Question
[3] Later, I attended business school with people who used “summered” as a verb, said
“rother” instead of “rather” and had parents who worked in finance, not at the phone
company. I had my first experiences with a cappella groups, prep school alums, and
“the Vineyard.” I racked up a series of fancy titles, precious few of which meant much to
people I grew up with, and I “passed” as someone who did not come from the wrong
side of the class divide.
[4] The person who allowed and equipped me to jump over the class barriers staring us
in the face was my mother. She never finished college or hung out with people who
worked in “white-collar” jobs (I didn’t know what those were until I reached high school).
But she read and she worked, and she took advantage of Washington D.C.’s free
museums and libraries to teach me just how much was possible, even if the window
looked tinted at the moment. Anything I am ever able to do or achieve is attributable to
her and her living example of hard work in the face of failure, determination in the face
of setbacks, and perspective in the face of adversity.
[5] As my mother said, life is hard.
[6] And: On a scale of major world tragedies, yours is not a three
Which details from the excerpt best support the key idea that class barriers were
difficult to overcome? Select TWO correct answers.
❏ People used ‘summered’ as a verb.
❏ I ‘passed’ as someone who did not come from the wrong side of the class divide.
❏ I racked up a series of fancy titles.
❏ She never finished college or hung out with people who worked in “white-collar” jobs
❏ As my mother said, life is hard.
© Houston ISD Curriculum 2024-2025 7
“rother” instead of “rather” and had parents who worked in finance, not at the phone
company. I had my first experiences with a cappella groups, prep school alums, and
“the Vineyard.” I racked up a series of fancy titles, precious few of which meant much to
people I grew up with, and I “passed” as someone who did not come from the wrong
side of the class divide.
[4] The person who allowed and equipped me to jump over the class barriers staring us
in the face was my mother. She never finished college or hung out with people who
worked in “white-collar” jobs (I didn’t know what those were until I reached high school).
But she read and she worked, and she took advantage of Washington D.C.’s free
museums and libraries to teach me just how much was possible, even if the window
looked tinted at the moment. Anything I am ever able to do or achieve is attributable to
her and her living example of hard work in the face of failure, determination in the face
of setbacks, and perspective in the face of adversity.
[5] As my mother said, life is hard.
[6] And: On a scale of major world tragedies, yours is not a three
Which details from the excerpt best support the key idea that class barriers were
difficult to overcome? Select TWO correct answers.
❏ People used ‘summered’ as a verb.
❏ I ‘passed’ as someone who did not come from the wrong side of the class divide.
❏ I racked up a series of fancy titles.
❏ She never finished college or hung out with people who worked in “white-collar” jobs
❏ As my mother said, life is hard.
© Houston ISD Curriculum 2024-2025 7
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The two details from the excerpt that best support the key idea that class barriers were difficult to overcome are:
1. **I ‘passed’ as someone who did not come from the wrong side of the class divide.**
This detail highlights the effort and challenges faced in navigating class differences.
2. **She never finished college or hung out with people who worked in “white-collar” jobs.**
This detail emphasizes the author's mother's background and the class divide they faced, illustrating the difficulties and limitations imposed by their socio-economic status.
1. **I ‘passed’ as someone who did not come from the wrong side of the class divide.**
This detail highlights the effort and challenges faced in navigating class differences.
2. **She never finished college or hung out with people who worked in “white-collar” jobs.**
This detail emphasizes the author's mother's background and the class divide they faced, illustrating the difficulties and limitations imposed by their socio-economic status.