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 2 . What is the narrator’s main feeling toward her roommate?
a. exasperation
b. rage
c. friendliness
d. boredom
 3 . Which statement gives an indication of why the noise is a problem?
a. The narrator was stuck with the banshee for the duration.
b. The narrator had oversized, extremely sensitive ears.
c. The headphones were not completely soundproof.
d. The narrator was working on a reflector dish.
 4 . What does the narrator mean when she says she is stuck with the banshee for the duration?
a. for as long as the banshee continues to screech
b. until she crossed the room to close the door
c. during the time she was writing the letter
d. the amount of time that camp lasts 
 5 . What are some other ways the narrator might solve her problem?
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Daily 
Warm-Up
15
Fiction: Fantasy
Shadows
Spencer trudged along, contemplating his ongoing 
dilemma: finding a sense of belonging at yet another 
new school. The route he traveled had fascinating 
shadows of trees and buildings, and he stayed in those 
shadows. Not having a shadow of his own usually 
wasn’t a problem, as most of the time no one noticed, 
but every once in a while other students gave him 
strange looks. Especially in each new community, since 
as a military family, they relocated on a regular basis.
His absorption with shadows, though, gave him a focus 
during the lonely times. Not having one of his own, he 
adopted shadows of particular objects as his friends; it 
was safer than messing with the shadows of other people.
“Hey, Spencer, how’s it going?” Hearing a voice behind 
his right shoulder, Spencer turned in surprise, as he’d 
never been sought out in the neighborhood before.
“Uh, fine, Hannah.” Spencer found himself tongue-
tied, in awe of an individual with such a looming 
shadow, particularly a female. This late in the 
afternoon, the shadow of Hannah’s almost six-foot 
frame lengthened impressively.
Slowing her stride to match his, she said, “Why don’t you 
ever speak to anyone? Everybody thinks you’re a snob, 
that you consider yourself better than the rest of us.”
Spencer stared at her in disbelief. “No, on the contrary, 
but I’m not normal—see?” He gestured toward 
the sidewalk.
“Amazing,” Hannah shook her head. “You’re obviously 
not transparent; have you talked with a doctor or 
scientist to see if they have any theories?”
“Hardly.” Spencer gave her a wry smile. “It’s more 
helpful to research and investigate this on my own. So 
far my assumption is that since shadows are formed 
when an object blocks light, somehow my body allows 
light to transcend it.”
“Have you ever imagined what it would be like to find 
yourself a new shadow?” Hannah surprised him by 
thinking out of the ordinary with him.
Text Questions
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 1 . Which of the following would be a better title for the text?
a. “Learning About All Shadows”
b. “Just Me and My Shadow”
c. “The Most Impressive Shadow”
d. “Shadows of Belonging”
 2 . What is one way Spencer dealt with his lack of a shadow?
a. He borrowed shadows from other people.
b. He adopted shadows from one or more interesting objects.
c. He ignored it and lived life normally.
d. He avoided walking in the shadows because he was afraid of them.
 3 . Which element makes this a fantasy story?
a. shadows that are alive
b. a girl with a long shadow
c. a boy’s lack of a shadow
d. a magician
 4 . What does it mean to say Spencer is not normal?
a. He is uncommon.
b. He is not standard height.
c. He is not an ordinary kid.
d. He doesn’t follow a routine every day.
 5 . In what ways does Spencer’s explanation make sense? What other explanations—fantastical or ordinary—
might there be for his lack of a shadow?
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#3658 Daily Warm-Ups: Reading

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