1 Looking back, I was sure that I was going to die that November afternoon. Tornado watches in Alabama are as common as eggs are for breakfast. So much so, that I had begun to ignore them altogether. This disregard for Mother Nature’s power nearly proved fatal for me and my sister. As we approached a fresh red light on a main thoroughfare through Huntsville, I glanced at the sudden peculiar coloring of the sky. The unusual hue and the stillness of the air gave me a sudden sense of uneasiness. The light changed and we made the left turn that would lead us home. It was after the turn that everything around me seemed to be occurring in slow motion. I heard it before I saw anything. At first I was sure that a train or a big truck was directly behind the car. Then I saw the debris, not the image of swirling winds we tend to associate with a tornado, but trash and wires and dirt. I remember a sudden feeling of weightlessness as we were lifted off of the ground. Strangely, she lifted us up like a feather on a breeze. It seemed more like floating than flying until she launched us from her grip with a fury few will ever understand. 2 While I cannot remember the actual impact, pictures from the aftermath tell the story word for word. The tin can that once was a car was belly up in the top of a 100 foot maple. We hung there for hours, oblivious to the disaster around us. When rescuers could finally get to us, power lines made it too dangerous to touch the metal car. I awoke first 32 days after my ride in the sky and remembered much of the ordeal. My sister however, after lying in a coma for nearly three months, has no recollection of any detail from her life before the accident. Lack of oxygen erased her past. My physical wounds have long since healed, but I spend many hours below ground. The slightest hint of thunder or an awkward colored sunset sends me racing to my life below to hide from her. What can you infer about the speaker's sister?

1 Austin reached into his backpack to make sure that it was there. He wasn’t sure he needed his inhaler, but he was checking just in case. His chest was tight as he once again attempted a deep breath. He completely filled his lungs and exhaled smoothly. He repeated this rhythm several times, surprised at the ease at which it came. But he’d keep the inhaler in his pocket. It had been a long time since he’d had a real asthma attack, since Little League, in fact. But it was never too far from his mind, especially when he played baseball. 2 Austin loved baseball, like fish love water, but he felt his asthma had probably kept him from reaching his full athletic potential. He knew today’s practice would be tough, for tomorrow was a big game. He was right. It was rough, and Austin and several others weren’t at the top of their game today. Coach Tanner firmly patted Austin’s shoulder as they headed for the dugout. “You’ve got to stop using it as a crutch, and let it go son.” Coach said in a firm, low voice. ***Coach Tanner’s comment indicates that he

1 Austin reached into his backpack to make sure that it was there. He wasn’t sure he needed his inhaler, but he was checking just in case. His chest was tight as he once again attempted a deep breath. He completely filled his lungs and exhaled smoothly. He repeated this rhythm several times, surprised at the ease at which it came. But he’d keep the inhaler in his pocket. It had been a long time since he’d had a real asthma attack, since Little League, in fact. But it was never too far from his mind, especially when he played baseball. 2 Austin loved baseball, like fish love water, but he felt his asthma had probably kept him from reaching his full athletic potential. He knew today’s practice would be tough, for tomorrow was a big game. He was right. It was rough, and Austin and several others weren’t at the top of their game today. Coach Tanner firmly patted Austin’s shoulder as they headed for the dugout. “You’ve got to stop using it as a crutch, and let it go son.” Coach said in a firm, low voice. ****Austin’s greatest difficulty in playing baseball may actually be his

1 David couldn’t wait to get off work, for he had an exciting weekend planned. He and his seven-year-old son, Landon, were going on a camping trip. As David drove toward the Greenville suburb where Landon lived with his mother, the guilt gnawed at him. He hated that since the divorce nearly a year ago he had not spent the quality time with Landon that he now wished he had. The two-hour drive to Landon’s new home only complicated the wish for more frequent visits. David decided he was not going to dwell on the past but instead look to the future. This weekend camping trip was just what they needed. 2 When David arrived, Landon met him at the door, grinning like someone who’d just won the lottery. An hour later they were setting up camp. Before long, they headed to the creek bank with fishing poles in hand. As they each sat on a five-gallon bucket, few words were spoken, but David knew that old wounds were healing. As Landon reeled in a tiny bream, he looked over at his dad and said, "You know what, Dad? This is the most fun I’ve ever had." Even though his throat was tightening in an effort to hold back tears, David managed to say, "Me too, Son. Me, too." ****David’s dialogue in response to his son shows that he

1 David couldn’t wait to get off work, for he had an exciting weekend planned. He and his seven-year-old son, Landon, were going on a camping trip. As David drove toward the Greenville suburb where Landon lived with his mother, the guilt gnawed at him. He hated that since the divorce nearly a year ago he had not spent the quality time with Landon that he now wished he had. The two-hour drive to Landon’s new home only complicated the wish for more frequent visits. David decided he was not going to dwell on the past but instead look to the future. This weekend camping trip was just what they needed. 2 When David arrived, Landon met him at the door, grinning like someone who’d just won the lottery. An hour later they were setting up camp. Before long, they headed to the creek bank with fishing poles in hand. As they each sat on a five-gallon bucket, few words were spoken, but David knew that old wounds were healing. As Landon reeled in a tiny bream, he looked over at his dad and said, "You know what, Dad? This is the most fun I’ve ever had." Even though his throat was tightening in an effort to hold back tears, David managed to say, "Me too, Son. Me, too." ***Joshua is a student who read about Landon and David going camping. In a class discussion, Joshua said that both the dad and his son had a great time. Which detail from the passage BEST clarifies or expands on Joshua's response to the passage?

(Richard II speaking to himself in third person-) What must the king do now? must he submit?143 The king shall do it: must he be deposed? The king shall be contented: must he lose The name of king? o' God's name, let it go: I'll give my jewels for a set of beads, My gorgeous palace for a hermitage, My gay apparel for an almsman's gown, My figured goblets for a dish of wood,150 My sceptre for a palmer's walking staff, My subjects for a pair of carved saints And my large kingdom for a little grave, A little little grave, an obscure grave; Or I'll be buried in the *king's highway,155 Some way of common trade, where subjects' feet May hourly trample on their sovereign's head; For on my heart they tread now whilst I live; And buried once, why not upon my head?159 (Richard II 3.3.143-159) *The king's highway is where those who committed suicide were buried. *****Which statement actually quotes the passage to support its meaning MOST effectively?

I was angry with my friend: I told my wrath, my wrath did end. I was angry with my foe: I told it not, my wrath did grow. And I watered it in fears Night and morning with my tears, And I sunned it with smiles And with soft deceitful wiles. And it grew both day and night, Till it bore an apple bright, And my foe beheld it shine, And he knew that it was mine,— And into my garden stole When the night had veiled the pole; In the morning, glad, I see My foe outstretched beneath the tree. ****What is the best evidence that the speaker's wrath has severe consequences?