Fried (Infer Meaning from the Text)

Name Fried (infer meaning from the text)

My cell phone rings again. It is futile to ignore it anymore; Valerie is persistent. When Valerie wants something, she will continue to harass me until I acquiesce. “Hello,” I answer. “State Fair, Bobbie?” she asks in her singsong voice. “When are we heading out? Only two more days left!” I abhor the State Fair. The boisterous crowds, the insanely long lines and the impossibility of finding a clean restroom all combine to make this an event that I dread. For Valerie, my best friend since the angst of middle school, the State Fair is a sign that divine powers really do exist. “Really, Bobbie, where else can you pet a cow, ride a horse, fall ten stories, see the world’s smallest person and eat fried macaroni and cheese?” Valerie asks gleefully. “I don’t know,” I reply. The fried food at the State Fair is a gastronomical nightmare on its own. I once tried a fried pickle at the fair and was sick to my stomach for hours. And a fried doughnut hamburger with bacon, cheese AND a greasy egg? How could that not be deleterious? I have not seen Valerie for a good month; our schedules are both so hectic. My hatred of the State Fair becomes inconsequential compared to my desire to hang with Val. Alas, I ignore my anti-fair bias for the umpteenth year. “Pick me up at noon,” I say and hang up the phone.

1. Bobbie could have said, “I don’t like the State Fair,” but instead she said, “I abhor the State Fair!”

What does Bobbie’s choice of words tell you about the way she felt?

______1 mark 2. Why does Bobbie describe the food at the State Fair as,

‘...a gastronimical nightmare on its own’. ______1 mark 3. Some people think Bobbie was foolish to decide to go to the fair with Val. Others believe she was wise. What do you think? foolish wise foolish and wise

Explain your answer using parts of the text to help you. ______3 marks 4. Why do you think Bobbie’s desire to hang with Val is stronger than her disliking of the State Fair? ______1 mark 5. Why is ‘Fried’ a suitable title for this story? ______2 marks Fried

My cell phone rings again. It is futile to ignore it anymore; Valerie is persistent. When Valerie wants something, she will continue to harass me until I acquiesce. “Hello,” I answer. “State Fair, Bobbie?” she asks in her singsong voice. “When are we heading out? Only two more days left!” I abhor the State Fair. The boisterous crowds, the insanely long lines and the impossibility of finding a clean restroom all combine to make this an event that I dread. For Valerie, my best friend since the angst of middle school, the State Fair is a sign that divine powers really do exist. “Really, Bobbie, where else can you pet a cow, ride a horse, fall ten stories, see the world’s smallest person and eat fried macaroni and cheese?” Valerie asks gleefully. “I don’t know,” I reply. The fried food at the State Fair is a gastronomical nightmare on its own. I once tried a fried pickle at the fair and was sick to my stomach for hours. And a fried doughnut hamburger with bacon, cheese AND a greasy egg? How could that not be deleterious? I have not seen Valerie for a good month; our schedules are both so hectic. My hatred of the State Fair becomes inconsequential compared to my desire to hang with Val. Alas, I ignore my anti-fair bias for the umpteenth year. “Pick me up at noon,” I say and hang up the phone.

1. How are the crowd at the fair described? ______1 mark 2. ‘I abhor the State Fair’ Write two reasons why Bobbie doesn’t like the fair. ______2 marks 3. Match these opinions with the correct character.

wants to know when they will visit the fair

Valerie puts the desires of her firend before her own

Bobbie can’t wait to go to the fair

hates the fair

4. How do you know Valerie likes the fair? ______2 marks

5. Find and copy the phrase which shows that Valerie will not stop until she gets her way.

1 mark

Name______