Grandmother’s Game
John Whitman grabbed his tennis racket and a can of tennis balls. He bounced a ball on his
racket as he passed through the kitchen on his way outside. His grandmother grabbed the ball in
midair. John laughed.
"Where are you going?" John's grandmother asked.
"I'm going down the street to the tennis court to practice," John said.
"I need you to dust the living room before my book club group gets here," his grandmother said.
"Oh, Grandmother," John said."I really need to practice. I'm not going to make the tennis team if
I don't improve my serve. The team tryouts are just two weeks away."
"I didn't realize you were having problems with your tennis game," his grandmother said."Why
didn't you tell me? I was the conference tennis champion in college. I know what we can do. I'll
give you some tips on how you can improve your serve. Then you can help me get ready for my
book club meeting tonight."
"You were a tennis champ?" John said."I didn't know that."
"I really enjoyed playing in tennis tournaments," his grandmother said with a smile. "I even
thought about playing professionally for a while. But that was before I fell in love with creative
writing and decided to become an English teacher."
"Come on," John said. "Let's go to the park! I can't wait to see your serve."
"Well then, you'd better watch me closely," Grandmother said as she got her tennis racket out of
the hall closet, "because my serve is still pretty fast!"
As they walked down the street to the park, Grandmother told John all about the tennis matches
she had watched as a girl growing up in New York.
"I loved going to tennis tournaments," his grandmother said."My mother and father were
members of the Harlem Cosmopolitan Tennis Club."
"I've never heard of that club," John said.
"It was a club for African American tennis players in New York City. I had a chance to watch
Althea Gibson practice there."
"I know who Althea Gibson is," John said."In 1957, she became the first African American to
win Wimbledon and the U.S. Nationals."
"That's right! Watching Althea play tennis inspired me to play the game," his grandmother said.
"She faced many barriers as an African American athlete, but she was always gracious and
professional."
"My history teacher said that if it hadn't been for Althea Gibson, famous African American
tennis players, such as Arthur Ashe and Venus and Serena Williams, wouldn't have had the
opportunities they have today."
"That's true," his grandmother said. "Althea Gibson opened doors for African Americans. She
also opened doors for women of all races to pursue tennis professionally."
"Okay, Grandmother," John said, as they took their positions on opposite ends of the tennis
court. "Let me see that serve."
For the next ten minutes, John tried his best to return his grandmother's lightning-fast serve.
After beating John 40 to 30, his grandmother showed him how he could improve his serve and
gave him tips on ways to perfect his game. John practiced his serve over and over.
"Good job, John," his grandmother said, "but we have to go now. It's getting late, and my book
club group will be here soon."
"Okay. Thanks for helping me improve my game," John said, as they walked back to the house."
You're a great tennis player. I never knew that you played so well."
"You never asked," his grandmother said with a laugh. "If you think my tennis game is good, you
should see me play basketball."
"You played basketball, too?" John said.
"I was captain of my high school team," his grandmother said.
"Well, maybe you can give me a few pointers," John said. "I'm having trouble with my free
throws."
"We'll play a few games of basketball tomorrow," his grandmother said as she tossed him a dust
cloth. "Now I need you to dust the living room."
John laughed and caught the dust cloth in midair.
"Two points," his grandmother said.
1. Which word BEST describes the tone used in this passage?
A. anxious
B. respectful
C. joyful
D. irritated
2. Read the sentences from the passage.
John laughed and caught the dust cloth in midair.
“Two points,” his grandmother said.
What can the reader infer about the grandmother’s character based upon her reply?
A. She is kind.
B. She is honest.
C. She is hard-working.
D. She is playful.
3. What can the reader conclude by the end of the story?
A. John is patient, but he is bored by his grandmother’s stories
B. John and his grandmother enjoy spending time together
C. The grandmother feels that she has nothing in common with John
D. The grandmother is too busy with her life and does not have time for John.
4. Which of these statements best summarizes the story?
A. John’s grandmother needs his help to prepare for her book club, but John plays tennis
instead.
B. As John and his grandmother bond over their mutual interest in tennis, John learns something
new about his grandmother and the history that has inspired her.
C. John and his grandmother play tennis and talk about John’s life.
D. John’s grandmother brags about her athletic skills and past accomplishments.
5. What does Althea Gibson’s character symbolize to John’s grandmother?
A. the struggles in life
C. success in spite of obstacles
B. an unfulfilled dream
D. the idea that practice makes perfect
Only Woman Medal of Honor Winner
Read the selection, and then answer the questions that follow.
(1) As a child, they say Mary Walker was a bit of a brat. She always wanted to do
things differently. When she grew up, she continued to do so, becoming the first
woman military doctor, a prisoner of war, a spy, and the only woman to win the
Medal of Honor, America's highest military award.
(2) Born in 1832, Walker graduated from medical school at the age of 21. She was the
only female in her class and only the second U.S. woman to graduate from a
medical school. When the Civil War broke out, she went to Washington, D.C. to
become an Army surgeon. The Army gave her a tough time, so she volunteered as a
nurse and went off to treat wounded soldiers.
(3) The Army finally conceded and appointed her as an assistant surgeon in 1863,
making her the first female doctor in the U.S. Army. The foxy Walker designed a
military uniform for herself—a knee-length skirt over trousers and a man's uniform
jacket. To those unhappy with her garb, she clarified that the hoop skirts women
normally wore were too cumbersome and dangerous when she was working in field
hospitals and on battlefields.
(4) As a dedicated doctor, Walker treated those in need, no matter what their politics.
So she often crossed Confederate lines to treat civilians. It's generally accepted that
while in enemy territory, she was also working as a spy for the North. On one of
these trips, she was captured by Confederate troops and held in a Southern prison
until both sides exchanged captives.
(5) The Army nominated Walker for the Medal of Honor and she was awarded it in
1866. Her citation praises her wartime service but doesn't specifically mention
valor in combat. That turned out to be an important oversight.
(6) In 1916, the government began reviewing Medal of Honor awards. Over the years,
the medal had been copied and sold, and many people wore medals illegally.
Congress revised the standard for awarding a Medal of Honor to mandate it only be
given for actual combat with an enemy.
(7) Mary Walker and hundreds of past Medal of Honor recipients were stripped of their
medals. The government demanded Walker and the others return theirs. She refused
and wore hers until her death at age 87 in 1919.
(8) In the late 1960s, Mary's great-grandniece launched a campaign to restore the
medal her great-aunt had earned. Congress studied the case, and in 1977, President
Jimmy Carter reinstated Mary Walker's Medal of Honor.
a.
b.
c.
d.
6.6. A denotation of foxy is "like a fox" and the connotation is
dull.
clever.
bashful.
frightened.
7.
a.
b.
c.
d.
a.
b.
c.
d.
a.
b.
c.
d.
a.
b.
c.
d.
a.
b.
c.
d.
7. Which word gives a negative connotation to doing things differently?
continued
graduated
brat
child
8.8. Which is probably the most positive connotation of conceded?
okayed
contracted
denied
tolerated
9.9. Which connotation is most negative?
prisoner
detainee
hostage
Inmate
10.
10. ". . . stripped of their medals" gives a more negative connotation to
exchanging prisoners of war.
working in a field hospital.
requesting a commission as an army surgeon.
taking away an award.
11.
11. Which word that means the same as demanded is more positive?
commanded
asked
decreed
required
Constructed Response:
12. Explain why Mary Walker is a hero. Support your reasoning with evidence from the text and
explain your position.