1. “A Festival Day in Tikal”
Unit 2 Week 3
“People Just Like Us”
“A Festival Day in Tikal”

2. Read the passage “People Just Like Us” before answering Numbers 1 through 10.
Now answer Numbers 1 through 10. Base your answers on “People Just Like Us.”

3. 1. The first-person point of view in this passage helps the reader understand
A. how the ancient Egyptians really lived.
B. why Zeke is eager to study ancient cultures.
C. why the ancient Egyptians are so interesting to Grace.
D. how Zeke starts to compare the ancient Egyptians to people he knows.

4. 2. At the beginning of the passage, how are Zeke and Grace different?
F. Zeke is rude, while Grace is very kind.
G. Zeke is unhappy, while Grace is cheerful.
H. Zeke is lazy, while Grace is a hard worker.
I. Zeke is bored, while Grace is enthusiastic.

5. 3. Read this excerpt from the passage.
“I don’t think so,” I sneered. “Learning about these ancient people is so dull. They just hunted and farmed and probably went crazy from boredom.”
The use of sneered instead of said emphasizes that Zeke
A. respects Grace.
B. thinks Grace is being fake.
C. does not understand Grace.
D. thinks Grace is being ridiculous.

6. 4. What does Zeke think of the ancient Egyptians before he visits the exhibit?
F. He thinks they all lived in pyramids.
G. He thinks they lived very boring lives.
H. He thinks they all had advanced technology.
I. He thinks they were just like modern people.

7. 5. Which word from the passage has a negative connotation?
A. primitive
B. massive
C. protected
D. interested

8. 6. Read this sentence from the passage.
And some of the rooms inside the pyramids were on an equally colossal scale, with one measuring as much as 150 feet long and 30 feet high.
Which word has a connotation most similar to that of colossal?
F. excessive
G. large
H. mammoth
I. modest

9. 7. Read this sentence from the passage.
“You know, Zeke, I think those primitive Egyptians must have used just a little technology to construct those!”
The origin of the word construct is the Latin root struct, which means “build.” The prefix ob- means “against.” If you obstruct someone’s progress, you most likely
A. assemble things.
B. put up obstacles.
C. tear things down.
D. create opportunities.

10. 8. Which word from the passage has a positive connotation?
F. ancient
G. snow
H. prestige
I. fanciful

11. 9. How do Zeke’s feelings about studying ancient Egypt change by the end of the passage?
A. He realizes ancient Egyptians were like modern people in many ways.
B. He finds that ancient Egyptians are as dull and boring as he expected.
C. He decided that the pastimes of ancient Egyptians do not appeal to him.
D. He discovers many differences between ancient Egyptians and modern people.

12. 10. Which sentence from the passage best shows how the narrator’s feelings about the ancient Egyptians change?
F. Just for a moment, I could picture ancient Egyptian kids beside the Nile River hitting around a ball, just like I did with my friends.
G. “So the ancient Egyptians were pretty primitive, right?” I asked Grace as we waited in line for our tickets.
H. “I can’t imaging the ancient Egyptians had lives that were anywhere near as interesting as ours.”
I. A child was considered a joy and a blessing, and young ones were cared for and protected.

13. Read the passage “A Festival Day in Tikal” before answering Numbers 11 through 20.
Now answer Numbers 11 through 20. Base your answers on “A Festival Day in Tikal.”

14. 11. Who is the narrator of the passage?
A. Chel
B. Kin
C. Father
D. Mother

15. 12. The first-person point of view in the passage helps the reader understand
F. why the narrator has to get up early.
G. how the Mayan ball game was played.
H. how the narrator feels about the festival.
I. why the Maya had festivals in cities like Tikal.

16. 13. Which sentence best shows the narrator’s feelings about living on a farm at the beginning of the passage.
A. It was a festival day, and we were going to the nearby city of Tikal to celebrate.
B. Burning with eagerness to go to Tikal, I woke up early and hurried through my morning tasks.
C. It was also as noisy and bustling as I had imagined, filled with people who had come for the festival.
D. Some days I have nothing but the sounds of the wind and the animals in the fields to keep me company as I do my chores.

17. 14. Read this sentence from the passage.
I imagined myself someday escaping my quiet life on the farm and going to live in glamorous, exciting Tikal.
Which word has a connotation most similar to that of glamorous?
F. attractive
G. dull
H. enchanting
I. pleasant

18. 15. How are the two settings in the passage different?
A. The narrator is happy on the farm, but she misses Tikal.
B. Tikal is fun and exciting, while the farm is sad and lonely.
C. The narrator works hard on the farm, but she relaxes in Tikal.
D. Tikal is crowded and noisy, while the farm is peaceful and quiet.

19. 16. Which word in the passage has a negative connotation?
F. incredible
G. quiet
H. roaring
I. unruly

20. 17. Read this sentence from the passage.
He said we were an industrious people, working hard to grow food and construct our amazing cities.
The origin of the word construct is the Latin root, struct, meaning “build.” The prefix de- can mean “down.” Therefore, people who are destructive would be likely to
A. redesign a city.
B. tear down a city.
C. teach about a city.
D. help support a city.

21. 18. Read this sentence from the passage.
I wondered how the teams could focus on the game with the spectator making such a deafening noise.
Which word has a more positive connotation that deafening?
F. earsplitting
G. loud
H. thunderous
I. roaring

22. 19. Read this sentence from the passage.
Soon the people in the seats around us were roaring cheers for their favorite players and jeering at the opposing team.
Which word has a connotation most similar to that of jeering?
A. calling
B. encouraging
C. mocking
D. shouting

23. 20. At the end of the passage, the reader can tell that the narrator
F. wants to visit the city more often.
G. never wants to visit the city again.
H. has changed her mind about the farm.
I. still wants to escape from the farm someday.

24. Essay
Explain how point of view helps the reader understand how the narrators change from the beginning to the end of each story.
Include accurate, explicit text evidence from both passages that show how each character is developed through the narrator’s point of view.