Reading 8

COMPREHENSION

Extra Inning

Everett took a deep breath and stepped off the pitching mound. He looked all around him,
turning his head slowly as he regarded the chain-link fence, the dugout of the visiting baseball
team, the backstop, his team’s bench, the sagging wooden bleachers filled with children and
adults dressed in a patchwork of colors. He saw it all a little blurry, probably because he was not
thinking about what he was seeing. His mind was elsewhere. In fact, his thoughts were with a
flock of geese that he had watched flying overhead in a perfect V this morning, from his
bedroom window.
But why was he thinking of the geese now? He shook his head vigorously, in hopes that the
vivid shapes of the geese would flee his mind’s eye. He was the pitcher, right now, in one of his
team’s most important games of the season. And he couldn’t even focus on the game! As if from
a distance, he heard an unfamiliar adult voice.
“Time is out!” cried the umpire from his spot at home plate.
Gradually Everett realized that several people were approaching him. His friend Abdi, the
third baseman, reached the mound first. He looked searchingly into Everett’s eyes.
“What’s up, man? How we doing here?” inquired Abdi.
By this time Everett realized that not only were three other teammates converging on him,
but also his coach. The boy grew alert, tensing slightly, his muscles contracting as if expecting
physical contact.
“I’m all right,” Everett announced, in an effort to convey confidence and ability before more
questions could be asked of him. But the team’s catcher, Caleb, stared at Everett as if his eyes
were sharp drills.
“Where’s your head?” Caleb challenged. “Get in the game, man!” Caleb’s competitive
intensity was well-known in the league. No one played harder, faster, and more single-mindedly
than Caleb.
Everett gazed at his friend Caleb. He thought, I don’t think I’ll ever be like you. He had this
thought not in a mean way, not even in a critical way—but as an idea about himself and others,
dawning for the first time. He realized that there were traits and interests that he shared with his
friends. Yet it was clear to him, for perhaps the first time, that he and his friends had
characteristics that made each one of them unique. For Everett, it was a natural slant toward
thoughtfulness, dreaminess, and wonder.
“Hey,” said Coach Perkins, finally reaching the mound. “We’ve got a game to win here!”
 Directions
Choose the item that best answers each question about the selection you just read. Circle
the letter next to the answer.

____ 1 Which two subjects form an important contrast in paragraph 1?

A two dugouts of opposing baseball teams
B children and adults in the bleachers
C a baseball game and a flock of geese
D all of the above
____ 2 Why does Everett shake his head vigorously?
F He feels physically unwell.
G He does it suddenly for no reason.
H He is making light of the situation by joking.
J He is attempting to clear his thoughts.
____ 3 As he is joined at the pitcher’s mound, how does Everett’s state of mind change?
A He becomes alert and tense.
B He grows weary and annoyed.
C He sees the humor in the situation.
D He slips into dreaminess.
____ 4 What conclusion can you draw about Everett’s character from the information in
paragraphs 1–7?
F He knows a lot about birds and sports.
G He is imaginative and sensitive.
H He struggles to recognize the difference between fantasy and reality.
J He is an unusually competitive person.
____ 5 Which character is presented as the sharpest contrast to Everett?
A the umpire
B Abdi
C Caleb
D Coach Perkins
____ 6 How does the author contrast the spoken words of Abdi and Caleb?
F Abdi’s words are neutral, whereas Caleb’s are full of feeling.
G Abdi’s words are challenging, whereas Caleb’s are inspiring.
H Abdi’s words are comical, whereas Caleb’s are serious.
J Abdi’s words are gentle, whereas Caleb’s are aggressive.
____ 7 In which paragraph does the author compare Everett’s new understanding of himself and
his friends with his earlier way of thinking about himself and his friends?
A paragraph 2
B paragraph 6
C paragraph 7
D paragraph 9
____ 8 Which of the following best identifies the subject of Everett’s new understanding?
F a human being’s uniqueness
G the importance of solitude
H forms of intelligence
J the limitations of competitiveness
Reading 8
Answer Section

1 ANS: C PTS: 1
NAT: G6_CCSS_Literature 1. Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says
explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. | G6_CCSS_Literature 7. Compare and
contrast the experience of reading a story, drama, or poem to listening to or viewing an audio,
video, or live version of the text, including contrasting what they “see” and “hear” when reading
the text to what they perceive when they listen or watch. | G6_CCSS_Literature 9. Compare and
contrast texts in different forms or genres (e.g., stories and poems; historical novels and fantasy
stories) in terms of their approaches to similar themes and topics. | G6_CCSS_Informational
Text 9. Compare and contrast one author’s presentation of events with that of another (e.g., a
memoir written by and a biography on the same person).
2 ANS: J PTS: 1
NAT: G6_CCSS_Literature 2. Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is
conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal
opinions or judgments. | G6_CCSS_Literature 3. Describe how a particular story’s or drama’s
plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot
moves toward a resolution.
3 ANS: A PTS: 1
NAT: G6_CCSS_Literature 1. Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says
explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. | G6_CCSS_Literature 7. Compare and
contrast the experience of reading a story, drama, or poem to listening to or viewing an audio,
video, or live version of the text, including contrasting what they “see” and “hear” when reading
the text to what they perceive when they listen or watch. | G6_CCSS_Literature 9. Compare and
contrast texts in different forms or genres (e.g., stories and poems; historical novels and fantasy
stories) in terms of their approaches to similar themes and topics. | G6_CCSS_Informational
Text 9. Compare and contrast one author’s presentation of events with that of another (e.g., a
memoir written by and a biography on the same person).
4 ANS: G PTS: 1
NAT: G6_CCSS_Literature 1. Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says
explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. | G6_CCSS_Informational Text 1. Cite
textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn
from the text.
5 ANS: C PTS: 1
NAT: G6_CCSS_Literature 1. Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says
explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. | G6_CCSS_Literature 7. Compare and
contrast the experience of reading a story, drama, or poem to listening to or viewing an audio,
video, or live version of the text, including contrasting what they “see” and “hear” when reading
the text to what they perceive when they listen or watch. | G6_CCSS_Literature 9. Compare and
contrast texts in different forms or genres (e.g., stories and poems; historical novels and fantasy
stories) in terms of their approaches to similar themes and topics. | G6_CCSS_Informational
Text 9. Compare and contrast one author’s presentation of events with that of another (e.g., a
memoir written by and a biography on the same person).
6 ANS: J PTS: 1
NAT: G6_CCSS_Literature 1. Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says
 explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. | G6_CCSS_Literature 7. Compare and
contrast the experience of reading a story, drama, or poem to listening to or viewing an audio,
video, or live version of the text, including contrasting what they “see” and “hear” when reading
the text to what they perceive when they listen or watch. | G6_CCSS_Literature 9. Compare and
contrast texts in different forms or genres (e.g., stories and poems; historical novels and fantasy
stories) in terms of their approaches to similar themes and topics. | G6_CCSS_Informational
Text 9. Compare and contrast one author’s presentation of events with that of another (e.g., a
memoir written by and a biography on the same person).
7 ANS: D PTS: 1
NAT: G6_CCSS_Literature 1. Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says
explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. | G6_CCSS_Literature 7. Compare and
contrast the experience of reading a story, drama, or poem to listening to or viewing an audio,
video, or live version of the text, including contrasting what they “see” and “hear” when reading
the text to what they perceive when they listen or watch. | G6_CCSS_Literature 9. Compare and
contrast texts in different forms or genres (e.g., stories and poems; historical novels and fantasy
stories) in terms of their approaches to similar themes and topics. | G6_CCSS_Informational
Text 9. Compare and contrast one author’s presentation of events with that of another (e.g., a
memoir written by and a biography on the same person).
8 ANS: F PTS: 1
NAT: G6_CCSS_Literature 2. Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is
conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal
opinions or judgments. | G6_CCSS_Literature 3. Describe how a particular story’s or drama’s
plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot
moves toward a resolution.