Question

read the drama. use the study buddy and the close reading to guide your reading.

reaching the top
by ken elinski

1 yu (frustratedly): just how much farther is it, lisa?
2 lisa: the top’s just around the bend—won’t be long now!
3 yu: that’s what you said an eternity ago! are you sure?
4 lisa: dad and i hiked this trail three times last month.
5 yu: seeing the same old rocks sounds as fascinating as watching a snail grow. where exactly are we going again?
6 lisa: you’re being hopelessly negative, yu. we’re on the kinsman ridge trail, now heading to the summit of cannon mountain, about 4,000 feet above sea level.
7 yu: sharp like a 4,000 - foot - high - thing, yeah. would it really kill them to have elevators for social outcasts?
8 lisa: whiners would be so un - american! and it will be worth it. i mean, there’s nothing quite like the magnificent view.
9 yu (sarcastically): trombones are an excellent form of transportation—they’re really strict on drowning out pain.
10 lisa (exclaiming from out of sight): oh, yu! come see!
11 yu (slowly trudges up the trail to see lisa at the summit, which affords a wide - ranging view of the white mountains.)
12 yu (incredulous with awe, not exhausted): moose? i like, um, that... i mean... (swallows, at a loss for words) i look at this place and i can’t... (shakes his head, in an effort then, just)
13 lisa: climb a mountain? oh, that would be too difficult.
14 yu (determined): no, we could do it. it would be worth it.

use the hints on this page to help you answer the questions.

hints
why does yu question the time more than once?
which choice suggests that yu would like the hike to be over?
what experience causes yu to change his mind about hiking? what does the hike teach him?

1 how does yu feel about climbing up cannon mountain before he reaches the top?
a he is fascinated by the beauty of the trail.
b he is happy to be taking the trail again.
c he is troubled by the difficulty of the hike.
d he is frustrated by how slowly lisa walks.

2 which sentence from the passage best supports the answer to question 1?
a “just how much farther is it, lisa?”
b “where exactly are we going again?”
c “this is so not what i expected—we’re on top of the world!”
d “it would be worth it.”

3 how and why does yu change during the play? include your ideas about how yu responds to events as they unfold.

at what point in the play does yu’s attitude about hiking change? draw a line around the line that shows the shift in his feelings.

Explanation:

Question 1

To answer this, we analyze Yu's initial attitude. His complaints like "Just how much farther is it, Lani?" and frustration with the hike's difficulty (e.g., "This is so not what I expected—we're on top of the world?") show he's troubled by the hike's difficulty. Option C matches this.

We need a sentence supporting Yu's initial troubled attitude. Option C ("This is so not what I expected—we're on top of the world?") shows his dissatisfaction with the hike's reality, supporting his troubled feelings.

At first, Yu dislikes the hike (troubled by difficulty, frustrated). When he reaches the top and sees the "magnificent view" of the White Mountains, he changes. The view makes him realize the hike's worth, so he becomes positive, valuing the experience for the view.

Answer:

C. He is troubled by the difficulty of the hike.

Question 2