English A Grade 9
1 Assessment
(passage)
Langston thought it was the most awesome thing he'd ever see. The whale was
blue-gray and glistening just below the surface of the water. It was so large and so
close that from where he was standing, he couldn't see the head or the tail, just
the massive body. It was gliding by in the water, just twenty feet from his boat.
Slowly the whale started to descend into the water, the shimmering skin
becoming just a dark patch Moments later, he saw a spurt of water about 20
yards from the ship, water from the whale's blowhole. It seemed to Langston that
the whale was saying goodbye
1. What is the main idea of the story? (2mrks)
2. Identify the strongest image in the passage? (3mrk)
3. What words in the passage help you to make a mental picture of the whale? (Amrks)
4. The "spurt of water from the whale suggested what to Langston? (2mrks)
5. Find the meaning of the following words as it relates to the passage:
Descending
Glistening
Gliding
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