Practice Test 4

Text 1 (novel excerpt in first person) and Text 2 (poem in third person) both address identity/belonging.

Text 1: “I practiced saying my name the ‘right’ way before roll call, the way kids at this school said it. But when Ms. Nguyen smiled and asked me to teach her, I let the real sounds return. My cheeks burned, and then I felt lighter.”

Text 2: “He wears two languages like two coats in the rain, / switching sleeves when the hallway turns cold. / At home, the old words fit like warmth; / outside, he wonders which voice is truly his.”

How do the different points of view affect each text’s approach to identity?

Text 1 (realistic fiction excerpt) and Text 2 (fantasy excerpt) both address courage/bravery.

Text 1: “The hallway went silent when Mr. Dorsey asked who had written the mean message on the whiteboard. Kira’s stomach tightened. She hadn’t written it, but she had seen who did. Her voice came out small at first, then stronger: ‘I saw it happen, and it wasn’t Jamal.’”

Text 2: “In the Hall of Echoes, Arin held the silver bell that could wake the sleeping giants. One ring would save the village, but it would also call the Shadow Warden to his door. Arin’s hands trembled, and then he rang the bell anyway.”

Both texts show courage, but what is the key difference in setting and conflict?