The Rink
1
I was four years old when the neighborhood decided to ask the city to make an ice skating rink at our little park. The city said no. They had created and maintained rinks in the past, but they could no longer afford to do so. This bit of bad news, however, did not stop my neighbors. They decided to do it themselves. They organized a "trash and treasure" sale. People were asked to donate items they no longer used to the sale. It ended up being an amazing success. The $400 we made would go toward setting up the rink.
2
The first thing we needed was a hose. A neighborhood plumber volunteered his time to hook it up. Another neighbor, a carpenter, built a small, insulated box to hold the hose so it wouldn't freeze when it wasn't in use. The rink could be iced as soon as the temperature fell below the freezing mark. Of course, freezing temperatures usually came during the middle of the night. This meant that the volunteer "hosers" had to hose the rink when everyone else was asleep.
3
The system worked out very well. People would sign up for a shift and then just show up. The people worked as vigorously as an army of ants, moving busily along the rocks, to get that rink finished. I remember looking out the window on many occasions and seeing a lone soul, swinging the hose back and forth while walking forward and backward over the ice. I still get excited when I think about it, all these years later.
4
Before long, the ice was ready! The air was electric with anticipation. Skaters young and old arrived to try out the ice. I had never skated before, but Mom had gotten me some used skates, and I was ready. She laced them up for me, as I wiggled around in the snow bank, hardly able to contain my excitement. Then she stood me up, and I ran—yes, ,begin italics,ran,end italics,—across the rink. I remember hearing the whoosh of air as I glided across the ice. From then on, I was on the ice every single day during the winter season for the next 14 years. After school, I would race home, put on my skates, and walk over to the rink. I had my hockey stick and puck with me. If no one was at the rink when I arrived, I would practice different tricks by myself. When others showed up, a hockey game would quickly get going. It didn't matter if you were 8 or 80, everyone was welcome.
5
Over the years, I honed my hockey skills at that rink. I never played organized hockey as many of the other kids did. I liked pond hockey. I preferred an unplanned "pickup" game over a scheduled game. I learned so many valuable lessons on that rink, most of which had nothing to do with skating. I discovered how to get along with all kinds of people, how to work as a group for the greater good, and how to pitch in and do whatever needs to be done. These lessons were life lessons.
How do the narrator's memories in this passage help the reader understand the importance of the rink?
Answer options with 4 options
1.
It shows that the narrator was an excellent skater.
2.
It explains the importance of the rink's location to the narrator.
3.
It describes how the rink affected the narrator's childhood.
4.
It explains how hard the narrator worked to build the rink.
3. It describes how the rink affected the narrator's childhood.
Which sentence from the passage ,begin emphasis,best,end emphasis, shows that the narrator feels the rink was an important part of growing up?
Answer options with 4 options
1.
"After school, I would race home, put on my skates, and walk over to the rink."
2.
"If no one was at the rink when I arrived, I would practice different tricks by myself."
3.
"Over the years, I honed my hockey skills at that rink."
4.
"I learned so many valuable lessons on that rink, most of which had nothing to do with skating."
4. "I learned so many valuable lessons on that rink, most of which had nothing to do with skating."
How did the city's feelings about the ice skating rink differ from the neighbors' feelings?
Answer options with 4 options
1.
The city felt it was important, but the neighbors did not.
2.
The city felt it was easy to build, but the neighbors did not.
3.
The city felt it was too expensive, but the neighbors did not.
4.
The city felt it was too dangerous, but the neighbors did not.
3. The city felt it was too expensive, but the neighbors did not.
How did the narrator's thoughts about the neighborhood rink change over time?
Answer options with 4 options
1.
The narrator was excited about learning how to skate, but then became bored with it.
2.
The narrator thought the rink was too much work at first, but then realized it was worth it.
3.
The narrator didn't want the rink built in the park, but later realized it was a good location.
4.
The narrator was just happy to skate at first, then found other skills could be learned on the rink.