Question

we always started with the easy words i had already learned, and which i wrote down and read from the slate. the new ones i had to listen to first, putting them together as well as i could from the sounds. at the end of the lesson i had to listen to the formidable words that sounded more like trapezes in full swing.
—barrio boy,
ernesto galarza
trapeze: a device used in gymnastics and acrobatics made up of a short horizontal bar attached to the ends of two parallel ropes.

reread the simile. describe how it helps you see and understand what the author is experiencing.

Explanation:

Identify the simile and its components

The simile in the passage is "formidable words that sounded more like trapezes in full swing." It compares the sounds of difficult, unfamiliar English words to swinging trapezes.

Analyze the effect of the comparison

Comparing the words to "trapezes in full swing" conveys a sense of dynamic, swooping, and unpredictable movement. This helps the reader visualize the words as physically active, challenging, and exciting to catch or pronounce, reflecting the author's feeling of navigating a complex and thrilling new language.

Answer:

Reread the simile. Describe how it helps you see and understand what the author is experiencing.

The simile compares the difficult, formidable words to <blank>trapezes in full swing</blank>, which helps the reader understand that the author experiences the new language as dynamic, challenging, and constantly in motion, requiring agility and effort to grasp and pronounce.