House that dreams it is a house and wakes up

a villa,1 staring through mirrored glasses across

the Persian Gulf.2 House with sand roses and cumin,

water filters, screaming red fire ants. Their castles

the first to go; like violence predicting its own

arrival. House full of fire ants. I can call it an embassy3

and almost be telling the truth. The geckos

operatic4 in the ceiling, the way the sand cat

must have looked, her stomach spread across

the warm patio tiles, her eyes pressed firmly

shut. The house all heat, that heard the word “war”

only when a child mispronounced it and stopped,

forefinger stalled in the copy of Arab News

until her father read it back to her. House that was

a sun-spoke5 in a compound6 in the desert. One day

a woman would draw the design from a satellite image,

weld it into a charm for a hot bronze necklace

and squinting, turn it over in her hand.

1. PART A: Which statement expresses the main theme of the poem?

A. The author’s discussion of approaching war and violence creates a foreboding tone.
B. The author’s description of the house’s eventual destruction develops a hopeless tone.
C. The author’s description of the animals and life in the poem creates a reassuring tone.
D. The author’s discussion of the woman’s necklace creates a hopeful tone.

2. PART B: Which detail from the text best supports the answer to Part A?

A.“House with sand roses and cumin, / water filters, screaming red fire ants.” ( Lines 3-4)
B.“The house all heat, that heard the word ‘war’ / only when a child mispronounced it and stopped” ( Lines 11-12)
C.“House that was / a sun-spoke in a compound in the desert.” ( Lines 14-15)
D.“One day / a woman would draw the design from a satellite image” ( Lines 15-16)

3. How does the speaker’s word choice contribute to the tone of the poem?

A. The author’s discussion of approaching war and violence creates a foreboding tone.
B. The author’s description of the house’s eventual destruction develops a hopeless tone.
C. The author’s description of the animals and life in the poem creates a reassuring tone.
D. The author’s discussion of the woman’s necklace creates a hopeful tone.