Question

1 We packed our bags in June.
I braced for a summer
of impossible good-byes,
and the dread
5 of living without friends
ever again.
To chase away the fear,
I flipped through a dictionary,
plucked out the word hush
10 and thought about
the whisper of wind
rustling through leaves,
come next autumn,
and the silence of their falling.
15 Then I jumped into
a soft deep pile of them,
grabbed an armful
of red, gold, and
burnt-orange beauties,
20 tossed them into the air,
and I was all right again,
for a while,
and I went back to packing
for the move.


"Summer Shift" by Nikki Grimes, from words with Wrngs. Copyright © 2013 by Nikki Grimes. Reprinted by permission of WordSong/Boyds Mills Press via Copyright Clearance Center.
5
Read the lines from Passage 2.
​
"To chase away the fear,
I flipped through a dictionary,
plucked out the word hush" (lines 7-9)

How do these lines help develop the overall theme of Passage 2?
A
They show that the speaker understands the value of friendship.
B
They show that the speaker understands that education is the key to success.
C
They show that the speaker tries to be calm in the face of change.
D
They show that the speaker is tired of listening to her friends say goodbye.

Answer 1

The lines "To chase away the fear, I flipped through a dictionary, plucked out the word hush" suggest that the speaker is seeking comfort and a sense of calmness amidst the anxiety they feel about moving and saying goodbye to friends. By looking up the word "hush," the speaker is trying to find peace in the midst of change.

Therefore, the answer that best aligns with this interpretation is:

C. They show that the speaker tries to be calm in the face of change.