Amber's Illusion
1
"But she is just so mysterious," Mackenzie said, abandoning her peanut butter sandwich. "I wonder what it would be like to be her friend, but I am sure she has too many friends. She seems like she might be snobby."
2
Mackenzie pulled her glance away from Amber, the object of her ponderings, to look at her best friend, Jennifer. Jennifer, not listening to Mackenzie's thoughts on Amber, was instead devouring her macaroni and cheese.
3
"Jennifer, seriously, I was talking to you about Amber," Mackenzie said, rolling her eyes in frustration. "I feel like Amber could be totally interesting or could be snobby. It's not just because she is from Europe. Why are you so apathetic about my concerns regarding Amber?"
4
"Mackenzie, you should just go over and talk to her," Jennifer started. "She is in my English class, she is really smart and mellow, and I am sure she would be nice. She is new and unfamiliar here, after all, so I am sure she is looking for new friends. Why not us?" Jennifer asked, turning back to her lunch.
5
"I know, I know...you think she is friendly, but I am not so sure...what is her story?" Mackenzie mused.
6
"I really feel like you are being silly," Jennifer said, finishing every scrap of her macaroni. "She is really quiet and keeps to herself, so you should approach her and try talking to her. She is not snobby, and I am sure she could use some new friends here. We should be nice to her."
7
Later that day, Mackenzie was at her locker replacing her science books with her math books and letting her mind wander. She looked up just as Amber walked by behind a clump of people. Instead of smiling hello, Mackenzie buried her face in her locker. Mackenzie knew that Amber had a reputation for being nice, but she was just so different than anyone Mackenzie had ever known before that Mackenzie was not sure about her.
8
The following day, Jennifer and Mackenzie assumed their normal spots in the cafeteria. Jennifer looked warily at her Salisbury steak while Mackenzie pointlessly picked at her turkey on rye. Just as Mackenzie was about to bring up the topic of how agitated she was about her enormous midterm project for history class, she saw someone enter her peripheral vision.
9
Mackenzie slowly swiveled her head to the right and saw Amber standing a few feet from her, smiling. In her hands she held a tray with an amazingly appetizing plate of grilled cheese and apple slices.
10
"Do you guys mind if I sit here?" Amber asked in a gentle, nervous voice.
11
"Oh, yeah, of course you can, Amber," Jennifer asserted, standing up and gesturing toward the seat next to her. "Mackenzie, I invited Amber to sit with us today at lunch because she really does not know many people here."
12
"Thanks so much for inviting me to sit here," Amber said graciously. "It has not been completely easy transitioning into a new country and a new school," Amber murmured, a smile once again returning to her face.
13
After a few seconds of staring in disbelief at the girl joining her cafeteria table and her reason for doing so, Mackenzie finally found her voice. "You mean you don't have a million glamorous friends?"
14
"Heavens, no...far from it," Amber said. "I am so different from everyone here, and I always feel like people are staring at me or averting their eyes when I walk by. I feel like I'm some kind of freak."
15
Humbled and embarrassed that she had averted her eyes when Amber walked by, Mackenzie smiled bountifully. "Well, welcome to our lunchtime palace!" Mackenzie said, surprised how easy Amber was to talk to. "Aren't you from Europe or something?"
16
"Yes, I have grown up in several different places, like France, Spain, and Italy. My dad is in the military, so we are never in one place for very long," Amber said. "I am glad to be here, though, because it is hard for me to make friends. It is especially hard when I speak a different language than the kids I go to school with!"
17
"I can imagine that that would be hard," Mackenzie said, smiling at Amber. "But you're probably better at Spanish than I am. Who is your Spanish teacher?"
18
As Mackenzie and Jennifer chatted with Amber and got to know her better, Mackenzie realized that she had misread Amber's situation entirely. While Mackenzie assumed that Amber had many friends and was too snobby to be friends with her, Amber was, in fact, a simple and lovely person who would make a great addition to her friends. Mackenzie realized she had a lot to learn about making new friends. She knew after meeting Amber that just because someone is quiet or different does not mean she is snobby or intimidating. Mackenzie, having acquired a great new friend, had never been so overjoyed to be so wrong.
Which detail from the text BEST supports that Amber pays attention to how people see her and react to her?
A.
"I wonder what it would be like to be her friend, but I am sure she has too many friends. She seems like she might be snobby."
B.
"It has not been completely easy transitioning into a new country and a new school," Amber murmured, a smile once again returning to her face.
C.
"I am so different from everyone here, and I always feel like people are staring at me or averting their eyes when I walk by. I feel like I'm some kind of freak."
D.
"I am glad to be here, though, because it is hard for me to make friends. It is especially hard when I speak a different language than the kids I go to school with!"
C. "I am so different from everyone here, and I always feel like people are staring at me or averting their eyes when I walk by. I feel like I'm some kind of freak."
The following question has two parts. First, answer part A. Then, answer part B.
Part A:
What inference about Mackenzie and Jennifer is best supported by the text?
A.
While Mackenzie wants to make as many friends as she can, Jennifer prefers to just be friends with Mackenzie.
B.
Mackenzie relies on the opinions of others before she makes any decisions, but Jennifer always makes her own decisions.
C.
Mackenzie makes quick assumptions about people, but Jennifer keeps relationships simple and tries not to get caught up in gossip.
D.
While Mackenzie is judgmental and snobby, Jennifer focuses on her schoolwork and tries not to notice how mean Mackenzie is.
Multiple Choice Question
Part B:
Which detail from the text best supports your answer from part A?
A.
"I wonder what it would be like to be her friend, but I am sure she has too many friends."
B.
"I know, I know...you think she is friendly, but I am not so sure...what is her story?" Mackenzie mused.
C.
"I really feel like you are being silly," Jennifer said... "you should approach her and try talking to her... We should be nice to her."
D.
...Mackenzie realized that she had misread Amber's situation entirely. While Mackenzie assumed that Amber had many friends and was too snobby to be friends with her, Amber was, in fact, a simple and lovely person.
Part A: C. Mackenzie makes quick assumptions about people, but Jennifer keeps relationships simple and tries not to get caught up in gossip.
Part B: C. "I really feel like you are being silly," Jennifer said... "you should approach her and try talking to her... We should be nice to her."