4x In George's Shoes
Natalie Stewart
1Owen kicked dirt beyond home plate, sending cloudy powder into the humid
summer air. He scowled and pouted. He exhaled up at the sweat that trickled down
his forehead as he hoisted the densely packed satchel from the ground. His
baseball team, the Trail Blazers, had just won yet another series game; Owen,
however, was feeling irritated.
2He observed his teammates surrounding George, who had driven in the winning
run. George was the team's finest hitter, and the other players cheered, clapped,
and high-fived him. The victory elated them.
3Owen never got to participate as much as he wanted to. As the equipment boy, he
carried the weighty gear, but he felt that no one appreciated him. No one ever gave
Owen a high-five subsequent to a game, and the team never once raised him onto
their shoulders.
*Owen speculated on the possibilities: What would it be like to come up to bat? To
swing and bat the baseball above the outfield barrier? What would it be like to sprint
around the bases with the ball in play like a motivating wind at your back?
Sit must be wonderful, he thought, but he'd probably never receive the opportunity to
find out what life was like in George's shoes.
"Owen stumbled into the dugout and plopped himself onto the bench. Coach Jones
flipped papers on his clipboard while chewing his gum at a furious pace.
7-is there anyone who can't play in next week's tournament?" he asked.
"George's hand took off in the air like a rocket. He explained that his sister,
Susannah was graduating on Saturday, and he wouldn't be able to attend the
important game.
Which BEST describes a common human experience as a theme of this reading
selection?
4x
A
The main character hopes that the team will be left without its star
player.
B
9 of 10
C
D
The main character feels pride in performing menial tasks.
The main character feels jealous of someone else's shoes.
The main character feels jealous of someone who performs a task
well.
18:0