Question

read the selection in your student ebook and choose the best answer to each question.
la relación
by alvar núñez cabeza de vaca

1 read this excerpt from paragraph 3.
in that hour i would have welcomed death rather than see so many around me in such a condition.
in this excerpt, the author means that —
a he had visions of passing away
b he discovered the bodies of his peers
c he found his surroundings unbearable
d he abandoned expectations of survival

2 which word from paragraph 11 helps the reader understand what placate means?
f advanced
g friendship
h ingratiate
j pledge

3 from paragraph 11, the reader can infer that the author —
a was attempting to trick the karankawas
b shared an interest in crafting trinkets with others
c created a relationship based on exchanging goods
d was using a different approach than inspector solis

4 in paragraph 17, the author uses the phrase escaped as naked as they were born to —
f emphasize the heightened desperate circumstance of the crew
g contrast the hopeful attitude of everyone on board the barges
h highlight the dramatic shift in the experience of the sailors
j explain the reason sorrow was expressed for the crew

Explanation:

Question 1

The excerpt says the author would welcome death rather than see others in such a condition. Option A is incorrect as it's not about visions of death. Option B is wrong as there's no mention of discovering bodies. Option D is incorrect as it's not about abandoning survival expectations. Option C is correct because the author finds the situation (surroundings) of others so bad that he'd rather die, meaning he finds the surroundings unbearable.

To understand "placate", we look for a synonym or related word. "Ingratiate" means to bring oneself into favor, which is similar to placating (calming or pleasing). "Advanced" is unrelated, "friendship" is a noun not related to the verb's meaning, and "pledge" is about promising, not placating. So "ingratiate" helps.

Option A: There's no indication of tricking. Option B: No mention of crafting trinkets interest. Option D: Inspector Solis isn't part of this text context. Option C: From the paragraph (assuming context of exchange), the author likely created a relationship via exchanging goods, so C is correct.

Answer:

C. he found his surroundings unbearable

Question 2