Question

read this passage from dragonwings by laurence yep.

during those trips alone among the demons, father and i learned things about one another; and more, we learned about being a father and a son. every trip was an adventure into a strange, fearful city; and yet i felt safe by my fathers side. anyone who could laugh and tell stories and jokes and sing while he was alone among the demons must know what he was doing. in my own mind, father was the embodiment of uncles superior man.

based on the description of the setting in this passage, how does the narrator most likely feel about american cities?

he finds them exciting and full of adventure.
he finds them funny and entertaining.
he finds them unfamiliar and frightening.
he finds them evil and terribly wicked.

Explanation:

Analyze the question prompt

The question asks how the narrator most likely feels about American cities based on the description of the setting in the passage.

Examine the passage for context clues

We look for descriptions of the city setting in the text:

• "During those trips alone among the demons..."
• "Every trip was an adventure into a strange, fearful city; and yet I felt safe by my father's side."

The key words describing the city setting are "strange" and "fearful."

Connect context clues to the options

We match the textual evidence to the given multiple-choice options:

• "strange" corresponds to "unfamiliar."
• "fearful" corresponds to "frightening."

Therefore, the narrator finds American cities unfamiliar and frightening.

Evaluate the remaining options

• "exciting and full of adventure": While the narrator mentions "adventure," they specifically qualify it as being into a "strange, fearful city." The primary feeling toward the city itself is fear and strangeness, not positive excitement.
• "funny and entertaining": The text mentions Father telling jokes, but not that the city itself is funny or entertaining.
• "evil and terribly wicked": Although the narrator refers to white Americans as "demons," describing the city itself as "evil and terribly wicked" is too extreme compared to the direct description of the city as "strange" and "fearful."

Formulate the final conclusion

Using Making Inferences and Textual Evidence Analysis, we conclude that the third option, "He finds them unfamiliar and frightening," is the correct choice.

Answer:

• He finds them exciting and full of adventure.
• He finds them funny and entertaining.</mcq-correct>
• He finds them unfamiliar and frightening. (Correct answer)

<mcq-option>He finds them evil and terribly wicked.