Moving
by Monika Delp
Mom and Pop hope for a new start—in the country.
Tired of city noise
Tired of city crowds
we gamble on this dirt road
where dust billows like rain clouds.
Father got some important job—in the city.
We have to go, too.
I beg to stay—This is home!
I spurn.
I tantrum.
It's no use.
Late one afternoon a company car
whisks us away like a sleek black cat.
"Fresh air," Mom says, will do me wonders—
I cling to that hope
but as I look at the remote landscape
I feel hollow,
like one of those plastic dolls that when you pull off its leg you see
that it has nothing
inside.
I sleep until I wake in a traffic jam
Mother strokes my hair as
giant beasts rumble by
puffing smoke into the skies
outside the car window.
I miss the trees,
the serene country pasture
and I cry.
The city—at least where we lived
was full of things to see and do and hear—
and, you never had to feel alone,
friends were always close.
Mama loved the city, that's why we stayed so long.
Now she's ready to move on, make a change—
Pop decided it was time to go too.
Later, Mother informs me
That our building is tall enough to have an elevator.
"It has a roof garden," she says with a hint of disbelief,
And there is a park for dogs, across the street.
Well, maybe Rufus will like the city . . .
but, a garden on a roof?
We used to have a garden in our backyard.
It is late, so we pull off the road.
Pop and I sit on the hood
staring at the sky.
My chest swells as I breathe the fresh, earthy air
and it feels good
the stars feel good
and right.
It is midnight when we finally arrive.
A note and flowers sit by the door,
from a man and woman at Dad's new job.
He says he told them about me.
I read the note:
"The city is magical. You just have to find it."
"Can we have grass?"
I ask Pop as I stare at the Big Dipper.
"Anything else?" he asks, smiling.
"Maybe a puppy?" I try
like I have a hundred times before.
Pops laughs, but he doesn't answer like usual.
Putting his arm around my shoulders he says:
"We shall see."
And it is enough.
The key goes in the lock, it turns, and we are home.
Mother beckons.
In my new room she turns down the lights
opens the shades
and
reveals:
Magic!
8
Which lines from the poem best illustrate the theme that change can be hard but rewarding?
A.
"Later, Mother informs me
That our building is tall enough to have an elevator.
'It has a roof garden,' she says with a hint of disbelief,
And there is a park for dogs, across the street."
B.
"It's no use.
Late one afternoon a company car
whisks us away like a sleek black cat."
C.
"The city—at least where we lived
was full of things to see and do and hear—
and, you never had to feel alone,"
D.
"My chest swells as I breathe the fresh, earthy air
and it feels good
the stars feel good
and right."
The lines that best illustrate the theme that change can be hard but rewarding are:
A. "Later, Mother informs me
That our building is tall enough to have an elevator.
'It has a roof garden,' she says with a hint of disbelief,
And there is a park for dogs, across the street."
D. "My chest swells as I breathe the fresh, earthy air
and it feels good
the stars feel good
and right."
only one
The line that best illustrates the theme that change can be hard but rewarding is:
D. "My chest swells as I breathe the fresh, earthy air
and it feels good
the stars feel good
and right."
Marimba Music
Most people have never heard of the instrument called the marimba. It is played in many countries around the world. The marimba is a percussion instrument, a type of xylophone nearly ten feet long. The forerunner of the modern marimba comes from Guatemala. The instrument, however, is even older in its origins, which are thought to be Mayan.
The marimba consists of a set of wooden keys or bars that are hit with two or more mallets to make musical sounds. Some pieces of music require the use of up to six mallets. The instrument slightly resembles a piano, but the musician plays the marimba standing up instead of sitting down.
The marimba is not special because of its wooden bars. Instead, resonators, the metal tubes that hang beneath each bar, are what make the marimba unique. They are made in different lengths and produce different sounds and tones. Some resonators are made of aluminum, but brass is preferred. Resonators were originally made of hollowed-out gourds. The mallets also make a great difference in the quality of the sound. Softer mallets are used for the low notes. Harder mallets are used for the high notes.
It takes a great deal of skill to handle multiple mallets, two or three in each hand. Some musicians have developed special grips to help them control the mallets as they play. One of these, the Stevens method, uses four mallets, two in each hand. The grip involves holding one of the mallets with the ring and pinky fingers while the other is controlled between the thumb and the middle finger.
9
What can the reader infer from this article?
A.
A musician needs quick hands to be a good marimba player.
B.
Playing the marimba requires a minimum of two musicians.
C.
The mallets used to play the marimba are usually made of brass.
D.
The marimba is a member of the strings section of the orchestra.
The reader can infer from this article that:
A. A musician needs quick hands to be a good marimba player.
The lines that best illustrate the theme that change can be hard but rewarding are:
D. "My chest swells as I breathe the fresh, earthy air
and it feels good
the stars feel good
and right."
These lines show the character experiencing a positive and rewarding feeling after going through the difficult change of moving to a new place. It suggests that although change may be challenging, there can be valuable and fulfilling experiences that come with it.