Everything was still swathed in shadows as Demetrio Macias began his descent to the bottom of the ravine. Between rocks striped with huge eroded cracks, and a squarely cut wall, with the river flowing below, a narrow ledge along the steep incline served as a mountain trail.     "They'll surely find me now," he mused. "It's a good thing they know nothing about the trails and paths up here. . . . . But if they got someone from Moyahua to guide them . . . " He left the thought unfinished. "All the men from Limon or Santa Rosa or the other nearby ranches are on our side: they wouldn't try to trail us. That cacique who's chased and run me ragged over these hills, is at Mohayua now; he'd give his eyeteeth to capture me."     At dawn, he approached the pit of the canyon. Here, he lay on the rocks and fell asleep.2Select the correct answer.How does the author develop the character in this excerpt? A. through the character’s thoughts B. through the character’s language  C. through the character’s actions  D. through the character’s appearance

Going up that river was like traveling back to the earliest beginnings of the world, when vegetation rioted on the earth and the big trees were kings. An empty stream, a great silence, an impenetrable forest. The air was warm, thick, heavy, sluggish, and there was no joy in the brilliance of sunshine. The long stretches of the waterway ran on, deserted, into the gloom of overshadowed distances, and on silvery sandbanks hippos and alligators sunned themselves side by side. The broadening waters flowed through a mob of wooded islands; you lost your way on that river as you would in a desert, and butted all day long against shoals, trying to find the channel, till you thought yourself bewitched and cut off for ever from everything you had known once—somewhere—far away—in another existence perhaps. There were moments when one's past came back to one, as it will sometimes when you have not a moment to spare to yourself, but it came in the shape of an unrestful and noisy dream, remembered with wonder amongst the overwhelming realities of this strange world of plants, and water, and silence. And this stillness of life did not in the least resemble a peace. It was the stillness of a relentless force brooding over a mysterious intention. It looked at you with a vengeful aspect. I got used to it after a while. I did not see it anymore. I had no time. I had to keep guessing at the channel. I had to discern, mostly by instinct, the signs of hidden banks. I watched for sunken stones. I was learning to clap my teeth smartly before my heart flew out, when I shaved by just barely some infernal sly old snag that would have ripped the life out of the tin-pot steamboat I drove and drowned all the passengers. I had to keep a look-out for the signs of dead wood that we could cut up in the night for the next day's steaming. When you have to attend to things of that sort, to the mere incidents of the surface, the reality—the reality, I tell you—fades. The inner truth is hidden—luckily, luckily. But I felt it all the same. I felt often its mysterious stillness watching me.14Select the correct answer.Which sentence best expresses a theme of the passage? A. Humans are selfish and needy. B. Nature is bizarre and fascinating. C. Truth is elusive and intimidating. D. Reality is simple and predictable.

by Mariano Azuela     "Tonight or tomorrow at the latest we'll meet the Federals. What do you say, boys, shall we let them find their way about these trails?" Demetrio asked.     The ragged crew jumped to their feet, uttering shrill cries of joy; then their jubilation turned angry again and they gave vent to threats, oaths and imprecations.     "Of course, we can't tell how strong they are," said Demetrio as his glance traveled over their faces in scrutiny.     "Do you remember Medina? Out there at Hostotipaquillo, he only had a half a dozen men. Well, he held back the soldiers, didn't he? And he defeated them, too."     "We're every bit as good as Medina's crowd!" said a tall, broad-shouldered man with a black beard and bushy eyebrows.     "Viva Demetrio Macias," they all shouted. 12Select the correct answer.How does the interaction between Demetrio Macias and his crew advance the plot? A. It develops the falling action. B. It develops the rising action. C. It describes the turning point. D. It describes the resolution.

Kanu MountainWhen the mist swept in from above the ridge, Sal lost sight of the path she was following. A mild panic set in. She would wait for the mist to clear. She called out to Yazi ... Silence. She was now regretting taking the steep route and leaving her friend behind. But the lure of the summit was just so tempting. Tempting, that was, until she heard the loud howling.The children in the village had warned Sal about the Blind Beast of Kanu. It supposedly lived in a cave on the mountain. "It will sniff you out. It will lick you with its tongue. And if you move, it will eat you!" they had sniggered. But Sal knew this was nothing more than a foolish tale, the sort of rubbish that could be found in silly old children's stories. And she would climb the mountain to prove it. And she would make Yazi come with her, just in case.The first part of the climb had been free of drama. With their pockets full of snacks they had set off in bright sunlight and had made good progress. But by lunchtime it all changed. The wind picked up and the light rain had made the rocks slippery. Yazi had begun to struggle - perhaps it was all the extra stuff that was slowing her down: water, food, blanket, torch, hat, extra water, extra food, extra blanket ... Yazi was such a worrier, she would never need those things."Come on," cried Sal, "we need to get to the summit before it starts to pour down." And with that she had taken the steep route, hoping her friend would follow. Then she put her head down and forged ahead, and forgot all about Yazi until the eerie mist and the ear-piercing howling.When the mist cleared, the rain came. So when Sal saw a small crack in a rock face, she rushed straight for it. She squeezed through the crack and it opened up to a large, dark cave. But what was that noise? There was something moving in the darkness. Sal's heart thumped and thudded. Was this the home of the Blind Beast of Kanu? Sal dared not move. Not even a twitch.Then there was a light. It came from a torch. "What took you so long?" asked a familiar voice. "Come and sit down here, out of that howling wind. I've got a spare blanket for you if you're cold." Question promptWhich word best describes Yazi?Question response areaSelect one optionlazysensiblerecklesshumorousNextBack

Kanu MountainWhen the mist swept in from above the ridge, Sal lost sight of the path she was following. A mild panic set in. She would wait for the mist to clear. She called out to Yazi ... Silence. She was now regretting taking the steep route and leaving her friend behind. But the lure of the summit was just so tempting. Tempting, that was, until she heard the loud howling.The children in the village had warned Sal about the Blind Beast of Kanu. It supposedly lived in a cave on the mountain. "It will sniff you out. It will lick you with its tongue. And if you move, it will eat you!" they had sniggered. But Sal knew this was nothing more than a foolish tale, the sort of rubbish that could be found in silly old children's stories. And she would climb the mountain to prove it. And she would make Yazi come with her, just in case.The first part of the climb had been free of drama. With their pockets full of snacks they had set off in bright sunlight and had made good progress. But by lunchtime it all changed. The wind picked up and the light rain had made the rocks slippery. Yazi had begun to struggle - perhaps it was all the extra stuff that was slowing her down: water, food, blanket, torch, hat, extra water, extra food, extra blanket ... Yazi was such a worrier, she would never need those things."Come on," cried Sal, "we need to get to the summit before it starts to pour down." And with that she had taken the steep route, hoping her friend would follow. Then she put her head down and forged ahead, and forgot all about Yazi until the eerie mist and the ear-piercing howling.When the mist cleared, the rain came. So when Sal saw a small crack in a rock face, she rushed straight for it. She squeezed through the crack and it opened up to a large, dark cave. But what was that noise? There was something moving in the darkness. Sal's heart thumped and thudded. Was this the home of the Blind Beast of Kanu? Sal dared not move. Not even a twitch.Then there was a light. It came from a torch. "What took you so long?" asked a familiar voice. "Come and sit down here, out of that howling wind. I've got a spare blanket for you if you're cold." Question promptWhy does Sal take the steeper path?Question response areaSelect one optionto show Yazi how strong she isto beat her friend to the summitto avoid the Blind Beast of Kanuto get to the peak before the rain starts

Select the correct answer from each drop-down menu.They decided to leave the cabin in the mountains because there was not enough there to get them through the winter.The appearance of his home contrasted with his easygoing personality.The alchemist tried to the iron into gold. The town was so that no one had heard of it.