Name:       Date:      

“Quinceañera Birthday Bash

Preserves Tradition, Marks
Passage to Womanhood”
Natalie St. John

FIRST READ: Comprehension

Identify the choice that best answers the question.

      1. How does Vanessa Negrete feel about the party thrown in her honor in
“Quinceañera Birthday Bash Preserves Tradition”?
a. She looks forward to it beforehand and enjoys herself thoroughly at the
party.
b. She is terrified of it beforehand but finds herself enjoying it once it gets
started.
c. She is disappointed that the party is small-scale but still enjoys herself on
the day.
d. She thinks it is silly and unnecessary but pretends to enjoy it for her
parents’ sake.

      2. According to “Quinceañera Birthday Bash Preserves Tradition,” why do friends

and associates of the girl’s parents help pay for “quinces”? Choose two options.
a. They expect the girl’s family to return the favor in the future.
b. They have known and loved the girl throughout her childhood.
c. They hope to help the girl set aside money for a college education.
d. They want to wish the girl good luck as she prepares to leave home.
e. They want to provide an opportunity for the girl to meet young men.
f. They want to show their approval of the girl’s decision to join the church.

     3. Which of the following best describes the religious element of a “quince,”
according to “Quinceañera Birthday Bash Preserves Tradition?”
a. The girl begins formal religious study under the priest.
b. The girl reads aloud from the Bible during a long service.
c. The girl is formally confirmed as a member of the church.
d. The girl accepts responsibility for her own spiritual well-being.

© by Savvas Learning Company LLC. All Rights Reserved. 1

 GRADE 8 • UNIT 1 • SELECTION TEST

“QUINCEAÑERA BIRTHDAY BASH PRESERVES TRADITION, MARKS PASSAGE TO WOMANHOOD” BY

NATALIE ST. JOHN

Name:       Date:      

FIRST READ: Selection Vocabulary

Identify the choice that best answers the question.

     4. What is the likeliest meaning of encompasses as it is used in this sentence from
“Quinceañera Birthday Bash Preserves Tradition”? Choose the meaning based
on context clues in the passage.
Negrete and Woodman acknowledge that in modern times, the second half of a
quinceañera, a reception that encompasses a catered dinner, a series of traditional
rituals, and an often raucous dance party with live music, is often a higher priority
for the girls than the spiritual component.

a. includes
b. rejects
c. prevents
d. rehearses

     5. What does the context suggest is most likely the meaning of humble as used in
this sentence from “Quinceañera Birthday Bash Preserves Tradition”?
The surroundings were humble—fluorescent lights flickered, metal chairs squeaked
and bumped against folding tables.

a. fancy
b. fragile
c. cheerful
d. inexpensive

© by Savvas Learning Company LLC. All Rights Reserved. 2

 GRADE 8 • UNIT 1 • SELECTION TEST

“QUINCEAÑERA BIRTHDAY BASH PRESERVES TRADITION, MARKS PASSAGE TO WOMANHOOD” BY

NATALIE ST. JOHN

Name:       Date:      

6. The following question has two parts. Answer Part A first, and then Part B.

      Part A What is the likeliest meaning of scrimped as it is used in this sentence
from “Quinceañera Birthday Bash Preserves Tradition”? Choose the meaning
based on context clues in the passage.
She and her husband sacrificed and scrimped for a year to save $7,000 of the
$12,000 it cost to throw their generous, but by-no-means extravagant party.

a. saved
b. threw away
c. bought
d. helped out

      Part B Which word from the quotation is a context clue that most clearly
supports the answer to Part A?
a. husband
b. sacrificed
c. generous
d. party

CLOSE READ: Analyze the Text

Identify the choice that best answers the question.

     7. The author of “Quinceañera Birthday Bash Preserves Tradition” describes the
party guests as follows:
Grandmas in support hose and sandals danced side-by-side with little girls in party
dresses. Wives slow danced with their husbands, their babies balanced between
them. Children chased balloons, and young men in sharply pointed boots and
dinner-plate belt buckles guided their dates onto the dance floor.

What can you infer from this excerpt about the atmosphere at a typical
quinceañera?
a. Guests at a quinceañera stick closely to their own family members
instead of mingling.
b. A quinceañera encourages people of all ages and both sexes to celebrate
together.
c. A quinceañera is a highly formal occasion at which people behave very
politely.
d. Children are expected to keep out of sight and play quietly at a
quinceañera.

© by Savvas Learning Company LLC. All Rights Reserved. 3

 GRADE 8 • UNIT 1 • SELECTION TEST

“QUINCEAÑERA BIRTHDAY BASH PRESERVES TRADITION, MARKS PASSAGE TO WOMANHOOD” BY

NATALIE ST. JOHN

Name:       Date:      

8. The following question has two parts. Answer Part A first, and then Part B.

      Part A The author of “Quinceañera Birthday Bash Preserves Tradition” says
the following about the money people spend on a “quince”:
A low-budget quince costs around $10,000, but clients have spent as much as
$250,000.… Locally, quinces are more modest, but they still don’t come cheap, said
Sanchez. Negrete’s parents both work full-time, and with four children at home,
money is tight.
Why do Negrete’s parents throw a huge party in spite of their need to be careful
with money?
a. They are required to host a “quince” as part of their religion.
b. They consider the “quince” to be a major moment in their daughter’s life.
c. They enjoy throwing large parties because family members always attend
them.
d. They know that their daughter will not succeed in life without a “quince”
celebration.

      Part B Which quotation from the passage best supports your answer to Part A?
a. As one of two Spanish-speaking priests in Cowlitz County, Woodman
officiates over as many as two quinces a week during the busy summer
season.
b. “Now that I've turned 15 and had my quinceañera, it's an opportunity to
date without hiding it from my parents.”
c. In some parts of the U.S. where Hispanic tradition and wealth are more
firmly established, these celebrations can reach incredible heights of
extravagance and expense …
d. “Really for us, it’s a tradition,” Sanchez said. “It means that you’ve
started a new phase of your life.”

     9. “Quinceañera Birthday Bash Preserves Tradition” includes many direct

quotations from real people personally or professionally involved in quinceañera
celebrations. What does the author achieve with her use of direct quotations?
a. She makes the article more lively and personal by sharing authentic
viewpoints about quinceañeras.
b. She contrasts her own ideas about quinceañeras with the ideas of real
people who take part in them.
c. She repays the interviewees for their time and information by quoting and
naming them in the article.
d. She uses the quotations to make the article more appealing to sociologists
and students of contemporary culture.

© by Savvas Learning Company LLC. All Rights Reserved. 4