1. Mahalia Jackson
questions

2. Question 1
What genre is Mahalia Jackson?

3. Expository Nonfiction
Biography will also be acceptable

4. Question 2
What vocabulary word means a group of singers who sing together, often in a church service?
Appreciate
Barber
Choir
Released
Religious
Slavery
Teenager

5. Choir

6. Question 3 What is the author’s purpose? WHY? To entertain To inform
To make you feel or think
To persuade

7. To inform – about a persons life or blues
To make you feel or think – blues is all about feeling something deep inside, think about slavery and it’s effects.

8. Question 4 What vocabulary word means think highly of; value; enjoy?
Appreciate
Barber
Choir
Released
Religious
Slavery
Teenager

9. Appreciate

10. Question 5 What is the main idea in the following passage?
“But the blues is not only a feeling. It’s also a kind of music that cures the blues. The words of a blues song might be sad, but the music and the beat wrap around your heart like one of your grandmother’s hugs.”

11. The main idea is the blues is not only a feeling, but a kind of music to cure this feeling.

12. Question 6
What vocabulary word means much interested in the belief, study, and worship of God or gods; devoted to religion?
Appreciate
Barber
Choir
Released
Religious
Slavery
Teenager

13. Religious

14. What is an antonym for slavery?
Question 7
The roots of blues go back to slavery.
What is an antonym for slavery?

15. Freedom

16. Question 8
What vocabulary word means person whose business is cutting hair and shaving or trimming beards?
Appreciate
Barber
Choir
Released
Religious
Slavery
Teenager

17. Barber

18. Question 9 What is the main idea in the following paragraph?
“One of the ways black people fought against slavery was with the breath in their bodies. They wove hope on the air by singing songs called spirituals – songs for the spirit. Their bodies were in slavery, but it didn’t mean their spirits had to be buried in sorrow as white as fog.”

19. Singing spirituals helped people survive slavery.

20. Question 10
What vocabulary word means the condition of being owned by another person and being made to work without wages?
Appreciate
Barber
Choir
Released
Religious
Slavery
Teenager

21. Slavery

22. Question 11 Is the following statement a fact or opinion?
“Her father worked on the docks during the day…”

23. It can be proven true or false.
Fact
It can be proven true or false.

24. Question 12 What vocabulary word means a person in his or her teens?
Appreciate
Barber
Choir
Released
Religious
Slavery
Teenager

25. Teenager

26. Question 13 What is the main idea in the following selection?
“Mahalia grew up loving music, and the person she wanted to sing like was none other than Bessie Smith. But Mahalia’s aunt was very religious, and she took Mahalia to church every day. When talking about her childhood, Mahalia said that in her church, ‘everybody sang and clapped and stomped their feet, a rhythm we held on to from slavery days, and the music was so strong and expressive, it used to bring the tears to my eyes.’ It was in church that Mahalia first started singing.”

27. The main idea is that Mahalia grew up loving music.

28. Question 14
What vocabulary word means permitted to published, shown, sold, etc?
Appreciate
Barber
Choir
Released
Religious
Slavery
Teenager

29. Released

30. Question 15
Why do you think the author wrote, “She could hold a note until you thought she should run out of breath…”?

31. The author wanted to help the reader visualize Mahalia’s singing style.

32. Question 16
What is the main idea of the whole story?

33. The main idea is that the roots of the blues go back to slavery; they helped enslave people survive slavery by giving them a chance to express their feelings.