacy to those who come after you.

Grade 8: Call of the Wild

 E. Well-trained sled dogs can save a musher’s life.

F. Mistakes and failure will not stop someone who is committed to fulfilling a dream.

8. Write a multiparagraph essay that explains how the writer develops a central idea in the article about Susan Butcher.
Cite evidence from the article to support your response. Be sure to observe the conventions of standard English.

Grade 8: Call of the Wild