Question

read the following passage from “(citizen) (illegal),” and answer the questions to the best of your ability.
the baby is a boy (citizen). he goes to school (citizen).
his classmates are american (citizen). he is outcast (illegal).
his “hellos” are in the wrong language (illegal).
he takes the hyphen separating loneliness (mexican)
from friendship (american) and jabs it at the culprit (illegal).
himself (illegal). his own traitorous tongue (illegal).
his name (illegal). his mom (illegal). his dad (illegal).

1. according to the passage, what causes the boy to feel like an “outcast”? rl.9-10.1

a. he refuses to speak english
b. his classmates exclude him because his family is poor
c. his greetings are spoken in a language his classmates do not share
d. he prefers to spend time alone rather than with classmates

1. in the line “his ‘hellos’ are in the wrong language (illegal),” the use of the word “illegal” most

nearly suggests that the boy’s language is: rl.9-10.4
a. literally against the law
b. socially stigmatized or treated as unacceptable
c. forgotten even in his own household
d. poorly pronounced and therefore misunderstood

1. why does the author repeatedly place the word “citizen” and “illegal” in parentheses throughout

the passage? rl.9-10.4
a. to show the legal documents the boy carries with him
b. to contrast public labels with the boy’s internal emotions
c. to indicate which words were translated from another language
d. to highlight which terms are grammatically correct

1. which statement best expresses a central idea of this passage? rl.9-10.2

a. language determines academic success more than social support
b. immigrant children must choose between family loyalty and school achievement
c. labels imposed by society can shape a child’s understanding of himself
d. cultural identity is completely fixed and cannot change

Explanation:

1. Question 28: The passage states the boy's greetings use the "wrong language", so he is excluded by his American classmates for not sharing their language.
2. Question 29: The word "illegal" is used figuratively here to frame the boy's language as socially unacceptable by his peers, not literally against the law.
3. Question30: The parenthetical labels contrast the boy's formal citizen status with how he and his family are perceived as "illegal" by society, mirroring his internal conflict between his identity and public judgment.
4. Question31: The passage focuses on how the "illegal" label forced on the boy shapes his self-perception as an outcast and traitor to his own assimilation.

Answer:

1. c. His greetings are spoken in a language his classmates do not share
2. b. socially stigmatized or treated as unacceptable
3. b. To contrast public labels with the boy's internal emotions
4. c. Labels imposed by society can shape a child's understanding of himself