Written Response Questions
Based on your knowledge of the selection, choose to answer two of the even numbered questions
or two of the odd numbered questions for full credit. Suggested length is 50 to 150 words. Use text
citations when necessary to support your answer.
1. The second half of the story describes Annie’s walk to the jetty. How does the author develop
Annie’s character during this walk?
2. Describe Annie’s feelings at the end of the story, as the ship departs from Antigua.
3. At the beginning of the speech, Lewis says he will explain how he “wound up rich and famous”
because he wants his audience “to understand just how mysterious careers can be.” What would
Lewis consider to be the mysterious aspect of his career? Cite examples from the speech.
4. Why does Lewis tell his audience that all of them “have been faced with the extra cookie”? What
does he want them to do when they are faced with more extra cookies?
5. What is the “achievement gap”? What does the essay’s author, Malcolm Gladwell, think schools
should do to remedy the achievement gap?
6. At the end of the essay, Gladwell writes, “Someone brought a little bit of the rice paddy to the South
Bronx.” How does this reference to the rice paddy relate to education in the United States?
7. According to the author of “The Secret to Raising Smart Kids”, why is it beneficial for students to
develop a growth mind-set? How is a growth mind-set helpful in other aspects of life? Cite evidence
from the article in your answer.
8. The second section of the article is titled “The Opportunity of Defeat.” Explain what this head means
in terms of Dweck’s theories about how people learn and success.