The Competition The day dawned bright and clear, with perfect blue skies and wonderful spring temperatures. Jamie heard the birds singing cheerfully in the sycamore tree just outside her window as she slowly emerged from the depths of her dreams. As she opened her eyes and looked around her room, Jamie remembered that this was no ordinary day. “Okay, today is the day,” she told herself as she slipped from the warmth of her bed and stuck her feet into her favorite slippers. “This is like any other performance. This is something I have to do, and I am silly for being afraid.” The words sounded logical to her head, but her heart was telling her something entirely different. Jamie shuffled down the hall to the bathroom, showered, and got herself dressed. Because of her “special” guests - a frog in her throat and butterflies in her stomach, she was hardly able to eat breakfast. Her mother had gotten up long before Jamie and was now watching her daughter attempt to eat her breakfast. “Eat up because you will need all your strength today,” her mother advised. The other girls on the squad were used to it by now since they were all veterans of many competitions, but this was Jamie’s first year on the squad. This would not only be her first national competition, it would also be her first time on national television. Dozens of questions were swimming around in her head. “Will I trip on my way to the mat? Will I perform my tumbling routines without a hitch? Will I be on cue with the music? What if my feet just simply will not move?” she wondered. The national competition was in Jamie’s home state this year and in a town very close by. That meant Jamie did not have to stay overnight at a hotel. This would have added another layer of stress to an already scary situation, and Jamie was glad to have the comforts of home. Her stage fright seemed to be escalating as the competition neared. She sat in silence as her mother drove her to the university where the competition was being held. Other teams took the floor before Jamie’s team, and she could hear the wild applause and cheering as supporters of each team made their feelings known. With each cheer, Jamie grew more nervous and thought more and more about all the things that could go wrong. Suddenly, it was their turn. The announcer said, “And now, from New Port Richey, Florida, here’s the squad from North Western Middle School!” Jamie and the other members of her team spilled onto the floor and began their routine. She managed to smile, despite her stomach flipping cartwheels. This was the moment of truth. Jamie heard the crowd cheering wildly. Because they were a local school, all of Jamie’s friends were there to support her and the squad. The performance was flawless! All of Jamie’s hard work paid off. The squad received a second place trophy, much to the delight of all their friends and fans. “That was not so bad,” Jamie thought. “Next year, we’ll take the first place trophy, and I am not going to be nervous! With all this national television exposure, maybe I will even get discovered!” 1. Based on your prior knowledge, what type of competition was Jamie involved in?

The Competition The day dawned bright and clear, with perfect blue skies and wonderful spring temperatures. Jamie heard the birds singing cheerfully in the sycamore tree just outside her window as she slowly emerged from the depths of her dreams. As she opened her eyes and looked around her room, Jamie remembered that this was no ordinary day. “Okay, today is the day,” she told herself as she slipped from the warmth of her bed and stuck her feet into her favorite slippers. “This is like any other performance. This is something I have to do, and I am silly for being afraid.” The words sounded logical to her head, but her heart was telling her something entirely different. Jamie shuffled down the hall to the bathroom, showered, and got herself dressed. Because of her “special” guests - a frog in her throat and butterflies in her stomach, she was hardly able to eat breakfast. Her mother had gotten up long before Jamie and was now watching her daughter attempt to eat her breakfast. “Eat up because you will need all your strength today,” her mother advised. The other girls on the squad were used to it by now since they were all veterans of many competitions, but this was Jamie’s first year on the squad. This would not only be her first national competition, it would also be her first time on national television. Dozens of questions were swimming around in her head. “Will I trip on my way to the mat? Will I perform my tumbling routines without a hitch? Will I be on cue with the music? What if my feet just simply will not move?” she wondered. The national competition was in Jamie’s home state this year and in a town very close by. That meant Jamie did not have to stay overnight at a hotel. This would have added another layer of stress to an already scary situation, and Jamie was glad to have the comforts of home. Her stage fright seemed to be escalating as the competition neared. She sat in silence as her mother drove her to the university where the competition was being held. Other teams took the floor before Jamie’s team, and she could hear the wild applause and cheering as supporters of each team made their feelings known. With each cheer, Jamie grew more nervous and thought more and more about all the things that could go wrong. Suddenly, it was their turn. The announcer said, “And now, from New Port Richey, Florida, here’s the squad from North Western Middle School!” Jamie and the other members of her team spilled onto the floor and began their routine. She managed to smile, despite her stomach flipping cartwheels. This was the moment of truth. Jamie heard the crowd cheering wildly. Because they were a local school, all of Jamie’s friends were there to support her and the squad. The performance was flawless! All of Jamie’s hard work paid off. The squad received a second place trophy, much to the delight of all their friends and fans. “That was not so bad,” Jamie thought. “Next year, we’ll take the first place trophy, and I am not going to be nervous! With all this national television exposure, maybe I will even get discovered!” 2. Based on your prior knowledge and the above sentence, how does Jamie feel while she is getting ready for the competition?

The Competition The day dawned bright and clear, with perfect blue skies and wonderful spring temperatures. Jamie heard the birds singing cheerfully in the sycamore tree just outside her window as she slowly emerged from the depths of her dreams. As she opened her eyes and looked around her room, Jamie remembered that this was no ordinary day. “Okay, today is the day,” she told herself as she slipped from the warmth of her bed and stuck her feet into her favorite slippers. “This is like any other performance. This is something I have to do, and I am silly for being afraid.” The words sounded logical to her head, but her heart was telling her something entirely different. Jamie shuffled down the hall to the bathroom, showered, and got herself dressed. Because of her “special” guests - a frog in her throat and butterflies in her stomach, she was hardly able to eat breakfast. Her mother had gotten up long before Jamie and was now watching her daughter attempt to eat her breakfast. “Eat up because you will need all your strength today,” her mother advised. The other girls on the squad were used to it by now since they were all veterans of many competitions, but this was Jamie’s first year on the squad. This would not only be her first national competition, it would also be her first time on national television. Dozens of questions were swimming around in her head. “Will I trip on my way to the mat? Will I perform my tumbling routines without a hitch? Will I be on cue with the music? What if my feet just simply will not move?” she wondered. The national competition was in Jamie’s home state this year and in a town very close by. That meant Jamie did not have to stay overnight at a hotel. This would have added another layer of stress to an already scary situation, and Jamie was glad to have the comforts of home. Her stage fright seemed to be escalating as the competition neared. She sat in silence as her mother drove her to the university where the competition was being held. Other teams took the floor before Jamie’s team, and she could hear the wild applause and cheering as supporters of each team made their feelings known. With each cheer, Jamie grew more nervous and thought more and more about all the things that could go wrong. Suddenly, it was their turn. The announcer said, “And now, from New Port Richey, Florida, here’s the squad from North Western Middle School!” Jamie and the other members of her team spilled onto the floor and began their routine. She managed to smile, despite her stomach flipping cartwheels. This was the moment of truth. Jamie heard the crowd cheering wildly. Because they were a local school, all of Jamie’s friends were there to support her and the squad. The performance was flawless! All of Jamie’s hard work paid off. The squad received a second place trophy, much to the delight of all their friends and fans. “That was not so bad,” Jamie thought. “Next year, we’ll take the first place trophy, and I am not going to be nervous! With all this national television exposure, maybe I will even get discovered!” 3. When Jamie’s mother tells her, "You will knock them dead,” she means that