he McCoy Game by B.B. Alston Ma steers the truck off the dirt road, parking in a grassy field. She takes a look at Uncle Ray’s cherry-red Corvette up ahead and rolls her eyes. “This must be the place.” I frown. All these years and Big Mac never said anything about having a whole extra house in the middle of nowhere. But I’m not that surprised. Old dude loved his secrets. Ma shakes her head. “I don’t care what your grandaddy said in that letter, Jamal, I don’t like the idea of you going in there alone.” I shrug. “Dre will be there too.” “You mean the cousin who was your best friend and now y’all act like strangers? That Dre?” I’m tempted to remind her that she and Dre’s dad, my uncle Ray, don’t get along either. “You’d rather let Dre and Uncle Ray have the house?” I say instead. She frowns. Didn’t think so. “Well,” Ma says, “I’ll be right here. Call if you need me.” I jog up to the front door. It swings open before I can knock. “Took you long enough.” Dre towers over me in the doorway. He’s the tallest kid at our middle school, taller even than Uncle Ray, who used to hoop professionally overseas. If today were any other Saturday, Dre would be playing in some AAU tournament, competing against the best high school ballers in the state. He’s that good. But Big Mac’s funeral was a few weeks back, and Dre got handed the same black envelope that I did. There was a letter inside: Jamal— Look at all these people carrying on like I’m really dead. They must not know our secret, huh? McCoys don’t die! Hope you remember what I taught you about coordinates because I got a surprise for ya! You and your cousin should come and see for yourself. ALONE! I’m putting the key to all my secrets in y’all’s hands. —Big Mac The coordinates were written on the back. Folks laughed when we showed them the letters. Typical Big Mac playing his pranks, they said. That laughter got quiet after I tracked the coordinates to an old house way out in the country listed under Grandad’s government name: Gerald McCoy. Then things really got interesting when the guy reading Grandad’s will said the property could only be inherited by one of his grandkids and only if all the requirements are fulfilled. But while everybody else is worried about how much the house might be worth, I’ve been thinking about that letter. McCoys don’t die—which, I know, sounds impossible, but if you ever spent a summer with Big Mac, you’d know “impossible” wasn’t a word he believed in. I can’t help wondering if the house isn’t the real surprise—if maybe he’s still alive somehow. Question 1 1. Making an inference means using clues to figure out something the author doesn’t tell you directly. Read this clue from the text and make an inference. On page 12, Jamal thinks about how people reacted to Big Mac’s letter: “Folks laughed when we showed them the letters. Typical Big Mac playing his pranks, they said. That laughter got quiet after I tracked the coordinates to an old house way out in the country listed under Grandad’s government name: Gerald McCoy.” How and why do people’s thoughts about the letter change? Explain. Grading rubrics: How people's thoughts change - 1 point Why people's thoughts change - 1 point Correct grammar and punctuation - 1 point

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People’s thoughts about the letter change from skepticism to realization as Jamal tracks the coordinates to the old house. Initially, folks dismiss the letter as just another one of Big Mac’s pranks, laughing it off and attributing it to his playful nature. However, their laughter turns to silence and concern when they learn that Jamal has discovered a real location connected to the letter, which indicates that Big Mac’s intentions could be serious. This transition illustrates how the revelation of the house’s existence prompts them to reconsider the validity of Big Mac's words, moving from amusement to apprehension about the implications of the letter and what it reveals about him and his secrets.

Overall, people's thoughts change from laughter and disbelief to curiosity and concern as they confront the reality that there may be more to Big Mac's message than they initially thought.

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he McCoy Game by B.B. Alston Ma steers the truck off the dirt road, parking in a grassy field. She takes a look at Uncle Ray’s cherry-red Corvette up ahead and rolls her eyes. “This must be the place.” I frown. All these years and Big Mac never said anything about having a whole extra house in the middle of nowhere. But I’m not that surprised. Old dude loved his secrets. Ma shakes her head. “I don’t care what your grandaddy said in that letter, Jamal, I don’t like the idea of you going in there alone.” I shrug. “Dre will be there too.” “You mean the cousin who was your best friend and now y’all act like strangers? That Dre?” I’m tempted to remind her that she and Dre’s dad, my uncle Ray, don’t get along either. “You’d rather let Dre and Uncle Ray have the house?” I say instead. She frowns. Didn’t think so. “Well,” Ma says, “I’ll be right here. Call if you need me.” I jog up to the front door. It swings open before I can knock. “Took you long enough.” Dre towers over me in the doorway. He’s the tallest kid at our middle school, taller even than Uncle Ray, who used to hoop professionally overseas. If today were any other Saturday, Dre would be playing in some AAU tournament, competing against the best high school ballers in the state. He’s that good. But Big Mac’s funeral was a few weeks back, and Dre got handed the same black envelope that I did. There was a letter inside: Jamal— Look at all these people carrying on like I’m really dead. They must not know our secret, huh? McCoys don’t die! Hope you remember what I taught you about coordinates because I got a surprise for ya! You and your cousin should come and see for yourself. ALONE! I’m putting the key to all my secrets in y’all’s hands. —Big Mac The coordinates were written on the back. Folks laughed when we showed them the letters. Typical Big Mac playing his pranks, they said. That laughter got quiet after I tracked the coordinates to an old house way out in the country listed under Grandad’s government name: Gerald McCoy. Then things really got interesting when the guy reading Grandad’s will said the property could only be inherited by one of his grandkids and only if all the requirements are fulfilled. But while everybody else is worried about how much the house might be worth, I’ve been thinking about that letter. McCoys don’t die—which, I know, sounds impossible, but if you ever spent a summer with Big Mac, you’d know “impossible” wasn’t a word he believed in. I can’t help wondering if the house isn’t the real surprise—if maybe he’s still alive somehow. Question 1 1. Making an inference means using clues to figure out something the author doesn’t tell you directly. Read this clue from the text and make an inference. On page 12, Jamal thinks about how people reacted to Big Mac’s letter: “Folks laughed when we showed them the letters. Typical Big Mac playing his pranks, they said. That laughter got quiet after I tracked the coordinates to an old house way out in the country listed under Grandad’s government name: Gerald McCoy.” How and why do people’s thoughts about the letter change? Explain. Grading rubrics: How people's thoughts change - 1 point Why people's thoughts change - 1 point Correct grammar and punctuation - 1 point

1 answer

People’s thoughts about the letter change from skepticism to realization as Jamal tracks the coordinates to the old house. Initially, folks dismiss the letter as just another one of Big Mac’s pranks, laughing it off and attributing it to his playful nature. However, their laughter turns to silence and concern when they learn that Jamal has discovered a real location connected to the letter, which indicates that Big Mac’s intentions could be serious. This transition illustrates how the revelation of the house’s existence prompts them to reconsider the validity of Big Mac's words, moving from amusement to apprehension about the implications of the letter and what it reveals about him and his secrets.

Overall, people's thoughts change from laughter and disbelief to curiosity and concern as they confront the reality that there may be more to Big Mac's message than they initially thought.

GPT-4o mini · Answer

People’s thoughts about the letter change from skepticism to realization as Jamal tracks the coordinates to the old house. Initially, folks dismiss the letter as just another one of Big Mac’s pranks, laughing it off and attributing it to his playful nature. However, their laughter turns to silence and concern when they learn that Jamal has discovered a real location connected to the letter, which indicates that Big Mac’s intentions could be serious. This transition illustrates how the revelation of the house’s existence prompts them to reconsider the validity of Big Mac's words, moving from amusement to apprehension about the implications of the letter and what it reveals about him and his secrets.

Overall, people's thoughts change from laughter and disbelief to curiosity and concern as they confront the reality that there may be more to Big Mac's message than they initially thought.