BE a Language Artist 7th Grade

Bimester 3 Unit 4

Name Date

Listening
You are going to listen to an interview made to a Sherpa about climatic changes. You will only hear the
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interview twice. Before listening, read the questions below. Listen to the interview and then circle the correct
answers.
Part I

Interviewing a Sherpa

Host: Hello radio audience, you’re listening to Environment This Week. My name is Susana Altamirano and
I’ll be your host this afternoon. Today I will be interviewing Ang Ming-mar Sherpa. He is a leader of the Sherpa
Conservation Association and will be telling us about the new radio program his organization is launching, Sherpa
Climate News.
Host: Mr. Sherpa, tell our audience about your project. Why are you launching this radio program now?
Mr. Sherpa: As your audience must already know, global warming is changing the Himalayan environment.
Because of climate change, many of the glaciers in the Himalayas are melting a lot more than usual during the
summer months. Some of the glacial lakes are beginning to melt as well. These changes in the environment are
causing many problems for the Sherpa communities that live in the Himalayas. The melting ice is flooding our
homes and crops.
Host: That’s terrible. What are Sherpa communities doing to confront these new climate realities and how will
your radio program help?
Mr. Sherpa: A major problem for our communities is that we do not have reliable information on these climatic
changes and how they are happening. Many researchers from other countries and communities are coming to
study the effects of climate change on the Himalayas. However, they often do not share information with us and
we only find out about the melting lakes and other climate dangers through television and the media or through
rumors. This causes many Sherpas to panic and many people are leaving our communities because they are
afraid of what is happening to the climate.
Host: So how will your radio program help to make this situation better?
Mr. Sherpa: The reporters for our radio program will interview researchers and gather information about climate
conditions and changes. Then, our reporters will be the first to inform our communities about what is happening
to the environment around us. The people in Sherpa communities will use this information to find the best ways
to face climate change in our region.
Host: That sounds like a great project, Mr. Sherpa! I wish you the best of luck with your new radio program and
we look forward to hearing an update from you about your program very soon on Environment This Week.
Mr. Sherpa: Thank you very much, Ms. Altamirano

1
 1 According to the interview, what are some of the effects of climate change in the Himalayas?
 Global warming is causing the glaciers and glacial lakes to melt.


2 Mr. Sherpa is a leader

a. in the Sherpa Tourism Association
b. in the Sherpa Cultural Organization
c. in the Sherpa Conservation Association
d. in an ancient Himalayan monastery
Part I

3 The melting glaciers are

a. providing water for crops
b. destroying homes and crops
c. creating new lakes for swimming
d. creating new rivers

4 Many in Sherpa communities find out about the climatic changes that happen in their communities from
a. TV and rumors
b. researchers
c. reporters
d. monks

5 The radio program will help Sherpa communities

a. learn more about cultural artifacts that are at risk
b. raise money to build dams to hold back the melting water
c. ask the government to help them stop the flooding
d. have accurate and up-to-date information about the climatic dangers that their communities face

2
Multiple Choice
The following questions are based on the novels in your unit. Choose the correct answer A,
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B, C or D according to the texts.
6 Why is Peak telling the story of his experiences?
a. He’s trying to explain his actions to the judge
b. He’s completing a school assignment
c. He wants his father to accept him
d. He wants Zopa to know what happened to Sun-jo
7 After Peak climbs the skyscraper in New York City,
he is faced with a 3-year prison sentence because
a. teenage vandalism in New York is usually
punished with a 3-year prison sentence
b. Peak has gotten into trouble in the Juvenile
Detention Center
c. Rolf has recently angered the mayor
d. the city wants to punish Peak harshly so that
others stop trying to copy him
8 Josh tells Peak not to call him “Dad” because
a. Josh has not been involved in Peak’s life
b. Josh and Peak have different last names
c. Josh has another family
d. Rolf has adopted Peak
9 After Peak receives letters from his family, Peak
a. admires Josh for always writing him letters
b. feels sorry for Josh because letters take months
to arrive
c. is angry with Josh because Josh received letters
from Peak but never responded
d. does not write his family back
10 Zopa wants Sun-jo to make it to the summit so
that Sun-jo
a. can be just like his father
b. and his sisters can have more opportunities than
their father did
c. can become a porter
d. can save Josh Wood’s company
11 When Peak’s mother gives him advice for climbing
Everest, she tells him to
a. be completely selfish
b. stay close to his father
c. listen to Zopa
d. distrust everyone
12 The physical environment of Everest
a. has been restored to its original state by Sherpa
environmentalists
b. is pure, perfectly clean
Part II
c. is polluted by trash, human waste and dead
bodies
d. is polluted by animal droppings
13 Captain Shek arrests Zopa but must free the monk
because
a. the Sherpas and porters protest
b. the Chinese government demands that Shek free
Zopa
c. the Nepalese government complains
d. Sun-jo decides to stop climbing
14 No one moves the dead bodies left on the
mountain above Camp Five because
a. none of the family members have arrived to
identify the bodies
b. dying on the mountain is considered shameful
c. no government wants to move the bodies
d. living people do not have the strength to move
other people at that altitude
15 Sun-jo’s climb threatens the Chinese government
because
a. Sun-jo is Tibetan
b. Sun-jo is Thai
c. Sun-jo is from Kathmandu
d. Sun-jo is from India
16 The two Sherpas that go to the summit with Peak
and Sun-jo are
a. Gulu and Zopa
b. Zopa and Yogi
c. Gulu and Yash
d. Yogi and Yash
17 Josh and Zopa use the radio
a. to talk about personal matters
b. to trick Captain Shek with false information
c. to communicate with friends in other parts of the
world
d. to give orders to the other teams climbing the
mountain
3
 Reading Comprehension
Answer the following questions with complete sentences. Use proper grammar and spelling.
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18 How does Peak change over the course of the story? Provide evidence from the story to support your answer.
Answers may vary. Answers may include but are not limited to the following. At the beginning of the story, Peak
climbs the skyscraper because he is restless and misses his life in the Wyoming wilderness. He loves his family and
likes his school but feels that he has little in common with his stepfather and his classmates. He also thinks little
Part III

about the consequences of his actions on the people he loves the most. Over the course of the story, Peak begins
to appreciate his family more, even his stepfather Rolf. He realizes that the people he loves in his life are more
important than his itch to explore and experience danger. He is still a climber by the end of the story but he realizes
that life is more than climbing.

19 What environmental obstacles do climbers face on Mount Everest?

Answers may vary. Answers may include but are not limited to the following. Climbers face freezing cold
temperatures, extremely thin air, icy and rocky surfaces, harsh wind, and sudden, extreme blizzards.





20 Why does Sun-jo want to reach the summit? Why does Peak? How are both boys’ goals affected by their family
members’ needs and wishes?
Answers may vary. Answers may include but are not limited to the following. Sun-jo wants to reach the summit
in order to earn money to get an education for himself and his sisters. Zopa wants Sun-jo to get an education so
that he can avoid the dangerous work on the mountain that many Sherpas have to do, just as Zopa’s son/Sun-jo’s
father, Ki-tar, had to. Peak wants to climb Mount Everest because he thinks it will be an exciting challenge. He
has mixed feelings about his father’s reasons for reaching the summit. Josh wants Peak to be the youngest person
to climb Mount Everest so that Josh’s company can earn extra money from the fame that Peak will get. That way,
Josh will be able to pay the debts his company owes and get new clients. Even so, Peak wants to reach the top.

21 Why does Josh Wood owe Zopa? How does Peak decide to pay Josh Wood’s debt to Zopa?
Answers may vary. Answers may include but are not limited to the following. Zopa’s son, Ki-tar, died because
he saved Josh’s life when Josh almost died on Mount Everest. Peak decides not to reach the summit and helps
Sun-jo, Zopa’s grandson, reach the summit so that Sun-jo and his family can benefit from the fame and money
that Sun-jo will earn as the youngest person to reach the summit of Mount Everest. With the money that Sun-
jo earns from this fame, he and his sisters will be able to get an education and will not have to work on Mount
Everest and risk their lives regularly like their father, Ki-tar, did.

4
Vocabulary
Match each vocabulary word with its definition or synonym.
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22 j dumbfounded a) an upwards climb

23 p spent b) to carry, drag or pull

24 f

Part IV
blackmail c) a person’s actions and/or appearance

25 h blizzard d) the top of a mountain

26 m ruse e) compliments that are usually insincere

27 o momentum f) threatening to tell someone’s secrets

28 k hardships g) overwhelming, extremely difficult, discouraging, intimidating

29 b haul h) a severe snow storm

30 n overzealous i) to put in danger

31 c demeanor j) to be completely surprised or shocked

g
32 daunting k) difficulties
a
33 ascent l) extremely hungry
d
34 summit m) a trick
l
35 famished n) too enthusiastic or eager, fanatical

36
i jeopardize o) drive or speed to move

37
e flattery p) completely tired, without energy, exhausted

5
 Essay
Answer the following essay question. Make sure you reflect on the stories as well as your
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personal project journals to support your essay. The essay rubric will be used to grade your
essay, carefully look over it before starting your essay.

38 Choose one of the following themes: sustainability, endurance, discovery, friendship or

home. How does the author explore this theme in the story? Provide evidence for your
answer from the story.
Part V

Answers will vary. Look over the essay rubric on the following page.































6
 Category 4 - Above Standards 3 - Meets Standards 2 - Approaching 1 - Below Standards
Standards

The position The position A position statement There is no position

statement provides statement provides a is present, but does statement.
a clear, strong clear statement of the not make the author's
Position Statement statement of the author's position on position clear.
author's position on the topic.
the topic.

All of the examples Most of the examples At least one of Examples are NOT
are specific, relevant are specific, relevant the examples is relevant AND/OR are
and explanations and explanations relevant and has not explained.
Evidence and
are given that show are given that show an explanation that
Examples
how each piece of how each piece of shows how that piece
evidence supports the evidence supports the of evidence supports
author's position. author's position. the author's position.

A variety of thoughtful Transitions show how Some transitions The transitions

transitions are used. ideas are connected, work well, but some between ideas
They clearly show how but there is little connections between are unclear OR
Transitions ideas are connected. variety. ideas are fuzzy. nonexistent.

No errors in grammar 1-2 errors in grammar 3-4 errors in grammar More than 4 errors
or spelling that or spelling that or spelling that in grammar or
distract the reader distract the reader distract the reader spelling that distract
Grammar & Spelling from the content. from the content. from the content. the reader from the
content.

No errors in 1-2 errors in 3-4 errors in More than 4 errors

capitalization or capitalization or capitalization and/ in capitalization and/
punctuation, so the punctuation, but the or punctuation that or punctuation that
Capitalization &
essay is exceptionally essay is still easy to catch the reader's catch the reader's
Punctuation
easy to read. read. attention and interrupt attention and interrupt
the flow. the flow.