ELA 9 A Semester Exam

Question

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Feature

Big Water
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 below from “Big Water” to answer the question.

What detail from the text explicitly supports the analysis that the men on the dock work well together? Select the two correct answers.

(1 point)
Responses

They pick up, pass, and carry things.
They pick up, pass, and carry things.

They move like a kind of machine.
They move like a kind of machine.

They work without need of words.
They work without need of words.

They move cargo, haul wood, and clean boats.
They move cargo, haul wood, and clean boats.

They speak to each other in different languages.
They speak to each other in different languages.
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Answer 1

The two details from the text that explicitly support the analysis that the men on the dock work well together are:

1. They move like a kind of machine.
2. They work without need of words.

These details suggest that the men have a synchronized and efficient method of working together, indicating they are able to collaborate effectively even without verbal communication.