What to Worry About
1 I make the two-hour drive to visit my zayde, or grandfather, every Sunday afternoon. Since my childhood I have trusted him more than any other person. And despite the fact that I’m now in college, this has not changed. He is a rock in my life and always has been. It is because of Zayde Bobrov that I know what to worry about and what not to worry about in my life.
2 In 1946 Zayde emigrated from Kiev, Ukraine, which was then part of the Soviet Union. He was just a teenager. He told me that the voyage across the ocean made him sick, not from the crowded ship’s motion, but from the smells and rotten food. Once he arrived at Ellis Island, he still had many more tribulations to overcome. He knew the United States had more to offer than the Soviet Union, which was recovering from World War II, but he missed his homeland and his family. New York City proved frightening for Zayde, especially since he was trying to learn a new language and find work. I can hardly imagine the struggles Zayde must have gone through, since I have always had everything I need.
3 I remember a specific day with Zayde when I was eight years old. We were sitting on the porch swing at my parents’ house, gently moving back and forth. In his thick Russian accent, Zayde was telling me about his first few months in New York.
4 “I was still learning English then,” Zayde said. “I was sitting on a busy street corner with no food and no money to buy food. I was watching people walk to their jobs and into restaurants. And I was angry. I was angry that I had sailed across the ocean for a job and couldn’t get one. I was angry that I had no food because I had no job. I was angry that these people walking down the streets had things that I didn’t have. I sat on that corner for almost a week, just being angry. But then I realized that I shouldn’t be worrying about those people or be angry with them. All that worry and anger had made me lose focus on what I needed to do for myself. And since that day, Anna, my worries have been only about what I need to do to make my life better.”
5 Of course, being only eight years old at the time, I didn’t truly grasp what Zayde was trying to tell me. I did know that he had eventually found a job, married my grandmother, and had a family. I knew that he had worked hard to support his family. He wanted to make sure his children would get the best education possible and not have to struggle the way he had. But it wasn’t until I was 13 that I began to realize what Zayde was saying, despite the fact that I had heard his story a dozen times by then.
6 My older sister Helen was a tough act to follow. She had a beautiful singing voice, was the star of the school basketball team, and was popular with all the kids in our school. She was everything that I wanted to be when I was 13. But I couldn’t sing to save my life. Sports caused more physical harm to me, and those around me, than good. And I was always too shy to make many friends.
7 Over dinner Helen would talk about the choir she was singing in or the great basketball shot she had made, and I would push the food around on my plate. I knew that Helen wasn’t trying to make me feel bad. She was just excited about what she was accomplishing. But I couldn’t help feeling like an outsider because I couldn’t do what she was doing.
8 Then Zayde came for dinner one night. He sat next to me at the table and listened carefully as Helen told about the events of her day. He complimented her on doing so well in her classes. The whole time I just kept pushing food around my plate. Then Zayde said, “Have I ever told you about the time I sat for a week on a street corner in New York?”
9 Zayde didn’t wait for a response. He gently touched my wrist and began to tell his story, looking at me the whole time. When he finished, he leaned over and whispered to me, “Anna, why do you worry about what Helen does? You have yourself to worry about.”
10 From then on I let Helen shine without feeling blinded by her, and I sought out my own ways to sparkle. When I looked at myself more clearly, I saw that I excelled in my own ways. I found my place in the world of science and will soon be enrolling in medical school. I’m confident that I’ll be an excellent doctor. On those days when I feel angry, hurt, or envious of another person, I pick up the phone and ask Zayde to tell me a story—the story. His words of wisdom, earned over 78 years of life experience, make it clear to me that he possesses the kind of wealth I hope to acquire. And I hope that my story will someday be as priceless as my grandfather’s.
1 In paragraph 8, Zayde begins to tell his New York story because —
A he can tell that Anna is feeling sorry for herself
B he wants to surprise the girls with their favorite tale
C he is tired of hearing about what Helen is doing
D he wants to make both girls feel more Confident
2 Anna sees her problems in a different way when she —
F is able to relate her situation to her grandfather’s experiences
G talks with Helen about the differences between them
H figures out what it is about Helen’s behavior that is bothering her
J no longer needs her grandfather’s advice and encouragement
3 The author uses a flashback in paragraphs 3 through 9 to —
A explain what the narrator has chosen as a career
B describe how Zayde has influenced the narrator throughout her life
C list the qualities that the narrator’s sister possesses
D compare Zayde to other members of the narrator’s family
4 When did Zayde learn to think more about what he needed to do and less about what others were doing?
F Immediately after arriving in the United States
G While describing his life to Anna
H Right after marrying Anna’s grandmother
J After a week sitting on a New York City street corner
5 The use of the word outsider in paragraph 7 helps the reader know that Anna feels —
A embarrassed by her family
B angry with her sister
C uncomfortable with herself
D betrayed by her grandfather
6 The author organizes this selection mainly by —
F recounting the events in Anna’s life in the order in which they happen
G explaining the causes of Anna’s actions and the effect they have on her family
H showing how Anna and her sister work out their differences
J introducing Anna’s grandfather and describing how he guided her
7 Which of these is the best summary of the selection?
A When Anna’s grandfather first came to the United States from Kiev, he had difficulty creating a good life for himself. It was not easy for him to find a job, and he was often hungry. Eventually, he found work, met Anna’s grandmother, and started his own family.
B Anna’s sister Helen has many different talents. Anna, however, feels that there is very little she can do well and often compares herself to Helen. During family dinners Anna feels bad when she listens to Helen describe her accomplishments.
C While Anna is growing up, she spends a lot of time with her grandfather. He is the person she trusts most. He tells her about his experience moving from the Soviet Union to the United States as a young person. Even though Anna is now in college, she still drives two hours every Sunday to visit him.
D Anna is especially close to her grandfather, who has often told her the story of his early struggles as an immigrant. When she is 13 and envious of her sister’s talents, her grandfather helps her understand the importance of his story. What Anna learns helps her use her own talents later in life.
8 In the future, Anna will probably —
F decide that working in the field of medicine is not something she enjoys
G pass on her own experiences to young people in her life
H ask her grandfather to take her to visit his homeland
J wonder whether her sister has more to offer the world than she does
9 What is the main theme of Zayde’s New York story?
A People should not move too far away from their families.
B People should be more attentive to those who are in need.
C People should not allow anger and envy to distract them from their goals.
D People should follow their dreams even if doing so causes pain to those around them.
10 Paragraph 6 is mostly about —
F the effect that sports have on Anna
G why Anna has few friends
H the activities Helen and Anna pursue
J Anna comparing herself to Helen
11 Why is it ironic that the setting of Zayde’s story is a busy street corner?
A It highlights the excitement he felt about living in a new place.
B It creates a contrast between hectic city life and peaceful country life.
C It illustrates why he has chosen to be in a strange new environment.
D It emphasizes how lost and lonely he was even with so many people around him.
12 Which sentence from the selection shows how Anna’s grandfather has influenced her?
F It is because of Zayde Bobrov that I know what to worry about and what not to worry about in my life.
G He told me that the voyage across the ocean made him sick, not from the crowded ship’s motion, but from the smells and rotten food.
H He sat next to me at the table and listened carefully as Helen told about the events of her day.
J I knew that he had worked hard to support his family.
The Box That Rocks
1 In the hands of an unschooled beginner, it can sound like the tortured groaning of a dozen cats with stomach problems. It can clear a room like a 30-pound skunk. It can bring scorn and ridicule from unhappy neighbors and former friends. But powered by the strong arms of a confident expert, the accordion is the box that rocks.
2 Affectionately referred to as a squeezebox, the accordion is essentially two large harmonicas joined by a collapsible bellows. By squeezing together and pulling on the sides, the player forces air through the instrument. Depending on the force and speed used, the accordion can produce sad and mellow tunes for a quiet evening or loud and raucous dance music for a wild party. The accordion descended from the Chinese sheng, an instrument invented about 2,000 years ago. The accordion that westerners would recognize was developed in Europe in the early 1800s.
3 Eastern European immigrants brought the accordion with them to Texas in the second half of the 1800s. The sound of an accordion told everyone that the fun was about to begin after a hard day of work. Its bellows breathed life into gatherings and fueled the dancing of hundreds of people. Before microphones and sound systems, it could make waltzes and polkas roar from blocks away.
4 Around this time Patricio Jiménez began to attend dances that featured accordion music, and he liked what he heard. He gave the polkas the name oom-pah-pah music for their strong rhythmic pattern. This fun music was so infectious that he wanted to create the same kind of joy in his own music. Beginning with the simplest accordion, which had only one row of buttons, Patricio learned to play the polkas he had heard. Eventually he was playing the accordion at parties and making people dance. There was always a demand for a good accordion player, and Jiménez had become one.
5 Patricio’s son Santiago was born in 1913 and was playing the accordion by the time he was seven years old.
Patricio brought Santiago with him to play at parties. Santiago was a natural, as if the music was in his blood.
Before long he was writing lyrics in Spanish to go along with the music. He made his father’s music his own. Combining elements of polka with Mexican rhythms, he created music known as conjunto. He released his first record when he was just 23.
6 Santiago’s son Flaco was born in 1939 and has carried on the family tradition. “My grandfather died before I was born. It would have been a thrill for me to know him and hear the way he played,” Flaco says. “My dad told me a lot of stories about the European polkas that my grandpa played. By watching my father play, I saw how my grandfather played.”
7 But Flaco doesn’t just play the way his father and grandfather played. He has experimented with different styles and has earned the respect of many distinguished musicians. The rock band the Rolling Stones asked him to play with them for an album in 1994. After winning five Grammy awards, Flaco has made it official: The squeezebox rocks!
Tiger Tales Magazine
MUSIC IN THE NEWS October 2005
To Their Own Beat by Tommy Ruiz
1 When Los Lobos perform in concert today, audiences in the thousands cheer them on. It’s hard to believe that the group started out as just another garage band playing popular rock-and-roll tunes from the radio. In 1974 four high school friends from East Los Angeles formed Los Lobos (Spanish for “The Wolves”). David Hidalgo and César Rosas played guitar, Conrad Lozano played bass guitar, and Louie Pérez played drums.
2 Like many garage bands, these buddies might have simply gone their separate ways after high school. But the members of Los Lobos wanted to keep making music together. They decided to change their musical style and began focusing on traditional Mexican music that reflected their heritage.
3 “We pulled out all those records we used to beg our parents not to play around our friends and found an incredible wealth of music,” says Pérez. “These guys [on the records] were doing amazing things with their instruments, and we started trying to pick up on it.”
4 The group put aside its electric guitars for the acoustic ones used in traditional Mexican music. For several years Los Lobos played at weddings, Quinceañeras,1 private parties—any function that needed live music. They also landed a regular engagement at a Mexican restaurant.
5 By 1978 Los Lobos had made enough money to record their first album, and they sold copies of it wherever they performed. They also returned to their electric guitars to get closer to a Tex-Mex sound, which is a mixture of traditional Mexican music, rock and roll, country music, and the blues. This new, louder sound produced one unintended result: the group was fired from the restaurant.
6 But it didn’t matter that Los Lobos had lost their one steady job, because they had found a niche that no other group occupied. They had combined electric and acoustic instruments and blended musical styles in their own way. Steve Berlin joined the band in 1983 as the saxophone and keyboard player, adding to the band’s unique sound.
7 “We didn’t so much want to recycle the music we’d grown up with as much as find the common links between it and all the other styles and sounds that were all around us,” Pérez explains. “It became a mission, almost a crusade . . . bringing music together to bring people together.”
8 In the 1980s Los Lobos gained the attention of several record companies. They were hired to perform on the soundtrack to the film La Bamba, which earned them a Golden Eagle Award. They have since earned many awards, including two Grammys and an MTV Video Music Award. Their many records have been very successful, and they have toured the world.
9 Even after 30 years of making music together, Los Lobos continue to experiment with their sound. They never stray far from their Mexican roots, however. They still include traditional music in their live performances, sharing their legacy—and their culture—with their fans.
Its bellows breathed life into gatherings and fueled thedancing of hundreds of people.
The author uses personification to indicate that theaccordion —
A created a need for better sound equipment at gatherings
B could help people who were ill feel healthy
C produced a great deal of wind that blew on the audience
D could make a tired audience become spirited and awake
14 In paragraph 5, the author uses words such as “a natural”and “was in his blood” to convey —
F the ease with which Santiago Jiménez played
G Santiago Jiménez’s views of his father
H the urgency with which Santiago Jiménez practiced
J Santiago Jiménez’s initial confusion about Music
15 Which of these is the best summary of the selection?
A Nearly 2,000 years ago the Chinese invented an instrumentcalled the sheng. In the 1800s Europeans developed the accordion, a more modernversion of the sheng, and immigrants later brought it to
North America. The accordion eventually became known asthe squeezebox because sound was produced by squeezing the instrument andforcing air through its bellows.
B The accordion is an instrument that can sound horrible inthe wrong hands, but it can sound great when played well. Its sound is actuallyproduced by two large harmonicas. A bellows forces air through the instrumentto produce sound. Skilled players can make either slow, sad tunes or upbeatdance music.
C Flaco Jiménez is the best-known accordion player today.He learned how to play the instrument from his father Santiago, who learnedfrom his own father Patricio Jiménez. Flaco has heard the stories about theEuropean polkas that Patricio played and believes that he learned aboutaccordion technique by watching his father play.
D Descended from the Chinese sheng, the accordion can producewonderful music in the hands of talented musicians such as the men of theJiménez family. Inspired by polka music, Patricio Jiménez launched the familytradition by becoming an accomplished accordion player. His son Santiago andhis grandson Flaco also became highly respected accordion players.
16 Based on information provided in the selection, thereader can conclude that musicians —
F often enjoy their greatest success while they are young
G choose what careers their children will pursue
H are not concerned with the preferences of their fans
J sometimes pass their interest in music on to theirchildren
17 Los Lobos lost their job performing in a restaurantbecause —
A their music became too loud
B they preferred to perform at weddings
C their music was attracting too large a crowd
D they needed to spend time recording their first album
18 The reader can conclude that the members of Los Lobosattribute their success mostly to —
F their blending of different types of music
G the way they recorded their first album
H their decision to allow their songs to be used in movies
J the fact that they perform at a variety of Events
19 Paragraph 8 is mainly about the —
A record companies that hoped to work with the band
B band’s success and various awards
C number of albums the band has produced
D places the band has visited on its world Tours
20 Los Lobos recorded their first album after they —
F began playing acoustic guitars
G lost their job at a restaurant
H won an award for a film soundtrack
J added saxophone and keyboards to their Sound
21 The author chose the title of this article to highlightthe band’s —
A commitment to creating its own musical identity
B interest in the popular music of today
C memories of performing together as teenagers
D experiences touring the world
22 How are the members of the Jiménez family similar to themembers of Los Lobos?
F They followed closely in the same paths of their fathersand grandfathers.
G They had to lose some jobs before getting better oneslater on.
H They began their musical careers in one country andgained fame in another.
J They borrowed from various cultures to establish a newsound.
23 How are the selection and the article different?
A “The Box That Rocks” explores the history behind avariety of instruments, while “To Their Own Beat” focuses on the history of justone instrument.
B “The Box That Rocks” provides a biography of a modernmusician, while “To Their Own Beat” investigates where a type of musicoriginated.
C “The Box That Rocks” provides a history of the instrumentplayed by the Jiménez family, while “To Their Own Beat” does not discuss theorigins of the instruments played by Los Lobos.
D “The Box That Rocks” tells mainly about musicians ofMexican descent, while “To Their Own Beat” tells mainly about musicians ofEuropean descent.
24 Both the selection and the article suggest that music —
F represents many cultures
G is best when played loudly
H should remain the same over time
J must be recorded to be enjoyed
25 Which of these sentences from “The Box That Rocks” alsodescribes how the members of Los Lobos feel about their music?
A Around this time Patricio Jiménez began to attend dancesthat featured accordion music, and he liked what he heard.
B He has experimented with different styles and has earnedthe respect of many distinguished musicians.
C Patricio’s son Santiago was born in 1913 and was playingthe accordion by the time he was seven years old.
D In the hands of an unschooled beginner, it can sound likethe tortured groaning of a dozen cats with stomach problems.
