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February 2
The following content will be used for items 1-4. Here is a story about a problem that a pioneer family experiences. Read the story. Then answer the questions.
A Basket of Corn 
Questions Annabella looked up at the sky and sighed. Only a few thin, white veils floated against the barren blue expanse. They'd drift away once the morning melted in scorching heat. She glanced down towards her bare feet. The new corn shoots were withering before they even had a chance.
A movement under the cottonwoods caught her eye. He was there again, that little Shoshone boy in the deerskin shirt. Several times now she'd looked up and seen him observing her. He was probably hoping the corn would crumble into dust and her family would leave the cabin forever. She reached down and picked up a handful of dry soil; it sifted away through her fingers. Her family had worked so hard, but without a crop they couldn't stay. Annabella felt tears starting to trickle down her cheeks. Out here nobody was going to see her, except for that little boy, and he had already disappeared back under the trees.
Annabella was drying her face with her apron when she heard footsteps. It was the boy again, but this time he was with an older girl in a beautifully beaded dress. Had they come to take pleasure in her family's difficult situation?
But when Annabella looked at the girl's face, she was surprised to see a friendly expression. The Shoshone girl held up a clay container and slowly poured a trickle of water onto the arid soil. She pointed at the vessel, and then turned back to the trees, motioning for Annabella to follow. After a
ten-minute walk through the woods she stopped and cleared some shrubs aside: a spring trickled from a tumble of glistening rocks. The girl took a sip to show the water was good, then smiled and disappeared back into the forest.
Annabella's heart lifted like a bird soaring from a treetop into the bright, wide sky. It would take
hours of walking back and forth every day, carrying water jugs, but she didn't mind. The small, steady stream would see them through until the rains came, and there would be plenty of corn. She imagined a basket overflowing with fat, green ears. Suddenly, Annabella knew what she would do when the corn was ripe. She would find the girl and her brother again, hand them the heavy basket,
and learn to say the word in their language for "thank you."
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A movement under the cottonwoods caught her eye. He was there again, that little Shoshone boy in the deerskin shirt. Several times now she'd looked up and seen him observing her. He was probably hoping the corn would crumble into dust and her family would leave the cabin forever. She reached down and picked up a handful of dry soil; it sifted away through her fingers. Her family had worked so hard, but without a crop they couldn't stay. Annabella felt tears starting to trickle down her cheeks. Out here nobody was going to see her, except for that little boy, and he had already disappeared back under the trees.
Annabella was drying her face with her apron when she heard footsteps. It was the boy again, but this time he was with an older girl in a beautifully beaded dress. Had they come to take pleasure in her family's difficult situation?
But when Annabella looked at the girl's face, she was surprised to see a friendly expression. The Shoshone girl held up a clay container and slowly poured a trickle of water onto the arid soil. She pointed at the vessel, and then turned back to the trees, motioning for Annabella to follow. After a
ten-minute walk through the woods she stopped and cleared some shrubs aside: a spring trickled from a tumble of glistening rocks. The girl took a sip to show the water was good, then smiled and disappeared back into the forest.
Annabella's heart lifted like a bird soaring from a treetop into the bright, wide sky. It would take
hours of walking back and forth every day, carrying water jugs, but she didn't mind. The small, steady stream would see them through until the rains came, and there would be plenty of corn. She imagined a basket overflowing with fat, green ears. Suddenly, Annabella knew what she would do when the corn was ripe. She would find the girl and her brother again, hand them the heavy basket,
and learn to say the word in their language for "thank you."
