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Words
by Anne Sexton
Be careful of words,
even the miraculous ones.
For the miraculous we do our best,
sometimes they swarm like insects
5 and leave not a sting but a kiss.
They can be as good as fingers.
They can be as trusty as the rock
you stick your bottom on.
But they can be both daisies and bruises.
10 Yet I am in love with words.
They are doves falling out of the ceiling.
They are six holy oranges sitting in my lap.
They are the trees, the legs of summer,
and the sun, its passionate face.
15 Yet often they fail me.
I have so much I want to say,
so many stories, images, proverbs, etc.
But the words aren't good enough,
the wrong ones kiss me.
20 Sometimes I fly like an eagle
but with the wings of a wren.
But I try to take care
and be gentle to them.
Words and eggs must be handled with care.
25 Once broken they are impossible
things to repair.
____ 1. Which line in this poem best supports the theme that words can be both helpful and harmful?
A line 6
B line 9
C line 15
D line 24
____ 2. Anne Sexton uses contrasting images, such as in line 5. This structure emphasizes
A the speaker's skill in imagery.
B the true definitions of words.
C the ever-changing role of language.
D the dual nature of words.
____ 3. What does the speaker mean in lines 20–21?
A Sometimes I write bad ideas that sound better on paper.
B Sometimes I try to do things that are beyond my capabilities.
C Sometimes I have big dreams, but I fail to act on them.
D Sometimes I try to say grand things, but I use weak words.
____ 4. Sexton develops the theme over the course of the text by
A saying she is in love with words.
B comparing words to concrete objects.
C warning that words can be dangerous.
D declaring that she has a lot to say.
____ 5. The parallel structure of stanza 2 contributes to the theme by
A showing that words are more powerful than images.
B demonstrating the different images words can create.
C emphasizing the beauty and importance of words to the speaker.
D revealing the speaker's identity as a poet and lover of words.
War of the Worlds
by Mike Brown
1
Last year, two colleagues and I announced that we had found an unknown body slightly
larger than Pluto in the far reaches of our solar system. Since then, astronomical confusion has
reigned on Earth and, depending on whom you ask, our solar system has 8, 9, 10 or, shockingly,
53 planets.
2
Next week, the International Astronomical Union, which oversees astronomical rules and
conventions, will vote on a strict definition of "planet." The result of that vote is hard to predict,
but soon, we'll likely lose a planet we've gotten to know for the past 76 years, or gain at least
one more.
3
From a scientific point of view, the status of Pluto and the newly discovered object—stuck
with the cumbersome label 2003 UB313 until astronomers decide what it is—is easy to discern. If
you were to look unemotionally at the hundreds of thousands of bodies orbiting the sun, only
eight (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune) would clearly
distinguish themselves by their large sizes.
4
The remaining objects, which are significantly smaller, are mostly either rocky bodies in the
asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter or icy bodies in the Kuiper Belt in the distant regions
beyond Neptune. Of the more than 1,000 known objects in the Kuiper Belt, 2003 UB313 and Pluto
are the largest and second largest.
5
So why is there any debate at all, if the scientific view is so clear?
6
It all dates back to the discovery of Pluto in 1930. At the time, Pluto was thought to be
considerably larger than it is now known to be, and the existence of the rest of the Kuiper Belt
was unknown. No other reasonable category existed in which to place the object, so Pluto
became the oddball planet at the edge of the solar system.
7
Since then, Pluto has been very much a part of our mental map of the universe. You'll find it
on lunchboxes, postage stamps, NASA Web sites, and in the mnemonics that children learn to
remember the planets. Pluto's qualifications may be more cultural than scientific, but we've fully
embraced it as a planet in good standing.
8
This is why astronomers who question Pluto's status come across as bullies trying to kick
everyone's favorite cosmic underdog out of the club. And while they have a point—after all, it's
not a great idea to let cultural attachments dictate scientific categories—they're missing an
important part of the picture.
9
Think of it this way. The term "planet" is similar to "continent." The word helps us organize
our world, but the division between continents and subcontinents is thoroughly arbitrary. Yet no
union of geologists has tried to vote on a definition of "continent," and no one is concerned that
letting culture determine the difference between Australia, the smallest continent, and Greenland,
the largest island, somehow erodes science.
10
Like continents, planets are defined more by how we think of them than by someone's
after-the-fact pronouncement.
11
How then should we think about 2003 UB313? I'm biased, but I like to imagine this question
through the eyes of the child I was in the 1970's, when astronauts had just walked on the Moon,
the first pictures were coming back from the surface of Mars and the launch of Skylab promised
a future of unbroken space exploration.
12
If I had heard back then about the discovery of something at the edge of the solar system, I
wouldn't have waited for a body of astronomers to tell me what it was. I would have immediately
cut out a little disk of white paper and taped it to the poster of planets on my bedroom wall. That
night, I would have looked up, straining to see the latest addition to our solar system, hoping that
I, too, might someday find a new planet.
13
Recently, many plans for exploration and scientific study have been scrapped, and those
that haven't are being scaled back. It's hard to have the same excitement about a limitless future
in space.
14
The astronomical union isn't helping matters by forcing a Hobson's choice: stick with the
current nine planets or open the floodgates to a yawn-inducing 53 or more. It's a "No Ice Ball Left
Behind" policy.
15
I hope the union takes another galactic approach, and simply declares 2003 UB313 our 10th,
full-fledged planet. Doing so might convince schoolchildren to put new paper disks on their walls,
to look up to the sky and realize that exploration does continue, and that they can be part of it,
too.
____ 6. The main idea of this article is
A to define the number of objects in our solar system.
B that planets are incredibly difficult to find and define.
C that scientists need to encourage children that science is exciting.
D both Pluto and 2003 UB313 should be considered planets.
____ 7. The use of the word shockingly in paragraph 1 suggests that the author
A is surprised that it took so long for astronomers to suggest 53 planets.
B does not approve of the idea of identifying 53 objects as planets.
C thinks there are probably many more than 53 planets.
D believes that astronomers should identify 53 planets.
____ 8. In paragraphs 3 and 4, the author suggests that the biggest determiner of whether a celestial body
can be called a planet is
A its size.
B what is it made of.
C the shape of its orbit.
D its distance from the sun.
____ 9. The information that only eight objects in our solar system "clearly distinguish themselves by their
large sizes" supports the idea that Pluto and 2003 UB313
A should be classified as planets.
B scientifically are not planets.
C are small but still technically planets.
D should no longer be called planets.
____ 10. In paragraph 6, the author suggests that Pluto was named a planet based on
A excitement over its discovery.
B the fact that scientists had no other choice.
C misinformation about its size.
D the fact that it is in the Kuiper Belt.
____ 11. In paragraph 7, the author's main argument in favor of calling Pluto a planet is that
A people have been doing so since 1930.
B it has been scientifically proven.
C it is on NASA Web sites.
D children have been taught it.
____ 12. In paragraph 8, the author refers to Pluto as a "cosmic underdog" because
A Pluto is the smallest object in the solar system.
B Pluto is often picked on by “bully” astronomers.
C Pluto's status as a planet is in question.
D Pluto is named after a cartoon dog.
____ 13. Why does Brown include the anecdote about his childhood in the 1970's?
A to inform readers why he became an astronomer
B to explain how he discovered the body 2003 UB313
C to illustrate the impact of declassifying Pluto from being a planet
D to support the central idea that people think new planets are exciting
____ 14. Paragraphs 11, 12, and 15 suggest that calling 2003 UB313 a planet is a good idea because
A abundant scientific proof shows that it is a planet.
B declaring a new planet might revive the space program.
C pictures from space prove it looks like the other planets.
D declaring a new planet might inspire children's ambitions.
____ 15. Paragraph 12 suggests that the author believes the discovery of a new planet
A would be detrimental to science.
B can cause awe and interest in science.
C would be confusing for children.
D is possible with new technologies.
____ 16. In paragraph 14, the example given to illustrate "a Hobson's choice" suggests that such a choice
involves
A astronomical issues.
B two options no one would choose.
C only one reasonable option.
D at least two reasonable options.
____ 17. In the last sentence in paragraph 15, what method does the author use to support his claim?
A compare and contrast
B emotional appeal
C appeal to logic
D bandwagon
____ 18. Based on the context, what does astronomical mean in paragraph 2 of "War of the Worlds"?
A eternal
B enormous
C related to Earth
D related to space
____ 19. What does orbiting mean in paragraph 3 of "War of the Worlds"?
A absorbing
B circling
C facing
D reflecting
____ 20. What does geologists mean in paragraph 9 of "War of the Worlds"?
A scientists who study the sun
B scientists who study the oceans
C scientists who study Earth
D scientists who study outer space
Directions Use your knowledge of patterns of word changes to answer the following questions.