Question
I grew up on a property far from town. We had to wake up very early to catch the school bus
to town. My parents worked, and when we came home after school, my brother and I were
usually left to look after ourselves. The next house was miles away. As a result, I spent a lot
of time alone.
(2) My brother loved television. I didn’t. I loved to read, and when I wasn’t reading, I was
exploring the forest near my parents’ home.
(3) The best times I spent in the forest meadows were with my grandmother. She was alone a
lot, too. When we did have the chance to be together, we loved the same things—finding tiny
violets under the grass, for example. A warm wind on our faces, the sun warming our hair.
We would hold hands and enjoy being together. We talked about the people we knew and
how to get along with them. Every time I met her, she had a new piece of praise for me.
(4) Because I spent so much time alone, my imagination was set alight, and I became a
dreamer. A writer. Sometimes it seemed to me that the kids who were with their friends all
the time had not learned to imagine in the same way that I did.
(5) And because I had the encouragement and love of my grandmother, even for the short times
that I was with her, I was able to believe in myself, and make something of my writing.
10. What makes the passage a reflective essay?
a. The author shares her thoughts and feelings about a particular
relationship.
b. The author compares two concepts: solitude and togetherness.
c. The author traces the cause of a series of connected events.
d. The author discusses events that occurred in the past.
11. How is the reference to watching television related to other ideas in
the passage?
a. It helps to explain where the writer found the inspiration to spend time
outside.
b. It creates a comparison that emphasizes the writer’s connection with
her brother.
c. It creates a contrast that emphasizes the writer’s interest in reading
and nature.
d. It provides evidence that time outside is beneficial to her.
GRADE 7 • UNIT 3 TEST
© by Savvas Learning Company LLC. All Rights Reserved. 7
Name: Date:
12. The following question has two parts. Answer Part A first, and then Part B.
Part A What is the central idea that the author reflects on in this essay?
a. The author reflects on how nature affected her relationships.
b. The author reflects on the way that grandmothers shape young lives.
c. The author reflects on the role that her brother played in her childhood.
d. The author reflects on how being by herself helped to develop her
creativity.
Part B Which quotation from the excerpt best supports the essay’s main idea?
a. I loved to read, and when I wasn’t reading, I was exploring the forest near
my parents’ home. (paragraph 2)
b. The best times I spent in the forest meadows were with my grandmother.
(paragraph 3)
c. When we did have the chance to be together, we loved the same things—
finding tiny violets under the grass, for example. (paragraph 3)
d. Because I spent so much time alone, my imagination was set alight, and I
became a dreamer. (paragraph 4)
to town. My parents worked, and when we came home after school, my brother and I were
usually left to look after ourselves. The next house was miles away. As a result, I spent a lot
of time alone.
(2) My brother loved television. I didn’t. I loved to read, and when I wasn’t reading, I was
exploring the forest near my parents’ home.
(3) The best times I spent in the forest meadows were with my grandmother. She was alone a
lot, too. When we did have the chance to be together, we loved the same things—finding tiny
violets under the grass, for example. A warm wind on our faces, the sun warming our hair.
We would hold hands and enjoy being together. We talked about the people we knew and
how to get along with them. Every time I met her, she had a new piece of praise for me.
(4) Because I spent so much time alone, my imagination was set alight, and I became a
dreamer. A writer. Sometimes it seemed to me that the kids who were with their friends all
the time had not learned to imagine in the same way that I did.
(5) And because I had the encouragement and love of my grandmother, even for the short times
that I was with her, I was able to believe in myself, and make something of my writing.
10. What makes the passage a reflective essay?
a. The author shares her thoughts and feelings about a particular
relationship.
b. The author compares two concepts: solitude and togetherness.
c. The author traces the cause of a series of connected events.
d. The author discusses events that occurred in the past.
11. How is the reference to watching television related to other ideas in
the passage?
a. It helps to explain where the writer found the inspiration to spend time
outside.
b. It creates a comparison that emphasizes the writer’s connection with
her brother.
c. It creates a contrast that emphasizes the writer’s interest in reading
and nature.
d. It provides evidence that time outside is beneficial to her.
GRADE 7 • UNIT 3 TEST
© by Savvas Learning Company LLC. All Rights Reserved. 7
Name: Date:
12. The following question has two parts. Answer Part A first, and then Part B.
Part A What is the central idea that the author reflects on in this essay?
a. The author reflects on how nature affected her relationships.
b. The author reflects on the way that grandmothers shape young lives.
c. The author reflects on the role that her brother played in her childhood.
d. The author reflects on how being by herself helped to develop her
creativity.
Part B Which quotation from the excerpt best supports the essay’s main idea?
a. I loved to read, and when I wasn’t reading, I was exploring the forest near
my parents’ home. (paragraph 2)
b. The best times I spent in the forest meadows were with my grandmother.
(paragraph 3)
c. When we did have the chance to be together, we loved the same things—
finding tiny violets under the grass, for example. (paragraph 3)
d. Because I spent so much time alone, my imagination was set alight, and I
became a dreamer. (paragraph 4)
Answers
GPT-4o mini
Here are the answers to your questions based on the passage provided:
**10. What makes the passage a reflective essay?**
**a. The author shares her thoughts and feelings about a particular relationship.**
This option best captures the essence of a reflective essay, as it focuses on the author's introspection about her relationship with her grandmother and the impact of solitude on her creativity.
**11. How is the reference to watching television related to other ideas in the passage?**
**c. It creates a contrast that emphasizes the writer’s interest in reading and nature.**
This choice highlights the difference in interests between the author and her brother, which underlines the author's connection to nature and reading over television.
**12. The following question has two parts. Answer Part A first, and then Part B.**
**Part A: What is the central idea that the author reflects on in this essay?**
**d. The author reflects on how being by herself helped to develop her creativity.**
The essay primarily focuses on how solitude sparked the author's imagination and led her to become a writer.
**Part B: Which quotation from the excerpt best supports the essay’s main idea?**
**d. Because I spent so much time alone, my imagination was set alight, and I became a dreamer. (paragraph 4)**
This quotation directly supports the central idea about the positive effects of solitude on the author’s creativity and development as a writer.
**10. What makes the passage a reflective essay?**
**a. The author shares her thoughts and feelings about a particular relationship.**
This option best captures the essence of a reflective essay, as it focuses on the author's introspection about her relationship with her grandmother and the impact of solitude on her creativity.
**11. How is the reference to watching television related to other ideas in the passage?**
**c. It creates a contrast that emphasizes the writer’s interest in reading and nature.**
This choice highlights the difference in interests between the author and her brother, which underlines the author's connection to nature and reading over television.
**12. The following question has two parts. Answer Part A first, and then Part B.**
**Part A: What is the central idea that the author reflects on in this essay?**
**d. The author reflects on how being by herself helped to develop her creativity.**
The essay primarily focuses on how solitude sparked the author's imagination and led her to become a writer.
**Part B: Which quotation from the excerpt best supports the essay’s main idea?**
**d. Because I spent so much time alone, my imagination was set alight, and I became a dreamer. (paragraph 4)**
This quotation directly supports the central idea about the positive effects of solitude on the author’s creativity and development as a writer.