Excerpt from The Shepherd’s Lute: A Chinese Folktale
Natalie Stewart

1Long ago in a medieval village, a wealthy but bitter farmer named Chao employed an affable shepherd named Jiang, who truly enjoyed playing the lute. Jiang’s instrument was simple and plain, crafted from the wood of a native bamboo tree. Despite its modest appearance, the lute brought Jiang much joy. He created appealing music that lured the other villagers out to listen to him. Having an audience made Jiang feel accepted, and he quickly formed an important bond with the poor villagers.

2Chao, however, didn’t like Jiang. He hated Jiang’s lute playing and the way the villagers admired Jiang. Although Jiang was an excellent person and a hard worker, Chao fired Jiang from his job and smashed the lute into pieces.

3Miserable and brokenhearted, Jiang hung his head as he walked through the forest. Good fortune soon came to him, however, when he bumped into a compassionate old man who felt sorry for Jiang’s loss.

4The elderly man carved a new lute for Jiang and taught him to refine his playing technique. Soon, Jiang played better than ever before. Villagers and woodland creatures from all over came to hear him perform.

5Chao heard gossip of the woodland animals and decided that he wanted to capture a flaxen white rabbit with a spotted head. He promised his farm and his fortune to the son who could capture the specific rabbit for him.

6The sons had never laid eyes on such a rabbit before, and they didn’t know where to find one, but because they knew the rabbit would bring them riches, they decided to search for it.
Which word BEST describes the farmer’s sons?

A) fair
B) greedy
C) miserable
D) cooperative

Which sentence uses the past tense of to study correctly? a. mark is studying for his math test with margie. b. mark will study for his math test with margie. c. mark studied for his math test with margie.

Select the correct text in the passage. which sentence in this excerpt from abraham lincoln's second inaugural address conveys that he wanted the us civil war to end as soon as possible? neither party expected for the war the magnitude or the duration which it has already attained. neither anticipated that the cause of the conflict might cease with or even before the conflict itself should cease. each looked for an easier triumph, and a result less fundamental and astounding. both read the same bible and pray to the same god, and each invokes his aid against the other. it may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just inging their bread from the sweat of other men's faces, but let us judge not, that we be not judged. the prayers of both could not be answered. that of neither has been answered fully. the almighty has his own purposes. "woe unto the world because of offenses, for it must needs be that offenses come, but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh" if we shall suppose that american slavery is one of those offenses which, in the providence of god, must needs come, but which, having continued through his appointed time, he now wills to remove, and that he gives to both north and south this terrible war as the woe due to those by whom the offense came, shall we discern therein any departure from those divine attributes which the believers in a living god always ascribe to him? fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. yet, if god wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said "the judgments of the lord are true and righteous altogether." reset next

How did the people of sighet respond to moishe the beadles tales