Big Water

Question

by Andrea Curtis

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 details from the text best support the analysis that the dock workers are a diverse group? Select the two correct answers.

(1 point)
Responses

They work without having to talk.
They work without having to talk.

They are young and old.
They are young and old.

They have callused hands.
They have callused hands.

They speak different languages.
They speak different languages.

They look confused and disbelieving.

Answer 1

The two details from the text that best support the analysis that the dock workers are a diverse group are:

1. They are young and old.
2. They speak different languages.

These details highlight the age diversity and linguistic diversity among the dock workers.