Read the passage.The man sat in his car, silently preparing for the interview. He reread his notes and practiced how he would answer specific questions. He forgot some of what he wanted to say, which distracted him from his task. He started to ask himself different questions, such as "What if I don’t say the right things?” and "What if I don’t know the answer to a question?” He felt himself start to sweat as these new questions presented themselves. He really needed the job, as his rent was coming due. However, he knew that feeling calm was just as important in an interview as being prepared. He had a few minutes left before his interview time, so he closed his eyes and began to picture a forest scene with a river and tall trees. "I’ve got this,” he reminded himself.
What is the tone of a literary text?
Read the excerpt from "Seventeen Syllables.”Now, how to reach her mother, how to communicate the melancholy song? Rosie knew formal Japanese by fits and starts, her mother had even less English, no French. It was much more possible to say yes, yes.
Read the passage.Johnny was just leaving the locker room after football practice. Back on the field, he heard someone yell."I could use a little help out here!” It was Coach Wilson. He was pushing some type of machine around the football field.Johnny headed in his direction. "How can I help, Coach?” Johnny asked. Coach Wilson explained that he needed help lining the field for the big game. This was something Johnny had never done before, but he agreed to pitch in. Johnny and Coach Wilson spent the next hour adding crisp, white chalk lines to the field.That evening, an unexpected storm caused the field to become soaked from all the rain. It washed the white lines away. When Johnny and the coach arrived at the field, they couldn’t believe their eyes."All of our hard work has been washed away,” mumbled Johnny. "I can't believe we have to do this again.”
Read the passage.Amir could not imagine a better day! He had woken up early and enjoyed a tasty breakfast. The sky was a bright blue, and the sun shone brightly. During algebra, Amir found out he had attained the highest score on last Friday’s quiz. Then, at track practice, he set a new personal best in the 100-meter dash.
Read the excerpt from "Morning Rain.”"Is it raining?” Mr. Endo asked, mildly surprised."Certainly, it’s raining.” Sadako turned from the cupboard, where she was stacking dishes. "After all, it’s November already. It’s about time we had some rain, Los Angeles or no Los Angeles.”Then, sharply, she looked at her father, her mouth agape. "Is it raining? You mean you can’t hear that rain?”Mr. Endo shook his head, no.They stared at each other for a moment, father and daughter, he not really seeing her and she as though seeing him for the first time in her life.
Read the excerpt from "Seventeen Syllables.”One night they went over to see the Hayano family in the neighboring town to the west, an adventure both painful and attractive to Rosie. It was attractive because there were four Hayano girls, all lovely and each one named after a season of the year (Haru, Natsu, Aki, Fuyu), painful because something had been wrong with Mrs. Hayano ever since the birth of her first child. Rosie would sometimes watch Mrs. Hayano, reputed to have been the belle of her native village, making her way about a room, stooped, slowly shuffling, violently trembling (always trembling), and she would be reminded that this woman, in this same condition, had carried and given issue to three babies.
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