Read this excerpt from a short story.For her science project, Rina had predicted that beans planted in potting soil would sprout first. To her surprise, the first sprouts to appear were planted in her mother’s compost mix."I told you, Rina," her mother said. "Never underestimate the power of coffee grounds and orange peels."Two days later, the beans in potting soil sprouted, but they were never as hearty as the other sprouts. Rina’s inaccurate prediction did not bother her. She was just happy to know how to improve her flower garden in the spring. Which statement best summarizes this excerpt?
Read this excerpt from I Never Had It Made.Branch Rickey lost that fight, but when he became the boss of the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1943, he felt the time for equality in baseball had come. He knew that achieving it would be terribly difficult. There would be deep resentment, determined opposition, and perhaps even racial violence. He was convinced he was morally right, and he shrewdly sensed that making the game a truly national one would have healthy financial results. He took his case before the startled directors of the club, and using persuasive eloquence, he won the first battle in what would be a long and bitter campaign. He was voted permission to make the Brooklyn club the pioneer in bringing blacks into baseball.Winning his directors' approval was almost insignificant in contrast to the task which now lay ahead of the Dodger president. He made certain that word of his plans did not leak out, particularly to the press.Which detail best supports the central idea that Branch Rickey understood the risks involved in integrating baseball?
Read this paragraph from History of Woman Suffrage, Volume I.We have shown that woman is not correctly represented by man at the ballot-box. Could her voice be heard, it would alter the choice of public men and their character. With legislators compelled to respect her opinions, the law itself, constitutions, and politics reflect, to a just extent, her peculiar views and interests. Nor is it for us to decide whether these would be for the better or worse. Let the majority rule.What is the author’s purpose for including this paragraph?
Read this paragraph from I Never Had It Made.Branch Rickey lost that fight, but when he became the boss of the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1943, he felt the time for equality in baseball had come. He knew that achieving it would be terribly difficult. There would be deep resentment, determined opposition, and perhaps even racial violence. He was convinced he was morally right, and he shrewdly sensed that making the game a truly national one would have healthy financial results. He took his case before the startled directors of the club, and using persuasive eloquence, he won the first battle in what would be a long and bitter campaign. He was voted permission to make the Brooklyn club the pioneer in bringing blacks into baseball.What is the author’s purpose for including this paragraph?
Read this excerpt from I Never Had It Made."It's all that ought to count," he replied. "But it isn't. Maybe one of these days it will be all that counts. That is one of the reasons I've got you here, Robinson. If you're a good enough man, we can make this a start in the right direction. But let me tell you, it's going to take an awful lot of courage."He was back to the crossroads question that made me start to get angry minutes earlier. He asked it slowly and with great care."Have you got the guts to play the game no matter what happens?""I think I can play the game, Mr. Rickey," I said.The next few minutes were tough. Branch Rickey had to make absolutely sure that I knew what I would face. Beanballs would be thrown at me. I would be called the kind of names which would hurt and infuriate any man. I would be physically attacked. Could I take all of this and control my temper, remain steadfastly loyal to our ultimate aim?Which is the central idea of this excerpt?
Read these paragraphs from I Never Had It Made.He not only told me about it, but he acted out the part of a white player charging into me, blaming me for the "accident" and calling me all kinds of foul racial names. He talked about my race, my parents, in language that was almost unendurable."They'll taunt and goad you," Mr. Rickey said. "They'll do anything to make you react. They'll try to provoke a race riot in the ballpark. This is the way to prove to the public that a Negro should not be allowed in the major league. This is the way to frighten the fans and make them afraid to attend the games."What is the author’s purpose for including these paragraphs?
Read this excerpt from I Never Had It Made."That's what he was supposed to tell you," Mr. Rickey said. "The truth is you are not a candidate for the Brooklyn Brown Dodgers. I've sent for you because I'm interested in you as a candidate for the Brooklyn National League Club. I think you can play in the major leagues. How do you feel about it?"My reactions seemed like some kind of weird mixture churning in a blender. I was thrilled, scared, and excited. I was incredulous. Most of all, I was speechless."You think you can play for Montreal?" he demanded.I got my tongue back. "Yes," I answered.Which statement best summarizes this excerpt?
Read this paragraph.Jodi, Jan, and Seth peered out the window. They could not believe that a line was forming! Their flier had advertised tryouts for a garage band guitarist, because Epic Noise had been one musician short since their friend Zach moved to Michigan. Now it looked as though their need would be met. Eleven or twelve kids their age lined the driveway, some propping up oversize cases, and others with guitars strapped on their backs. The three hosts of the audition believed that they would find what they were listening for among the assembled crowd.Which statement best summarizes this paragraph?
Read this excerpt from I Never Had It Made.Thirty-five years later, while I was lying awake nights, frustrated, unable to see a future, Mr. Rickey, by now the president of the Dodgers, was also lying awake at night, trying to make up his mind about a new experiment.He had never forgotten the agony of that black athlete. When he became a front-office executive in St. Louis, he had fought, behind the scenes, against the custom that consigned black spectators to the Jim Crow section of the Sportsman's Park, later to become Busch Memorial Stadium. His pleas to change the rules were in vain. Those in power argued that if blacks were allowed a free choice of seating, white business would suffer.Which detail best supports the central idea that many people oppose Branch Rickey’s ideas?
Read this paragraph.Caffeine is found in chocolate, coffee, tea, sodas, and energy drinks. The amount of caffeine in these items varies greatly and is measured in milligrams. Some energy drinks contain as much as 160 milligrams of caffeine per serving. Caffeine is a stimulant, praised for its ability to maintain wakefulness.What is the author’s purpose for writing this paragraph?
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