07 Reading DIA 2 2017-18 A Child of Kenya

The passage below is an imagined version of a day in the life of the young Wangari Maathai.

I am Wangari Maathai, and early in the morning, I rise from my bed when I hear the rooster crowing. Our little round house is made of wood and covered with straw and leaves, and although it keeps out the rain, I can sense everything outside. Sometime I hear a leopard roaring in the night.

I stretch and hurry out to where Mama is cooking the ugali for our breakfast. It’s like a porridge made from the maize we grow in our garden. Today we have the sweet, ripe tomatoes I picked yesterday to accompany it. The sun is just rising, and far to the west, I see the light shining on the peaks of Mount Kenya.

After we have eaten our morning meal, Mama, my sisters, and I walk to our garden plots. Here we grow ample food to feed our large family. Today we will hoe the weeds from the bean and potato plants. As the sun climbs higher in the sky, sweat begins to trickle down my neck. But I am used to this work, and usually I distract myself from the heat by humming a little song as I chop my hoe into the dark soil of our plot. Sometimes I listen to the birds singing and calling in the forest. It is wondrous to live amid the lush trees and grasses of my country, Kenya.

When the sun is high overhead, we stop to have our midday meal. I fetch a bucket of water for us to drink from the stream that runs nearby. The water is so clear that I can see frog eggs clustered on the waterweeds. The eggs are perfectly round like beads, and in my imagination, they are a lovely necklace for a mermaid until they hatch and swim away.

After we eat, we hide from the heat in the shade of the fig tree beside our house. It is the dry season now, and there will be no clouds in the sky until the monsoons return. Then there will be a deluge of rain, and our bare legs will be wading through mud.

As I lie in the grass and stare up at the wide boughs of the tree, I think about tomorrow, when the familiar rhythm of my days will begin to change. It will be my first day of school. My big brother has attended the local school for years; he reads me books and sometimes teaches me what he has learned. “Wangari,” he says, “did you know there are people in other parts of the world who take trips in airplanes and live in giant houses made of stones?” I think that someday I would like to visit those places, but for now, it will be enough just to leave the daily life I know.

Page 2 GO ON My brother can write beautifully. Last week, he said, “Come here, Wangari, and I’ll teach you how to write your name. You’ll have to do that when you go to school, you know.” Then he took a stick and scraped my name in the dust beside our house. “Now you try it,” he told me. I practiced over and over. My brother encouraged me, but I wasn’t sure. I knew my scratches didn’t look as neat as his, and my stomach began to churn when I thought about writing in front of my new teacher.

Most of the girls I know have to stay at home and work on the farm, so I am fortunate. But how will it feel to be the only girl in the school? What if the others judge me before giving me a chance? I promise myself that I will be an excellent student so that everyone will know that girls are just as intelligent as boys.

My sisters and I labor again in the fields until late in the afternoon. As we head back to our house, I see my brother returning from the market. “Hello, little Wangari!” he calls. “Are you ready to join me at school tomorrow?”

My heart beats faster as I think about walking the path to the school in the morning. Trying to collect myself, I stare at the dusty ground and trace a capital W in the sand with my foot. It looks like two birds flying side by side. I picture my brother and me and say, “Yes, I think I am.”

Page 3 GO ON 1 Which sentence from “A Child of Kenya” best shows how Wangari Maathai’s family is different from many in her village? A “I stretch and hurry out to where Mama is cooking the ugali for our breakfast.” B “When the sun is high overhead, we stop to have our midday meal.” C “My big brother has attended the local school for years; he reads me books and sometimes teaches me what he has learned.” D “Most of the girls I know have to stay at home and work on the farm, so I am fortunate.”

2 How does Wangari Maathai’s older brother most affect Wangari's opinion of herself in “A Child of Kenya”? A He shames her for not being educated. B He helps her believe that she can be a good student. C He makes her proud of the work she does on the farm. D He makes her think that she must rely on him for everything.

Page 4 GO ON Wangari Maathai

Wangari Maathai was born in Kenya on April 1, 1940. Her family farmed the fertile soil of this country in East Central Africa. Even as a small child, Maathai appreciated the beauty of her nation. Mount Kenya rose to the west, an extinct volcano towering in the sky that had long ago helped produce the rich farm soil. Clean and clear streams ran throughout the area, supplying water for both people and animals.

In Maathai’s traditional Kenyan family, it was expected that she would not attend school. Young girls stayed at home to help with the family farm until they married. But Maathai was extremely intelligent, and she felt it was unfair to deny an education to girls. She enlisted her older brother’s help, and he was able to convince their parents that she should have the chance to be educated.

Maathai began attending the village school at age seven, and her teachers were surprised at how quickly she learned. In fact, she was so successful at her studies that when she was twenty years old, she earned a scholarship to attend college in the United States. Maathai seized this opportunity because she knew that by studying abroad, she would gain knowledge and skills to help her make improvements in her country.

Maathai attended college in the United States during the time of the Vietnam War. Many Americans were protesting the war because they did not agree with the policies of their government. Maathai was surprised because in Kenya, the government was rarely questioned. Later in her life, Maathai said that her experiences in the United States helped her realize that people can speak out against government decisions they feel are wrong.

Maathai returned to Kenya when she was thirty-one years old and entered the University of Nairobi. There she earned a doctorate in veterinary anatomy, which is the study of the structure of animals, and she became the first female professor at the university. Still very interested in improving her country, Maathai joined a group that was trying to make the lives of African women better. While working with this group, she traveled to rural villages and saw how difficult life was for farming families, especially for the women. She became upset when she saw how many women in her country were struggling. It was difficult for them to get an education and earn a living.

In the villages, Maathai organized meetings where she spoke to the people about bettering the lives of women in Kenya. In her travels, she discovered that many of the small farms, such as the one she had grown up on, were gone. In their place were huge plantations that produced crops such as coffee and tea, not for Kenya, but to export to other countries. The plantation crops used up all the nutrients that plants required, and farmers could no longer

Page 5 GO ON grow food for their own families. The forest trees had been cut down, so there was no firewood for cooking or heating. There was no grass left for livestock to graze on, and the clear, clean streams were being polluted with chemicals used on the plantations. People and animals could no longer drink the water. While the plantation owners pointed to how much money they were bringing into Kenya, Maathai saw how the village people were suffering because of the changes.

Maathai came up with a plan to change what she saw as a tragedy against the land and the people—and especially the women—of Kenya. She would plant trees! At first members of the government laughed at her, but soon she had founded the Green Belt Movement. This group taught villagers to plant trees and to gather and plant seeds. As the Green Belt Movement spread, more and more trees were planted. Their roots helped keep the rich Kenyan soil from washing away in the monsoon rains or blowing away during the dry season. Trees also provided firewood for cooking and heating. In thirty years, over thirty million trees were planted. Women saw that they could make a difference just by planting trees. Maathai also started programs to teach skills women needed to feed their families and to become leaders in their villages.

A Nobel Peace Prize is a prestigious international honor that is awarded every year to a person who has made outstanding contributions in his or her field. In 2004, Maathai received the Nobel Peace Prize for her work in restoring the land of Kenya, working to help women gain more rights, and promoting peace.

Wangari Maathai died in 2011, but she left rich gifts to the Kenyan people. The Green Belt Movement continues to teach people how to preserve the fertile soil and encourages them to plant trees as an investment in the future. Women now have opportunities to attend school and earn a decent living. Many of the people of Kenya have come to appreciate and protect the beauty and richness of their land.

Page 6 GO ON 3 Read this paragraph from “Wangari Maathai.”

In the villages, Maathai organized meetings where she spoke to the people about bettering the lives of women in Kenya. In her travels, she discovered that many of the small farms, such as the one she had grown up on, were gone. In their place were huge plantations that produced crops such as coffee and tea, not for Kenya, but to export to other countries. The plantation crops used up all the nutrients that plants required, and farmers could no longer grow food for their own families. The forest trees had been cut down, so there was no firewood for cooking or heating. There was no grass left for livestock to graze on, and the clear, clean streams were being polluted with chemicals being used on the plantations. People and animals could no longer drink the water. While the plantation owners pointed to how much money they were bringing into Kenya, Maathai saw how the village people were suffering because of the changes.

What is the purpose of this paragraph? A It proves that Maathai’s goals for Kenya were successful. B It shows Maathai’s discovery of problems she wanted to solve. C It gives the background that helps the reader appreciate Maathai’s childhood. D It shows Maathai’s work with plantation owners to find jobs for women in Kenya.

Page 7 GO ON 4 Read this sentence from “Wangari Maathai.”

Even as a small child, Maathai appreciated the beauty of her nation.

Which sentence from “A Child of Kenya” best shows how the author attempted to display this side of Maathai’s character? A “Our little round house is made from wood and covered with straw and leaves, and although it keeps out the rain, I can sense everything outside.” B “It is wondrous to live amid the lush trees and grasses of my country, Kenya.” C “It is the dry season now, and there will be no clouds in the sky until the monsoons return.” D “As I lie in the grass and stare up at the wide boughs of the tree, I think about tomorrow, when the familiar rhythm of my days will begin to change.”

5 In “Wangari Maathai,” how is Maathai most affected by the time period during which she studies in the United States? A She sees the nation possibly entering another revolution. B She witnesses citizen disagreements about a foreign war. C She rejoices in the power held by the women of the country. D She witnesses unfair practices of the government of the nation.

Page 8 GO ON 6 Why is there more information about Wangari Maathai’s work in “Wangari Maathai” than in “A Child of Kenya”? A “A Child of Kenya” occurs after most of her work was finished. B “A Child of Kenya” tells of the problems of educating girls in Kenya. C “A Child of Kenya” suggests that her views were somewhat mistaken. D “A Child of Kenya” focuses on her Kenyan childhood instead of her work.

Page 9 GO ON Jerry the Great

Jerry stood by home plate, resting the baseball bat on his right shoulder, tossing a ball in his left hand. I got into position, my feet spread a little wider than my shoulders, my hands in front, just like Jerry taught me. He hit the ball hard and straight at me. It should have been an easy play, but the ball shot under my glove and into the field behind me.

“Watch the ball all the way into your glove, especially on those easy ones,” Jerry called out. “You were throwing the ball before you even caught it.”

He picked another baseball out of a large plastic bucket next to the plate. He hit this one a little harder, but also right at me. I focused all my attention on watching the ball, yet somehow it skipped under my glove—again! I threw my glove on the ground in disgust.

“You watched the ball, but you didn’t have your glove all the way on the ground,” Jerry said. “I know it’s frustrating, but don’t lose your cool. That just shows your opponent that he’s getting to you.”

I put my glove back on hesitantly.

“Hey, don’t be discouraged,” said Jerry. “Nobody’s perfect.”

That’s easy for you to say, I thought to myself. My cousin Jerry was the best high school catcher and all-around-best baseball player—the best everything I had ever known.

“If this was easy, anybody could play shortstop,” he said, tossing another ball into the air.

Jerry hit a long sequence of screaming line drives and high pop-ups, calling out instructions and encouragement. After fielding the ball, I threw it back toward him, working on my throwing accuracy by trying to hit the plastic ball bucket.

“Nice!” Jerry yelled. I played it cool, but inside I was beaming as I trotted back to the plate to help Jerry collect the balls.

That night at dinner, my father asked about practice.

“I can’t wait for tryouts next week. Jerry thinks I’ll make the summer team for sure!”

“And we all know that Jerry the Great has never been wrong in his life,” my sister Lucy added.

Page 10 GO ON Despite my sister’s mockery, Jerry was right about me making the summer team and being the starting shortstop. I couldn’t wait to share the news with him the following weekend when his high school team, the Seabrook Hawks, would be playing in the state baseball tournament. This time I could be his encouragement!

Our whole family drove to the town where the tournament was played. This was a big deal because the Seabrook Hawks had not made it to state in twenty years. We arrived at the baseball complex in time to watch the Hawks’ opponent, the Sparta Gulls, take batting and fielding practice. A perennial powerhouse, the Gulls were in the tournament every year and had won the last four years in a row.

We knew it was going to be a long afternoon when the Gulls’ pitcher struck out the first three of the Hawks’ batters, including Jerry. Though he was unaccustomed to striking out in his first at-bat, I was surprised to see Jerry scowling as he walked back to the dugout.

The Gulls wasted no time taking complete control of the game. They ran the score up quickly. Jerry played well, but a couple calls from the umpire just didn’t go his way. Our side of the bleachers was grumbling. At one point, after the Gulls scored another run, Jerry even threw his hands up in frustration.

It got worse. The Gulls weren’t just good, they were daring. They created plays I had only seen once or twice in my life and never so early in the game. At one point, a runner made a break for home plate, but Jerry was waiting for him. The Gull runner collided with Jerry in a cloud of dust. A roar went up from our bleachers. Had Jerry managed to tag the guy out before he touched home plate? That roar quickly turned to outraged shouts when we saw the umpire spread his arms wide. The runner was safe. The Gulls had scored again.

Jerry went ballistic. He waved his arms, gesturing with the ball toward the plate, replaying the tag and yelling at the umpire. His coach ran out of the dugout in an attempt to calm him down, but Jerry continued protesting the call vehemently. Too vehemently, as it turned out, because the umpire threw Jerry out of the game.

The Gulls ran away with the game after that and the Hawks were eliminated from the tournament. It was a very quiet drive home that evening and I sat in the back seat in stunned silence for the whole two-hour ride.

“I guess we didn’t have quite the luck we needed with the Sparta Gulls,” Jerry said to me when I saw him a few days later.

Page 11 GO ON “No, I guess not,” I said, relieved that he had brought up the subject.

“I shouldn’t have lost control out there, but sometimes you just get pushed too far,” he said. Realizing he was trying to justify his poor behavior, the old Jerry suddenly surfaced. “You know,” he said, “I really blew it. There is no excuse for the way I treated that umpire. Like I’ve told you before, nobody’s perfect.”

I thought about that statement for a minute. Then I realized that, once again, Jerry was right.

Page 12 GO ON 7 Read this excerpt from “Jerry the Great.”

Despite my sister’s mockery, Jerry was right about me making the summer team and being the starting shortstop.

Use the story’s context to choose the correct meaning of mockery in the excerpt. A interrupting B pestering C teasing D worrying

8 Read the excerpt from “Jerry the Great.”

Jerry went ballistic. He waved his arms, gesturing with the ball toward the plate, replaying the tag and yelling at the umpire. His coach ran out of the dugout in an attempt to calm him down, but Jerry continued protesting the call vehemently.

What does went ballistic mean in the excerpt?

A acted passively B acted immaturely C acted anxiously D acted shrewdly

Page 13 GO ON 9 How do Jerry’s actions at the end of “Jerry the Great” contribute to the theme of the story? A Jerry is known for giving great advice, but Lucy believes his advice is not great. B Jerry is known for giving great advice, and the whole family believes his advice is great. C Jerry is known for giving great advice, and at the end of the story, he actually took some of that great advice for himself. D Jerry is known for giving great advice, but when he’s faced with a challenge, he does not use the advice he gives to others.

10 After the disappointing loss to the Gulls, which of Jerry’s actions best supports a theme of “Jerry the Great”? A Jerry explains why his team didn’t win. B Jerry takes responsibility for his behavior. C Jerry becomes a role model for other players. D Jerry gives an incredible performance at the game.

Page 14 GO ON 11 Read this sentence from “Jerry the Great.”

“I know it’s frustrating, but don’t lose your cool.”

What does the narrator mean by the phrase don't lose your cool? A Do not become upset. B Do not become unfocused. C Do not put your glove on the ground. D Do not show your opponent that he is right.

Page 15 GO ON Rolling Through the Ages

Helmets, elbow and knee pads, and tightly laced roller skates blur past. A rumbling whir of hard plastic on top of a gleaming wood floor mixes with the crowd’s screams and cheers. Skaters push and pull each other to gain just a bit more of a lead over their opponents. Fans know most contact between players is against the rules, but it still happens a lot. One roller skater slams hard onto the ground. Her hand reaches out to grab the ankle of a passer-by, who also tumbles. The crowd cheers and boos as a player rolls to the penalty box. Another roller derby is underway.

These contests first became popular during the Great Depression of the 1930s. They almost disappeared completely by the end of the twentieth century. But in the last few years, all- women roller derby teams have thundered back in towns and cities all across the United States.

Humble Beginnings

Roller derbies were invented in 1935 by Leo Seltzer, a movie theater owner. They began as a sort of marathon on wheels. Skaters competed to see who could outlast the others on a short oval track, a contest of speed and endurance. Seltzer named his race the Transcontinental Derby, in which twenty-five couples participated. At its debut in Chicago, the derby drew an audience of 20,000 people—more than a crowd at Madison Square Garden for a basketball game.

Rough and Tumble

With so many skaters on that crowded course, contact between racers was impossible to avoid. But too much contact—as in hockey, for example—would earn a racer a penalty. The novelist Damon Runyon was in the stands of a Miami derby one night when he observed that the crowd enjoyed the brawls and penalties as much as they did the actual racing. He recommended that Seltzer make rivalries between racers an official part of the game. The derby changed from a racing sport to a team contact sport.

Showtime!

Fans loved the changes. The derby became known for its action, collisions, and, especially, its strange collection of racers. Contestants transformed themselves into characters much like one might find in professional wrestling. There were “good girls,” “queens,” and “villains.” Fans rooted for their champs and booed the rascals. Skaters were hired as much for their acting talents as for their athletic abilities.

Page 16 GO ON Roller derby was soon one of the most popular sports in the country. In 1940, five million spectators bought tickets to derbies. In 1948, Seltzer even managed to get his sport on television. This sent the derby’s popularity to a whole new level. Soon the National Roller Derby League was created, with clubs in New York, Brooklyn, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. Games were broadcast up to three times a week. The 1949 “World Series” sold 55,000 tickets. The sport spread to the West Coast, with teams in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Portland.

Roller derby even made it to Hollywood. The Fireball, in 1950, starred then-famous Mickey Rooney, and, in 1972, Kansas City Bomber starred rising star Raquel Welch. However, by the time of that later movie, the sport itself was on its last legs. The public’s tastes had changed. Roller derby was seen as a fake sport—not truly athletic. In 1973, Seltzer’s son disbanded the league. By the time a 1976 episode of the television show Charlie’s Angels solved a mystery in the roller derby world, the sport itself was mostly dead.

Revival and Resurgence

A quarter-century later, roller derby began its modern revival as an all-woman amateur sport. In part due to Title IX—the federal act passed to give girls and women equal access to school athletic resources—as well as the rise of professional soccer and basketball teams, more women than ever before were involved in sports and athletics in their private lives. Moreover, the popularity of inline skating had introduced a new generation to the joy of wheels. The country was primed for roller derby once more.

The revival took off in the college town of Austin, Texas, where local skaters remixed their own twenty-first-century version of Seltzer’s Great Depression original. The first public bout in July 2002 played before a crowd of six hundred. The city of Tucson, Arizona, formed a team a couple of years later, and very quickly the sport spread nationwide, with teams Page 17 GO ON started up by local women rather than by outside promoters. Teams today are owned and operated by the players, who often also create their own costumes (“boutfits”), find their own coaches, run their own training, and do their own marketing.

Modern Equipment

Modern-day derby action takes place on a flat, rather than slanted, track, making play possible in more venues and eliminating the cost of a special track. Helmets, mouth guards, and other protective equipment are worn. Similar to the original derby, however, players adopt flashy alter-egos, flashy costumes, and colorful, often pun-filled stage names, such as Miss Fit, The Enforcer, and Cheap Trixie.

Empowerment on Wheels

Many derbies have added disco lights and sometimes even live punk rock bands to the events. Between regular body-checks and a well-used penalty box, roller derby provides as much entertainment as ever. Unlike its last days in the 1970s, though, no one questions the athletic talents of roller derby’s racers. Winning requires strategy, strength, and incredible endurance.

Today, the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), founded in 2004, has 212 full- member leagues and 83 apprentice leagues. Dozens of new teams organize and enroll every year. The WFTDA holds hugely popular divisional and national competitions. Leagues have also formed in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. This exciting sport from the past now rolls into a rejuvenated future!

Page 18 GO ON 12 The author of “Rolling Through the Ages” would most likely agree with which statement? A Roller derby is a successful sport today even though players depend more on their acting than on their athletic abilities. B Roller derby is an increasingly popular sport, as shown by the number of teams nationwide and the interest in the sport in other countries. C Roller derby is a popular sport today even though participants and viewers often prefer the way race tracks used to be slanted rather than flat. D Roller derby is on pace to become a successful sport again, as evidenced by the interest of national television networks in broadcasting the games.

13 Read this excerpt that appears beneath the illustration in “Rolling Through the Ages.”

To see women competing on an equal level with men was unusual at the time, especially for a sport that rewarded toughness. Joanie Weston, known as the “Blonde Bomber,” was the highest-paid female athlete of the 1960s and 1970s.

For what purpose did the author most likely include these additional details? A to encourage readers to begin playing roller derby B to describe the kinds of skills required of athletes who played roller derby C to inform readers about the opportunities roller derby provided for gender equality D to show that in the past roller derby was a good way for professional athletes to earn money

Page 19 GO ON 14 Read this sentence from “Rolling Through the Ages.”

A quarter-century later, roller derby began its modern revival as an all- woman amateur sport.

Based its context in the passage, which word is nearest in meaning to revival as it is used in paragraph 8? A recognition B rescue C return D revolution

15 Which quotation from “Rolling Through the Ages” best supports the claim that roller derbies were discontinued in the 1970's? A “At its debut in Chicago, the derby drew an audience of 20,000 people—more than a crowd at Madison Square Garden for a basketball game.” B “The derby changed from a racing sport to a team contact sport.” C “Contestants transformed themselves into characters much like one might find in professional wrestling.” D “Roller derby was seen as a fake sport—not truly athletic.″

Page 20 GO ON 16 Read this sentence from “Rolling Through the Ages.”

He recommended that Seltzer make rivalries between racers an official part of the game.

Which word best replaces rivalries in the sentence to maintain a similar meaning? A collaborations B collisions C competitions D connections

17 In “Rolling Through the Ages,” the author describes the humble beginnings of roller derby and the revival of the sport. Which detail is not included by the author to show how contemporary roller derby differs from the way it was in the past? A “Teams today are owned and operated by the players, who often also create their own costumes (‘boutfits’), find their own coaches, run their own training, and do their own marketing.” B “Modern-day derby action takes place on a flat, rather than slanted, track, making play possible in more venues and eliminating the cost of a special track.” C “Similar to the original derby, however, players adopt flashy alter-egos, flashy costumes, and colorful, often pun-filled stage names, such as Miss Fit, The Enforcer, and Cheap Trixie.” D “Many derbies have added disco lights and sometimes even live punk rock bands to the events.”

Page 21 GO ON 18 Choose the sentence that demonstrates the correct use of a modifying phrase. A Low in the water and loaded with cargo, the tiny ship looked as though it would sink. B Low in the water and loaded with cargo, the sailors thought the tiny ship would sink. C Low in the water, the sailors thought the tiny ship loaded with cargo would sink.

19 How should this sentence be revised?

Coffee beans aren’t actually beans; they are the pits of nutritious berry-like fruits that grow on trees. A pits of nutritious, berry-like fruits B pits, of nutritious berry-like, fruits C It is correct as is.

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