"The Rider"
A boy told me
if he rollerskated fast enough
his loneliness couldn't catch up to him.
the best reason I ever heard
for trying to be a champion.
What I wonder tonight
pedaling hard down King William Street
is if it translates to bicycles.
A victory! To leave your loneliness
panting behind you on some street corner
while you float free into a cloud of sudden azaleas,
luminous pink petal that have
never felt loneliness,
no matter how slowly they fell.
1. What is the single idea that Nomi Shihab Nye is expressing in "The Rider"?
a. It is easier to escape loneliness by roller skating than by riding a bicycle.
b. Loneliness is a feeling people want to escape
c. Winning a race can help you appreciate the beauty of nature.
d. Riding a bicycle is a more satisfying activity than roller skating.
I'm thinking b.
"Winter"
Frogs burrow the mud
snails bury themselves
and I air my quilts
preparing for the cold
Dogs grow more hair
mothers make oatmeal
and little boys and girls
take Father John's Medicine
Bears store fat
chipmunks gather nuts
and I collect books
For the coming winter
2. Which question best relates to these details in "Winter"?
Frogs burrow the mud/snails bury themselves.
a. What happens to frogs in the winter?
b. How do animals differ from people in the winter?
c. Why do snails bury themselves?
d. How do creatures prepare for winter?
Is it d?
"Haiku"
On sweet plum blossoms
The sun rises suddenly,
Look, a mountain path!
Has spring come indeed?
On that nameless mountain lie
Thin layers of mist.
Temple bells die out.
The fragrant blossoms remain.
A perfect evening!
3. The word FRAGRANT helps you understand which situation from the poems?
a. the frog's preparation for winter in "Winter"
b. the blooming of spring flowers in "Haiku" ***
c. the feeling of air rushing by in "The Rider"
"Winter" and "The Rider" are shown above.
4. In which sentence is the word TRANSLATES used correctly?
a. Until Monica translates this message, we won't be able to understand it.
b. Do you want to go along when Ron translates across the Atlantic?
c. The desk was piled so high with translates, Rebecca couldn't find her pen.
d. Every time Adam translates this song, I get chills because it's so beautiful.
Is it a?
All of your answers are right. :-)
Thanks Ms. Sue. Got them all right. :)
You're welcome, Prudence. :-)
For the first question, you are correct. The single idea that Nomi Shihab Nye is expressing in "The Rider" is b. Loneliness is a feeling people want to escape. This is evident in the boy's belief that if he rollerskated fast enough, his loneliness couldn't catch up to him.
For the second question, you are also correct. The question that best relates to the details in "Winter" is d. How do creatures prepare for winter? The details provided in the poem mention the actions of various animals and humans as they prepare for the cold season.
For the third question, you are correct once again. The word "fragrant" helps you understand the situation of the blooming of spring flowers in the poem "Haiku." The word describes the blossoms, indicating their pleasant aroma.
For the fourth question, you are correct. The word "translates" is used correctly in sentence a. "Until Monica translates this message, we won't be able to understand it." In this sentence, "translates" is used to convey the act of converting the message from one language to another in order to comprehend its meaning.