There are 70 lines in the poem. The poem is numbered every 5 lines.,end italics,
,begin bold,Poem 13,end bold,
Boris likes to play spinnies.
That's when we put you down
on the hardwood floor,
all stretched out,
and we give you a twirl.
Around you go.
Spinnies!
We get you going like
a merry-go-round,
and you lose every ounce
of feline dignity
as you whip around
at our whim,
and we are delighted
by your silliness.
But when you get tired
of the game
and try to walk away
and we say,
"One more time, Boris,"
that's when we
see the tiger in your eyes.
That's when the big cat
on that little circus stool
just an inch from eating
his trainer if there's one more flaming
hoop to jump through
shows up in your eyes, Boris.
And you take that spinnie
in stride,
but we all know,
,begin italics,we all know,,end italics,
you are humoring us
and we are on very thin ice
indeed
and suddenly
it is we who look so silly,
big dumb humans
giggling at spinnies
when we should be
building rocket ships
and making art
instead of giving Boris a go
,begin italics,one more time.,end italics,
It must be then
such a thin thread
between love and hate
for you, Boris.
And only because you
are better than we are
and more noble
and patient
and with a real ability
to weigh things in the balance
that you forgive us
and take one last ride
before you get up and walk away
like it was no big deal,
just going with the flow,
no problem.
Saving face, Boris, as you
leave us in that
big empty space on
the floor
with our
dull imaginations
and embarrassing
lack of control.
But can we do spinnies
tomorrow?
("Poem 13" from ,begin underline,BORIS,end underline, by Cynthia Rylant. Copyright © 2005 by Cynthia Rylant. Used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.)
Question 1
This question has two parts. Answer Part A, and then answer Part B.
,begin emphasis,Part A,end emphasis,
Which statement ,begin emphasis,best,end emphasis, expresses how the author's choice of line length throughout the poem contributes to its meaning?
Question 1 Answer options with 4 options
1.
The short lines of irregular length mirror the quick-moving liveliness of the game.
2.
The frequent line breaks highlight the preference of the cat for brief play sessions.
3.
The interrupted sentences illustrate that the speaker feels hesitant about approaching the cat.
4.
The contrast between shorter and longer lines suggests that the speaker has mixed feelings about the game.
Question 2
,begin emphasis,Part B,end emphasis,
Which excerpt from the poem ,begin emphasis,best,end emphasis, illustrates the correct answer from Part A?
Question 2 Answer options with 4 options
1.
"Boris likes to play spinnies.
That's when we put you down" (Lines 1–2)
2.
"Around you go.
Spinnies!" (Lines 6–7)
3.
"instead of giving Boris a go
,begin italics,one more time,end italics,." (Lines 43–44)
4.
"like it was no big deal,
just going with the flow," (Lines 58–59)
Part A: The best statement that expresses how the author's choice of line length throughout the poem contributes to its meaning is option 4. The contrast between shorter and longer lines suggests that the speaker has mixed feelings about the game.
Part B: The excerpt from the poem that best illustrates the correct answer from Part A is option 3. "instead of giving Boris a go, one more time." (Lines 43–44)