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.
Use the excerpt from "Big Water" to answer the
question.
What details from the text explicitly support the
inference that the men on the dock work together
frequently? Select the two correct answers.
(1 point)
They have untamed beards.
They speak different languages.
They have callused hands.
The move like a machine.
They work without needing to speak.
1 answer
The two details from the text that explicitly support the inference that the men on the dock work together frequently are:
These details indicate a level of coordination and familiarity among the workers.
