Big Water

Question

by Andrea Curtis

Henry and Eva fold the sails and get out oars. We are bumping up against the stone-filled cribs of a large, wide dock within minutes.

I watch the men on the docks with their untamed beards and callused hands, their frayed wool pants and faded hats. They are young and old and move about like a kind of machine, few of them speaking but working together without need of words. Moving cargo, hauling wood, cleaning boats. Picking up, passing, carrying. I hear one call to another in French, someone respond in English. A thick-necked tabby cat sneaks down the dock, sniffing here and there. It rubs its long orange-and-white striped side along one burly man’s boot. The man reaches down and scratches the old cat behind its ear, and it leans in toward him.

These men pay us little attention until we are banging up against the high dock. Their faces flicker with confusion, then disbelief as Daniel calls out, “We were on the Asia. The boat is sunk. We are survivors! Help us.” He holds up the pillowcase with S.S. Asia stenciled along the hem.

Excerpt from Big Water by Andrea Curtis. Printed with permission by Orca Book Publishers

Question
Use the excerpt from “Big Water” to answer the question.

What detail from the text best supports an inference about the backgrounds of the dock workers?

(1 point)
Responses

They have untamed beards.
They have untamed beards.

They move like a machine.
They move like a machine.

They have callused hands.
They have callused hands.

They speak different languages.
They speak different languages.
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Answer 1

The detail from the text that best supports an inference about the backgrounds of the dock workers is:

They have callused hands.

This detail suggests that they engage in physical labor, which can indicate that they come from working-class backgrounds and have experience with manual work.